History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966)

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Arsenal Football Club began in 1886 as Dial Square, a team formed by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, then in Kent. They became Royal Arsenal, then Woolwich Arsenal, and turned professional in 1891. In 1893 they joined the Football League, starting in the Second Division. Financial problems grew, and in 1910 the club went into voluntary liquidation. A group of businessmen, led by Sir Henry Norris, bought the club, moved them to Arsenal Stadium at Highbury in north London, and the club eventually became simply Arsenal in 1919.

For many years Arsenal struggled, but in 1919 they were elected to the First Division as the league expanded. They would stay in the top flight ever since, starting a long run of top-level play.

Herbert Chapman became manager in 1925 and transformed the club. He modernized training and tactics, and Arsenal began a period of major success in the 1930s. They won the First Division title in 1930–31, and added more league titles in 1932–33 and 1933–34. They also won the FA Cup in 1929–30 (their first major trophy under Chapman) and later the FA Cup again in 1935–36. After Chapman’s death in 1934, George Allison took over and Arsenal continued winning, including the 1934–35 league title and the 1937–38 league title. The club rebuilt Highbury into a larger, modern stadium during this era.

World War II interrupted normal football from 1939, and Highbury was used for air-raid purposes. Wartime matches were irregular and do not count in official records. Arsenal played a few wartime cups, and the club faced heavy financial burdens after the war.

Tom Whittaker became manager after the war and brought more success. Arsenal won the League title in 1947–48 and the FA Cup in 1949–50. In 1951–52 they nearly achieved a Double, but injuries and a packed end to the season led them to finish third and lose the FA Cup final to Newcastle United in 1952. They did win the League again in 1952–53, finishing the season strongly to clinch the title on goal average.

From the mid-1950s, Arsenal’s fortunes began to fade. Death of Whittaker in 1956 contributed to a decline, and the club found it hard to attract top stars. They finished mostly mid-table, with only a few notable cup runs. Tottenham Hotspur achieved the Double in 1960–61, and Arsenal gradually slipped further behind.

In 1962 Arsenal appointed Billy Wright as manager, the club’s first English captain to hold the job, but his tenure was not very successful. Arsenal did begin European competition in 1963–64, entering the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. By 1966, they were finishing mid-table and had not won a trophy in thirteen years. Wright was dismissed in the summer of 1966 and Bertie Mee was appointed to lead a new era.