Classic Arsenal Players - Part 15 - Liam Brady
LOOK AT THAT, OH LOOK AT THAT
IT IS CHRISTMAS 1978. Arsenal are 3-0 up at White Hart Lane in the first North London derby since Tottenham Hotspur returned to Division One the previous spring. Spurs defender John Pratt, dawdles on the ball and Liam Brady nicks it off him.
Driving forward towards the edge of box, Brady looks up before curling a brilliant shot with the outside of his left foot into the top corner of Mark Kendall's net.
'Look at that, oh look at that,' screams John Motson as the Arsenal fans behind the goal go mental.
If one moment encapsulated Brady's genius and explains why he is still held in such high regard at Arsenal than this is it.
William Brady was born on 13 February 1956 in Dublin and attended St Aidens C.B.S., leaving before his Intermediate Certificate. Brady was born into a footballing family as his his great uncle, Frank Brady Sr., and older brother Ray Brady were both Irish internationals.
His late older brother Frank won the FAI with Shamrock Rovers in 1968 and played in the European Cup Winners Cup, while another brother, Pat Brady, played for Millwall and Queens Park Rangers.
After playing for local side, St Kevin's Boys, the young Brady moved to London to join Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1971, just after the club had won the Double, and he turned professional on 13 February 1973, his 17th birthday.
Brady, an elegant, creative, left footed midfield player, made his first team debut on 6 October 1973 as a substitute against Birmingham City, but after a poor performance in the North London Derby the following week, manager Bertie Mee decided to temporarily withdraw him from the team until January 1974.
On the final day of the 1973/74 season Brady scored his first goal for the club on his 13th appearance against Queens Park Rangers, but the day was overshadowed by a broken leg suffered by club captain Alan Ball.
Brady became a regular in the team in the following 1974/75 season but it was a tough campaign for Arsenal as they battled relegation, finishing 16th. Brady, however was developing into the natural successor to Ball and he made 34 appearances, scoring 4 goals.
By now Brady had developed the nickname Chippy. Not due to his ability to chip a football however but instead because of his love for fish and chips.
Despite the struggles at club level, Brady's good form was recognised by the Republic of Ireland and he made his international debut on 30 October 1974 in a 3-0 win against the Soviet Union at Dalymount Park.
Brady became a regular in the Ireland side over the next 16 years, making 72 appearances and scoring nine goals.
Due to suspension, Brady missed the 1988 European Championships in West Germany, and after initially retiring from international football before qualification began for the 1990 World Cup, Brady had a change of heart ahead of tournament.
However, manager Jack Charlton said he would only consider players who had played in the qualification rounds and so Brady was not selected.
Arsenal again battled relegation in the 1975/76 season, finishing 17th, but Brady missed just one match and scored five goals as he was joined in the team by fellow young Irishmen Frank Stapleton and David O'Leary.
Mee resigned at the end of the season and Brady, now 20, really began to mature under new manager Terry Neill. With Malcolm MacDonald linking with Stapleton up front, the pair scoring 46 goals between them, and another youngster, Graham Rix, emerging, Arsenal were on the rise again.
In the 1977/78 season, Brady, fast becoming the key component of this new-look Arsenal team, scored a career high 13 goals, although many came from the penalty spot, as he inspired the Gunners to reach the semi final of the League Cup and the final of the FA Cup.
However at Wembley in the final against Ipswich Town, Brady was well shackled by Brian Talbot as Arsenal lost 1-0.
The following 1978/79 season was the best of Brady's career so far as he was named as PFA Player of the Year and won the man of the match award in the FA Cup final against Manchester United, as Arsenal won 3-2.
Brady set up the second goal for Stapleton with his weaker right foot, before playing a key role in the last minute winner scored by Alan Sunderland.
Despite this success, Brady was growing increasingly frustrated that Arsenal was unable to turn decent cup performances into a sustained title challenge.
The 1979/80 season would bring those frustrations to a head. Brady was instrumental as Arsenal chased glory on three fronts, culminating in a two epic semi finals, against Juventus in the European Cup Winners Cup and Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Against the Italians, Brady was magnificent as Arsenal become the first English side to win away in Turin, a last minute goal from Paul Vaesson sealing a 1-0 victory and a 2-1 aggregate success.
