How Jon Sammels goals set up the 1970 Inter Cities Fair Cup for Arsenal
At the end of the 1969/70 season Arsenal prized open Europe for the first time after lifting the European Inter-Cities Fair Cup over Belgium giants RSC Anderlecht at home.
In the first round The Gunners came up against Irish side Glentoran, where at home in the first leg Bobby Gould and George Graham with two goals dispatched the League of Ireland outfit 3-0 at Highbury. In the away tie Glentoran eked their way past Arsenal unexpectedly 1-0 with a mere 13,000 in attendance.
Arsenal faced Sporting Lisbon in the second round who put up stubborn opposition in the first leg. Over in Lisbon. The Lions denied The Gunners with a fully fledged defence witnessing the match come to an ant-climatic 0-0 stalemate after 90 minutes. Arsenal got the better of the Lions who failed to roar off Arsenal in North London after Graham scored another brace of two gals and John Radford striking allowing for a 3-0 victory.
Rouen who now play in the third tier of French football had the pleasure of holding the first of the two-legged tie of the third round versus Arsenal. In France the Red Devils stopped Arsenal in yet again another goalless 0-0 draw. The Gunners just about secured the win in the second leg at home to Rouen after Jonathan Sammels claimed the much-needed goal for the 1-0 winning.
It was now the quarterfinals and Arsenal enjoyed what would be an absolute romping over Romanian outfit Dinamo Bacau, where over both legs they won 9-1 on aggregate. The first tie proved not too tricky for The Gunners as they quietly dismantled The Yellow and Blues 2-0 at their place thanks to Radford and Sammels. At Highbury Arsenal ran rampant obliterating The Romanians 7-1 all thanks to strikes from Charlie George (2), Graham, Radford (2) and Sammels (2).
In the semi-finals Arsenal had to play Ajax who would later be crowned European Cup/UEFA Champions League winners on four occasions. Two critical finishes from George and one from Sammels witnessed Arsenal take charge of the semis with a 3-1 walk in the park over the Dutch heroes. In the final leg over in Amsterdam away from the red-light district Ajax narrowly beat Arsenal 1-0 with 32,000 spectators jumping with glee from their end. The Gunners now had the chance of winning European silverware for the first time!
The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup show lights were now ultimately all on Arsenal who required the ammunition to beat RSC Anderlecht which they would ultimately contain. Arsenal woke up and smelt the coffee in Belgium where the Purple and Whites demoralised them with a 3-1 hammer blow.
It meant Arsenal had to score at least three goals in the final match at Highbury to seal the European honour they much desired. The Gunners would put in the fight of their life as they slowly broke down Anderlecht 3-0 in front of a packed-out Highbury of 51,612 fans all due to goals from Radford, Sammels (his sixth of the competition) and Edward Kelly.
Bertie Mee’s men had done it! They were officially Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Winners clinching Arsenal’s first of two European major trophies in history.
Liam Harding
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Great night, I was in the schoolboys enclosure with my dad.
I was there with my Dad mate. Best atmoshere I’ve ever heard in my life!
I think it was Kennedy who got the away goal at Anderlecht.
I was there too for the home leg, at my favourite Clock End spot, and Sammels scored another of his screamers.
He became a driving instructor on leaving football.
I was in the North Bank that night, 17 years old, turnstile man let three of us over the turnstile for a total of 30 Bob, that’s £1.50 in today’s money. We celebrated on the pitch at the end with the team. One of my best nights at Highbury.