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Leonard's Soccer Site
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Arsenal Football Home Programme Collectors Handbook
1905-1939 This is my third Arsenal Programme collectors'
handbook published since 1983, and followers two other updated and revised
home booklets. After many years of painstaking research I have now been able
to list all Arsenal home programmes, from 1905-1939 including handbooks,
Again this booklet has been written on similar lines as my other two issues,
and includes many more reproductions of programmes, team postcards and other
souvenirs. Some of the programmes have been reproduced in photograph style
images and this has made the programmes appear to be on a darker background
due to the off white paper used. I have listed as much information as
possible within the scope of this booklet and have again simplified the
presentation by separating the first team programmes from the reserve team.
Programmes have been listed season by season, in date order with actual programme
numbers and dates confused. I have included fixture details and results;
Arsenal's score is shown first. There is also a column to mark in personal
collection details with abbreviated information as to the number of pages
printed for a particularly unusual programme. I have only coded the unusual programmes
issued each season. Seasons 1905-06 and 1906-07 have not been coded for the
reason that only one programme has been seen. Programmes have been issued for
all postponed matches except possibly the Arsenal V Leicester City League
match on 26 January 1938. This programme has not been seen. In the early years before 1905 it is most
likely only single sheet programmes were issued, and therefore I have started
with season 1905-06 as this is believed to be the first season of proper
programmes issued by the club for all first team matches. I require
information on programmes especially from season 1905-06 and 1906-07 for this
booklet, from these two seasons it has not been possible to find out whether
the programmes were numbered and I have just had to list the Arsenal matches
in date order. I still have not seen every programme in 1920-21 and would
like to know what programmes were issued for numbers 26 and 44. It is; of course, very difficult to list
all other matches played at Plumstead and Highbury where programmes have been
printed such as Railway Cup Finals, Daily Telegraph Cup and other minor cups,
as there have been so many matches over the years. I would appreciate any
help and information, which could be of use to me and other collectors for
inclusion in any future publication. Royal Arsenal football club, as it was
known over 100 years ago, did issue football programmes, even in these early
years. I would think probably nothing more than a sheet of paper would have
been printed for most matches. The programmes that I have seen have all been
single sheet issues, with team line-ups on one side and some information or
an advert on the back. The earliest known Arsenal home programme
is a single sheet issue which is reproduced in this booklet and is for the
Royal Arsenal V Heart of Midlothian friendly match played on 30 March 1891 at
the Invicta Ground in Plumstead. Arsenal played there between 1890 and 1893
before moving to the Manor Ground where they continued to play matches for 20
years until the move to Highbury in 1913. Programmes issued at the Manor Ground for
seasons 1905-06, 1907-08 and 1908-9 where sixteen page issues and from
1909-10 till 1912-13 were reduced to eight pages. Casting one’s eye over the
early issues at the Manor Ground I have found one for the league match
Woolwich Arsenal versus Bradford City on 14 October 1911 which contains
adverts such as “H.Gradidge & Sons Complete Football Outfitters”, Jerseys
are from 2/-, Footballs are from 7/6 and boots from 6/6 per pair, also
articles such as “Our Club Gazette”, “Round the Club”, “Interesting
Paragraphs”, there is one full page with league results another page with
league tables, fixture lists, team line-up are on the back page with more
adverts around the page. All programmes from 1910-11 till 1912-13 were
printed on pale pink paper, and for season 1907-08 programmes were numbered. |
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A must for all Arsenal Supporters and Football
Statisticians as it contains a wealth of information Price UK £9.50 Please send orders to the following address Leonard Evans 84 Hawtrey Road London NW3 3SS England |
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When one looks back in time to the first
two seasons of football at Highbury, Arsenal were issuing a remarkably
sophisticated programme, with a covering of thin red cardboard and stapling.
One for the match Woolwich Arsenal versus Bury on 4 October 1913 contains
“Our Weekly Chat by the Directors”, “Between Ourselves by The Gunners Mate”,
“What a Famous Critic thinks of us”, “Football Humours by the Ancient
Mariner”, league tables, line-ups and the score board with musical programme.
In the first few programmes of this season the directors are generously
giving away fifty season ticket to those lucky enough to detect an error in
the printing of a word. These sixteen page programmes are undoubtedly the
best produced issues before 1939, costing 1d and are now very collectable and
sought after. By the time Woolwich Arsenal had settled
down at their new headquarters in North London, the first season was nearly
over and it was decided that the name of the club should be altered to “The
Arsenal.” This appeared on the cover of the last full programme of the season
versus Grimsby Town League, a double issue with Norwich City South Eastern
League in April 1914 The name of the Club was amended once more and the first
league match with just “Arsenal” was versus Chelsea on 6 December 1919. At the start of season 1914-15, the first few
programmes printed were not numbered and therefore I have only been able to
number programmes seen. An unusual programme was issued for The Arsenal
versus Wolverhampton Wanderers League match on 2 January 1915, which was a
supplement four page programme without cover issued due to bad weather, and
low crowd the previous week. This helped keep printing costs down and other
four page supplement reserve programmes were issued. In 1915 the F.A. and Football League
decided to suspend competitions for the duration of war. League football was
organised on a regional basis and Tottenham Hotspur played some of their
matches at Highbury as White Hart Lane had been taken over for military
purposes. Tottenham issued there own single sheet programmes printed on dark
pink paper. The Arsenal entered the London Combination and during these
years, programmes were only single sheet issues except for the special match
versus the Rest of London Combination on 6 May 1916, which was for Robert
Benson’s benefit, who died tragically after playing in part of the match
versus Reading on 19 February 1916. On sale for this match was a four page
programme. By the time regular League football started
again in 1919-20, The Arsenal had been elected back to the First Division,
and programmes up to 1924-25 were normally, four page issues, size 255mm X
190mm black print on white paper, with the exception of a few issues. These
programmes did not contain advert like the pre-war issues at the Manor Ground
except for the mention of the local theatre. Programmes had been costing 1d
each, and prices had remained the same since 1905, but in 1921-22 the cost of
the programme doubled to 2d. When paper and printing costs came down the
price of the programme reverted back to 1d for just one season in 1924-25. The first match after the war was versus
Newcastle United and a normal four page programme was issued on 30 August
1919, other interesting programmes that season were the F.A.Cup match versus
Rochdale who were still a non league club and England V Wales International.
