Great old pictures

[Henry Norris 1913]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... s-ago.html

Our seventh league title won sixty years ago.

After the final minute twist to last season’s title race, this year’s pursuit for the Premier League crown proved to be a little lacklustre with Manchester United clinching the crown with four games to go.
But even Sergio Aguero’s dramatic late goal to seal Manchester City’s maiden Premier League title on goal difference last season doesn’t compare to a previous title won by Arsenal.

No we are not referring to ‘Michael Thomas and all that’ from Anfield in 1989, but the Gunners' seventh top flight crown which they won in 1953 - 60 years ago today.
Despite a late rally from Preston North End, Arsenal managed to clinch the Division One title courtesy of having a superior goal average of just 0.099.
Tom Whittaker’s team could have avoided the dramatic finale when they travelled to Preston on the final Saturday of the season. But a 2-0 defeat at Deepdale thanks to goals from Tom Finney and Charlie Wayman saw Preston go level on 52 points with the Gunners with just one game to play.

Having last won the league in 1890, Preston were hungry to end their long run without a top flight title, and put even more pressure on Arsenal when they won 1-0 at rock-bottom Derby the following Wednesday.
That left Arsenal needing to defeat sixth-placed Burnley two days later and they got off to a rocky start.
Captain Joe Mercer scored an own goal to give Burnley a third minute lead but goals from Jimmy Logie, Alex Forbes and Doug Lishman fired the hosts into a 3-1 advantage.
The Clarets pulled a goal back in the second half but Arsenal held on and their superior goal average of 1.516 to Preston’s 1.417 saw them snatch the title by a whisker.
It was to be Arsenal's last major trophy for 18 years but Preston were to hit a worse decline. After going close to winning the title in 1957 and 1958, the club were relegated in 1961 and haven't returned to the top flight since.



I've read about it before many times but there are some great pictures here

[Steve_I]

Nice, cheers for that!

[BournemouthRED]

[QuartzGooner]

Always nice to read about.

[olgitgooner]

I just checked the table for that season.

Arsenal scored 37 and conceded 34.

The other lot scored 39 and conceded 35.

So. If goal difference, rather than goal average, we would have been runners up.

[QuartzGooner]

I just checked the table for that season.

Arsenal scored 37 and conceded 34.

The other lot scored 39 and conceded 35.

So. If goal difference, rather than goal average, we would have been runners up.

From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_diffe ... top-flight

"Goal average is a different scheme that predated goal difference. Using the goal average scheme the number of goals scored is divided by the number of goals conceded. Goal difference replaced goal average in the 1970 World Cup finals and from 1976–77 season in the English Football League."

[Clash]

Great post and great pictures. And just look at that beautiful stadium. One that cannot be mistaken for anywhere else in the world.

[DB10GOONER]

Brilliant thread. I love those old B&W photos. Class.

[I Hate Hleb]

Followed by for what we so easily let go of.

[donaldo]

I just checked the table for that season.

Arsenal scored 37 and conceded 34.

The other lot scored 39 and conceded 35.

So. If goal difference, rather than goal average, we would have been runners up.

Get you glasses on olgit that was the away records of the teams.We scored 97 goals over the season

[goonersid]

Brilliant thread. I love those old B&W photos. Class.

Remind you of your childhood?

[DB10GOONER]

Brilliant thread. I love those old B&W photos. Class.

Remind you of your childhood?

But, like yeah...

[Bradywasking]

That was a time when we were referred to as The Arsenal , a time when Blackpool turned down a name your price offer from Arsenal's directors for Stan Matthews. Asked if he would like to have joined Arsenal, Matthews replied " all great actors want to play the West End and all great footballers want to play for The Arsenal" It was a time when a beaten but bursting with pride FA Cup Final Captain said "I thought the greatest honour in football was to captain England, today I know it was to captain Arsenal" Even looking at the pictures of the packed stands makes me sad, what did we give all that up for.? Empty promises , empty trophy cabinet and torturous Summers wondering which overpaid nobody would be next to spit their dummy.
It's a great post Henry Norris , it also shows us that there once was an Arsenal . Since 2006 that Arsenal has been eroded in front of our eyes. But let's not complain, we must be careful what we wish for.

[DB10GOONER]

That was a time when we were referred to as The Arsenal , a time when Blackpool turned down a name your price offer from Arsenal's directors for Stan Matthews. Asked if he would like to have joined Arsenal, Matthews replied " all great actors want to play the West End and all great footballers want to play for The Arsenal" It was a time when a beaten but bursting with pride FA Cup Final Captain said "I thought the greatest honour in football was to captain England, today I know it was to captain Arsenal" Even looking at the pictures of the packed stands makes me sad, what did we give all that up for.? Empty promises , empty trophy cabinet and torturous Summers wondering which overpaid nobody would be next to spit their dummy.
It's a great post Henry Norris , it also shows us that there once was an Arsenal . Since 2006 that Arsenal has been eroded in front of our eyes. But let's not complain, we must be careful what we wish for.

Fantastic post, mate.

[Clash]

That was a time when we were referred to as The Arsenal , a time when Blackpool turned down a name your price offer from Arsenal's directors for Stan Matthews. Asked if he would like to have joined Arsenal, Matthews replied " all great actors want to play the West End and all great footballers want to play for The Arsenal" It was a time when a beaten but bursting with pride FA Cup Final Captain said "I thought the greatest honour in football was to captain England, today I know it was to captain Arsenal" Even looking at the pictures of the packed stands makes me sad, what did we give all that up for.? Empty promises , empty trophy cabinet and torturous Summers wondering which overpaid nobody would be next to spit their dummy.
It's a great post Henry Norris , it also shows us that there once was an Arsenal . Since 2006 that Arsenal has been eroded in front of our eyes. But let's not complain, we must be careful what we wish for.

I love posts like this.

What a club we once were. Not as universally popular as Liverpool or Man United but still England's greatest club. The first club to become a 'big club' in this country, meaning we have been a big club longer than any other.

A unique stadium and a club steeped in class, heritage and tradition.

(what happened?)