In Praise Of Ivan The Not-So-Terrible

June 10, 2013

There is an unbridgeable divide between supporters who feel we have overachieved since the stadium move and those who feel we have underachieved.

I am in the first camp. The arguments for and against have seen more daylight than Ashley Cole’s wayward todger so there’s no need to go into them in too much depth again.

But in summary, the case for us having overachieved is this:

  • We moved stadium at great expense, leaving us with a mighty debt.
  • To pay for the stadium we had to enter into long-term commercial deals which, while just about OK at the time, became less and less competitive as the years went by. Unfortunately we were locked in for the long haul as it was the only way we could finance the new stadium.
  • The world entered the biggest financial crash for 75 years.
  • Rich oilygarchs started taking over English football clubs and completely skewed the economics of the game. In this rich man’s game we were suddenly the paupers at the table.
  • Somehow, despite all these adverse trends, we managed to qualify for the Champions League every single year while showing a net profit on transfers. During this period we were massively outspent not just by the oilers, but also by such footballing titans as Stoke City, Aston Villa, QPR, West Ham, Sunderland, Wigan, Reading and Norwich.
  • All the above constitutes a minor footballing miracle. That any club could be steered through such stormy seas and still find its way to harbour safely year after year is simply incredible. One day this achievement will be understood and appreciated more widely than it is now.

Now if you, like me, accept this case as being self-evident, then it naturally follows that some people have been doing an extraordinarily good job at Arsenal.

First and foremost the credit for this overachievement is rightly given to Arsene Wenger.

We now know that his “project youth” experiment (while undoubtedly appealing somewhat to his philosophy and vanity) was actually a policy of financial necessity.

And while many are angry that he failed to bring us any silverware in the years since we left Highbury, with the financial resources we had available it’s remarkable that we did not slide into mid table mediocrity.

But enough has been said and written about Arsene.

I want to dole out some credit to another man – one who has been pilloried and vilified by huge swathes of the fan base for many years: Ivan Gazidis.

The reason I feel he deserves praise is because if Arsene was the captain of our ship during the stormy years, Ivan was the chief engineer. It was his job to keep HMS Arsenal seaworthy (financially sound) during some very difficult years – and he has succeeded brilliantly.

To be honest, I have never understood the vitriol – hate, even – that has been directed at him. Most of the critics have not the faintest idea of what he actually does (not that it stops them hating him).

When he became Chief Executive in 2008 the challenges before him were many and complex but the main ones were: retain the services of Arsene Wenger; pay down the high-interest elements of our stadium debt; ensure stability in the boardroom during a period of intense struggle between shareholders; improve on the commercial deals when possible.

Well, you can put a tick against every one of those aims.

His recent interview, in which he spoke with great optimism about the future of Arsenal, has received mixed reactions entirely depending on the prejudices of the listener/reader.

If you are part of the Angry Brigade, his talk of being now able to compete financially with the best in the world was a cynical ploy related to season ticket renewal and in advance of the meeting with supporters this week. Or it was a way of passing the blame on to Arsene if we fail to make any significant signings this summer.

I am a much less complicated listener. I took his words to mean what they said. In fact, they sounded to me like self-evident truth: we know that our new commercial deals are bringing in vast sums of money; we know that the new Premier League broadcasting deal is doing likewise; we know that the remaining “mortgage” on The Emirates Stadium is at low interest rates and is entirely manageable.

If you want to understand what our club has achieved in the last seven or eight years, just think about what COULD have happened during that period.

  • The stadium move could have spiraled out of control, running over time and over budget, but it didn’t, which says a great deal for the oversight from the club’s hierarchy (before and after Gazidis’s arrival).
  • Without Wenger’s genius and with no “net” money to spend on transfers, the team could have really struggled to stay competitive and could have slid down the Premier League table.
  • This might then have prompted desperate, panic buying to try and prop up the playing side even though we couldn’t afford it.
  • In the worst case, we could have found ourselves in a vicious spiral of debt off the pitch and failure on the pitch, which might ultimately have led to flirting with relegation, bankruptcy or both.
  • St Totteringham’s bones would have stayed in their casket for year after miserable year.

None of these bad things happened and we are now better placed than all but the “financially doped” teams to succeed in the years ahead.

And as Ivan has pointed out, the two teams in the Champions League final this year – Munich and Dortmund – both got there on the back of sustainable financial models and without the help of rich sugar-daddies.

So, Ivan Gazidis, you have taken many barbs since you arrived at Arsenal. Just for once, it’s time you took a bow…

Footnote

I have seen Ivan referred to as an American, as a South African, as someone who knows nothing about football. Well, here are some facts that you may not know about our Chief Exec:

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Moved to England (Manchester) at age four because he father, a prominent anti-apartheid activist, was being persecuted by the then South African government.

Was considered a very talented footballer at school in Manchester.

Went to Oxford University where he earned a “blue” at football (which means he represented the University which also means he was a better player than 99% of the people reading this Post).

Graduated in law.

Moved to the US in 1992.

