A Cultured Left Foot

Forward, Arsenal! by Bernard Joy
Published by GCR Books

Originally published in 1952 and long out of publication, this essential book on the history of Arsenal has been reprinted by GCR Books. As a former player Bernard Joy had a level of access that gives this history a uniqueness that is unlikely to be matched again.

Joy began his career at amateur side Casuals in 1931, winning the Amateur Cup and captaining the Great Britain team at the Berlin Olympics of 1936. He was registered with Southend United and Fulham in the early 1930s but in 1935, he joined Arsenal.

It is utterly inconceivable that an amateur player would ever follow this career path in the modern era, let alone represent the full England international side. Yet this is how Joy’s career unfolded, playing his one full international in a 2-3 defeat to Belgium. He was the last amateur to achieve this status, a record that will surely never be broken.

In 1937-38, the regular Arsenal centre half, Herbie Roberts suffered a broken leg and Bernard Joy replaced him, winning a League Champions medal that season. As a result of his injury, Roberts retired and Joy remained first choice in his position through to the outbreak of the Second World War, picking up a Charity Shield winners medal in 1938.

Joy’s war was spent as an RAF Intelligence Officer which enabled him to continue playing football. He was to make more than 200 appearances for Arsenal during this time, continuing his career once war was over. However, like many, he lost those years from his career and at 35, he retired in December 1946 although he was to continue playing for Casuals until 1948. It is incredible to think that such a pivotal player for those seasons was an amateur. On retiring, Joy entered journalism as Evening Standard and later Sunday Express football correspondent.

Forward, Arsenal! is a superb history of the club. Contributions were directly received from a veritable Who’s Who of players and managers including Tom Whitaker, George Allison, Alex James and Charles Buchan, rather than relying upon the press of that time for the information. The detailed analysis puts modern histories to shame.

This book has long been sought after on eBay in its original form. GCR Books has made a fine reprint, one that every Arsenal fan should own. Having started with The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, Greg is planning an outstanding library of reprinted books about Arsenal, which can be viewed on their website en route to buying Forward, Arsenal!

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery by Leonard Gribble

know what you are thinking, it is not a new book to review. And no, this is not the start of a ‘Book Reviews Gold’ section on the blog. However, you might be right about the story but entirely wrong to say it is not new for GCR Books has republished the original story.

For those who do not know, the story is set against the backdrop of a fictional match between Arsenal and an amateur team called The Trojans. As Mick Jones sang, ‘Somebody Got Murdered‘ and Inspector Slade is called in to save the day, which he duly does. Or rather, solve the case, for it would not be much of a ‘whodunnit’ if you were still wondering the identity of the culprit at the end of the book.

Set eighty years ago, it is almost inconceivable that such a book could be written in today’s football climate with the natural suspicion that clubs, players, managers and staff hold the media. If Gribble did not have access behind the scenes, he possessed an astute eye for observing characters, descriptions of the playing staff and their personalities entirely plausible.

Where the book excels in football literature is capturing the emotions surrounding the game, both on and off the pitch. Anyone who stood on terraces at Highbury will relate entirely to Gribble’s depiction of the stadium emptying and queues for the tube station.

Compared to today’s crime writing, the absence of car chases, swearing and sex scenes is a refreshing change. It concentrates purely on the crime, characters and their lives. Even so, the pace is consistent throughout and an enjoyable read it is too.

GCR Books are looking at other Arsenal titles so let us hope that they are able to reprint those as a decent job has been made of this one. The Arsenal Stadium Mystery can be purchased directly from GCR Books and with Christmas around the corner, a recommended stocking filler for all.

Gunners Lists by Chas Newkey-Burden

Published by Hamlyn

Trivia books is a boom market for football these days, the trick is to come up with something different and to be fair, a book of lists is a bit of that. 250 of them comprise the content, ranging from the serious and useful to the, well, trivial for that inner anorak.

Top ten high scoring seasons sits naturally with the meanest defensive seasons. Come from around the world? Pretty much the four corners of the globe are covered off in here so you can count how many of your countrymen have played for the club. Got something you need to know about Wenger or the time at The Emirates? It’s here.

The ubiquitous celebrity lists are here, including the obligatory Paul Kaye list. Kenny Sansom tries a bit of the lovable Cockney geezer humour with the inclusion of Gus Caesar in his Top Ten Arsenal players because old Gus was a character. No, Ken, great name, crap defender.

Of course there are a couple of glarers in the errors department – no 1990/91 in the top defensive seasons and Siggi Johnson played more games that Albert Gudmonsson – but over all the accuracy level is pretty high which makes this the perfect small gift for Junior and older Gunners alike.

Click to buy Gunners Lists: 250 lists of essential and nonessential Arsenal facts.

