Good Old Arsenal
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Good Old Arsenal
| cover = Good Old Arsenal single cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Arsenal F.C.
| album =
| released = {{Start date|1971}}
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Football song
| length =
| label =
| writer = Jimmy Hill
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Shouting for the Gunners
| next_year = 1993
}}
"Good Old Arsenal" was a single released by the English football team Arsenal in 1971. It reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart.{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2005|isbn=1-904994-00-8|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|page=35|edition=18th}}
History
In the 1960s and 1970s, several football clubs released records. After being inspired by "Back Home" by the England national football team in 1970, Arsenal players were urged by football pundit Jimmy Hill to create an anthem for Arsenal that could rival Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone".{{cite book|title=Seventy-One Guns: The Year of the First Arsenal Double |first=David |last=Tossell |publisher=Random House |year=2012 |isbn=978-1780574738 |chapter=14 'Banksie Bottled It'}} ITV held a competition for fans to create an Arsenal anthem. However, none of the entrants were selected as the stronger candidates were seen as "too wordy".{{cite news|first=Jim |last=White |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/jimwhite/2371348/The-Sporting-Week-Hill-never-benefited-from-end-of-maximum-wage.html |title=Hill never benefited from end of maximum wage |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=17 January 2004 |accessdate=8 May 2014}} Hill then approached Arsenal's manager Bertie Mee for permission to write his own anthem for Arsenal.{{cite news|first=Nick |last=Greenslade |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/jan/09/newsstory.sport5 |title=First and last |work=The Guardian |location=London| date=9 January 2005 |accessdate=8 May 2014}} Hill wrote "Good Old Arsenal" to the tune of "Rule, Britannia!"{{cite news |first=Mike |last=Rowbottom |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-hill-still-taking-it-on-the-chin-28-years-later-1045946.html |title=Hill still taking it on the chin 28 years later |work=The Independent |location=London|date=9 January 1999 |accessdate=8 May 2014}} and it was performed by Arsenal's first team squad for their 1971 FA Cup Final song. This was the first record ever released to be performed by a football team's squad to commemorate them reaching the FA Cup Final.{{cite news|first=Jon |last=Harvey |url=http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/09/fa-cup-final-metros-guide-to-fa-cup-final-firsts-3747913/ |title=Achieve a first in FA Cup final trivia with Metro's rundown |work=Metro |date=9 May 2013 |accessdate=8 May 2014}}
"Good Old Arsenal" was initially disliked by some Arsenal fans who felt that it was bland and predictable. However, it did at first gain popularity with younger Arsenal fans because they found it was easy to learn.{{cite book|title=32 Programmes |first=Dave |last=Roberts |publisher=Random House |year=2012 |isbn=978-0857500502 |page=62}} Following Arsenal's win in the final, the second part of their first double, "Good Old Arsenal" became widely accepted and popular at Arsenal and continued to be sung by Arsenal supporters and is viewed as a classic football song.{{cite book|title=From Bovril to Champagne: When the FA Cup Really Mattered Part 1 - The 1970s, Part 1 |first=Matthew |last=Eastley |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2010 |isbn=978-1452005829 |page=80}}{{cite web |url=http://www.camdennewjournal.com/sports/2014/may/what-no-fa-cup-final-song-arsenal-players-chant-she-wore-yellow-ribbon-instead |title=What no FA Cup final song? Arsenal players chant 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon' instead |publisher=Camden New Journal |date= |accessdate=8 May 2014 |archive-date=8 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508120846/http://www.camdennewjournal.com/sports/2014/may/what-no-fa-cup-final-song-arsenal-players-chant-she-wore-yellow-ribbon-instead |url-status=dead }}
Charts
"Good Old Arsenal" was first released into the UK Singles Charts in May 1971 and remained in the charts for seven weeks. Its highest position was 16.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Good+Old+Arsenal|title=The Official Charts Company - Good Old Arsenal by Arsenal First Team Squad Search |date=10 May 2014|publisher=The Official Charts Company}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Arsenal F.C.}}