Was a founding member of Major League Soccer in the US in 1994.

RockyLives

DON’T FORGET: TOMORROW WE RESUME OUR SEARCH TO FIND THE ALL-TIME GREATEST ARSENAL SQUAD. THIS WEEK WE MOVE ONTO THE DEFENCE.

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Blame where blame is due

June 9, 2013

We all know the phrase “credit where credit is due”, but perhaps the time has come to take a look at Magic Hat’s theory “blame where blame is due”.

Everything started when two friends became enemies. Not an unusual story, I hear you saying and you are naturally right, but the rift between these two has helped to bring about a disastrous course of events.

I am of course speaking about David Dein and Danny Fiszman. Dein was forced out, Fiszman died and we are where we are.

How can a man who truly loves Arsenal side with Usmanov, who supposedly doesn’t give a hoot about Arsenal?

How can his son “put the boot in” with the footballers he represents and encourage them to leave?

Is it a case of getting sweet revenge?

Why was SK welcomed with open arms? He knows nothing about our team either, but it was a good way of keeping a true Gooner out, once and for all.

Does AW really care about anything other than realising his vision and proving everyone else wrong? As long as we reach the CL, the board is happy, Wenger gets to carry on with his plan and we sit here with “egg on our faces”, unable to do anything.

So, when it comes to apportioning the blame, the only innocents are you and me – the true Arsenal fans.

Written by Jeanette Kliger

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A Sad Day at The Arsenal

June 8, 2013

Yesterday was a tough old day for many Arsenal players and ex-players as they saw their contracts come to en end and were released from their clubs.

Some, like Kolo Toure, have the chance to go to a top team and continue their highly successful careers. Others like Connor Henderson are left wondering what happens next?

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Conor

We have released 14 players which compared to last season’s 5 is a huge reduction in staff. It calls into question the efficacy of the youth system and perhaps explains why Liam Brady is retiring.

How must it feel for those young aspirants who have been at Arsenal since they were children?

Imagine: You are thrilled to be asked to join the Arsenal as a child, all your mates are excited for you. Everywhere you go people know you as a future star, your parents are beyond ecstatic and help you in every way, your school hold you up as shining example and you wake up every day as a member of one of the biggest football clubs in the world. You are one of the elite.

You work hard and progress through the youth teams, and have articles written about you. You are top of the Google list for your name; it looks so great and you are planning how to spend your millions. You have an agent who tells you that you are the Dog’s B’s, and have a swarm of willing ladies who follow you. You have access to VIP areas in night clubs because You are Arsenal.

Then you are called in to see Mr Wenger. It can go one of two ways – either you are going to be offered an improved wage and a contract extension or you are out. Imagine the nerves. You sit and listen to what is said, the managers kind introduction and words of consolation, but all you hear is rejection. You walk out of the office in a stunned silence. You have to tell your parents and your friends that you are no longer an Arsenal player – imagine making those phone calls. At the age of just 18/19.

To those young players who today must scramble around and find new clubs and rebuild your careers, please remain strong and resolute. Just getting as far as you have shows there is a future for you. Perhaps not at the top level, as statistically few who are released come back to the Premiership, but a decent living nonetheless.

My heart goes out to you

written by Big Raddy

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Week 2 – Goalkeepers Vote

June 7, 2013

So over the last few days you have seen the goalkeepers in contention for a place in the Greatest Ever Arsenal Squad, but me and GN5 both feel that there are too many Johnny Come Lately types who only ever vote for players in their most recent memory (or only memory). So to stop our squad being made up of 11 Invincibles and friends we are forcing you to vote by era.

4 goalkeepers 2 from each era are going in our squad, it’s up to you to decide…….

Has anything you have read over the last few days changed your mind? Hopefully you’ve been in search of Pathe news reels to see some of them in action, or maybe you’ve now realised why your Dad was so respectful to the old guy selling you your first scarf.

Today’s poll will allow multiple answers (up to 3 in total) for those of you who are in two minds or just wish to acknowledge more than one keeper.

1900-1970

George Swindin
Dan Lewis
Frank Moss
James Ashcroft
Jack Kelsey
Jim Furnell
Bob Wilson

1970-2013

Jimmy Rimmer
John Lukic
Pat Jennings
David Seaman
Jens Lehmann

I expect this to be a fiercely contested category, we have had some fine keepers over the years, and may have one more in the making, time will tell.

Written by GN5, compiled by Gooner in Exile

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Goalkeepers – Day 3

June 6, 2013

9. Pat Jennings 1977 – 1985

Pat was our keeper for 8 years and played 327 games.

Pat was born in in Newry, County Down, after playing for Shamrock Rovers under-18 side at the age of 11, he concentrated on Gaelic football until the age of sixteen, when he made his soccer comeback with his hometown side Newry Town. After impressing with Newry he moved to English Third Division side Watford.

He was signed by Tottenham Hotspur for £27,000 in 1964. Pat spent thirteen years with Tottenham where he played in 472 league games, and 591 in all competitions. He won the FA Cup in 1967, the League Cup in 1971 and 1973, and the UEFA Cup in 1972.

