By Tony Attwood
Although it is true that the Arsenal has worken up a little to the fact that the fortccoming season marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Herbert Chapman (the manager who transfromred Arsenal from near certainties for relegation, into league runners up in one season) I think it is fair to say that they didn’t really notice this vital anniversary until the AISA Arsenal History Society started publishing artilces on the topic.
And indeed, this coming season, this is not the only important anniversary that the club seems to be unaware or, at the very least, disinterested in: the 100th consecutive season in the top division.
Arsenal are the first and thus obviously only club to achieve this remarkable run – and the nearest challenger to Arsenal in this regard is around a quarter of a century behind.
Of course, it could be that most people simply are not interested in historical context, and I have to admit that could be the case. But for me, these historical facts are part of the Arsenal club to which I give my support and have for so many years been paying for my season ticket.
Arsenal’s success AND Arsenal’s heritage mean a lot to me, just as it means a lot to me for Arsenal to win matches, get trophies, and yes I have to admit it, do better than Tottenham Hots. I’m a long, long way past the years of being a youthful supporter at the Clock End at Highbury, but being taken there by my father in my youth was the start, and the heritage of the club remains important. Indeed, I could argue that it has become more and more important the older I get.
Thus, when I come across people spreading the old lies about Arsenal’s history (all the stuff about buying their way into the top division, not really being a north London club and nonsense of that sort) I do sometimes reply and put he record straight. Indeed, this has gone so far as to create a website devoted to issues concerning Arsenal’s history, which has been running almost as long as Untold.
Arsenal were a south London team in the late 19th and early 20th century, and by 1910 were on the very edge of financial collapse. They were rescued by a director of Fulham when no one else was willing to come forward with any financial support, and he said that as far as he could see, the only way for the club to survive would be to merge with another club, or move to a part of the city where the club would get much higher crowds. Local fan groups objected to both ideas, so having paid off the club’s debts, he said fine, work to get the crowds up to the needed level and I’ll keep the club in Plumstead – no move and no merger.
The owner – it was, as you may well know, Henry Norris – said he would give them a year, although in the end he actually gave the supoorters almost threee years to get things sorted, but all that happened was that the crowds continued to go down. (Although to be fair that wasn’t the supporters’ fault – the government was busy closing down the shipbuilding industry in Woolwich, So the club moved a distance of 12 miles.
Now I am not going to start trying to work out which other clubs have moved 12 miles, but there are quite a few I think, and I am not sure they have the level of abuse Arsenal have thrown at them over the matter. Nor indeed that their rivals still try and taunt the club about it over a century later, but that I suppose is just the small-mindedness of some supporters of other clubs. Clubs need to change grounds sometimes and Arsenal moved 12 miles. So what? Is the big problem that they crossed the river? Really?
Certainly, it seems to me that that historic change is no excuse for the club failing to notice and celebrate key anniversaries such as 100 years since Herbert Chapman took over the management of a club teetering on the brink of the second division. Or indeed, starting from the same moment, one hundred consecutive seasons in the top league.
No other club has such a heritage or such a history. True Liverpool have won the league 20 times compared to Arsenal’s 13, and of course I wish those figures were reversed. But only Liverpool and Manchester United are above Arsenal in that regard. And although I value the League more than the FA Cup, it is still a fact that Arsenal have won the FA Cup more than any other club. 14 times to be exact. It was also a matter of pleasure for me that it is an Arsenal manager who won the cup more than any othere (Arsène Wenger of course).
So now we are soon to be starting again – 100 years since Chapman picked up the club and changed it from relegation certainties to champions, and started the run that has given us 100 years in the top division – something which no other club is close to achieving.
And actually it does amuse me that the only thing supporters of other clubs can do is suggest Arsenal should never have moved grounds, or that the club somehow bought its way into the first division. I quite like both stories as they are so silly, and without any evidence at all, that they always make me think, if that’s the best our enemies can do, we must be doing ok.
Have you given up your season ticket, Tony, or are you hanging on for one more season?
Ex PGMOL warns that Zubmendi is likely to get red cards for the way he tackles.
So, we have it confirmed in advance that the anti-Arsenal referee agenda will contiinue. Will it be Taylor or Oliver who is the first to oblige?
When taunted by the odd Spud fan about the North London connection I point out that we were actually in North London before them since Tottenham was actually in Middlesex when we were the ONLY club in North London. I also point out that they have, in fact, never ever won the league as a North London Club as they were still in Middlesex until 1965. It does make me laugh 🙂
On matters North London. Is it a fact that the jelly totts recently moved away from North London and pitched up in an area near to Wormwood Scrubs only to move back to the swamplands of Totteringham ? If that’s the case I put it to Untold Arsenal that these ne’er-do-wells and jackanapes are nothing more than a nomadic wanderer club .
That’s a good one Mikey. I think I might use that!