HIGHBURY1913-2006

Arsenal Stadium, or Highbury as it was better known opened for business at the start of the 1913 season, when Arsenal took the step across The River Thames to set up home in Islington, North London. It was situated outside the then named Gillespie Road Tube Station, between Avenell Road and Highbury Hill in N5.

The very beginnings looked somewhat different to how people would remember it before the majority of the ground was pulled down at the end of the 2006 season. There was just a single stand to The East side of the ground, and banked terracing around the remaining three sides. And this is how it remained until around 1932, when The West Stand was constructed. There was to be terracing on the lower level, with seats installed on the second level of the cantilever stand. This was said to have been the idea of the great Herbert Chapman, a man who reshaped football throughout the late 1920's and early 1930's. This would be the most modern stand in football, with the finest facilities, and so it remained until the bulldozers moved in.

During this period of time, a giant clock was added at the back of the terracing at the southern end of the ground, said to be the biggest in football. That end then adopted the name "The Clock End". The clock remained at that end of the ground until the bulldozers moved in, although it did have a few different locations.

The East Stand was constructed during the mid 1930's to replace the existing stand, and was to match the new West Stand. This was the ultimate in luxury, with marble halls, gold taps on the baths within the changing rooms, and many other luxuries no other club in the land could offer. The boardroom would also be located in this stand, and eventually became the home of the bust of Herbert Chapman. Visitors through the main entrance bowed three times at the bust, in honour of the back to back triple Championship wins in 33,34 and 35 with a team built by Chapman.

The North Bank finally had a roof put over it in aproximately 1938, giving cover for supporters on three sides of the ground. During The Blitz in World War II, the cover over The North Bank was hit by bombs, and the whole end was restructured after The War, although the roof was not added again for around ten years. That roof remained in situ until the report into The Hillsborough disaster demanded that grounds become all-seater, and the terraces at that end, and The Clock End were removed.

The ground remained fairly much as it had done for many years, until a complete redevelopment of The Clock End, where corporate boxes were added, and the stadium capacity was reduced from 60,000. The Clock was hoisted to the very top of the new structure, where it proudly sat until 2006.

The Taylor report as a result of Hillsborough meant further redevelopment of Highbury, and so seats were added to the lower levels of The East and West stands, and at The Clock End. The North Bank was completely flattened, and a two tier stand was erected in it's place. The original stand was to have curved into the existing East and West stands, but as they were both Grade II listed buildings, Arsenal had to rethink, and came up with the stand you will remember, which covered just the very end of the ground, offering limited viewind for those supporters in the very corners of the structure.

Seating meant that the capacity of the ground was reduced to 38,000, where once Highbury had held over 73,000, and was at 52,000 before the seats were added. The ground is completely land locked, and with the ever growing demand for tickets, and the need for more money to be generated from home fixtures, it was decided that only a move away from Highbury could sustain the fortunes of Arsenal.

Highbury is to be completely redeveloped into luxury apartments, and only the exterior facades of The East and West Stands will remain.