He played an unsuspecting role in Arsenal’s League and Cup double in 1971 as he was in goal for Tottenham when Ray Kennedy’s header flew past him as Arsenal famously wrapped up the title at White Hart Lane.

jenningsIn August 1977, he was transferred to Arsenal, the fact that Arsenal enjoyed some of his finest years was largely thanks to a miscalculation by Spurs manager Keith Burkinshaw who incorrectly suspected that Pat was approaching the end of his career when he let him leave for Highbury. He found himself out of favour at Arsenal in 1982 as Scottish keeper George Wood assumed the No 1 spot, but he bounced back and regained his starting place until his retirement from club football in 1985. His long career ended in style with an appearance, at the age of 40, at the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico. It was a fitting finale for one of our greatest goalkeepers. In total, Jennings participated in the qualifying stages of six World Cups between 1966 and 1986.

After his retirement, he returned to Tottenham Hotspur, playing in their reserve side to maintain his match sharpness for Northern Ireland’s 1986 World Cup campaign. He was also briefly on Everton’s books, having been signed as goalkeeping cover for the 1986 FA Cup Final against Liverpool, Neville Southall having been injured playing for Wales.

In 1973 the Football Writers association named him as its footballer of the year Three years later he won PFA’s version of the award – he was the first goalkeeper to receive this accolade, he also received an MBE and an OBE.

In 2003 Pat was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of the skills he demonstrated in English football

10. John Lukic 1983 -1990

John played for 7 years and appeared in 298 games.

John was born in Chesterfield, he signed for Leeds United as a schoolboy. He made his debut for them in 1979 and went on to play 165 games. After making a transfer request, he moved to Arsenal in July 1983 for £75,000, as a long-term replacement for Pat Jennings.

gun__1322669536_lukic_johnBy the middle of the 1984-85 season he was the club’s No. 1, and won the League Cup in 1987 and the Division One title in 1989. He was ever present in Arsenal’s first team throughout seasons 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90. He played in the final game of the 1989 season where Arsenal won the title in the last minute of the game against Liverpool, with John starting the move which led to Michael Thomas’ famous goal.

In the summer of 1990 Arsenal manager George Graham signed David Seaman from Queens Park Rangers – Seaman had ironically been his understudy at Leeds. This outraged many Arsenal fans at the time, especially as John was a fan favourite. On his departure, Graham commented “I still think John Lukic is one of the best keepers in the country; I just think David Seaman is the best”

Having played 277 times for the Gunners, he rejoined Leeds for £1million, playing a further 265 times and winning a second League title in 1991-92 and a runners up medal in the League Cup in 1995-96

His career took another twist when he rejoined Arsenal in 1996 as understudy to Seaman and four years later was on the bench for Arsenal’s UEFA Cup final defeat to Galatasaray. John became the oldest player to feature in a Champions League match when, in October 2000, he played against Lazio at the age of 39 years and 311 days.

In 2000, after a series of injuries to the club’s other ‘keepers, he made a brief return to the first team, playing four times. The last of these four games, against Derby County, was a month shy of his 40th birthday – he is also one of several players to have played in the top flight of English football in four separate decades.

11. David Seaman 1990 – 2003

David played for 13 years and appeared in 564 games.

David was born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire; he began his career at Leeds United, the club he supported as a boy. However (much to his disappointment), he was not wanted by then-manager Eddie Gray, who had been his favourite player. David went to Division 4 club Peterborough United for a £4,000 fee in August 1982, where he began to make a name for himself.

Just over two years later, in October 1984, Second Division club Birmingham City paid £100,000 for his services. They ended up winning promotion at the end of that season, but were relegated again at the end of the following season. Seaman was not to follow them back to Division Two, however as in August 1986, David moved to Queens Park Rangers for £225,000. He earned his first England cap, which came under Bobby Robson in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in November 1988. Whilst at Q.P.R.,he was coached by Arsenal1971 double-winner Bob Wilson, who was to work with him for more than a decade.

Arsenal manager George Graham paid Leeds United £1.3 million for him which, at the time was a British record for a goalkeeper with John Lukic leaving to rejoin Leeds. Seaman became the cornerstone of an Arsenal back five which kept 23 clean sheets and conceded just 18 goals en route to the 1990/91 League title. His qualities were manifold – he had sharp reflexes, excellent positional sense, great judgement from crosses and bags of courage.

seaman1504_176880aOne of his most memorable moments came in April 2003 when Arsenal was defending a 1-0 lead in the FA Cup Semi-Final against Sheffield United at Old Trafford. In the closing minutes he was stranded when Paul Peschisolido headed towards goal but somehow he threw himself across goal and reached back to claw the ball away from under the crossbar. What made the save even more remarkable was that it was made in his 1,000th professional game. A month later, as Arsenal’s captain, he lifted the FA Cup at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium following a 1-0 win against Southampton. After 564 appearances and eight major trophies, it was his final act as an Arsenal player and a fitting climax to his Arsenal career.

