George Graham- A Gunner for life
George Graham will forever be remembered for being the only former Arsenal player to go onto win the title later on at the Gunners as manager.
Whilst at Arsenal in the early 1970s as a player and then gaffer in the mid 1980s to halfway through the 1990s, Graham secured three league titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup, one European Cup Winners Cup, one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, one Community Shield and the Football League Centenary Trophy.
As a footballer Graham was originally signed by manager Bertie Mee in 1966 at Arsenal after having spent two years at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea under outspoken manager Tommy Docherty.
Mee believed that Graham would take over the reins from key striker Joe Baker who found the back of the net at Highbury 93 times in 144 matches.
Graham proved to be a victim of two successive League Cup defeats in 1968 and 1969 when Arsenal were beaten originally 1-0 by Don Revie’s Leeds United and later Third Division underdogs Swindon Town in a humiliating 3-1 defeat. After those two finals it’s a surprise Graham remained committed to an underachieving Arsenal who at that point hadn’t won any silverware since the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 when their last First Division title was secured. Despite these low points Graham managed to find some high ground after being The Gunners number one talisman during his opening two seasons in North London.
With many players getting frustrated with the direction Arsenal were going in at the time in 1970 a trophy was finally won at last which saw Graham pick up his first winners medal after RSC Anderlecht were beaten in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final over two legs.
The following year things would only get better for The Gunners and Graham as their first ever double was won at Highbury. Mee’s men had secured the First Division title and FA Cup versus Liverpool 2-1 with Graham being involved in the leveller before the match was won in extra-time.
After the double winning season of 1970/71 Graham prepared for his last 1971/72 campaign at Arsenal. After 1966 England World Cup Winner Alan Ball joined Arsenal being paid more than his counterparts which they later protested over Graham was kicked out of the first team as a regular fixture.
In 1972 Manchester United sweeped Graham off his feet from the marble halls of Highbury following 77 strikes in more than 300 games at Arsenal. By the end of the decade Graham had finished his days as a player after later turning out for Portsmouth, Crystal Palace and short lived American team from 1978-1981 California Surf.
Graham was also capped 12 times for Scotland striking three times in total from 1971 to 1973.
Graham flew back to England to go into management in 1982 at Millwall who were at the foot of the Third Division (now League One). After hard work with The Lions Graham got the Londoners promoted to the Second Division in his final 1984/85 season at the club, before they later reached the top-flight of English football when he left after having the foundations it needed to carry out the task thanks to him.
When Graham returned to Arsenal in 1986 the North Londoners were hungry for silverware which they hadn’t won since the 1979 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Within a season Graham had turned things round at Highbury, in 1987 The Gunners beat Liverpool the team of the decade to the League Cup after a late 2-1 victory at Wembley. In 1988 The Gunners added to their silverware after marginally beating Manchester United 2-1 in The Football League Centenary Trophy final at Villa Park. This set the momentum to see league tables turning a year later in 1989. Come the final day of the 1988/89 season Arsenal had no choice but to beat Liverpool at Anfield by two goals if they were to lift their first league title in 18 years, since Graham was a player when the double was achieved in 1971. In the dying seconds of the 90 minutes Michael Thomas snatched the second and final strike of the 2-0 victory, The Gunners had finally won the Championship again!
Graham kept the pendulum swung in Arsenals favour as within two league campaigns the 1991 First Division title returned to Highbury yet again, after his side lost only one game all season which occurred against Chelsea away. A few months later the Charity Shield was shared bitterly with North London enemy Spurs after a 0-0 stalemate played out. Earlier on in the year Graham had been responsible for the move of Ian Wright from Crystal Palace who to this day is Arsenal’s second all-time top goalscorer, he signed for bargain fee in today’s transfer terms of £2.5 million from Selhurst Park.
In 1993 Graham added to his and Arsenals trophy cabinet even more and this time with two pieces of silverware. The North Londoners became the first English team to reach the accolade of winning the FA and League Cup double, in which Sheffield Wednesday were sideswiped in both.
A year later Parma were narrowly beaten in the 1994 European Cup Winners Cup final after an early goal from Alan Smith which saw The Gunners secure a 1-0 win and their last European trophy to date, all at the mastermind of Graham.
Not long after this Graham was sacked at Arsenal in 1995 after the Premier League caught him out for illegally paying £425,000 to unlicensed Norwegian agent Rube Hauge after purchasing in 1992 John Jense and Pal Lydersen, as well as pocketing £140,000 worth of “unsolicited gifts” from the dealer. Hitherto he was sanctioned by the FA with a £50,000 fine and wasn’t allowed to be involved in football for a year. Once his time was done he joined Leeds United in late 1996 where he was in charge at Elland Road till 1998 before serving Arsenals arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur up until 2001, both in the Premiership.
Graham is Arsenals second most successful manager in the Gunners history after winning eight trophies in nine years.
Liam Harding
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George Graham’s style of play might not have been as entertaining as the current crop or the invincibles, but that lot were certainly much more entertaining off the pitch!
Contrary to legend, Graham’s teams were not as boring as is and has been made out. The didn’t make many mistakes and were at times functional. But he had some very talented players, who played for him. I for one can’t remember being bored watching them and my sons couldn’t have been either. They loved going to watch Arsenal and still talk about our trips to see them, under Graham and eventually Wenger. His achievements are sometimes overlooked. He managed to do what a lot of managers failed to do, win in Europe. His teams were more colourful and had more characters than he was given credit for.
I have a soft spot for George and I loved my time watching his Arsenal. He was a very very very good Arsenal manager. I also liked his demeanor.
Should have bust in the marble halls like Chapman and Wenger
Totally agree Alan.
My favourite time of following The Arsenal home and away. So many great memories with some great mates.
1-0 To the Arsenal and one game away from being the very first Arsenal Invincibles.
His chant still verberates around the Emirates along with his very personal chant!!
His playing style reminded me of Mesut Ozil, hence the stroller handle.
But sold Rocky and Charlie Nicholas and took money out of the club, which he later returned…. hence the latter will never see him recognised for what he achieved.
Such a shame and my second favourite manager – I wish him well.
Shame about Rocky, but GG did what was best for the club, as the operation on Rocky’s knee wasn’t 100% successful. Played a lot in his first season for Leeds, but struggled after that.
He flummoxed me by playing Hillier at CB after Bould was injured, as Thomas had been a defender before being moved into midfield.
GG holds a record that I can’t see ever being equaled. He’s the only man in the history of English football to win the League, the FA Cup and a European trophy as a player and then the manager of the same club.
Signed one of my favourite players when I was growing up .
Anders limpar….
Probably still one of my favourite players even though he wasn’t around long .
What a player he was. Lucky enough to meet him in the club shop outside the Clockend before we played that lot from N17 in ’93.
He signed one of my favourite players, IAN WRIGHT WRIGHT WRIGHT!!!!!!
A genius signing.
The most natural goalscorer I’ve ever seen play for The Arsenal imo.
👍