Classic Arsenal Matches - Part 4 - Tottenham 1 Arsenal 2 - Littlewoods Cup Semi Final Replay 04/03/1987
ONE NIL DOWN, TWO ONE UP
ARSENAL CELEBRATED their centenary in December 1986 sitting proudly on top of Division One. In the previous 100 years they had won 14 major trophies; 8 league titles, 5 FA Cups and a European FAIRS Cup. But the last of those successes had arrived over seven years earlier.
But all that was about to change. Over the following 20 years Arsenal would add a further 13 major trophies to eclipse even the glory days of the 1930s.
The catalyst behind this new era of success was former player George Graham, who had been appointed manager on 14 May 1986.
Following the rather underwhelming end to the Terry Neill/Don Howe era; Arsenal had finished 7th in both the previous two seasons, managers of the calibre of Terry Venables, Johan Cryuff and Alex Ferguson had all been mentioned to step in to the vacant Highbury hotseat.
However, it was former Gunners midfielder Graham, nicknamed Stroller for his laid back demeanor on the pitch, and then manager of Second Division Millwall, who was announced as the new Arsenal boss as the club moved into its second century.
Although a successful player with the club in the 1970s, helping Arsenal win the FAIRS Cup in 1970 and the league and cup double the year after, this would be only his second managerial role so was not exactly the big name the fans had been so desperate for.
Graham's first task was to get rid of many of the old guard. Tony Woodcock and Paul Mariner, both out of contract, moved on, but instead of splashing out on expensive replacements, the only new arrival was forward Perry Groves from Division Three Colchester United for just £75,000.
Graham instead put his faith in what was a exceptional pool of youth players.
For the opening day of the season, a Highbury meeting with Manchester United, his first team selection included 19 year old academy graduates Tony Adams, David Rocastle and Niall Quinn, 21 year old Stewart Robson, and 24 year old Paul Davis.
In the end it was an older, more established star, Charlie Nicholas, who scored the only goal of the game to give Graham the perfect start. But the revolution would not happen over night.
Two away defeats quickly followed and by the middle of September a lack of goals was proving problematic, as were injuries to key players such as Graham Rix, Robson and Nicholas. However it did at least allow Graham to blood more of the talented youngsters.
Martin Hayes, a 20 year old winger who had made his debut during the previous campaign, stepped in for Rix and could not stop scoring. In fact he would finish the campaign as top scorer with 21 goals, although many of those were from the penalty spot.
In midfield Steve Williams, previously out of favour, replaced Robson, who was quickly sold to West Ham United, while Groves got his chance up front in place of Nicholas.
It led to an unexpected but exciting unbeaten run of 22 matches which saw the Gunners lead the table and make progress in both cup competitions. The run was built on what would become a typically solid defensive unit that conceded just 11 goals in those 22 games.
With such a young squad, winning the league never really looked likely and after the record breaking run came to end at Old Trafford in January the title challenge soon collapsed. Arsenal winning only five of their final 26 league matches to finish 4th.
But the cups were a different story altogether. A promising FA Cup run ended in the quarter final with a controversial 3-1 home defeat against Watford, but the League Cup, now re-branded the Littlewoods Cup, would ultimately end the trophy drought.
The run had started in less than auspicious fashion against Division Three strugglers Huddersfield Town, where only a late goal from Hayes in the second leg at London Road had seen Arsenal scrape through.
Comfortable home victories over Manchester City and Charlton Athletic followed to set up a thrilling quarter final against Nottingham Forest at Highbury in January 1987.
Having suffered so many years of under-achievement, a nervous but excited crowd of just under 40,000 saw first half goals from Hayes and Nicholas, now back from injury, send the Gunners through to a semi final meeting with neighbours and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Graham had played the last time these two clubs had met in the semi final of this competition, back in 1968, which Arsenal had won 2-1 on aggregate. But Tottenham had had the better of things in recent years, and in 1987 they were challenging for a possible treble.
Indeed they won a cagey first leg at Highbury thanks to a goal from Clive Allen, one of 48 he would score during the season, to give Arsenal a mountain to climb.
The second leg at White Hart Lane saw Allen score again in the first half to double the Spurs advantage and Arsenal were facing a heartbreaking exit. So confident were Spurs of going through that at half time over the tannoy they announced their ticket details for the final.
This could be heard in the visitors changing room so Graham for once did not need to motivate his troops and a fired up Arsenal scored twice in the second half through Viv Anderson and Quinn, to send the tie into extra time.
