Steve Ingless
Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten, a self-published book about the 32 year history of the regular Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris friendlies, was a project that very quickly turned into an obsession which took over my life and everyone’s around me as well. Coming from a family of Arsenal supporters who hailed from Islington (and knowing the stories of Chapman’s glory years from them) I had this book in my mind for a while, but it wasn’t until I saw a photograph of the 1947 match between for sale on ebay that I decided to take this idea more seriously. Where do you start? All I had was an idea, a photograph and a set of results from the series that stretched back to the thirties.
I bit the bullet and started the long haul of research. Over a period of four years, I trawled through newspapers in the British Newpaper Library, found the French equivalent in Paris, and started to compile events, places, matches and players. I also found films taken by British Movietone, Pathé News and others of some of the matches which proved to be invaluable as I could actually view the games and write a match report on them as best I could. Photographs came from many sources both here and abroad (mainly through ebay), and I found that there were many pre-war magazines from the continent still around that carried both match reports and pictures of the games that were useful too.
My research also meant that I came into contact with Arsenal programme collectors, one of whom helped above and beyond the call of duty. He possessed many of the Arsenal-Racing programmes in his collection, and for a small fee was quite willing to scan them in for me to use in my book, all of which I have used throughout the pages. I also found a serious Arsenal collector who obtained Don Roper’s medal from the 1951 match, which he allowed me to use in the colour section as well. The Arsenal Museum were also extremely helpful too, with the curator taking a picture of the trophy that both sides played for, as well as finding out valuable information from the Arsenal club archives that I was able to use.
I also managed to compile a list of teams, scorers and player appearances from the match; only two games eluded me, but aside from that, the records section is as accurate as I could find it. Aside from the Arsenal-RCP matches, I thought it would be interesting for the reader to read about the history of not only these games, but also the history of football throughout the decades that these matches cover. I thought it would be interesting as well to insert contemporary cartoons that reflect the matches (and the era too), as often cartoonists capture the mood of the times more accurately than social commentators.
In my research I found out that after the appalling human cost of the First World War, in which thousands of men were maimed and seriously injured, a unique and original idea was thrust into action by Jean-Bernard Lévy, owner of rising French football club Racing Club de France in the summer of 1930. He proposed an annual charity match between the emerging Parisians and Arsenal Football Club of London, England, who had just won their first FA Cup and were on course for the First Division Championship (their first triumph) the following season with all proceeds going to injured and disabled French servicemen from the Great War which finished twelve years previously.
The first match was truly the stuff of legends; after being 1-2 down at half-time, Herbert Chapman’s imperious Arsenal team literally steamrollered their hosts and ended up 7-2 victors at the end of the match. Because of the frenetic Parisians (and also the large amount of money raised), Arsenal were invited back again the next year, and every year after that until 1962, allowing for the hiatus of the Second World War of course.
Only on two occasions did Racing Club de Paris play at Highbury; in 1932 (just after their name change) and again in 1954. Of the 27 matches that were played, Arsenal were victorious on 19 occasions, Racing Club four, and the same amount of matches were drawn. Reflecting all this information, the book is lavishly illustrated with rare photographs, medals, programmes and contemporary cartoons; there are also eight colour pages as well as an extensive records section. All in all, it’s a superb addition to any football library, and a must for all Arsenal supporters who are hungry for knowledge about this wonderful club’s illustrious history.
Being in the printing industry, I was able not only to typeset my book, but design it as well; in fact all that you see in my book has been put together by myself – I did everything bar the printing! I bought the fonts, designed the cover, and paid for the use of illustrations and photographs from the copyright holder wherever appropriate. In short, all my own work, and I can say that I’m very proud of this fact too.
Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon, price £19.99.