Cesc Fabregas – Young Gun by Tom Oldfield
John Blake Publishing Limited

It seems that you have only arrived on the World Football stage if a book or books have been written about you. It says much about the modern game.

The problem with all of the books is the subject matter. Unless there is official co-operation, the information has to be drawn from media interviews. And that is a big problem when the subject is only in their early 20s.

Whilst no-one can deny that Fabregas is an exceptional player, does he warrant a biography? There is a story to be told but this is not it for quite simply it has been written too soon. His meteroic rise through the Arsenal ranks is but one part of the story but equally fascinating would be the story of the various tapping up incidents from Real and Barcelona. That will only be known when the official version is released.

Lack of co-operation from Fabregas, his family and friends comes early on with his childhood skated through. Problematically, the rest of the book follows suit, good performances dwelt on, indifferent all but ignored. No analysis of his development in the Reserves, the hours of practice required is apparent in the book.

Surprisingly, it feels like the Euro2008 triumph of Spain is almost an inconvenience. Little emerges beyond a rapid run through of the matches. There is a welter of material in the Spanish media with several daily sports newspapers to choose from. More could have been written about what is, after all, the high point of Fabregas’ career so far.

The issue that I have with all of this is that nothing new emerges about the man. There is no breakthrough in his personality, nothing new about his career, how he developed his skills. Perhaps I am too “close” to the subject and have read the same interviews as the biographer. If that is the fault then the book is in trouble since Arsenal fans are the target market.

It’s a book that I tried hard to like but ultimately feel that it is a rushed project. If you don’t know much about Fabregas’ media interviews or have trouble remembering the matches he ha played in, click on the title to purchase Cesc Fabregas – Young Gun.

Outcasts United by Warren St John
Published by Fourth Estate

On a daily basis, television screens and the internet spew forth details of those lives torn apart by wars, famines and other natural disasters, displacing them into refugee camps and beyond. Rarely, if ever, do we see the other side of the story, what happens to those who pass through the camps and are resettled. Outcasts United is a small glimpse into that territory.

The book is situated in a small city close to Atlanta, Georgia, which during the 1990s became a refugee settlement centre. Describing Clarkston is like a journey into stereotypical small town America, white picket fences and all. The collision between the multitude of cultures erupts into the struggle for identity with prejudices regularly surfacing against the newcomers.

Luma Mufleh is the pivotal figure. A young Jordanian woman from an affluent background in her homeland finishes her education in the USA. Having done so, in 1997 she decided to remain in the country. Working her way southwards from Boston, she arrived in Atlanta’s suburbs, for no apparent reason other than the fact that she liked the climate. She arrived in neighbouring Decatur and found a job coaching youth football. After a while, on a shopping trip, she stumbled upon a group of refugees playing football in Clarkston. This led to the creation of a football program in town, the initial premis being that Mufleh could run this alongside her existing commitments. That events did not turn out that way is unsurprising.

Each player in the story has their background explained, how they arrived in Clarkston. It is not hard to see why there is distrust between refugee communities and their hosts. Having escaped persecution in their homelands, the encounter a wall of prejudice that slowly changes but still remains in certain areas. There are encounters with corrupt policemen and incompetent politicians, NIMBY’s and hostility, all of which increased the fear and alienation already felt.

Mufleh acted as mother, friend, translator and mentor to the children and families. From the outset, a set of rules was drawn up that all players were expected to adhere to. Transgression brought exclusion from the team. Having little experience of coaching, she learns from her mistakes, too much lattitude here followed by strict enforcement, to the extent that one team was disbanded. She committed herself to the teams and expected the same in return, more often than not receiving it.

The central theme of the book is the inclusivity that football engenders. Regardless of colour, creed or any other denominator, all are welcomed, few excluded. This is not an in-depth psychological analysis, simply the story of how one human can inspire others, to escape whatever domestic ills may have befallen them. The narrative is from the coach’s perspective with the children providing a nice counterbalance along the way.

A recommended read, click to purchase Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town

Inverting The Pyramid: The History Of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson
Published by Orion Books

With the debate about Wenger’s tactics and formations reaching fever pitch ahead of the new season, this book is definitely a good point for you to leap into the history of football’s tactics. To make the claim that you are tracing the history of football tactics is grand indeed. Jonathan Wilson through his blog on The Guardian has proven himself more than up to the task on a weekly basis. To his credit, the high standards set in his weekly column do not drop in a fascinating trawl through the game’s magnificent and monumental history.

Having started from an after dinner debate using the traditional condiments as props, Wilson follows the path of the 1-2-7 from its attacking roots through 2-3-5, WM, 4-2-4, 4-4-2, 3-5-2 to the various loops and circles of the modern day. The diversions into 4-1-4-1, 4-1-3-2 and so on are all given a historical environment, making more sense of their development that the blandness of a chalk or white board can ever convey.

