History of Arsenal
By Rachel Jones - May 27, 2023

Arsenal Football Club, also known as the Gunners, was founded in 1886 by a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory in south London. The team played its early games in the local area before moving to North London in 1913 and adopting the name “Arsenal” to reflect the location of its new home. In the early years of the club, Arsenal struggled to find success on the field, but that all changed in the 1930s under the management of Herbert Chapman. Chapman led the team to its first major trophies, including back-to-back First Division titles in 1933 and 1934, and an FA Cup win in 1930. After Chapman’s death in 1934, the club continued to find success under his successor, George Allison, winning another First Division title in 1938 and another FA Cup in 1950.

The post-World War II era was a difficult one for Arsenal, as the team struggled to match the success of the 1930s. However, the club was able to win another First Division title in 1953 and an FA Cup in 1950. In the 1960s, under the management of Billy Wright, and then Bertie Mee, the club won their first European trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in 1970 and their first League and FA Cup double in 1971.

Arsenal logo outside the Emirates Stadium

Getty Images/ AFP/ GLYN KIRK / Stringer

During the 1970s and 1980s, Arsenal had a period of relative success under managers Terry Neill, Don Howe, and George Graham, winning two more FA Cups in 1979 and 1993 and a League Cup in 1987. In 1996, under the management of Bruce Rioch, and then Arsène Wenger, the club won another League and FA Cup double in 1998 and again in 2002, and also won the premier league three times in a row (1997-98, 1998-99, and 2001-02). In recent years, the club has continued to be a major force in English football, winning the FA Cup in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020.