Arsenal F. C.
Full name	Arsenal Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Gunners
Founded	1886 as Dial Square
Ground	Emirates Stadium (Capacity 60,355[1])
Chairman	Peter Hill-Wood
Manager	Arsène Wenger
League	Premier League
2007–08	Premier League, 3rd
Home colours 　 Away colours
Current season

Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London. Football club names are a part of the sport 's culture reflecting century-old traditions This is a of lists of the use of Nicknames in football (soccer. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since The following is a list of Association football stadia. They are ordered by their capacity, that is the maximum number of spectators that the Peter Denis Hill-Wood (born 25 February 1936) is a British businessman and the current chairman of Arsenal Football Club. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The 2007-08 season was Arsenal FC 's 16th year in the Premier League. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Holloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington and follows for the most part the line of the Holloway Road ( A1 road) North London is the northern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes They play in the Premier League and are one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won thirteen First Division and Premier League titles and ten FA Cups. The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs This page details football records in England. National team See England national football team records. Football is the National sport of England and plays a significant role in English culture. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after

Arsenal were founded in 1886, though they won their first major trophies in the 1930s, with five League Championship titles and two FA Cups. After a lean period in the post-war years they became the second club of the 20th century to win the Double in 1970–71, and during the past twenty years they have been one of the most successful clubs in English football—in this time Arsenal won two further Doubles, the Premier League in 2003–04 unbeaten, and in 2005–06 became the first London club to reach the UEFA Champions League final. The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season Football is the most popular sport in London in terms of both participants and spectators See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club

The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history. Similarly, the club have changed location over time; the team were initially founded in Woolwich, south-east London, but in 1913 they moved north across the city to Arsenal Stadium, Highbury. Woolwich (ˈwʊlɪtʃ or /ˈwʊlɪdʒ/ is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 Highbury is an area in the London Borough of Islington. It lies between the following places Finsbury Park, north of Highbury In 2006 they made a less drastic move to their current home, the Emirates Stadium in nearby Holloway. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since Holloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington and follows for the most part the line of the Holloway Road ( A1 road)

Arsenal have a large fanbase, who hold a string of long-standing rivalries with several other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, with whom they regularly contest the North London derby. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. The North London derby is the name of the football Local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal are one of the richest clubs in English football (worth over £600m as of 2007), and thanks to their stature, have regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. The culture of the United Kingdom &mdash British culture &mdashrefers to the patterns of human activity and Symbolism associated with the British people and Arsenal Ladies are the most successful English club in women's football and are also affiliated with the club. Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English Women's football club affiliated with Arsenal FC.

Contents 1 History 2 Crest 3 Colours 4 Stadiums 5 Supporters 6 Ownership and finances 7 Arsenal in popular culture 8 Arsenal Ladies 9 Arsenal in the Community 10 Statistics and records 11 Players 11.1 Current squad 11.2 Players out on loan 11.3 Reserves and Academy 11.4 Notable players 12 Current coaching staff 13 Managers 14 Honours 14.1 Domestic 14.2 European 15 Footnotes 16 Further reading 17 External links

History

For more details on this topic, see History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966) and History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present). The History of Arsenal Football Club between 1886 and 1966 covers their time from the club's foundation through the first two major periods of success (the 1930s and the late 1940s and The history of Arsenal Football Club from 1966 to the present day covers the third fourth and fifth periods of success in Arsenal 's history including three Doubles a

Arsenal were founded as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, but were renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. See also Woolwich Arsenal railway station, Arsenal FC The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren Woolwich (ˈwʊlɪtʃ or /ˈwʊlɪdʒ/ is a suburb in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River They renamed themselves again to Woolwich Arsenal after turning professional in 1891. The club joined the Football League in 1893, starting out in the Second Division, and won promotion to the First Division in 1904. The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons is a league competition featuring professional football clubs From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between However, the club's geographic isolation resulted in lower attendances than those of other clubs, which led to the club becoming mired in financial problems and effectively bankrupt by 1910, when they were taken over by Henry Norris. Henry Norris may refer to Sir Henry Norris (courtier, Groom of the Stool to Henry VIII alleged lover of Anne Boleyn (d ^[2] Norris sought to move the club elsewhere, and in 1913, soon after relegation back to the Second Division, Arsenal moved to the new Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London; they dropped "Woolwich" from their name the following year. Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 Highbury is an area in the London Borough of Islington. It lies between the following places Finsbury Park, north of Highbury ^[3] Arsenal only finished in fifth place in 1919, but nevertheless were elected to rejoin the First Division at the expense of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, by reportedly dubious means. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. ^[4]

In 1925, Arsenal appointed Herbert Chapman as manager. Herbert Chapman ( January 19, 1878 – January 6, 1934) was an English Association football player and manager Chapman had already won the league twice with Huddersfield Town in 1923–24 and 1924–25, and he brought Arsenal their first period of major success. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. His revolutionary tactics and training, along with the signings of star players such as Alex James and Cliff Bastin, laid the foundations of the club's domination of English football in the 1930s. Alexander Wilson James ( September 14, 1901 &ndash June 1, 1953) was a Scottish footballer and is most noted for his success Clifford Sydney Bastin ( March 14, 1912 – December 4, 1991) was an English football player Under his guidance Arsenal won their first major trophies – an FA Cup in 1929–30 and two League Championships, in 1930–31 and 1932–33. In addition, Chapman was reportedly behind the 1932 renaming of the local London Underground station from "Gillespie Road" to "Arsenal", making it the only Tube station to be named specifically after a football club. The London Underground is a Metro system serving a large part of Greater London and neighbouring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Arsenal tube station, in Highbury, north London, is a London Underground station near the former Arsenal Stadium, which was home of Arsenal ^[5]

Chapman died suddenly of pneumonia in early 1934, but Joe Shaw and George Allison carried on his successful work. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Joseph Ebenezer "Joe" Shaw ( May 7, 1883 &ndash September 1963 was an English football player and coach George Frederick Allison ( October 24 1883 – March 13, 1957) was a British football journalist, broadcaster Under their guidance, Arsenal won three more titles (1933–34, 1934–35 and 1937–38) and an FA Cup (1935–36). However Arsenal had started to fade by the decade's end, when the intervention of World War II meant competitive professional football in England was suspended. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

