Guest Post: North Bank Ned With An Easter Tale
Mar 25th, 2016 by 'holic
My thanks to our very own North Bank Ned for another historic contribution.
Easter was late in 1930, deep into April and only a week before the FA Cup final.
The most expensive forward line in football had only just found its shooting boots. Joe Hulme, David Jack, David Halliday, Alex James and Charlie Jones had cost the then staggering sum of £34,000; Herbert Chapman, for one, never had reservations about spending his chairman’s cash. Even with the veteran Jimmy Brain and youngsters Cliff ‘Boy’ Bastin and Jack Lambert coming in and out of the team as Chapman juggled his attack in search of the elusive right combination, lack of goals left the Arsenal heading for a 14th placed finish, down five places from the previous season.
A couple of four-goal hauls at Highbury in March against Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers offered a flicker of promise, but it wasn’t until April 12 that the floodgates opened with an 8-1 thrashing of Sheffield United. Nine days later, during which time we’d also squeezed in two more league games (and they complain of fixture congestion today!) came a game at Leicester City’s old Filbert Street ground that still stands in the records books.
You don’t often score six and not win, nor concede six and not lose, but that was the case for both sides on Easter Monday, 1930. The 6-6 scoreline remains the highest score draw in top-flight English football, and has only been matched once in the English game by Charlton and Middlesborough in the old Second Division in 1960. “Although facing the wind at the outset, Arsenal were…cleverer, quicker on the ball and shot better,” according to one match report. We did most of the attacking but still managed to be 3-1 down at half time regardless of having had a David Jack header in the third minute disallowed for offside and then taking the lead. Plus ça change.
Three goals in 10 minutes at the start of the second half restored our advantage. With less than half an hour to go, we had stretched it to 5-3. Leicester it pegged it back to 6-5. Then, with 11 minutes to go, Leicester’s veteran centre-forward and record goalscorer Arthur Chandler grabbed the equalizer. We had two chances in the final minutes to score a winning seventh, but could convert neither.
“What the Arsenal lacked in team play they made up in fighting spirit and staged a brilliant recovery after being two goals behind at the interval,” the match report said in words that could have come out of the mouth of an earlier incarnation of Arsene Wenger. Halliday ended up scoring four goals, “got on shots from all sorts of difficult angles”. Bastin, “a great force”, scored the other two.
Remarkably, it would be Halliday’s last game for the club. Despite his four goals, he was dropped for the FA Cup Final at Wembley five days later, Jack Lambert taking his place and scored as Arsenal won the trophy for the first time. Though a prolific goalscorer elsewhere (156 goals in 166 games for Sunderland before Chapman brought him south for £9,000), Halliday couldn’t make the centre-forward’s position is own. He managed only 14 games and four goals before his quadruple against Leicester. The following November, Chapman sold him for a knock-down £5,700 to Manchester City, for whom he would score 47 goals in 76 games. Halliday would later manage Leicester in the mid-1950s, taking it up into the old First Division in 1957.
Dan Lewis, the Welsh international goalkeeper infamous for letting Cardiff’s winning goal in the 1927 Cup Final slip through his arms, also made his final appearance or the club in the 6-6, though his Arsenal career was truncated by injury. Indian ‘holics may be intrigued to know that he was replaced in the Cup Final by his understudy, who I believe to be our only Madhya Pradesh-born Cup-winning keeper, Charlie Preedy (his father was, appropriately for a future Gunner, serving in the Royal Artillery there). Preedy never established himself as first choice, even with Lewis being sold to Gillingham at the end of the season. Part of the reason was that, unlike many goalkeepers of the day, he was an advocate of rushing from his goal line to meet oncoming attacks. While he made daring saves, he was as likely to miss the ball altogether.
Chapman, as unhappy with his goalkeepers as his centre-forwards, tried to sign Austria’s keeper, Rudolf Hiden, in the close season. Hiden was reckoned to be the top keeper in continental Europe, but the English authorities wouldn’t sanction a foreign professional. Chapman signed instead Dutch international Gerrit ‘Gerry’ Keyser. He was acceptable to the blazer brigade as he came from an amateur club, Ajax Amsterdam. Keyser turned out to be as spectacular and reckless as Preedy and soon lost his place to the long-kicking William Harper, who had returned to the club after going off in 1927 to play in the eastern United States. After Frank Moss had joined from Oldham Athletic in 1931 and another season spent as understudy, Preedy moved to Bristol Rovers having played less than 40 games for the club over four seasons, in which he actually kept more clean sheets than conceded goals. After football, he drove a London Black Cab.
