1970 – A First Trophy For A Generation
Apr 28th, 2010 by 'holic
Thank you to Arsenal.com for reminding me of the ‘holicdad’s forty-eighth birthday present, and the first trophy I ever saw Arsenal win.
Those of us born after Arsenal’s seventh Championship in 1953 had endured two failures in the preceding seasons. Successive League Cup defeats at Wembley to Leeds United and Swindon Town had left our desire for silverware unquenched. Goodness knows what some would have made of it had the world wide web existed in those days.
The chance to end that seventeen year drought came in the European Fairs Cup. Although it was of secondary importance to the European Cup, it would stand comparison more with the Champions League than the Europa League of today. Only the champions of each country contested the big tournament, so the Fairs Cup was for the sides that had finished second downwards.
More often than not teams that won their national title would come from the Fairs Cup competitors. In 1970 Ajax, the 1969 European Cup runners-up, were our opponents in the semi-final. The young side being built around the genius of Cruyff not only landed the Dutch title, but went on to land a hat-trick of European Cups in the following three seasons. This year though belonged to a rampant Arsenal who destroyed them 3-0 in the first-leg of the semi-final.
That pitted us against Anderlecht, the powerful Belgian side in the Final. Away in the first leg, the drought looked set to continue as we went three goals down, but a last gasp header from teenage substitute Ray Kennedy gave us the glimmer of hope that comes with an away goal.
For some reason we arrived at Highbury late that afternoon still dreaming of an unlikely triumph. We wanted to be sure of getting in our usual spot at the back of the Clock End. The young ‘holic had the benefit of standing on the highest step at the back, while in front of the crash barrier ‘holicdad would hold intense debates with his old team mates from the Moreland Old Boys.
There were brothers, Ronnie and Roy, my godfather Billy, and an old cockney character called George and his son who would regularly turn up and natter away as we prepared for the game. Work associates of the old man would also be around at this time. Tony and his brother Graham, Allan, and Roger. Only I hadn’t experienced an Arsenal trophy.
The mechanics of our 3-0 win that night are described in the article linked above, but that doesn’t come close to describing the atmosphere that night. The North Bank was a noisy place anyway in those days, but the volume button was turned up from 9 to 10 for this match. Unusually as well the Arsenal chants were coming from all four sides. Highbury was a cauldron, and I’m sure that contributed to the outcome.
What sticks in the memory was the blend of football the Gunners produced on the night. High balls at John Radford and George Graham were an obvious tactic to build pressure, but the guile of Charlie George, the passing ability of Jon Sammels, and the drive of young Eddie Kelly were all evident. Not forgetting Mr perpetual motion on the wing, George Armstrong.
The final whistle gave me my first taste of absolute euphoria, and obviously not just me. The pitch was soon hidden from view by thousands of delirious supporters. I remember Bob Wilson getting caught up in it all, and getting stripped to his underpants by high-spirited souvenir collectors. Frank Mclintock too found himself being chaired through the throng rather than heading for the relative safety of the changing room.
A tear wells up as I recall that all over again. Like all other supporters I want to see us winning things, but it is the nearly, and not-so-nearly years, that make those successes so very special. It is why we keep coming back year in and year out to watch this great club playing this great game.
UP THE ARSENAL!
44 Responses to “1970 – A First Trophy For A Generation”
I think the article on arsenal dot com is just a tactic to divert the pressure off Wenger. Im not complaining just contemplating.
Sajit – I disagree with you on this one but definitely agree that there does seem to be a lot of judicious selection of articles on dot com.
For example, I don’t think anyone was surprised to see the Craig Eastmond article championing the reserves and youths that ‘could’ be good in the future.
It is 40 years since 1970 (sorry to age those that were there) and it would be strange if we did not mark that anniversary
What a great article Holic! Well done man. And whether it is a tactic by Arse.com, or simply commemmorating an Arsenal victory after such a long time, so what? Enjoy, thats what being a supporter is all about.
if you follow a team simply to see the trophies, then where does that leave the 90 other teams and their supporters?
Sajit, I don’t think so at all. It is the 40th anniversary of the game, after all.
‘Holic, as always it’s great to read your first-hand accounts of great nights in the past.
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I’ve said it before I’ll say it again George Armstrong was awesome that night, also defiantly my first night game & early on in football education that my old man was trying to install into me, “so how lucky was I”. Never thought of it before perhaps
I am a glory hunter after all?
Getting back to George Armstrong when I think back over the years it was his game that night that made me a gooner for life.
God Bless him, or wherever he is?
‘Holic, you’re truly the grandad some young gunners never had.
‘Holic
Thanks for an insight into what life was like for a Gunner not used to continuing success, My internet connection will be gone by the end of this week and I just want to thank you and the other Holics for making me feel welcome and also for making me appreciate The Arsenal more than just taking them for granted.
