ARSENAL are one of two sides I have always considered to be Grimsby Town's 'bogey clubs' – the other being Wolves.
History does not record much success for our humble club against the Gunners.
In 47 league and cup meetings, Town have won 12 compared to Arsenal's 24, with 11 being drawn.
A couple of games have been most painful – the last First Division game we ever played was at Highbury in 1948 when, already relegated, we were thumped 8-0 by Arsenal.
Meanwhile, history also points to the FA Cup semi-final reversal at Leeds Road, Huddersfield, in March 1936.
Town also hold the unwanted record of being Arsenal's biggest league victims at Highbury, losing 9-1 there in January 1931.
The Mariners have only ever played Arsenal twice in my lifetime, and I attended both games – a 4-3 home loss in Round Three of the FA Cup in January 1986, and the 2-0 League Cup loss at Highbury in November 2001.
We have to go a long way back to find Town's last win against the Gunners, and when I say a long way back, I'm talking pre-war here!
After the war ended in 1945, the Football League played one season with Division One and Two teams divided geographically into a North and South league, returning to 'normal' in August 1946.
So Town only played Arsenal four times in three seasons before we finally fell out of the First Division forever – losing three times and managing a 0-0 draw.
Had the war not occurred, so much might have been different for the Mariners as the five seasons leading up it were arguably the best ever years at Blundell Park.
Town had become an established First Division side, reaching the FA Cup semi-final twice in that period.
So in that final season before the war, the Mariners were 15th in the table, and Arsenal seventh when they met at Blundell Park.
Town, managed by Charles Spencer, fielded the following side: Tweedy, Vincent, Hodgson, Hall, Betmead, Shaw (replacing the injured Buck), Boyd, Beattie, Howe, Jones and Crack.
Of the Arsenal team, two players stood out for me – firstly the legendary Ted Drake and secondly Bernard Joy, who was an amateur.
In those days, most players held a semi-professional status, with the majority having to supplement their meagre income from football with a 'proper' job as well.
From the kick-off in front of a crowd of 10,845, the Mariners took the game to Arsenal, with Crack feeding Howe only for Joy to intervene and save the Gunners early on.
Arsenal's first attack was thwarted by Boyd, who then made a good run through the middle.
Drake then showed his class as early as the eighth minute, making a strong run through the Town defence before being brought down just outside the box.
Reporting for the Telegraph that night, the verdict recorded that "for a few moments the spectators feared that a penalty had been given, for Drake had fallen at least a couple of yards inside the area. The referee however placed the ball a foot outside the area and a wall defence prevented the free kick taking effect" – who says diving into the area is a new thing!
From that free-kick, the ball was cleared and "Grimsby carried it at top speed to the other end" where Boyd dribbled his way into the Arsenal box, sidestepping Joy only to see his shot just clear the crossbar.
However, on 11 minutes, in virtually the next Mariners attack, they took the lead!
Shaw sent in a ball close to the goal and the advancing Arsenal 'keeper Wilson was beaten to it by Howe, who almost headed it out of his hands into the net.
Back came the Gunners, but their threats were mostly channelled through Drake down their right, but Hodgson and Betmead were equal to anything he offered "having a fine defensive game."
Town pressed again, and Beattie put himself about following good work by Shaw – feeding Crack, only to be undone by Drury who got a lengthy talking to by the referee for his challenge.
Hall and Shaw were playing brilliantly, feeding the Mariners' forwards – particularly on the right – as the home side pressed for a second.
Beattie sent in a fierce shot which cannoned off Joy, leading to Town appeals for a penalty.
The referee ignored the appeals and waved play on, Arsenal breaking on their right.
The ball was crossed in and Kirchen had no problem putting the ball past Tweedy for the Arsenal equaliser after 17 minutes.
For a while after levelling things up, the Gunners had the upper hand, with Tweedy saving Town from a three-pronged attack of Lewis, Bremner and Drake.
The second half resumed as the first had ended with play fast and end-to-end.
In the opening minutes, Jones saw his shot scrambled away and Hodgson too was denied by Wilson in the Arsenal goal.
The visitors forced three corners in quick succession, but that threat ended when Town were awarded a free-kick.
There followed a lull in the game as both teams had been giving it their all, but then the Mariners came close again as Betmead intercepted the ball and let fly – only to be denied close to the upright by Wilson again.
Both sides continued to press for the winner but play was becoming more erratic with individual efforts rather than good team play.
Arsenal were better than Town in this department as they had the more gifted players.
However, both Drake and Kirchen were unable to finish, with the former missng an open goal when Tweedy had been drawn by Kirchen.
Finally very late on, Howe again tested Wilson with a hard drive, but Wilson's parry was met by Boyd who, coming in from the wing, looped a dropping shot into the Arsenal net beyond Wilson to secure the win and two points for the Mariners.
Town finished the season in a comfortable tenth position as an established First Division side, but suffered tragedy in a cup semi-final defeat to Wolves in front of a still record crowd of 76,962 at Old Trafford.
Arsenal finished fifth and were knocked out of the cup in the third round. Who knows where we would have been today had that war not taken place?
So there you have it, it's nearly 76 years since Town beat Arsenal – let's hope it's not another 76 before they do it again!