After the war, under Allison's successor Tom Whittaker, Arsenal enjoyed a second period of success, winning the league in 1947–48 and 1952–53, and the FA Cup in 1949–50. Thomas James Whittaker MBE ( July 21, 1898 – October 24, 1956) was an English football player trainer and The 1952-53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England. However, after that their fortunes waned; unable to attract players of the same calibre as they had in the 1930s, the club spent most of the 1950s and 1960s in trophyless mediocrity. Even former England captain Billy Wright could not bring the club any success as manager, in a stint between 1962 and 1966. The English national football team represents England in international football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football William Ambrose "Billy" Wright, CBE (6 February 1924 – 3 September 1994 was an English footballer, who spent his whole career at Wolverhampton

Arsenal began winning silverware again with the surprise appointment of club physiotherapist Bertie Mee as manager in 1966. Bertie Mee OBE ( 25 December 1918 &ndash October 22, 2001) was an English football player and manager most famous for After losing two League Cup finals, they won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, their first European trophy, in 1969–70. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition History Spanish era The first competition was to be held over two seasons to avoid clashes with national leagues fixtures This was followed by an even greater triumph: their first League and FA Cup double in 1970–71. The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season However, the Double-winning side was soon broken up and the following decade was characterised by a series of near misses. Arsenal finished as First Division runners-up in 1972–73, lost three FA Cup finals (1971–72, 1977–78 and 1979–80) and lost the 1979–80 Cup Winners' Cup final on penalties. Penalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament (or wins the tournament The club's only success during this time was an FA Cup win in 1978–79, with a last-minute 3–2 victory over Manchester United that is widely regarded as a classic. ^[6]

The return of former player George Graham as manager in 1986 brought a third period of glory. George Graham (born November 30, 1944 in Bargeddie, Glasgow) is a Scottish former football player and Manager Arsenal won the League Cup in 1986–87, Graham's first season in charge. This was followed by a League title win in 1988–89, won with a last-minute goal in the final game of the season against fellow title challengers Liverpool. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Graham's Arsenal won another title in 1990–91, losing only one match, the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1992–93 and a second European trophy, the Cup Winners' Cup, in 1993–94. However, Graham's reputation was tarnished when it was revealed that he had taken kickbacks from agent Rune Hauge for signing certain players,^[7] and he was sacked in 1995. Rune Hauge (born April 23 1954) is a Norwegian football agent. His replacement, Bruce Rioch, lasted for only one season, leaving the club after a dispute with the board of directors. Bruce David Rioch (born 6 September 1947, in Aldershot, England) is an English -born Scottish football manager ^[8]

The club's success in the late 1990s and 2000s owes a great deal to the appointment of manager Arsène Wenger in 1996. Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal Wenger brought new tactics, a new training regime and several foreign players who complemented the existing English talent. Arsenal won a second league and cup double in 1997–98 and a third in 2001–02. In addition, the club reached the final of the 1999–00 UEFA Cup (losing on penalties to Galatasaray), were victorious in the 2002–03 and 2004–05 FA Cups, and won the Premier League in 2003–04 without losing a single match, which earned the side the nickname "The Invincibles";^[9] in all, the club went 49 league matches unbeaten, a national record. The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. "The Invincibles", in English football, has been either used to refer to the Preston North End team of the 1880s or the Arsenal team This page details football records in England. National team See England national football team records.

Arsenal have finished in either first or second place in the league in eight of Wenger's eleven seasons at the club. ^[10] They are one of only four teams (along with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea) to have won the Premier League since its formation in 1993, although they have failed to retain the title each time they have been champions. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. ^[11] Until 2005–06, Arsenal had never progressed beyond the Champions League quarter-finals; in that competition, however, they reached the final, the first club from London to do so in the competition's fifty-year history, but were beaten 2–1 by FC Barcelona. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club Route to the final See also UEFA Champions League 2005-06 Arsenal F Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan ^[12] In July 2006, they moved into their current stadium, the Emirates Stadium, after 93 years at Highbury. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since

Crest

Royal Arsenal's first crest, unveiled in 1888, featured three cannons viewed from above, pointing northwards, similar to the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural A coat of arms or armorial bearings (often just arms for short in European tradition is a design belonging to a particular person (or group of people The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965 These can sometimes be mistaken for chimneys, but the presence of a carved lion's head and a cascabel on each are clear indicators that they are cannon. A chimney is a system for venting hot Flue gases or Smoke from a Boiler, Stove, Furnace or Fireplace to the outside ^[13] This was dropped after the moved to Highbury in 1913, but in 1922, the club adopted their first single-cannon crest, featuring an eastward-pointing cannon, with the club's nickname, The Gunners, inscribed alongside it; this crest only lasted until 1925, when the cannon was reversed to point westward and its barrel slimmed down. ^[13] In 1949, the club unveiled a modernised crest featuring the same style of cannon, the club's name set in blackletter above the cannon, the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington and a scroll inscribed with the club's newly adopted Latin motto, Victoria Concordia Crescit (meaning "victory comes from harmony"), coined by Harry Homer, the club's programme editor. Blackletter, also known as Gothic script or Gothic minuscule, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 The Metropolitan Borough of Islington was a Metropolitan borough within the County of London from 1900 to 1965 when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group ^[13] For the first time, the crest was rendered in colour, which varied slightly over the crest's lifespan, finally becoming red, gold and green.

