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#REDIRECT [[Arsenal F.C. - Iraq War Traitors!!!]]
{{Football club infobox |
clubname = Arsenal |
image = [[Image:Arsenal FC.png|140px]] |
fullname = Arsenal Football Club|
nickname = The Gunners|
founded = 1886 |
ground = [[Arsenal Stadium]],<br />[[Highbury]], [[London]] |
capacity = 38,500 |
chairman = [[Image:England_flag.svg|20px|English]] [[Peter Hill-Wood]] |
manager = [[Image:Flag_of_France.svg|20px|French]] [[Arsène Wenger]] |
league = [[FA Premier League]] |
season = [[FA Premier League 2004-05|2004-05]] |
position = Premier League, 2nd |
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shirtsponsors= |
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}}
'''Arsenal Football Club''' (also known as '''Arsenal''', '''The Arsenal''' or '''The Gunners''') are a [[football (soccer)|football]] club based in north [[London]]. They play in the [[FA Premier League|Football Association Premier League]] and are one of the most successful clubs in [[Football in England|England]]. Arsenal have won thirteen [[Football League First Division|First Division]] and Premier League titles, and the [[FA Cup]] ten times, although the team have yet to achieve similar success in the [[UEFA Champions League]].

Arsenal were founded in south-east London in 1886, but moved to their current home ground, the [[Arsenal Stadium]], [[Highbury]], in 1913. In August 2006 the club will move to the new 60,000-seater [[Emirates Stadium]] in nearby Ashburton Grove. Arsenal enjoy a fierce rivalry with [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], from nearby [[Tottenham]], whom they play in the [[North London derby]].

==History==
<!-- This is just a summary, please do not add too much detail; the main article is probably best for detailed additions -->{{details|History of Arsenal F.C.}}

Arsenal were founded as '''Dial Square''' in 1886 by workers at the [[Royal Arsenal]] in [[Woolwich]], but were renamed to '''Royal Arsenal''' shortly afterwards. They renamed themselves again to '''Woolwich Arsenal''' after turning professional in 1891. The club were then known by fans as the ''Woolwich Reds'', although they played their games in nearby [[Plumstead]]. Woolwich Arsenal entered [[the Football League]] in 1893, becoming the first southern team to do so.

The club started out in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], and won promotion to the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] in 1904. However, the club's geographic isolation, and the resulting low attendances, led to the club becoming mired in financial problems. In 1913, soon after relegation back to the Second Division, they moved across the [[River Thames|Thames]] to the new [[Arsenal Stadium]] in [[Highbury]], north London. They dropped "Woolwich" from their name the following year. Arsenal only finished in fifth place in 1919, but nevertheless were elected to rejoin the First Division at the expense of local rivals [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], by reportedly dubious means.{{ref|henrynorris}}

In 1925, Arsenal appointed the highly successful [[Herbert Chapman]] as manager. Chapman had won the league with [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] in 1924 and 1925, and he brought Arsenal their first period of major success. His revolutionary tactics and training, along with star players such as [[Alex James (footballer)|Alex James]] and [[Cliff Bastin]], helped the club to dominate English football in the thirties. Between 1930 and 1938, Arsenal won the First Division five times and the [[FA Cup]] twice, although Chapman did not live to see all of these achievements as he died of [[pneumonia]] in 1934.

Following the suspension of English professional football during [[World War II]], Arsenal won the league in 1948 and 1953 and the FA Cup in 1950. However, their fortunes began to wane; unable to attract players of the same calibre as they had in the thirties, the club spent most of the 1950s and 1960s in trophyless mediocrity. Even former [[England national football team|England]] captain [[Billy Wright (footballer)|Billy Wright]] could not bring the club any success as manager.

