My Arsenal Life: Doubles, Invincibles, Glory and Despair

Lived and Remembered by Martin Wengrow: Written by David Fensome

Foreword by David O’Leary

As soon as I had begun speaking with Martin Wengrow, I recognised there was a fascinating story to be told, writes author David Fensome. 

Besides the number of games Martin has witnessed, and the glories and the triumphs he has seen at first hand, there were also the many insights to important games, seasons and periods of our history he could tell me about by virtue of his friendships with ex-players ranging from Frank McLintock and Peter Storey to David O’Leary and Liam Brady; and managers and coaches like Don Howe, Terry Neill and George Graham.

I recall phoning him for the first time to discuss the project around two and half years ago and inside ten minutes he’d casually dropped several bits of Arsenal history I had never heard before – quite apart from the book I hoped to write, it was an absolute dream just to discuss with him for example his memories of the dressing room when we clinched the title in 1971, or of Anfield ’89, and there was so, so much more.

What impressed me about Martin was that despite forging lasting friendships with a huge number of ex-players it remained the club he was undyingly faithful to: it was always Arsenal above any other loyalty.

We both wanted the book to be a positive read about our club’s exhilarating post-WW2 history, but no one was going to be above honest criticism.

Consequently, the chapter on the demise of George Graham was particularly difficult to write for both of us.

Martin had been a close friend of George’s and to this day refers to the period of Graham’s Arsenal as his favourite, even above Wenger.

I think a lot of us felt that Graham’s team captured cherished Arsenal characteristics and as a consequence we felt closer to it.

The bung scandal was heartbreaking for supporters like Martin who felt that George had damaged the club.

It couldn’t ever detract from what Graham had achieved and the manner of his doing it, but his fall from grace unquestionably left a sour taste, or worse.

Martin has seen so much and known so many people connected to Arsenal that it was important to capture as many of his experiences as possible, but I didn’t want to write just a history textbook.

There was a fascinating personal story there too.

After losing his entire extended family in the holocaust Arsenal became the centre of his world and he has pretty much committed his life to following, supporting and defending the club.

If you read the book, then, firstly, thank you very much; secondly I’d say that if it brings you half the pleasure I had of spending so much of the last two and a half years talking and learning from Martin then the book will be a great success.

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