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Arsenal
Gunners
3 March 2001-- ARSENAL
was recognised as Team of the
Century by The Independent of UK, a highly respected news weekly.
This conclusion was based on each English club's standing in the four English
League divisions at the end of every football season in the 20th century.
Further consideration was given to F.A. Cup & League Cup final appearances
and victories.
English
football
club based in north London
that started the 1999-2000 season playing in the FA Premiership. Founded as Dial
Square in 1886, the club changed its name to Royal Arsenal soon after, to
Woolwich Arsenal in 1891, and to The Arsenal in 1914—the “The” was dropped
in 1927. The team, nicknamed the Gunners, was elected to the Second Division
(old format) of the Football League in 1893. Originally
sporting an all-red strip donated to them by Nottingham
Forest, the side adopted white sleeves and shorts in the 1930s. Its present
ground, Highbury, has been its home since 1913.
After promotion to the First
Division (old format) in 1904, the club fell upon hard times and was forced into
liquidation. Relegation in 1913 resulted in its relocation from south-east to
north London, despite many objections from teams already in the area. In 1919,
after the Football League had taken the decision to expand the First Division by
two clubs, Henry Norris, Arsenal's chairman, used his wealth and influence to
gain Arsenal a place in the larger division even though his team had only
finished in fifth place. Since that time, Arsenal has never left the top
division, setting a record for the longest unbroken term there. Norris was later
found guilty of financial irregularities and left the club. Before he did,
however, he hired Herbert
Chapman as manager—a decision that was to trigger an extended period of
success for the Gunners.
Under the innovative manager, the
team won two League Championships (1931 and 1933) and an FA
Cup (1930), despite acquiring the unwelcome nicknames of “boring” and
“lucky”. Even after Chapman's sudden death, further championships in 1934
and 1935 ensured Arsenal became only the second club to win three consecutive
titles. In the following 50 years the side collected four championships (1938,
1948, 1953, 1971), four FA Cups (1936, 1950, 1971, 1979), and a European Fairs
Cup (1970). The 1971 FA Cup final victory against Liverpool
sealed a League and FA Cup “double”. Arsenal's playing staff during this
period contained a wide variety of stars including Denis
Compton (also known for his cricketing prowess), Joe
Mercer, Tommy
Lawton, and, later, Alan Ball, Pat
Jennings, and Liam
Brady.
The 1980s and 1990s brought about
even greater success under manager and disciplinarian George Graham. His teams,
always built around a solid defence, won the 1987 League Cup, two League
Championships (1989 and 1991), a League Cup and FA Cup “double” (1993), and
a European Cup Winners' Cup (1994). The 1989 championship was won after a goal
in the last minute of the final match of the season against challengers
Liverpool—the closest finish to a season in the history of the Football
League. Even after Graham's departure as the result of another financial
scandal, the club went from strength to strength and in 1998, with the help of
stars of the calibre of Dennis
Bergkamp and David
Seaman, became only the second club to win two League and Cup “doubles”.
Arsenal FC," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2000
http://encarta.msn.co.uk © 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights
reserved.
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