Dial Square play their first ever game

David Danskin, Jack Humble, Morris Bates, Fred Beardsley and the rest of the team travel to Millwall to play Dial Square's first ever game, against the mysterious Eastern Wanderers (little is known about this team). Elijah Watkins (the secretary of Dial Square) later reminisces about that first game, saying:

Talk about a football pitch! This one eclipsed any I ever heard of or saw. I could not venture to say what shape it was, but it was bounded by backyards as to about two-thirds of the area, and the other portion was...I was going to say a ditch, but I think an open sewer would be more appropriate

Dial Square ends up winning the game 6-0, and this is the last time the team plays under this name.

Team holds first official club meeting to create Royal Arsenal

David Danskin and his fellow team-mates meet at the Royal Oak pub on Christmas Day to decide how to go forward with the team. They decide that the official name for the club will be Royal Arsenal, and goalkeeper Fred Beardsley agrees to reach out to his contacts at his former club Nottingham Forest to see if they can help them get football kits. This is to become the official founding date of Arsenal Football Club, but the name change didn't officially happen until somewhere between 3-5 January 1887.

Dial Square start searching for teams to play

A newspaper advert is placed in in the 'Football Challenges' section of The Referee by club secretary Elijah Watkins requesting opponents to play. The club's name is still listed as Dial Square FC.

First game is played under the new official name 'Royal Arsenal'

David Danskin and his team-mates host local team Erith for their second-ever match and first game under the official club name Royal Arsenal. The game is played at local recreation area Plumstead Common, which was to become Royal Arsenal's home ground until 1888. The game ends in another six-goal triumph as Royal Arsenal wins 6-1.

First ever game between Arsenal and Tottenham is played

The first ever North London Derby (although it would technically not become a North London Derby until 1913 when Arsenal moved to Highbury) is played at a public field in Tottenham Marshes, and conspiracy ensues: with Tottenham leading 2-1, the match is cancelled in the 75th minute due to bad light because Royal Arsenal arrived late to the game. Tottenham fans will spend the next 130 years struggling to explain how Arsenal knew they were going to lose beforehand, and so decided to show up late to force a late cancellation.

Second ever game between Arsenal and Tottenham is played

After the first game between Royal Arsenal and Tottenham was cancelled due to bad light, the teams meet again - this time at Royal Arsenal's home ground Plumstead Common. The home team annihilates Tottenham in a 6-2 bonanza, but the visitors again claim conspiracy as it turns out they only have nine players available for the game.

Royal Arsenal change home field from Plumstead Common to Manor Ground

With increasing support the club decides to upgrade its home premises and moves the operation over to Manor Field, which is soon renamed Manor Ground.

Royal Arsenal change home field from Manor Ground to Invicta Ground

With support steadily growing and the 1,000-capacity Manor Ground struggling to keep up with increasing demand for tickets, Royal Arsenal decides to once again upgrade its premises and rents the Invicta Ground, located across the road from Manor Ground. George Pike Weaver (the owner of Invicta) spends £8,000 (the equivalent of £9m today) to prepare the ground for Royal Arsenal games, and Weaver charges the club £160/year in rent.

Royal Arsenal change name to 'Woolwich Arsenal'

After spending much of 1893 playing against league clubs to prepare the team for entry into the Football League, Royal Arsenal needed to become a limited company to enter into the league but were forbidden by the rules of Companies House from registering a name that associated the club with the royal family. On May 5th, papers were submitted confirming the name change to Woolwich Arsenal.

Woolwich Arsenal are elected to the Second Division of the Football League

At the AGM of the Football League on May 26th, it was decided the Second Division would be expanded from 12 to 16 teams. Rotherham and Newcastle were immediately elected to take up two of those places. Five teams - Woolwich Arsenal, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Doncaster and Loughborough - applied for the final two places, with Woolwich Arsenal and Liverpool winning their bids on May 31st.

