9th August

On the 9th August 1977, Mikael Silvestre was born in Chambray-les-Tours in France. Silvestre joined Arsenal from Manchester United in a rare transfer between the two rivals. He joined his new teammates on the 20th August 2008. Silvestre could play both in the centre of defence and as a left-back. He played for the Gunners between 2008 and 2010. His debut for Arsenal came in the 3-1 win over Everton on the 18th October, which was his 250th game in English football. Silvestre was released by Arsenal on a free transfer after the 2009/10 season, after he had played 43 games and scored 3 goals for the club. Afterwards, he joined Werder Bremen.

8th August

On the 8th August 2001, Arsenal ex-player Paul Vaessen was found dead in his bathroom in his house in Bristol. He was a heroin addict and a large amount of drugs was found in his bloodstream, attributing his death to overdose. Vaessen was born in 1961 and played for Arsenal as a striker between 1978 and 1982, scoring 6 goals in 32 appearances. He died at the age of 39. His most memorable goal came in the 1980 Cup Winners Cup Semi Final Second-leg, when he headed Graham Rix's cross and put Arsenal 2-1 up over Juventus to secure a place in the Final.

On the same day in 2004, Arsenal beat Manchester United with the score of 3-1 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff to win the FA Community Shield. Gilberto Silva scored for Arsenal on the 50th minute to be equalised by United's Alan Smith in the 55th minute. Then Reyes scored on the 58th minute and Mikael Silvestre scored an own goal in favour of Arsenal on the 79th minute. Silvestre eventually joined Arsenal from Manchester United on the 20th August 2008. On the day, Arsenal played in blue while United used their red home shirt.

After playing with the Southampton youth academy since the age of 7 and signing professional terms with Southampton in 2010, the young Englishman appeared 36 times for the Saints, as they are nicknamed, in the 2010/11 season, scoring 9 goals. At the age of 17, the young winger was announced as a summer 2011 signing for Arsene Wenger's Arsenal on the 8th August 2011. It was reported by the press, despite not officially confirmed, that Arsenal paid £12 million for his services, which could rise by a further £3 million depending on appearances and performances. 

7th August

On the 7th August of the year 1993, Arsenal were beaten by Manchester United in the 71st edition of the FA Charity Shield. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in front of 66519 fans. Gerald Ashby was the referee of the match. Mark Hughes scored for Manchester United on the 8th minute and Ian Wright equalised for Arsenal on the 40th minute. The game went on to penalties.

Out of the first five penalties taken by each club, Ince, Bruce, Keane and Cantona scored for United while Irwin missed, and Winterburn, Jensen, Campbell and Merson scored for Arsenal, while Wright missed the penalty that would have made Arsenal winners. The shootout went on to sudden-death. Bryan Robson converted the penalty for Manchester United, but goalkeeper David Seaman missed from the spotkick. This was Manchester United's 11th triumph in the Charity Shield. The shield was presented to captain Steve Bruce.

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6th August

On the centenary of Huddersfield Town FC, on the 6th August 2008, Arsenal played against Huddersfield at their home stadium, Galpharm Stadium, in the Herbert Chapman Trophy. Herbert Chapman was manager of Huddersfield between 1921 and 1925, before he took charge of Arsenal for the period 1925-1934. Chapman died of pneumonia while he was still manager of Arsenal, in the early hours of the 6th January 1934. He won the Football League title with Huddersfield in 1923/24 and 1924/25, and then won it with Arsenal in 1930/31 and 1932/33. He also won the 1922/23 FA Cup with Huddersfield, and the one of 1929/30 with Arsenal. To remember his loved memory among supporters and players alike, the team which he had built went on to win the 1933/34 and 1934/35 Football League titles.

This was a very special occassion, as one can imagine. The match was played in front of 19044 fans and Arsenal eventually won the match by the scoreline of 2-1. During a ceremony on the same date, Arsenal presented Huddersfield with a bust of Herbert Chapman, the manager who led both teams to success during his era. In the match, James Berrett scored for Huddersfield in the 75th minute. Arsenal put the game level through Sanchez Watt in the 79th minute, and the winner was scored by Nacer Barazite in the 87th minute.

