Autumn 1918: Arsenal winning, the war grinds to an end, crowds return

By Tony Attwood

1918 is primarily remembered as the year the first world war ended.  But it was also a time when a rising awareness of socialism and communism spread through parts of Europe following the collapse of Russia in 1917 and the rise of the power of the Communist Party in that country and ultimately the creation of the USSR.

A sign of the times can be seen by the fact that on 30 August 1918 there was a  strike of 20,000 London policemen with demands of increased pay and union recognition.  With the country still at war, and the government feverishly aware that the return of the conscripted soldiers to a civilian life could prove the catalyst for uprising, there was a considerable amount of angst among political leaders.

As for football, as we saw in the last article the decision had been taken in the summer to continue with anot...