Arsenal's second successful era began with the surprise appointment of club [[physiotherapy|physiotherapist]] [[Bertie Mee]] as manager in 1966. After losing two [[League Cup]] finals, they won the [[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]] in 1970: their first European trophy. This was followed by an even greater triumph: their first League and FA Cup [[the Double|double]] in 1971. However, the following decade was characterised by a series of near misses. Arsenal finished as First Division runners-up in 1973, lost three FA Cup finals (1972, 1978 and 1980) and lost the 1980 [[Cup Winners' Cup]] final on [[penalty shootout (football)|penalties]]. The club's only success during this time was an FA Cup win in 1979, with a last-minute 3–2 victory over [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] that is widely regarded as a classic.

[[Image:Arsenal open top bus parade 2004.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Arsenal's players and fans celebrate their 2004 title win with an open-top bus parade]]
The return of former player [[George Graham (footballer)|George Graham]] as manager in 1986 brought a third period of glory. Arsenal won the League Cup in 1987, Graham's first season in charge. This was followed by a League title win in 1989, won with a last-minute goal in the final game of the season against fellow title challengers [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. Graham's Arsenal won another title in 1991, losing only one match, the FA Cup and League Cup in 1993 and a second European trophy, the [[Cup Winners' Cup]], in 1994. However, Graham's reputation was tarnished when it was revealed that he had taken kickbacks from agent [[Rune Hauge]] for signing certain players,{{ref|georgegraham}} and he was sacked in 1995. His replacement, [[Bruce Rioch]], lasted for only one season, leaving the club after a dispute over transfer funds.

The club's success in the late 1990s and 2000s owes a great deal to the appointment of manager [[Arsène Wenger]] in 1996. Wenger brought new tactics, a new training regime and several foreign players who complemented the existing English talent. Arsenal won a second league and cup double in 1998 and a third in 2002. In addition, the club were victorious in the 2003 and 2005 FA Cups, and won the League in 2004 without losing a single match. Arsenal finished in either first or second place in the league in eight of Wenger's first nine seasons, and they are now considered to be one of the "big three" clubs in England along with [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]. However, they have been unable to replicate their domestic success in the [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]], having never progressed beyond the quarter-finals.{{ref|asof2005}}

==Crest==
[[Image:Arsenal crest 1888.png|thumb|160px|Arsenal's first crest from 1888]]
[[Image:Arsenal_fc_old_crest_small.png|thumb|160px|Arsenal's crest from ''c.'' 1949 to 2002]]
Royal Arsenal's first crest, unveiled in 1888, featured three [[cannon]]s viewed from above, pointing northwards, similar to the crest of the [[Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich|Borough of Woolwich]]. These can be mistaken for [[chimney]]s, but the presence of a carved lion's head and a [[cascabel]] on each are clear indicators that they are cannons. In 1922, the club adopted its first single-cannon crest, featuring an eastward-pointing cannon. This crest was only used
until 1925 when the cannon was reversed to point westward, its barrel was slimmed down and the club's nickname, ''The Gunners'', was inscribed to the left of it. In 1949, the club unveiled a modernised crest featuring the same style of cannon, the club's name set in [[blackletter]] above the cannon, and a scroll inscribed with the club's newly adopted [[Latin]] [[motto]], ''Victoria Concordia Crescit'' ("victory comes from harmony"). For the first time, the crest was rendered in colour – red, green, and gold – which varied slightly over the crest's lifespan.

Because of the crest's natural evolution, Arsenal were unable to [[copyright]] it, so in 2002 they introduced a new crest featuring more modern curved lines and a simplified style.{{ref|newcrest}} The cannon once again faces east and the club's name is written in a [[sans-serif]] [[typeface]] above the cannon. Green was replaced by dark blue. The new crest received a mixed response from supporters, with some claiming that it had ignored much of Arsenal's history by removing the blackletter text, motto, and [[Heraldry|coat of arms]].