Because of the numerous revisions of the crest, Arsenal were unable to copyright it. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Although the club had managed to register the crest as a trademark, and had fought (and eventually won) a long legal battle with a local street trader who sold 'unofficial' Arsenal merchandise,^[14] Arsenal eventually sought a more comprehensive legal protection. A trademark or trade mark, represented by the symbols ™ and ®, or mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual Therefore, in 2002 they introduced a new crest featuring more modern curved lines and a simplified style, which was copyrightable. ^[15] The cannon once again faces east and the club's name is written in a sans-serif typeface above the cannon. History Ancient usages Sans-serif letter forms can be found in Latin Etruscan, and Greek inscriptions for as early as 5th century BC In Typography, a typeface is a set of one or more Fonts designed with stylistic unity each comprising a coordinated set of Glyphs A typeface usually comprises Green was replaced by dark blue. The new crest received a critical response from some supporters; the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association claimed that the club had ignored much of Arsenal's history and tradition with such a radical modern design, and that fans had not been properly consulted on the issue. ^[16]

Colours

For much of Arsenal's history, their home colours have been bright red shirts with white sleeves and white shorts, though this has not always been the case. The choice of red is in recognition of a charitable donation from Nottingham Forest, soon after Arsenal's foundation in 1886. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at the City Ground in West Bridgford, a suburb of Nottingham Two of Dial Square's founding members, Fred Beardsley and Morris Bates, were former Forest players who had moved to Woolwich for work. Frederick William Beardsley (1856 – 1939 was an English footballer chiefly associated with the foundation of Arsenal Football Club. Joseph Morris Bates (1864 &ndash September 6, 1905) usually known as Morris Bates, was an English footballer Bates first played As they put together the first team in the area, no kit could be found, so Beardsley and Bates wrote home for help and received a set of kit and a ball. The shirt was redcurrant, a dark shade of red similar to burgundy, and was worn with white shorts and blue socks. ^[17]

In 1933 Herbert Chapman, wanting his players to be more distinctly dressed, updated the kit, adding white sleeves and changing the shade to a brighter pillar box red. A pillar box is a free-standing Post box, in the United Kingdom, where Mail is deposited to be collected by the Royal Mail and forwarded to the The origin of the white sleeves is not conclusively known, but two possible inspirations have been put forward. One story reports that Chapman noticed a supporter in the stands wearing a red sleeveless sweater over a white shirt; another was that he was inspired by a similar outfit worn by the cartoonist Tom Webster, with whom Chapman played golf. A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing Cartoons Traditionally much of this work was and still is humorous and is intended primarily for entertainment purposes Gilbert Thomas Webster (1886 – 1962 was a British Cartoonist and Caricaturist. ^[18] Regardless of which story is true, the red and white shirts have come to define Arsenal and the team have worn the combination ever since, aside from two seasons. The first was 1966–67, when Arsenal wore all-red shirts;^[17] this proved unpopular and the white sleeves returned the following season. The second was 2005–06, the last season that Arsenal played at Highbury, when the team wore one-year commemorative redcurrant shirts similar to those worn in 1913, their first season in the stadium. The club reverted to their traditional colours at the start of the 2006–07 season.

Arsenal's home colours have been the inspiration for at least three other clubs. In 1909, Sparta Prague adopted a dark red kit like the one Arsenal wore at the time;^[18] in 1938, Hibernian adopted the design of the Arsenal shirt sleeves in their own green and white strip. Hibernian Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. ^[19] In the 1930s, Sporting Clube de Braga's coach returned from a game at Highbury and changed his team's green kit into a duplicate of Arsenal's red with white sleeves and shorts, giving rise to the team's nickname of Os Arsenalistas. Sporting Clube de Braga ( pron 'spɔɾtĩg 'klub(ɨ dɨ 'bɾagɐ also known as Sporting Braga, is a Portuguese Sports club, from the ^[20] These teams still wear these designs to this day.

Arsenal's away colours are traditionally yellow and blue, although they wore a green and navy away kit between 1982 and 1984. ^[21] Since the early 1990s and the advent of the lucrative replica kit market, the away colours have been changed regularly; the general rule currently is that they are changed every season with the outgoing away kit becoming the third choice kit for the following season. ^[22] Generally, the away colours in this period have been either two-tone blue designs, or variations on the traditional yellow and blue, such as the metallic gold and navy strip used in the 2001–02 season,^[23] and the yellow and dark grey used in 2005–06 and 2006–07. However, Arsenal's domestic away colours for the 2007–08 season are a departure from the norm, being white shirts with redcurrant shorts and hooped white and redcurrant socks. ^[24] Arsenal's third kit for 2007–08 consists of redcurrant and obsidian hoops, and will be used for domestic games where both the first and second choice colours clash with those of their opponents, as well as being primary away kit for Champions League matches. ^[25]

Stadiums

For the majority of their time in south-east London, Arsenal played at the Manor Ground in Plumstead, a three-year period at the nearby Invicta Ground between 1890 and 1893 excepted. The Manor Ground in Plumstead, south east London was a football Stadium which between 1888 & 1890 and 1893 & 1913 was the home of the football This article is about the district in London For other places names Plumstead see Plumstead (disambiguation Plumstead is a place and electoral The Invicta Ground was a football stadium in Plumstead, south east London, that was the home of Royal Arsenal (today known simply as Arsenal The Manor Ground was initially just a field, but the club installed stands and terracing in time for their first Football League match in September 1893. They played their home games there for the next twenty years (with two exceptions in 1894–95), until the move to north London in 1913.

Arsenal Stadium, widely referred to as Highbury, was Arsenal's home from September 1913 until May 2006. Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 The original stadium was designed by the renowned football architect Archibald Leitch, and had a design common to many football grounds in the UK at the time, with a single covered stand and three open-air banks of terracing. Archibald "Archie" Leitch ( April 27, 1865 &ndash April 25, 1939) was a Scottish Architect, most famous for his A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting ^[26] In the 1930s, the entire stadium was given a massive overhaul, with new Art Deco West and East stands constructed, opening in 1932 and 1936 respectively;^[26] in addition, the North Bank terrace had a roof added, which was later bombed during World War II and not restored until 1956. Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

At its peak, Highbury could hold over 60,000 spectators, and had a capacity of 57,000 until the early 1990s. The Taylor Report and Premier League regulations forced Arsenal to convert Highbury into an all-seater in time for the 1993–94 season, reducing the capacity to 38,419 seated spectators. The Taylor Report is a document whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs ^[27] This capacity had to be reduced further during Champions League matches to accommodate additional advertising hoardings, so much so that for two seasons (1998–99 and 1999–00) Arsenal played Champions League home matches at Wembley, which could house more than 70,000 spectators. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the ^[28]