In season 1920-21 versus Chelsea League an eight page programme was issued,
which folded out into one large sheet of paper. Not many of these programmes
remain in good condition as most were cut down for easy reading at the match.
This programme has articles such as “Our Editorial Note by The Gunners Mate”,
“Board Room Notes by The Directors”, “Random Jottings”, team fixtures, club
photo and on the back page team line-ups with next weeks home matches.
Looking back at the last season of these large programmes there have been
different coloured issues with dark blue on blue paper, red on white paper
also blue on white paper. The practice matches were four page issues and most
likely all others issues have been single sheet types given out free at the
matches. Amateurs played the Professionals in the F.A.Charity Shield on 6
October 1924 and this is a rare issue. With the appointment of Herbert Chapman as
Manager at the beginning of season 1925-26, Arsenal issued a new and better
produced programme, it was in a handier size for the pocket, consisting of
eight pages of reading matter instead of four the previous year, and was
enclosed in a parchment paper cover in the club’s colours, as was issued in
1913. These programmes remained the same type up to 1939-40, approximate size
217mm X 143mm and cost 2d each. The design of the red cover only changed in
1938-39 and can be seen elsewhere in this publication. Excluded were the
customary mass of advertisements usually associated with similar productions.
The programme issued on 5 April 1926 versus Aston Villa contained a one sided
sheet with updated information headed “Some Late Gossip” It was not until 10
April 1926 that Arsenal again had a map of the London Underground printed on
the back of their programmes. Herbert Chapman persuaded London Transport to
change the name of Gillespie Road station next to the football club to
Arsenal. The station was renamed Arsenal on 31 October 1932 to mark a famous
period in the team’s history. Arsenal continued to have the Underground map
printed on all programmes till 1939. Another very rare issue is the friendly
match versus Hibernians on 26 April 1926, which is a single sheet issue. In
the same season a team photograph was given away with the last match of the
season on 1 May 1926 versus Birmingham. I have not seen the Arsenal versus
Corinthians programme from season 1927-28 for George Hardy’s benefit and a
single sheet issue may have been printed for this match. The other two
matches versus Corinthians in 1931 and 1932 are still quite difficult to find
today. The most sought after League programme is in season 1928-29 when
Arsenal played Everton on 22 April 1929, for this match a single sheet
programme was issued. This is the only single sheet league programme issued
between 1907 and 1939. The programme is printed on one side only. A four page
programme was issued for Newcastle League on 2 April 1929. Looking at other difficult to obtain
programmes after 1925 and two non league clubs to visit Highbury for F.A.Cup
ties were Mansfield Town on 26 January 1929 and Darwen on 9 January 1932, the
latter being a rare issue and much sought after by collectors. In season
1928-29 and 1929-30 Arsenal played two hospital charity matches versus
Nottingham Forest, and for these games the Royal Northern Hospital issued
there own twelve page programmes. I have also seen an unnumbered four page
programme issue for one of these matches without the usual red outer cover.
The only League Division III match to be played at Highbury was on 1 March
1930 between Queens Park Rangers and Coventry City due to ground closure. A special issue appeared on 10 December
1932 versus Chelsea when Arsenal opened the West Stand with the Prince of
Wales in attendance. The brochure for the match had 16 pages, size 252mm X
189mm and a four page supplement containing the team line-ups, league tables
and the musical arrangements for the day. The normal Arsenal issue was
printed with twelve pages and there was also a small leaflet with eight pages
showing how the stand was built. This folds out into one large sheet of
paper. Only the normal programme was issued but with twelve pages when the
East Stand was opened on 24 October 1936 versus Grimsby Town. The most famous International match at
Highbury was in season 1934-35 when England played Italy on 14 November 1935,
seven Arsenal players represented England. The most difficult to find
International is on 19 March 1923 versus Belgium and is an extremely rare
eight page issue. This also folds out into one large sheet of paper. A
special cover was printed on white paper for the England XI versus
Anglo-Scots XI on 8 May 1935. This is one of the few Arsenal issues with a
different type of cover. England played The Rest of Europe at Highbury on 26
October 1938 and two different programmes were issued. The first being the
normal issue and the second a VIP edition without the price on the cover.
This is the only VIP issue that I have seen and there may be others. Programmes for the F.A.Charity Shield
matches at Highbury versus Manchester City in 1934, Sheffield Wednesday in
1935 and Preston North End in 1938, are now hard to get hold of. The league programmes in the 1930’s are not
to difficult to find except that these programmes are getting more expensive
to buy for collectors. I have again not priced any of these programmes due to
the fact that an item can differ, between different collectors in price;
secondly prices can change very quickly making them out of date. It is for
this reason that I have not included any prices, but should you wish to write
to me at the address in this booklet, I will be able to give you an
approximate price of any programme. Arsenal’s third team
entered the Southern League in 1938-39 and all home matches except one were
played at Enfield, these programmes have been included in this booklet. |
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