All the best guys and when I get a job again, I’ll be back 🙂
I was a 17-year-old and was at Wembley for the massive disappointments of the defeats against Leeds in ’68 and Swindon in ’69 + at both legs of the Fairs Cup Final – the second leg was one of the greatest moments of my life. Little did I know it would soon be surpassed by being present as we won the league at White Hart Lane – first leg of our first double – awesome
Fair play Holic, you are truly the only blogger who can drink Guinness while wearing a questionable pinkish shirt.
Haha, thanks young Das, but I suspect another could pull it off, if they made pinkish shirts that size.
Still polishing your medal?
Ace article – I grew up getting hidings from United ‘fans’ in my nice little southern town. Fifteen years before, it would’ve been from Liverpool fans.
I wasn’t that clued up on the Fairs Cup final until relatively recently, but I’ve watched most of the final (strangely two legged) and it was an interesting match up.
The only thing I would say is that if you look at last season, look how far we’ve all come as a team and a ‘community’. But for a heavy footed Italian, Arsenal could’ve had the league sewn up by now.
I remember sitting in my Grandparent’s front room, looking at teletext and seeing Arsenal sitting in tenth place. ‘Top of the second tier’, I’d say.
Nice article.
Fuckin quality post mate, I was brought up on stories of this era. My oldman got Charlie George`s shirt after the game, he reckons that night was the best atmosphere he ever heard at the Arsenal. He also reckons it was the catalyst to the double the following year. My first year watching the Arsenal was 82 and even though we were shit, I still miss those days. The crowds weren`t as big but the fans were different class, nowadays you get all these plastic cunts moaning and calling for the managers head because we haven`t won nothing for 5yrs. They should try watching the Arsenal sides you and my oldman watched in the 50`s and 60`s or the shite I was fed for most of the 80`s, but then again I don`t suppose they would hang around, they`d most likely be pretending to support someone else. Anyway cheers for the post.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by implex: RT @TheGoonerholic: Frustrated by Europe? It’s the 40th anniversary of the greatest European night. http://goonerholic.com/?p=2391…
Draped – what about piggybacking off a neighbours ‘open’ connection or loads of WiFi in the high St ? Assuming you have a laptop.
Anyhow, best of luck pal.
happy birthday goonererholic, i was there too, what a night ! its good to see many young uns talking about the 50’s 60’s and 80’s people have to know NO team is success all the time, even manure i went to the swindon final, went up on the tube with some swindon guys 3 thought it was just a good day out, but one thought they could win we were in the first div they were in the third what chance did they have !!! I was 15, after the match I had tears down my cheeks thinking I bloody hope i don’t meet that bloke now 2 years later we were wiinners since wenger it has been fantasy football Draped good luck mate don’t get down just around the corner there is AWAYS LIGHT
must have a beer with goonholic sometime rember the good and the bad it’s the bad that makes the good GOOD
Those were the days my friend. I was there, at Wembley, for both the Leeds and Swindon Finals, and those bitter disappointments definitely added to the complete and utter bonkersness of pulling back that first leg 3 – 1 deficit against Anderlecht.
I was at Highbury that night, on the North Bank, singing til our voices were simply gone. I have to say I don’t recall your level of detail about the play ‘Holic, as most of my night was spent going beserk each time we scored, and spending the chunk of time before the next goal went in trying to clamber back up the terraces to somewhere near where we had started! “Stewards” did I hear you say? What were they?
The only persons to inhabit the terraces in those days, apart from the fans, were about 6 coppers and a bloke with a sack full of peanuts, which could be purchased for a “tanner a bag – roasted heanuts” (not a typo), and that was about your lot by way of matchday refreshments.
Far from the present “matchday experience” – but has the thrill of that one night ever been surpassed? I really don’t know. But I know that not a soul who was there would have had it any other way.
Listened to the first leg on a Radio (long wave) from Belgium, i don’t believe there was aver film of that leg.
But the second leg was a night to remember, anybody know if/where the film of the second leg is available?
Great article mate.
Got very complacent towards the end of Arsenal’s last trophy winning days. Would watch games in the pub just expecting to win and would be frustrated if we were not 3 up by HT.
The next time we win a major trophy will be something to saviour.
How I long to see Cesc lift the PL with Arsenal.
Great read.