Expansion of Highbury was restricted because the East Stand had been designated as a Grade II listed building and the other three stands were close to residential properties. A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[26] These limitations have prevented the club from maximising the revenue that their domestic form could have brought in recent seasons. After considering various options, in 2000 Arsenal proposed building a new 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove, since renamed the Emirates Stadium, about 500 metres south-west of Highbury. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since ^[29] The project was initially delayed by red tape and rising costs,^[30] but construction was completed in July 2006, in time for the start of the 2006–07 season. The stadium is named after its sponsors, the airline company Emirates, with whom the club signed the largest sponsorship deal in English football history, worth approximately £100 million;^[31] however some fans refer to the ground as Ashburton Grove, or the Grove, as they do not agree with corporate sponsorship of stadium names. Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group ^[32] The stadium will be officially known as Emirates Stadium until at least 2012, and the airline will be the club's shirt sponsor until the end of the 2013–14 season. ^[31]

Arsenal's training centre is in Shenley, Hertfordshire, at a purpose-built facility which opened in 2000. Shenley is a village in Hertfordshire, England, between Barnet and St Albans. Hertfordshire (ˈhɑːtfədʃə(r, abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of Before that the club shared training facilities with University College London Student Union nearby, having trained at Highbury up until 1961. University College London ( UCL) is a multi-faculty university institution based in the United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London University College London Union, founded in 1893 has a credible claim to be England 's oldest Students' union. ^[33] It is also where Arsenal's Academy teams play their home matches, while the Reserves play their games at Underhill, home of Barnet FC. Arsenal Football Club Academy are the Youth team of Arsenal Football Club. Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club. Underhill is the home of Barnet FC. It is situated in Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet and has a capacity of 5568 Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Coca Cola Football

Supporters

Arsenal have a large and generally loyal fanbase, with virtually all home matches selling out; in 2007–08 Arsenal had the second-highest average League attendance for an English club (60,070, which was 99. 5% of available capacity),^[34] and as of 2006, the fourth-highest all-time average attendance. ^[35] Arsenal fans often refer to themselves as "Gooners", the name being derived from the team's nickname, "The Gunners". The club's location, adjoining both wealthy areas such as Canonbury and Barnsbury, mixed areas such as Islington, Holloway and Highbury, and the adjacent London Borough of Camden, and largely working class areas such as Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington has meant that Arsenal's supporters have come from across the usual class divides. Canonbury is a residential district in the London Borough of Islington in the north of London Barnsbury is an area of North London in the London Borough of Islington, in the N1 and N7 postal districts. Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. Highbury is an area in the London Borough of Islington. It lies between the following places Finsbury Park, north of Highbury The London Borough of Camden ( is a borough of London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Finsbury Park is a 112 acre (45-hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Note For an area with a similar name see Newington, in the London Borough of Southwark. In addition, Arsenal have the highest proportion (7. 7%) of non-white attending supporters of any club in English football, according to a 2002 report. ^[36]

Like all major English football clubs, Arsenal have a number of domestic supporters' clubs, including the Official Arsenal Football Supporters Club, which is affiliated with the club, and the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association, which maintains an independent line. The club's supporters also publish fanzines such as The Gooner, Highbury High, Gunflash and the less cerebral Up The Arse!. A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure In addition to the usual English football chants, Arsenal's supporters sing "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "Go West") and "Boring, Boring Arsenal", which used to be a common taunt from opposition fans but is now sung ironically by Arsenal supporters when the team is playing well. A football chant, also referred to as terrace chants, is a term that refers to songs or chants sung at Football matches " Go West " is a song by the 1970s Disco group Village People. ^[37]

In recent times, a supporter's attachment to a football club has become less dependent on geography, and Arsenal now have many fans not just from London but all over England and the world. While there have always been small pockets of supporters abroad, Arsenal's support base has widened considerably with the advent of satellite television, and there are now significant supporters' clubs worldwide. Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable A 2005 report by Granada Ventures, which at the time owned a 9. 9% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world. ^[38]

Arsenal's longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their nearest major neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur, with matches between the two being referred to as North London derbies. Tottenham Hotspur, ˈtɒʔnəm is an English professional football club which currently plays in the Premier League. The North London derby is the name of the football Local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur Matches against other London sides, such as Chelsea and West Ham United are also derbies, but the rivalry is not as intense as that between Arsenal and Tottenham. } West Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London, who have played In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby (pronounced 'dur-bee' in American English and 'dar-bee' in British English after the city of Derby In addition, Arsenal and Manchester United have had a strong on-pitch rivalry since the late 1980s, which has intensified in recent years when both clubs have been competing for the Premier League title. ^[39]

Ownership and finances

Arsenal's parent company, Arsenal Holdings plc, operates as a non-quoted public limited company, but Arsenal's ownership is considerably different from that of other football clubs. A Financial Quotation refers to specific Market data relating to a security or Commodity. A Public Limited Company ( PLC, plc or plc or p l c is a type of Limited company in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland which is Only 62,217 shares in Arsenal have been issued,^[1] and they are not traded on a public exchange such as the FTSE or AIM; instead, they are traded infrequently on PLUS, a specialist market. The Alternative Investment Market (AIM is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a As of February 18, 2008, a share in Arsenal has a mid price of £8,700, meaning the club's market capitalisation value is approximately £541. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Market capitalization/capitalisation (aka market cap, mkt cap or capitalized/capitalised value) is a measurement of Corporate or Economic 3m. ^[40] The club made an operating profit (excluding player transfers) of £51. 2m in the year ending May 31, 2007, from a turnover of £200. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In business revenue or revenues is Income that a company receives from its normal business activities usually from the sale of goods and services 8m. ^[1]

In April 2008, business magazine Forbes ranked Arsenal as third most valuable football team in the world, after Manchester United and Real Madrid, valuing the club at $1. Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly 2bn (£605m), excluding debt. ^[41] Accountants Deloitte rate Arsenal fifth in the 2008 Deloitte Football Money League, a ranking of the world's football clubs in terms of revenue, with the club earning £177. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (also branded as Deloitte) is one of the largest Professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along The Deloitte Football Money League is a ranking of football clubs by income 6m in the 2006–07 season, moving up from ninth the previous season. ^[42]

