Arsenal
1966–67 season
ChairmanDenis Hill-Wood
ManagerBertie Mee
First Division7th
FA CupFifth Round
League CupThird Round
Top goalscorerLeague:
George Graham (11)

All:
George Graham (12)
Highest home attendance63,563 vs Manchester United (3 March 1967)
Lowest home attendance20,482 vs Sunderland A.F.C. (26 December 1966)

During the 1966–67 English football season, Arsenal Football Club competed in the Football League First Division. Arsenal finished in seventh place in the league and failed to find success in the FA Cup. It was the team's first season participating in the League Cup and they went out in the third round to West Ham.

Prior to the season, Arsenal physiotherapist Bertie Mee was appointed manager. In the transfer business, he brought both George Graham and Bob McNab into the side. He also saw Peter Simpson become a first team regular.

Graham was the top scorer.[1] Don Howe served as club captain but suffered from a broken leg early in the season, featuring in just one game under Mee.[2]

Season summary

Prior to the 1966-67 season, Bertie Mee had served as Arsenal's physiotherapist for six years. He was appointed manager for an initial 12 months, with an agreement he could revert to his previous position if it didn't work out. Mee's first act in charge was to transfer the sometimes erratic George Eastham to Stoke City.[3][2]

Although Tommy Baldwin scored four goals early in the season in the League Cup, Mee soon swapped him, plus ₤75,000, for George Graham from Chelsea.[4] Mee then brought in Bob McNab for ₤50,000 from Huddersfield Town, a then-record for a full back. He went on to be essential in the team for years to come.[5] Mee also purchased Colin Addison from Nottingham Forest, though Addison failed to make an impact.[2][6] Other players came through the club's own system, such as Peter Simpson who became a first team regular.[7]

Mee's first season in charge began with a 3-1 win over Sunderland before beating West Ham, a team with three World Cup players (Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, and Geoff Hurst), 2-1 at home. Arsenal didn't lose until their fifth match, a 3-1 defeat away to Spurs. Arsenal were inconsistent, at one point dropping to sixteenth place. However, they finished the season out with an unbeaten run of 12 games, eventually finishing seventh.[2]

Arsenal entered the League Cup for the first time as it now featured a Wembley final and automatic entry into the Fairs Cup.[8] However, Arsenal began by tying Third Division Gillingham in their first game. After winning the replay 5-0, Arsenal were knocked out by losing 3-1 at home to West Ham.[2] In the FA Cup, Arsenal beat Bristol Rovers and Bolton before being knocked out by Birmingham City.

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
5 Liverpool 42 19 13 10 64 47 1.362 51 Qualification for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup first round
6 Everton 42 19 10 13 65 46 1.413 48
7 Arsenal 42 16 14 12 58 47 1.234 46
8 Leicester City 42 18 8 16 78 71 1.099 44
9 Chelsea 42 15 14 13 67 62 1.081 44
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

Arsenal's score comes first[9]

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
20 August 1966SunderlandA3–1
23 August 1966West Ham UnitedH2–1
27 August 1966Aston VillaH1–0
29 August 1966West Ham UnitedA2–2
3 September 1966Tottenham HotspurA1–3
6 September 1966Sheffield WednesdayH1–1
10 September 1966Manchester CityA1–1
17 September 1966BlackpoolH1–1
24 September 1966ChelseaA1–3
1 October 1966Leicester CityH2–4
8 October 1966Newcastle UnitedH2–0
15 October 1966Leeds UnitedA1–3
22 October 1966West Bromwich AlbionH2–3
29 October 1966Manchester UnitedA0–1
5 November 1966Leeds UnitedH0–1
12 November 1966EvertonA0–0
19 November 1966FulhamH1–0
26 November 1966Nottingham ForestA1–2
3 December 1966BurnleyH0–0
10 December 1966Sheffield UnitedA1–1
17 December 1966SunderlandH2–0
26 December 1966SouthamptonH4–1
27 December 1966SouthamptonA1–2
31 December 1966Aston VillaA1–0
7 January 1967Tottenham HotspurH0–2
14 January 1967Manchester CityH1–0
21 January 1967BlackpoolA3–0
4 February 1967ChelseaH2–1
11 February 1967Leicester CityA1–2
25 February 1967Newcastle UnitedA1–2
3 March 1967Manchester UnitedH1–1
18 March 1967West Bromwich AlbionA1–0
25 March 1967Sheffield UnitedH2–0
27 March 1967LiverpoolA0–0
28 March 1967LiverpoolH1–1
1 April 1967Stoke CityA2–2
19 April 1967FulhamA0–0
22 April 1967Nottingham ForestH1–1
25 April 1967EvertonH3–1
29 April 1967BurnleyA4–1
6 May 1967Stoke CityH3–1
13 May 1967Sheffield WednesdayA1–1

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R328 January 1967Bristol RoversA3–0
R418 February 1967Bolton WanderersA0–0
R4 R22 February 1967Bolton WanderersH3–0
R511 March 196Birmingham CityA0–1

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R213 September 1966GillinghamH1–1
R2 R21 September 1966GillinghamA1–1 (aet)
R2 2R28 September 1966GillinghamH5–0
R35 October 1966West Ham UnitedH1–3

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
- GK Scotland SCO Bob Wilson
- GK England ENG Jim Furnell
- DF England ENG David Court
- DF Scotland SCO Ian Ure
- DF England ENG Peter Simpson
- DF Northern Ireland NIR Terry Neill
- DF England ENG Don Howe
- DF England ENG Peter Storey
- DF England ENG Bob McNab
- MF Scotland SCO Frank McLintock
- MF England ENG Alan Tyrer
- MF England ENG George Armstrong
- MF England ENG Jon Sammels
No. Pos. Nation Player
- MF Scotland SCO John Woodward
- MF Scotland SCO Jimmy McGill
- MF Wales WAL Tom Walley
- MF England ENG Alan Skirton
- FW Scotland SCO George Graham
- FW England ENG John Radford
- FW England ENG Colin Addison
- FW England ENG Micky Boot
- FW England ENG David Jenkins
- FW Scotland SCO Gordon Neilson
- FW England ENG Tommy Baldwin
- FW Scotland SCO Tommy Coakley

References

  1. Arsenal Official Handbook 1967-68. London: Arsenal. 1967. p. 38.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Soar, Phil; Tyler, Martin (1995). Arsenal: Official History. London: Hamlyn. pp. 128–130. ISBN 0600588262.
  3. Lawrence, Gary (18 February 2018). "Highbury Hero George Eastham – the Playmaker with the Midas Touch". Gunnerstown. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  4. Attwood, Tony (30 September 2013). "George Graham: the centre forward who became a stroller". The History of Arsenal. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  5. Attwood, Tony (20 July 2012). "Bob McNab: happy birthday to one of Mee's key men". The History of Arsenal. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  6. "Colin Addison". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  7. "Peter Simpson". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. Inglis, Simon (1988). League football and the men who made it. London: Harper Collins. p. 242. ISBN 978-0002182423.
  9. "Arsenal 1970-1971 Results – statto.com". Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
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