He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury.

He was appointed an MBE in 1997 for services to the sport.

12. Jens Lehmann 2003-2011.

Jens played for 11 years and appeared in 200 games.

Jens was born in Essen, Germany.

The German international signed for Arsenal from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in July 2003. During his first spell with Arsenal he played in every match of the Club’s unbeaten league campaign in 2003/04, when he was awarded the Premier League Golden Glove Award for his integral part in the ‘Invincibles’ season. He also won the Premier League title in 2003/04, the Community Shield in 2004 and an FA Cup winner’s medal in 2005, when he famously saved from Paul Scholes in the victorious penalty shoot-out

However, his style of play, often coming out of his goal to intercept passes occasionally led to mistakes, as it did in the title-winning match against Spurs when he pushed Tottenham striker Robbie Keane as they both waited for a Tottenham corner, he also made a mistake that led to the equalising goal in Arsenal’s Champions League defeat at home to Chelsea the same season.

Before joining Arsenal he was a Bundesliga title winner with Borussia Dortmund in 2002, and UEFA Cup winner with Schalke in 1997. He also had a brief spell with AC Milan in 1998.

He was a regular fixture for the Germany national team making 61 appearances before retiring from international football in 2008, Jens was a member of the Germany World Cup squads in 1998, 2002 and 2006, in addition to their squads for the European Championship Finals in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

soc_g_jens_576He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads and also holds the UEFA Champions League record for the most consecutive clean sheets – not having conceded a goal in 10 matches while playing for Arsenal.

After leaving Arsenal he joined German club Stuttgart, where he spent two years before announcing his retirement from football at the end of last season. He rejoined Arsenal on a short-term basis in March 2011 during the time when, Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski and Vito Mannone were out through injury. He only made one appearance during his three-month spell back, helping Arsenal to victory at Blackpool.

Jens set a national team record of not conceding a goal for 681 minutes in a friendly against Switzerland on 26 March 2008

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Goalkeepers – Day 2

June 5, 2013

Continuing our search for the goalkeeper of our Greatest Ever Arsenal team ……………………

5. Jack Kelsey: 1949 – 1962

Jack played for 13 years appearing in 352 games.

He was born in the Llansamlet area of Swansea. Les Morris, an ex-Arsenal player, spotted Kelsey whilst he was playing for his local side, Winch Wen. Morris recommended Kelsey to Arsenal, who upon watching the goalkeeper for a few games decided to sign him. Arsenal already had an established first-choice goalkeeper at this time, in Geroge Swindin, so Kelsey could do nothing but wait for his chance to play for the first team.

kelsey_greatThe legendary shot-stopper made his Arsenal debut in a 5-2 home defeat to Charlton Athletic in 1951 and was a world-class goalkeeper during the Gunners’ barren spell in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

With a rugged build and consistently solid catching, Kelsey managed to fully oust Swindin from the side (Swindin making only two appearances in 1953-54) and went on to be Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper for the next eight seasons; only a broken arm sustained in an FA Cup tie against Sheffield United in 1959 put him out of the Arsenal side for any considerable amount of time, with Jim Standen taking over in the meantime.

Jack was a true one-club man. He began and finished his career at Highbury after eventually ousting George Swindin as Arsenal’s No 1 in the 1952/53 campaign.

Dubbed “the cat with magnetic paws” by the Brazilian national side, he won 41 caps for Wales – then a British record for a keeper. He was their goalkeeper at the 1958 World Cup, which remains their only appearance at the finals to date.

He also played for Great Britain v Rest of Europe in 1955.

Jack displaced two vertebrae at the base of his spine while playing for Wales in 1962 and was forced to retire. He later took up the post of commercial manager at Arsenal, retiring in 1989.

He passed away in London in March 1992.

In September 2010 Jack was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

6. Jim Furnell: 1963-1968

Jim played for 5 years and made 167 appearances.

Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, Jim started his career at his local club Burnley, signing at the age of 17. As third-choice keeper he only played twice in eight seasons at Turf Moor, before being signed by Liverpool in 1962 where he immediately took the No. 1 jersey, playing all the club’s remaining matches that season, as they won the Second Division title and promotion to the First Division. Due to an accident early in the 1962-63 season, he lost his place and only played two matches in 1963-64.

titleBilly Wright brought Jim to Arsenal in 1963 paying £15,000. The manager was vindicated as Jim slotted straight in to the Gunners’ first XI, making his debut the day after he signed against Blackpool; the match finished 5-3 to Arsenal. He went on to become the long-term successor to Jack Kelsey playing as Arsenal’s No. 1 for the majority of the next five seasons. He was in goal for the Gunners’ League Cup Final defeat against Leeds United in 1968. But in the very next match, an FA Cup tie against Birmingham City, Jim’s mistake led to an unlikely Blues’ equaliser. He was duly dropped and never played for Arsenal’s first team again with young understudy Bob Wilson taking over the mantle.