==Colours==
{{Football kit box |
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For much of Arsenal's history, their home colours have been bright red shirts with white sleeves and white shorts, though this has not always been the case. The choice of red is in recognition of a charitable donation from [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]], soon after Arsenal's foundation in 1886. Two of Dial Square's founding members, [[Fred Beardsley]] and [[Morris Bates]], were former Forest players who had moved to Woolwich for work. As they put together the first team in the area, no kit could be found, so Beardsley and Bates wrote home for help and received a set of kit and a ball. The shirt was a darker shade of red than the club's modern-day colours, almost purple, and was worn with either white or dark red shorts. Arsenal's colours inspired [[AC Sparta Praha|Sparta Prague]] to adopt a dark red kit in 1909, which they wear to this day.

In 1933 Herbert Chapman, wanting his players to be more distinctly dressed, updated the kit, adding white sleeves and changing the shade to a brighter [[pillar box]] red. The team have stuck with the combination since, aside from two seasons. Firstly, in [[1963-64 in English football|1963–64]] the kit reverted to all red, but this proved unpopular and the white sleeves returned the following season. Secondly, as [[2005-06 in English football|2005–06]] is the last season that Arsenal will play at Highbury, the team's shirts have temporarily reverted back to the original darker red, or "redcurrant", to reflect the colour worn in the first season at Highbury, in 1913. The club will return to its usual colours at the end of the season.

Arsenal's away colours are traditionally yellow and blue, although they wore a green and navy away kit for a short while in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s and the advent of the lucrative replica kit market, the away colours have been changed every couple of seasons. Generally, they have been either yellow and blue, or two-tone blue designs, although there was a metallic gold and navy strip for the [[2001-02 in English football|2001–02]] season. However, many Arsenal fans feel that the blue shirts bring bad luck – all three of the club's recent Premier League titles have come in a season where the team wore yellow or gold. The [[2005-06 in English football|2005–06]] away colours are yellow and dark grey.

==Stadium==

[[Image:Arsenal Stadium interior North Bank.jpg|thumb|300px|The North Bank stand, [[Arsenal Stadium]]]]
[[Image:Emirates Stadium under construction.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Emirates Stadium]] under construction]]

[[Arsenal Stadium]], widely referred to as Highbury, has been Arsenal's home since the club's move to north London in 1913. The original stadium was built by the renowned football architect [[Archibald Leitch]], and had a design common to many football grounds in the UK at the time, with a single covered stand and three open-air banks of [[terrace|terracing]]. In the 1930s, the entire stadium was given a massive overhaul, with new [[Art Deco]] East and West stands constructed, and roofs added to the North Bank and Clock End terraces. At its peak, Highbury could hold over 60,000 spectators, and had a capacity of 57,000 until the early 1990s. The [[Taylor Report]] and [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] regulations forced Arsenal to convert Highbury into an all-seater in 1992, reducing its capacity to the current total of 38,500{{ref|clcapacity}}. Expansion has been restricted because the East Stand is now a [[listed building|Grade II listed building]].

These limitations in Highbury's capacity have prevented the club from maximising the revenue that their domestic form could have brought in recent seasons. Although the club remains highly profitable, Arsenal are currently in the process of building [[Emirates Stadium]], a new 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove, about 500 metres south-west of Highbury. While this project was delayed by red tape (including final approval of the necessary compulsory purchase orders by [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[John Prescott]]) and rising costs, construction has now begun and the stadium is expected to be ready for the start of the [[2006-07 in English football|2006–07]] season. The stadium is named after its sponsors, the airline company [[Emirates]], with whom the club signed the largest sponsorship deal in English football history, worth approximately £100 million over the term of the deal. As a part of the deal the stadium will be known as Emirates Stadium for at least the first 15 years, and the airline will be the club's shirt sponsor from 2006 until the end of the 2013–14 season.

