Arsenal Football Club

the official illustrated history 1886-2009

Ds Megatron

First published in 2009 by Decepticons Limited DsDecepticons M78 Galaxy Cybertron TNT2 MK2 Copyrights© Ds Megatron, 2009 The moral rights of the authors have been asserted ISBN 0 984021 6698

CONTENTS Introduction

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Chapter One – A Brief History

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Arsenal Football Club–A Brief History The History of Arsenal’s Crest

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Chapter Two – The Gunner’s Stadium

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Highbury Histroy Emirates Stadium Club Kit Design First–Team Squad Pictures

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Chapter Three – Arsenal Team Member

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The Introduction Of The Players Present & Previous Coaching Staff Tranining Centre & Teenage Cancer Trust Arsenal Academy & Arsenal Ladies Junior Gunners & Arsenal In The Academy

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Chapter Four – Preview

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Club Honours Arsenal Publication The Arsenal Membership Directory Contact Centre

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INTRODUCATION The book you are reading is a large and complex object. The book introduce the magnificent 122 years history of Arsenal Football Clubs. It included the many champion, the honor, the famous players and the historical events. This history charts Arsenal’s story from its inception in 1886 right up to the dramatic 2007/08 season. It details how Dial Square became Woolwich Arsenal, the move to Highbury, Herbert Chapman’s inspirational leadership, the famous Double of 1971, the exciting title race of 1989, the second Double of 1998, the unbeaten season of 2003/04 and the move to their current home ——Emirates Stadium. At present, Every Arsenal fan will find something to cheer about in this book. For Arsenal, 2007 promises to be yet another monumental year, with the move to Emirates Stadium completed, the Gunners going well in the Champions League, chasing down Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premiership and reaching the last four of the Carling Cup. In addition to events off the field with new signings and old friends departing, the 2007-08 seasons is certain be full of excitement and interest. In addition to a review of 2006-07, there are player profiles and interviews, reviews, reports, fun, games, puzzles; in fact all a Junior Gunner could ever want in the book! So, this book gives you the complete picture of how the Arsenal came to be North London’s most successful and fascinating side.

CHAPTER ONE

Arsenal Football Club A Brief History

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arsenal–A Brief Hisroty From Foundation to the First World War Arsenal Football Club began life when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team in late 1886. The Club played under the name of Dial Square. Their first match was a 6-0 victory over Eastern Wanderers, on December 11, 1886.

The next season and another first was realised – the League and FA Clop ‘double’. Later in the decade. Terry Neill took Arsenal to three consecutive FA Cup Finals, dramatically winning the 1979 game 3–2 against Manchester United. The Gunners also reached the 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup

the pitch. Defensively, Arsenal were second to none and Graham set about building a back four that would serve the Gunners for over a decade, with young captain Tony Adams its centrepiece. Further up the field, the likes of David Rocastle, Paul Merson and Alan Smith provided the Gunners’ attacking threat.

THE Graham's Glory Years

In his third season in charge, Graham would oversee perhaps the most dramatic title triumph in League history on the final

Chapman and the Glorious 30s

Herbert Chapman joined Arsenal in 1925 and just five years later the Club won their first major trophy the FA Cup. The following season Arsenal were league champions for the first time, Chapman added another title in 1932/33 and was on his way to securing another campaign triumph in 1933/34 before succumbing to serious illness mid•way through the season, but not before he had achieved legendary status. George Allison continued what Chapman had started and the Club went on to win a further two league titles and an FA Cup in what is, so far, the most successful decade

Post-War

In 1947, Tom Whittaker became manager and more success followed. Arsenal were Champions in 1947/48 and 1952/53; FA Cup winners in 1950 and Cup runners–up in 1952. In 1966 Bertie Mee was appointed as manager and just four years later helped achieve a first for the Club – a European trophy – thanks to victory over anderlecht.

