The Merged George Graham Superthread!

[Ben Diesel]

I remember the closest I ever got to George. Ipswich away it was my daughter's first away game, so at a guess it would have been about 94. I bought tickets for us in the Ipswich family enclosure, Row one, along the side, the route between the dressing room and dugout. George came striding out before kick off and in a blatant attempt to impress I called out to him. He turned to look, spotted me and as he caught my eye I just clammed up, in awe, I couldn't speak.

George stopped, grabbed my hand and said "Hello, son" before walking on. Great memory of a great Arsenal man.

[StuartL]

Have had the honour of meeting him twice,

first time was in the summer of 89, at a signing for the end of season dvd along with Rocky, Adams and Richardson.
I got the DVD signed and also a colour picture of him coming up the Anfield tunnel with the "This is Anfield sign" behind him, whilst carrying the league trophy" - he admired it and showed it to Tony.

Second time was the Anfield re-union dinner night at the Emirates, as I got him (along with Dixon, Winterburn, Groves, Hayes) to sign my original Anfield 89 shirt I told him it was the greatest night of my life but not to tell my wife ! - He smiled.

Loved what George instilled in the club / team / fans - he gave us 100 reasons to be proud to be Gooners, I went home / away / Europe from 86 - 95 when I gave up my season ticket due to mortgage / marriage / kid and still look back on that time as my favourite time to be a Gooner.

[Clash]

Great post DB10 ... and the replies too.

I loved the Graham era more than any other. I loved it at the time but love it more and more as the years go by. I can still feel the pride I had back then of what Arsenal were under Graham. I will remember that feeling forever.

Nothing in football beats the feeling of your club being on the verge of something special. Especially when its for the first time in ages. And it was clear from his first season that Graham was building something special fro what Don Howe had started.

The Graham era was the blueprint of what I want Arsenal to be. I want a tough side with strong characters and some home-grown players too. I want a professionally run club with discipline on the pitch and rich in tradition off it.

I was so proud of the club back then. We had something no other club in England could match. Not even Liverpool or Man United.

There are so many memories from that time but one thing I really miss was the 'us against them' mentality. It felt like the media, the FA and other teams had it in for us. But I think we were respected too and there was more than a hint of envy involved.

I really loved all those players as well as the manager too. I backed them 100%. I wanted them to do well, not just for the club ... but because I liked them.

Sadly that era is gone. I miss the routine of the Saturday 3pm games at Highbury so much. The Graham era was still football as it should be. The last days of football being that way as it turned out.

Something else I still miss that I did for years at the old terraced Highbury was at the end of every game where we had the slow walk across the entire North Bank from the west stand towards the Avenell Rd exit. It was all part of the occasion. I vividly remember that in the Graham era the booming noise ringing down from the back of the terracing under the roof as we walked behind the goal. If the results had gone our way there would be renditions of ''we are top of the league'' or ''we're gonna win the league'' long after the final whistle.

And my dad always had a radio so others used to crowd round him asking the other latest or final scores. The buzz when Spurs has lost was even bigger when we had won of course.

Just really exciting times. And so simple too. No talk about boardroom matters or finances. Just an era or pride and passion for a great football club. Im just grateful I got to experience it.

[scotgooner]

Bringing a tear to my eyes some of these posts

As a 20 year old all I know is this shitty modern Arsenal.

[This is our club!]

Georgie Graham's Red and White Army! (We hate Tottenham!) Used to love singing that when a section would sing it in turns pointing at eachother! To my mind, he was every bit as good as Arsene FC, if not better. People forget it was him that put The Arsenal back in the big time.

[Jumpers For Goalposts]

8 & 1/2 years as a member of this forum and this is the best thread ever.

A chance to be nostalgic, misty eyed, romantic - call it what you will. And to share memories with fans that I don't know and don't know me but we have a massive bond because we stood on those same terraces, shared the same highs & lows and have the same wonderful memories that will live with us until we die. Nothing will ever surpass 26 May 1989 and that night was only possible because of our manager.

The George Graham years were something truly special - the re-awakening of a great Club under the management of a truly great man.

We were lucky to enjoy those years before football disappeared up its own arse.

[Red Snapper]

He was a pretty good footballer too! Cup final goal in '71 (although Eddie Kelly might argue) and always looked like he had plenty of time on the ball, We can forgive him the own goal in '72 against Ajax which saw us knocked out of Europe, We can forgive his origins at Stamford Bridge and his destination after leaving us; Old Trafford, We can forgive his management spells at Dirty Leeds and N17, We can forgive him because he is MR ARSENAL, even more so than TA6, and he is a true club legend, The brown envelope affair saw him made a scapegoat when he was obviously not the only one receiving bungs and it was the saddest day when he drove away from Highbury.

