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Fifty years ago in May 1971, the Arsenal played two matches in just six days to win the club’s first league and cup double. The Arsenal took on Spurs at White Hart Lane on Monday 3rd May and on Saturday 8th May faced Liverpool at Wembley. 

Goonerholics Forever is commemorating the 50th anniversary of that historic first double with a series of special events commencing in late April.

We are delighted to announce that Goonerholics Forever will host two Zoom conversations between Bob Wilson and Pat Rice in discussion with our very own TTG and C100. 

Our first event will be a Zoom conversation between Bob and Pat about the 1970-71 league campaign culminating in that climactic Monday night at White Hart Lane. The Zoom conversation will be accessible through the Goonerholics Forever website in late April. 

The second event will be a special blog post on the website comprising memories of that auspicious match on 3rd May 1971 from several members of the Holic community who still remember the evening.

A few days later Goonerholics Forever will post a link to a second Zoom conversation between Bob and Pat. This conversation will focus on the FA Cup run to Wembley and the Final itself on 8th May 1971.

Subsequently another special blog post will recount memories of the ’71 Cup Final at Wembley from some more members of the Holic community.

Our final commemorative event will be an online auction during early May which will be organised through the Goonerholics Forever website. Four items of memorabilia will be offered for bids and all proceeds will go to the Willow Foundation: 

A ’71 FA Cup Final replica shirt signed by members of the cup-winning Arsenal team.

A signed copy of Bob Wilson’s autobiography.

Two copies of the ’71 FA Cup Final programme signed by members of the cup-winning Arsenal team.

The Goonerholics Forever team are privileged to have the support of Double Winning Arsenal heroes, Bob Wilson and Pat Rice in producing the Zoom conversations and other members of the cup winning team for the signed memorabilia to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of their ’71 Double.

Goonerholics Forever urges our readers to support the Willow Foundation, the charity founded by Bob and Megs Wilson in memory of their daughter Anna. The Willow Foundation provides special days for seriously ill young adults. Follow the link in the right margin of our website to learn about the important work the Foundation carries out.

If you enjoy these commemorative events and if you can, please click on the logo below to make a donation to support the work of the Willow Foundation.

51 Drinks to “Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1970-71 Double with Goonerholics Forever”

  1. 1
    Noosa Gooner says:

    Sounds excellent – great initiative. Seems just like yesterday.
    UTA

  2. 2
    Osakamatt says:

    thanks Bath!
    I am looking forward to hearing
    from two heroes of my youth
    talk about the first match I
    ever remember from my childhood.
    A fantastic memory in aid of a fantastic
    cause 👍👍👍

  3. 3
    bt8 says:

    Great stuff and my thanks and congratulations to all those who are making it happen. Can’t wait to hear it!

  4. 4
    Trev says:

    Great idea, Bath, lovely cause and a classy post 👌🏻👏🏻

  5. 5
    Uplympian says:

    Excellent trailer Bath for the treat ahead of us 👏.

  6. 6
    scruzgooner says:

    lovely jubbly, baff. so glad to be part of it!

  7. 7
    North Bank Ned says:

    Looking forward to TTG and C100 as the new Saint and Greavsie.

  8. 8
    ClockEndRider says:

    Great stuff. I can’t wait!

  9. 9
    Countryman100 says:

    Which one is which Ned?

    Huge thanks to all those who are making this happen. As always on this blog it’s a team effort. I’m really looking forward to it!

  10. 10
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Fantastic stuff everyone!

    What a wonderful set of celebratory events. I can’t wait to hear from a combo of Arsenal Legends and GoonerholicsForever Legends!

    Dave would be thrilled.

  11. 11
    TTG says:

    GSD@10
    Somewhere in a celestial Guinness Bar ( which I think there will be a lot of in heaven ) a very contented Dave is raising a glass and his toast to the bar …..’You lot are the Mutts’!

  12. 12
    Doctor Faustus says:

    A privilege and honor to contribute to this great cause. Wish there were foundations like these around the world especially in places where the suffering of young people are made more acute by the failure of the society they are unfortunate to grow up in.

    Looking so much forward to the special events in April! Thanks TTG, Bath, Countryman et al. and everyone else who made this happen.