He was sold in September 1968 for £8,000 to Rotherham United, after two years with Rotherham he moved to Plymouth Argyle and became a fans’ favourite at the club, playing there for five and a half years before his retirement in the summer of 1976. As part of the club’s centenary in 2003, he was named as goalkeeper in the Pilgrims’ all-time greatest XI by the club’s fans.

After retiring as a player, he was a coach at Plymouth before joining Blackburn Rovers in 1981; he served as a coach there until his retirement in 1998.

In a 2007 web poll, Jim was named Plymouth’s best goalkeeper of all time.

7. Bob Wilson: 1963 – 1974

Bob played for 11 years appearing in 308 games.

Bob was born in Chesterfield, he was the youngest child of six and had much older brothers (and an elder sister); two of his brothers were killed in the Second World War, one as a Spitfire pilot and the other as a rear- gunner in a Lancaster.

bob_wilsonHe was a late starter as a professional player, as his father would not let him sign papers with Manchester United as he thought it wasn’t a reasonable job whilst he was a youth. He played in reserve games for Wolves as an amateur and made his debut for Arsenal as an amateur, and was the first amateur to have a transfer fee paid (around £6,500).

Bob was forced to bide his time as understudy to Jim Furnell, and his early appearances for the Club did little to suggest he would make the grade. But a combination of intelligence and sheer hard graft ensured that he seized his chance when it came in March 1968.

He gained his first honour in 1970, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The following year Bob was an ever-present in Bertie Mee’s Double-winning side, gaining the Player of the Year honour. Two years later injury forced Wilson out of the Arsenal side but he recovered to claim back his No 1 jersey. He held it until his retirement at the age of 32.

Wilson was goalkeeping coach for 28 years, working with Pat Jennings, John Lukic and David Seaman. He also forged a successful broadcasting career with the BBC and later ITV. In 2007 Bob received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) as recognition for his work in the Willow Foundation which was set up in memory of his daughter Anna who passed away in 1968.

He made no bones about the deep-seated passion for the Arsenal having the N5 postcode on his car number plate.

8. Jimmy Rimmer: 1974 – 1977

Jimmy played for 3 seasons and appeared in 146 games.

Born in Southport Rimmer joined Manchester United as a schoolboy, turning professional two years later, he played 46 times for United. In October 1973 he was loaned to Swansea City where he impressed as first-team goalkeeper. Arsenal manager Bertie Mee brought him in April 1974 for £40,000 and gave him his first-team debut against Liverpool shortly afterwards.

rimmer2He made only one appearance in 1973-74 (keeping a clean sheet on his debut against Liverpool). After Bob Wilson announced his retirement at the end of that season, Jimmy became Arsenal’s No. 1 for the next three seasons, and was a near ever-present for the Gunners. During his time at Arsenal he also won his one and only England Cap

After Tottenham Hotspur manager Terry Neill took over at Arsenal, he signed Pat Jennings from his old club and he was sold to Aston Villa. At Villa, Jimmy was No. 1 for the next six seasons, winning a First Division winners’ medal in 1981. The following year Villa reached the European Cup Final, but he was injured after only nine minutes, Villa nevertheless beat Bayern Munich 1-0 they then went on to win the European Super Cup.

Jimmy left Villa in 1983 to rejoin old club Swansea City. After retiring from playing, he became Swansea’s goalkeeping coach, having a brief spell as manager. He then spent several years in China working as the goalkeeping coach for the Chinese National team.

Written by Gunner N5 and compiled by Gooner in Exile

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Goalkeepers – Day 1

June 4, 2013

Continuing our series of looking to create the Greatest Ever Arsenal team we move onto Goalkeepers this week. There will be information about various keepers during the week and a vote on Saturday to determine Arsenal Arsenal’s number 1.

1. James Ashcroft: 1900–1908

James was our keeper for 8 seasons and played in 303 games.

Ashcroft, JimmyBorn in Liverpool he played his youth football with Wilbyn’s United FC, Anfield Recreation Club and Garston Copper Works, all in Liverpool. He began with Everton FC Amateurs in 1897 and joined Gravesend United FC in the 1899 close season.

In June, 1900 he was signed for the Gunners by Harry Bradshaw, our manager from 1899 to 1904. He was the first Gunner to keep goal for Arsenal in the top flight, the first to play international football for England, winning 3 caps, the first to play in over 300 games and the first to play in 8 consecutive seasons while starting in over 30 games each season.

He made his first-team debut in the third game of the 1900/1 season at Burton Swifts after which he didn’t miss a game for more than four years, playing in 154 consecutive games, before sitting out the trip to Blackburn in October 1904. From his first game on he only let in 26 goals in the next 34 games, including 17 clean sheets and six consecutive games without conceding a goal. In 1903/4 he let in 22 goals in 34 games including 20 clean sheets.

The 1904/05 season was the Club’s first in Division One after they had won promotion the previous May and Jimmy remained the regular No 1 as Arsenal secured a top -10 finish in the top flight.