In the FA Cup it took four mammoth matches to finally see off league champions Liverpool as Arsenal become the first club to reach three consecutive Wembley FA Cup finals.
By know Brady had already been courted by Juventus, so impressed were they with his performances against them, and when a tired Arsenal side lost both finals in the space of four days it was not to be the glorious ending Brady had hoped for.
In the FA Cup final against Second Division West Ham United, Brady, looking jaded, was unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat, and then against Valencia in the Cup Winners Cup final in Brussels, he missed his penalty in the shoot-out as Arsenal lost 5-4.
The last of Brady's 307 appearances for Arsenal came in a 5-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on 19 May 1980. He had scored 59 goals for the club.
During the summer of 1980, Brady left for Italy, signing for Juventus for £500,000.
Brady enjoyed two successful seasons in Turin, helping the club win back-to-back Serie A titles.
During the latter part of the 1981/82 season it was clear that Brady's days at the club were numbered with the imminent arrivals of Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, and with only two overseas players permitted.
On the final day of the season Juventus needed to beat Cantanzaro to pip Fiorentina to the title. With five minutes to go Juve were awarded a penalty, and despite knowing this would be his last game for the club, Brady coolly converted to seal a second consecutive Serie A title.
During the summer of 1982 there was talk of a return to Arsenal but Brady instead stayed in Italy and joined newly promoted Sampdoria, linking up with Trevor Francis.
Brady's two years at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris were not a great success with the club failing to finish higher than sixth, but the Irishman was a much loved figure among players and fans alike.
Brady then spent two years at Inter Milan, reaching the semi final of the UEFA Cup and a third place finish in the league, before spending a season at Ascoli in 1986/87.
In total Brady made over 150 league appearances in Italy, scoring 11 goals.
In March 1987, Brady did finally return to London but it was not back at Highbury, instead signing for West Ham for £100,000.
Brady stayed at Upton Park for three years during which time they suffered relegation to Division Two in 1989. His final game fore the club came on 5 May 1990, a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in which he scored.
After retiring from playing in 1990, Brady spent two years as manager at Celtic. It was not a great period for the club and Brady was unable to win any trophies at Parkhead, a spell that included a 5-2 UEFA Cup defeat at the hands of Neuchatel Xamax, one of the worst European defeats in the club's history.
In 1993, Brady took over as manager of Brighton and Hove Albion but he left two years later after a disagreement over the way the club was being run. He later led an unsuccessful consortium bid to buy the club.
Brady returned to Arsenal in July 1996 as Head of Youth Development. Under Brady, Arsenal's youth sides won the FA Premier Youth League in 1998, the FA Premier U17 Academy League in 2000 and the FA Premier U19 Academy League in 2002.
Brady's sides also lifted the FA Premier U18 Academy League titles in 2009 and 2010, together with the FA Youth Cup in 2000, 2001 and 2009.
Brady was in the running to become the new Republic of Ireland head coach after the sacking of Steve Staunton in 2007, but in the end he was appointed as assistant to Giovanni Trapattoni while continuing with his role at Arsenal.
Brady stepped down from the Ireland job in April 2010 when his contract expired, although he would have been happy to stay on had it not been for his commitments to Arsenal.
In May 2014, Brady left his role as Arsenal Head of Youth Development and he currently serves as an ambassador of The Arsenal Foundation.
Unfortunately I just missed out on seeing Brady play for Arsenal as he left the club the year before I started going. Of course I remember seeing him on television, such as in the FA Cup finals etc., but the only two occasions I actually saw him play live it was against Arsenal playing for West Ham.
I'll never forget the goal he scored against us at Upton Park in 1987, although I was shocked at how much he celebrated, even getting booked for jumping in the crowd! Yeah cheers, Liam.
Despite that though every single Arsenal fan I have spoken to about him say he was one of the best players they ever saw so that is good enough for me.
To have such a successful career in Italy over a 7 years period at a time when most players from the English league struggled to settle there, shows he had something special about him. It was ironic that it was his performance for us in Turin in 1980 that had alerted to Juventus to him.