Holic your articles of nostalgia are second to none and as I read them I can smell the fried onions and the rolled tobacco as you approach the stadium. I was too young for the game but recall my Dad coming home late covered in mud. To this day he say’s there was never another time like that night at Highbury. I too like many who read and post have long suffered.Just 3 years later I was dragged off to Hillsborough to get dumped out of the 1973 FA Cup Semi Final to Sunderland. The first of many heartaches. As I reflect on that it symboled the end of the glory years as we broke up the team and entered the wilderness again. How many of our young fans could stomach a relegation battle today like we did in the mid 70’s.I recall the headlines on the back of one of the Sundays (probably the People) ROCK BOTTOM.Then there was 78 more tears then finally 1979 although we did our best to throw that one.Whenever I see Brian Talbot clenching his hands together thanking god after Alan’s winner I start to get emotional.Ridiculous isn’t it. More pain in 80 twice.Then finally Mr Graham shows us the way and the rest as they say is history. I have seen it all,lived it all yet still losing 3-2 to Wigan grates on me like a bad case of piles.
So come on you Gunners and silk scarves forever!!
Thanks again for a wonderful article. Maybe it is in the works, maybe it has already been written but I would love to read:
The Arsenal: a history from the blurry eyes of The ‘holic.
Cheers.
Being a foreigner Arsenal is my adopted team so thank you ‘holic for reliving the trophy years I missed out on in my youth when I wasn’t following the game as I was wrapped up in basketball and the other American sports. Roll on the trophy years both past and future, and pour me a tall one please barman.
Great article ‘holic! That was my first ever Arsenal game. I sold a fishing rod to get the money. Bunked the fare from Dagenham to Arsenal paying from Holloway Road. We went in the schoolboys enclosure, I think it was 6’ shillings and 3 pence to get in. Then we asked a steward to let us in the North Bank, he obliged. What a noise and they were crammed in.
That was also the last time I remember them picking up the children and moving them forward to safety – as it was so packed. Oh, and the decorated butchers coats.
Thats why i love this site holic, Top Top Post 🙂
Im to much of a whipper snapper to have been at that game but as most have commented the older Chippies hold that game right near the top of the list for most memorable they ever went to only surpassed by the title win the first time round (Always brings a smile saying that) at the lane,
Thanks again as the memories envoked in that post bring back many happy times spent at Highbury as a whole for any game attended Good i miss the old girl !!!
Also how we could do with men like Frank,Geordie,Charlie at this moment in time,Wed have the league wrapped up by December lol
I was there too, 12 years old and high up in the East Upper.
After the disappointments of the league cup finals to Leeds and Swindon it was an amazing night.
Didn’t we only qualify for Europe because although we lost to Swindon in the final and 3rd division teams were’nt allowed into Europe, so we got in the comp as runners up?
Thinking of that night still sends shivers down my spine!!!!
We finished fourth in 69, seriera. First time we challenged for the title in my lifetime, but near the end we fell away after losing to Leeds, the eventual champions, 2-1 at Highbury. That’s why we qualified.
Should have added it also goes to show how the champions league has killed all other formats of European Football stone dead,
If Fulham were not in the europa league would anyone seriously give a shit about it when just 10 years ago You had 3 European Competions that were well loved by all,
It scares me as they are slowly but surely moving closer to what they all want but wont talk about ie The European Legue,
Cheers ‘Holic! Just a cup of tea, thanks.
@chippy: agree completely re: the Champions League killing the other cups – even literally so in the case of the Cup Winners’ Cup. And not only that, it is well on it’s way to killing the FA Cup as well with teams putting out weakened sides because they are either playing CL games a few days later or are fighting for that coveted fourth spot.
Totally agree Chippy – I think the Champions League has made European football a lot more boring. It’s basically a sop to the big clubs who were threatening to break away and form a Super League. All it’s done is made European competition revolve around a few big clubs, and unless you have an Al-Nahyan family or Abramovich turning up and bankrolling a team, the chances of breaking into this cosy club are almost nil. The CL has also skewed levels of competition in the English League (I know we are a beneficiary but it’s not so great for the league that until this year the same teams occupied the first four spots for the last few years), as well as smaller leagues where league titles have been dominated by one or two clubs benefiting from the extra CL money, like Lyon in France and Olympiacos in Greece going on unprecedented runs of league title after league title.
The UEFA Cup used to be a brilliant competition, now it is more like an afterthought which teams like Villa and Spurs don’t even bother trying in as there are greater rewards on offer in their domestic league. I think it’s a crying shame.
Lars, The Beast,
Im glad its not just me then 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to add your thoughts and i agree with everything youve both written, It seems a crying shame to me what has happened over the last few years and also the lack of opposition to it all,
The Beast,
Coudlnt agree more The Uefa cup was a great comp in its on right and only had the slightest bit less significance than The main prize but as you say all thats changed now, it seems bizarre to me that so many clubs now put money before trophies,
As you both say it will never change back now as it would kinda be like Turkeys voting for xmas lol
Trouble with the Champions League is it’s now ingrained into the powerbase of football throughout Europe, too many clubs & institutions not to mention big business have their grimy hands all over it. So it’s never going away but it also sickens me too that our domestic cup competitions are now suffering to the point to non-participation (well almost) by our biggest clubs.
