The 1975–76 season was Arsenal Football Club's 50th consecutive season in the Football League First Division. Arsenal finished seventeenth in the league, one position worse than the previous season, their worst finish since Herbert Chapman became manager of the club in 1925. Arsenal failed to find success in either the FA Cup or League Cup.
Manager Bertie Mee retired at the end of the season.
Season summary Bob McNab and Charlie George both departed Arsenal prior to the beginning of the season. McNab left on a free transfer to Wolves while George nearly joined manager Terry Neill at Tottenham but was tempted last-minute by Derby for £90,000. Alan Ball also requested a transfer but did not receive it. He was instead dropped for the opening games of the season and Eddie Kelly became the captain. This became a source of tension as many of the players still looked to Ball for leadership.
Arsenal were knocked out of the League Cup at home by Everton and soon after, exited the FA Cup thanks to a loss to Wolves. Arsenal's season quickly became a fight against relegation.
Youngsters Frank Stapleton and David O'Leary both featured regularly in the first team. Within the team, morale was low. In March, Peter Storey walked out for ten days and faced a club suspension. Bertie Mee soon announced his own retirement at the end of the season.
Arsenal's season neared the end with an essential game in the battle for relegation between the 17th place Gunners and the 19th place Wolves. Terry Mancini's only first-team goal against Wolves ensured Arsenal stayed up that season, despite three consecutive losses closing out the season.
Final league table
Results Arsenal's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League First Division DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 16 August 1975 BurnleyA0–0 19 August 1975 Sheffield UnitedA3–1Rice, Kidd, Brady 23 August 1975 Stoke CityH0–1 26 August 1975 Norwich CityH2–1Kelly, Ball 30 August 1975 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–0 6 September 1975 Leicester CityH1–1Stapleton 13 September 1975 Aston VillaA0–2 20 September 1975 EvertonH2–2Stapleton, Kidd 27 September 1975 Tottenham HotspurA0–0 4 October 1975 Manchester CityH2–3Ball, Cropley 11 October 1975 Coventry CityH5–0Ball, Cropley (2), Kidd (2) 18 October 1975 Manchester UnitedA1–3Kelly 25 October 1975 MiddlesbroughH2–1Cropley, Hornsby 1 November 1975 Newcastle UnitedA0–2 8 November 1975 Derby CountyH0–1 15 November 1975 Birmingham CityA1–3Ball 22 November 1975 Manchester UnitedH3–1Ball, Armstrong, Greenhoff o.g. 29 November 1975 West Ham UnitedA0–1 2 December 1975 LiverpoolA2–247,751Ball, Kidd 6 December 1975 Leeds UnitedH1–2Brady 13 December 1975 Stoke CityA1–2Armstrong 20 December 1975 BurnleyH1–0Radford 26 December 1975 Ipswich TownA0–2 27 December 1975 Queen's Park RangersH2–0Ball, Kidd 10 January 1976 Aston VillaH0–0 17 January 1976 Leicester CityA1–2Ross 31 January 1976 Sheffield UnitedH1–0Brady 7 February 1976 Norwich CityA1–3Kidd 18 February 1976 Derby CountyA0–2 21 February 1976 Birmingham CityH1–0Brady 24 February 1976 LiverpoolH1–0Radford 28 February 1976 MiddlesbroughA1–0Radford 13 March 1976 Coventry CityA1–1Powling 16 March 1976 Newcastle UnitedH0–0 20 March 1976 West Ham UnitedH6–1Armstrong, Ball (2), Kidd (3) 27 March 1976 Leeds UnitedA0–3 3 April 1976 Tottenham HotspurH0–2 10 April 1976 EvertonA0–0 13 April 1976 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–1Cropley, Mancini 17 April 1976 Ipswich TownH1–226,659Stapleton 19 April 1976 Queen's Park RangersA1–2Kidd 24 April 1976 Manchester CityA1–3Armstrong
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR33 January 1976 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–3
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR29 September 1975 EvertonA2–2Cropley 65'; Stapleton 89'R2R23 September 1975 EvertonH0–1
Squad
Top scorers Football League First Division
Brian Kidd - 11 Alan Ball - 9 Liam Brady - 5
References