Back then English football was not the worldwide product it is today and was not beamed live around the world, so that may well have been one of the only times they had seen him play live. Maybe if he'd had a nightmare things would have been different.
I would certainly have loved to have seen a peak Brady play in the George Graham sides of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In fact I'd have just loved to have seen him at his peak. But it was not meant to be.
Instead I have just a few video clips to look back on and the memory of him running away celebrating a goal against us at Upton Park.
Coming up next time I look back at the career of a player who is defined by one moment and one goal; Michael Thomas. Watch out for that one charging through the midfield very soon.
IT IS CHRISTMAS 1978. Arsenal are 3-0 up at White Hart Lane in the first North London derby since Tottenham Hotspur returned to Division One the previous spring. Spurs defender John Pratt, dawdles on the ball and Liam Brady nicks it off him.
Driving forward towards the edge of box, Brady looks up before curling a brilliant shot with the outside of his left foot into the top corner of Mark Kendall's net.
'Look at that, oh look at that,' screams John Motson as the Arsenal fans behind the goal go mental.
If one moment encapsulated Brady's genius and explains why he is still held in such high regard at Arsenal than this is it.
William Brady was born on 13 February 1956 in Dublin and attended St Aidens C.B.S., leaving before his Intermediate Certificate. Brady was born into a footballing family as his his great uncle, Frank Brady Sr., and older brother Ray Brady were both Irish internationals.
His late older brother Frank won the FAI with Shamrock Rovers in 1968 and played in the European Cup Winners Cup, while another brother, Pat Brady, played for Millwall and Queens Park Rangers.
After playing for local side, St Kevin's Boys, the young Brady moved to London to join Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1971, just after the club had won the Double, and he turned professional on 13 February 1973, his 17th birthday.
On the final day of the 1973/74 season Brady scored his first goal for the club on his 13th appearance against Queens Park Rangers, but the day was overshadowed by a broken leg suffered by club captain Alan Ball.
Brady became a regular in the team in the following 1974/75 season but it was a tough campaign for Arsenal as they battled relegation, finishing 16th. Brady, however was developing into the natural successor to Ball and he made 34 appearances, scoring 4 goals.
By now Brady had developed the nickname Chippy. Not due to his ability to chip a football however but instead because of his love for fish and chips.
Despite the struggles at club level, Brady's good form was recognised by the Republic of Ireland and he made his international debut on 30 October 1974 in a 3-0 win against the Soviet Union at Dalymount Park.
Brady became a regular in the Ireland side over the next 16 years, making 72 appearances and scoring nine goals.
However, manager Jack Charlton said he would only consider players who had played in the qualification rounds and so Brady was not selected.
Arsenal again battled relegation in the 1975/76 season, finishing 17th, but Brady missed just one match and scored five goals as he was joined in the team by fellow young Irishmen Frank Stapleton and David O'Leary.
Mee resigned at the end of the season and Brady, now 20, really began to mature under new manager Terry Neill. With Malcolm MacDonald linking with Stapleton up front, the pair scoring 46 goals between them, and another youngster, Graham Rix, emerging, Arsenal were on the rise again.
In the 1977/78 season, Brady, fast becoming the key component of this new-look Arsenal team, scored a career high 13 goals, although many came from the penalty spot, as he inspired the Gunners to reach the semi final of the League Cup and the final of the FA Cup.
However at Wembley in the final against Ipswich Town, Brady was well shackled by Brian Talbot as Arsenal lost 1-0.
Brady set up the second goal for Stapleton with his weaker right foot, before playing a key role in the last minute winner scored by Alan Sunderland.
Despite this success, Brady was growing increasingly frustrated that Arsenal was unable to turn decent cup performances into a sustained title challenge.
The 1979/80 season would bring those frustrations to a head. Brady was instrumental as Arsenal chased glory on three fronts, culminating in a two epic semi finals, against Juventus in the European Cup Winners Cup and Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Against the Italians, Brady was magnificent as Arsenal become the first English side to win away in Turin, a last minute goal from Paul Vaesson sealing a 1-0 victory and a 2-1 aggregate success.
In the FA Cup it took four mammoth matches to finally see off league champions Liverpool as Arsenal become the first club to reach three consecutive Wembley FA Cup finals.
