Arsenal F.C. Reserves
Full name | Arsenal Football Club Reserves | |||
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Nickname(s) | The Gunners | |||
Founded | 1886 | |||
Ground | Meadow Park | |||
Capacity | 4,502 | |||
Chairman | Sir Chips Keswick | |||
League |
Professional Development League, (Division 1) | |||
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Arsenal Reserves are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club.
They play the majority of their home games at Meadow Park,[1] the home of Boreham Wood FC, but on occasion are known to play games at the senior teams' Emirates Stadium. The team mainly consists of Under-23 players at the club, with the under 21 players featuring for the Arsenal Academy side. Senior players occasionally play in the reserve side, for instance when they are recovering from injury. The job of monitoring academy development is split between Luke Hobbs and Jan Van Loon who oversee the development of the squad in general. Many of the players in the reserve side have played for the senior side in a small capacity including Ryan Huddart, Krystian Bielik, Gedion Zelalem and Ismael Bennacer. Several key members of the team have made their way into the Arsenal squad over the recent times including, Jack Wilshere, Wojciech Szczesny, Kieran Gibbs, Hector Bellerin, Chuba Akpom and most recently Alex Iwobi.
History
Early Years (1887β1919)
Arsenal have had a reserve team since their early days based in Plumstead as Royal Arsenal F.C., with the reserve side initially set up in 1887. Initially playing friendlies and cup competitions, winning the 1889β90 Kent Junior Cup. In 1895β96 Woolwich Arsenal (as they had been renamed in 1891) reserves joined the Kent League, winning the title the next season but leaving in 1900 or some time soon after.[2] They later joined the London League and won three titles during the 1900s.
From 1900β01 to 1902β03 the reserves played in the West Kent League, winning the title for every season that they played. [3] Too strong for the local opposition, in 1903 the team moved to South Eastern League, playing there until 1914β15 when football was suspended due to the First World War. Concurrent to this period, the reserves were also entered in the London League First Division in seasons 1906β07, 1907β08, 1908β09, 1913β14 and 1914β15. The club dropped the "Woolwich" from their name in 1913, becoming plain "Arsenal".
The Football Combination [Pre War] (1919β1939)
Following the end of World War I in 1914, Arsenal Reserves took the first team's place in the London Combination league which was renamed the Football Combination in the summer of 1939.[4] For the 1926β27 season, the competition was expanded to include teams as far afield as Portsmouth, Swansea, Southend and Leicester. During the inter-war period Arsenal's reserves matched the first team's success, winning the League South A title of 1940 and 1943 as well as being the London league champions of 1942.[4] Additionally, from 1931 onwards the club's reserves were entered into the London Challenge Cup, winning it twice in 1933β34 and as well in 1935β36.[5]
To give opportunities to younger players, Arsenal created an 'A' team in 1929. Initially the 'A' team entered the London Professional Mid-Week League and were champions in 1931β32.[3] They then competed in the league until the 1933β34 footballing season. Wherein, during the summer of 1934, Arsenal had taken on Kent side Margate as their nursery team. Arsenal had agreed to send promising youngsters to Margate to give them experience in the Southern Football League and were given first choice on any Margate players. The two clubs thus enjoyed being within this relationship which had lasted for four years before Arsenal broke it off in 1938.[6][7] Afterwards, Arsenal entered the reserve team in the Southern League in its own right with home games being played at Enfield F.C.'s stadium at Southbury Road.[8] The club eventually finished in 6th place in the league season of 1938β39.
At the start of the 1939β40 season the reserves played two Football Combination games and one Southern League game before football was partly suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War.[4]
The Football Combination [Post War] (1945β1999)
For the 1946β47 season, the Football Combination resumed but the league was split into two divisions with the winners of each division playing in a final to decide the champions. A new competition was introduced β the Football Combination Cup. This was the same teams that played in the Football Combination but divided into 4 groups with the winners of each group playing in semi-finals and a final. This format continued until the end of the 1954β55 season. From 1955β56 the Football Combination continued generally as a normal league format, occasionally consisting of two divisions with promotion and relegation. The Football Combination Cup was discontinued but re-instated for seasons 1965β66 to 1969β70 inclusive and 1996β97. The reserves continued to be entered in the London FA Challenge Cup until the 1973β74 season, with the exception of 1961β62 when the first team were entered.
The 'A' team was resurrected at the start of the 1948β49 season when a team was entered in the Eastern Counties League, Eastern Counties League Cup and East Anglian Cup, winning the Eastern Counties League in 1954β55, after which they left the league (stating that it was so strong that they needed to enter a more competitive team, which would be more expensive),[9] but continued to play in the East Anglian Cup for the next two seasons. In addition, the 'A' team was also entered in the London Professional Mid-Week League from 1949β50 to 1957β58, winning a second time in 1952β53. During the summer of 1958, the 'A' team was entered into the Metropolitan League, Metropolitan League Cup and Metropolitan League Professional Cup. This proved a very successful venture until the mid-1960s. Towards the end of the 1960s, the 'A' team struggled against strong amateur teams and the club declined to enter a team after the close of the 1968β69 season.
