TSUNAMI DISASTER
Everyone at Arsenal Football Club would like to extend their
sincere condolences to the thousands of families and friends that
have been affected by the tsunami disaster in Asia. The scale of
the disaster means that there will undoubtedly be supporters
watching the match tonight who have been directly impacted. Our
thoughts are with you all.
Period of Silence
Prior to this evening's match, there will be a period of
silence as a mark of respect for all those who perished in
the disaster.
Programme Donation
50p of each programme sold tonight will be donated to a registered
charity/charities working in the regions affected by the
tsunami.
Bucket Collection
Prior to tonight's match a collection will be
taking place outside the ground to raise money for relief in the
disaster region. All contributions gratefully received.
Further Initiatives
In the Stoke City programme, the Club will outline further
initiatives organised to help raise funds for the victims of the
tsunami disaster. These will include a fund-raising competition
offering four people the chance to meet the Arsenal first-team
squad at the training ground.
LOAN ROUND-UP
There are currently five Arsenal players on loan at
different clubs.
Stuart Taylor (Leicester City)
Stuart is on a month-to-month loan deal with Leicester City, and
has played eight Championship matches so far. The former England
Under-21 goalkeeper has so far kept three clean sheets for the
Walkers Stadium side.
Graham Stack (Millwall)
Stuart's fellow young goalkeeper Graham Stack is spending the
season on loan at Millwall. He has appeared in 21 league matches,
plus also turned out against Liverpool in the Carling Cup and
against Ferencvaros in the UEFA Cup. He has recently lost his
number one jersey to Andy Marshall.
David Bentley (Norwich City)
A regular in the Canaries line-up, David has featured in 19
Barclays Premiership matches this season, and one Carling Cup. He
has so far netted once from his usual position of midfield. The 20
year-old England youth International is currently on a season-long
loan at Norwich.
Danny Karbassiyoon (Ipswich Town)
Danny Karbassiyoon has recently joined promotion chasing Ipswich
Town on a month-by-month loan deal. He made his debut for the
Tractor Boys in their 3-1 defeat to Millwall on Boxing Day, coming
on with five minutes to go. He played in yesterday's 2-1 win at
Plymouth. The American left-back made his Gunners first team debut
earlier this season, scoring against Manchester City in the Carling
Cup.
Sebastian Svard (Brondby)
Over in Denmark, midfielder Sebastian Svard is back in his home
country with Brondby for the season. The 21 year-old has played 11
times this season, and has helped his team to the top of the
table.
KINGS OF THE CAPITAL
Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Charlton on New Year's Day
extended our unbeaten run against London opposition to 32 league
matches. The run began in November 2001, with a 1-1 draw away to
Tottenham Hotspur, and now spans four seasons. The last time
Arsenal lost in the Premiership to a team from the capital was on
November 4, 2001 when Charlton won 4-2 at Highbury. Of the 32
matches so far, 22 have been victories, and 10 have been drawn.
The unbeaten matches are as follows:
2001/02 Season
Nov 17 - Spurs (away) 1-1 draw
Dec 15 - West Ham (away) 1-1 draw
Dec 26 - Chelsea (home) 2-1 win
Feb 23 - Fulham (home) 4-1 win
Apr 1 - Charlton (away) 3-0 win
Apr 6 - Spurs (home) 2-1 win
Apr 24 - West Ham (home) 2-0 win
2002/03 Season
Aug 24 - West Ham (away) 2-2 draw
Sep 1 - Chelsea (away) 1-1 draw
Sep 14 - Charlton (away) 3-0 win
Nov 3 - Fulham (away) 1-0 win
Nov 16 - Spurs (home) 3-0 win
Dec 15 - Spurs (away) 1-1 draw
Jan 1 - Chelsea (home) 3-2 win
Jan 19 - West Ham (home) 3-1 win
Feb 1 - Fulham (home) 2-1 win
Mar 2 - Charlton (home) 2-0 win
2003/04 Season
Oct 18 - Chelsea (home) 2-1 win
Oct 26 - Charlton (away) 1-1 draw
Nov 8 - Spurs (home) 2-1 win
Nov 30 - Fulham (home) 0-0 draw
Feb 21 - Chelsea (away) 2-1 win
Feb 28 - Charlton (home) 2-1 win
Apr 25 - Spurs (away) 2-2 draw
May 9 - Fulham (away) 1-0 win
2004/05 Season
Sep 11 - Fulham (away) 3-0 win
Oct 2 - Charlton (home) 4-0 win
Nov 6 - Palace (away) 1-1 draw
Nov 13 - Spurs (away) 5-4 win
Dec 12 - Chelsea (home) 2-2 draw
Dec 26 - Fulham (home) 2-0 win
Jan 1 - Charlton (away) 3-1 win.
