By Tony Attwood
There can be little doubt that the bulk of the media and the majority of fans of teams other than the two at Wembley on Sudnay, want Arsenal not only to lose but also to be humiliated. Although while it is understandable why someone might turn against ManC because of their financial dealings, it is harder to see why there is so much dislike of Arsenal.
Of course, we know the media dislikes our club because it has upset many of the journalists’ predictions this season. But there is also a perception of arrogance within Arsenal among journalists, which some of them do feel they have to knock back against..
I don’t think there is any logic behind this, although it probably dates back to the dominance Arsenal achieved in the 1930s, which totally took journalists by surprise and made them look even more out of touch with football than most of them are.
Indeed events of many years ago can take on a meaning of their own, often removed from reality, and Arsenal’s obviously dominance of football nearly 100 years ago is one of these notions, combined with the media’s view that somehow Arsenal supporters feel the club has a right to win things.
But lurking beneath this is undoubtedly the fact that Arsenal are this year in their 100th consecutive season in the top division, and no other club comes anywhere near that record (Everton are on 72 seasons). Of course, most fans of most clubs don’t know the exact details, but the fact that they have to go back can’t go back in history and pick out a time when Arsenal were so bad they were relegated, does have an impact.
I think what also makes it worse for many fans of other teams is not that they actually know that Arsenal are in their 100th consecutive season in the top league, but they are possibly aware of how short a spell their team has had in the first division and Premier League.
Manchester City were in fact promoted to the top league in 2001/2 and so this season celebrate their 24the consecutive season in the top division – compared, as noted above, with Arsenal celebrating their 100th season. It is a bit of a gap.
Of course stroeis are told to try and denigrate Arsenal’s achievement, such as the notion that Arsenal bought their way into the top division upon its expansion in 1913. Although what makes this story so interseting, is that it is never presented with any evidence at all.
There is an article about the issue on the Arsenal web site, although that doesn’t help us resolve things through the fact that it wrongly states that “The story begins with us finishing sixth in the 1914/15 Second Division season” when in fact Arsenal finished fifth. Here’s the league table for that season… Differences between clubs on the same number of points were calculated by goal average at this time, which is shown in the penultimate column.
1
Derby County
38
23
7
8
71
33
2.152
53
2
Preston North End
38
20
10
8
61
42
1.452
50
3
Barnsley
38
22
3
13
51
51
1.000
47
4
Wolverhampton Wanderers
38
19
7
12
77
52
1.481
45
**5**
**Arsenal**
**38**
**19**
**5**
**14**
**69**
**41**
**1.683**
**43**
6
Birmingham City
38
17
9
12
62
39
1.590
43
The Arsenal History Society really has tried to liaise with Arsenal over things relating to its history, but the club seem rather uninterested and still in places quotes Arsenal as coming sixth that season!
Anyway, back with the main theme, there is absolutely no evidence at all that Arsenal fixed its way into the top division when the league was expanded and the clubs in the first and second divisions were able to elect which two clubs should take up the two extra spots. You can read our factually correct version of how Arsenal were promoted [100 years ago here](https://blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/100-years-in-the-first-division)
So anyway, we are now in Arsenal’s 100th consecutive season in the top division, but without celebrations to mark that fact. Although if you want to go back and celebrate, you might like [This season Arsenal celebrate 100 years in the top division](https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/76209)
Anyway maybe it is the longevity of Arsenal in the top leaue that annoys supporters of other clubs so, or maybe it is the fact that Arsenal were elected to the top division by the other clubs that annoys them, or maybe it is just that there was a long period of domination of the league by clubs in the north, and their supporters don’t like it when a London club sticks its nose into what they consider to be their world. But whatever the reason, the support generally in the media will be with the northern teams, as it usually is, and there will be no mention of the ManC still unresolved financial misdemeanours.
Of course, Manchester City have been much more successful in recent years than Arsenal; no one can deny that. In the last ten years, ManC has won the league six times, come second in the league twice, and won the FA Cup twice. Arsenal have come second four times in the league in this period and won the FA Cup twice.
The media tend to go with the winners when it comes to giving positive reviews – except of course, when it is Arsenal. But of course we have got used to it.