He secured another Arsenal goalkeeping first in 1906 after starting the Club’s maiden FA Cup Semi-Final against Newcastle. Arsenal lost that game and suffered the same fate a year later when Sheffield Wednesday beat them at the same stage of the competition with Ashcroft again between the posts.

He passed away in 1943 aged 64.

2. Dan Lewis 1924-1931

Dan was our keeper for 7 years and played in 167 games

Dan was born in Maery, Glamorgan, and after playing for clubs in his area moved to Clapton Orient before joining Arsenal in 1924 he made his debut in a 3-2 victory over Everton in November that year.

Dan worked in the coal mines before taking up football and was a popular choice for Herbert Chapman; but was forced to fight for his place throughout. When Chapman arrived in 1925 he competed for the No. 1 shirt with Jock Robson and Bill Harper; eventually becoming the first choice keeper after they departed in 1926 and 1931 respectively.

gun__1341483330_lewis_danThe most infamous moment of Lewis’ Arsenal career was the 1927 FA Cup Final against Cardiff City at Wembley it was the Gunners’ first Cup final, which we lost 1-0 due to an error by Lewis. In the 74th minute, Cardiff striker Hughie Ferguson hit a tame shot straight at Lewis, who dived down to make what should have been a comfortable save. However, Lewis fumbled the ball as he gathered it, and it slipped between his body and the crook of his elbow; Lewis turned around and tried in vain to reclaim the ball but only succeeded in knocking it with his elbow into the back of the net.

Flickering Pathe newsreel footage shows Lewis, a hapless Chaplinesque figure in baggy shorts, go down on his knees to gather Ferguson’s shot, only for the ball to slip between his body and the crook of his elbow. As his calamity unfolds, in slow motion, the greasy leather ball appears to wriggle through his grasp like a slippery salmon.

On receiving his losers’ medal from King George V, a disgusted Lewis reportedly cried “This is not for me,” before flinging it as far as he could into the Wembley crowd. “According to legend, the entire Arsenal team went back out on to the pitch afterwards and got down on their hands and knees to look for it.” Years later Lewis’s Arsenal team-mate, Bob John, reflected: “Poor Dan. I don’t think he was ever the same again.”

Another version of the story is that Lewis’s son Dave, an Arsenal fan, has kept the solid gold artefact at his Hertfordshire home since his father’s death in 1965. “He said, it has a little dent in it possibly caused by my dad chucking it across the dressing room,” One wonders where the truth actually lies?

Lewis blamed his brand new jersey for the error, saying the wool was too greasy for him to grip the ball properly; since then, according to club legend, no Arsenal goalkeeper has played in a new jersey before it is washed first.

He remained the number one for another three seasons playing in 95 games. He missed out on playing in our 1930 FA Cup Final victory over Huddersfield (our first trophy) after getting injured in a game against Leicester City. He was transferred to Gillingham in 1927.

3. Frank Moss 1931-1937

Frank was our keeper for 6 years and played in 161 games.

He signed for Arsenal from Oldham Athletic in November 1931.

tumblr_lhh63woykd1qftoilo1_400Moss immediately took the first-team keeper’s jersey from Charlie Preedy and was a near regular for the Gunners for the next four seasons; he won a hat-trick of First Division titles 1932-33, 1933-34 and 1934-35 he also played in the 1932 FA Cup Final which Arsenal lost to Newcastle United after a controversial equaliser from Jack Allen where the ball went behind the goal-line and out of play before being crossed back in for Allen to score.

Moss also played five times for England, making his debut on 14 April 1934 against Scotland at Wembley keeping a clean sheet as England won 3-0. His final match for England was the “Battle of Highbury” match against World Champions Italy on November 14th 1935 at Highbury, in which seven Arsenal players started the match; England won 3-2.

Moss is the only Arsenal goalkeeper to score in a first-class match. On 16 March 1935, in a First Division match against Everton, Moss dislocated his left shoulder; with no substitutes allowed in those days, Moss was forced to play the rest of the game on the left wing and incredibly, he scored Arsenal’s first goal in a 2-0 win.

4. George Swindin: 1936– 1954

George played in 297 games over an 18 year career, which included WW11.

Swindin was born in Campsall, Doncastor, and Yorkshire. He played as an amateur for various local clubs, turning professional in 1934 with Bradford City where he played 26 times before being signed by Arsenal in 1936 for £4,000. He played seventeen games in 1937-38 the most of Arsenal’s three keepers, and won a First Division medal.

WW11 interrupted his career somewhat, but Swindin continued to play through the war for Arsenal, whilst acting as a PT instructor for the Army.

063-0009By the time first-class football had resumed after the war, he became Arsenal’s undisputed No. 1, and stayed there for the next six seasons. He was a commanding keeper who was especially known for his aerial ability and assured handling of crosses, as well as his strong physical resilience. He won his second League title in 1947-48 he also played in two FA Cup finals; winning against Liverpool in 1950 but losing to Newcastle in 1952.