==Supporters==

Arsenal have a large and generally loyal fanbase, with virtually all home matches selling out. The club's location, adjoining both wealthy areas such as [[Islington]] and working-class suburbs such as [[Holloway, London|Holloway]], has meant that Arsenal's supporters have come from across the usual class divides. Arsenal have the highest proportion (7%) of non-white attending supporters of any club in English football, probably because of the high proportion of [[minority|ethnic minorities]] in north London.{{ref|minorities}}

Like all major English football clubs, Arsenal have a number of domestic supporters' clubs, including the Official Arsenal Football Supporters Club, which is affiliated with the club, and the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association which maintains an independent line. The club's supporters also publish [[fanzine]]s such as ''The Gooner'', ''Highbury High'', ''Gunflash'' and the less cerebral ''Up The Arse!'' There is also a very healthy [[blogosphere]] dedicated to the club, with "Arseblog," "East Lower," "Goodplaya," and "Gunner Blog" all proving popular. In addition to the usual English [[football chant]]s, Arsenal's supporters sing "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "[[Go West]]") and "Boring, Boring Arsenal", which used to be a common taunt from opposition fans but is now sung ironically by Arsenal supporters when the team is playing well.

In recent times, a supporter's attachment to a football club has become less dependent on geography, so Arsenal now have many fans not just from London but all over England and indeed the world. While there have always been small pockets of supporters abroad, Arsenal's supporter base has widened considerably with the advent of [[satellite television]], and there are now significant supporters' clubs in [[Scandinavia]], [[South East Asia|South East]] and [[East Asia]] and the [[United States]]. A 2005 report by [[Granada Ventures]], which owns a 10% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world.{{ref|fanbase}}

Arsenal's longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their nearest major neighbour, [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]], with matches between the two being referred to as [[North London derby|North London derbies]]. Matches against other London sides such as [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] are also [[derby match|derbies]], but the rivalry is not as intense as that between Arsenal and Tottenham. In addition, Arsenal and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] have had a strong on-pitch rivalry since the late 1980s, which has intensified in recent years when both clubs have been competing for the Premier League title.

==Arsenal in popular culture==

As one of the most successful teams in the country, Arsenal have often featured when football is depicted in [[British culture]]. The club were the backdrop to one of the earliest football-related [[film]]s, ''[[The Arsenal Stadium Mystery]]'' (1939). The film is centred on a [[friendly match]] between Arsenal and an amateur side, one of whose players is poisoned whilst playing. Many Arsenal players appeared as themselves, although only manager George Allison was given a speaking part.

More recently, the book ''[[Fever Pitch]]'' by [[Nick Hornby]] was an [[autobiography|autobiographical]] account of Hornby's life and relationship with football and Arsenal in particular. Published in 1992, it formed part of, and may have played an active part in, the revival and rehabilitation of football in British society during the 1990s. The book was later made into a film starring [[Colin Firth]], which centred on the club's [[1988-89 in English football|1988–89]] title win.

Arsenal's perceived tendency to be defensive and "boring" through the 1970s and 1980s made the team the butt of jokes by many comedians such as [[Eric Morecambe]]. The theme was repeated in the 1997 film ''[[The Full Monty]]'', in a scene where the lead actors move in a line and raise their hands, deliberately mimicking the Arsenal defence's [[Offside law (football)|offside]] trap, in an attempt to co-ordinate their [[stripping]].

The club is also mentioned in several ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' sketches, and in [[Douglas Adams]]' ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'': a barman remarks that the impending [[end of the world]] is a "lucky escape" for Arsenal, who are playing that afternoon. Most recently, in the 2004 box office hit ''[[Ocean's Twelve]]'' the stars put on Arsenal tracksuits as part of one of their European heists.

==Arsenal Ladies==
{{details|Arsenal L.F.C.}}
[[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal Ladies]] are the [[Women's football (soccer)|women's football]] club affiliated to Arsenal. Founded in 1987, they turned semi-professional in 2002 and are one of the most successful teams, if not the dominant team, in [[Women's football in England|English women's football]] today. They are managed by [[Vic Akers]], who is also kit manager for the men's side, and play in the [[FA Women's Premier League National Division|FA Women's Premier League]]. They are currently reigning League champions, having won their seventh title in 2005.

As well as their seven League titles, Arsenal Ladies have won the [[FA Women's Cup]] six times and the [[Women's League Cup]] eight times; this includes two Trebles in 1993 and 2001. They have also reached the semifinals of the [[UEFA Women's Cup]] twice, the furthest any English women's club have ever got. While the men's and women's clubs are formally separate they have quite close ties; Arsenal vice-chairman [[David Dein]] is president of Arsenal Ladies, and the women's side play once a season at Highbury.

