Arsenal anniversaries: 13 May. Wenger’s last match

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The anniversaries…

13 May 1910: Representatives of the Football League had a discussion about Woolwich Arsenal’s financial problems and its future at its management committee meeting.

13 May 1904: Archibald Gray joined Woolwich Arsenal from Hibernian with whom he had won the Scottish League and Cup, playing 51 league games.  He played in Arsenal’s first ever first division game.

13 May 1926: To conclude Chapman’s first season as Arsenal manager the club went on a six match European tour with the first game on this day: MTK Vörös Meteor (Budapest) 2 Arsenal 2 (28,000).  Brain and Lee got the goals.

13 May 1933: Eddie Hapgood made his international début.  In all he played 30 times for England.  See also here

13 May 1939: England played away to Italy and drew 2-2 with Male and Hapgood in the team.

13 May 1967: Sheffield W 1 Arsenal 1.  George Graham got the goal – his 11th league goal of the season to make him top scorer, as Arsenal finished unbeaten in the last 12 in Mee’s first season, and ended 7th in the league.

13 May 1970: Arsenal concluded their two match post-season tour of Cyprus with 13 Appollon (Cyprus) 0 Arsenal 2 (Marinello and George getting the goals).

13 May 1991: Birth of Francis Coquelin.  He played for AS du Bourny, and Stade Lavallois before moving to Arsenal in July 2008.  After loan spells with Lorient and Freiburg he returned to Arsenal and after a further five match loan to Charlton became the first choice defensive midfielder and was hailed by Thierry Henry as “the police officer”.   He left Arsenal in 2018.

13 May 1996: Jason Crowe joined as a trainee.  He played three times as a sub in cup games before moving to Portsmouth in 1999.

13 May 2005: Just two days after beating Everton 7-0, Arsenal finished the season with a 2-1 away defeat to Birmingham to come second in the league, 12 points behind Chelsea.

13 May 2007: Portsmouth 0 Arsenal 0.  The draw left Arsenal 4th in the league. A win would have taken them to third.   Portsmouth finished mid-table.  Seven years later they were in the fourth tier.

13 May 2012: WBA 2 Arsenal 3, and Arsenal secured Champions League football once again -for the 15th consecutive season.

13 May 2017: Arsenal beat Stoke away 1-4 as part of a run of six consecutive wins leading up to the FA Cup Final in which Arsenal beat Chelsea.

13 May 2018: Huddersfield Town 0 Arsenal 1.  Arsene Wenger’s last match as manager.  Arsenal ended the season in sixth, 37 points behind the champions.  Particularly concerning was the decline in away form in which only 4 matches were won all season.

Henry Norris at the Arsenal:  There is a full index to the series here.

Arsenal in the 1930s: The most comprehensive series on the decade ever

Arsenal in the 1970s: Every match and every intrigue reviewed in detail.