Back in the days when the double was a rarity, this video charts every detail
of this piece of football history. A must for any Gooner.Having finished 12th in the First Division in 1969-70, a full 24 points behind champions Everton (and this was in the days of two points for a win, remember), there was little to suggest Arsenal would come on so strong in the following campaign. But that's exactly what happened, as Gunners fans enjoyed a season they would never forget.
Bertie Mee's boys enjoyed the most memorable of seasons as they clinched the League Championship and the FA Cup - the first time the Gunners had ever
Bertie Mee's boys enjoyed the most memorable of seasons as they clinched the League Championship and the FA Cup - the first time the Gunners had ever
completed English football's precious Double.
Between February 6 and April 20, Arsenal played 12 league games, winning eleven and losing only one. This run followed a speech made by Bertie Mee who told the players: "Now is the time for you to be really ambitious and to aim for the success which may never be possible for you as players again in your lifetimes."
Arsenal had by now reached the final of the FA Cup, defeating Stoke in a replayed semi-final 2-0. Frank Mclintock emerged from the dressing room to declare,
"We are going for the Double."
Review :
PAL/VHS/UK
60 minutes. 1990
60 minutes. 1990
Arsenal 1970-71
Team line-up: BACK ROW(left to right): George WRIGHT(Trainer), Bob McNAB, Peter STOREY, Peter SIMPSON, Geoff BARNETT, Bob WILSON, John ROBERTS, Ray KENNEDY, Peter MARINELLO, Don HOWE(Coach).FRONT ROW (left to right): Charlie GEORGE, John RADFORD, George ARMSTRONG, Jon SAMMELS, Frank McLINTOCK, Bertie MEE(Manager), Pat RICE, Eddie KELLY, George GRAHAM, Sammy NELSON. ARSENAL FAIRS CUP WINNERS 1970.
After 17 barren years this was the squad that brought silverware back to Highbury. The previous season had seen this squad defeat Anderlecht 4-3 over two legs to win the Inter-Cities Fair Cup, Arsenal's first european trophy. Apart from this success, Arsenal's domestic form finishing 12th in the First Division with 42 points from 42 games and being knocked out by Blackpool in an FA Cup 3rd round replay were hardly a guide as to what would happen in the 70-71 season. The season started quietly enough with two draws and two wins in the first four games before a defeat, away at Chelsea.
September 26th was to be a turning point for the season, Arsenal losing 5-0 at Stoke, the only time that season the defence would let in more than two goals in a game. Arsenal then went on a run of 14 games without defeat, drawing only three. At this stage Leeds were looking most likely to become champions with Liverpool and Arsenal chasing the runners-up spot. Although Leeds were clear favourites for the title Arsenal were in no mood to give up the chase. The Arsenal side was a team with no stars but a team who worked hard for each other and possessed a never-say-die attitude, captained by Frank Mclintock who led by example.
With a month of the season left Arsenal were six points behind Leeds with 3 games in hand. Arsenal went to Elland Road with a week of the season left and were beaten 1-0 by a hotly disputed offside goal by Jack Charlton. Arsenal's last game of the season was at White Hart Lane with Arsenal knowing exactly what they had to do. A win would give Arsenal the title, a defeat and the championship would go to Leeds. A 0-0 draw would mean success for Arsenal but any scoring draw would give the title to Leeds due to the peculiarities of the goal average system.
If anyone thought this would be a formality for Arsenal then Alan Mullery's comments would soon put them right. The Spurs captain said: "Arsenal have got as much chance of being handed the title by Spurs as I have of being given the Crown Jewels."
The gates were locked more than an hour before kick-off with 51,192 fans inside. It was said, twice that number were locked out. In a tense affair the match was decided in the 88th minute when Ray Kennedy scored the only goal of the game. Five days later Arsenal met Liverpool at Wembley hoping to become the fourth club to win the double. Again they did it the hard way, coming from a goal behind in extra-time, to win 2-1 with goals from Eddie Kelly and Charlie George. It had taken Arsenal 51 matches to achieve the double, being drawn away in all rounds of the FA Cup and needing replays in the fourth, sixth and semi-finals to progress. Bob Wilson, Frank Mclintock and George Armstrong were the only ever presents in Arsenal's double campaign and only 16 players were used all season.(11v11.com)
La saison 1970-71 est celle des Gunners. Arsenal réalise en effet à cette occasion le doublé historique Coupe/Championnat, le premier de l'histoire du club.
article en Francais :
http://thevintagefootballclub.blogspot.com/2010/11/arsenal-1970-71.html
If anyone thought this would be a formality for Arsenal then Alan Mullery's comments would soon put them right. The Spurs captain said: "Arsenal have got as much chance of being handed the title by Spurs as I have of being given the Crown Jewels."
The gates were locked more than an hour before kick-off with 51,192 fans inside. It was said, twice that number were locked out. In a tense affair the match was decided in the 88th minute when Ray Kennedy scored the only goal of the game. Five days later Arsenal met Liverpool at Wembley hoping to become the fourth club to win the double. Again they did it the hard way, coming from a goal behind in extra-time, to win 2-1 with goals from Eddie Kelly and Charlie George. It had taken Arsenal 51 matches to achieve the double, being drawn away in all rounds of the FA Cup and needing replays in the fourth, sixth and semi-finals to progress. Bob Wilson, Frank Mclintock and George Armstrong were the only ever presents in Arsenal's double campaign and only 16 players were used all season.(11v11.com)
La saison 1970-71 est celle des Gunners. Arsenal réalise en effet à cette occasion le doublé historique Coupe/Championnat, le premier de l'histoire du club.
article en Francais :
http://thevintagefootballclub.blogspot.com/2010/11/arsenal-1970-71.html