Woolwich Arsenal obtain Manor Ground after a rent dispute with Invicta Ground

After George Pike Weaver (the owner of the Invicta Ground) increases rent from £160/year to £400/year to reflect the club's growing support and imminent election into the Football League, Woolwich Arsenal makes a historic decision and purchases the adjacent Manor Ground for £4,000 (the equivalent of £5m today), moving back to the home field used between 1888-1890. The club improves the ground, erecting a single main stand and banks of terracing to increase the capacity from 1,000 to 10,000 in preparation for the Second Division.

Woolwich Arsenal play their first ever game in the Football League

On August 19th, Bootle Football Club - Woolwich Arsenal's intended opponents on the first day of the Second Division - resign from the league after financial difficulties (ultimately liquidating) and the number of teams in the league is cut from 16 to 15. This results in Newcastle becoming Woolwich Arsenal's first ever league opponent. The game ends 2-2 in front of a crowd of 6,000 at Manor Ground.

Harry Bradshaw is appointed manager of Woolwich Arsenal

After years of mid-table Second Division mediocrity, Woolwich Arsenal appoints manager Harry Bradshaw, who leaves Burnley despite ending third in the First Division. Although odd at the time, 'trading down' would become the hallmark of Harry Bradshaw, who leaves Woolwich Arsenal for non-league outfit Fulham just days after getting the Gunners promoted in 1904.

First recorded use of nickname "The Gunners"

Woolwich Arsenal's nickname is primarily "reds" at this stage, but after an away game against Bradford in February 1904, a match report in local newspaper Yorkshire Sports becomes the earliest recorded reference to the term "The Gunners":

No football event of any kind in Bradford ever excited more interest and was looked forward to with more eagerness than this visit of the famous Gunners of Woolwich

Woolwich Arsenal are promoted to the First Division

After appointing Harry Bradshaw in the summer of 1899, the club improves its performances over the seasons and eventually wins promotion to the First Division in 1904 after scoring an incredible 91 goals in 34 games, never losing at home, and ending in second place after Preston North End. Tommy Shanks becomes the league's leading goalscorer with 25 goals, but manager Bradshaw resigns shortly after the promotion.

Third ever game between Arsenal and Tottenham is played

After two controversial friendly fixtures between the two sides more than a decade earlier (one which ended in a cancellation due to poor light and one that ended 6-2 to Arsenal because Tottenham could only field nine players) they finally meet in a competitive fixture for the first time. Woolwich Arsenal wins the game 1-0 to prove early on that North London is indeed red.

Henry Norris takes over Woolwich Arsenal

After a decision by the board in March to liquidate Woolwich Arsenal Football Club and reform into a new limited company, Henry Norris - property developer, Mayor of Fulham and Fulham FC chairman - becomes the majority shareholder at the reformed Woolwich Arsenal. The club is having massive financial difficulties at the time, so Norris' initial plan is to create a London super club by merging Woolwich Arsenal and Fulham, but this is subsequently blocked by the Football League. The plan to have both clubs share Craven Cottage is also blocked.

Woolwich Arsenal are relegated from the First Division

After nine years in the First Division, Woolwich Arsenal are relegated after only winning three games in the 1912-1913 season. The club has a far-fetched theoretical chance to stay up, but loses against Derby at Manor Ground to seal its fate. This becomes the last time Arsenal face relegation for the next 100+ years.

Henry Norris obtains a lease for the site that would become Highbury Stadium

Just after the unfortunate relegation to the Second Division, Henry Norris manages to secure a 21-year long lease for six acres of the playing field of St. John’s College of Divinity. The plan is to build a new stadium and move Woolwich Arsenal to North London. Clapton Orient opposes the move in February together with Tottenham, with an Orient chairman voicing a concern that ends up echoing through modern times:

Any millionaire can buy up a poverty-stricken club, form a company, and then where does sport come in?

Tottenham also tries to block the move through legal channels, but the Football League rejects Tottenham's final appeal on March 1st and allow Arsenal's cross-London move to go forward.

Stadium architect Archibald Leitch, who also designed Craven Cottage for Henry Norris, is hired to design and build the new stadium over the summer. Work commences on June 28th with only 10 weeks until the start of the Second Division season. The initial stadium build ends up costing £125,000.

