<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1970-71 – A Glorious and Very Unexpected Double <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n TTG<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the summer of 1970, did you anticipate a title challenge from this Arsenal squad?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Arsenal had just won the Fairs Cup but finished in mid-table the season before but I never anticipated that a squad where we didn’t make one incoming transfer could challenge teams of the quality of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Derby who were the most impressive sides then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Were your expectations raised or lowered by the opening games of the season?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We suffered three major injuries, including Charlie George breaking his leg at the start of the season and squads were so much smaller (it was a 42 game season). But we started well, thrashing Manchester United and Spurs early on and only losing at the Bus Stop. Moreover, our early consistency away from home suggested we might be contenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was there a point in the season that you felt the title challenge had \u2018gone\u2019?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Several! In September, we got thrashed 5-0 at Stoke, who figured heavily in our season. We lost a series of away games in the New Year and we fell several games behind because of Cup replays but we then hit a glorious run in the Cup and League where we developed real momentum in March, only to lose to Leeds in a \u2018summit meeting\u2019 with three games to go. But by this time, it felt like it was going to be a special season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which match(es) were turning points in that season?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I remember playing Wolves at Highbury before Christmas. We kicked off early because of the power crisis and in the Times on Monday the report of a 2-1 win said something like \u2018if you haven’t already realised it, this Arsenal team are going to win the League or go very close to it this season’. After we knocked out Manchester City in the Cup at Maine Road, we went on a terrific run with away wins at Wolves and Forest. Gradually, we were slicing Leeds’ advantage at the top of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At what point of the season did you really come to believe the title was a distinct possibility?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was playing football on most Saturdays then (no Sunday football) and I remember kicking off late one day in mid April. Arsenal were on Leeds United\u2019s heels at the top of the league. We were playing Newcastle at home, Leeds were ‘entertaining’ West Brom in a game that became notorious! My game kicked off when the league programme was at half time and, from memory, I think both games were scoreless. During the game a mate shouted that we were top of the league! That improves your own game no end! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Charlie George had scored a spectacular winner for us but at Elland Road Leeds were beaten 2-1 with one of the most offside goals you\u2019ve ever seen, scored for West Brom by Jeff Astle. There was a pitch invasion because their fans realised that with about five games to go it was a crucial moment in the title race. That night I started to believe we could win it. A few days later we played Burnley at home and won that and we became favourites for the title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which player(s) contributed most to the title win?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a huge team performance. When we interviewed Bob Wilson and Pat Rice for our 70-71 anniversary podcast it was noticeable how confident the team had been in each other. The defence was brilliant and Bob was almost flawless in goal. He was so different in style to Raya but as brave as a lion. But above all Frank McLintock was a wonderful captain. He earned massive respect from his men and to this day the remaining members of that squad call him ‘Skipper’. I also loved the tireless George Armstrong, the elegance of George Graham and Peter Simpson was incredibly underrated as Frank’s partner at centre back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Were you confident that the Arsenal could get the result they needed in the final match at WHL?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was very confident, in that I felt it was our year and that we\u2019d prevail at the Lane but I also had huge butterflies before and during the game which I was locked out of! Pat Rice said that he never felt opponents could score against Arsenal and that night they just refused to concede. It was a titanic game but that Arsenal team was the ballsiest side you could find and they stood up to everything Tottenham threw at them. I was incredibly proud to be an Arsenal fan that night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How did you celebrate the title win?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’d been locked out so I went back to Liverpool Street and caught a bus home to my parent’s house in South London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The game wasn’t on TV and wasn’t even live on the radio but they kept flashing across to it. They checked in with three minutes to go at 0-0 but then immediately went back to White Hart Lane \u2026 to announce Ray Kennedy’s goal even though there was still jeopardy if Spurs equalised because the League used goal average not goal difference then. Arsenal needed a 0-0 draw or better to finish above Leeds on goal average When the result came through I phoned my Dad who was producing that night’s edition of the Times and we had a moment … Then with his permission I helped myself to his Glenfiddich! But no parties or dancing girls for me and the suburb of Croydon where I lived was not an Arsenal hotbed! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our second title triumph recollections are in the capable hands of local Islington boy Clock End Rider. The 1988-89 season became a tragic and then incredibly dramatic one. CER navigates us through the heady climax to the season and a night no Arsenal supporter will ever forget.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anfield \u201889 – It\u2019s Up for Grabs Now <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Clock End Rider<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What were you doing when the 1988\/9 season began and were you going to Highbury regularly?