When no further goals were scored in the extra half an hour the tie went to a replay. Although Graham won the toss to decide venue he chose not to play at home but back at White Hart Lane, swayed by the fact that Arsenal had won there twice since the turn of the year while failing to score in the two meetings between the sides at Highbury. It proved to be a masterstroke.
So it was back to N17 three day's later for the conclusion of this epic battle. A crowd of over 41,000 packed into the Lane and they were to witness a dramatic night.
After a goalless first half things appeared to be going Spurs' way again when they grabbed the lead just after the hour. Richard Gough nodded down a free kick from Ozzie Ardiles and Allen swept home his third goal of the tie.
When the Gunners then lost Nicholas to injury it appeared as though they were heading out. But sometimes history throws up an unexpected hero.
Ian Allinson, who had hardly played all season, replaced Nicholas and his first touch was a scuffed shot that squirmed under goalkeeper Ray Clemence at the near post to make it 1-1. There were just eight minutes remaining.
Suddenly Arsenal had momentum. Michael Thomas, another young Academy youth product getting his chance and who would have his own special moment in history a couple of years later, fired just wide before the glorious conclusion.
We were well into the final minute when Allinson's deflected shot fell kindly into the path of Rocastle and the teenager kept his cool to roll a shot through the body of Clemence to send the Arsenal fans behind the goal into ecstasy.
It was certainly a victory for the confidence Graham had shown in his young players. Seven of the starting line up that night were aged 23 or younger and many of them would be instrumental in the title winning side two years later.
Of course at Wembley against Liverpool, Arsenal would again come back from 1-0 down to win 2-1, this time with Nicholas scoring both goals, and Graham had won a trophy in his first season.
It paved the way for a run of success that would propel Arsenal back to the very top of the English game.
For me this was one of the greatest nights I have even experienced at football. It was made all the sweeter by the fact that I did not think we could win.
Spurs were a much better side than us at the time, with established international players such as Glenn Hoddle, Ardiles, Allen, Gough, Chris Waddle and Clemence. We were still very much a work in progress, although much progress had been made.
When Rocky scored that goal at the end the celebrations were the wildest I'd ever witnessed. I did not actually see the ball hit the net due to my position in the middle of the stand blocking out much of the goal, but I did not need to. The madness all around me told me it had gone in.
I think I ended up about 20 feet further forward buried beneath a sea of jubilant bodies in a celebration that literally look the breathe away. It was still going on long after the final whistle went and my abiding memory is of Rocky celebrating in front of the away end at the end with a big beaming smile on his face. Beautiful!
Coming up next time I look at back on the career of the player who became the Wembley hero in 1987, Charlie Nicholas. That is one you do not want to miss.
ARSENAL CELEBRATED their centenary in December 1986 sitting proudly on top of Division One. In the previous 100 years they had won 14 major trophies; 8 league titles, 5 FA Cups and a European FAIRS Cup. But the last of those successes had arrived over seven years earlier.
The catalyst behind this new era of success was former player George Graham, who had been appointed manager on 14 May 1986.
Following the rather underwhelming end to the Terry Neill/Don Howe era; Arsenal had finished 7th in both the previous two seasons, managers of the calibre of Terry Venables, Johan Cryuff and Alex Ferguson had all been mentioned to step in to the vacant Highbury hotseat.
However, it was former Gunners midfielder Graham, nicknamed Stroller for his laid back demeanor on the pitch, and then manager of Second Division Millwall, who was announced as the new Arsenal boss as the club moved into its second century.
Although a successful player with the club in the 1970s, helping Arsenal win the FAIRS Cup in 1970 and the league and cup double the year after, this would be only his second managerial role so was not exactly the big name the fans had been so desperate for.
Graham's first task was to get rid of many of the old guard. Tony Woodcock and Paul Mariner, both out of contract, moved on, but instead of splashing out on expensive replacements, the only new arrival was forward Perry Groves from Division Three Colchester United for just £75,000.
Graham instead put his faith in what was a exceptional pool of youth players.
For the opening day of the season, a Highbury meeting with Manchester United, his first team selection included 19 year old academy graduates Tony Adams, David Rocastle and Niall Quinn, 21 year old Stewart Robson, and 24 year old Paul Davis.
In the end it was an older, more established star, Charlie Nicholas, who scored the only goal of the game to give Graham the perfect start. But the revolution would not happen over night.