==Statistics and records==
{{details|Arsenal F.C. statistics}}
[[David O'Leary]] holds the record for Arsenal appearances, having played 722 first-class matches between 1975 and 1993. Fellow [[centre half]] and former captain [[Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams]] comes second, having played 668 times. The record for a [[goalkeeper]] is held by [[David Seaman]], with 563 appearances.

Current Arsenal captain [[Thierry Henry]] is the club's top goalscorer with 187 goals in all competitions, having surpassed [[Ian Wright]]'s total of 185 in October 2005. Wright's record had stood since 1997, a feat which overtook the longstanding total of 178 goals set by winger [[Cliff Bastin]] in 1939.

Arsenal have also set records in English football, most notably the most consecutive seasons spent in the top flight (79, as of 2005) and the longest run of unbeaten League matches (49 between May 2003 and October 2004). This included all 38 matches of the [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]] season, making Arsenal only the second club ever to finish a top-flight campaign unbeaten, after [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] in [[1888-89 in English football|1888–89]].

==Current squad==
''As of [[September 30]], [[2005]]:''
{{Football squad start}}
<!-- For help using the below template, please see [[Template talk:Football squad player]] -->
{{football squad player | no=1 | nat=Germany | pos=GK | name= [[Jens Lehmann]]}}
{{football squad player | no=3 | nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Ashley Cole]]}}
{{football squad player | no=7 | nat=France | pos=MF | name= [[Robert Pirès]]}}
{{football squad player | no=8 | nat=Sweden | pos=MF | name= [[Fredrik Ljungberg]]}}
{{football squad player | no=9 | nat=Spain | pos=FW | name= [[José Antonio Reyes]]}}
{{football squad player | no=10 | nat=Netherlands| pos=FW | name= [[Dennis Bergkamp]] | }}
{{football squad player | no=11 | nat=Netherlands| pos=FW | name= [[Robin van Persie]]}}
{{football squad player | no=12 | nat=Cameroon | pos=DF | name= [[Lauren Etame Mayer|Lauren]]}}
{{football squad player | no=13 | nat=Belarus | pos=MF | name= [[Aliaksandr Hleb|Alexander Hleb]]}}
{{football squad player | no=14 | nat=France | pos=FW | name= [[Thierry Henry]] | other=captain}}
{{football squad player | no=15 | nat=Spain | pos=MF | name= [[Francesc Fabregas]]}}
{{football squad player | no=16 | nat=France | pos=MF | name= [[Mathieu Flamini]]}}
{{football squad player | no=17 | nat=Cameroon | pos=MF | name= [[Alexandre Song]] | other=on loan from [[Sporting Club de Bastia|Bastia]]}}
{{football squad player | no=18 | nat=France | pos=DF | name= [[Pascal Cygan]]}}
{{football squad player | no=19 | nat=Brazil | pos=MF | name= [[Gilberto Silva]]}}
{{football squad player | no=20 | nat=Switzerland| pos=DF | name= [[Philippe Senderos]]}}
{{football squad player | no=21 | nat=Estonia | pos=GK | name= [[Mart Poom]] | other=on loan from [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]}}
{{football squad player | no=22 | nat=France | pos=DF | name= [[Gaël Clichy]] }}
{{football squad mid}}
{{football squad player | no=23 | nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Sol Campbell]]}}
{{football squad player | no=24 | nat=Spain | pos=GK | name= [[Manuel Almunia]]}}
{{football squad player | no=26 | nat=Netherlands| pos=FW | name= [[Quincy Owusu-Abeyie]]}}
{{football squad player | no=27 | nat=Cote d'Ivoire| pos=DF | name= [[Emmanuel Eboué]]}}
{{football squad player | no=28 | nat=Cote d'Ivoire| pos=DF | name= [[Kolo Touré]]}}
{{football squad player | no=29 | nat=Sweden | pos=MF | name= [[Sebastian Larsson]]}}
{{football squad player | no=33 | nat=Denmark | pos=FW | name= [[Nicklas Bendtner]]}}
{{football squad player | no=34 | nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Matthew Connolly]]}}
{{football squad player | no=35 | nat=Ireland | pos=MF | name= [[Patrick Cregg]]}}
{{football squad player | no=36 | nat=Switzerland| pos=MF | name= [[Johan Djourou]]}}
{{football squad player | no=37 | nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Ryan Garry]]}}
{{football squad player | no=38 | nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Kerrea Gilbert]]}}
{{football squad player | no=39 | nat=England | pos=GK | name= [[Mark Howard (Arsenal footballer)|Mark Howard]]}}
{{football squad player | no=40 | nat=England | pos=GK | name= [[Michael Jordan (footballer)|Michael Jordan]]}}
{{football squad player | no=41 | nat=Italy | pos=FW | name= [[Arturo Lupoli]]}}
{{football squad player | no=42 | nat=Italy | pos=GK | name= [[Vito Mannone]]}}
{{football squad player | no=44 | nat=England | pos=MF | name= [[Fabrice Muamba]]}}
{{football squad player | no=45 | nat=Ireland | pos=FW | name= [[Anthony Stokes (footballer)|Anthony Stokes]]}}
{{football squad end}}
;Players out on loan
{|
{{football squad player | no=––| nat=France | pos=FW | name= [[Jeremie Aliadière]] | other=at [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]], season-long}}
{{football squad player | no=––| nat=England | pos=FW | name= [[David Bentley]] | other=at [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], season-long}}
{{football squad player | no=––| nat=England | pos=DF | name= [[Justin Hoyte]] | other=at [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]], season-long}}
{{football squad player | no=––| nat=England | pos=MF | name= [[Ryan Smith (footballer)|Ryan Smith]] | other=at [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]], until end of 2005}}
{{football squad player | no=––| nat=Ireland | pos=GK | name= [[Graham Stack]] | other=at [[Reading F.C.|Reading]], season-long}}
|}

