The Spurs-Arsenal Rivalty.

"If anyone doubts that sport reflects its society, go and watch Arsenal. Nothing epitomizes Marx's ideas on alienation, dehumanization and the turning of the worker into a unit of production better than Arsenal's football. It is automated, brutally effective, and totally devoid of self-expression, craft or artistry".
(Time out magazine, on the 1980s Arsenal team)

First of all there is always going to be rivalry between clubs that are situated close together, but there are a few things that make ours a bit more than that. First, was the move of the Arse from Woolwich to Islington, which was basically stepping on the toes of Spurs who were already established in N. London. Shortly afterwards in 1919 was the infamous promotion/relegation incident.
At the end of 1914-15, Chelsea and Spurs had finished bottom of the First Division. Derby County and Preston North End had topped the Second Division. There was no league football between 1915 and 1919, due to the war. In 1919, it was decided to extend the number of clubs in the Football League from 40 to 44. The First Division had been extended on a previous occasion by cancelling the relegation of the bottom two clubs and promoting the top two in the Second Division. It was generally assumed (especially in N17!) that the same method could be used again, thus saving Spurs and Chelsea from the drop. However, this was not to be.

Derby and Preston were promoted as a matter of course. During the war years it had emerged that Liverpool and Manchester United had 'fixed' a match which had ensured neither were relegated but which left Chelsea in 21st place. Partly because of this revelation, Chelsea were not relegated. However, the Football League said there was no reason why Spurs should remain in the First Division.

This decision left one place vacant in the top flight, and Arsenal (who had finished around 6th in the second division in the last pre-war season) proposed that there should be an election to fill this remaining place. There were more deserving clubs worthy of promotion in the Second Division - namely Barnsley, Wolves and Birmingham who had all finished the 1914-15 season ahead of Arsenal. There was some bribery - allegedly - and Arsenal duly took the vacant position in the first division. As we all know, they have never been relegated since. Spurs, on the other hand, bounced back to win the second division at the first attempt with a record number of points.

This is not the end of the misfortunes we have suffered at the hands of the Gooners. Melvyn Bragg recently said in an interview in the Sunday Telegraph that it was his understanding that Arsenal had deliberately lost two games near the end of season 1927-28 to ensure that Spurs were relegated. No evidence was put forward to substantiate these allegations, however.

So the seeds of the bitter hatred were sown early in the century, and though most Spurs fans probably don't know much of this history, the legacy has been passed down to them.

 The Arsenal History of Scandals
 

* 1927-28...there is evidence to suggest Arsneal threw 2 games at the end of this season to get spurs relegated.

*19?? Peter Story's porn convictions - convicted for smuggling porn in car tyres

*19?? Alan Sunderland - killed a kid in his car whilst speeding

*19?? Raphael Meade - done for rape

*Sept 1988: Paul Davis banned for nine matches by FA after being exposed by TV as being responsible for
breaking Glenn Cockerill's jaw during a first division game against Southampton at Highbury.

*Nov 1989: Paul Merson and Steve Bould are disciplined by Arsenal after late night incident at sponsor's function.

*Nov 1989: Arsenal are fined £20,000 by FA for part in brawl during game against Norwich.

*May 1990: Paul Merson, Perry Groves, Nigel Winterburn and Kevin Richardson sent home from club tour of Singapore following an alleged 'late' drinking session.

*Oct 1990: Arsenal fined £50,000 by FA and docked two points after Old Trafford brawl.

*Dec 1990: Tony Adams, the Arsenal captain, jailed on drunk-driving charges.

*Nov 1991: Paul Merson, Ian Wright and David Seaman charged by FA with misconduct after incidents at end of
first division match at Oldham.

*Jan 1993: Ian Wright banned for three games after FA commission upheld charge that he had directed a punch at Tottenham's David Howells during game at White Hart Lane.
.
*Nov 1994: Paul Merson subject of FA investigation and sent to drug addiction clinic after announcing that he has
been hooked on cocaine and booze for the last year.

*Dec 1994: The first report that George Graham and Aresenal chairman were being investigated for accepting £425,000 from Norwegian agent Rune Hauge following the signings of Pal Lydersen and John Jensen.

*May 1995: Ray Parlour arrested after punch-up with Hong Kong taxi-driver on a club tour and fined £170 for assault. Omitted by FA from England Under-21 side as a punishment.

*Oct 1995: David Hillier charged by police for credit card and luggage theft at airport. Later fined in court.

*September 1996: Houston quits as caretaker manager; Adams confesses to his team-mates that he is an alcoholic.
Arsenal confirm Wenger as their new manager.
Nigel Winterburn under investigation by the FA after the police reported him to match officials for making inflammatory gestures towards rival supporters in the wheelchair section. after the 2nd and 3rd goals in the Arse-Sheffield Wednesday match.

*October 1996: Ian Wright on an FA Misconduct charge for calling Sheffield Wednesday manager David Pleat a
pervert.
Arsenal players involved in half-time scuffle with Coventry players in the tunnel during the 0-0 draw at Highbury. Ian Wright tackles Coventry goalkeeper Steve Ogrizivic and breaks his nose, Ogrizivic threatens to
press charges but later withdraws his allegations.