Highbury opens and the first competitive game is played at the new stadium

Although not fully completed, Highbury - or Arsenal Stadium as is the official name - opens to the public for the start of the 1913-1914 season. Woolwich Arsenal win 2-1 against Leicester Fosse, and George Jobey becomes the first ever Arsenal player to score at Highbury. 93 years later, Thierry Henry would become the last Arsenal player to score at the stadium.

Club motto 'Victoria Concordia Crescit' is coined in the match programme

After an encouraging start in the Second Division, winning three games in a row and playing at the newly built Highbury Stadium, pseudonym "Gunbners' Mate" talks about a latin motto in the section of the match programme called "Our Weekly Chat, by The Directors":

There is a Latin motto which runs something like this: "Victoria concordia crescit," which, translated, is "Victory grows out of concord" - and this is absolutely what we attribute our successes to this season. "Concord." Our players, our manager, ourselves - and, yes, yourselves - have only one thing in view - the well-being and success of our Club. This is particularly so with our players - and depend upon it, so long as this happy state of things exist, so long will our Club do well.

It's not fully known exactly who "Gunners' Mate" actually was, but Henry Norris appointed George Allison as the match programme editor, and Allison is regarded the most plausible candidate for the pseudonym.

Woolwich Arsenal change name to 'The Arsenal'

The directors of Woolwich Arsenal hold an EGM where it's decided that the club should update its name since it is no longer located in or near Woolwich. They decide to replace "Woolwich" with "The" for the club's official name, resulting in the club's name becoming simply 'The Arsenal'.

The Arsenal are controversially elected into the newly reformed First Division

During World War I, football in England is suspended for some time. After the war ends the Football League are looking at a reform to expand both the First and Second Division to hold 22 teams each. League clubs know as early as January 1919 that an election process will be held in March, so many high profile clubs starts arguing their cases publicly as to why they should be elected into the First Division.

This is made even more complicated by the fact that a game between Manchester United and Liverpool in April 1915 is fixed by the players, resulting in Chelsea being relegated that season. The Football League openly claims that expanding the league would help make Chelsea right.

At the election process on March 10th, Chelsea is unanimously elected to the First Division. Seven other teams has applied for the final place in the First Division, and The Arsenal is one of them. Tottenham is one of the other teams that has applied. After a vote, The Arsenal are elected into the First Division, with 18 votes over Tottenham's eight.

The Arsenal finally change name to just 'Arsenal'

After several iterations of the full company name, from 'Woolwich Arsenal Football and Athletic Club Limited' to 'The Arsenal Football and Athletic Club Ltd' to 'The Arsenal Football Club Ltd', the board finally settles on 'Arsenal Football Club Limited', resulting in the official club name changing from 'The Arsenal' to simply 'Arsenal'.

Arsenal appoint Herbert Chapman as manager

Following a couple of near-relegation scare seasons under manager Leslie Knighton, Sir Henry Norris decides it is time for a change. A newspaper advertisement is published in the Athletic News in May 1925, reading:

Arsenal Football Club is open to receive applications for the position of TEAM MANAGER. He must be experienced and possess the highest qualifications for the post, both as to ability and personal character. Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant transfer fees need not apply.

However, at the time of publishing Sir Henry Norris has already started negotiating with whom he saw as the perfect candidate: the highly successful Huddersfield manager Herbert Chapman, who had just brought two league titles to what many considered to be a mid-table side at the time.

After successful negotiations in which Sir Henry Norris offers a £2,000/year salary - doubling Chapman's Huddersfield earnings - Herbert Chapman is finally revealed to be the new manager of Arsenal, and a historic era begins.

Herbert Chapman takes charge of his first Arsenal game

At this stage the North London Derby is already huge, attracting crowds of 50,000+ at Highbury. But Chapman's first game in charge isn't exactly a day to remember: visitors Tottenham win the game 1-0, but Arsenal responds magnificently over the next few weeks and go on a seven-game undefeated run.