In May of their centenary year, Arsenal day of the 1988/89 season, with extra-special named former player George Graham as the thanks to Smith and Michael Thomas. man to succeed Don Howe, who had asked to be released from his Highbury contract. The Club’s first Division One triumph for 18 years was expected to usher in a new period The Scotsman’s arrival drew a line under of Arsenal dominance in English football, a fallow few years in the early 1980s under but that wasn’t quite the case. The following Terry Neil and later Howe. After winning season was blemished by inconsistency the FA Cup in 1979 and losing out on and a disappointing fourth-place finish penalties in the 1980 Cup Winners’ Cup was all Graham’s men could muster. Final, Arsenal lost some of their most established stars at the beginning of the Reinforcements were needed and Swedish decade. Liam Brady, who had been named midfielder Anders Limpar and a Queens Park Player of the Year three times running, Rangers goalkeeper by the name of David signed for Juventus while Frank Stapleton Seaman were brought in with immediate moved on to Manchester United. The two effect. Despite a two-point deduction for a departures embodied the passing of an era. mass brawl in a 1-0 win against Manchester Graham was installed as Arsenal manager after a successful spell at Third Division Millwall. Within a year he had delivered the Club’s first silverware since the FA Cup in 1979. Despite going a goal down to the mighty Liverpool, Graham’s young side won 2-1 to claim Arsenal’s first League Cup. They reached the Final the following year too, but were denied by Luton Town. Graham’s reign was notable for the strict discipline put in place both on and off

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United, and an eight-week prison sentence for Adams, Arsenal romped to the Division One crown, losing only once along the way. However, once again Arsenal were unable to build on their league success and a fourthplace finish followed once again in 1992. The league title continued to evade the Club in the following seasons but Arsenal would emerge as a highly-efficient knock-out team.

arsenal–A Brief Hisroty

THE ARSÈNE WENGER ERA Football Writers'Association Player of the Year.

In 1997/98, Wenger's first full season at Highbury. Arsenal achieved, for the second time in the Club's history, the League and FA Cup 'double' enabling the Frenchman to pick up the Carling Manager of the Year Award. Dennis Bergkamp was also named Football Writers' Association (FWA) Player of the Year and PFA Player of the Year. Three consecutive league runners–up positions followed Jnd in 2000 Arsenal appeared in the UEFA Cup Final where they lost on penalties to Galatasaray. 2001/02 saw a reversal of fortunes, however, as the Club recorded their third 'double' by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup and ending their league campaign with a memorable 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsenal remained unbeaten at home for the whole season, and Mel'll" Wenger was named Barclaycard Manager of the Year while Robert Pires was named

The following season Arsenal narrowly missed out on retaining the title, but the Gunners did relain the FA Cup with their 1-0 victory over Southampton in Cardiff, Thierry Henry was voted Player of the season by both the PFA and the Football Writers' Association in a term that saw him join Dennis Bergkamp in the hallowed '100 club’, havmg scored a century of goals for Arsenal. Season 2003/2004 saw Arsenal win back the title in unbeatable fashion, going through the entire league season without a single defeat. Finishing 11 points ahead of secondplace Chelsea, Arsenal eased to their l3th league title win. Spanish teenager Cesc Fabregas arrived in January and proceeded to break the record for the youngest Arsenal appearance,aged 16 years and 177 days. The unbeaten league run continued into the following season and, in August 2004, Arsenal overtook Nottingham Forest's record for the longest all-time unbeaten

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sequence in English league football, The Gunners made it five lrophies in four seasons by winning the FA Cup in a penalty shootout against Manchester United. The 2005/06 campaign was the Club's last atHighbury and the Final Salute celebrations proved a fitting goodbye to its home of 93 years. fourth place in the league –and Champions League football was secured on the last day of the season with a 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic. Arsenal's alltime record at Highbury reads as follows: Played 2,010; Won 1,196; Drawn 475; lost 339; Goals Scored 4.038. The highlight of the season was the Club's amazing journey to the 2005/06 Champions League Final inParis. A 12-game unbeaten run, including a competition record for the most consecutive dean sheets (len), saw Arsenal face Barcelona in the Final on May. 17 at the Stade de France, Despite having Jens Lehmann sent off, the Gunners scored first through Sol Campbell before the Spaniards scored two late goals to break the hearts of the Arsenal support.