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had left University the year before and returned to London to start work. In terms of The Arsenal, it was as though I had never been away, and I slipped comfortably back into the usual pattern of attending all home games and getting to away games as and when I could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the start of the season did you have big expectations?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We began the 88-89 season, not in expectation, but hopeful of good things to come. Buoyed by my start in a job and the fact I had in my pocket rather more of what I had, up until that point, regarded simply as \u201cBeer Vouchers\u201d, I purchased my first season ticket \u2013 Clock End, just to the right of the goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you have confidence in George Graham as manager?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The previous season we had finished 6th as well as losing in that awful game at Wembley to Luton. I was there that day, in the Luton end (another story for another day!). It would have been more fun nailing my ears to a wall and then trying to dance the Macarena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Things were clearly beginning to step up a notch under George though, after the awful periods in both mid 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s. He had begun to tighten his grip on the squad which had far too many freeloaders and good-time guys there. There were some very good players \u2013 Rix, Sansom, Williams, Nicholas \u2013 but they had grown complacent and there was not a winning mentality. George fixed this uncompromisingly. Of course, it helped that he had such good young players coming through \u2013 Adams, Merson, Thomas and my personal favourite, Rocastle. He had brought in Winterburn and Dixon to solidify the defence. It felt as though we were starting a season, for the first time in a while, with an end in mind rather than simply on a road to nowhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Which of the players really impressed that season?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s really difficult to single players out. What we saw that season was the despatch of the concept of star players and the arrival of the concept of the team being greater than the sum of the parts. Of course, for those who had seen the Double winning team (too young, too young, I\u2019m afraid!), I suppose it came as no surprise that George should understand and look to implement this. At the same time there were three in particular who stand out in the memory, although everyone was mighty that season. Alan Smith became a veritable goal machine. From his first day of the season hat-trick, until getting on the end of that free kick at Anfield, he just gave everything, played unselfishly and banged in the goals. He was aided by a winger, who those wiser than me say reminded them in many ways of Geordie Armstrong \u2013 Brian Marwood. He was quick, skilful and with a quite remarkable ability to beat his man, get to the byline and cross with unerring accuracy. Finally, it was the emerging David Rocastle. As a midfielder, he just had it all. Strength, tenacity, speed and most importantly touch. I loved watching him play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We had a big lead that was gradually eroded by Liverpool (sounds familiar). Did you lose faith as they cut our lead down? Was there a particular game that crystallised your views? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I never entirely lost faith, but the title looked unlikely as we headed to Anfield. Remember, by that game, to win the title Arsenal needed to win by 2 clear goals and Liverpool hadn\u2019t lost at home by 2 goals for eons which the media banged on about endlessly in the run-up to the game. I suppose the low point was the home defeat to Derby a fortnight earlier which eliminated our points advantage. That was a pretty miserable Saturday night in N1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We come to the momentous night at Anfield! Where did you watch the match and what were your emotions during the match?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Context for the younger and overseas reader \u2013 there was very little live football broadcast in the UK, outside of Cup Finals, at that time. The fact that the title decider was live on TV, on a Friday night, was like manna from heaven. I actually had the opportunity to go to the game, but passed it up because, as I said above, Liverpool were never beaten by 2 goals at Anfield. We had not beaten them up there since Queen Victoria had been an Arsenal trialist. So I bottled it. There, I\u2019ve said it. Perhaps if it hadn\u2019t been live on TV, I would have gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A group of us decided to watch the game in the Brownswood Tavern on the corner of Brownswood Road and Green Lanes. One of my university mates, also back in London, came with us. His great-grandfather had watched The Arsenal at Dial Square and he brought along his watch to the game, a touching tribute and hopefully lucky charm. I also bumped into some guys whom I had not seen since we had been friends just up the road at primary school 12 years earlier. An omen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was nervy in the pub but we did our best to calm ourselves via the medicine kindly available on tap. We couldn\u2019t hear the great Brian Moore\u2019s ITV commentary as the pub was pretty raucous, but when the players came out and handed bouquets to the Liverpool fans \u2013 this was only a month after the awful, entirely preventable disaster of Hillsborough – the spontaneous applause from everyone in the pub seemed to soothe nerves. We had seen nothing like this before and as well as being clearly the right thing to do, it was equally clearly, such a classy, Arsenal thing to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We saw the team \u2013 hang on – we\u2019re starting with 3 centre halves in a game we need to win? Ahh well, \u201cGeorge Knows\u201d! We were further buoyed when Bould had that header cleared off the line after a Michael Thomas cross and began to think that it might be possible. At half time, the talk was how we had played calmly and ought to be in front. We were beginning to believe! <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1-0 straight after half time. The pub went ballistic. Hang on \u2013 Liverpool players are complaining. Now for those who didn\u2019t get to see Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, great as they were, they were the biggest bunch of whiners you have ever seen. They ganged up round the referee and linesman, asking for offside; \u201cSmith didn\u2019t touch the indirect free kick\u201d; \u201cMy dad\u2019s bigger than your dad!