THE HISTORY
OF IRISH
ARSENAL

BY JON SPURLING

THE HISTORY
OF IRISH
ARSENAL

BY JON SPURLING

In a 2009 straw poll conducted by the Islington Gazette, around 30% of residents claimed Irish ancestry. Several nearby districts, including Camden and Kilburn, also have a thriving Irish diaspora. It comes as no surprise therefore, that a significant proportion of Arsenal regulars have their roots across the Irish Sea, and this is reflected in a raft of thriving Arsenal supporters clubs across several cities, from Derby to Dublin, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Irish influence on our club is deep rooted and extensive.

David Yates, who worked on the construction of Highbury for a few frantic months in 1913 recalled: ‘In the months leading up to the first game (against Leicester Fosse), an entire range of craftsmen and tradesmen converged on Highbury to try and get the ground ready. A good proportion had Irish accents. I found out that many had originally come across to dig the tunnels for London’s growing tube network. There was a huge sense of camaraderie amongst them.’

The onset of World War 2 saw English munitions factories crying out for manual labour. Many Irishmen and Irishwomen responded to the clarion call. One of those was Belfast born Michael Flynn, who later became an East Stand season ticket holder at Highbury. ‘I got a job in the munitions factory near Kings Cross in early 1939, and talking football was always a good tension breaker with English workers. Some of the locals suggested we go and watch Arsenal. We drank and sang together - the Irish were louder of course - and very quickly Highbury was my second home, as it was for other Irish workers, both men and women.’

Kevin O’Flanagan

In the 20 years that followed World War II, we had a sprinkling of Irish stars who achieved cult hero status. Dublin born Doctor Kevin O’Flanagan, a feisty outside left, played 14 matches for the club between 1945-47 and was an outstanding all-round sportsperson, also playing rugby union for his country, as well as being a talented athlete and Gaelic footballer in his youth. Diminutive left winger Joe Haverty - nicknamed ‘little Joe’ after the character in TV series Bonanza - set in the Wild West - was a crowd favourite in the late ‘50s. Standing at just 5 foot 3, Haverty impressed Highbury regulars with his wholehearted displays. Like Haverty, Billy McCullough, our left back in the early ‘60s, was also nicknamed after a character from a Western themed TV series; in his case Wagon Train. ‘Flint’ McCullough - the first defender to score for us in European football, was speedy and tough tackling, qualities which endeared him to supporters. At the time of his passing in March this year, he was our oldest surviving former player.

By the mid 1970s, a few years after we completed the Double, a revolution was underway at Highbury. Bertie Mee’s side already had Northern Irish fullbacks Pat Rice and Sammy Nelson in the side. Our chief scout Gordon Clark had a network across the Irish Sea, and he was mining a rich seam of talent which saw Arsenal dubbed the ‘London Irish’ by the end of the decade. In October 1973, the Islington Gazette noted that no fewer than five of our players – David O’Leary, Frank Stapleton, Liam Brady, Noel O’Brien and John Murphy – had been selected for the Republic of Ireland’s Under 21 match with Iceland. The first three went on to become first-team regulars, and were joined at Highbury by Newry born goalkeeper Pat Jennings, given a free transfer by Tottenham in 1977, making it six regular Irish first-teamers. As well as that, Ulsterman Terry Neill, our captain in the late 1960s, was installed as manager in 1976, after two years at Tottenham. ‘Some in the press suggested that there was a kind of Irish mafia at Highbury, but it really wasn’t the case. It happened more by accident than design,’ Neill recalled.

"Others had their own views. We didn’t speak about it. We were there to play football. I think we were an example of how men from different backgrounds can mix."

PAT JENNINGS

"Others had their own views. We didn’t speak about it. We were there to play football. I think we were an example of how men from different backgrounds can mix."

PAT JENNINGS

The star of the show was Liam Brady, a graceful left-footed midfielder, who was arguably the best offensive midfielder in the country. Pacy central defender David O’Leary informed the press in 1977 that he ‘couldn’t see himself ever playing for another club’ and striker Frank Stapleton was one of the most complete strikers in Europe. Remarkable though it seems, given the sectarian conflict in Ireland at the time, one thing that was never discussed by the Irish contingent was politics. ‘Sammy Nelson is a Unionist and proud of it. Frank Stapleton is a Catholic,’ explained Pat Jennings. ‘Others had their own views. We didn’t speak about it. We were there to play football. I think we were an example of how men from different backgrounds can mix.’

Arsenal reached three FA Cup Finals in a row between 1978 and 1980, winning the ‘three-minute final’ 3-2 against Manchester United in 1979. Their FA Cup Final song, perhaps unsurprisingly, was based on the tune of ‘The Irish Rover.’ Stapleton and Brady played starring roles; the latter played a key role into the build-up for all Arsenal’s goals, supplying the cross for Stapleton’s second Arsenal goal. After the match, Brady joined his team mates at the Grosvenor Park Hotel and sang ‘Irish Eyes Are Smiling’ for the benefit of radio.

Liam Brady and Terry Neill

Liam Brady and Terry Neill

By the early ‘80s, that era of the London Irish was coming to an end. Liam Brady departed for Juventus in 1980, and Frank Stapleton went to Manchester United a year later. Terry Neill lost his job at Christmas 1983. ‘I couldn’t find good enough replacements for Liam and Frank,’ he lamented. The third Republic of Ireland international, David O’Leary, stayed put and was present and correct in the team which lifted the title in dramatic fashion at Anfield in May 1989. Striker Niall Quinn was on the bench. Four years later, Belfast born utility player Steve Morrow drilled home the winner in the Coca Cola Cup Final against Sheffield Wednesday, before infamously being dropped by skipper Tony Adams, who’d bear hugged him to celebrate, breaking his arm in the process.

Legendary goalkeeper Emma Byrne currently holds the appearance record for the women’s team – playing an incredible 459 matches between 2000 and 2016

The baton was passed to the next generation of Irish Gunners in the new millennium, reflecting the rapid growth of the women's game. Legendary goalkeeper Emma Byrne currently holds the appearance record for our women’s team – playing an incredible 459 matches between 2000 and 2016, and like Byrne, midfielder Ciara Grant won trophies galore for the Gunners between 1998 and 2014. Katie McCabe, whose stellar 11-year Arsenal career ended recently, made history in 2023 as the first Irish woman nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award. In January 2027, the highly rated teenage midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna will join the club from Shamrock Rovers. Hopes are high.

The mass gatherings on the streets of Islington following Arsenal’s 2026 Premier League title celebrations attracted thousands of Gunners from around the world, including Ireland. The (clearly visible) Belfast Arsenal and Cork Arsenal banners during the Sunday parade demonstrate the fierce and long-term loyalty for the club held by supporters across the Irish Sea.

THE HISTORYOF IRISHARSENAL

BY JON SPURLING