Ashlyns school will play host to Arsenal Herts & Beds Christmas Charity doo on Friday 18th December 2009.

The dinner will see not only the European Fairs Cup Trophy won by Arsenal 40 seasons ago.

Find out which players are going along by visiting HB ARSENAL

 

Book your ticket here 

The 70s story

The 1960s were perhaps the gloomiest andmost frustrating years in Arsenals history. An era fans of today would never understand. It must have been bizarre for those fans who grew up watching the amazing team of the 1930s. Herbert Chapman had created a winning machine at Highbury and George Allison took it on to the next with players like Tom Parker, Herbie Roberts, Cliff Bastin, Alex James, Ted Drake, and Joe Mercer lighting up the World of football over a glorious period. Arsenal hovered around mid-table in the 60s and it was even said by the media that Arsenal may never win anything again.

In the summer of 1966 Arsenal promoted Physio Bertie Mee to manager. Imagine the uproar now? Mee appointed Dave Sexton and retired club captain Don Howe as his assistants and promoted many of Arsenal FA Youth Cup Champions squad to the first team including Charlie George, Pat Rice, John Radford, Peter Simpson and Ray Kennedy. Then he also snapped up George Graham from Chelsea as the 60s wore on. Mee’s team would suffer more disappointment though losing the League Cup Final to Leeds in March 1968. It was a step in the right direction.

The following season Arsenal again reached the league cup final. This time they were favourites until Flu swept through the camp robbing Arsenal of top first team players and Arsenal eventually lost in extra time. Still that season would prove the turning point in Arsenals history. Despite losing to Chelsea late on in the season Arsenal held them off to finish fourth and qualify for the European Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It would be a great adventure for the Gooners.

That European adventure started at Highbury on 9th September 1969 against Glentoran from Northern Ireland. George Graham settled the nerves after 15 minutes and Graham andGould would make it 3-nil by half time. We would lose in Northern Ireland 1-nil but the tie was over and Arsenal were on the move visiting Sporting in Portugal, Rouen in France, and Bacău in Romania before facing Ajax in the semi-finals. I don’t think Gooners would have foreseen Arsenal winning that tie 3-1 on aggregate against a team that included Johan Cruyff, Rudi Krol, Wim Suurbier and Piet Keizer but our lads did the job at Highbury 3-nil with 2 goals from Charlie George and one from Jon Sammels. Arsenal would lose in Amsterdam but the tie had been won.

Andrelecht were a much stronger force in those days, they had all the top Belgian internationals, and overcame Inter Milan in the semi finals. They’d also left a trail of broken British hearts through the competition dumping out Northern Ireland’s Coleraine, Scotlands Dunfermline, and those barcode boys from the intersportandski.com st james’ park on away goals.

So off Arsenal went on the 22nd April 1970 having lost two cup finals in two season, would it be three? By half time Bob Wilsons net had bulged twice. Things weren’t looking good. Dutch forward Jan Mulder made it 3-nil with only 15 minutes to go in the first leg. Arsenal were surely done and dusted. Then Bertie Mee replaced Charlie George with Ray Kennedy on 77 minutes. 5 minutes later he’s bagged an all important away goal and Arsenal were on the up. 6 days later the Belgians came to London and the media scoffed as Captain Frank McLintock told the media Arsenal would pull back the goals and lift the trophy. 28th April 1970 would be an evening to go down in Arsenal folk law.

51,162 packed Highburyfor the second leg. Mee named the same starting XI, Wilson, Storey, McNabb, Kelly, McLintock, Simpson, Armstrong, Sammels, Radford, George, and Graham. It was to be a night full of emotion as Arsenal blew away 17 years of gloom. First a Kelly rasper on 25 minutes, can you imagine the tension as McLintockled the boys back out for the second half? Then the dream was really on as McNabb found Radford in the air. 2-nil. One more and the trophy was ours!! Moments later the ball was withour Charlie George, he found Sammels on the right, he cut inside and smashed a shot in off the post.

Bob Wilson and his troops kept a clean sheet and the trophy was in Franks hands, above his head, and the gooners flooded the pitch to celebrate with the once more, glorious, gunners. This was the spark that ignited a Golden Era for the Arsenal.

Why not join Arsenal Herts & Beds for their Christmas dinner to commemorate this magical night 40 seasons ago. Hear from Players and Fans who were at Highbury that night and re-live a magical experience and ask any questions you have about what went on before and AFTER the match. You’ll also have your chance to grab a picture with the famous European Trophy.

Tickets are on sale now here – http://www.hbarsenal.co.uk/afc/?p=719

All profits will be donated to Bob Wilsons’ WILLOW FOUNDATION

Eddie Kelly announced

In 1966 after a famous summer for English football and 15 year old school boy who played for Possilpark FC signed for Arsenal Football Club. Young Eddie Kelly would be put in a youth team that had just won FA youth cup and in 1968 he was given a professional contract.

Bertie Mee brought Eddie on as a sub for his debut in September 1969. A season that would see The Arsenal reborn after a gloomy period. It’s no coincidence this tough attacking central midfielder from Glasgow appeared on the scene and The Arsenal started winning. Eddie ended up making 222 appearances for Arsenal and some of his 19 goals were the most important in the era he played for Arsenal.

Not only did he score in the FA Cup Final in 1971 after coming on as a sub to help us clinch the double, but he scored on that famous Highbury night in May 1970.

After Ray Kennedy had salvaged something for Arsenal in Anderlecht with only 8 minutes to go Arsenal had to win 3-nil at Highbury. Arsenal would need an early goal and the big number 4 got us on the way. Just 25 minutes had gone when Kelly got the net bulging!!

A true giant on the field and a great gent off it. Eddie will always have a place in any Gooner heart, even those like me, who are to young to have seen him play.

Arsenal Herts & Beds are delighted to welcome Eddie Kelly to our Christmas Dinner. Come and meet the Arsenal Legend and have your picture taken with him and the Fairs Cup this December.