\u201d; anything they could think of, to coerce or cajole the officials into changing their minds. It was pitiful gamesmanship, but it usually worked. Our hearts sank! Despite all the cajoling both officials stood firm. Relief! Deep breaths. Deep swallows of rapidly warming amber fluid. We could do this, you know! Couldn\u2019t we? Nah, it\u2019s the Arsenal. Of course we\u2019ll find a way to muck it up. We always do\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We carried on playing with increasing confidence. Kevin Richardson played a lovely through ball to Mickey Thomas in the box. \u201cHe can score. Oh, for ***** sake Thomas! Don\u2019t poke it, leather it man.\u201d 200 frantic Gooners saying the same thing 200 times, in the same place, at the same time. As close to a communal prayer as you\u2019ll find outside of an official place of worship. For all the good it will do\u2026. \u201cThat\u2019s it,. That was our chance. We\u2019ve blown it. This close. This bloody close!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last minute of the 90. Kevin Richardson, bought from Everton that season, had a really solid game but had now cramped up and was suffering. Hayes and Groves \u2013 two subs only in those days – were already on. If Richardson had to go off, we were down to 10 men. There was an air of approaching resignation at the likelihood of not winning the league by the narrowest margin. Not silence, but downbeat. Pride at the effort of the preceding 89 minutes, at the entire season. Huge disappointment. But while there\u2019s life there\u2019s hope! Some of those less prone to the need to put up emotional walls against the pain of dejection could still see silver linings where others of us, externally at least, could only see clouds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The abhorrent McMahon was going round telling his teammates that there was only 1 minute left. Oh **** off McMahon. Richardson robs Barnes in the area. Lukic throws out towards Dixon. Silence. Stillness. Pandemonium. Beer, bodies everywhere! The plate glass windows in the pub, yards of them, all go out. Not through anger but through the inarticulate expression of joy, the sheer release after 90 minutes, after a whole season, after 18 years! The combined sweat and beer fumes of 200 Gooners are replaced by fresh air. So sweet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ve all seen Fever Pitch and understand there was a bit of a party atmosphere in N5 that night ! Knowing you as a quiet, abstemious chap, did you take part in the celebrations?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The pub landlord made sure everyone chipped in to fund replacement of the windows. Otherwise, he wouldn\u2019t put the TV\u2019s on again and we wouldn\u2019t see the trophy presentation. I hope he made a profit. He deserved to. We watched and then were off into the night. Fever Pitch is quite brilliant. But the scenes portrayed outside Highbury capture a hundredth of what it was like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually \u2013 somehow, I really can\u2019t remember how \u2013 we got back down to Islington Green and met others for post-match beers. I say I can\u2019t remember how, not simply as a result of intoxication \u2013 alcoholic and spiritual \u2013 but because my abiding memory is of Upper Street being totally blocked to traffic by people spilling onto the streets out of the pubs and their homes. All of Islington was there and it was a glorious cacophony. Cars and buses hooting \u2013 and not because they wanted to get through – there was simply no chance of that. Hugging, kissing, crying. Even the women! Islington became an Arsenal champagne bottle and boy did that cork fly out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We left one pub \u2013 The Champion? That ghastly Aussie place? I can\u2019t remember \u2013 when it was drunk dry and found several other pubs in a similar state. We went back towards our regular, off Essex Road. From there things get hazy. I do remember finding myself inside some kind of shebeen on Camden Road. Next thing I knew, I\u2019m walking home along Brecknock Road, up Market Road, looking at the Astro pitches and reliving the glory of the night before; over Caledonian Road, the sun coming up. Pentonville Prison never looked so kindly. Then home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The video (remember them?!) not only had been set but had actually worked. I watched the full re-run, this time the experience augmented, if that were possible, by the authoritative yet gently emotional commentary of the great Brian Moore. As in the movie, I railed at Pleat and his comment just before the second goal. My language may not have been so kindly. Bed. Up at midday. Rinse and repeat. And then again on Sunday for the parade!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two First Division titles described here were Arsenal’s eighth and ninth, the former coming after an eighteen year drought and the latter after a further eighteen year gap. Although we have many venerable Holics in our ranks, none of our regular contributors are venerable enough to provide a personal account of the first seven titles won between 1930-31 and 1952-53, the first five of which were won over seven extraordinary years of domination in the 1930’s. So, in a couple of days we will turn our attention to Arsenal’s next two titles<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How we have pined for another Interlull! Not really of course, although, hopefully, we can use the time without club football to get some of our walking wounded fit for action. The tension of the title race has been particularly severe this year. Many Gooners have not experienced a successful title race before so we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12,23,3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13091"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13131,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13091\/revisions\/13131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-24-at-20.22.36.png\")
4th May 1971<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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