Crossing continents from Europe to South America, a dry subject is given life and a consistent pace that comes from a knowledgeable and well-researched author. My own favourite spell of the football’s history – the Austrian Wunderteam and the Hungarian Aranycsapat – are covered in some depth, their roots in the British pioneers who influenced the key figures are dutifully anotated, the reasons for the premature ends well documented.

Crucially, no-one person, country, club or team is given more credit than they are due. The influence that individuals have over their time duly recorded with all deferrence. Comparing and contrasting the legacies is where Wilson excels, judgements well considered and logical in their conclusions. Catenaccio, with its much misunderstood implementation and legacy, is given the same credit as any outright attacking invention, Herrera no more prominence than Sacchi or Lobanovskiy.

From an Arsenal perspective, Herbert Chapman is given significant recognition over the dominant side of the early 1930s. Even if the creator did not survive to witness all of their glory, the manager’s influence is still felt to this day. W-M was not a universally popular formation with the authorities, a run in with those in power that echoed Chapman’s past, but the success enjoyed using it meant the tactics were replicated around the globe. Even George Graham is given credit for the European campaigns of the mid-90s although intimating that the five man midfield was a short-passing is perhaps stretching the dourness of those cup runs a tad far, irrespective of the glory that followed.

Wilson is correct in his conclusion that the tactical innovations which have had the greatest impact will never be replicated in the game due to the extensive analysis carried out at the major clubs and universities around the world unless the sport changes the number of players. The prevalence of television and video technology means no more surprises can be sprung on an unsuspecting world. A pity but it does have a benefit for the author since this work will no doubt remain the authority on the subject for many years.

Impress your friends with your tactical knowledge by clicking to buy Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics

In The Shadow Of A Giant – Mel Charles

Think of Mel Charles and it is pretty much a racing certainty that one of the first things that will pop into your head is the fact that he was John Charles’ younger brother. It’s alright, Mel knows it, does not mind it and indeed used it as a motivator throughout his career to try and show people, “Yes, he’s bloody good but I’m not half bad either“. Like his older sibling, Mel was a versatile player, comfortable in central defence, attack and at right half which gave him what is now called, a half-decent career. If you wonder how good he was, FIFA picked him for their team of the 1958 World Cup. As the record goes, Now That’s What I Call Quite Good.

The thing is that throughout the book, even when talking about the times that he fell out of love with football, Charles cannot quite believe that he had the career that he did. Starting out at Leeds United, at the same time as brother John, he succumbed to homesickness and returned to Swansea for a job outside of the game. The local team, Swansea Town (now City) signed him up and Charles set about making the grade as a professional.

This is a tale of bygone days. The high jinks of today are not a lot different from those that Charles and his team-mates got up to back in the 1950s and a decade later. The crucial difference is that the media turned a blind eye to it, as Charles says they wanted to keep in with the players. Even so, it did not stop Charles getting hauled over the coals by George Swindin during his Arsenal days for having a pint. Back then, and probably now, the club expected players to abstain. THe intervening decades probably made up for that…

When Charles signed for Arsenal in 1959, it was for a record fee between two clubs. For a short while, he joined brother John as the most expensive British players following the latters move from Leeds to Juventus. Typically, it was the elder sibling who shaded the values. His move from The Vetch Field to Highbury was by no means straightforward, a bidding war with Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United and a late move by Newcastle all in the mix. Arsenal won though, offering the most. At the time Charles was happy with the move to London and still holds a deep affection for the club.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and he now views the move with more than a tinge of regret. Injury wreaked havoc with his stay at the club and mixed in with the rise of Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham team of the time, give him a sense of what might have been had he gone a further seven miles North in the capital. That Tottenham signed Dave MacKay having failed to sign Charles is probably little comfort to him.

Even so, Charles had an excellent scoring record for Arsenal, netting 28 times in 64 games. He left in February 1962 for Cardiff City where he linked up with brother John for the only time in club football. Despite this, Cardiff were relegated and Mel’s career entered into a descent. Ironically, leaving the professional game for a short spell once his Cardiff career ended reignited his love for football and he briefly returned to the Football League with Port Vale before once more dropping into the non-league game.

This is an enjoyable yarn. Charles rarely has a bad word for anyone, recognising his own character has its flaws which contributed to personal differences. One thing shines through is his pride in his own achievements and those of his more famous sibling, even if the latter did deprive him of the opportunity to wear his white suit to Sophia Loren’s party when John was in Turin. It is an honest account of the life a footballer in post-war Britain, the lengths that the military would go to in order to accomodate National Service. You sense the peak of his career was Sweden 1958 but to an outsider, he achieved much more than that. And yes, Mel, it ain’t bad for a boy from Cwmbrwla.

