The Legacies of Two Arsenal Greats: Herbert Chapman and Bertie Mee

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·06 de outubro de 2025

The Legacies of Two Arsenal Greats: Herbert Chapman and Bertie Mee

Herbert Chapman arguably put Arsenal on the football map across the world.He was a pioneer, transforming the North Londoners into the club they are today, installing an ethos unmatched by any other footballing outfit in the world as well as prestigious class.

Chapman came to Arsenal from Huddersfield, who he set up for a hat-trick of First Division titles, something no side had achieved before until the late 1920s.At Arsenal he was a game-changer not only in N5 but in football at large with a number of revolutionary changes.He implemented the famous white sleeves on Arsenal’s shirts which have remained for almost a century since 1933.On top of that, in terms of uniform, he created position numbers for players to wear on their backs.Gillespie Road was renamed Arsenal tube station in 1932, becoming synonymous with the Gunners’ presence in Islington.On the field he created, with Tom Whittaker, the WM formation, introduced the concept of floodlights and the white ball.Overall he wanted to make Arsenal “the greatest club in the world” and he certainly made them the most successful team of the 1930s, at least in England.

Vídeos OneFootball

Chapman’s golden era

In his first year in charge Arsenal finished runners-up to his former side Huddersfield Town during the 1925/26 season, a remarkable turnaround from narrowly escaping relegation the previous season.A year later he guided the Arsenal to their first ever FA Cup final in 1927, losing out to Cardiff City 1-0 in terrible style with his predecessor George Allison commentating on the match for the BBC while still working at the club.

Within three years, after some mediocre league campaigns and the signing of key players such as Eddie Hapgood, Cliff Bastin, Joe Hulme, David Jack, Alex James and Jack Lambert, Arsenal reached another FA Cup final, this time against Huddersfield Town.At Wembley, with just over 90,000 fans in attendance, the Arsenal won 2-0 thanks to goals from James and Lambert, capturing their first ever piece of silverware in 1930.

A miraculous season followed as Chapman brought the league title to Islington for the first time in the club’s history. It was an unrecognisable sight at first but only the beginning of the side’s golden era for the rest of the decade until the Second World War in 1939.By the end of the 1931/32 league campaign Arsenal had surrendered the title narrowly by two points to Everton. However, reaching the FA Cup final again offered a chance at further silverware. History had a different tale to tell as Arsenal lost 2-1 to Newcastle United in controversial fashion, with some questioning the validity of the Tynesiders’ second goal.

The Gunners bounced back the following year, winning their second league title in three seasons by the end of the 1932/33 campaign. Chapman had completely raised the standards and expectations at Arsenal for years to come.

Chapman’s lasting legacy

During the 1933/34 season Chapman’s health began to decline. Despite being advised by doctors not to attend a third-team match at Sheffield Wednesday in early January, his sense of duty prevailed.On 6 January 1934, millions tuned into their radios to hear the sad news that one of football’s most innovative managers had passed away from pneumonia at the age of 55.

That same season, with the new signing Ted Drake arriving in March to lead the attack, Arsenal sealed a second consecutive league title.George Allison succeeded Chapman and maintained the legacy, delivering a third successive First Division title in 1935, the FA Cup in 1936 with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United, and Arsenal’s fifth and final championship of the golden era in 1938.

Chapman’s memory is permanently honoured at Arsenal. A bust of him was erected at Highbury in 1934 shortly after his death, and a statue of him, hands behind his back, was unveiled at the Emirates Stadium in 2011.Wherever Arsenal and their supporters go, it is impossible not to recognise and respect the immense impact Chapman had on the club.

1930 FA Cup Final Herbert Chapman (getty images)

Bertie Mee’s rise to success

Bertie Mee was a controversial but successful manager in Arsenal folklore, liked by many outside the club but not by all within the Gunners’ camp.Mee had struggled to make his name as a player in the late 1930s and 1940s at Derby, Southampton and Mansfield, with his career cut short by injury.He turned his path around at Highbury, ultimately becoming the first Arsenal manager to lead the club to a league and FA Cup double, achieved in the 1970/71 season.He also delivered the club’s first European trophy, the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, bringing joy to Islington.A personal milestone came in 1984 when he was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to football. The late Queen, known to have a soft spot for the Gunners, certainly appreciated his contribution.

During the Second World War, after his playing days were curtailed, Mee served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for six years as a physiotherapist, a profession that later shaped his footballing career.By the early 1960s Mee was working as a physio at Highbury, setting the stage for his remarkable managerial journey.

Mee’s trophies and challenges

After six steady years as club physio, Mee was appointed manager following the disastrous spell under Billy Wright which had left the club at a low ebb, sometimes drawing crowds of just 3,000.Initially reluctant, Mee asked for a clause allowing him to step down after 12 months if he failed, but he went on to exceed expectations.

Within two years he led Arsenal to their first ever League Cup final, losing 1-0 to a dominant Leeds United side managed by Don Revie thanks to an Eddie Gray volley.A season later, Arsenal had another chance at the trophy but were shocked 3-1 in extra time by Third Division side Swindon Town, one of the competition’s greatest upsets.As questions mounted over his reign, Mee turned things around in 1970, leading Arsenal to a 4-3 aggregate victory over Belgian side Anderlecht in the two-legged final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.That night at Highbury ended a 17-year trophy drought and showed Mee’s perseverance was paying off.

The following season Arsenal won the league title at White Hart Lane with a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur, courtesy of a Ray Kennedy goal.Five days later they completed the historic double by defeating Liverpool 2-1 in extra time in the FA Cup final, with Charlie George scoring the winner.

A year later, Arsenal returned to the FA Cup final but lost 1-0 to a strong Leeds United side under Revie, with Allan Clarke scoring the decisive goal.The Gunners challenged for the league title again the next season but were pipped by eventual champions Liverpool.

Mee eventually stepped down in 1976 after struggling to maintain the success of the early 1970s.He returned to football in 1978 as assistant manager at Watford under Graham Taylor, later becoming a director and serving until 1991.During his time there, with Elton John as chairman, Watford were promoted to the First Division for the first time in 1983 and reached the FA Cup final in 1984, losing 2-0 to Everton.

Mee passed away in 2001 at the age of 82, but his achievements live on in Arsenal’s rich history, having delivered feats no manager before him had achieved.

Liam Harding

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