The fourties to the seventies

Towards the end of the thirties, Arsenal's so far best period, the team had started to decline but the 2nd world war interrupted everything. After the war, Arsenal was near relegation again but Tom Whittaker took over and re-built the team to new heights and new titles. Arsenal won the division in 47/48 and in 52/53, they also took home the FA Cup in 1950.

The fifties and sixties - the golden period 

The fifties and sixties was Tottenham's golden period, especially 1960-67. Tottenham set a new record by winning both the League and the FA Cup one season (that was 1961). Following Whittaker's death in 1956 and Tottenhams success, Arsenal entered into a period of meager results. Billy Wright, another great English football name, was appointed as his successor, but even that failed to change the fortunes of Arsenal.

It wasn't until the unknown Bertie Mee, the club's physio with very little professional football experience, took over as manager in 1966 that the luck changed. Bertie Mee took the club to the League cup final in 1968 and to the UEFA Fairs Cup in 1970 where Arsenal won against Anderlecht.

The seventies 

The season in the early 70's was the most successful in Arsenals history this far. Tottenham was defeated and the FA cup was bagged in extra time at Wembley against Liverpool.

Arsenal subsequently reached the FA Cup final yet again in 1972, got to the final but lost out narrowly in the league the season after that and they started to sink back into the mid-tables during the rest of the 1970's. In the end of the decade though, things started to go their way again under Don Howe and Terry Neill when they reached the FA Cup final 3 times in 3 seasons.