Click to purchase In the Shadow of a Giant

Arsenal The Official Biography by Steve Stammers

Having spent two decades with London’s Evening Standard, Steve Stammers has observed at close hand the impact that Arsene Wenger has had on Arsenal Football Club. That explains to some extent why the Frenchman’s reign takes up around one third of this book. It is aimed at those who have joined football in the Premier League years and want a high speed catch up. In that respect, the book is a resounding success.

Stammers is not ignorant about the previous century of the club’s existence, far from it. The starting point of Danskin and the involvement of Nottingham Forest, throught the tumultuous interventions of Norris and Chapman, are all covered in an authoratitive manner. In educating the masses, Stammers in an excellent guide explaining the nuances that came together to give Arsenal the reputation of being the Establishment’s club.

In such a rich history, it is easy to form a common historical trail with other similar books. Although various unusual facts are drawn upon, there is more of a story feeling to this than the encyclopedic tone of the ‘Official History‘ books regularly updated by Martin Tyler and Phil Soar.

As with those books, there is an element of airbrushing over the dirty tricks which have periodically reared their ugly heads within the club’s history. Norris is not investigated whilst George Graham’s departure is treated almost as if the ex-manager were a naughty public schoolboy, found out and sent to the Headmaster’s office for his fate. In that respect, those hoping for a warts and all book will be disappointed. That was clearly not Stammers brief, emphasised by Arsene Wenger as the author of the Foreword.

Those who have supported the club for some time will probably not glean anything new from Stammers efforts. Nonetheless, as a starting point for newcomers to the game, the author’s writing style makes the book emminantly readable.

You can purchase this book by clicking here

Arsenal Confidential: The Amazing Behind The Scenes Story Of The 2007/08 Season by Stuart MacFarlane

I am not the world’s biggest fan of pictorial histories but each has a time and a place to record. This one is no different and given that for most of the season in question, a genuine title challenge was mounted, MacFarlane has chosen an interesting campaign to document.

As the club’s official photographer, he was granted seemingly unlimited access and puts this to good use. The photographs are not straightforward match shots but a mix of players at work and in their rest time, juxtaposing the two elements of the footballers life very nicely indeed.

The captions are sparing but entirely factual, leaving the reader to put their own interpretation on the events that surround those moments. A very good coffee table book that, as Arsene notes, captures the essence of Arsenal Football Club at that time.

You can purchase this book by clicking here

The Official Arsenal Encyclopedia by Jem Maidment

Looking for a quick and easy answer to the arguments online or in the pub? This one is for you. Rattling through the facts in alphabetical order, Maidment has built upon the good baseline of 2006’s version, for future volumes. Just about any link is included: the players, managers, a smattering of officials, every ground, trophy and a few of the more seriously embarrassing defeats.

It is hard for the compiler to please everyone when putting together all of the pieces in an exercise such as this one. I cannot be the only one who wonders how Glenn Helder merits a mention as anything other than a Lionel Richie impersonator, especially since Emmanuel Adebayor is airbrushed from history. Neither has won anything in Arsenal colours so it is hard to believe that the Dutchman warrants any inclusion, other than making his debut on the day George Graham was sacked.

You can look at many facts from various angles, even down to the old Football League habit of Christmas fixtures being reversed on Boxing Day. Many modern interventions are mixed with the old although whilst I am thankful that Elvis is omitted, the wonder I have is why the Metropolitan Police Marching Band is not in here but the Fans Forum is.

In a celebrity obsessed era, little surprise that the noted, famous and infamous are collected together in the Celebrity Fans section although Gunnersaurus might be considered a headscratching inclusion. Moments that we’d rather forget, including the North Bank Mural, are here so this is no airbrushing.

Having set himself up as a potentially required source, the next version may need somewhat of an overhaul rather than the tinkering around the edges that this one involved. Nonetheless, if you want the facts at your fingertips in a well-organised book, this is the one for you.

You can purchase this book by clicking here

Arsenal – The Official Illustrated History 1886-2008 by Martin Tyler and Phil Soar

When the original volume was published to mark the club’s centenary, everyone associated from the commissioning to the final product could be rightly proud that the history of Arsenal was documented in such a well researched and written manner. To the credit of Tyler and Soar, they have not let their standards drop with the ensuing updates. The now annual version covering the end of 2007-08 is no exception to that rule.