By 1952-53 he was beginning to show his age, and another talented keeper, the Welshman Jack Kelsey took his first-team place. Nevertheless, George in played 14 matches that season as Arsenal won the title again, giving him his third Championship winner’s medal.

Despite his excellent form for Arsenal, he was never capped by England.

Written by GunnerN5 and compiled by Gooner in Exile

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Secret Letters Reveal Arsenal Transfer Plans

June 3, 2013

Yes, it’s that time again: time to find out which of the “transfer target” stories have legs and which don’t, based on an ancient and secret formula for decoding the gossip and separating the silver from the dross.

The key lies in the letters.

No, not letters from Dick Law to various European club presidents saying “Please can we have player X. We will give you lots of money eventually but only after we have haggled until the last second of the transfer window. Go on – please.”

It’s far more mysterious than that.

You see just as astrologers find hidden meaning in the music of the spheres and phrenologists divine whole futures from the bumps on your bonce, so too can skilled observers detect clues from the very letters that make up the names of our purported targets.

I am such a skilled observer so, once again, I can proudly reveal the results of the Arsenal Arsenal Anagramometer. It’s a very simple process: you take the letters of a given target’s name, scramble them into new words – and in those words lie the answers to whether those players are right for the Mighty Arsenal or – in some cases – are definitely heading our way.

For example, a couple of summers ago there was a story linking us with a move for the Wolves and Ireland striker Kevin Doyle. There were even some indications that the Arsenal hierarchy really were looking at him as a stop-gap target man.

However, once the Arsenal Arsenal Anagramometer revealed that when you scramble “Kevin Doyle” you get “Evil Donkey” the club dropped him like a hot potato. And rightly so.

Likewise I could have told you weeks ago that Yaya Sanogo would be joining us after I scrambled his letters and came up with: “As a Goon? Yay!”

So now we move onto this summer’s mooted targets. The secrets that emerge from the anagramometer may surprise you…

Stevan Jovetic

The Montenegran striker currently at Fiorentina has been very strongly linked with us this summer. I don’t doubt his skills, but the letters show that he may be motivated by personal greed and may have an arrogant personality that won’t gel with the rest of the dressing room: “Vain – Covets Jet.”

Gonzalo Higuain

Sometimes the revelations of the letters are clear – sometimes they are more cryptic. Higuain comes into the latter category. The supremely gifted, two-footed Argentinian striker has apparently told Real Madrid that he wants to leave – but will he come to us? His scrambled letters come out as “Laughing In A Zoo.” Now that could be a reflection of how he feels currently in the crazy world of Mourinho’s Madrid. Or it could be a metaphor for him having a happy and successful time in the middle of Arsenal’s menagerie of prize specimens from all over the world. I like Higuain so I hope it’s the latter.

Wayne Rooney

Poor old Wazza. We’ve unscrambled him before and it always just comes out as “Nan Were Yoyo.” The idea of a grannie bouncing up and down on a teenage Wayne is guaranteed to put anyone off their supper. And I’m afraid it guarantees that we will not be seeing Rooney with a cannon on his chest.

Edinson Cavani

If we want someone who is the anti-Rooney, then Edinson – who’s been banging in the goals for Napoli – is our man. It’s all in the letters, you see: “Nice – Avoids Nan.”

Julio Cesar

Another cryptic one. Julio’s letters unscramble as “Jail Course”. I know it looks confusing at first glance, but to the trained eye it’s another story – and one that almost certainly means he’s on his way to our squad this summer. For a start, he has had a course of confinement in the jail that was QPR’s relegation season under chief warder ‘Appy ‘Arry and he is clearly desperate to breathe again the fresh air of freedom. Secondly, the meaning of “jail” in the context of a goalkeeper is “secure, safe.” Basically, we’re going to sign Cesar and he’s going to be great.

Victor Wanyama

Unfortunately the letters in the Celtic defensive midfielder’s name do not reveal whether or not he’s joining us – but they do show that if we  get him, we will be getting a player with oodles of confidence: “I Can Avow My Art.”

Clement Grenier

Arseblogger himself has a little dabble at anagramising Clement’s name yesterday. He came up with “Gentlemen Crier” for the Lyon midfielder. Nice try ‘Blogger, but it takes years of dedication to master this particular art. In fact the true unscrambling of the Frenchman’s name suggests that if we get him this summer, it will only be a loan basis and that he will be very, very good: “Renting Le Crème.”

David Villa

I was gutted when I saw the way the letters fell with the Barcelona and Spain striker Villa. He’s a great player and I was hoping we might get him this summer. But “Advil Valid” suggests that if we do, it will be a headache for all concerned. Steer clear, Arsene!

Lars Bender

Who needs an anagram when you’re called Lars Bender, you might well ask. But even the most amusing names can benefit from a spin cycle in the anagramometer. And when we throw in the young Bayern Leverkusen midfielder we find that he might fit in ever so smoothly with our existing midfielders: “Rare Blends.”

