Bertie Mee & That Double
Wrights successor was the highly respected physiotherapist Bertie Mee, whose first two seasons, 1966-67 and 1967-68, showed little sign of improvement, with Arsenal finishing 7th and 9th.
The double season started slowly with a draw at the home of the champions Everton. Indications of the teams form are clear when one considers that in the period between the 6th February and 20th April Arsenal played 12 league games and won 11 of them (losing only away at Derby 2-0). By the 3rd May Arsenal were at White Hart Lane needing to obtain at least a draw to win the championship, Ray Kennedy sealed the league championship with the only goal in the 1-0 win over Tottenham.
The FA Cup Final some 5 days later reached full time 0-0, Liverpool failed to achieve the expected score line until 2 minutes into extra time. With four minutes to go before the end of the first half of extra time Arsenal equalised with a goal which George Graham (voted man of the match) claimed, but which was (with television replay) credited to Eddie Kelly.
It was with just nine minutes of extra time remaining that Charlie George sealed the game with a 25 yard shot (assisted with a minor upward deflection from Liverpools Lloyd).
Probably his most famous celebration of all time followed as George fell to the ground arms outstretched, there he laid head lifted until McClintock and Radford dragged him up.
As was repeated in the second double season of 1997-98, Arsenal were welcomed through Islington on an open top bus by an estimated 250,000 fans.
The following season was an anti climax for the double winners with the clubs first priority, the European Cup, lost at home by George Grahams own goal against Ajax. The league was to prove no kinder with the club finishing 5th. Arsenal reached the FA Cup Final for the second time in two seasons, this time losing 1-0 to Leeds (who were themselves chasing the double they lost the championship by one point for the second season running).