Two away defeats quickly followed and by the middle of September a lack of goals was proving problematic, as were injuries to key players such as Graham Rix, Robson and Nicholas. However it did at least allow Graham to blood more of the talented youngsters.
Martin Hayes, a 20 year old winger who had made his debut during the previous campaign, stepped in for Rix and could not stop scoring. In fact he would finish the campaign as top scorer with 21 goals, although many of those were from the penalty spot.
It led to an unexpected but exciting unbeaten run of 22 matches which saw the Gunners lead the table and make progress in both cup competitions. The run was built on what would become a typically solid defensive unit that conceded just 11 goals in those 22 games.
But the cups were a different story altogether. A promising FA Cup run ended in the quarter final with a controversial 3-1 home defeat against Watford, but the League Cup, now re-branded the Littlewoods Cup, would ultimately end the trophy drought.
The run had started in less than auspicious fashion against Division Three strugglers Huddersfield Town, where only a late goal from Hayes in the second leg at London Road had seen Arsenal scrape through.
Comfortable home victories over Manchester City and Charlton Athletic followed to set up a thrilling quarter final against Nottingham Forest at Highbury in January 1987.
Having suffered so many years of under-achievement, a nervous but excited crowd of just under 40,000 saw first half goals from Hayes and Nicholas, now back from injury, send the Gunners through to a semi final meeting with neighbours and bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Graham had played the last time these two clubs had met in the semi final of this competition, back in 1968, which Arsenal had won 2-1 on aggregate. But Tottenham had had the better of things in recent years, and in 1987 they were challenging for a possible treble.
Indeed they won a cagey first leg at Highbury thanks to a goal from Clive Allen, one of 48 he would score during the season, to give Arsenal a mountain to climb.
The second leg at White Hart Lane saw Allen score again in the first half to double the Spurs advantage and Arsenal were facing a heartbreaking exit. So confident were Spurs of going through that at half time over the tannoy they announced their ticket details for the final.
This could be heard in the visitors changing room so Graham for once did not need to motivate his troops and a fired up Arsenal scored twice in the second half through Viv Anderson and Quinn, to send the tie into extra time.
When no further goals were scored in the extra half an hour the tie went to a replay. Although Graham won the toss to decide venue he chose not to play at home but back at White Hart Lane, swayed by the fact that Arsenal had won there twice since the turn of the year while failing to score in the two meetings between the sides at Highbury. It proved to be a masterstroke.
So it was back to N17 three day's later for the conclusion of this epic battle. A crowd of over 41,000 packed into the Lane and they were to witness a dramatic night.
When the Gunners then lost Nicholas to injury it appeared as though they were heading out. But sometimes history throws up an unexpected hero.
Ian Allinson, who had hardly played all season, replaced Nicholas and his first touch was a scuffed shot that squirmed under goalkeeper Ray Clemence at the near post to make it 1-1. There were just eight minutes remaining.
Suddenly Arsenal had momentum. Michael Thomas, another young Academy youth product getting his chance and who would have his own special moment in history a couple of years later, fired just wide before the glorious conclusion.
We were well into the final minute when Allinson's deflected shot fell kindly into the path of Rocastle and the teenager kept his cool to roll a shot through the body of Clemence to send the Arsenal fans behind the goal into ecstasy.
It was certainly a victory for the confidence Graham had shown in his young players. Seven of the starting line up that night were aged 23 or younger and many of them would be instrumental in the title winning side two years later.
It paved the way for a run of success that would propel Arsenal back to the very top of the English game.
For me this was one of the greatest nights I have even experienced at football. It was made all the sweeter by the fact that I did not think we could win.
Spurs were a much better side than us at the time, with established international players such as Glenn Hoddle, Ardiles, Allen, Gough, Chris Waddle and Clemence. We were still very much a work in progress, although much progress had been made.
When Rocky scored that goal at the end the celebrations were the wildest I'd ever witnessed. I did not actually see the ball hit the net due to my position in the middle of the stand blocking out much of the goal, but I did not need to. The madness all around me told me it had gone in.
I think I ended up about 20 feet further forward buried beneath a sea of jubilant bodies in a celebration that literally look the breathe away. It was still going on long after the final whistle went and my abiding memory is of Rocky celebrating in front of the away end at the end with a big beaming smile on his face. Beautiful!
Coming up next time I look at back on the career of the player who became the Wembley hero in 1987, Charlie Nicholas. That is one you do not want to miss.
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