by Andy Kelly
As we all know, Arsenal played their first ever game on 11 December 1886 as Dial Square against Eastern Wanderers, right? Well, it depends on which version of the club’s history that you read.
Arsenal beat French Internationals in a farcical game
Woolwich Arsenal versus Parisian XI: Monday December 5th 1904
by Mark Andrews and Andy Kelly
League win against the FA Cup holders for the Gunners
Woolwich Arsenal versus Manchester City: Saturday December 10th 1904
by Mark Andrews and Andy Kelly
by Andy Kelly and Mark Andrews
(@Gooner_AK) (@Royal Arsenal MRA)
On 5 December 1904 Woolwich Arsenal played host to a Parisian touring team. The game finished with the Gunners recording their biggest ever win: 26-1. The French team should count themselves lucky as Woolwich Arsenal fielded seven reserve team players.
by Andy Kelly and Mark Andrews
(@Gooner_AK) (@Royal Arsenal MRA)
The eagle-eyed amongst you who have read through this season’s handbook will have noticed a minor change within the list of managers. Arsenal’s second manager has changed from George Elcoat to William Elcoat. The reason for this is constant badgering of the handbook editor, Josh James, by us. We showed conclusively that since 1986 George Elcoat has been wrongly credited with having managed Woolwich Arsenal, and also showed the date that he started and the date he was “asked to resign”.
by Andy Kelly
(@Gooner_AK)
On 24 November 1967 Bertie Mee told the Daily Mirror that Arsenal were no longer interested in signing Don Rogers from Swindon Town. At the time Swindon were looking to cash in on the 22 year old winger who had asked for a transfer having been their top scorer the previous season and with 11 in 21 games at this point of the season.
By Andy Kelly
(@Gooner_AK)
Whilst filming some short clips about The Arsenal’s early history with Arsenal Media yesterday I mentioned the club’s most prolific goalscorer, his part in Arsenal’s record defeat and the fact that he is virtually unknown.
By Mark Andrews – (@Royal Arsenal MRA)
and Andy Kelly – (@Gooner_AK)
The recent publicity surrounding Manchester City’s decision to charge Arsenal supporters £58 got us thinking of any non-recent historical precedents, and there are a number of early occasions when unscrupulous clubs doubled their entrance gate for the visit of Arsenal supporters. Probably the most blatant occasion was when Royal Arsenal visited Clapton in October 1891 and the opposition kept the gate at 3d for the home fans but doubled it to 6d for the Reds without any prior warning. As Arsenal won 7-0 it is doubtful too many were overly concerned by the end. Read More →
by Andy Kelly (@Gooner_AK)
Ingrained within the heritage of The Arsenal is the long standing latin motto “Victoria Concordia Crescit”. Over the years there have been a number of variations of the translation but all are roughly the same: “Victory Grows Through Harmony.”
But when was this motto first attributed to The Arsenal, and why?
By Andy Kelly
(@Gooner_AK)
This is an expanded version of the article we recently wrote for the History Lesson page for the Arsenal matchday programme.
Throughout the club’s history Arsenal have always had a reputation as pioneers and innovators. On 23 March 1974 the club was involved in one of football’s more unusual firsts.