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Leonard's Soccer Site
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Arsenal Football Home Programme
Collectors Handbook 1904-1939 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 In the early
years before 1904 it is most likely only single sheet programmes were issued,
and therefore I have started with season 1904-05 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 1904-05
to 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 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. 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, |
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A must for all
Arsenal Supporters and Football Statisticians as it contains a wealth of
information Price UK ₤11.50
Please send orders
to the following address Leonard Evans
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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 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 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 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 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 Looking at
other difficult to obtain programmes after 1925 and two non league clubs to
visit Highbury for F.A.Cup ties were A special issue
appeared on 10 December 1932 versus The most famous
International match at Highbury was in season 1934-35 when Programmes for the
F.A.Charity Shield matches at Highbury versus 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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