Billy McCullough is 89 today

 

Untold Arsenal note: We have another technical problem this morning with Untold but are trying to get it fixed.  As soon as we do we will be posting on that site again in the usual way.

 

Billy McCullough who played 253 times for Arsenal between 1958 and 1966 is 89 years old today.  We wish him a very happy birthday, and hopefully he will have some fond memories of the club he gave his career to.

27 July 1913: Albert Beasley born.  Born in Stourbridge, he began his career as playing for local sides in Kidderminster, before joining Stourbridge. In 1931, while still only seventeen he was signed for £550 by Herbert Chapman for Arsenal

27 July 1935: Billy McCullough born.  He played initially for Portadown and then in 1958 was signed by Arsenal being one of the first players signed by George Swindin.

27 July 1971: John Matthews joined as an apprentice.  He became a professional in 1973 and then made his first appearance in the league in the opening match of the 1975/6 season.

27 July 1992: Blackburn broke the British transfer record paying £3.3m to Southampton for Alan Shearer, who had scored 23 goals in 118 league games thus far.   The move followed the takeover of Blackburn by Jack Walker, and set the scene for ever richer men put ever more money into winning the league.  Three years later Blackburn were relegated, by 2017 they were in League One.

27 July 2000: Brian McGovern joined Norwich City.  He only played one league match for Arsenal, but played five on loan to QPR.  He played 21 for Norwich in the next two years before playing briefly for Peterborough and then moving back to Ireland.

27 July 2002: Arsenal’s friendly against Rapid Vienna in Austria abandoned after rioting among local fans.  The problem was entirely focused on the directors of the Viennese club which had not won the league since 1996 and finished 8th the previous season.

27 July 2005: FC Utrecht 0 Arsenal 3 (Pires, Reyes, Henry).  It was the fourth of six pre-season games in which we won every game.

27 July 2006: The old Highbury clock was erected onto the wall of the Emirates Stadium.  The new clock inside the ground, based on the design of the original clock of Highbury was unveiled in 2010.

27 July 2009: Szombathelvi Haladas (Austria) 0 Arsenal 5 (Bendtner 2, Eduardo 2, Van Persie).  One of seven pre-season games that summer.

27 July 2010: SC Neusiedl 0 Arsenal 4 (Walcott, Emmanuel Thomas, Chamakh, Vela).  This was one of six pre-season games, of which the last was Legia Warsaw 5 Arsenal 6

27 July 2012: Arsenal lost a pre-season game against Man City as some supporters became anxious about the club’s direction following the departure of Robin van Persie and Alex Song.  It was one of 12 pre-season matches that summer.

27 July 2014: Arsenal announced the signing of David Ospina from Nice for a fee
quoted in the press of around £3m, with Ospina replacing Fabianski.  By early 2015 Ospina had become first choice keeper.

Elsewhere

The 1919 Affair:  How Arsenal were promoted to the first division – the only complete and detailed history of Arsenal’s election.

Day by Day the videos – An Arsenal video for (almost) every day of the year in order. 

Day by Day the stories– a key moment in Arsenal and footballing history for each day of the year

Henry Norris at the Arsenal:  There is a full index to the series here correcting 100 years of rumour and false allegations.

Arsenal in the 1930s: The most comprehensive series on the decade ever

Arsenal in the 1970s: Every match and every intrigue reviewed in detail.