Arsenal’s Club Crest History IN 1888,JUST TWO YEARS AFTER THE FORMATION OF THE CLUB, ARSENAL, WHO WERE THEN CALLED ROYAL ARSENAL, ADOPTED ITS FIRST CREST (1). This was b a s e d largely on the coat of arms of the Borough of Woolwich. The Club was based in the Borough from its formation until 1913, playing at Plumstead Common; Sportsman Ground; Manor Ground; Invicta Ground and the Manor Ground again before heading across London to Highbury, Islington. The original badge comprised three columns, which, although they look like chimneys, are in actual fact cannons. The significance of the cannons to the Borough of Woolwich derives from the long military history surrounding the area. The cannons on the original crest were obviously a reference to the military influence in Woolwich and despite the Club's ties with the area being cut 89 years ago, the cannon theme has developed throughout the years and has remained prominent on the Gunners different crests down the years. Shirts remained plain, unless commemorating a significant match, an FA Cup Final for example, and the crest was generally reserved for official headed stationary, matchday programmes and handbooks. Following Arsenal's move north to Highbury in 1913, it wasn't immediately apparent that the Club would embrace the Woolwich Arsenal legacy and keep the cannon as a recognisable motif. The Club soon became just 'Arsenal', the Great War affected football for four seasons and recommencing in 1919/20 ‘normal’ football took some time to settle. During all of

this period there was no sign of a crest as such but, in the first matchday programme of the 1922/23 season, when the Gunners played Burnley, a new club crest (2) was revealed - a fearsome looking cannon, that would have sat proudly in the Royal Arsenal of Woolwich.

to this. In the final matchday programme of the 1947/48 League Championship winning season, 'Marksman' (aka Harry Homer), the programme editor of the day, wrote: "...my mind seeks an apt quotation with which to close As can be seen the vertical cannons have this season which gone with the new design featuring a has been such a single eastward pointing cannon. Whoever glorious one for designed this robust looking weapon saw Tom Whittaker, his handiwork used by the Club for just Joe Mercer and all three seasons however, and for the start of c o n n e c t e d w i t h the 1925/26 season, the Gunners changed T h e G u n n e r s . t o a Shall we turn for once to Latin? 'Victoria westward Concordia Crescit'. Translation: 'Victory pointing, grows out of harmony.'" narrower cannon Two seasons later and Arsenal unveiled its (3) with new crest which incorporated Marksman's the legend latin maxim. Tom Whittaker explained ' T h e in the 1949/50 handbook (which also Gunners' remaining next to it. included the new crest) that the Club had The derivation of the narrower cannon has been impressed by Marksman's motto and never been officially confirmed, but the it had now been officially adopted by the cannons on the crest of the Royal Arsenal Club. The new crest also featured 'Arsenal' Gatehouse in Woolwich (4) are uncannily in a gothic style typeface, the westward similar to that used as the Gunners’ facing cannon, the Borough of Islington's symbol. coat of arms and ermine. This cannon crest remained prominent For the past 53 years this crest has in the Arsenal matchday programme remained largely and other publications for 17 seasons. It unchanged (6), changed slightly through the years with though at the start the wording eventually disappearing, but, of the 2001/02 season despite being usurped by the Victoria it was 'cleaned up' somewhat (7), with a solid yellow replacing the different tones of gold and Victoria Concordia Crescit. Concordia Crescit crest in 1949 it has remained a basic symbol of the Club ever since, featuring on official merchandise and stationary throughout the years right up until the present day. The VCC crest (5), which the new crest replaces, has been Arsenal's symbol since appearing in the first new style magazine matchday programme of season 1949/50. It would appear to have been in the minds of the Gunners hierarchy for at least a year prior

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The Club's identity has thus evolved over the years and in 2002 the decision was made to formulate a new crest (8). It had always been one of the Club's primary objectives to embrace the future and move forward. With a new stadium on the horizon and the Gunners consistently challenging for domestic and European honours, the Club believed that this was the ideal time to introduce a new crest.

CHAPTER two

Arsenal Football Club The Gunner’s Stadium

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Highbury Stadium History Arsenal Stadium, known almost universally by its original name of Highbury, was the Club’s home from 1913 until 2007.

It was Henry Norris who decided to move the Club from The Manor Ground in Plumstead to North London. Norris took over at Woolwich Arsenal while still chairman at Fulham in 1910. His initial plan was to merge Fulham and Woolwich Arsenal, but the proposal was rejected by the Football League. He was then told by the League that it was a conflict of interests to control both clubs, and so he chose to concentrate his efforts on Woolwich Arsenal — the first London club to turn professional and the first to be admitted to the League.