Arsenal's board of directors hold 45% of the club's shares; the largest shareholders on the board are Danny Fiszman (a London diamond dealer) and Nina Bracewell-Smith (wife of the grandson of former chairman Sir Bracewell Smith), who hold 24. Daniel David Fiszman (born 1945 is a Diamond dealer and a director of Arsenal Football Club. In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Nina Lady Bracewell-Smith (born 1955 is a Non-executive director of the English Premiership football club Arsenal. Sir Bracewell Smith 1st Baronet, KCVO ( 29 June 1884 - 12 January 1966) was a British businessman and politician 1% and 15. 9% respectively. ^[1] Fellow director Richard Carr has 4. Richard Charles Lascelles Carr (born 22 July 1938) is a director and board member of Arsenal Football Club, responsible for the club's youth development 4% and club chairman Peter Hill-Wood owns 0. Peter Denis Hill-Wood (born 25 February 1936) is a British businessman and the current chairman of Arsenal Football Club. 8%, with all the other directors holding nominal amounts. ^[1]

In recent years, with other major English clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all having been taken over by foreign investors, Arsenal have been identified as a target for a buyout. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. The American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke, via the UK arm of Kroenke Sports Enterprises, currently owns or controls 7,584 shares or 12. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Enos Stanley "Stan" Kroenke (born 1947 in Columbia Missouri) is an American business entrepreneur who is listed in the Forbes 400 as one of the 2% of the club,^[1] the bulk of which he bought from Granada Ventures (a subsidiary of ITV plc) in April 2007. ITV plc ( is a British media company that operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial ^[43] The largest single stake in the club held by a non-board member is held by the firm Red & White Securities, which is co-owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and London-based financier Farhad Moshiri. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Alisher Burkhanovich Usmanov (born 9 September 1953, Namangan Province, Uzbek SSR, USSR) is a Russian billionaire of Ardavan Farhad Moshiri ( born 1955 in Iran) is a British Iranian Businessman and Investor, based in London. An initial 14. 6% was bought in August 2007 from former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, who is now chairman of Red & White Securities,^[44] and (as of February 2008) stands at 24%. David Barry Charles Dein (born 7 September 1943) is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of The Football Association ^[45] Both purchases have led to press speculation of an imminent takeover bid for the club. ^[43][44] However, Arsenal's board of directors have agreed not to consider a sale of their shares to non-"permitted persons" until at least April 2009, and have first option on each others' shares until October 2012. ^[46]

Arsenal in popular culture

As one of the most successful teams in the country, Arsenal have often featured when football is depicted in British culture and have appeared in a number of media "firsts". The culture of the United Kingdom &mdash British culture &mdashrefers to the patterns of human activity and Symbolism associated with the British people and On January 22, 1927, their match at Highbury against Sheffield United was the first English League match to be broadcast live on radio. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. ^[47] A decade later, on September 16, 1937, an exhibition match between Arsenal's first team and the reserves was the first ever football match to be televised live. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic ^[48] Arsenal also featured in the first edition of the BBC's Match of the Day, which screened highlights of their match against Liverpool at Anfield on August 22, 1964. Match of the Day (sometimes abbreviated as MOTD) is the BBC 's main football Television programme Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. Anfield is an all-seater Association football Stadium in the district of Anfield, in Liverpool, England Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. ^[49]

Arsenal also formed the backdrop to one of the earliest football-related films, The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939). The Arsenal Stadium Mystery is a 1939 British ^[50] The film is centred on a friendly match between Arsenal and an amateur side, one of whose players is poisoned whilst playing. An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event Many Arsenal players appeared as themselves, although only manager George Allison was given a speaking part.

More recently, the book Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby was an autobiographical account of Hornby's life and relationship with football and Arsenal in particular. Fever Pitch (sometimes titled in the United States as Fever Pitch A Fan's Life) is the title of a 1992 Autobiographical book by Nick Hornby (born 17 April 1957 in Redhill Surrey, England is an English Novelist and Essayist. An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" Published in 1992, it formed part of, and may have played an active part in, the revival and rehabilitation of football in British society during the 1990s. The book was later made into a film starring Colin Firth, which centred on the club's 1988–89 title win. Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September, 1960) is an English film television and stage Actor. The book also inspired an American film adaptation, about a fan of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Fever Pitch, which was released as The Perfect Catch outside of the United States and Canada, is a Farrelly Brothers The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions.

Arsenal have often been stereotyped as a defensive and "boring" side, especially during the 1970s and 1980s; many comedians, such as Eric Morecambe, made jokes about this at the team's expense. John Eric Bartholomew OBE ( 14 May 1926 &ndash 28 May 1984) better known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an The theme was repeated in the 1997 film The Full Monty, in a scene where the lead actors move in a line and raise their hands, deliberately mimicking the Arsenal defence's offside trap, in an attempt to co-ordinate their stripping. This article is about the film The Full Monty is a 1997 British Comedy film. ^[51] Another film reference to the club's defence comes in the film Plunkett & Macleane, in which there are two characters named Dixon and Winterburn, named after Arsenal's long serving full backs – the right-sided Lee Dixon and the left-sided Nigel Winterburn. Plunkett & Macleane is a 1999 Period movie directed by Jake Scott, starring Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Liv Tyler Lee Michael Dixon (born 17 March 1964 in Manchester, England) is a former English professional footballer who formed part of the highly-respected Nigel Winterburn (born 11 December 1963 in Arley, Warwickshire) is a retired English footballer who formed part of the ^[51]

The club have also been mentioned in several Monty Python's Flying Circus sketches, and in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where a barman remarks that the impending end of the world is a "lucky escape" for Arsenal. Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus or during the final series just Monty Python) is a BBC Sketch comedy Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series Additionally, in the 2004 film Ocean's Twelve, the main characters don Arsenal tracksuits as a disguise, in order to escape from a hotel during one of their European heists. Ocean's Twelve is a 2004 film that takes place after the events of Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the 1960 film.