==Famous players==
{{details|List of Arsenal F.C. players}}
''Listed according to year of Arsenal first-team debut (year in parentheses):''
* 1920s: [[Jimmy Brain]] (1924), [[Eddie Hapgood]] (1927), [[David Jack]] (1928), [[Cliff Bastin]] (1929), [[Alex James (footballer)|Alex James]] (1929).
* 1930s: [[Leslie Compton]] (1932), [[Ted Drake]] (1934), [[Denis Compton]] (1936), [[Reg Lewis]] (1938).
* 1940s: [[Walley Barnes]] (1946), [[Joe Mercer]] (1946), [[Laurie Scott (footballer)|Laurie Scott]] (1946).
* 1950s: [[Dave Bowen]] (1951), [[Jack Kelsey]] (1951), [[Jimmy Bloomfield]] (1954), [[David Herd (footballer)|David Herd]] (1954).
* 1960s: [[George Armstrong (footballer)|George Armstrong]] (1962), [[Bob Wilson (footballer)|Bob Wilson]] (1963), [[John Radford]] (1963), [[Frank McLintock]] (1964), [[Bob McNab]] (1966), [[Charlie George]] (1969), [[Ray Kennedy]] (1969).
* 1970s: [[Liam Brady]] (1973), [[Frank Stapleton]] (1975), [[David O'Leary]] (1975), [[Pat Jennings]] (1977).
* 1980s: [[Kenny Sansom]] (1980), [[Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams]] (1983), [[David Rocastle]] (1985), [[Paul Merson]] (1986), [[Michael Thomas]] (1986).
* 1990s: [[David Seaman]] (1990), [[Ian Wright]] (1991), [[Dennis Bergkamp]] (1995), [[Patrick Vieira]] (1996), [[Marc Overmars]] (1997), [[Fredrik Ljungberg]] (1998), [[Thierry Henry]] (1999).
* 2000s: [[Ashley Cole]] (2000), [[Robert Pirès]] (2000), [[Sol Campbell]] (2001), [[José Antonio Reyes]] (2004).