  13. 13
    bt8 says:

    Fantastic array of images added to Bath’s post I see. 🙂

  14. 14
    North Bank Ned says:

    C100@9: I am as excited as you to find out. 🙂

  15. 15
    Doctor Faustus says:

    Maybe more and more of us should do this:
    https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56528264

  16. 16
    North Bank Ned says:

    There is a lot read between the lines of Marca’s report on Ødegaard’s ‘return ticket’ to Real Madrid. Marca is close to RM so probably reflects the view from within the Bernabeu that Ødegaard potentially has a big future in RM. It makes the point that we have no option to extend the loan and RM is not contemplating selling him to us. However, Marca acknowledges that Arteta has struck a chord with the Norweigan that Zidane did not, a disharmony that induced the player to take a pay cut to secure the loan move. He is happy playing at Arsenal in a way he was not when he was not playing in Madrid in the first half of the season. However, Marca claims Ødegaard still has it in his head that he can make it at Real Madrid. Come the end of the season, we should hope that Zidane is still in charge at the Bernabeu and that we have European, preferably CL football to offer him.

    https://www.marca.com/futbol/real-madrid/2021/03/25/6059e61f46163fd3388b45a7.html

  17. 17
    bt8 says:

    Arsenal women score their second just before halftime to lead Spurs 2-0 at the half, the BBC describing the goal thusly: Vivianne Miedema is the scorer, sending a classy volley past the Spurs keeper.

  18. 18
    ksn says:

    Congratulations to everyone involved in organising the two events. Looking forward to it.

    Our women’s team beat the spuds 0-3.

    We are not the only one looking to sign Odegaard. Liverpool are interested too.

    Report: Liverpool could make Martin Odegaard move in summer

  19. 19
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    These bloody interlulls are so dull. The international games that are just top sides swatting aside minnows just have no excitement to them. They need a rethink. The fact that players are travelling around the world in a pandemic is even harder to justify when the matches themselves offer so little.

  20. 20
    ksn says:

    England almost pulled off a great one day match win over India, thanks to a fantastic 95 off 83 balls from Sam Curran. Real nail biter.

  21. 21
    TTG says:

    Ksn
    It was a great match and the sides are well matched . England have to begin well and didn’t today but Sam nearly brought them home .I watched the finish at the expense of England v Albania a game which echoed what GSD says above .

  22. 22
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    I also watched the cricket (which was excellent) then managed about ten minutes of the second half of the England football team before I gave up. Watching that in hope of getting a football fix is like being starving and receiving a picture of some food- it has a vague similarity to what you need, but no nutritional value.

  23. 23
    TTG says:

    Some recent sexy football played by us since Boxing Day
    It makes a change from England!

  24. 24
    scruzgooner says:

    sexy indeed, ttg. let’s see the equivalent here on out by the defense, please.

  25. 25
    North Bank Ned says:

    TTG@23: speeding up the video at least makes Xhaka look on the pace.

  26. 26
    ksn says:

    Thanks for the link, TTG, was great to watch Arsenal strut their stuff. Can’t wait for next Sunday to see Arsenal back in action.

  27. 27
    bathgooner says:

    Great link TTG. We actually look quite good, don’t we?

  28. 28
    Trev says:

    Thanks TTG,
    Can’t understand how we haven’t won the league already …..

  29. 29
    Silly Second Yella says:

    There’s only one Mo Elneny!

    I kid you not.

  30. 30
    Silly Second Yella says:

  31. 31
    Silly Second Yella says:

  32. 32
    bathgooner says:

    Since we are chanelling our inner cba tonight, I will toast the grand chiel’s memory with one of his favourites:

  33. 33
    bt8 says:

    Pics of Auba’s new hairstyle spread all across the training pics at the official site. New hairstyle = improved outlook = endless flow of goals?

    I’ll tell you when it happens.

  34. 34
    TTG says:

    It has been announced that Claude from AFTV has passed away . I think condolences to his friends and family from Goonerholics Forever is in order
    RIP Claude

  35. 35
    bt8 says:

    RIP Claude, one of the more entertaining and even-handed of Robbie’s regular set of interviewees on AFTV, and condolences to those who knew him.

  36. 36
    bt8 says:

    The entry about Claude, taken from the AFTV Wikipedia page: “ Claude Callegari: An outspoken critic of Arsène Wenger, famous for his saying “it’s time to go” with regard to Wenger. In July 2020, he was removed as a contributor after making a racist remark about Tottenham Hotspur F.C. player Heung-Min Son during a live stream. Callegari died on 29 March 2021, aged 58.”