Arsenal have featured in popular music as well; Joe Strummer wrote the song "Tony Adams", dedicated to the then Arsenal captain, which appeared on his 1999 album Rock Art and the X-Ray Style. John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002 better known as Joe Strummer, was the co-founder lyricist Rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the Tony Alexander Adams MBE (born 10 October 1966 in Romford, Greater London) is a former English football player who is currently assistant Rock Art and the X-Ray Style is the debut album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, released in 1999 Strummer was also known to wear an Arsenal scarf during gigs despite himself being a Chelsea fan. Additionally, Arsenal (along with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur) receive a mention in The Pogues song "Billy's Bones", which appears on the band's second album, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. The Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background playing Traditional Irish music with influences from Punk rock, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane Rum Sodomy & the Lash is the second album by the Anglo-Irish musical group The Pogues, released in 1985

Arsenal Ladies

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal L.F.C.. Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English Women's football club affiliated with Arsenal FC.

Arsenal Ladies are the women's football club affiliated to Arsenal. Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English Women's football club affiliated with Arsenal FC. Founded in 1987, they turned semi-professional in 2002 and are managed by Vic Akers, who is also kit manager for the men's side. Victor David Akers (born 24 August 1946 in Islington, London) is a former football player and manager Arsenal Ladies are the most successful team in English women's football; they are the current reigning champions of the FA Women's Premier League and holders of the FA Women's Cup; they are also the only English side to have won the UEFA Women's Cup, having done so in the 2006–07 season as part of a unique quadruple. The FA Women's Premier League is the major Women's football Competition in England. The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football The UEFA Women's Cup is the first international Women's football (soccer club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations The UEFA Women's Cup 2006-07 was the sixth edition of the UEFA Women's Cup football club tournament Although the men's and women's clubs are formally separate they have quite close ties; Arsenal Ladies are entitled to play once a season at the Emirates Stadium, though they usually play their home matches at Boreham Wood. Boreham Wood FC are a football club based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, at Meadow Park football ground

Arsenal in the Community

In 1985, Arsenal founded a community scheme, "Arsenal in the Community", which offers sporting, social inclusion, educational and charitable projects. Corporate social responsibility (CSR also called corporate responsibility corporate citizenship responsible business and corporate social opportunity is a concept whereby Organizations Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Social Exclusion has no agreed to defined or specific single application though one suggested definition is as follows Social exclusion is a multidimensional process Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates ^[52] The club support a number of charitable good causes directly and in 1992 established The Arsenal Charitable trust, which has raised over £2 million for local causes. ^[53] An ex-professional and celebrity team has also been running since 1991 to raise money for good causes. ^[52]

Statistics and records

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal F.C. records. This page details Arsenal Football Club records. Player records Appearances Youngest Youngest first-team player –

David O'Leary holds the record for Arsenal appearances, having played 722 first-team matches between 1975 and 1993. David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player Fellow centre half and former captain Tony Adams comes second, having played 669 times. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Tony Alexander Adams MBE (born 10 October 1966 in Romford, Greater London) is a former English football player who is currently assistant The record for a goalkeeper is held by David Seaman, with 563 appearances. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports David Andrew Seaman MBE (born 19 September 1963 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is a former English football ^[54]

Thierry Henry is the club's top goalscorer with 226 goals in all competitions between 1999 and 2007 having surpassed Ian Wright's total of 185 in October 2005. Thierry Daniel Henry ( born 17 August 1977 Ian Edward Wright, MBE (born 3 November 1963 in Woolwich, London) is an English former professional footballer who won the Golden ^[55] Wright's record had stood since September 1997, a feat which overtook the longstanding total of 178 goals set by winger Cliff Bastin in 1939. Clifford Sydney Bastin ( March 14, 1912 – December 4, 1991) was an English football player ^[56] Henry also holds the club record for goals scored in the League – 174^[55] – a record that had been held by Bastin until February 2006.

Arsenal's record home attendance is 73,707, for a UEFA Champions League match against RC Lens on November 25, 1998 at Wembley Stadium, where Arsenal formerly played home European matches because of the limits on Highbury's capacity. See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club Racing Club de Lens is a French football club which plays in the northern city of Lens, in the Pas-de-Calais Département. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) original Wembley Stadium was a football Stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the The record attendance for an Arsenal match at Highbury is 73,295, for a 0–0 draw against Sunderland on 9 March 1935,^[54] while that at Emirates Stadium is 60,161, for a 2–2 draw with Manchester United on November 3, 2007. Sunderland Association Football Club is a professional Association football team based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, which plays in Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Emirates Stadium is a football stadium located on Ashburton Grove in Holloway, North London, and the home of Arsenal Football Club since Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[57]

Arsenal have also set records in English football, most notably the most consecutive seasons spent in the top flight (81 as of 2007–08) and the longest run of unbeaten League matches (49 between May 2003 and October 2004). This included all 38 matches of their title-winning 2003–04 season, making Arsenal only the second club ever to finish a top-flight campaign unbeaten, after Preston North End (who played only 22 matches) in 1888–89. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire ^[9]

Arsenal also set a UEFA Champions League record during the 2005–06 season by going ten matches without conceding a goal, beating the previous best of seven set by A.C. Milan. Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy They went a record total stretch of 995 minutes without letting an opponent score; the streak finally ended in the final against FC Barcelona, when Samuel Eto'o scored Barcelona's equaliser in the 76th minute. Fútbol Club Barcelona ( Catalan fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish ˈfutβol ˌkluβ baɾθeˈlona known familiarly as Barça (Spanish ˈbaɾsa Catalan Samuel Eto'o Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who plays for Spanish La Liga club ^[12]

Players

Current squad

As of 11 June 2008. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[58][59][60] Squad numbers are for the 2007–08 season.

