With 13 first division titles including 3 English Premier League silverwares, 10 FA Cups and 2 League Cups, Arsenal FC are one of the three biggest clubs in England. Founded in 1886 as “Dial Square” by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, the club situated in the north London area of Holloway had undergone a number of name changes. It was only in 1914 that they came to adopt “Arsenal FC” as their name for good.
Arsenal won their maiden first division title in 1931. The London club were then stuck in a post-World War II lean period but recovered in the 1980s. They created history when they did the Double by winning both the league and the FA Cup in 1970-1971. Since the formation of the English Premier League in 1992, Arsenal have been a regular force.
Much of recent success, which includes 3 Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League final appearance (in 2006) owes to a certain Arsene Wenger who came to manage the club from Japan 10 years ago and revolutionized the club.
Arsenal are nicknamed “The Gunners” as an attribute to the club’s origins and their gung-ho style of football. The club’s supporters call themselves “Gooners”. Previously Arsenal used to play at Manor Ground but switched to Highbury Park in 1913. The Gunners stayed there until May, 2006 when they moved to a bigger, 60,000-seater capacity Emirates Stadium just a stone’s throw away.
According to Forbes magazine, Arsenal FC are the third most valuable football team in the world after Manchester United and Real Madrid with an asset worth of £ 495 million. Exceptionally talented players such as Spain’s Cesc Fabregas, Togo’s Emmanuel, Ivory Coast Kolo Toure, Frenchman Samir Nasri and Dane Nicklas Bendtler play a flowing graceful style of football in keeping with the ideals of astute manager Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal Fixtures