==Managers==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Manager
!Period
|-
|[[Sam Hollis]]||August 1894 – July 1897
|-
|[[Thomas Mitchell (football manager)|Thomas Mitchell]]||August 1897 – March 1898
|-
|[[George Elcoat]]||March 1898 – May 1899
|-
|[[Harry Bradshaw]]||August 1899 – May 1904
|-
|[[Phil Kelso]]||July 1904 – February 1908
|-
|[[George Morrell]]||February 1908 – May 1915
|-
|[[Leslie Knighton]]||May 1919 – June 1925
|-
|[[Herbert Chapman]]||June 1925 – January 1934
|-
|[[Joe Shaw (footballer)|Joe Shaw]]*||January – June 1934
|-
|[[George Allison]]||June 1934 – May 1947
|-
|[[Tom Whittaker (footballer)|Tom Whittaker]]||June 1947 – October 1956
|-
|[[Jack Crayston]]||October 1956 – May 1958
|-
|[[George Swindin]]||July 1958 – May 1962
|-
|[[Billy Wright (footballer)|Billy Wright]]||May 1962 – June 1966
|-
|[[Bertie Mee]]||June 1966 – May 1976
|-
|[[Terry Neill]]||July 1976 – December 1983
|-
|[[Don Howe]]||December 1983 – March 1986
|-
|[[Steve Burtenshaw]]*||March – May 1986
|-
|[[George Graham (footballer)|George Graham]]||June 1986 – February 1995
|-
|[[Stewart Houston]]*||February – May 1995
|-
|[[Bruce Rioch]]||June 1995 – August 1996
|-
|[[Stewart Houston]]*||August – September 1996
|-
|[[Pat Rice]]*||September 1996
|-
|[[Arsène Wenger]]||September 1996 – present
|}

''<nowiki>*</nowiki> denotes [[caretaker manager]].''

==Honours==
* '''[[Football League First Division|First Division]] and [[FA Premier League|Premier League]]'''{{ref|premierleague}}''' titles: 13'''
**1931 1933 1934 1935 1938 1948 1953 1971 1989 1991 1998 2002 2004

* '''[[FA Cup]]s: 10'''
**1930 1936 1950 1971 1979 1993 1998 2002 2003 2005

* '''[[League Cup]]s: 2'''
**1987 1993

* '''[[UEFA Cup|Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]] (predecessor of the [[UEFA Cup]]): 1'''
**1970

* '''[[Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]]: 1'''
**1994

*Three "[[The Double|Doubles]]": 1971 1998 2002
*One Domestic Cup Double: 1993

Arsenal's tally of 13 League Championships is the third highest in English football, after [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], while the total of ten FA Cups is the second highest, after Manchester United. Arsenal have one of the best top-flight records in history, having finished below 14th only seven times, and never below 20th.