This stand housed the offices, players’ facilities and the main entrance (the famous Marble Halls). It cost £130,000 and had seating for 8,000. It is in the Marble Halls that the bronze bust of Herbert Chapman, Arsenal’s legendary manager who died in 1934, was positioned, and has remained to this day. In the Second World War Arsenal Stadium was used as a first aid post. During the war incendiary bombs destroyed the North Bank roof. In 1948 Highbury was used as one of the football venues during the London Olympic Games. In 1951 floodlights were added and in 1956 the North Bank roof was rebuilt. Undersoil heating followed in 1964 and extra seating was installed in the West Stand in 1969.

In a bid to revive the Gunners fortunes, and to increase the supporter base, Norris decided to move the Club. Despite local opposition to the move, from residents and other north London football clubs, the deeds were signed early in 1913.

At the South end of the stadium, the practice pitch was replaced by an indoor training centre. The Clock End stand was redeveloped completely in 1989, to provide room for 48 executive boxes and further office space. In 1991, following the Taylor Report, work began to convert Highbury into an all-seater stadium.

Arsenal paid £20,000 for a 21-year lease on six acres of land and, as part of the deal, agreed not to play at home on Christmas Day or Good Friday. The college remained at the southern end of the stadium until it burnt down at the end of the Second World War. The Club dropped ‘Woolwich’ from their name during the season following the move north of the river, but much work had to be done at Highbury before Arsenal could play their first game there.

In 2006, after an emotional final season for the famous stadium, in which the team sported redcurrent jerseys as a nod to the first Arsenal teams to play there, the gates closes for the final time on Sunday, May 7.

The new stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch. The pitch was levelled a new grandstand was partly built, and turnstiles and terracing were installed - all at great expense to Norris (later Sir Henry Norris). The main stand was on the East side, and housed 9,000 spectators.

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In a fitting send off, Thierry Henry scored a hattrick as Arsenal beat Wigan Athletic 4-2 to secure a UEFA Champions League spot, at the expense of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Emraites Stadium

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Emraites Stadium

EMIRATES STADIUM HAS NOW BEEN THE GUNNERS’ HOME FOR TWO YEARS, HAVING SPENT 93 YEARS AT HIGHBURY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS FROM THE FIRST TWO SEASONS AT EMIRATES STADIUM. Thursday, October 26, 2006 Tuesday, July 18, 2006 Pitch marked out - the playing surface was Royal opening - prince Philip was the guest of honor as the stadium was officially painted for the first time. opened. Thursday, July 20, 2006 First training session - Emirates Stadium Sunday, January 28, 2007 hosted its first ever training session, as part First cup game - arsenal and Bolton of member's day. Wanders drew 1-1 in the FA Cup fourth round at emirates stadium. Saturday, July 22, 2006 First-ever game and goals - Arsenal Tuesday, February 6, 2006 beat Ajax 2-1 in the Dennis Bergkamp International football returns - Brazil took testimonial match. Klaas Jan Huntelaar the emirates stadium pitch again, facing became the first player to score at emirates Portugal. This time they were on the losing stadium when he put the Dutchman in the side as their opponents won 2-0. lead. Wednesday, august 23, 2006 First European game- Mathies Flamini scored a late winner in the 2-1 champion’s league third qualifying round second leg match against Dinam Zagreb.

Monday, February 19, 2007 First hat-trick - jay Simpson became the first player to score a hat-trick at emirates stadium, against Cardiff city in the 3-2 FA youth Cup win.

Sunday, September 2, 2006 First interactional fixture - Elano scored twice for Brazil as they beat Argentina 3-0 in the first international match played at emirates.

Wednesday, march 14, 2007 Record set-emirates stadium set a new record for the Highbury - saw arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-final.

Saturday, September 23, 2006 First league win - the gunners beat Sheffield united 3-0 in the league with goals from William Gallas, Thierry Henry and an own goal.

