Don Departs.

                                          Season 1984-85.



Viv Anderson arrived from Forest to finally fill the position that Pat Rice had previously left.

Finally a Top Class Right Back - Viv Anderson. 

Viv in action. 

League. 

Arsenal opened the season at Home to newly promoted Chelsea and there were apparently 14,000 Chelsea fans in Highbury. 

They completely filled the Clock End and some of the Lower East & West Stands. 

They weren’t in the North Bank, probably due to the massive police presence at the turnstiles. 

When I went for a beer at half time in the East Stand bar, I recognised some of our old adversaries from the Shed End but we just nodded and smiled at each other. 

Tony Woodcock got plenty of stick from their fans as he’d recently been done for drink driving. 

Some Match tickets for this season. 

Arsenal eventually finished 7th and were very inconsistent all season. 

One of the highlights. 

Woodcock scores in 3-1 win against Liverpool. 

Brian Talbot celebrates scoring with a superb Free Kick as well. 

Another highlight - beating Champions Everton 1-0. 

Steve Williams arrives from Southampton - Another Top Class player. 

Oops - Wrong Stand!!

My mate Spooky agreed to go with me to the Chelsea away game as we hadn’t been there for a few years, due to them yo - yoing between divisions. 

I bought the tickets a few days before from the Chelsea ticket office as I was in the area - Mistake!!

We were approaching the West Stand before the game, when I saw a Chelsea fan that I knew from work. He told us to be careful going in that stand, saying “they’re all nutters in there”. 

Well, we both smiled as we’d been to many away grounds over the years and knew the score. 

As we got to the row where our seats were, I realised what my workmate meant. 

The Stand was full of nutters!!

They were the most aggressive, cocky, loudmouth fans I’d ever seen, and I’ve seen plenty, fuelled by the whisky and brandy bottles they were passing around. Many of them weren’t kids either. 

Guess where our seats where? Yep, right in the middle of them all. 

As we were walking along the row, we could see them staring at these two strangers in their midst and trying to suss us out. 

I’d only been sitting down for a few minutes when a large drunken bloke appeared in front of me, claiming that I was sitting in his seat. 

He then pulled me up by my coat lapels and before things escalated, as we’ve never been afraid to stick up for ourselves, but this was suicidal, I managed to produce my ticket to show him I was in the right place. 

When he realised that he should be in the seat in front of mine, he turned and grabbed the occupant, another Chelsea fan, and dragged him out of the seat. 

Lucky escape number one. 

When the game started they all settled down a bit except that we were now having to stand up every time Chelsea attacked or got a corner. 

Then, disaster, Arsenal scored and most of the them were now standing up looking for any celebrating Arsenal Fans. Spooky just mumbled to me “ good goal” and I nodded in reply. 

But there’s always one idiot. A middle aged Arsenal fan had stood up clapping and was pummelled to the ground by about four blokes sitting near him. 

The police and stewards were noticeable by their absence. 

I looked at the blokes behind me and by their glaring looks, I could see that they thought we were Arsenal Fans. 

I was hoping that none of the older ones would recognise us from our North Bank days. 

Near the end of the game Chelsea equalised and as the whole stand were on their seats singing, Spooky and me decided to take advantage and leave. 

Lucky escape number two. 

I think this was the heyday of the notorious “headhunters”.  Aptly named!!

A quieter day out. 

All quiet in West London this time. 

 vs Man Utd. 

Charlie Nicholas & West Stand. 

Clock End. 

North Bank. 

Graham Rix in Centenary Shirt. 

League Cup. 

In the League Cup Arsenal beat Bristol Rovers before losing away at Oxford 3-2. 

I went to this game with Spooky & Putney and witnessed Pat Jennings getting beaten by a long range shot from the Oxford full back for their winner. This would be Pat’s last season. 

FA Cup. 

Arsenal drew away at Hereford and then won the replay 7-2 before a disastrous day in the snow at York City in the 4th Round, losing 1-0. 

My last view of Liam Brady in competitive action. 

His last at Highbury - Pat Jennings Testimonial. 

Peter Hill - Wood & Pat Jennings. 

Match ticket & Pat’s autograph. 

One of my mates visits Rio de Janeiro. 

He should have used the flash!!

Maracana Stadium. 

Season 1985-86 

John Lukic was now the number one goalkeeper at Arsenal. 

John Lukic. 

League. 

Some match tickets. 

Another disgrace. 

Granty & Myself decided to visit our old Glaswegian mates in Barcelona. 

We saw Barca beat Osasuna. 

The 2 Glasgow boys and 2 old North Bank mates. 

I don’t think Terry Venables was saying “Hola” to us. 

Happy New Year?

Not for Charlie Nicholas - Roberts nearly leaves half of him with the schoolboys. 

Revenge is sweet though  - Charlie scores against them at the Lane again. 

I hate giving them my money. 

Some photos vs Everton. 

The Dug Out. 

Kickoff. 

End of. 

All off. 

Arsenal finished 7th in the League. 

League Cup. 

Arsenal beat Hereford - Man City - Southampton to set up an away 5th Round tie with Aston Villa.  

I went to this game by car with Putney - Granty - Spooky. 

Memorable for the traffic jams forcing us to park up in a housing estate and then clamber down the muddy hill opposite the Main Stand at Villa Park. 

Arsenal had great support that night and I recall some of our fans invading the pitch when Arsenal scored. 

Only Arsenal could do the hard work away. 

Then cock it all up.

FA Cup. 

In the FA Cup Arsenal beat Grimsby & Rotherham then drew 2 games with Luton before losing the 3rd game at Luton again 3-0. 

I think that was when the board decided to sack Don Howe at the end of the season. 

Don Howe doesn’t look happy. 

Most Arsenal Fans were happy with this decision. 

Some more of my mates were happy also. 

2 of my mates & myself went to see England vs Scotland at Wembley. 

This was because the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had banned Scottish fans from travelling, thereby making more tickets available for the English. 

Next Post - Monday 25/5/2020. 

George Strolls In. 

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