I can only see one or two ways of changing this & that’s either enforcing clubs to play their strongest teams in cups or somehow finding more prize money for them.
On a different note just seen this headline this morning “Wilshere: I would be Cheryl Cole”
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/37531/Wilshere_I_would_be_Cheryl_Cole.aspx
& can’t help but think this is the start of his growing-up period, because I can think of @ least a dozen or so spud supporters that are already working on stories to embellish this one, & it won’t be sweet.
As a wise man once said “youth is wasted on the young”, good luck Jack & hope you have a good sense of humour, cos I think you are going to need it son.
One of the worst things about the CL’s impact on English football is that winning any domestic trophy apart from the league title is worth far less than finishing 4th. I would remedy this by giving the 4th CL spot to the FA Cup winners. I know this wouldn’t be a popular move in the Arsenal boardroom but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture. It’s sad how far the Cup has slipped in recent years in terms of glamour and status, and I really don’t like it when we approach the tournament in such a half-arsed manner like we did this year with that team selection at Stoke. The FA Cup is such a great tournament and I think granting the winners CL status (and after all, they would be champions of a tournament, unlike the 3rd or 4th best team in a league) would help to restore the tournament to its previously lofty status.
On another note, why have virtually all the major teams in Europe regressed in the last few years? With the exception of Barca and possibly Inter, can any one say any of the following are not significantly weaker than they were during the early or mid period of the 2000s: Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus, Porto, Rangers, Celtic…
With all the fuss over this anniversary, another one passed that I didn’t even notice until I played the DVD again: April 23, 1980, 30 years ago this past week, Arsenal beat Juventus in Turin in the Cup Winners’ Cup. According to Liam Brady — sadly, to join “The Thieves,” as they’re known in Italy, in the coming weeks — it was the first time Juve had lost a European (EC or CWC) match at home in 5 years, and Arsenal did it, with Brady, Alan Sunderland, Graham Rix, Captain Pat Rice, Willie Young and Pat Jennings.
Considering where we are right now, and where Juve are right now, I think they’d love to have no more than our problems!
spot on about the noise level that night,my mum wouldn’t let me go to an evening kick off even if it was a bloody final,so I had my 3rd floor window wide open listenning to the distant crowd sounds trying to work out their meanings.Generally from my street you could hear when there was an home goal and not much else ,that night there was almost constant noise .When the noise abated I didn,t know the score but was pretty sure that we’d got the result.Soon confirmed by those returning from the game to pick up their cars which they parked in our street.I’ve seen alot of cups and championships won since but none matches the warm feeling from a match I never saw.
@18 roast beef.On Thursday nights on Arsenal TV online they show highlights of great matches ,a couple of months ago they had an extended highlights of the match ,maybe they’ll have the good sense to rerun it tonight.If you’re not subscribed you might be able to stream it on TV ants,you could before.
Pint of the black stuff for me
Cheers washed up I will keep me mincers open on Arsenal TV.
A pint with a thin creamy head is at the bar waiting for you.
Just popped in for a swift pint that I’ll raise in the air for Woy and his Fulham side fuck me they’ve got some spirit and dare I say mental strentgh 🙂 good luck to em proper old style club and deserve a day in the sun !
Quite right Chippy. I mentioned the Ajax semi-final above, and that 3-0 win in the semi-final was magical. The Fulham fans would have felt like that exactly tonight. They never get to the sharp end of anything, and tonight they did. I think every football fan in England will be over the moon for them tonight.
There’s only one F in Fulham!
Cheers ‘Holic, thanks for sharing. Guinness please, and a salute to to all who helped Arsenal to victory that night!
Evening Holic & Holic`s
Great read Holic, shows the great history of this club and its fans.
Can I just say congrats to Fulham for getting to the final tonight. Sheer hard work and determination got them there and I hope they win it.
Arsene has said he would get all his transfers done before the world cup which is the only way to do it. So we dont pay over inflated prices for players who have a good 3 weeks. I am sure he has all his targets picked out and has them scouted over the last season or more in Arsenes case, he had tracked Verm for 2 years before he pounced.
Off subject again I am also glad Barca went out just because of there cheating diving over acting selves should not be allowed to go through. peeping through your hands to see if the player gets a red card, now thats just wrong. Also that triple salco messi done when he was tackled perfectly by Denilson left a bad taste.
Come on Fulham! Onward Mighty Cottagers and can I have some of what they have been drinking please barman.
Definitely well done to Fulham, hopefully they won’t do a Middlesbrough now in the final!
[…] No old Gooners will ever forget ending a seventeen year trophy drought against Anderlecht in the European Fairs Cup Final of 1970. Down 3-0 in the away leg, we were thrown a lifeline from a teenage Ray Kennedy with a last gasp […]