Saturday, April 7, 2007 First defeat - West Ham beat arsenal 1-0 in the premire league - the club’s 24th game at Emirates.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007 50 goals - Cesc Fabregas' goal against Manchester city in the 3-1 win made it a half-century for the gunners in competitive football at emirates. Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, 2007 First pre-season tournament- Emirates stadium hosted the prestigious Emirates cup, featuring arsenal, Valencia, inter Milan and Paris saint-germen, the gunners came out on top. Some 115,000 fans came through the turnstiles over the weekend. Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Biggest win - the gunners recorded the biggest victory in the first two seasons, a 7-0 thrashing of Salvia Prague in the group stage of the champions league. Saturday, November 3, 2007 Highest attendance- 60,161 watched the gunners draw 2-2 with Manchester united, the highest attendance in the first two seasons. Wednesday, march 26, 2008 International friendly- the third such match took place at emirates, this is time brazil triumphed over sweden,1-0.

Club Kit Design

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In 1895, two years before the Club became professional, a small group of Nottingham Forest players, Fred Beardsley, Bill Parr and Charlie Bates, joined Dial Square FC, (the Club's first name) and brought their old red kit along with them. Working to a tight budget, the Club decided the most inexpensive way of acquiring a strip was to kit out the team in the same colour as the ex-Forest players.

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For season 2006/07, the first at Emirates Stadium, a welcome return to the famous red and white of Arsenal was made.

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in the 2005-06 season,To commemorate the Club's final campaign at Highbury, the home of Arsenal since 1913, the Gunners wore a special redcurrant shirt.Designed to honour the colour of the Club's set of shirts for the first season at Highbury, they were adorned with gold lettering and accompanied by white shorts and redcurrant socks.

200 3 04

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For season 2007/08 Arsenal will wear a new away kit with a design that celebrates the pioneering spirit of legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. The new kit embraces design features that highlight Chapman's influence over the game to this day, and sees a return to the white away shirts worn throughout the Club's history.

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In the late 1970s, the shirt featured a kit manufacturer's logo for the first time, in this case 'Umbro'. And in 1982 'JVC' became the Club's first shirt sponsor, which in turn made way for 'SEGA' in 1999. Three years later and 'O2' replaced the games company before themselves making way for, from the start of the 2006/07 season, 'Fly Emirates'. This particular deal will last eight years.

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The Club's famous canon graphic appeared on the shirt for the first time in the early 1970s. It was this shirt that Arsenal won their first famous 'double', both the League Championship and the FA Cup in the 1970/71 season.

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In the 1950s a second kit was developed to combat a clash of colours with opposing home teams with similar kits. And in 1960, the Club moved away from the woven rugby shirt style to a new knitted cotton jersey in around 1960.

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Depending on which source you believe, Chapman either noticed someone at the ground wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt or played golf with famous cartoonist of the day Tom Webster who wore something similar. Either way the 'look' inspired the manager to create a new strip combining a red shirt with white collar and sleeves. It also incorporated the Club badge, which was positioned on the left-hand side of the shirt.

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This original kit was a dark red, with long sleeves, a collar and three buttons down the front. The shirt was worn with white knee length shorts and heavy woollen socks with blue and white hoops. The goalkeeper wore the same attire apart from the shirt which was a hand knitted cream woollen polo neck jumper. It was this dark red kit that the team wore during their first season at Highbury in 1913/14.

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CHAPTER three

Arsenal Football Club Team Member

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Player Profile Andrey Arshavin Name Born Position Squad Number Previous Club Joined Arsenal Arsenal Debut Arshavin, 27, who played a key part in Zenit’s UEFA Cup First Arsenal Goal winning campaign last season, was also a member of the Russian EURO 2008 squad in which he scored two goals from his three appearances, earning him a place in the ‘Team of the Tournament’.

Andrey Arshavin May 29, 1981 Saint Petersburg, Russia Midfielder 23 Zenit St Petersburg February 03, 2009 Sunderland (h) Premier League February 21, 2009 Drew 0–0 Blackburn Rovers (h) Premier League March 15, 2009 Won 4-0

Arshavin won the Russian Premier League with Zenit in 2007, making a total of 232 appearances for his previous club, scoring 51 goals. During his time with Zenit, he was also part of the winning team that picked up the Russian Super Cup in 2008, the Russian Premier League Cup in 2003 and featured in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Manchester United in Monaco last August.