Christian Benteke

If Arsene is tempted by the Aston Villa striker I feel impelled to warn him that it would be an unwise gamble. The naturalized Belgian (he was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) has had a good season in the Premier League but would be overpriced and may well suffer from second season syndrome. The letters are emphatic on what we should think of Wenger if he signs him: “Arsene In Thick Bet.”

Finally a player with whom we have not yet been officially linked but… you never know. After all, no-one was expecting that Sol Campbell would abandon the swamp dwellers and move to The Home of Football.

Gareth Bale

Let’s just say that if the Welsh Wing Wizard joins us, first he will have to have a “Large Bathe” to remove all traces of N17 pollution… you know, little bits of choke dust, some motes of envy and speckles of spite – all the usual detritus of lingering too long in the shadows.

That’s it.

Thank you for indulging my fondness for anagrams.

If it’s not your thing, no problem – it would still be great to hear what you think are the merits or failings of the above named players with whom we have been widely linked.

RockyLives

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Gervinho: Gooner or Goner?

June 2, 2013

There are persistent rumours in the media that Gervinho is close to the exit door at The Emirates. Should he be sold?

Can you remember a more infuriating player than our spindly Ivorian? Here we have a player with truly consummate skills – he has great pace, can beat 3 players with a shrug, can create space for himself in seemingly impossible situations, can play on both wings and given chances, he scores. So why isn’t The Mekon a first choice player, and why hasn’t he flourished in a team where his talents appear to fit?

images

Seems like a Nice Boy

I should start with this statement. I really like Gervinho, he has a wonderful smile, he makes me laugh and he appears proud to wear the shirt. There was excitement when he signed for us at what seemed a reasonable price of £11m; he had just gone through a fine season with Lille, scoring 18 goals in a season where Lille surprisingly won Ligue 1. Gervinho , who scored  28 goals in 68 appearances for Lille was much in demand with Athletico Madrid , PSG and others seeking his talents, but he chose Arsenal – probably thanks to the Mr Wenger attraction in France (and PL money!)

Sent off in his first game for trying to take  a swipe at the hideous Joey Barton (you should have decked him).  His first season was interrupted by a trip to the African CoN but a return of just 4 goals from 26 starts and 11 subs apps was sub-standard. It appeared that if you put Gervinho 3 yards from goal and asked him to shoot he would either miss the ball or miss the target -…… cow’s arse/banjo.

2012/13 was better. His confidence was raised by getting some lucky strikes but the ACoN once again deprived Arsenal of his services. At season’s end Gerv had made 18 starts (+8 subs) scoring 7 goals. An improvement but still unsatisfactory.

Onto the negatives. We are not as solid defensively when Gervinho plays. He does work hard to track back but tackles like a wet paper bag; his crossing is poor – actually worse than poor, his passing is fine at close quarters but not so dusty over distance and his finishing is as clinical as a blind dentist. Mr Wenger seems to have decided that his attacking left sided player is Podolski.

Mr Wenger has tried to play Gervinho on the right, on the left, given him the centre forward role, played him as shadow striker, tried to teach him to defend, tried to teach him to cross – nothing has really succeeded. Gervinho remains an anomaly – good at many trades, master of none.

However, Gervinho has improved; as a substitute remains a positive force giving defenders problems whenever he comes on but is that enough to keep him at Arsenal? In the likely event of Mr Wenger buying a striker what happens to Gerv? Would Arsenal be better off selling him and giving opportunities to O-C, Gnabry,  Myachi etc

For me a Goner and not a Gooner.

Big Raddy

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Arsenal’s Greatest Squad 1st Vote – Greatest Manager

June 1, 2013

This week GN5 has provided us with a review of our greatest ever managers, its been interesting reading and quite illuminating discovering things about our managers, I knew the names I knew some were physios becoming managers, but there was lots of info I had no clue about.

I have known five managers in my lifetime, Terry Neil, Don Howe, George Graham, Bruce Rioch and Arsene Wenger, only two feature in this poll, which makes voting difficult, but GN5 has given me much food for thought as to where my vote should go.

Below is a handy spreadsheet showing the statistical achievements of the candidates, numbers can’t show what the manager did for the club in other ways.

HC GA TW BM GG AW
# Games 336 294 378 420 364 638
Games Won 157 137 171 181 167 368
Games Drawn 84 80 101 115 108 161
Games Lost 95 77 106 124 89 109
Goals For 736 552 677 554 543 1206
Goals For per Game 2.19 1.88 1.79 1.32 1.49 1.89
Goals Against 541 345 509 444 327 601
Goals Against per Game 1.61 1.17 1.35 1.06 0.90 0.94
% of Points Won 59.3 60.2 58.6 56.8 55.6 66.1
League Titles 2 3 2 1 2 3
FA Cups 1 1 1 1 1 4
League Cups 0 0 0 0 2 0
European Cups 0 0 0 1 1 0
Charity Shields 3 3 2 0 0 4

Also have a look at the posts that have been written over the last week:

Chapman and Allison

Whittaker and Mee

Graham and Wenger

So now its over to you:

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