August 27, 1997: Wright is substituted in the game away to Leicester City. Leicester are losing 1-2 after 90 minutes. However referee Graham Barber controversially adds another eight minutes of playing time during which Leicester come back to draw 3-3. After the final whistle, although Wright has been substituted, he races about 50 yards onto the pitch and becomes involved in an ugly confrontation with referee Graham Barber and Leicester captain Steve Walsh.
 
The Arsenal First XI

1. David Seamen :
In 1994, dumped wife Sandra and two sons for Arsenal promotions girl Debbie Rogers. His greatest mistake was being photographed leaving Debbie's flat.....to go fishing.

2. Peter Storey :
One of football's all-time lads done bad. In 1979, fined 700 pounds and given a six month suspended jail sentence for running a brothal, the Calypso Massgae Parlour in East London's exotic Leyton High Road. In 1980, jailed for three years for financing a plot to counterfeit gold coins, Two years later, given two six month jail terms for car theft. In 1990, jailed for four weeks for importing 20 obscene tapes inside the spare tyre of his jeep. The following year, given a 28 day suspended sentence for swearing at a traffic warden.

3. Nigel Winterburn :
In 1990, fined 2000 pounds and sent home from a club tour with Paul Merson, Perry Groves and Kevin Richardson after a late night drinking session.

4. Andy Linighan :
In 1993, forced to apologise to Jewish taxi driver Harold Levy for anti-Semitic remarks and refusing to pay a 63 pound metered fare from the PFA dinner at Grosvenor House to his Harpenden home. Admitted to being 'over the drink driving
limit' at the time.

5. Tony  Adams :
Spent 56 days in jail in 1990 after being convicted of drink-driving. In March 1993, needed 29 stitches in a head wound after falling down concrete steps during a night out.
Seven months later, helped Ray Parlour spray Essex pizza eaters with a fire extinguisher.
Alledgedly spent part of 1994 FA Cup final day frolicking on stage with a stripper.
Confessed in September 1996 to being an alcoholic.

6. Ray Parlour :
Adam's sidekick with the fire extinguisher. Made his own headlines in Nov 1994 by suffering a depressed fracture of the cheekbone after being "glassed" during a brawl at Butlin's in Bognor Regis and was fined 330 pounds after assaulting a Hong Kong taxi-driver during a 12 pint drinking binge on the club's tour of the Far East the following May.

7. Anders Limpar :
In Aug 1992, fined 50 pounds after being stopped by an Arse-supporting PC for driving his BMW though red traffic lights while hurrying to a fashion show at London's Olympia.

8. Paul Merson :
In 1989, fined 6 weeks wages and barred from Highbury after being banned from driving for 18 months; suspended and fined 2 weeks wages pay after a rumpus at a sponsor's dinner. The following year, sent home from a club tour of Singapore for late night drinking. In Aug 94, questioned by police after running away from an incident in which he wrote off his 25000 pound Discovery and not reporting the accident until the next day. That Nov, confessed to an ability to sink 14 pints of lager top a night and to out-of- control addictions to gambling and cocaine.

9. Ian Wright :
Spent 5 days in Chelmsford jail as a teenagerafter refusing to pay fines for driving 2 cars without tax, insurance and MoT.
Fined 5000 pounds for calling a linesman a "wan*er" during that year's FA Cup Final, having been fined and banned for 3 games for delivering an off-the-ball right hook to David Howell the previous December.
In Feb 1995, made a 750 pound out of court settlement with QPR security officer Mary Russell after spitting in her face, and paid 600 pounds costs to her solicitors.

10. Kevin Campbell :
In Dec 1992, fined 1800 pounds for drink-driving - one of the heaviest monetary punishments ever meted out for the offence. The magistrates clearly thought he could afford it.

11. David Hillier :
In Jan 1996, fined 750 pounds and ordered to pay 970 pounds compensation after stealing 2 holdalls at Gatwick Airport. Hillier and Bolton player Wayne Burnett lifted the bags, which belonged to a Danish businessman, on their return from a golfing holiday in Marseille the previous May. At least Hillier, unlike his former manager, did not claim that he thought the bags were a gift and he always intended to pay back the money, with interest, at a later date.

Substitutes

12. Paul Vaessen :
In June 1994, the ex-Gooner starlet confessed to burglary and theft to fuel his 175 pounds a day
heroin habit. Stabbed 6 times in a street fight over a drug deal that went wrong.

13. Kenny Sansom : Confessed to spending the 1987-88 season in a "nightmare of shattered dreams and
empty bottles"

14. Charlie Nicholas
15. Tony Woodcock
16. Alan Sunderland

All convicted of drink-driving.

ARSENAL DICTIONARY-  NOW HERE!

Download the commentary of ex-Spurs' star Nayim's goal against Arsenal from the half way
line in the CupWinners' Cup Final against Saragozza.