Great old pictures

[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.

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?)

When you do not have inherited or geographical ties to a football club it can be very difficult to logically explain why you support them. I would like to think it is (for me) is the name, the majesty and the history. other supporters of other clubs will state its all about success today, nothing else. But for Arsenal the history is such a massive part of the club, the story of the changing of the name on the Tube station is one of many. All clubs have their history but our history is not just about winning and records , it is about Arsenal being the institution that is Arsenal . the name that commands that respect, of doing things the right way, the Arsenal way.
When I see or rather hear the loudmouths that pollute this City and country (Dublin and Ireland) shouting about their "clubs" but knowing nothing of the heritage or history but instead guzzling beer and slagging in the pub is their identity and what ties them to a club in a different country. what is that about?. A Utd fan asked me how can I support a team that won nothing in years and my only thought was that question said more about him than me. As I said there is no logical reason why I began supporting Arsenal after they lost a Cup Final in 1972, my own reasons are I felt so sorry for the distraught players and the shirts were unique.

[RoscommonGooner]

Great thread Henry. I love those old pics of Highbury. I was looking at some and put them on Twitter last week, I hope they're not out of place here.

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Great thread & photos

Here's one of olgit's first ever NLD in 1934. He's in there somewhere...

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

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.

Great quotes mate

On the same theme, when Dynamo Moscow were invited by the FA to tour England in 1945 after the war they made it a provision that they must get to play against Arsenal or they'd refuse to come. The Dynamo manager said: "To come to London and not play Arsenal would be like visiting Cairo without seeing the pyramids."

[DB10GOONER]

Best thread in a long long time.

For me The Arsenal was handed to me by my dear departed Dad back in the early 70’s. He in turn had been brought to a game by a Gooner workmate whilst working in London in the 60’s. And then when we emigrated to Australia The Arsenal had alot of Oirish players on the books and I think that helped cement my dad’s growing love of the club.

For me, as a kid, he handed me the perfect club. I loved the Cannon first. It was the coolest club crest in the world. Then I fell in love with jersey; at a time when most teams had either a block colour or stripes, we had the most distinctive recognizable jersey in the game. I started to learn more about our history, our tradition, and the brilliant trivia surrounding the club, the area, the tube station renaming, the stupid parrot we killed on the scum.

I really am saddened by the eroding of our traditions. Things like the Captain deciding what length the sleeves would be on match day, the club blazer, the old proper 1970’s canon, the gothic font, the club motto “Victoria Concordia Crescit”, the 1930’s crest, the name “The Arsenal”, the air of classiness attached to the club, the marble halls, the old girl Highbury.

I have continued the tradition and handed on The Arsenal to my boy Jack, but I'm no longer sure exactly what Arsenal I've handed him.

[QuartzGooner]

I support us because my dad supported us, having grown up in North London in the 40's and 50's.

Had a now deceased relative though who supported us since 1927, and used to go regularly to games in the 1930's.
Said that the 2002 - 2005 sides were best he ever saw, more skillfull than the 30's teams as well as more powerful, but that Ted Drake was so good and so strong that he would have had a chance of getting in the modern teams.

[MK Gould]

Love this thread...! Wish I'd taken pictures at games over the years....but in the days before mobile phones you'd have just looked weird!

Anyone know the best place to find other pictures of Highbury from pre-seated days??

[storrmin571]

Best thread in a long long time.

For me The Arsenal was handed to me by my dear departed Dad back in the early 70’s. He in turn had been brought to a game by a Gooner workmate whilst working in London in the 60’s. And then when we emigrated to Australia The Arsenal had alot of Oirish players on the books and I think that helped cement my dad’s growing love of the club.

For me, as a kid, he handed me the perfect club. I loved the Cannon first. It was the coolest club crest in the world. Then I fell in love with jersey; at a time when most teams had either a block colour or stripes, we had the most distinctive recognizable jersey in the game. I started to learn more about our history, our tradition, and the brilliant trivia surrounding the club, the area, the tube station renaming, the stupid parrot we killed on the scum.

I really am saddened by the eroding of our traditions. Things like the Captain deciding what length the sleeves would be on match day, the club blazer, the old proper 1970’s canon, the gothic font, the club motto “Victoria Concordia Crescit”, the 1930’s crest, the name “The Arsenal”, the air of classiness attached to the club, the marble halls, the old girl Highbury.

I have continued the tradition and handed on The Arsenal to my boy Jack, but I'm no longer sure exactly what Arsenal I've handed him.

Like me you will be handing over to the next generation, Arsenal PLC Not FC Digital Established 1997.

[storrmin571]

Best thread in a long long time.

For me The Arsenal was handed to me by my dear departed Dad back in the early 70’s. He in turn had been brought to a game by a Gooner workmate whilst working in London in the 60’s. And then when we emigrated to Australia The Arsenal had alot of Oirish players on the books and I think that helped cement my dad’s growing love of the club.

For me, as a kid, he handed me the perfect club. I loved the Cannon first. It was the coolest club crest in the world. Then I fell in love with jersey; at a time when most teams had either a block colour or stripes, we had the most distinctive recognizable jersey in the game. I started to learn more about our history, our tradition, and the brilliant trivia surrounding the club, the area, the tube station renaming, the stupid parrot we killed on the scum.

I really am saddened by the eroding of our traditions. Things like the Captain deciding what length the sleeves would be on match day, the club blazer, the old proper 1970’s canon, the gothic font, the club motto “Victoria Concordia Crescit”, the 1930’s crest, the name “The Arsenal”, the air of classiness attached to the club, the marble halls, the old girl Highbury.

I have continued the tradition and handed on The Arsenal to my boy Jack, but I'm no longer sure exactly what Arsenal I've handed him.

Like me you will be handing over to the next generation, Arsenal PLC Not FC Digital Established 1997.

[Steve_I]

great stuff in this thread, some excellent pics some I've seen before some I haven't. Marvellous.

Somewhere in the loft I have a video onto which we transferred an old cine film my dad too late 60's V early 70's in a game he took me to. It was Leeds and tbh I remember little from that game and the first I clearly recall is the day after my 10th B'day a while later in October 72 when George graham scored the winner, 1-0 against Ipswich.

The cine film of the Leeds game, whilst awful quality by todays' standard, is one of my favourite mementos.

Love this stuff.

Nice one

[Thierry 3-8-99]

Love this thread...! Wish I'd taken pictures at games over the years....but in the days before mobile phones you'd have just looked weird!

Anyone know the best place to find other pictures of Highbury from pre-seated days??

My fave pic book is 'Arsenal - Extraordinary images of an amazing club' few stadium pics plus other historical classics.

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Was gonna post some more from olgit's heyday but for some reason when I upload them from photobucket onto here they seem to get cropped. Any of you mods or internet geeks know how to get round that?

[BournemouthRED]

What a fantastic thread

[RoscommonGooner]

Any of the images I've put up here are from Google images. Here's some of the marble halls

[RoscommonGooner]