'The double win was my pinnacle'

In Defining Moments former Arsenal stars select the situations that defined their career with the Gunners. Ex-captain Frank McLintock is next to recall his favourites.

#1 Becoming a gunner

My first defining moment was signing for the Club – meeting the legendary administrator Bob Wall and being shown the Marble Halls. It changed my life.

I was at Leicester City and we had an outstanding side, but it was clear the resources weren’t there to get the extra players we needed to really push on. We could only go so far. I had offers that were rebuffed by Leicester.

Bill Shankly wanted me at Liverpool just after they got promotion from the old second division. He asked me: “How would you like to play for a good team?” Then he added with a twinkle in his eye, “We’ve got Ian St John doing a great job up front. I’ve brought in Ron Yeats at the back. Now we need a third Scotsman – you. Any more Scotsmen though and it just causes ****** trouble!”

Don Revie even turned up at my house in disguise, offered to double my money and give me £8,000 up front. That could have bought two or three houses in Leicester. Again Leicester said no and that was that. Players had no power. Then Billy Wright – recently appointed Arsenal manager – came in for me and it was agreed I could leave. He was a huge name, but the job – his first in management – was way too big for him.

#2 On the training pitch

Working with two world-class coaches in Dave Sexton and Don Howe was so important for my career. When Billy Wright left we were all expecting Arsenal to appoint a Don Revie or Alf Ramsey. So when we got the physio, Bertie Mee, eyebrows were raised. He didn’t know much about football but he was a great organiser and in Dave Sexton he had an outstanding coach.

Arsenal were going nowhere but with Dave at the training ground we could see light at the end of the tunnel – he was brilliant. Then after 18 months Bertie let him go to Chelsea. We were distraught, like somebody had died. I had a showdown with Bertie who just said, “Dave wants to paddle his own canoe.” Well, I was incandescent.

Then Bertie brings in Don Howe. I was there the day he broke his leg against Blackpool – I still remember thinking he would be OK until I saw his shinbone sticking out below his knee.

Everybody sulked, but after 10 days – and I will never forget this – we were running around the red cinder track at Highbury when Don halted the session and tore a strip off the whole squad. He told us to snap out of it or leave, only in much stronger words! It jolted us back into reality.

Don was as good as, if not better than, Dave as a coach and as a man. Don and Gordon Clark changed my position from attacking midfielder to centre half. I couldn’t see at the time, but it was a revelation. 

#3 Learning From defeat

The Swindon League Cup final in 1969 was a dreadful game, maybe my worst day as a professional, as we lost 3-1. But out of it came a resolve that led me, and the team, to glory. Something changed inside me.

It was my third final and third defeat. I’m not making excuses but six of us had flu in the week leading up to the game and the pitch was like a field. That said, I felt fine in the 90 minutes but in extra time my legs went to jelly.

Swindon, despite being in the third division, were a terrific side and had three or four excellent players. But the defeat was hard to take. It still hurts. After the game, I remember saying to myself enough was enough, I needed a winner’s medal. As I said, something changed – it was a true defining moment in my career.

#4 The first trophy

The Fairs Cup win in 1970 was a turning point in my life. Beating Anderlecht was beautiful. I was a winner. Arsenal were winners. We lost the first leg 3-1 but it was strange as I had little to do and thought to myself, “This is easy.” It was so unlike English football. They had great players – Paul van Himst, Jan Mulder – but no big centre forward smashing his forearm in my face like in the old first division!

No pressure, Anderlecht just passed the ball in front of me. Then bang -a goal. From nowhere. And another. Lucky buggers, I thought. They got three before Ray Kennedy came on and started bossing their defenders around. His late goal gave us hope but there was a lot of despondency in the dressing room after. I’d just had enough. I started shouting at everyone: “Their centre half is awful! Get crosses in! We’ll beat this lot!”

The second leg we were amazing. The atmosphere at Highbury was like never before or since – relief and joy. It took me 20 minutes to get to the changing rooms afterwards because ?I was stuck amongst the fans. In fact I remember nearly being strangled by one fan who grabbed a scarf around my neck.

Drinking with the Anderlecht players in the boardroom afterwards – that was a first, by the way, being allowed in the boardroom – they thought we’d taken something because we were so dominant. It was an unforgettable night.

#5 The double

Endurance and consistency won us the double in 1971. We trailed Leeds for so long but battled to the end. Leeds were a great side, but a dirty one. They’d do anything to win a game. Don Revie didn’t need to make his side so dirty.

It meant everything to win that league, and then the cup. It was my pinnacle. It was our pinnacle as a team.

Bob Wilson pointed out I played something like 79 games, including internationals, that season. We used 16 players with a hardcore of only 12 or 13. And most were only 22 years old. Look it up. Just young lads.

Since the Premier League started football before seems to be forgotten about – we seem to be forgotten about. But we were fantastic. And, personally, I took a lot out of myself.