Peter Daveson
There isn’t famous football club that doesn't have an equally as famous ground to play their matches in. Arsenal is no exception, and from 1913-2006 the legendary home for the Gunners was Highbury Stadium.
Built on the land of a local college, the ground became such a North London icon that it earned its own tube stop, named after its tenant club. Along with its signature clock, art deco stands, and narrow pitch, Highbury is remembered as the setting for countless memorable matches in the club's long history.
While the Emirates and all its modern amenities will eventually make its own lore, Arsenal's greatest Highbury matches will always mean the world to generations of Gunners fans that were lucky enough to see a match there.
28 April 1970: Arsenal 3-0 Anderlecht
For a spell, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was a big deal for European clubs to win. The precursor to today's UEFA Cup / Europa League, it also gave Arsenal their first ever major European honor. In the 1969-70 competition, the Gunners worked their way through the 64-team tournament to earn a place in a two-legged final against Anderlecht. The first leg was in Brussels, which resulted in a 3-1 victory for the Belgians. Although things looked grim, that single away goal from Ray Kennedy in the waning minutes gave Arsenal hope.
During the return leg at Highbury, Eddie Kelly pulled the aggregate score back to 3-2 with a 25th minute goal. That score would hold for nearly an hour more. After 75 minutes, John Radford and Jon Sammels each scored in a two-minute span, eventually giving Arsenal the 4-3 aggregate win. The victory ended a 17-year trophy drought for the Gunners and remains one of the greatest comebacks in club history. While UEFA does not recognize the tournament in a club's official records, FIFA does, and the triumph is very real to those supporters and players that lived it.
3 May 1998: Arsenal 4-0 Everton
The 1997-98 season was one of many milestones for Arsenal. It represented the club's 100th season of football (due to the cessation of normal competition during the two world wars) and was also Arsene Wenger's first full season as manager. And oh yeah, the club won their first double since the 1970s too. At the beginning of April, Arsenal and Manchester United were level on points at the top of the table, but the Mancs held a hefty goal difference advantage. But from there Arsenal's form excelled while United's stalled, and in the final three matches they needed just one win to secure their first title of the Premier League era.
They wasted no time in doing so. Their matchday 36 fixture got off to a rough start for visiting Everton, who surrendered an own goal in the 6th minute. Marc Overmars then scored twice and Tony Adams added one of his own to crown Arsenal the Premier League champions with two matches to spare. Remarkably, Arsenal's legendary back four of Adams, Bould, Dixon, and Winterburn all also played in the team when Arsenal clinched the 1988-89 First Division Championship. Of Arsenal's three Premier League titles, this was the only one they were able to win at Highbury.
15 May 2004: Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City
Just one match stood between Arsenal and history. Leicester City was tasked with heading into a raucous Highbury and trying to prevent the Gunners from becoming the first side in 115 years to finish a league season undefeated. Early on, it looked like the Foxes could indeed play the role of epic spoiler. Paul Dickov knocked in a header by the far post in the 26th minute, sending nervous energy through the home crowd.
But as they had done all season, Arsenal rallied behind the performance of Henry. The Frenchman knocked home a penalty that Ashley Cole drew shortly after the break, preserving their chance to make history. Less than 20 minutes later, captain Patrick Vieira added an insurance goal to kick off the celebrations. The Invincibles were born, and although they had already claimed the league title at White Hart Lane weeks earlier, the official trophy presentation took place on the pitch in what just might be the finest sight Highbury ever saw.
25 August 2004: Arsenal 3-0 Blackburn
Arsenal's momentum didn't falter after winning the 2003-04 league title, as they still had one major mark left to tackle: Nottingham Forest's 42-match unbeaten streak. The Invincibles picked up where they left off, dispatching Everton and Boro to start the season. That put them level with Forest's 26-year old mark that Brian Clough's league-winning side had set. A match at Highbury against Blackburn would decide if the record would solely belong to Arsenal. Everyone from supporters to online sportsbooks to dedicated sports betting pages such as this OnlineGambling.co.uk one (which at the time were experiencing a boom in popularity they are still enjoying today) expected the hugely-favored Gunners to win handily.
But Blackburn hung tough in the first half and at the break the result was very much up in the air, tied 0-0. Rovers' gritty defence finally succumbed in the 50th minute to a brilliant Bergkamp-to-Henry goal. From there, Arsenal found their attacking rhythm and Gilberto Silva and Jose Antonio Reyes both scored to officially secure the record 43rd-straight match without a defeat. The immortal side went on to win or draw six more before suffering their first loss in 50 matches, a record that seems truly invincible.
7 May 2006: Arsenal 4-2 Wigan
The last ever match at Highbury was obviously an occasion for some tears. But despite this May fixture against Wigan signifying the end of an over 90-year era at the iconic ground, the supporters were also given much to celebrate on that fateful day. Before the final match day kicked off, Arsenal sat in fifth and needed to better Spurs' result at West Ham to secure a Champions League spot. Although Robert Pires' early goal was negated quickly, one Gunner ensured Highbury would be sent out in style.
That was of course none other than captain Thierry Henry. 2-1 down, Henry equalised in the 35th minute while Spurs and West Ham were still level. He was just warming up for the day, and by the 77th had completed a hat trick that put Arsenal ahead 4-2. Shortly after, West Ham claimed a lead of their own against Spurs. The final whistle signaled the end of a long era but also that Arsenal had qualified for European football yet again. A long line of Arsenal legends paraded around the ground in the post-match celebrations, collectively bidding farewell to the fabled ground with the 38,000+ supporters in attendance.
