Introducing: The Kings of London
A new research blog exploring the history of Arsenal's rivalries with other teams in England's capital.
Kings of London
“It’s not just Arsenal v Tottenham down here,” says Kevin [Richardson]. “With seven London clubs in the First Division, there are so many matches with an extra edge to them. There’s a lot of pride at stake, particularly for the smaller clubs, who derive great satisfaction from beating us or Tottenham…
“But that means clubs in the capital are cutting each other up, which is a big obstacle for a London team with title hopes. Nowhere else in England do players have to live with those demands…
“If you can win that London league within a league, then you must stand a good chance of winning the championship!”
(From ‘Local clashes pump up the pressure’, article by Kevin Connolly in Arsenal matchday programme for the First Division match versus Wimbledon, 17 May 1989)
Richardson wasn’t wrong. The match against Wimbledon finished 2-2, denying Arsenal a win that would have made them clear favourites for the league title going into the final game. As it was, the draw in what was Arsenal’s 12th London derby in the league that season set the stage for the greatest finish to a league season ever.
“… and it’s Thomas, charging through the midfield…”
But this is not about 26 May 1989. Nor is it about winning league titles – although we’ll have a few champions along the way.
This blog is about London. It’s about the rich footballing culture of England’s capital. It’s about the extraordinary number of teams based here that have featured in the country’s top division. And it’s about finding out who really are the Kings of London.
As Arsenal stumbled to the finish line of the 2022-23 season having led for so long, there was perhaps little room for celebrating a record that brings no trophy.[1] Nevertheless, Arsenal secured an enviable record of winning 10 out of 12 London derbies in the league, dropping points only against Brentford and West Ham.
What’s so special about that? Well, in the course of my research I have found a lot of evidence to suggest that Kevin Richardson was right. The more London teams there are in the top tier, the more competitive it is and the harder for those with title ambitions to realise them.
I’ve found many examples of teams missing out on the league, on Europe, on survival, on promotion, by the slenderest of margins – and it’s those London derbies that could have made all the difference. And it’s true the other way around, too: clubs have achieved their goals by bettering their London rivals in head-to-head clashes.[2]
This season, as Arsenal prepare to face each of their London rivals in the Premier League, I’ll be reporting how these rivalries have developed through the years. We’ll explore the first meetings, biggest showdowns, top scorers, and players that have crossed from one London giant to another.
Along the way we’ll learn about the top team in the capital in the late 1930s (spoiler alert: it wasn’t Arsenal), the Gunners’ first rivals (not Spurs), and the London team launched with great hopes in 1929 that sank without a trace just two years later (unfortunately not Chelsea).
There’s the great scandal[3] over which is the oldest league club in London. There are Reg Lewis’s wartime goals. There was that time Queens Park Rangers nearly won the league.
Arsenal’s history as one of the most successful clubs in England – and one of the biggest in the world – is inextricably linked to its location in the capital and its rivalries with other London clubs.
Grab your scarves, dust off your football rattles, and let’s kick off.
[1] Anyone making a joke about finishing fourth can go and jump in the Thames.
[2] See: White Hart Lane 1971 and 2004, FA Cup Final 2002, 2017, and 2020, etc.
[3] I may be exaggerating.