FA YOUTH CUP FOURTH ROUND
A reminder that Arsenal's Youth Team have been drawn at home to
Preston North End in the Fourth Round of the FA Youth Cup. After
beating Crystal Palace in the Third Round, Steve Bould's
Under-18 team will tackle Preston at Barnet FC on January 17.
2004 - AN HISTORIC YEAR
Arsenal's 1-0 win over Newcastle United at St
James' Park rounded off a truly memorable year for Arsenal
Football Club. In 2004 the Gunners played 60 matches in all
competitions, winning 37, drawing 16 and losing just 7, of which
only two were in the Premiership. It was also the year of course,
in which Arsenal set a new English record for consecutive unbeaten
league matches, and completed an undefeated Premiership campaign.
Another notable achievement during the season was the tally of 128
goals, more than two per match. Not surprisingly Thierry Henry led
the way with 43, 12 more than he scored in 2003. The team's win
average of 61.6 per cent was also higher than last year. The full
stats are as follows:
Goalscorers:
Henry 43, Pires 21, Reyes 13, Ljungberg 11, Bergkamp
6, Vieira 6, Edu 5, own goals 5, Toure 3, van Persie 3, Fabregas 2,
Lupoli 2, Bentley 1, Campbell 1, Cole 1, Gilberto 1, Kanu 1,
Karbassiyoon 1, Lauren 1, Owusu-Abeyie 1.
THIERRY CLOSING IN ON RECORD
Up to and including the game at Newcastle United,
Thierry Henry now lies in joint second place in the all-time list
of goalscorers in league football for Arsenal. His goal against
Fulham on Boxing Day was Thierry's 128th in the Premier League,
the same total Ian Wright racked up in the top flight for the
Gunners. Cliff Bastin still leads the way with 150 league goals,
scored between 1929 and 1946. In the list of overall goals for the
Club, Thierry remains third, on 171 goals. He is seven behind
Bastin's former record, and 14 behind Ian Wright's existing
record of 185 Arsenal goals (not including the match on New
Year's Day).
League Goals (League Matches)
Cliff Bastin 150 (350)
Thierry Henry 128 (193)
Ian Wright 128 (221)
Jimmy Brain 125 (204)
Doug Lishman 125 (226)
Ted Drake 124 (168)
David Jack 113 (181)
John Radford 111 (379)
Joe Hulme 107 (333)
Reg Lewis 103 (154)
Overall Goals (Overall Matches)
Ian Wright 185 (288)
Cliff Bastin 178 (396)
Thierry Henry 171 (283)
John Radford 149 (481)
(correct as at December 29, 2004)
PREMIERSHIP GOALSCORERS 2004
Two of the top three goalscorers in the Premiership
last year were Arsenal players. Thierry Henry scored the most goals
(34) in the league in 2004, followed by Portsmouth's Yakubu who
netted 20. Then third in the list is Robert Pires, who scored 17
goals from midfield in the last 12 months.
FOOTBALL AID 2005
Professional football's favourite charitable
organisation, Football Aid, is kicking off its fifth season of
'Live the Dream' experiences, allowing supporters of
football clubs throughout the UK the chance to play in an
officially regulated game on the hallowed turf of their favourite
club by hosting fundraising events. Arsenal will once again be
taking part, and Football Aid will fulfil the dreams of supporters
by allocating positions to fans who raise the necessary funds
through the self sponsorship scheme. So whether it is staging a
cycle ride between all your local football grounds, participating
in a terrifying skydive, having your legs waxed or lying in a bath
of beans, there's potentially a shirt with your name on it!
For more information, please visit www.footballaid.com or contact David Jenkins, Football Aid by telephone on: 0131 220 5999, mobile: 07968 777596 or by e-mail at: info@footballaid.com.
THE LONDON FOOTBALL PROGRAMME FAIRS
The London Football Programme Fairs commence on the
following dates (all on Sundays) in 2005: February 6, March 6,
April 6, May 1, July 3, August 7, September 4, October 2, November
6, December 4. They take place at St Stephen's Hall,
Emperor's Gate in Kensington, London, SW7. The nearest
underground station is Gloucester Road. Admission is free and they
run from 11am until 2pm. For further details, contact 01268
732041.