5th August

On the 5th August of the year 1998, Wenger completed the signing of Argentine right-back Nelson David Vivas from Boca Juniors for £1600000 after he spent the 1997/98 season on loan at Swiss club AC Lugano. Vivas is still regarded as an all time legend for Arsenal, even though he spent just three seasons at the club and made only 40 appearances in which he failed to find the net. He was loaned out to Celta Vigo in 2000, and sold to Inter in 2001. Nelson Vivas retired in 2005 while playing at Quilmes, the same club where he started his professional career.

4th August

On the 4th August 1948, David Danskin died in a home for the elderly in Warwick at the age of 85. Danskin was a founding member of Arsenal, which at the time was founded as Dial Square FC. By profession, Danskin was a mechanical engineer and a footballer for Royal Arsenal between 1886 and 1889. He was born on the 9th January 1863 in Fife in Scotland. Danskin was buried in Coventry in the London Road Cemetery.

More recently in the year 2003, French left-back Gael Clichy signed for Arsenal for the fee of £250000 from AS Cannes. Clichy played 187 games for Arsenal in the 8 years he spent at the club between 2003 and 2011, scoring just one goal. He moved to Manchester City on the 4th July 2011 for a reported fee of £7 million, 28 times the price for which he was brought to England by Arsene Wenger.

3rd August

On the 3rd August 1999, Arsenal bought French striker Thierry Henry for £10 million from Italian club Juventus. Arsene Wenger had previously managed Thierry Henry when he was coaching AS Monaco. Henry is one of the most successful players in the history of Arsenal, making a name for himself as a world-class striker. He scored 174 goals in 254 games for Arsenal, before moving to Barcelona in 2007 and to New York Red Bulls in 2010. The French striker also netted 51 goals in 123 international caps. Henry experienced racism and is an active spokesperson against racism in football. He was ranked ninth in the world in the list of most commercially marketed footballers. He is one of the biggest acquisitions for Arsene Wenger and helped Arsenal win two Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups and twice the FA Community Shield.

2nd August

On the 2nd August of the year 1934, the club's ex-Chairman Sir Henry Norris was buried in East Sheen cemetery. Norris was an English businessman, politician and football club director, and is renowned for his chairmanship of Fulham and Arsenal. In 1919, even though Arsenal ranked 5th in the Second Division, they were promoted to the First Division allegedly through his involvement. Norris was born on the 23rd July 1865 in London and died on the 30th July 1934.

On the 2nd August 1978, Paul George Barron made his debut for Arsenal against Manchester City. The English goalkeeper joined the club from Plymouth Argyle and played only 8 games for Arsenal between 1978 and 1980. He was subsequently sold to Crystal Palace where he played 90 games. The goalkeeping coach at the time, Bob Wilson, said he was disappointed with Barron as he did not achieve his potential. Paul George Barron is currently the goalkeeping coach of Nottingham Forest.

1st August

On the 1st August of the year 1980, Arsenal sold Liam Brady to Italian club Juventus in a very unpopular move among the club's supporters. The midfielder was sold to Juve for £514000. Brady was a youth player for Arsenal before starting his professional senior career and the Irish player scored 43 goals in 235 matches played for the club. In the present day, Liam Brady occupies the position of Head of Youth Development at Arsenal. Liam Brady spent 9 years playing for Arsenal, and in his remaining 10 playing years since leaving Arsenal, he played for 5 teams: Juventus, Sampdoria, Inter, Ascoli and West Ham.

On the same date in 1982, Arsenal announced the signing of Lee Chapman for £500000 from Stoke City. After spending 5 years playing for Stoke and scoring 34 goals in 99 matches, the English striker spent just one season playing for Arsenal (1982/83), scoring 4 goals in 23 appearances.

In 2006 on this date, left-back Armand Traore joined Arsenal from AS Monaco. Since the year 2006, he has only made 12 appearances for Arsenal and was sent out on loan to Portsmouth in 2008/09 and to Juventus in 2010/11. Traore's only goal came when he was on loan at Portsmouth.