Whilst the tinkering is now around the edges, Soar and Tyler capture each new year of Arsenal’s existence with a dispassionate eye, bringing a good balance and helping maintain the authoratitive air about this book. There is a more in-depth history to be written but to capture all of the salient points as the authors do, is an impressive feat especially as there is no evidence that either has a fan’s bias to the events covered.

This is an essential book for all supporters, mixing the facts of line-ups and results in all competitions with their own interpretation of the history surrounding them. The only absence from this is pre-season friendlies, perhaps an addition for future volumes. Click here to buy.

The European Football Yearbook 2008/09
Edited by Mike Hammond

Whilst the Rothman’s (now Sky) Football Yearbook is rightly considered the authority for domestic football, The European Football Yearbook is heading in that direction for the continental game. It has changed considerably since it first emerged over a decade ago, increasing the content in depth and with the backing of UEFA, this is a weighty tome, similar in size to that of its UK counterpart.

As you would expect, all of the UEFA competitions, both club and national, are given the opening chapters – 2008 was an excellent year for Spain in a number of those, not just Euro2008 – taking advantage of the glossy page format for the inclusion of photos and text. The mix of commentary and pure results works well for the book, taking the reader through the early stages to the culmination, capturing triumph and despair in equal measure.

The major content of the book consists of a record of last season in all of the top flights across UEFA’s member countries, equal attention given to each league from the results to squad details for each club as well as the table for the second tier and domestic cup results. If you want to know how Dynamo, Porto and Fenerbahce’s form last season at the stage when they face Arsenal, it is here. Equally, you can find FC Dinamo Bender’s record in Moldova or that having ‘Hotspurs’ in your club name is quite damaging, as Pielta Hotspurs of Malta found out in being relegated last season.

Following on from the club guide is a section of the top 100 players from last season; Adebayor, Fabregas, Flamini and Hleb are those from that Arsenal squad chosen for the pen picture and paragraph treatment. The book’s final section is that of a geographical representation of every nation’s participating club and UEFA calendar, completing a comprehensive review of European football.

The book goes on sale on October 6th but those pre-ordering can buy it for £12.50, 50% off the £25 cover price, by clicking here – European Football Yearbook

BROMLEY BOYS by Dave Roberts
Published by Portico

There is an old English saying that probably translates to other countries, “There is always someone worse off than you”. Bear that in mind when looking at perceived ills of Arsenal, for Bromley in 1969/70 the only team fitting that particular bill was Corinthian Casuals, who hamstrung themselves by not paying any fees or wages at all to their players. They were bottom, Bromley one place above them.

This is a story of that one season. Matches been “lovingly” recreated in this enjoyable tale of a fourteen year old boys obsession with his local football club, intertwined with his own travails. Enjoyable for the reader, for it must have been pure hell for the players and supporters.

The whole gamut of footballing excuses are brought forward from shockingly sub-standard players, bad luck and poor officiating being the root cause of the woes besetting the Isthmian League club. It is a different angle than reading of one person’s trials and tribulations in a successful season of one of the bigger clubs.

Those who have encountered the hardy souls that inhabit the semi-professional game will recognise some of the companions that accompany Roberts on this trip, they have their soulmates in the professional game as well. Their emotions are the same, the lows plummeting to same depths that the you or I do when Arsenal are involved, the highs far outpeaking ours simply for their scarcity.

It is said that there is a more anorakish element to the non-league game, something that is hard to believe given that Roberts own scrapbook-keeping and programme collecting are no more nor less different to those of a number of adolescents besotted by football. As for the subbuteo tournaments, well, it brought back memories of rain and snowswept afternoons when inclement weather prevented the usual kickabout.

Roberts mixes his own influence upon the club, from the terrace to the Xanadu of the Supporters Club Bar, with his school life, dominated by being asked to leave his private school to the local skinheads, unrequeited love, Arsenal and a disliking of purported love rival Jon Sammels. Aside from the dedication of travelling distances by bus or bike, his major achievement is persuading an Arsenal supporting friend to trade a visit to Arsenal for a similar visit at a lower standard. It is hard to guess which was more unimpressive, Roberts serving in the tea hut all game or the fare on offer.

That one of his friends vows never to go again after yet another defeat, only to turn up again on a regular basis shows the vice-like grip with which football grabs you. It is a charming tale, the recollection of matches testament to the author’s diligent notetaking at matches. A recommended read for all, especially with the festive seasons approaching.

Click here to buy The Bromley Boys: The True Story of Supporting the Worst Football Team in Britain

ARSÈNAL – The Making of a Modern Superclub by Alex Fynn and Kevin Whicher

The story of Arsenal for more than a decade has been the story of how Arsène transformed the club on and off the pitch, alongside David Dein until that house of cards came crashing down with Dein’s shenanigans with Stan Kroenke and then Alisher Usmanov. The friendship between the two is highlighted in the prologue with the pair conversing following Dein’s departure. This book seeks to tell the ‘inside story’, following the growth of the club in the Premier League era.

