Andy Kelly

This was the first mention of the word "gooner" or "gooners" in the official match day programme - 9 September 1989.
thearsenalcollection.org.uk?page_id=7259

If it is, we must have the podgiest fans!

It looks like the clubs with the bigger stadiums have a bigger reliance on matchday income, Chelsea must charge premium prices and Man City are more reliant on their dodgy sponsorship deals.

Just to add some more info to the earlier years. Additional income came from programmes and handbooks, and then from 1925 rents received from houses that the club bought and rented out to players and staff.

Arsenal's accounts for 2024-25 were published last week and I was fascinated to see that gate receipts now account for just 22.3% of turnover. The table below shows how reliant the club has been on gate receipts since WW1.

Ben Cook

John Woodward

Thomas Cruise

Today's Arsenal birthdays:
1933 - Ben Cook (1951 - 1956)
1936 - John Woodward (1951 - 1953)
1991 - Thomas Cruise (2006 - 2011)

1987 League Cup final: Arsenal v Liverpool Looking back at the first time Arsenal won the League Cup, as they come from behind to beat Liverpool in the 1987 final.

New blog out looking back at the 1987 Littlewoods Cup final between Arsenal and Liverpool:

that1980ssportsblog.blogspot.com/2026/03/1987...

#AFC #Arsenal #LFC #Liverpool

Yes, it contains the historic programmes that the club uses in its contemporary programmes and on its social media, such as reddit. I'm co-writing a series of articles in this season's programme that features programmes from The Arsenal Collection.

I would have kept my £100 anyway as you wouldn't have found the word "gooner" in any Arsenal programme in the 1960s (nor the 1970s) if you had taken the time to check.

I'm saying the club is mistaken. There's a fair amount on the website that is incorrect.
How about this. You go through those programmes on The Arsenal Colllection. If you can find the word "gooner" in any of the 1960s ones I'll donate £100 to your favourite charity.

Any chance we can have lockdown weather again? This "get back to the office you slackers" weather is crap.

Programmes The matchday programme has been the staple diet for informing fans of news about the club since the late 1880s. This section will include a wide variety of programmes – home, away, first team, rese…

All of the Arsenal programmes for the whole of the 1960s are available to view on The Arsenal Collection. The word gooner doesn't appear in any of them.
I started watching Arsenal in 1975 and can remember "ooh to be a gooner" starting in the early 1980s.
thearsenalcollection.org.uk?page_id=372

It dates back to the early 1980s. It wasn't used in an official match day programme until fairly recently as it was first associated with a hooligan element which the club didn't want to be associated with.

Interesting fact: they’d rerecord the B-side a few months later and it would become their biggest hit.

Stopped at number 3 in the charts, thus failing to emulate his two brothers who topped the charts in the 1960s.

Mal Griffiths

Peter Davies

Andrew Two Saints aka Andre dos Santos

Today's Arsenal birthdays:
1919 - Mal Griffiths (1935 - 1938)
1936 - Peter Davies (1957 - 1959)
1983 - Andre dos Santos (2011 - 2013)

I thought you were going to bed.

Bit like someone having to explain to you the difference between an owner and a sponsor. Night.

Why? What's the relevance of the question?

It's an airline that pays to advertise, not a state that gives the club unearned money.

I was thinking Arsenal / Mansfield legend Craig McKernon.

Welcome to Jaden Dixon, the 928th player to play a competitive first team game for The Arsenal.
thearsenalcollection.org.uk?p=39936

Cardiac vibes even in a supposedly easy game.

This Arsenal fan hasn't had his hair cut since any fan of any other club has said anything remotely positive about his team.

Freddie Jones

Glenn Johnson

Ray Parlour

Mathieu Flamini

1938 - Freddie Jones (1958)
1952 - Glenn Johnson (1968 - 1970)
1973 - Ray Parlour (1988 - 2004)
1984 - Mathieu Flamini (2004 - 2008, 2013 - 2016)

Charles Martin

Reg Lewis

Bill Prior

Clive Catley

Today's Arsenal birthdays:
1905 - Charles Martin (1922)
1920 - Reg Lewis (1935 - 1953)
1920 - Bill Prior (1940 - 1946)
1934 - Clive Catley (1951 - 1952)

No Alt Text required.

Uh oh, who's going to get bombed now?

Just arranged a Teams meeting for 4pm today. I hate myself.

On this day 1935, The Arsenal travelled to Middlesex and beat Tottenham 6-0. This result pulled Arsenal clear at the top of the table where they would remain as they finished as champions, and dragged Tottenham even further into the relegation mire, eventually seeing them relegated.