The WM system is used for the first time

After a good initial run in the league, Arsenal succumbs to a 7-0 thrashing by Newcastle in October, prompting Herbert Chapman to start shaping a new tactic. Together with unsettled star player Charlie Buchan, Chapman creates the so-called "WM" tactic - named after the 3-2-2-3 shape of the formation.

At this stage, Buchan is unhappy about Arsenal's inconsistent performances and suggests to Chapman that the recently changed offside rule can be exploited by changing the shape of the team.

His first suggestion is to have a sweeping defensive midfielder mark the area in front of the box instead of the opposition's #9, and that this player doesn't just hoof the ball away, but seeks the central inside-forwards after winning the ball, creating a counter - essentially inventing both zonal marking and the deep-lying playmaker in one go.

His other suggestion is for himself to drop back from his inside-right position to create a 3-3-4 shape, but Chapman suggests keeping Buchan where he is and instead use Andy Neil as the withdrawn position. The WM is born.

The new tactic is immediately used against West Ham, who is soundly beaten 4-0. This system becomes the definition of Herbert Chapman's short reign, and Arsenal go on to win virtually everything using this new strategy.

Evidence suggests that other teams had already started experimenting with early crude variations of the WM system, but it is Arsenal and Herbert Chapman who ends up perfecting it and using it to great effect.

Arsenal sign wonderkid Cliff Bastin from Exeter

On a scouting trip to Watford, Herbert Chapman notices 17-year old Cliff Bastin playing for Exeter and gains an interest in the player. After a few more scouting sessions, Chapman purchases "Boy Bastin" for £2,000 (the equivalent of £4.5m today) - highly uncommon for a teenager in 1929.

Cliff "Boy" Bastin would become one of the team's star performers alongside Alex James in the dominating 1930s era, playing as a #11 in the superior WM formation.

Arsenal sign 'Wee' Alex James from Preston North End

After several disputes with Preston North End's management team over issues like wages and not being allowed to play for Scotland, creative mastermind Alex James decides it's time to find another club. Herbert Chapman is immediately on the case and signs James for £8,750. At the time, the league has a wage cap of £8/week, but Arsenal circumvents the rule by having Selfridges sign James as a "sports demonstrator" for £250/year.

Arsenal win the FA Cup for the first time

After 44 years since the club started as Dial Square in December 1886, Arsenal win the FA Cup - their first major trophy - in front of 92,000 people at Wembley. Herbert Chapman's claim in 1925 that it would take five years to build a title-winning side comes true, and Arsenal's dominating era begins with "Wee" Alex James putting in a brilliant performance against Huddersfield with one goal and one assist in the cup final.

Gillespie Road tube station changes name to Arsenal

After a campaign to change the name of the nearby Gillespie Road tube station to just 'Arsenal', Herbert Chapman finally gets his wish and the station is renamed 'Arsenal (Highbury Hill)'. The suffix '(Highbury Hill)' is dropped from the station's name 30 years later to become just 'Arsenal' tube station.

Highbury's West Stand opens to the public

Architect Claude Waterlow Ferrier is hired to design Highbury's first grandstand, to seat 4,000 and accommodate 17,000 standing supporters for a total 21,000 capacity. The two-tier stand costs £50,000 to build, and is followed by the iconic art deco East Stand four years later.

Arsenal debuts the iconic white-sleeved kit design against Liverpool

After seeing cartoonist Tom Webster wearing a blue pullover with white sleeves, Chelsea chairman Claude Kirby suggests to his manager David Calderhead that Chelsea should start wearing white sleeves. Calderhead rejects the idea, but Tom Webster tells Herbert Chapman the story over a drink at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Sheffield, and Chapman becomes interested in the idea. Webster is asked to sketch the idea, and when he shows Chapman the design it's decided: Arsenal will wear red shirts with white sleeves.