Setting the scene by looking at the state of the club when Dein joined the Board in the early 1980s, the authors take you through a well-paced journey of the reigns of Neill, Howe, Graham and Rioch, plotting their rises and falls – alongside Dein’s rise to being the power in the Boardroom – through to the arrival of Wenger at the club, including the near miss of hiring him a season earlier following George Graham’s downfall. Rightly, at this point, they ask whether the Scot would have been sacked if his team had been winning in style. Alan Smith’s contributions shed light on the player’s thoughts in the time leading up to the demise of Graham whilst the circumstances that allowed his dubious business practices are also under the spotlight.

Wenger arrived and the positive influences that he has brought to bear are recognised, as are his faults. His meticulous nature with regard to physiology and style can be both positive and negative in the single-minded belief he has. That is however, perhaps his greatest strength.

The strategies devised on and off the pitch are given equal attention, a clear path tracked from the origins of the vast sums of money coming into the game from broadcasting deals through to the finances required to build The Emirates, from the UEFA Cup qualification to the titles and cups won and lost.

The off-the-pitch struggles in making the move to The Emirates are well documented, from the planning applications and hurdles that seemed insurmountable through cashflow problems in the early stages, finishing at the project’s completion. The authors cut no corners in an accurate assessment of the fact that the Board undervalued the deals, for naming rights and the sponsorship.

Commendably, none of the protagonists of the Arsenal story are eulogised. It is an honest assessment of their actions and no-one is beyond criticism. Yet the authors never stray into ‘mudslinging’, mistakes are analysed constructively, praise passed where due. The only people who will probably shift uncomfortably whilst reading the book are the Arsenal Press Office.

The strength of the book is allying Fynn’s knowledge of the business of football with Whicher’s passion for the club. Neither like what Arsenal has become as a business; both recognise that the club is not unique in losing its ties with the fans, the inevitability of the environment in which the clubs now operate. Whether you will agree with all of their interpretation of events is debatable but instead of blithely making assumptions, the authors have provided the evidence to support their views.

With some aspects such as Dein and Fiszman’s falling out not fully explored because it is a private matter that neither has chosen to speak of publicly and with property development likely to carry on for the next few years, there is more to be told. As a starting point, this book should definitely to be read by all Arsenal fans; it is a clear and concisely explained journey that sits comfortably alongside the best books about the club.

Click here to buy ARSÈNAL – The Making of a Modern Superclub by Alex Fynn and Kevin Whicher

To Cap It All…My Story by Kenny Sansom with Rita Wright

When Ken went up to lift the Littlewoods Cup, We were there, we were there

It seems a long while ago but 1987 ought to have been the beginning of medals in the Sansom trophy cabinet. Instead that sunny April afternoon represented the pinnacle of his club career. The 1980s were a barren spell at Arsenal and Sansom’s time at the club was the filling in the sandwich of the finals of the late 1970s and the League titles in the period 1989 – 91.

The book exudes a need to be liked, frequently admitted by Sansom himself. In keeping with his character that shows through, it is a jaunty and enjoyable read. Despite being raised by a single parent with an errant father away from the scene early in his life, Sansom appears to have had the carefree childhood and appreciates the grounding his mother gave him, along with the luck that he had to be born with a talent for football. The enjoyment of the game never really dies, merely subsides towards the end of his career.

Playing for Crystal Palace at the time when the ‘Team of the 80s’ was building was clearly enjoyable, typified by the high regard he still holds for Terry Venables and Malcolm Allison. His time at Arsenal is appreciated but dealt with honestly, especially the period immediately after joining Arsenal in 1980. Despite proclaiming that he, Rix and Brady would have been a dream back three – the stuff of nightmares surely Kenny? – his perception of the club at that point is accurate,

Some people think the ‘boring, boring Arsenal’ years began after the arrival of George Graham, but we were in dire straits long before. Lots of our games under Terry [Neill] were awful, and only brief touches of brilliance gave us short reprieves and kept the diehard fans coming to support us

His fall from grace and subsequent departure are treated the same. Whilst George Graham shares the blame for the manner, Sansom holds his hands up to accept that he should have done things differently. Even so, being stripped of the captaincy with Tony Adams outside Graham’s office to hear the arguments is hardly a masterclass in winning friends and influencing people.

Throughout this time, he maintained his position as England’s left back, rightly a massive source of pride to the extent that all of his England appearances are listed in the back of the book. It is the absence of club honours that makes this all the more impressive. His betting and alcohol addictions are crammed into two chapters at the end of the book but are a continual theme throughout the book. The latter is made all the more remarkable considering that he never touched a drop until his estranged father appeared in Basel for the 1981 World Cup Qualifying debacle. Once he had tasted it, his descent into heavy drinking was rapid.