No. Position Player 2 MF Abou Diaby 3 DF Bacary Sagna 4 MF Cesc Fàbregas 5 DF Kolo Touré (vice-captain) 6 DF Philippe Senderos 7 MF Tomáš Rosický 9 FW Eduardo da Silva 10 DF William Gallas (captain) 11 FW Robin van Persie 13 MF Aliaksandr Hleb 15 MF Denílson 17 MF Alexandre Song 19 MF Gilberto Silva (vice-captain) 20 DF Johan Djourou 21 GK Łukasz Fabiański 22 DF Gaël Clichy 24 GK Manuel Almunia 25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor 26 FW Nicklas Bendtner 27 DF Emmanuel Eboué

No. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Vassiriki Abou Diaby (born May 11, 1986 in Paris) is a French football Midfielder of Ivorian descent currently In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Bacary Sagna also sometimes spelled Bakary or Bakari, (born 14 February 1983 in Sens, Bourgogne) is a French For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (born 4 May 1987 in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Spain is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Kolo Habib Touré (born March 19, 1981 in Bouake) is a Muslim Ivorian footballer who plays for Arsenal. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Philippe Sylvain Senderos (born February 14, 1985 in Geneva) is a Swiss footballer of Spanish and Serbian descent For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Tomáš Rosický (ˈto̞maːʃ ˈro̞sɪtsˌkiː (Tom-aash Ro-sits-ski born October 4, 1980 in Prague) is a Czech international football Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Eduardo Alves da Silva (born 25 February 1983 in Rio de Janeiro) commonly known simply as Eduardo, is a Brazilian born Croatian footballer In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring William Gallas (born 17 August 1977 in Asnières-sur-Seine) is a French international footballer of Guadeloupian descent Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Robin van Persie (born August 6 1983 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League team For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Aliaksandr Paŭlavič Hleb, sometimes referred to in English as Alexander Hleb or Alexander Gleb ( Belarusian: Аляксандр Паўлавіч For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Denílson Pereira Neves, known as Denílson (born on February 16, 1988 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian footballer For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong or simply Alex Song (born September 9, 1987 in Douala, Cameroon) is a Cameroonian For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (born 7 October 1976 in Lagoa da Prata, Minas Gerais, Brazil) commonly known as Gilberto Silva ( is a Brazilian In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Johan Djourou (born January 18, 1987) is a Swiss international footballer who plays for Arsenal. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Łukasz Fabiański ( pron ˈwukaʂ faˈbʲaɲski born April 18, 1985 in Kostrzyn nad Odrą) is a Polish football In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Gaël Clichy (born July 26 1985 in Toulouse) is a French football player who currently plays for Arsenal of the Premier In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Manuel Almunia Rivero (born 19 May 1977 in Pamplona) is a Spanish football goalkeeper who currently plays for English Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (born 26 February 1984 in Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Nicklas Bendtner (born 16 January 1988) is a Danish professional footballer, who plays as a Striker for English club In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Emmanuel Eboué (born June 4 1983 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is an Ivorian football player who currently plays for Arsenal Position Player 30 DF Armand Traoré 31 DF Justin Hoyte 32 FW Theo Walcott 34 MF Kieran Gibbs 35 DF Håvard Nordtveit 36 MF Mark Randall 37 DF Paul Rodgers 38 FW Jay Simpson 39 MF Henri Lansbury 40 GK Vito Mannone 41 DF Gavin Hoyte 42 MF Fran Mérida 43 MF Nacer Barazite 44 DF Abu Ogogo 45 MF James Dunne 46 DF Kerrea Gilbert 47 DF Rene Steer –– FW Carlos Vela

Players out on loan

No. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Armand Traoré (born October 8 1989 in Paris) is a French footballer of Senegalese descent who currently plays as a In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Justin Raymond Hoyte (born November 20, 1984 in Leytonstone, London) is an English football player who currently plays Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 is an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal and the England national football For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Kieran James Ricardo Gibbs (born 26 September 1989 in Lambeth, London) is an English professional footballer who currently In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Håvard Nordtveit (born 21 June 1990 in Vats, Norway) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays for Unión Deportiva For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Mark Leonard Randall (born September 28, 1989 in Milton Keynes) is an English footballer who currently plays for Premier League In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Jay-Alistaire Frederick "Jay" Simpson (born December 1 1988 in Tottenham, London) For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Henri George Lansbury (born October 12, 1990 in Enfield, London) is an English football player who currently plays for Arsenal. In many team Sports a goalkeeper (termed goaltender netminder, goalie, or keeper in some sports Vito Mannone (born March 2, 1988) is an Italian football goalkeeper who currently plays for Arsenal. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Francisco Mérida Pérez (born 4 March 1990 in Barcelona) is a Spanish football Midfielder who is currently at Arsenal For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Nacer Barazite (born May 27, 1990 in Arnhem) is a Dutch football player of Moroccan descent currently playing on loan In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Kerrea Kuche Gilbert (born February 28, 1987 in Hammersmith, Greater London) is an English professional footballer who In Association football (soccer a defender is a player who tries to prevent the other team from scoring Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, are the players on a team in Association football (soccer in the row nearest to the opposing Carlos Alberto Vela Garrido (born March 1 1989 in Cancún, Quintana Roo) is a Mexican football striker currently playing for Arsenal Position Player –– MF Pedro Botelho (at Salamanca until June 2008) –– MF Vincent van den Berg (at Go Ahead Eagles until June 2008)

For recent transfers, see Arsenal F.C. 2008-09 transfers. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Pedro Roberto Silva Botelho, known as Pedro (born 14 December 1989 is a young Brazilian Professional footballer who currently plays Unión Deportiva Salamanca is a Spanish football team based in Salamanca. For the Australian Rules position see Midfielder (Australian Rules. Vincent van den Berg (born January 19 1989, Schiedam) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Dutch club The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. This article shows statistics of individual players for the football club Arsenal F

Reserves and Academy

Notable players

Current coaching staff

Position	Name
Manager	Arsène Wenger
Assistant Manager	Pat Rice
First Team Coach	Boro Primorac
Reserve Team Coach	Neil Banfield
Goalkeeping Coach	Gerry Peyton
Physiotherapist	Gary Lewin
Kit Manager	Vic Akers
Chief Scout	Steve Rowley
Head of Youth Development	Liam Brady