Thierry Henry––Gunners’ Greatest Player Name Born Position Arsenal Career Appearances Goals Bought From Sold To

Thierry Henry Les Ulis, Essonne, France Striker 1999–2007 370 (337 starts, 33 as sub) 226 Juventus Barcelona

Remember the kid in the playground who was better than everyone else with a football at his feet? That’s what Thierry Henry was like in his pomp. The Frenchman had exquisite technique, searing pace and surprising strength. And like the typical schoolboy superstar, he did pretty much everything for his team.Then there’s the goals, a club record 226 of them to be precise, in just 380 games.And remember, Henry wasn’t even a bonafide striker when he arrived at Highbury in the summer of 1999. The Frenchman raised the bar even higher in the following two campaigns. Arsenal had to settle for the FA Cup in 2003 but 42 goals, 23 assists and both Player of the Year awards summed up just how influential Henry had become. He scooped both awards in 2004 as well and contributed 39 goals as Arsenal completed an unbeaten title season. In hindsight, this was probably Henry’s prime and he can count himself unlucky to miss out on the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2003 and 2004, finishing runner-up on both occasions. As football became increasingly big business, Henry became the Arsenal ‘brand’. This attractive, charismatic figurehead was now a global superstar, admired by all and feared by opponents.

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Player Profile The Iceman––Dennis Bergkamp Gunners’ Greatest Players 2

You could fill a page with a list of outstanding goals scored by him. You could fill two pages with a list of the goals that had their genius in his vision. And you could fill a dictionary with a list of superlatives used to describe his 11-year career with Arsenal. Dennis Bergkamp is quite simply a legend of the game. In the last two decades many one-time unknowns have left Highbury with a fearsome reputation and much-warranted acclaim. But, in a way, Dennis was an exception; he came, and left, with a world-class calibre. His arrival signalled a daring change in outlook from the men in charge at Arsenal. Of course Rioch’s Highbury sojourn came to an abrupt end and in September 1996 Arsène Wenger took the reins. Bergkamp needn’t have fretted over his place in the Frenchman’s plans, though, and Wenger later claimed Dennis’ presence in the ranks had been “a blessing, a gift when I arrived”. And so it was that under the tutelage of Wenger, Bergkamp redefined football in England’s top division. His textbook technique, physical prowess and second-nature for picking out the killer pass made him the ultimate symbol of fantasy football. Indeed when Arsenal usurped Manchester United as the country’s best team in 1998, Bergkamp, too, succeeded Eric Cantona as the Premier League’s brightest beacon of European excellence. That Double season Arsenal’s No 10 was outstanding and his reward at the end of the campaign was both major Player of Year awards to go with his Championship and FA Cup medals. But, strangely, Bergkamp had had a fitful beginning to life in London, failing to score in his first seven senior outings. Pressure was mounting not least from the tabloid media who had branded the Dutchman ‘Hartle-Fool’ after failing to score against the North East minnows in a League Cup tie. Numbers alone will not convey his pioneering pedigree. For the record though, Bergkamp plundered 120 goals in his time with Arsenal, making him the 10th highest goalscorer in the Club’s history; quite the achievement for a man who doesn’t do tap-ins. Even age couldn’t wither his genius. Four years after guiding Arsenal to Premier League domination Bergkamp was at it again as Wenger’s men ruled once more. It was a similar story in 2003 as the Gunners marched to another FA Cup triumph, but by now Dennis was almost 34 and his contract was up. But Arsenal couldn’t let him go and he penned a one-year extension. Bergkamp repaid the faith shown in him with a typically classy season. But time eventually caught up with Dennis and he decided, as Arsenal left Highbury, that his playing time was up. Only something massive and memorable would be good enough to reflect the impact the Dutchman had on the Club. The occasion of Bergkamp’s testimonial fitted the bill perfectly. The stars came out in force to honour one of the game’s greats - Marco van Basten and Johan Cruyff to name but two. And the honours kept coming. In September 2007, Bergkamp was inducted in to the National Football Museum Hall of Fame, the first Dutchman to achieve such acclaim. Some players elicit admiration, some provide inspiration, and a precious few can do both. Bergkamp was one such individual. His cast-iron technique was forged on the youth team training ground at Ajax and his steely character developed at Inter. But his best years will always belong to Arsenal.

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What drives me on is the belief that tomorrow I’ll do things better, and be a better person than I am today. ——Arsène Wenger

EMRIATES STADIUM

£ 18.99 ISBN 0-984021-66-98

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