Through it all, there are few occasions where his finger points to anyone other than himself yet you cannot help but wonder whether his path would have been the same were he playing today instead of being submerged in the drinking culture of the day. He readily acknowledges the pain he caused his family during these times, something that would have been hard for him to admit to himself, rather more painful to hear the brutal honesty of his children. That he is coming out of the other side of these addictions is a credit to his desire to turn his life around. One hopes that his children are enjoying happier times with their father. And Kenny, stop worrying about your weight. Just be happy.

You can buy the book at Word of Sport by clicking here, something that you are heartily recommended to do.

The Official Illustrated History Of Arsenal 1886 – 2007 by Phil Soar and Martin Tyler

Originally published to coincide the with the club’s centenary celebrations, this book has been regularly updated since then. This edition covers the first season at The Emirates. Historical fact can often be a ‘dry’ subject for authors to tackle but Soar and Tyler convey an enthusiasm for the club that prevents the book from being laborious.

The format helps. The narrative is a mix of fact and the authors’ opinions, the text split into smaller paragraphs for each subject set within the era under discussion. Interspersing the timeline, there is a series of articles on topics such as ‘Derbies’, ‘Arsenal Ladies’, ‘The Emirates Stadium’ and ‘Beyond 1971’, that document the achievements of the players and club with an analytical eye.

As you would expect, the data is comprehensive. Each season’s record is recorded dutifully with fixtures, line-ups and goalscorers split by competition. There is enough to satisfy the requirements of everyone within these sections, except perhaps those who want to know the results of pre-season friendlies. Accompanying the thoughtful prose, the selection of photographs is well-researched capturing the pivotal moments in time.

The authors maintain a balance that is hard to achieve, with the good and the bad moments in the club’s history treated with equal import. For supporters, new and old, it is this that makes the book required reading.

By clicking on the book title, you can purchase The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal 1886-2007

THE ALL-NEW OFFICIAL ARSENAL MISCELLANEY by Chas Newky-Burden

Football like all sports is a haven for trivia and statistics; books are ten-a-penny in these categories and it takes something special to make one stand out from the other. This series does just that, mixing hard data with facts that might otherwise be lost in the myriad of numbers. It would have been an easy route for the author and the publishers to have merely updated the original version, expanding the pages with updated facts. To their credit, they have not done so, creating a volume that sits comfortably beside its predecessor.

One of the major attractions of this series is the size of the books, fitting comfortably in the pocket as opposed to more cumbersome tomes. The trivia is a diverse mix of facts about the club and its locale. The location of the recording studio used by The Sex Pistols and The Clash sits comfortably alongside extracts from the Vicar of Hendon’s tribute to Herbert Chapman and a note from the Board Minutes from April 1939, ‘Cancel close season game in Germany’.

Much talk about the end of the ‘Invincibles’ is off the mark as the detailed list of players used in the 49 match unbeaten run, including appearances made and minutes on the pitch, includes Fabregas, Flamini and Clichy all appearing in the run. It is an enjoyable read and welcome amongst the competition. One reason for enjoying the book is occasional details that strike a chord personally; it is Liam Brady’s birthday today as it is for Number One Son. Happy Birthday to you both.

You can purchase this book from Amazon by clicking on this link The All-new Official Arsenal Miscellany.

Arsenal – A History From 1930

An interesting variation on the usual history style books, this is a collection of newspaper cuttings, culled from Mirror Group Newspapers. No narrative is added to the scanned front and back pages, leaving the unexpurgated news reports of the day intact. Those who remember the ‘Arsenal Reports’ from the late 1980s and early 1990s will be familiar with format, albeit not in the nicely bound version of this tome.

Despite covering nearly eighty years, the focus is heavily on the ‘Wenger Years’. The past decade comprises the material for over half of the book. In some respects, this is disappointing given the rich heritage that Arsenal has but understandable in others, for example pages not scanning correctly or being illegible over time.

The book opens with the Sunday Pictorial from Sunday, April 27, 1930, and an A4 reproduction of the Graf Zeppelin over Wembley and the news that,

The King, after an earlier announcement that he would be unable to see the game, made the journey from Windsor when the weather improved and was accorded a tumultuous ovation

The style of journalistic writing may have changed but the tabloid element has not, ‘Arrest Ghandi!’ screams the headline above the FA Cup Final for that day. In this day of CGI and computer graphics, The Daily Mirror of April 25, 1932 proves that the new technology does not necessarily mean that they are an improved, showing that the referee and linesman could not possibly have seen that the ball was out of play before Boyd centred for Allen to score Newcastle’s equaliser in the previous Saturday’s FA Cup Final. The white dotted lines are just as, if not more, effective as their modern counterparts.