By know Brady had already been courted by Juventus, so impressed were they with his performances against them, and when a tired Arsenal side lost both finals in the space of four days it was not to be the glorious ending Brady had hoped for.
In the FA Cup final against Second Division West Ham United, Brady, looking jaded, was unable to prevent a 1-0 defeat, and then against Valencia in the Cup Winners Cup final in Brussels, he missed his penalty in the shoot-out as Arsenal lost 5-4.
The last of Brady's 307 appearances for Arsenal came in a 5-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on 19 May 1980. He had scored 59 goals for the club.
Brady enjoyed two successful seasons in Turin, helping the club win back-to-back Serie A titles.
During the latter part of the 1981/82 season it was clear that Brady's days at the club were numbered with the imminent arrivals of Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, and with only two overseas players permitted.
On the final day of the season Juventus needed to beat Cantanzaro to pip Fiorentina to the title. With five minutes to go Juve were awarded a penalty, and despite knowing this would be his last game for the club, Brady coolly converted to seal a second consecutive Serie A title.
During the summer of 1982 there was talk of a return to Arsenal but Brady instead stayed in Italy and joined newly promoted Sampdoria, linking up with Trevor Francis.
Brady's two years at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris were not a great success with the club failing to finish higher than sixth, but the Irishman was a much loved figure among players and fans alike.
Brady then spent two years at Inter Milan, reaching the semi final of the UEFA Cup and a third place finish in the league, before spending a season at Ascoli in 1986/87.
In total Brady made over 150 league appearances in Italy, scoring 11 goals.
In March 1987, Brady did finally return to London but it was not back at Highbury, instead signing for West Ham for £100,000.
Brady stayed at Upton Park for three years during which time they suffered relegation to Division Two in 1989. His final game fore the club came on 5 May 1990, a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in which he scored.
After retiring from playing in 1990, Brady spent two years as manager at Celtic. It was not a great period for the club and Brady was unable to win any trophies at Parkhead, a spell that included a 5-2 UEFA Cup defeat at the hands of Neuchatel Xamax, one of the worst European defeats in the club's history.
In 1993, Brady took over as manager of Brighton and Hove Albion but he left two years later after a disagreement over the way the club was being run. He later led an unsuccessful consortium bid to buy the club.
Brady's sides also lifted the FA Premier U18 Academy League titles in 2009 and 2010, together with the FA Youth Cup in 2000, 2001 and 2009.
Brady was in the running to become the new Republic of Ireland head coach after the sacking of Steve Staunton in 2007, but in the end he was appointed as assistant to Giovanni Trapattoni while continuing with his role at Arsenal.
Brady stepped down from the Ireland job in April 2010 when his contract expired, although he would have been happy to stay on had it not been for his commitments to Arsenal.
In May 2014, Brady left his role as Arsenal Head of Youth Development and he currently serves as an ambassador of The Arsenal Foundation.
Unfortunately I just missed out on seeing Brady play for Arsenal as he left the club the year before I started going. Of course I remember seeing him on television, such as in the FA Cup finals etc., but the only two occasions I actually saw him play live it was against Arsenal playing for West Ham.
I'll never forget the goal he scored against us at Upton Park in 1987, although I was shocked at how much he celebrated, even getting booked for jumping in the crowd! Yeah cheers, Liam.
Despite that though every single Arsenal fan I have spoken to about him say he was one of the best players they ever saw so that is good enough for me.
To have such a successful career in Italy over a 7 years period at a time when most players from the English league struggled to settle there, shows he had something special about him. It was ironic that it was his performance for us in Turin in 1980 that had alerted to Juventus to him.
Back then English football was not the worldwide product it is today and was not beamed live around the world, so that may well have been one of the only times they had seen him play live. Maybe if he'd had a nightmare things would have been different.
I would certainly have loved to have seen a peak Brady play in the George Graham sides of the late 1980s and early 1990s. In fact I'd have just loved to have seen him at his peak. But it was not meant to be.
Instead I have just a few video clips to look back on and the memory of him running away celebrating a goal against us at Upton Park.
Coming up next time I look back at the career of a player who is defined by one moment and one goal; Michael Thomas. Watch out for that one charging through the midfield very soon.
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