Chapman asks the Football League for approval, which is given in February 1933. Arsenal sits on the new design until it's time to meet Liverpool, and the shirt makes its debut on April 4th, 1933. Only twice after 1933 will the home shirt not feature white sleeves: between 1965-1967, and then for the final season at Highbury where Nike reverts back to the original maroon solid colour shirt.

Herbert Chapman suddenly dies from pneumonia

After a scouting trip across the country, 55-year old Herbert Chapman returns to London on January 3rd nursing a cold that suddenly turns into a fatal pneumonia that ultimately ends up taking his life. Chapman leaves behind a wife, four children and a title-winning side as Arsenal end up claiming another league title just months after his departure.

World War II breaks out, halting football across the country

After a highly successful decade for Arsenal, top level football is suspended due to Germany invading Poland, triggering the second World War. With Highbury commissioned by the war effort, Arsenal spends the next five years playing their home games in makeshift leagues at White Hart Lane. Many clubs participate in regional competitions during the war, which is not allowed by the Football League. Arsenal are therefore expelled from the Football League in 1941 along with 14 other clubs, but are readmitted a year later after paying a £10 fine.

Club co-founder David Danskin dies at age 85

After officially leaving Royal Arsenal in 1892, mechanical engineer and club co-founder David Danskin spends a few years as a referee before starting a bicycle manufacturing at the turn of the century. He then moves to Coventry in 1907 to work for the Standard Motor Company, but injuries from his playing career results in early retirement. After numerous health issues he passes away in a hospice in Warwick, aged 85. He saw Arsenal grow from a simple works team he created in a pub on Christmas Day 1886 to one of the country's biggest clubs. He saw the move to Highbury. He saw the 1930s Chapman era. He saw it all.

Arsène Wenger is born

In the small village of Duttlenheim in the border region between France and Germany, Louise Wenger gives birth to Arsène Wenger, who plans the birth strategy in meticulous detail and exits the womb with a cheeky smile on his face. He starts playing football at the age of six and breaks into FC Duttlenheim's first team at the age of 16.

Charlie George is born

Almost exactly a year after Arsène Wenger, another club legend is born. Charlie George would eventually become one of the club's greatest players of all-time and an integral part of the double-winning 1970-1971 side. He also head-butts Liverpool's Kevin Keegan in the 1971-1972 season, so...a true Arsenal legend indeed.

'Wee' Alex James dies at age 51

As one of the key players for Herbert Chapman's dominant side in the 1930s, Alex James won four league titles, two FA Cups and four Charity Shields before retiring at age 36 partly due to injury problems. As World War II breaks out, James serves in the Royal Artillery and becomes a journalist after the war. In 1949 he is invited back to Arsenal in a coaching role, but dies from cancer four years later at age 51.

George Allison dies of a heart attack aged 73

George Allison dies of a heart attack aged 73

Charlie Buchan dies in Monte Carlo age 68

Charlie Buchan dies in Monte Carlo age 68

Bob Wilson joins Arsenal from Wolves

Bob Wilson joins Arsenal from Wolves

George Graham scores in his debut, against Leicester

George Graham scores in his debut, against Leicester

Pat Rice makes his league debut against Burnley

Pat Rice makes his league debut against Burnley

Arsenal win their first double by beating Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup

Arsenal win their first double by beating Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup

Liam Brady joins Arsenal as an apprentice

Liam Brady joins Arsenal as an apprentice

Tony Adams makes his league debut for Arsenal

Tony Adams makes his league debut for Arsenal

Steve Bould makes his Arsenal debut against Wimbledon

Steve Bould makes his Arsenal debut against Wimbledon

Anders Limpar arrived from Cremonese on an undisclosed fee

Anders Limpar arrived from Cremonese on an undisclosed fee

David Seaman makes his Arsenal debut against Wimbledon

David Seaman makes his Arsenal debut against Wimbledon

Ian Wright joins Arsenal

Ian Wright joins Arsenal

Arsenal beat Parma 1-0 to win the Cup Winners' Cup

Arsenal beat Parma 1-0 to win the Cup Winners' Cup

John Jensen finally scores his one and only goal for Arsenal

John Jensen finally scores his one and only goal for Arsenal

Dennis Bergkamp makes his Arsenal debut

Dennis Bergkamp makes his Arsenal debut

Arsène Wenger's first game in charge

Arsène Wenger's first game in charge

Ian Wright breaks Cliff Bastin's goalscoring record

Ian Wright breaks Cliff Bastin's goalscoring record

Arsenal win the double by beating Newcastle in the FA Cup final

Arsenal win the double by beating Newcastle in the FA Cup final

France - featuring Vieira, Petit, Pires and Henry - win the World Cup

France - featuring Vieira, Petit, Pires and Henry - win the World Cup

Fredrik Ljungberg scores on his debut, against Man Utd

Fredrik Ljungberg scores on his debut, against Man Utd

Thierry Henry comes off the bench to make his Arsenal debut

Thierry Henry comes off the bench to make his Arsenal debut

Kanu comes on as a sub to rek Chelsea, "KANU BELIEVE IT"

Kanu comes on as a sub to rek Chelsea, "KANU BELIEVE IT"

Bergkamp scores a wonder goal against Newcastle

Bergkamp scores a wonder goal against Newcastle

Sylvain Wiltord scores the winning goal at Old Trafford

After a fantastic campaign from Arsenal only losing three games and ending on 87 points, the title decider is played at Old Trafford where Sylvain Wiltord clinches the winning goal in a 1-0 win.

Chelsea Football Club is founded by Roman Abramovich

Chelsea Football Club is founded by Roman Abramovich

The battle of Old Trafford, a.k.a Keown flips out

The battle of Old Trafford, a.k.a Keown flips out

Vieira and Pires scores to win Arsenal the title at White Hart Lane

Vieira and Pires scores to win Arsenal the title at White Hart Lane

Arsenal beat Leicester 2-1 to go a whole season unbeaten

Arsenal beat Leicester 2-1 to go a whole season unbeaten

Alex Ferguson gets a pizza in his face after ending the invincibles

Alex Ferguson gets a pizza in his face after ending the invincibles

Arsenal win the FA Cup against Man Utd on penalties

Arsenal win the FA Cup against Man Utd on penalties

Thierry Henry becomes Arsenal top goalscorer of all time

Thierry Henry becomes Arsenal top goalscorer of all time

Arsenal play their last ever game at Highbury

Arsenal play their last ever game at Highbury

Arsenal lose the Champions League final against Barcelona

Arsenal lose the Champions League final against Barcelona

Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial is held at the Emirates

Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial is held at the Emirates

Change me

Change me

Arsenal play their first competitive game at The Emirates

Arsenal play their first competitive game at The Emirates

Aaron Ramsey makes his Arsenal debut, against Twente

Aaron Ramsey makes his Arsenal debut, against Twente

Wilshere and Gibbs make England debuts against Hungary

Wilshere and Gibbs make England debuts against Hungary

Arsenal Report launches

Arsenal Report launches

Thierry Henry scores the winner against Leeds on his comeback

Thierry Henry scores the winner against Leeds on his comeback

Arsenal Report wins an Academy Award for best foreign screenplay

Arsenal Report wins an Academy Award for best foreign screenplay

José Mourinho calls Wenger a "specialist in failure"

José Mourinho calls Wenger a "specialist in failure"

Arsenal win a trophy after nine years in waiting

After winning the FA Cup in 2005, Arsenal goes on a barren spell until 2014 when they finally win a trophy as the team beat Hull to claim the FA Cup trophy.

Germany - featuring Özil, Podolski and Mertesacker - win the World Cup

Germany - featuring Özil, Podolski and Mertesacker - win the World Cup

Abou Diaby joins Marseille as a free agent after nine years at Arsenal

Abou Diaby joins Marseille as a free agent after nine years at Arsenal

José Mourinho is fired from Chelsea for a second time

José Mourinho is fired from Chelsea for a second time

Arsenal legend Don Howe passes away at the age of 80

Arsenal legend Don Howe passes away at the age of 80