Arsenal Football Club is one of the most famous clubs in the country. Attracting some of the best players in the world, the club started life as Royal Arsenal in 1886.
The early teams were made up of workers from the Royal Arsenal Armaments Factory at Woolwich, which at the time was the biggest munitions plant in Europe.
The team soon decided it would be a good idea to put the name of the area into the title as well, so became Woolwich Arsenal.
They moved to Highbury in 1913, mainly because transport links in the North London area were far more sophisticated at the time, making it easier for fans and players to travel to games. The 'Woolwich' part of the name was dropped, and the Arsenal that Islington residents are rightfully proud of was born.
The site of the old stadium is now being converted into flats. For more information on this development, please click on the link on the right hand side of this page.
Page Last Updated: 31 October 2008