Major games in the clubs history are covered and you get some opinion columns such as Stan Halsey’s from April 1950 commenting about how ‘Arsenal didn’t need any luck’. Reflecting the paucity of silverware, the 1960s are barely mentioned other than a 4 – 1 drubbing of Manchester United in 1965 and 1969s 3 – 1 win over Wolves that ensured European qualification for the following season.

The modern era is better served and not limited to Cup Finals or League Title wins. Dennis Bergkamp’s signing merits a page on its own along with the wild rumour that Arsenal and Spurs were going to battle for Paul Ince’s signature if his move to Internazionale fell through. Pires, Reyes and Henry’s arrivals get similar treatment. Individual match reports of wins over Middlesbrough and Birmingham sit somewhat uncomfortably next to the 5 – 4 at White Hart Lane, 4 – 0 in Eindhoven and 5 – 1 in the San Siro. Birmingham seemingly included for containing Robert Pires’ 50th League goal for the club which is as good a reason as any in my book.

If I do have a gripe, the reports for losing finals are missed out but not en masse. Zaragoza (1995) and Barcelona are included but Galatasaray (2000) is not; Ipswich [1978] is there but 1980 is wiped from the map in its entirety as is Luton [1988] and Chelsea (2007). The latter is baffling as the victory over Manchester United at The Emirates six weeks earlier features. A pity also that the semi final victories over Tottenham through the ages are missed out.

Inconsistencies that perhaps the publishers will iron out in future editions for this book deserves to be sitting on bookshelves as a contemporaneous record of the clubs history. You can purchase directly from Historic Newspapers at their site, Devoted To Sport.

Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly Arsenal Gift Book (Ed. Simon Inglis)

In an age of materialism and shallow celebrity, the modern footballer has it all. The tabloids feed off them and vice versa in a mutually destructive relationship, for those who crave the attention will be eventually roasted on its fires or are a part of the salacious roasting that takes place. It is refreshing to read of days gone by, not through the rose tinted spectacles of a former player but through the articles of the time.

Synonymous with an era long since ended, Charles Buchan’s Arsenal Gift Book (Ed. Simon Inglis), is a selection of articles from Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly covering the period of its existence in 1951 before being cast to the publishing winds in 1973. The book opens and closes with successful periods in the clubs history . Following on from the League title in 1953, there would be no honours until 1970, title and cup dreams fading to sepia as the years wore on. That this is from a different age is reflected in John Thompson’s recollections of the story of the magazine, There was a certain dream-like quality in reading Lord Londonderry’s description of how he had become a director of Arsenal because of a conversation over dinner at Buckingham Palace with the Master of the Horse, who happened to be Chairman of Arsenal; a reputation as the ‘Establishment’ club seemed well deserved.

The contrasts between the players of then and now could not be highlighted more starkly than the images of Joe Mercer in his butchers shop in Hoylake. Or reading how Cliff Holton had joined the RAF as a tool-maker when a delay in producing documents meant he was at home to receive news that Arsenal ‘were interested in me‘. This should be a required book for all current ‘stars’ of the game. Next time they argue over five thousand pounds on a sixty thousand pound per week deal, perhaps consideration could be given to Mercer and his peers who struggled to earn those sums in a career, even allowing for decimalisation and monetary inflation.

If the journalism reflects a more respectful time, players such as Derek Tapscott relish the chance of signing, surprised that such a club would be interested in them. It reflects the standing of the club in the game, they were honoured to be part of Arsenal. The latter years continue the style of reporting, more human interest than analysis. Frank McLintock asks ‘How do you explain to a five-year-old that the bottom had just fallen out of your world‘ following on from the 1 – 3 defeat to Swindon following on from a couple of pages of how Arsenal could not possibly lose the game.

There is little analytical or investigative reporting into what was actually going wrong at the time; that simply was not the magazines style although one article from October 1968 qualifies as such a piece and finishes by showing how cyclical football really is, Perhaps too we will see some Arsenal-raised youngsters coming off the assembly line into the First Division. This will be a new and refreshing thing to behold. For in this era of inflated transfer fees dominating an often lunatic market, Arsenal’s cash is no better than the next club’s when it comes to buying current success.

It would have been easy for the book to be interspersed with commentary between the articles. As it is, the editorial foreword and postscript are accompanied by an excellent contextual introduction by Jon Spurling leaving the articles to be reproduced, providing a marvellous flowing timeline in the clubs history.

The book can be bought online for £14.99 from Played In Britain and is thoroughly recommended as a present this Christmas.