[Clash]

Jumpers FG is right ... best thread on here.

I never spoke to George but I was at Highbury one weekday afternoon when he parked outside the main entrance and got his briefcase out of his boot before going inside. A few others there spoke to him and he was friendly and approachable.

He looked immaculate in a yellow shirt and grey trousers. It reminds me of something Brian Clough once said about George Graham. Im paraphrasing but he said something like ''whatever the conditions, I am sick of him always looking like Robert bloody Redford''

And just to expand on what Red Snapper says .... Arsenal have won just 2 european trophies in the history of the club. Graham played in the team for one of them ... and managed the team in the other.

The man is a legend !!

[Henry Norris 1913]

great bloke, great manager. won load of trophies and represented us with class.

then again, went to the scum, sold limpar and rocastle but kept hillier. a bit of a jekyll and hyde character, wish he nailed his colours to the mast a bit more and stopped pretending to be a neutral when it comes to interviews.

[flash gunner]

great bloke, great manager. won load of trophies and represented us with class.

then again, went to the scum, sold limpar and rocastle but kept hillier. a bit of a jekyll and hyde character, wish he nailed his colours to the mast a bit more and stopped pretending to be a neutral when it comes to interviews.

We'll said mate. Can't believe people forget how he managed the scum, to a trophy too.....

There were some very shady dealing which meant he received money the club payed Brondby and as stated above the likes of McGoldrick, Selley, Pates and Hillier are as much of a stain on his rep as Denilson, Bendtner, Song are on Wengers

I think the Wenger bullshit years and modern 21st century football with all it's ills make us all look back with rose tinted glasses

[REB]

May have told this before. After the 1989 title win Arsenal came to Dublin ( September ish) to play Bohrmians in a friendly.. I went out to Dublin Airport for the day in the hope of meeting the players..Met up with another Gooner there and struck up a lifelong friendship.. He stood for my son and I was groomsman at his wedding.. Anyway we got to meet the players as they arrived..Theo Foley was GG's assistant at the time. He told they were staying in an airport hotel and said we should go over..We met the players properly there.. George came out of the lunch and we respectfully approached him..He barked at us "why are you lads not in work today"..Probably summed up his management style.
Loved him and his Arsenal but I feel regardless of the bungs he had reached the end anyway..

Was at that Bohs match with my best mate and his 8 year old Gunners-mad younger brother. I got separated from them after the game and when I met them outside matey boy and his bro were ecstatic. They had gotten into the Arsenal changing room and GG and the entire team had signed their t-shirts before the security lads kicked them out. I say "t-shirts" because my mates deffo were not wearing jerseys - I don't think replica Arsenal jerseys were actually available in the Oirish shops until the 91 season but I could be wrong in that?

i had the shirt but cant remember if i bought it in england at a game during the season or in cork tbh. i do remember the shirt had to be cut off me as i wore it the whole summer after may 26th 89

[supergeorgegraham]

What's George doing now ?

[arseofacrow]

Loved a time when you could have a pop at a successful manager, telling him to get his chequebook out. Cheque book, eh!

After a shit performance at the Dell in 1995 and a 1-0 defeat, we strolled passed the Arsenal coach and saw George getting on. My mate said to him, "we've got to sign someone"
George turned round and replied, "Who?"
"Dennis Bergkamp", we said
"You must be dreaming", George said.

Still love you George, even with the spurs thing.

[DB10GOONER]

Loved a time when you could have a pop at a successful manager, telling him to get his chequebook out. Cheque book, eh!

After a shit performance at the Dell in 1995 and a 1-0 defeat, we strolled passed the Arsenal coach and saw George getting on. My mate said to him, "we've got to sign someone"
George turned round and replied, "Who?"
"Dennis Bergkamp", we said
"You must be dreaming", George said.

Still love you George, even with the spurs thing.

Interesting because there were stories GG had wanted to sign DB10 in 1993 but the board refused the money as DB10 hadn't yet had the disaster in Italy and would have cost us big. I think he ended up costing Inter over £7million plus big wages.

[StuartL]

Loved a time when you could have a pop at a successful manager, telling him to get his chequebook out. Cheque book, eh!

After a shit performance at the Dell in 1995 and a 1-0 defeat, we strolled passed the Arsenal coach and saw George getting on. My mate said to him, "we've got to sign someone"
George turned round and replied, "Who?"
"Dennis Bergkamp", we said
"You must be dreaming", George said.

Still love you George, even with the spurs thing.

At half time during poor performances we would often sing " Georgie, Georgie, sort em out" implying a half time rollicking would gee them up in the 2nd half.