Managers

Main article: List of Arsenal F.C. managers

There have been eighteen permanent and four caretaker managers of Arsenal since 1897; one caretaker (Stewart Houston) has managed the club in two separate spells. This is a list of notable players who have played for Arsenal Football Club. This page details Arsenal Football Club records. Player records Appearances Youngest Youngest first-team player – Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal Patrick James Rice (born March 17, 1949 in Belfast) is a Northern Ireland football player and coach Boro Primorac (born December 5, 1954 in Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian football coach and a former Neil Banfield (born January 20 1962 in Poplar, London) is an English football player and coach Gerald "Gerry" Peyton (born May 20, 1956 in Birmingham, England) is a former football Goalkeeper, and currently Gary Lewin (born 16 May 1964 in East Ham, London) is the current permanent first-team physiotherapist for the England national football Victor David Akers (born 24 August 1946 in Islington, London) is a former football player and manager Liam "Chippy" Brady (born 13 February 1956 in Dublin) is a former Irish football player, who is now the assistant manager of the Republic This is a list of Arsenal Football Club 's managers and their records from 1897 when the first professional manager was appointed to the present day Stewart Mackie Houston (born August 20, 1949, in Dunoon, Scotland) is a Scottish football player and coach. ^[61] The longest-running manager in terms of time is George Allison (1934–1947) while the longest-running in terms of games is current manager Arsène Wenger (1996–). George Frederick Allison ( October 24 1883 – March 13, 1957) was a British football journalist, broadcaster Arsène Wenger OBE (born October 22, 1949 in Strasbourg) is a French football manager, in charge of Arsenal Wenger is also Arsenal's only manager from outside Great Britain or Ireland and is Arsenal's most successful permanent manager in terms of percentage of wins with 57. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world 67%, while Leslie Knighton is Arsenal's least successful (34. Albert Leslie Knighton (born March 15, 1884 in Church Gresley, Derbyshire; died May 10, 1959, in Bournemouth 46%). Two Arsenal managers have died in the job – Herbert Chapman and Tom Whittaker. Herbert Chapman ( January 19, 1878 – January 6, 1934) was an English Association football player and manager Thomas James Whittaker MBE ( July 21, 1898 – October 24, 1956) was an English football player trainer and

Honours

For more details on this topic, see Arsenal F.C. seasons. This is a list of seasons played by Arsenal Football Club in English and European football, from 1889 (when Royal Arsenal as the club were known then first took

Domestic

• First Division and Premier League^[62]

Winners (13): 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04

Runners-up (8): 1925–26, 1931–32, 1972–73, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05

• Second Division^[62]

Runners-up (1): 1903–04

• FA Cup

Winners (10): 1929–30, 1935–36, 1949–50, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1992–93, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05

Runners-up (7): 1926–27, 1931–32, 1951–52, 1971–72, 1977–78, 1979–80, 2000–01

• League Cup

Winners (2): 1986–87, 1992–93

Runners-up (4): 1967–68, 1968–69, 1987–88, 2006–07

• Charity Shields and Community Shields^[63]

Winners (12): 1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991 (shared), 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004

Runners-up (7): 1935, 1936, 1979, 1989, 1993, 2003, 2005

European

• UEFA Champions League

Runners-up (1): 2005–06

• European Cup Winners' Cup

Winners (1): 1993–94

Runners-up (2): 1979–80, 1994–95

• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Winners (1): 1969–70

• UEFA Cup

Runners-up (1): 1999–2000

• UEFA Super Cup

Runners-up (1): 1994

Arsenal's tally of thirteen League Championships is the third highest in English football, after Liverpool and Manchester United,^[64] while the total of ten FA Cups is the second highest, after Manchester United. The Football League First Division was the highest division of The Football League between 1993 and 2004 and the highest division of English football overall between The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The 1952-53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England. The 2001-02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition From 1892 until 1992 the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football. The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club History Spanish era The first competition was to be held over two seasons to avoid clashes with national leagues fixtures The UEFA Cup is a football competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA. The European Super Cup ( UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions The 1994 UEFA Super Cup was contested between AC Milan of Italy (the 1994 UEFA Champions League winners and Arsenal of England Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England. ^[65] Arsenal have achieved three League and FA Cup "Doubles" (in 1971, 1998 and 2002), a joint record shared with Manchester United,^[66] and were the first side in English football to complete the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993. The Double is a term in football, which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season ^[67] They were also the first London football club to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2006. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[68]

Arsenal have one of the best top-flight records in history, having finished below fourteenth only seven times. Arsenal also have the highest average league finishing position for the period 1900–1999, with an average league placing of 8. 5. ^[69] In addition, they are one of only five clubs to have won the FA Cup twice in succession, in 2002 and 2003. The 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001-02 FA Cup competition The FA Cup Final 2003 saw the defending holders Arsenal, beat Southampton. ^[70]

Footnotes

Further reading

• Hornby, Nick (1992). Nick Hornby (born 17 April 1957 in Redhill Surrey, England is an English Novelist and Essayist. Fever Pitch. Fever Pitch (sometimes titled in the United States as Fever Pitch A Fan's Life) is the title of a 1992 Autobiographical book by Indigo. ISBN 1-84018-900-2.  
• Maidment, Jem (2006). The Official Arsenal Encyclopedia. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-61549-1.  
• Soar, Phil & Tyler, Martin (2000). The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal. Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-60175-7.  
• Spurling, Jon (2004). Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club. Mainstream. ISBN 0-575-40015-3.  

External links

Official websites

• Arsenal.com Official club website
• Arsenal at the Premier League official website
• Arsenal at the UEFA official website

General fan sites

• Arseweb
• Arsenal-Mania
• Arsenal World
• Arsenal Land

News sites

• Arsenal on BBC Sport: Club News - Recent results - Upcoming fixtures - Club stats
• Arsenal news from Sky Sports

Fanzines

• Up the Arse!

The Premier League, colloquially referred to as the Premiership, is an English professional league for football clubs The Union of European Football Associations (Union des associations européennes de football is the administrative and controlling body for European football.

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