Classic Arsenal Matches - Part 3 - Arsenal 3 Tottenham 2 - 21/04/1984
WHO PUT THE BALL IN TOTTENHAM'S NET...
THE 1983/84 SEASON had been billed as the start of a new modern era for Arsenal. A new vice-chairman, local businessman David Dein, a newly designed match programme by Kevin Connolly, and an exciting new signing, 21 year old striker Charlie Nicholas from Celtic.
Nicholas had been much sort after in the summer of 1983 having scored 48 goals in Scotland the previous season. But despite interest from Liverpool and Manchester United it was Terry Neill who secured the Scot's signature for a club record fee of £750,000.
After a great start to the season, Arsenal winning their opening two matches and Nicholas scoring twice at Wolverhampton Wanderers, things soon went downhill.
By early December, with Nicholas yet to score at Highbury, the team were nearer to the relegation zone than challenging for the title and things were made worse by the fact that neighbours Tottenham Hotspur were very much a team on the up.
FA Cup winners in 1981 and 1982, they would go on to lift the UEFA Cup at the end of this season.
A rare highlight for Arsenal during this period was a 2-1 League Cup success at Tottenham in early November, thanks to goals from Nicholas, his first since August, and Tony Woodcock. But they suffered humiliation in the next round, losing at home to Division Three side Walsall.
Neill's days were clearly numbered and the week before Christmas 1983 the axe fell with Arsenal sitting 16th in the league. His assistant Don Howe was promoted as caretaker and within a week the team had beaten Watford at home and won again at White Hart Lane, this time 4-2 with Nicholas scoring twice.
On Boxing Day against Birmingham City, Nicholas finally broke his Highbury duck, and in the New Year Arsenal enjoyed something of a revival, winning five out of eight matches going into this Easter Monday rematch with Spurs.
So it was that a crowd of over 48,000 packed into Highbury on a warm, sunny April afternoon to witness a thrilling, end-to-end derby.
Arsenal had scored 11 goals in their previous three home matches as Howe had been employing an adventurous 4-3-3 formation, with new signing Paul Mariner joining Nicholas and Woodcock in attack, and it led to an open, attacking match.
Tottenham were without Glenn Hoddle and Ozzie Ardiles, but they threatened early on through Tony Galvin and Garth Crooks. However, with Woodcock looking lively Arsenal soon took control.
Nicholas, with his knack of scoring against Spurs, was twice denied the opener by goalkeeper Tony Parkes, before Woodcock teed up Stewart Robson to fire Arsenal ahead via a deflection off Spurs' defender, Gary Mabbutt.
The second half was even better. Arsenal should have doubled their lead soon after the restart when Nicholas released Woodcock but he fired wide from 10 yards. That looked set to a crucial miss as only a dramatic goal-line clearance from Arsenal full back, Colin Hill denied Gary Stevens an equaliser.
But it was 2-0 shortly afterwards with a goal of sheer quality. Spurs was unable to clear Paul Davis' corner and the ball fell to Nicholas 25 yards out. With quick feet he bamboozled his way through the visitors defence before rounding Parkes and squeezing a shot past Paul Miller on the line.
The North Bank exploded with joy as Nicholas ran towards them doing a jig of delight; his iconic Highbury moment in a largely disappointing four year spell in North London.
The wild celebrations were quickly brought to a halt however, as almost immediately Crooks set up Steve Archibald to make it 2-1, and we had a game on our hands once again.
It would have been easy for Arsenal to feel sorry for themselves but instead they created a wonderful third goal in the 84th minute. Woodcock played a lovely 1-2 with Nicholas before bursting through to drill a left-footed shot past Parkes and surely make the game safe.
But for the second time Spurs responded straight away, and again it was Archibald with the goal, firing past goalkeeper John Lukic after a poor headed clearance from David O'Leary.
With nerves now jangling on the North Bank, Spurs sensed a comeback but this was to be Arsenal's day, and for the first time in their history they had beaten their local rivals three times in the same season.
In the end it was not so much a brave new world, more of a false dawn as Howe was unable to revive the fortunes of the club. Arsenal finished 6th, just ahead of Spurs, but had to watch on enviously as their neighbours won the UEFA Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot out against Anderlecht.
For me this game holds great memories. I was just finishing my last year at school and had broken up for the Easter holidays the previous week. On the morning of the match I purchased the new Street Sounds Electro 3 cassette and I remember listening to it on my Walkman on the train travelling to the game, particularly enjoying the track One for the Treble by Davy DMX.
Of course it proved to be a mistake taking a Walkman to a derby match and it inevitably got broken in the celebrations after the second goal. But it was well worth it.
Over the years I have witnessed some great wins over Tottenham, including in cup semi finals, but there have not been too many better than this one.