When the Arsenal next played at Filbert Street, in the league the following season, they went one better on the scoring front, winning 7-2. That was, though, the 35th in a most unlikely record-setting sequence of 39 league games. The Arsenal failed to keep a single clean sheet in the league between the start of April 1930 and the end of February 1931. That 39-game run of picking the ball out of the net every match has not been surpassed to this day though QPR matched it in 1968-69.
It is a most bizarre record for a team that was noted for its defence and was well on its way to bringing the league title not only to Highbury but to the South for the first time, ushering in the golden era of Chapman’s Arsenal that would sweep all before it.
58 Responses to “Guest Post: North Bank Ned With An Easter Tale”
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drink!
Excellent piece, Ned.
as if my 2 comment just went AWOL. Excellent piece, Ned.
Oh, wow. it’s back! A this rate I’m gonna self-assist and score the ton. where is everybody?
good man yerself ned
i’d say slainte but the bars shut
is no.1 Pop or Mavis ?
either way , well in
or is Http the tone deaf sibling they kept in the attic ?
Keystone keepers. 😉
Great stuff, NBN.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ghm7p_singer-in-belfast-city-centre_music
who said i couldn’t sell a tune ?
#
Una paloma blanca
Over the mountains I fly
No one can take my freedom away
#
Good stuff Ned. Very interesting bit of history. Plus ca change eh?
*counts change*
*a button and two bottle tops from bath*
YOU’VE got my bottle tops? 😮
Nice work on the now departed Staples, cba. 😉 Have you not got a train to pretend to catch today?
*lifts hat and scarpers*
#
WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON THE MOUNTAINS
AND THE NIGHT IS ON THE RUN
IT’S A NEW DAY
IT’S A NEW WAY
AND I FLY UP TO THE SUN
#
#
choo choo ch’beery
#
#
woo woooo
#
#
choo choo ch’boozie
#
Ned- Thankyou for this, fascinating stuff as ever. I’ve discussed this team with my Dad and he wasn’t a great fan of our keepers until we signed Frank Moss. The 2-3-5 formation often meant you were outnumbered in defence especially as you only had one central defender. Hence part of the reason for high- scoring games . I remember us losing 7-2 to Leicester when the goalie McClelland broke his collarbone.oddly his deputy was our top goal scorer, the diminutive Joe Baker
Your dad and Herbert Chapman were of a similar mind, Ttg.
And thanks for all the kind words, fellow ‘holics, and to the Guv’nor for indulging me again.
Aviva tickets sold out double quick for Ireland v Switzerland. Only place other than the stations where you can drink in Ireland today. Hence why cba is choo chooin’ 🙂
??? ‘ hol
though
full disclosure
no need for circumventory doins today
am in the northy part of partition
so at least the prods in power
allow a swally
albeit with a stern face and a point
the taigs in the south
remain steadfast
and pour derision
on unprepared cunts
who didn’t – supermarket sweep style
empty the offy
on the thursday night just gone
which incidentally is called ‘holy’ thursday
anyhoo
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY EVERYONE !
.
.
UP THE ARSENAL
#
I CAN FEEL THE MORNING SUNLIGHT
I CAN SMELL THE NEW MOWN HAY
I CAN HEAR GOD’S VOICES CALLING
FROM THE GOLDEN SKYLIGHT WAY
#
ye can also
take in a play or two too
and drink in the theatre bar
before
during
and shortly after
amazing ?
the number o thirsty culture vultures
who swoop down
to wet their beaks
them that can
cross the border
them that can’t
???
.
“To be, or not to be–that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles”
or indeed
take to the high seas
and get a return ticket
on the dublin ferry
and remain onboard
good friday
luckily most always
coincides with the weekend
so
some people make an event of it
strange but true
silly drouthy paddys
Ah, didn’t realise you were up north. Silly me.
I emptied the offy (well, Asda) today. 🙂
Safe journey to oblivion, my friend.
interestingly
the description of specialist subjects
on mastermind on bbc2
ends with
the history of ulster and prohibition
?
nicely placed
.
can’t get setanta
not much interested if i’m honest
italia90’s the last time i roared at the screen for us
and
good man yerself ‘hol
i would expect nothing less from you
top man
?
.
.
.
