By Tony Attwood
If you are going to the Emirates today I do hope you’ll either buy a programme or look over the shoulder of the guy next to you at his programme, because after one year’s break, Arsenal History Society has its own page in the programme once again.
This season, instead of doing one article each issue on a major event of the past, as we did two years ago, we are reporting on several historic moments that have a link to the day, in relation to the club we are playing, to the date itself, and to other key moment’s in Arsenal’s history.
The articles are being put together by the three of us who run the Arsenal History Society: Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews and myself.
Meanwhile we are also not that far away from the next in the series of illustrated booklets reporting Arsenal’s history through the ages which are published by Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association.
So far we have covered…
- Dial Square to Woolwich Arsenal
- The Start of the Norris Era
- Wartime, Promotion and the pre-Chapman years
This new publication, which comes out in a few weeks time, is on Herbert Chapman, and like each of the booklets in the series, it contains a rather startling revelation.
In the first booklet we exposed the truth about the foundation of Arsenal, and its battle to survive after the club split in two. In the second we revealed exactly why we moved to Highbury and in the third, looked at the promotion of 1919 and the managership of Leslie Knighton.
I think it is fair to say that all three books have totally re-written Arsenal’s history, introducing previously unrecorded facts, and eradicating commonplace myths.
Now with Chapman we are at it again, and for what I believe is the first time in many years we are revealing what really happened with the “WM” revolution. I won’t spoil the fun – but I can say it is not the story that you have probably picked up from other histories. Safe to say Chapman did not invent the WM formation, but he did invent something much, much more important and long lasting.
Our new publication is available to all AISA members free of charge; or £5.00 to non-members (same price for the other booklets in the series.) To join AISA just visit the web site
Finally, just a reminder that the AISA Arsenal History Society blog continues day by day, and there are is an abbreviated set of anniversaries published on the Untold home page most days. A full set of anniversaries for the day is published on the AISA Arsenal History Society blog, and the complete file of Arsenal anniversaries which is now approaching 1000 dates – many with full details – can be found on the Anniversary File.
All members of AISA are automatically members of the AISA Arsenal History Society. I do hope you’ll take a look at our work, both in the programme and on the blog.
Tony Attwood
Chair, AISA Arsenal History Society.
Elsewhere….
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
No one should buy anything today, not a single piece of merchandise or a packet of crisps until this club sorts the mess that is Wenger out!
Hell I wouldn’t even attend a game for the good of the club, time for true fans to make a stand.
If Dog is a ‘true’ fan then this club is in a pretty perilous state..Hopefully they will be 60,000 ‘genuinely’ ‘true’ fans at the Emirates today wanting All the club to do well. COYG
Comment removed as it has nothing to do with the article.
Sorry Dog, can’t wait for KO and will have to buy the programme.
Tony, nice work, as ever.
Very relieved to see that Dog is NOT the McGraw contributor of happy memory.
We really have no need for such negative comments even before a ball is kicked.
And welcome, Tony, to a bit of censorship at long last.
Honestly Dog, get a grip of yourself. It’s a new season, a new hope and a chance to see some new players……..oh!
Why are there so many idiots like dog and how do they get away with it? It’s like the season has ended already and we are relegated. Our backups are going to show how good they are come on true supports scream like you mean it! Shakespeare some people have greatness others have greatness thrust apron them go fans thrust some greatness!
Great news. Of we will buy, we are supporters of this club, fans are a different thing . I hope to see soon this people that ask to see wenger out to be them ..out !
I’m bored of them.
Good grief. some people should just not read the article if they are offended by it. Nice Topic. Hope there is a big Roar behind the Boys today. Wish i was there. Stuck in Sierra Leone.
No Dog, I’m not a true fan.
I support the Arsenal from when I was 7 until I hope ii’m 97.
We have a match to win: support the team, manager and Club today.
Petty bickering can be done on office hours 9-5 Monday to Friday.
Dog: I understand the sentiment, but it doesn’t really make all that much sense. The people at the Emirates today have presumably already paid for their tickets, therefore they might as well enjoy it while they are there.
That being said, Dog you are a “true” fan of the club. Fans do not have to blindly agree with the decisions of a manager or a board. The fact that Dog is calling for a boycott, while unlikely to work and frankly a silly idea, demonstrates the fact that Dog is passionate about Arsenal Football Club. He disagrees with the way things are happening and feels so strongly about it that he wants to do something to help stop the mismanagement of the club for which he feels so passionately. Calling him an “untrue” fan (Philbet), an idiot (Va Cong), or an “AAA” is low-minded and ad hominem. Frankly, such childish labeling simply displays an inability to defend one’s own perspective against criticism – something which seems to happen a lot around this website.
Outside of all of this, thank you to Tony, Andy, and Mark for helping to educate the supporters about our club’s great history.
Dog – there is some important advice for you in the next article.
Well i’ll be cheering on the boys today, but I am not happy with Wenger and his “dealings”.
We have to be careful of Agbonlahor and Benteke. On the break they could be a thorn in our side.
Is this ok Tony or are you going to do a north korea again?
😉
I think when “Dog” declares himself as the “true fan” he deserves all the stick he gets.
In fact by calling himself a fan he has shown his real colours. I never call myself a fan. I am a SUPPORTER!
and that is what we on Untold do. We support. No matter what, when or why we try to add our bit to make sure that the team out on the field gets to the best result.
I have seen enough fans the last days hoping us to lose the game “to prove THEIR point”. Then you are not a supporter of this club. You are a supporter of your own ego.
I agree with DOG, what the club have done wrong is inform the world and its wife that we have money.
By doing this all it’s done is increased transfer values of players. They should have kept quiet and done the business like we normally do.
Hate to say this but Sp@rs have invested with no public declaration.
I won’t be buying any merchandise until this club starts investing in top top players.
We have already lost out on 2 with our dithering!!!
canadian gooner wrote:
“The fact that Dog is calling for a boycott, while unlikely to work and frankly a silly idea, demonstrates the fact that Dog is passionate about Arsenal Football Club.”
I love statements like this 🙂 Dog’s idea is ridiculous even to canadian gooner, his devout apologist but it shows passion. Nice logic right there. Your idea is moronic but I love how strongly you feel about it.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.”
If only Arsenal is being run by “passionate” fans like Dog. If only!
I think there will be no booing at the stadium today ,as most ‘true’ fans would have heeded Dog’s clarion call and stay away.
Wait a minute ! How would he know if it was successful ?
I think a better idea would be to wear black bin bags over their heads ! That would be sure to be newsworthy !Will be looking out for you !
As for the ‘usual’ 60,000 inside , bellow your lungs for all true ‘supporters’ worldwide !
Aaaah, so THATS why they put the price up 🙂
Seriously its nice to see it back, for years, the programme used to keep me amused (awake?) on the way home.