Old Gunners and Gooners : Strange Comings & Going’s.

All the best to Kenny Sansom - Who’s Currently critically ill.

Strange Comings & Going’s.

Season 1980-81.

The squad - July 1980.

Brady - Rice - Barron - Allen, most would be gone by the end of August.

Liam Brady had left for Juventus and Pat Rice, another Arsenal stalwart from the Fairs Cup & Double Winning teams, went to Watford only a year after lifting the FA Cup at Wembley.

A True Arsenal Man - Pat Rice.

Terry Neill had also decided to replace some ageing players and we saw Clive Allen being bought from QPR for £1million.

Now you see him - Now you don’t!!

Kenny Sansom signs - Clive Allen leaves.

Clive Allen only made one appearance for Arsenal, a pre season friendly at Glasgow Rangers.

Apparently Don Howe thought a defender was a priority instead.

Paul Barron was also part of this deal.

Now Arsenal needed a goalie as back up for Pat Jennings.

In comes George Wood.

League.

Arsenal finished 3rd in the League and qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Kenny Sansom made his Arsenal debut at West Brom and many fans were there to see it.

Including me.

Kenny Sansom debut day.

One of the League highlights was beating the team from the Lane at Highbury and this day was also memorable for their fans even entering the North Bank in large numbers.

No friends here.

Our old friend - Mark Kendal.

They’re Not friends.

Nor are they.

Some Tickets from away games.

Liverpool.

Southampton.

Crystal Palace.

In between these Games, Peter Shilton the England goalkeeper, arrived with Forest for a league game a few days after crashing his car into a lamppost in the early hours of the morning, with a married woman on board, who he was allegedly having an affair with.

As he was warming up before the game, the chant went up from the North Bank,

“Does your missus know you’re here?” Shilton just turned his head and smiled back.

The whole stadium was laughing also.

Shilton embarrassed again.

Frank Stapleton gives a hint about leaving.

Still our best player.

Losing in the League Cup at the Lane.

FA Cup.

Arsenal were drawn away at Everton in the 3rd round but we still had hopes of reaching a 4th consecutive final.

I travelled to Goodison by car with Spooky, Putney & Dave W. We had good seats up in the main stand and it was so high that there were escalators to get people up there.

Arsenal lost 2-0 and Kenny Sansom scored an own goal.

No day out at Wembley this season then.

Kenny’s OG.

Up with the pigeons.

This defeat prompted Arsenal to buy Peter Nicholas from Crystal Palace.

David Price went to Palace as part of the deal.

Sansom & Nicholas Reunited.

David Price leaves.

Welsh International Peter Nicholas arrives.

Stoke.

Bob Wall - Mr Arsenal.

Bob Wall Obituary.

Even Leeds fans try their luck in the North Bank.

Leicester.

A young player chooses Arsenal, I wonder if we’ll remember him?

Michael Thomas - His name rings a bell.

In my dreams.

Sacré Bleu!!!

Sadly, His only visit to Highbury.

That’s probably the only time we’ll see Cruyff - Platini - Pele & Arsenal in the same sentence.

Aston Villa win the League at Highbury.

On the last day of the season a packed crowd, containing 16,000 Villa fans in the Clock End, saw Aston Villa with the title and Arsenal finish 3rd.

There was fighting in the streets beforehand and only a massive police cordon on the halfway line prevented a full scale punch up when the game finished.

Just as well both sets of fans were happy then, as who knows what would have happened.