Tayto Crisps 1 – Toblerone 0
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/gQVA24VCchJZYFJg0Yqm5A–/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9Mzc5O2lsPXBsYW5lO3B4b2ZmPTUwO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT03NTt3PTY3NA–/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b1c75aab95489d1c1d0f6a70670035c7.jpg
.
not so big now !
eh ?
Hhuzzzaahhgg
That’s fake Irish for “Top man, cba!!!!!”
🙂
Thanks Ned, always interesting to read about our team that’s even before my time 😉
cba, aah Taytos – probably the best crisps in the world. Used to get them at O’Riordans pub on Brentford High Street ( known as Teds back yonder) on my way home from work. Needed some scoops of black liquid though to assist the digestion. Normally Murphys that was brought over from Cork – not the stuff that Whitbread brewed in Luton under licence. Slainte 🙂
31 bt8
?
cba abú
would suffice for a pat on the back
how fortuitous
my moniker
and the
let’s face it
long overdue
and richly deserved plaudits
are so
advertising agency golden
cba abú indeed !!!!
.
.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BcLdyV7mwAs
32 Up
7’s cooler big brother
what exemplary savoury taste you have
yup indeedy !
.
crisps are a big thing here
we are
the proud irish !
cut us
we bleed green !
cept for the pudgy ones
they bleed tayto
(usually cheese and onion)
.
Thanks Ned – an excellent read.
UTA.
History. Love it.
Many thanks NBN.
Thanks, Ned,
Interesting as ever.
I’m a bit late to the party but I was a touch indisposed. If you’re familiar with that old Bernard Cribbins song, Right Said Fred, you have pretty much the whole story !
Taytos.
I was introduced to them by an Irish fella – ashamed to say I can’t remember his name but I’ve only met him once – who turns up at The Tollie on occasion with a rucksack full of the things, and generously hands them out.
And very nice they were too. Wish I could remember his name.
Apologies for my memeory and any other disservice my recollection has caused. Constant brain overload is to blame. ?
Holic will no doubt imminently complete the details. ?
Actually my Right Said Fred-ery didn’t involve a piano – just some “unforeseen circumstances” which got worse over the day.
A bit like this –
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zyeMFSzPgGc
?
???trev
never heard that before
cheers fella
Is not today intended to have real football on the telly? ???????☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️?
There are three people who bring the Taytos. Fergus or Conor from Dublin, or Dubs when he goes back on holiday/family visit.
Dubs rings a bell.
Cheers Dubs – very nice too. ?
My telly must be broken. It is showing an England side playing really well . Sadly four of the best are from the Swamp!
congratulations neighbours
ah m’lud
i was trying the lwc and geographical
double hilarity whammy
and by the way
howdy
?
Fantastic win for England 2-3 having been 2-0 down. Best I have seen us play in years! If you didn’t see it you missed a treat.
A nice win for England, indeed, but the tsunami of gushing praise for the neighbors’ contributors will make you run to locate your airline sickness bags.
Wow, those spurs players really turned it on tonight, they really deserve the title, best attack, best defence, best goal difference, will be champions as much as it pains to say, they’ve been the best by a country mile….yuk
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
But don’t forget Rose is a diving little cheat, Dier got booked for his usual fouling, Alli missed an open goal and Kane still has a melty candle face – it even looks like a plastic mask now !
Very good all round performance though – even from the four above, who were clearly inspired by playing in the same team as Danny Welbeck !
?
Happy Easter, Holics everywhere.
Bucks Fizz and Easter Eggs on the bar (the egg with the green ribbon is reserved for cba – a commemoration of a double rising!).
Slainte
sláinte baff
*inhales easter egg*
.
i’m full of nationalism and catholicism today
gonna see if i can find
a small english person in the bar shortly
and pull his chair out from under him
as he goes to sit down
then
feel guilty about it
but still run away
shouting
“that’s for the famine , ya fucker !”
.
.
.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd77xVCMkE8
Oh joy.
Piers ‘the cunt’ Morgan reckons Wenger has been offered a three year contract extension.
He will sign it, with no regard for the fact that he is already a divisive figure and things can only get worse from here.
I hope Morgan is wrong.
He usually is.
Because Piers Moron has always been a man to trust with a story…
Hence the last line.
But if he was right, would anyone be surprised?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gYJO5fJgNSQ
english people here !
yer chairs are sound
*twirls imaginary moustache*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>