History: How Herbert Chapman led Arsenal to their first ever trophy in 1930

1930 FA Cup: How Herbert Chapman helped Arsenal clinch their first major trophy by Liam Harding

In 1930 Arsenal lifted the FA Cup for the first time in their history after defeating Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the final.

Three years earlier The Gunners had come close to glory but after goalkeeper Dan Lewis made a mistake late on in the second half, Cardiff City won 1-0 being the first and only team to date to take the cup back to Wales.

That day, legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman who had been use to success after having formed a Huddersfield Town side which became the first club in the country to win the First Division treble in 1925, before leaving for Arsenal, was even more determined  to get his hands on the cup after a woeful display from his Gunners in 1927.

To start off their 1930 FA Cup campaign Chapman’s Arsenal hosted Chelsea who were in the Second Division at the time before later earning promotion back to the top-flight of English football that year. In front of nearly 56,000 fans The Gunners sealed a 2-0 victory over their London rivals thanks to goals from Jack Lambert and Cliff Bastin who was Arsenals top all time goalscorer with 178 strike up until 1997.

Two weeks later in the Fourth Round Arsenal tussled ferociously with Birmingham City, drawing 2-2 to take the match back to Highbury for a replay. Bastin scored again and David Jack who’d signed for Arsenal in 1928 becoming the first footballer to be brought for a five figure fee (£10,647) grabbed the second.  Alf Baker ensured The Gunners won the replay 1-0 from the penalty spot to advance to the Fifth Round.

Arsenal travelled over four and a half hours to Ayrsome Park to face Middlesborough who were drifting around the bottom half of the First Division.  The home sides defence failed to stop the goal-scoring duo of Jack and Bastin once more as the Gunners escaped with a 2-0 victory.

Come the Quarter finals Arsenal were drawn away to West Ham United at the old Boleyn Ground. Arsenal ran rings round The Hammers, Jack Lambert bagged two strikes, who in the following season would create the landmark for the most goals (38) scored in a season for The Gunners till my great/grandfather Ted Drake broke it in the 1934/35 campaign. Baker made it 3-0 to shove Arsenal into the Semi-finals.

The Semi-final, which was held at a neutral ground in Elland Road, witnessed Arsenal face a relentless Second Division Hull City who would end up relegated to The Third Division North come the end of the season. The Tigers took charge of the game going 2-0 up surpisingly, however The Gunners fired back with goals from Jack and Bastin, forcing a replay at Villa Park 117 miles down the road.  Arsenal hung on through an 11^th minute goal from Jack till the final whistle to earn a hard fought 1-0 win.

In the final, Chapman came up against his old side Huddersfield Town at Wembley, the occasion also marked the intimidating flying over of the German Graf Zepplin which was the biggest airship in the world at the time to honour King George V. Before kickoff James explained to Bastin “if we get a free-kick early on in the half, I’ll slip it out to you onto the wing.” This would not prove to be the case! On 16 minutes Arsenal stole the lead all thanks to an Alex James free-kick.  Lambert secured the 2-0 celebration scoring from close range after beating two Huddersfield defenders. By the time the whistle was blown The Gunners had won the FA Cup for the first ever time in their history at their 55th attempt.

At last Chapman had helped Arsenal in their hunt for their first major honour.  He would go onto assist Arsenal to an unprecedented league Treble which they would achieve in May 1935 just over a year after his untimely and unexpected death in January 1934 from pneumonia.

Chapman will always be a legend in Arsenal’s history books.

Liam Harding

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