Arsenal Home Shirt for the 2011/12 season celebrating the 125th anniversary of the club

This is the new home shirt that Arsenal players will wear for matches played at the Emirates Stadium. The shirt became available to purchase on the 9th June 2011. It marks Arsenal's 125th anniversary with a special white club crest. The all-white crest is surrounded by 15 oak leaves on the right and 15 laurel leaves on the left. The oak leaves represent the 15 founding members of the club meeting at the Royal Oak pub, and the laurel leaves represent the design on the six pence coins paid by the founders when establishing the club. The text 'Forward' appears in white at the bottom of the new crest, and the dates 1886 and 2011 appear on either side of the Forward text.

The shirt is manufactured by Nike and sponsored by Fly Emirates. It is a must-have for true fans of the club, as apart from supporting the club through revenue from shirt sales, supporters are purchasing a piece of the club's history which will be remembered for years to come. The shirt has a red body and a red crew neck collar. The sleeves are white with a red stripe at the top, and the Nike logo is white and placed on the right side of the chest. The shirt is priced at £44.99 for adult (men and women) short-sleeved without printing. Printing, both player name and customised printing, are available.

Arsenal FC Away Shirt for the 2011/12 season manufactured by Nike

This will be the official Arsenal Away shirt for the 2011/12 season, where Arsenal will be looking to improve on their 4th place finish in the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League season. The picture shows attacking-midfielder Jack Wilshere wearing the new away shirt manufactured by American world-renowned sportswear brand Nike. The shirt is divided diagonally in two. The upper half is dark blue whereas the lower half is a lighter shade of blue. The right sleeve is dark blue and the left sleeve is light-blue. Both the special Arsenal crest which marks the club's 125th anniversary, and the Nike Swoosh logo, will be white.

Arsenal FC: A Glorious History

The seed which eventually brought about one of the biggest clubs in the world, Arsenal FC, was planted in 1886 when a team named Dial Square was set up by workers of the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. The club was located in the south-east of London and was then renamed to Royal Arsenal. When the club was converted into a limited liability company in 1893, it changed its name again to Woolwich Arsenal. The club joined the Football League in 1893, competing in the Second Division. They won promotion to the First Division in 1904. The fact that the club was relatively geographically isolated led to financial difficulties and brought about the club’s bankruptcy in 1910. Henry Norris and William Hall bought over the club. With the contribution of Henry Norris, the club was relocated to North London in Highbury in 1913, after they were relegated back to the Second Division. In 1914, the club administration decided to drop the word ‘Woolwich’ from the name and the club became known as Arsenal FC.

The club’s rivalry with local club Tottenham Hotspur dates back to these early years. In 1919, Arsenal FC finished 5^th in the Second Division league table but were still promoted to the First Division in a dubious manner at the expense of the same Tottenham Hotspur. Encounters between Arsenal and Tottenham are a heated affair up to this present day and the two clubs contest the North London derby at least twice in each season (Premier League home and away).

Continuing in our brief walk throughout the club’s history, Arsenal FC appointed Herbert Chapman as manager in 1925 after he has won the league two times in a row between 1923 and 1925 with Huddersfield Town. The first period of success for Arsenal came during the era of Chapman. Under Herbert’s guidance, Arsenal won the 1930 FA Cup, the 1930/31 First Division and the 1932/33 First Division. This was achieved through his revolutionary tactics and training as well as star signings like Alex James and Cliff Bastin.

The era of Herbert Chapman did not last more than 9 years as he died suddenly of pneumonia. Joe Shaw and George Allison continued to build on his successful work, and under their guidance the club went on to win the 1933/34 First Division title, dedicated to the memory of the late Herbert Chapman, the 1934/35 First Division, the 1936 FA Cup and the 1937/38 First Division. The retirement of key players meant that the club’s success started to fade by the end of the highly successful 1930s period. Competitive football in England was suspended due to the Second World War.

After the war, Tom Whittaker took over from George Allison and led the club to the triumphs in the 1947/48 and 1952/53 First Division titles and the 1950 FA Cup. The club had a long downturn in the 1950s and 1960s as it failed to attract players of calibre to sign for the club. Former England captain Billy Wright took over the club’s management but was still unable to bring success to the once-successful Arsenal FC between 1962 and 1966.