1999β2014
In 1999 they left the Combination to become founding members of the Premier Reserve League.[10] They never won the competition, although they did finish as runners-up in the 2001β02 and 2010-11 seasons. At the end of the 2011β12 season they finished 3rd in Reserve League South, in what would be the competition's final season. Players from the reserve team have also been used extensively in the League Cup since the 1997β98 season. At the beginning of the 2012β13 season Arsenal's reserve and academy structure received a major overhaul. The reserve team left the Premier Reserve League and joined the Professional Development League for the competition's inaugural season. Fundamentally, replacing the reserves with a Under-21 team that has the allowance of three over-age outfield players and one goalkeeper per match day squad. Arsenal also signed up for the expanded NextGen Series, later to be replaced by the UEFA Youth Cup in 2013.
2014βpresent
At the beginning of the 2014β15 season Arsenal's academy coaching structure received a major change with Andries Jonker being appointed as head of academy on 1st July 2014[11], along with several key changes with in key coaching roles throughout the academy[12]. In his time in charge of the academy, he instigated many changes, such as changes to the way the players were educated within the club, therefore helping them spend more time on site with their fellow players. He was also a key part in the new Hale End facility being built[13], with three pitches for the academy teams to make use of. In 2016 with the rebranding of the Premier League the reserve team continued to play in the Professional Development League, but it would now be named the Premier League 2. On 27th February 2017, it was announced the Andries Jonker would leave his role as head of academy, to join VfL Wolfsburg as head coach, alongside former arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg as assistant coach [14].
Current Squad
As of 4 August 2017
Under 23s
These players can also play with the senior squad and are all Young Professionals.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Under 18s
These players can also play with the Under 23s and the senior squad.
Young Pros
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Second Years
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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First Years
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Schoolboys
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current staff
As of 6 July 2017[15]
Head Coaches:
Steve Gatting | U23's Head Coach |
Carl Laraman | U23's Assistant Coach |
Kwame Ampadu | U18's Head Coach |
Trevor Bumstead | U16's Head Coach |
Greg Lincoln | U14's Head Coach |
Simon Copley | U13's Head Coach |
Jason Brown | U17's-U23's Goalkeeping Coach |
Serge van den Ban | U9's-U16's Goalkeeping Coach |
Technical Staff:
Luke Hobbs | Football Operations Manager |
Jan van Loon | Head of Individual Development |
Ryan Garry | Head Foundation Phase Coach |
Adam Birchall | Assistant Foundation Phase Coach |
Joe Sutton | Pre-Academy Coordinator |
Des Ryan | Head of Sports Medicine and Athletic Development |
Jordan Reece | Lead Academy Physiotherapist |
Bob Arber | Senior Academy Scout |
Steve Morrow | Head of Scouting |
Niall O'Connor | Academy Analyst |
Jack Patchett | Academy Football Analyst (U17/U18) |
James Krause | Academy Football Analyst (U16) |
Sam Moore | Academy Football Analyst (U14/U15) |
Josh Smith | Academy Football Analyst (U12/U13) |
Sam Wilson | Strength and Conditioning |
Padraig Roche | Strength and Conditioning |
Noel Carrol | Strength and Conditioning |
Honours
Reserve team Football Combination (formerly the London Combination):
Winners (18): 1922β23, 1926β27, 1927β28, 1928β29, 1929β30, 1930β31, 1933β34, 1934β35, 1936β37, 1937β38, 1938β39, 1946β47, 1950β51, 1962β63, 1968β69, 1969β70, 1983β84, 1989β90
The Football Combination Cup:
Winners (3): 1952β53, 1967β68, 1969β70
London FA Challenge Cup:
Winners (7): 1933β34, 1935β36, 1953β54, 1954β55, 1957β58, 1962β63, 1969β70
Winners (1): 1896β97
West Kent League:
Winners (3): 1900β01, 1901β02, 1902β03
London League First Division:
Winners (3): 1901β02, 1903β04, 1906β07
Kent Junior Cup:
Winners (1): 1889β90
'A' team
London Professional Mid-Week League:
Winners (2): 1931β32, 1952β53
Winners (1): 1954β55
Winners (3): 1958β59, 1960β61, 1962β63
Winners (2): 1960β61, 1965β66
Metropolitan League Professional Cup:
Winners (2): 1960β61, 1961β62
Footnotes
- β "Youth sides to play at Meadow Park". 30 July 2013.
- β "Woolwich Arsenal Reserves". Football Club History Database.
- 1 2 Kelly, Andy. "Complete Honours List". Arsenal Pics. Archived from the original on 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
- 1 2 3 "Arsenal at war". Arsenal.com.
- β Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 82. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
- β "Margate & Lorient: Arsenal's breeding grounds". Sports Keeda.com.
- β "Margate FC A History". Margate-FC.co.uk.
- β "Arsenal 0-0 Colchester United". coludata.co.uk.
- β Blakeman, M (2010) The Official History of the Eastern Counties Football League 1935-2010, Volume II ISBN 978-1-908037-02-2
- β "Arsenal reserves get a breakthrough of sorts". Sport Keeda.com.
- β https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/andries-jonker-appointed-academy-manager
- β https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140403/youth-academy-coaches-re-organisation
- β https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170331/new-academy-facility-opens-its-doors
- β https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20170227/jonker-named-head-coach-at-wolfsburg
- β https://www.arsenal.com/academy/staff
- β https://web.archive.org/web/20030408071449/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andy.kelly/stats/stats.htm