George “Geordie” Armstrong
In 1944 one of Arsenals future 1970/71 double winning players was born, his name is George Armstrong.
After finishing school, he became an electrician apprentice at Hawthorn Leslie and played works football alongside his elder brothers. He had a poor trial with Grimsby Town, and as a result was taken in by Newcastle United as an amateur. However, there was later a clash of heads between the Magpies and Armstrong which saw him miss a match, after completing this social collision course he was hardly chosen again, and not long into the 1961/62 campaign he signed for Arsenal.
Armstrong turned up at Highbury as an inside forward but was soon swapped to winger. He made his debut whilst only 17 versus Blackpool in February 1962, in which Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory in. By the 1963/64 campaign Armstrong became a permanent fixture for the first team appearing in all but two games.
From this moment in time onwards he became one of Arsenal’s most reliable players who was recorded for his great precision when it came to crossings and corner kicks, and his dogged determination which he performed time after time down the wing. He normally played on the left flank but was also useful on the right.
After losing two consecutive League Cup Finals in 1967/68 and 1968/69 seasons ,Armstrong proved to be a pivotal tool in helping Arsenal lift the 1969/70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and was awarded player of the year in 1970 at Highbury. During the 1970/71 campaign Armstrong featured in every match of the season in the league and FA Cup which Arsenal won to seal the double. It states on the club website that Armstrong was in the mix of half of Arsenal’s goals that season and Ray Kennedy’s title winning header at White Hart Lane in 1971.
Armstrong stayed at Arsenal throughout the 1970s as Arsenal struggled to emulate the winning success of the 1970/71 season. However, after failing to get on with The Gunners manager Terry Neill, Armstrong left for Leicester City in September 1977 for only £15,000 coming to the end of his career. He appeared in only 14 matches for The Foxes in his opening season before moving to Stockport County. By 1980/81 he was player coach for Mjolner in Norway where he completed his final match versus Bodo Glimt at the start of July 1981.
After 15 complete years at Arsenal as an ever-present player in the starting line-up, Armstrong created a club record for appearances playing 621 matches in all competitions. This was 500 league matches, a record only surpassed by David O Leary and Tony Adams. He also amassed 68 goals for The Gunners but was never to be capped for England drastically. Despite playing at youth level and on five occasions for country he never received a formal first team invitation.
After finishing as a player, he transformed into a coach, being employed by Fulham, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and QPR. He took charge of Enderby Town and Norwegian side FK Mjolner and Kuwaiti national side from 1988 to 1989. In 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait he flew back safely to England. This saw him return to Arsenal as reserve side coach, a position he retained for the rest of his life. Whilst coach at Arsenal Armstrong was in the duty of scouting young players into the system for example Steve Morrow, Ray Parlour and Paul Dickov.
The 31st of October will forever remember Armstrong’s fatal encounter after he collapsed from a brain haemorrhage when leading a training session. He later was put to bed in Hemel Hempstead Hospital in the early hours of the next morning where he died. A field at Arsenal’s London Colney training centre has been named in legacy to him. Armstrong died only aged 56.
He will forever go down in Arsenal folklore as the man who assisted Arsenal to the 1970/71 Double. He is still very much loved and remembered as one of Arsenal’s greatest ever wingers.
Liam Harding
Here is the latest DUBLIN ARSENAL video picking their BEST EVER ARSENAL XI compiled of our Gunners since moving to the Emirates What is yours?
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
What a player he was!! Whenever he was on the ball, the crowd erupted as they expected some magic and, more often than not, Geordie supplied it!!
The biggest nonsense was the fact that he was never awarded a single cap for the international squad.
Always remembered as a true Arsene legend in my opinion.
Sorry Geordie – A true Arsenal legend!!!
Mind you, I bet Arsene would have had you in his squad in a heartbeat.
RIP my man.
Remember Geordie with affection, a real team player and worthy of the ‘ legend ‘ tag.
George “Geordie” Armstrong, an Arsenal true legend and out most polar opposite player ever to Ozil, wee Geordie being the hardest worker we have ever had and Ozil being …., well fill in your own words. I HAVE GIVEN YOU A GREAT CLUE ABOVE.
Is THAT IT Jon?
I was sure you would have something to say about the man himself, rather than comparing him to your nemesis.
It does get boring and I wonder if Ozil is so far into your head, that you can’t actually let our younger fans know just how good a player Geordie was?
This article was a tribute to one of the finest players I have ever seen, yet for some reason you drag Ozil into the conversation.
Sigh Sigh Sigh!!!
There are other fineposts about GA Ken, your own mainly, so no need to add to them IMO.
The point I intended to make and which I DID was to contrast the splendidly hard working George with the laziest player I HAVE EVEN SEEN WEAR OUR SHIRT.
Up to you Jon, but I can’t see why mentioning Ozil in an article about the one and only George Armstrong would have seemed relevant to anyone but yourself.
I might venture to suggest I only mentionedeit at all to time how long it would be for YOU, Ken, TO JUMP IN TO DEFEND YOUR “HERO”, IDLE LAZYBONES.
But as that would be mean, then I must fall back on my original post as my REAL reason why!
More seriously though, as most older fans consider GA the single most hard working player ever in our shirt, it seems relevant to also mention our laziest ever , if only for the sake of balance, though I realise of course that “balance” is an alien concept to many on JA.
Whether or not that “many on JA” includes you Ken I have no idea . Perhaps you will tell me if it does or does not?
No Jon, it sounds like BS to me and your furiously back peddling in trying to explain yourself.
I have no idea who the laziest player to wear the shirt might be, but I certainly wouldn’t mention it in an article that is about George Armstrong.
I can only say I’m very disappointed that someone with your ethics would do this and I have nothing more to say on this subject,
What a player he was. Left Wing or Right Wing, it made no difference as he could cross the ball with either foot. One minute he would be attacking and the next he would be helping out the Fullback who was behind him.