Remembering the 1970/71 season
We secured our first league championship for 18 years with a final-match victory at the home of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Bertie Mee’s Gunners went into the match knowing only a victory, or a goalless draw, would be enough to snatch the title from Leeds United.
The match was originally due to be played on the date of the FA Cup semi-final, but had to be rearranged, due to our participation in the cup, to the Monday night of cup final week.
Leeds had already completed their fixture list, and were a point ahead of us. Due to the goal average system, a 0-0 draw would have given us the title, but a score draw would not have been enough. Tottenham, attempting to preserve their honour of being the only club to have won the double in the 20th century, themselves needed the points to qualify for Europe.
Both sides were positively going for the victory, but clear-cut chances were few and with time running out, it looked like it would end scoreless.
Then, with three minutes remaining, Charlie George dispossessed Joe Kinnear before crossing to John Radford. His header was superbly parried by Pat Jennings but Geordie Armstrong turned the ball back into the middle where Ray Kennedy headed home off the underside of the bar.
It was Kennedy’s 19th league strike of the season, yet in one sense it was somewhat irrelevant as the situation had not changed - a late Spurs goal would have denied Arsenal the title.
The hosts then forced a corner but the ever-present Bob Wilson claimed the cross.
The 1-0 win at White Hart was the undoubted highlight of a magnificent league campaign which included a nine-match winning streak between March and April. But the season was to get even better just five days later…
WAY BACK THEN
League appearances: Armstrong 42, McLintock 42, Wilson 42, Kennedy 41, Radford 41, Rice 41, McNab 40, Storey 40, Graham 36+2, Simpson 25, Kelly 21+2, Roberts 18, George 17, Sammels 13+2, Nelson 2+2, Marinello 1+2.
Goals: Kennedy 19, Radford 15, Graham 11, Armstrong 7, George 5, McLintock 5, Kelly 4, Storey 2, Sammels 1, ogs 2.
DIVISION ONE TABLE 1971
FA CUP FINAL
Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (aet)
LEAGUE CUP FINAL
Tottenham 2 Aston Villa 0
DIVISION ONE TOP SCORER
Tony Brown (West Bromwich Albion) - 28
ALSO THAT SEASON…
England’s most capped player of all time, Peter Shilton, made his international debut at Wembley on November 25, 1970. England beat East Germany 3-1.
AND…
In February 1971 Britain adopted decimal currency, replacing pounds, shillings and pence with "new pence" worth more than twice the old ones.
Comments
Hi, mate! It's a nice piece. I've shared it in the main feed. Just put a screenshot inside of the final standings inside the post replacing the text.
thanks you.
Remember the match. Was there that night great match there were thousands of supporters out on Tottenham high road. was on pitch after match could not move outside ground Fantastic Night.
My mates and I sat on the pavement outside the ground, no all ticket matches in those days. We were behind the goal up on the higher tier just behind the goal where Ray Kennedy scored with a great header. What a night, White Hart Lane became Red Hart Lane. Thank you Arsenal for many such memories including the following great win against Liverpool. We saved our tokens from the home programmes which entitled us to a cup final ticket We stood behind the goal in which Charlie George scored the winner and the double was ours. Happy Happy Days
raymond dennis, Wow! You're are a living legend! 🙏
Thank you, I could write a book of stories about my great times (and lows) watching Arsenal. Starting as a 10 year old 68 years ago outside the ground with my mates listening to the cheers oohs and ahhs coming from inside the ground and kicking a tennis ball up against the wall, until one day a kind gentleman paid for me to get in and watch my first match. We won of course 🤗🤗