The unlikely appointment of club physiotherapist Bertie Mee as manager in 1966 gave the unlikely results: the club started to win silverware again following a disappointing period. The club won their first European trophy in the form of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup of 1969/70. This was followed by a great season where Arsenal FC won the double: the First Division and the FA Cup in 1970/71. The 70s was a period where the club fans and players went through several disappointments through near-misses: runners-up in 1972/73 First Division, losing the Final of the FA Cup in 1972, 1978 and 1980, and losing the Cup Winners’ Cup 1980 Final on penalties against Valencia through a miss by Liam Brady. The only success during the 70s came in 1979 when the club beat Manchester United by the score of 3-2 in the Final of the FA Cup, a game which is still regarded as a classic.

Former player George Graham took over as manager in 1986 and brought about another period of glory for supporters and players alike. The club won the 1986/87 League Cup on Graham’s first season in charge of the club. Then Arsenal won the 1988/89 First Division with a last-minute goal in the last game of the season against title challengers Liverpool. Graham’s team continued to win the 1990/91 First Division title, where they lost just one match: 2-1 against rivals Chelsea. The team went on to win another double in 1993, securing the FA Cup and the League Cup, and their second European trophy in 1994, the Cup Winners’ Cup with a 1-0 score against Parma. Successful manager Graham was dismissed in 1995 after his reputation was tarnished when it was proven that he took kickbacks from agent Rune Hauge for signing certain players. His successor, Bruce Rioch, stayed for just one season in charge of Arsenal after a dispute with the club’s Board of Directors.

After Rioch came an era which is still going on at present: the time of the great Arsene Wenger. Wenger took charge of the club in 1996 and brought new tactics, a new training regime and the signing of a number of foreign players which complemented the English players that the club had. Arsenal FC under Wenger secured the 1997/98 double comprising of the Premier League and the FA Cup (against Newcastle by the score of 2-0). After reaching the final of the UEFA Cup of 1999/00 and losing it on penalties to Galatasaray, the same double was achieved in 2001/02 when Arsenal finished top of the league table and won the FA Cup by the score of 2-0 against bitter rivals Chelsea, at the time managed by the Italian Claudio Ranieri. The club won the 2003 FA Cup, the 2003/04 Premier League without losing a single match, and the 2005 FA Cup. For the unbeaten run in the 2003/04 season, the club became known as The Invincibles. In that season, Arsenal went unbeaten for 49 league matches.

Arsene Wenger brought back the glory days to the club as Arsenal FC finished either first or second in the league table in 8 of the first 11 seasons under his management. However, the club never managed to win the title in consecutive seasons. Until present, the club is one of the four teams to have won the Barclays Premier League since its inception in 1992, with the other three clubs being Manchester United (12 Barclays Premier League titles), Chelsea (3 Barclays Premier League titles) and Blackburn Rovers (1 Barclays Premier League title). Until 2005/06, Arsenal had never progressed beyond the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, but the 2005/06 season ended on a very positive note: Arsenal became the first club from London to reach the Final of the Champions League in its 50-year history. In this Final, played in front of 79500 fans in Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Arsenal lost against Barcelona by the score of 2-1. After Campbell opened the score for Arsenal in the 37^th minute, Barcelona scored the equaliser through Eto’o in the 76^th minute and scored the winning goal in the 81^st minute through Belletti.

In 2006, the club moved into the newly built Emirates Stadium after a total of 93 years playing home games at Highbury. During their history since 1886, the club has enjoyed spells of success several times, and are now regarded as one of the most successful clubs in England, one of the best in Europe and also on a worldwide scale with large fan bases abroad. They remain the only side to have completed a Premier League season without being beaten, and also hold the record for enjoying the longest uninterrupted period in the top English football division. Until present, the club has won the top league in England a total of 13 times, the FA Cup 10 times, the League Cup twice, and the Community Shield 12 times. Much of the club’s recent glory can be attributed to Arsene Wenger, which is the club’s longest-serving and most successful manager in terms of competitions won.