    I would not however defend, or countenance, any racist comments he apparently made.

  37. 37
    TTG says:

    Bt8
    I totally concur with you about the racism . That is completely unacceptable.
    I have encountered AFTV online a few times and personally found it ignorant and repellent and regularly saw them congregating after matches near where I sit in the ground on the Ken Friar Bridge .
    I saw many of the same individuals at AST events at Arsenal prodding Gazidis and Sir Chips like a group of hyenas. It made me ashamed to be an Arsenal supporter .
    People who have watched it concur with your view that Claude was one of the more measured individuals . I can’t comment on that but the premature death of someone who appears to be a kind and popular man is very sad whatever the circumstances

  38. 38
    Countryman100 says:

    Quite superb Amy Lawrence piece in The Athletic (£) on Rocky Rocastle.
    https://theathletic.com/2486244/2021/03/31/david-rocastle-the-phenomenal-person-behind-arsenals-perfect-player/

  39. 39
    bt8 says:

    The Athletic has published a fascinating poll of each Premier League club’s fans, and one of the interesting results is that 87% of Arsenal fans want their manager to remain in place until at least this time next year, compared to only 45% of Tottenham fans who want their manager to remain that long.

  40. 40
    Osakamatt says:

    Joe Montemurro will leave at the
    end of the season. Although it’s
    been more difficult this season
    for many reasons, he was doing
    a great job I thought and it was
    nice to see him getting the team
    back to the top of the league.
    Best of luck to him

  41. 41
    Countryman100 says:

    Bt8 @39. Evidently 98% of Arsenal fans want Mourhino to stay!

  42. 42
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    International football – fuck off back under whatever rock you crawled out from and stay fucked off while the actual football is played, you monstrous jizzbasket.

  43. 43
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    We gotta get KT3 on a new 9 year deal ASAP. Pay him what he wants and make him captain as soon as Auba leaves or can be persuaded to become vice-captain whilst Tierney leads us to (hopefully) glory. We should be aiming to have that guy earn a testimonial, becoming an Arsenal Legend. He is one of the best players (ability and attitide) we have had in years.

  44. 44
    Gunnersaurus Stunt Double says:

    Me @43 – KT even managed to be the best thing about International Football!

    3 assists from CB. Showed Andy Robertson how it is done. Then described himself as “no bad’.

    Fucking hero.

  45. 45
    bathgooner says:

    I’ve been trawling the internet seeking images from our ’70-71 Double-winning season (of which more anon) and I discovered this lovely article on the daily cannon about one of the unsung but absolutely vital members of that team. It’s a superb piece and a great read. Stan was certainly ahead of his time and widely under appreciated.

    Unsung Arsenal heroes: Peter Simpson

  46. 46
    North Bank Ned says:

    bath@45: Thanks for the link. Not the only underrated player in the double side, but certainly the best. His partnership with McLintock was the foundation on which the double team was built. If my comment about him in answer to TTG’s questions survives the editor’s red pen, you will read my view on his omission from the England team.

  47. 47
    North Bank Ned says:

    It sounds from Arteta’s press conference that Saka will miss the Liverpool game, and ESR is a doubt.

  48. 48
    North Bank Ned says:

    GSD@44: It speaks to the tragedy that is Scottish international football that the country has two top-class players, and they are both left-backs.

  49. 49
    TTG says:

    Ned/ Bath
    I will ensure it does . I’m a massive fan of ‘Stan ‘. I met him at Highbury once in the bar with John Radford . It was the week before his testimonial which I couldn’t attend . I went up to him and wished him well for the game…and the gate …? He was incredibly modest and almost surprised and I told him very inadequately what a superb player he had been for us . He struck me as a very understated chap.
    Sadly he has been suffering for dementia for years . With Geordie he deserved a bagful of caps .

  50. 50
    Uplympian says:

    Thanks Bath for posting the link about Stan.I concur with my fellow drinkers that he was indeed severely underated by the outside football world but not those who followed Arsenal all those years ago. The fact he won no caps ( along with the great Geordi Armstrong ) was a disgrace, both of those players were made for today’s game and would win counltlesscall ups to the English squad. Often you would find him after a match in the bar of the White Hart pub near Southgate tube station having a quiet pint whilst puffing away on a fag. A great footballer imho.

  51. 51
    Bathgooner says:

    >>>>>>>>>>