Celebrating Arsenal’s rich heritage in the FA Cup

I know that every football fan believes their team is the best, but for Arsenal supporters like me, this really is the case. One of the strongest teams in football history, we have never felt as though they lacked the power to compete, and when it comes to the FA Cup, I think we can all agree that they have been particularly strong.

FA Cup success

Obviously, I have to mention the most recent success at the FA Cup – this year! After something of a drought when it came to this particular competition, we managed to walk away with the Cup and look as though it should always be ours. Arsenal have managed to lift this trophy no less than 11 times, matching Manchester United’s total and proving that United should never rest on their laurels.

The team has also reached the semi-finals of the competition on a total of 27 occasions – again equalling a record previously set by United, and making Arsenal one of the most successful teams ever to compete for the FA Cup.

There have been some great games for Arsenal in the competition over the years. I’ve heard about the very last minute goal that swept us to victory in 1979 (against the aforementioned Manchester United) and a goal in the final minute of extra time in 1993 against Sheffield Wednesday. Our last real shot at FA Cup victory ended in the semi-final in 2009, when Chelsea beat us to a spot in the final.

This year’s victory came after a competition where we did not have to leave our own stadium at all – all earlier rounds were played at home, and in real style we left Tottenham Hotspur, Coventry City, Liverpool and Everton trailing in our wake. However, in the past we’ve also managed to do okay without playing any FA Cup games at home, winning in 1971 and reaching the semi-final the following year.

Great managers

Our longest serving manager is our current one. Unfortunately, our trophy cabinet hasn’t had much in it to dust over the last few years (not even an FA cup replica!), so bringing home the FA Cup this year proved to be particularly sweet. However, when it comes to great managers, many fans have a soft spot for George Graham, who guided the team to victory in a number of competitions including the FA Cup, Football League Cup and the UEFA Cup, among others. In charge from 1986 to 1995, he served long enough to have a lasting impact on both the teams and the fans, and had actually played for the team back in the 70s.

No FA Cup win for Arsenal passes by without some serious celebration, and besides the partying on the day itself, fans still find that they are in party mode. The win has given us high hopes for this new season, and I know I’m not alone in hoping that this year, other teams will be keeping a close eye on what we are doing and praying that they do not have to play us in the FA Cup.