If you could pick the perfect match it would surely involve sunshine, a big crowd, a great atmosphere and lots of goals. If it can also include a win over your fiercest rivals then what more could you possibly want?
Coming up next time I feature a player who had his own special moment in a North London derby, David 'Rocky Rocastle (RIP). Look out for that coming soon.
THE 1983/84 SEASON had been billed as the start of a new modern era for Arsenal. A new vice-chairman, local businessman David Dein, a newly designed match programme by Kevin Connolly, and an exciting new signing, 21 year old striker Charlie Nicholas from Celtic.
Nicholas had been much sort after in the summer of 1983 having scored 48 goals in Scotland the previous season. But despite interest from Liverpool and Manchester United it was Terry Neill who secured the Scot's signature for a club record fee of £750,000.
By early December, with Nicholas yet to score at Highbury, the team were nearer to the relegation zone than challenging for the title and things were made worse by the fact that neighbours Tottenham Hotspur were very much a team on the up.
FA Cup winners in 1981 and 1982, they would go on to lift the UEFA Cup at the end of this season.
A rare highlight for Arsenal during this period was a 2-1 League Cup success at Tottenham in early November, thanks to goals from Nicholas, his first since August, and Tony Woodcock. But they suffered humiliation in the next round, losing at home to Division Three side Walsall.
Neill's days were clearly numbered and the week before Christmas 1983 the axe fell with Arsenal sitting 16th in the league. His assistant Don Howe was promoted as caretaker and within a week the team had beaten Watford at home and won again at White Hart Lane, this time 4-2 with Nicholas scoring twice.
On Boxing Day against Birmingham City, Nicholas finally broke his Highbury duck, and in the New Year Arsenal enjoyed something of a revival, winning five out of eight matches going into this Easter Monday rematch with Spurs.
So it was that a crowd of over 48,000 packed into Highbury on a warm, sunny April afternoon to witness a thrilling, end-to-end derby.
Arsenal had scored 11 goals in their previous three home matches as Howe had been employing an adventurous 4-3-3 formation, with new signing Paul Mariner joining Nicholas and Woodcock in attack, and it led to an open, attacking match.
Tottenham were without Glenn Hoddle and Ozzie Ardiles, but they threatened early on through Tony Galvin and Garth Crooks. However, with Woodcock looking lively Arsenal soon took control.
Nicholas, with his knack of scoring against Spurs, was twice denied the opener by goalkeeper Tony Parkes, before Woodcock teed up Stewart Robson to fire Arsenal ahead via a deflection off Spurs' defender, Gary Mabbutt.
The second half was even better. Arsenal should have doubled their lead soon after the restart when Nicholas released Woodcock but he fired wide from 10 yards. That looked set to a crucial miss as only a dramatic goal-line clearance from Arsenal full back, Colin Hill denied Gary Stevens an equaliser.
But it was 2-0 shortly afterwards with a goal of sheer quality. Spurs was unable to clear Paul Davis' corner and the ball fell to Nicholas 25 yards out. With quick feet he bamboozled his way through the visitors defence before rounding Parkes and squeezing a shot past Paul Miller on the line.
The North Bank exploded with joy as Nicholas ran towards them doing a jig of delight; his iconic Highbury moment in a largely disappointing four year spell in North London.
The wild celebrations were quickly brought to a halt however, as almost immediately Crooks set up Steve Archibald to make it 2-1, and we had a game on our hands once again.
It would have been easy for Arsenal to feel sorry for themselves but instead they created a wonderful third goal in the 84th minute. Woodcock played a lovely 1-2 with Nicholas before bursting through to drill a left-footed shot past Parkes and surely make the game safe.
But for the second time Spurs responded straight away, and again it was Archibald with the goal, firing past goalkeeper John Lukic after a poor headed clearance from David O'Leary.
With nerves now jangling on the North Bank, Spurs sensed a comeback but this was to be Arsenal's day, and for the first time in their history they had beaten their local rivals three times in the same season.
In the end it was not so much a brave new world, more of a false dawn as Howe was unable to revive the fortunes of the club. Arsenal finished 6th, just ahead of Spurs, but had to watch on enviously as their neighbours won the UEFA Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot out against Anderlecht.
Of course it proved to be a mistake taking a Walkman to a derby match and it inevitably got broken in the celebrations after the second goal. But it was well worth it.
Over the years I have witnessed some great wins over Tottenham, including in cup semi finals, but there have not been too many better than this one.
If you could pick the perfect match it would surely involve sunshine, a big crowd, a great atmosphere and lots of goals. If it can also include a win over your fiercest rivals then what more could you possibly want?
Coming up next time I feature a player who had his own special moment in a North London derby, David 'Rocky Rocastle (RIP). Look out for that coming soon.
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