==Footnotes==
<!-- How to add a footnote:
NOTE: Footnotes in this article use names, not numbers. Please see [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for details.
1) Assign your footnote a unique name, for example TheSun_Dec9.
2) Add the macro {{ref|TheSun_Dec9}} to the body of the article, where you want the new footnote.
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4) Add #{{Note|TheSun_Dec9}} to the list, immediately below the footnote you noted in step 3. No need to re-number anything!
5) Multiple footnotes to the same reference: see [[Wikipedia:Footnotes]] for a how-to.
NOTE: It is important to add footnotes in the right order in the list!
-->
#{{note|henrynorris}} It has been alleged that Arsenal's promotion, on historical grounds rather than merit, was thanks to underhand actions by the then Arsenal chairman, [[Henry Norris|Sir Henry Norris]] (see [[History of Arsenal F.C.]] for more details). No firm proof has ever been offered, though Chapter Two of ''Rebels for the Cause'' (listed below) and [http://www.emiratesstadium.info/serv01.htm this webpage] present plenty of supporting evidence. An investigation by [[Four Four Two]] magazine reported that financial irregularities had taken place.
#{{note|georgegraham}} Graham was banned for a year by the Football Association for his involvement in the scandal after he admitted he had received an "unsolicited gift" from Hauge. As one of the few football corruption cases where wrongdoing was proven, it is often referenced in the press (e.g. in this [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,9321,915368,00.html ''Observer'' article]), and is given a detailed treatment in ''Broken Dreams'' by Tom Bower (ISBN 0743440331).
#{{note|asof2005}} As of [[16 October]] [[2005]].
#{{note|newcrest}}{{Web reference | title="Arsenal go for a makeover" | work=BBC News website | URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/1795444.stm | date=October 14 | year=2005}}
#{{note|clcapacity}} The capacity has to be reduced further during [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] matches to accommodate additional [[advertising]] hoardings.
#{{note|minorities}} {{Web reference | title=Soccer violence declining say fans | work=BBC News website | URL=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/1844962.stm | date=October 13 | year=2005 }}
#{{note|fanbase}} {{Web reference | title=Arsenal named the Premiership's fastest-growing brand | work=Brand Republic | URL=http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/br/article/490179/arsenal-named-oremiership | date=October 13 | year=2005 }}
#{{note|premierleague}} Up until 1992, the top division of [[Football in England|English football]] was the [[Football League First Division]]; since then, it has been the [[FA Premier League]].

==References==
*{{Book reference | Author=Hornby, Nick | Title=Fever Pitch | Publisher=Indigo| Year=1992| ID=ISBN 1840189002}}
*{{Book reference | Author=Soar, Phil & Tyler, Martin | Title=The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal | Publisher=Hamlyn | Year=2000| ID=ISBN 0600601757}}
*{{Book reference | Author=Spurling, Jon | Title=Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club | Publisher=Mainstream| Year=2004| ID=ISBN 0575400153}}
*{{Web reference_simple | title=Arsenal.com - The Club| URL=http://www.arsenal.com/clubnews.asp?nav=The+club&lid=AboutArsenal&title=About+Arsenal | date=July 27 | year=2005}}
*{{Web reference_simple | title=ArseWeb statistics page| URL=http://www.arseweb.com/history/ | date=July 27 | year=2005}}
*{{Web reference_simple | title=Arsenal Shirts| URL=http://hem.passagen.se/arsenalshirts/ | date=August 12 | year=2005}}

==External links==
;Official website
* [http://www.arsenal.com/ arsenal.com]

;News & statistics
* [http://www.arseweb.com/ Arseweb]
* [http://www.arsenal-world.com/ Arsenal World]
* [http://www.arsenal-mania.com/ Arsenal-Mania]
* [http://www.onlinearsenal.com/ Online Arsenal]
* [http://www.stattoshop.com/stattoshopcouk/index.htm Arsenal Stattoshop]
* [http://www.arsenal.of.pl Arsenal statistics] (in Polish)

;Fanzines
* [http://www.upthearse.net/ Up the Arse!]
* [http://www.onlinegooner.com/ The Gooner]

;Blogs
* [http://www.arseblog.com/ Arseblog]
* [http://www.antithesis98.blogspot.com/ Arsenal, wtf?]
* [http://www.arsenalamerica.com/ Arsenal America]

{{Arsenal F.C.}}
{{Champions League 2005/06}}
{{FA Premier League}}

[[Category:Arsenal F.C.| ]]
[[Category:English football clubs]]
[[Category:Sport in London]]
[[Category:FA Premier League]]

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[[nl:Arsenal]]
[[ja:アーセナル]]
[[no:Arsenal FC]]
[[pl:Arsenal Londyn]] {{Link FA|pl}}
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[[ru:Арсенал (футбольный клуб)]]
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[[th:สโมสรฟุตบอลอาร์เซนอล]]
[[zh:阿森纳足球俱乐部]]

Revision as of 15:07, 7 November 2005

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