Feature

When did Arsenal move to north London?

An image of Highbury with 'Arsenal Stadium' visible

For more than 110 years, we have been found in the London borough of Islington, winning all of our major honours and creating ever-lasting memories. 

But our story began south of the River Thames in 1886 initially as Dial Square, before an ambitious move in 1913 helped us become who we are today.

WHY DID ARSENAL MOVE TO NORTH LONDON?

By the end of the 1912/13 campaign, we were in trouble on and off the pitch. We had finished bottom of the First Division, winning just three of our 38 matches and our finances were in a perilous state.

Henry Norris, who had recently taken charge of the club, new action needed to be taken to ensure our future was secure. He and William Hall, who had bought shares in the club in 1910, came up with a plan to move us out of Plumstead and to a new location.

Open spaces in Battersea and Harringay were considered before settling on Highbury, with its proximity to London Underground station Gillespie Road being a key factor in order to attract bigger crowds.

Despite staunch opposition from nearby clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Clapton Orient, who played in Homerton at the time, we paid £20,000 for a 21-year lease in Highbury, Islington and had our move approved by the League Management Committee.

Discover more about our switch to Highbury

 

WHEN DID ARSENAL MOVE TO NORTH LONDON?

Our final game at the old Manor Ground in Plumstead was a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough on April 26, 1913. Four months later, the pitch was levelled in north London, a new grandstand was partly built, terracing and turnstiles were installed and Woolwich Arsenal were now The Arsenal.

Our first game at the Arsenal Stadium, known universally as Highbury, came on September 6, 1913, with a 2-1 win over Leicester Fosse. In front of 20,000 people, Andy Devine scored the winner after George Jobey had netted our first-ever goal at the ground.

Learn more about our Highbury history

Our maiden trophy as a north London club came in 1930 when we beat Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the FA Cup final, courtesy of goals from Alex James and Jack Lambert. A first league title followed just one year on under Herbert Chapman, finishing top of the table in 1931, winning 28 games and scoring 127 goals in the process.

More success followed in the 1930s with three more league titles. A further five championships came to Islington in the 1970s, 80s and 90s before winning the Premier League under Arsene Wenger in 1998, 2002 and 2004.

In May 2006, we said goodbye to our Highbury home and made the move to the Emirates Stadium. Since the move to 60,000-seater home, we have won four FA Cup finals in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020 respectively.

Read more about our move to the Emirates Stadium