1966–67_Arsenal_F.C._season
1966–67 Arsenal F.C. season
81st season in existence of Arsenal F.C.
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.
| 1966–67 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Denis Hill-Wood | |||
| Manager | Bertie Mee | |||
| First Division | 7th | |||
| FA Cup | Fifth Round | |||
| League Cup | Third Round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: George Graham (11) All: George Graham (12) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 63,563 vs Manchester United (3 March 1967) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 20,482 vs Sunderland A.F.C. (26 December 1966) | |||
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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]
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.
| 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
Arsenal's score comes first[9]
Legend
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Football League First Division
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 August 1966 | Sunderland | A | 3–1 | ||
| 23 August 1966 | West Ham United | H | 2–1 | ||
| 27 August 1966 | Aston Villa | H | 1–0 | ||
| 29 August 1966 | West Ham United | A | 2–2 | ||
| 3 September 1966 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–3 | ||
| 6 September 1966 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–1 | ||
| 10 September 1966 | Manchester City | A | 1–1 | ||
| 17 September 1966 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | ||
| 24 September 1966 | Chelsea | A | 1–3 | ||
| 1 October 1966 | Leicester City | H | 2–4 | ||
| 8 October 1966 | Newcastle United | H | 2–0 | ||
| 15 October 1966 | Leeds United | A | 1–3 | ||
| 22 October 1966 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–3 | ||
| 29 October 1966 | Manchester United | A | 0–1 | ||
| 5 November 1966 | Leeds United | H | 0–1 | ||
| 12 November 1966 | Everton | A | 0–0 | ||
| 19 November 1966 | Fulham | H | 1–0 | ||
| 26 November 1966 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–2 | ||
| 3 December 1966 | Burnley | H | 0–0 | ||
| 10 December 1966 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | ||
| 17 December 1966 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | ||
| 26 December 1966 | Southampton | H | 4–1 | ||
| 27 December 1966 | Southampton | A | 1–2 | ||
| 31 December 1966 | Aston Villa | A | 1–0 | ||
| 7 January 1967 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 0–2 | ||
| 14 January 1967 | Manchester City | H | 1–0 | ||
| 21 January 1967 | Blackpool | A | 3–0 | ||
| 4 February 1967 | Chelsea | H | 2–1 | ||
| 11 February 1967 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | ||
| 25 February 1967 | Newcastle United | A | 1–2 | ||
| 3 March 1967 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | ||
| 18 March 1967 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–0 | ||
| 25 March 1967 | Sheffield United | H | 2–0 | ||
| 27 March 1967 | Liverpool | A | 0–0 | ||
| 28 March 1967 | Liverpool | H | 1–1 | ||
| 1 April 1967 | Stoke City | A | 2–2 | ||
| 19 April 1967 | Fulham | A | 0–0 | ||
| 22 April 1967 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | ||
| 25 April 1967 | Everton | H | 3–1 | ||
| 29 April 1967 | Burnley | A | 4–1 | ||
| 6 May 1967 | Stoke City | H | 3–1 | ||
| 13 May 1967 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–1 |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 28 January 1967 | Bristol Rovers | A | 3–0 | ||
| R4 | 18 February 1967 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–0 | ||
| R4 R | 22 February 1967 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3–0 | ||
| R5 | 11 March 196 | Birmingham City | A | 0–1 |
League Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | 13 September 1966 | Gillingham | H | 1–1 | ||
| R2 R | 21 September 1966 | Gillingham | A | 1–1 (aet) | ||
| R2 2R | 28 September 1966 | Gillingham | H | 5–0 | ||
| R3 | 5 October 1966 | West Ham United | H | 1–3 |
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- Arsenal Official Handbook 1967-68. London: Arsenal. 1967. p. 38.
- Soar, Phil; Tyler, Martin (1995). Arsenal: Official History. London: Hamlyn. pp. 128–130. ISBN 0600588262.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- "Colin Addison". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- "Peter Simpson". Arsenal. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- Inglis, Simon (1988). League football and the men who made it. London: Harper Collins. p. 242. ISBN 978-0002182423.
- "Arsenal 1970-1971 Results – statto.com". Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2017.