Highbury

|- | colspan=" 2" style=" text-align: center; padding: 0.5em; " bgcolor=" white" | |- | initial Construction | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 1913 |- | Current form since | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 1992 |- | Capacity | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 38.500 places |- | Colors of the Seats | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Red |- | Nickname | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- Platforms: | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Official | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Side | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Popular south | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Popular north | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- --> | Multitude record | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| 73.295 spectateurs
(Arsenal - Sunderland, March 9th 1935) |- | Last match" | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| May 7th, 2006
Arsenal - Wigan (4-2) |- | Platform of presse' | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| - places |- | Places VIP | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| - places |- | Lighting | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| |- | Address | bgcolor=#EEEEEE| Arsenal Stadium
Avenell Road
LONDON N5 1BU |} Highbury was the stage of the London club of Arsenal Football Club. Gunners played Highbury (Stadium Arsenal) since 1913.

Located until there in the south-east of the English capital, Arsenal gains the northern suburbs (Islington) in 1913. Before this removal of Gunners with Highbury, Arsenal evolved/moved with the Manor Ground. This arrival in this quiet district is badly perceived, and a petition circulates well quickly in Islington to require the expulsion of the club and its “ vulgar project ”.

The president of Arsenal Henry Norris contacts the famous Scottish architect Archibald Leitch which proposes to build a stage of 100.000 places. Leitch which had already supervised the alteration work in Manor Ground finally does not sign even a sketch relating to Highbury, and the project is entrusted to the architect A.G. Kearney, which avoids urgently: to build a stage in urgency.

The enclosure of Highbury is inaugurated the September 6th 1913 by a match of Division 2 Arsenal opponent in Leicester Fosse. Work is still in hand on this date, and chair it club is astonished whereas the spectators make the tail to pay their ticket of entry rather than to benefit from the open holes of the palisades. In spite of work which continues during all the season, Arsenal records an average of 23.000 spectators per match against 9.000 the former season in Manor Ground. This work worries however the municipal authorities which prohibit the behavior of a match in March 1914, demanding that work of safety is completed in urgency. Work redoubles intensity then in order to propose an enclosure worthy of this name to the attack of the season 1914-1915. Arsenal invested some 125.000 £ in its stage, and the release of the First World War is a catastrophe.

After the conflict, Arsenal has an enclosure of more than 30.000 places which accommodates before the opening of Wembley in 1923 some international meetings. Only one platform is covered, with a roof in multi-plan. The architect Claude Waterlow Ferrier sign work with Highbury since 1931. The famous western platform starts to leave ground since 1931. It is most modern of the platforms ever built. It is inaugurated in the presence of the Prince of Wales the December 10th 1932. With this new platform and other work of Ferrier, the capacity of the stage exceeds from now on the 50.000 places. Little before the inauguration western platform, the subway station serving the stage, Gillespie Road, is renamed “Arsenal” (November 5th 1932). Work continues then in spite of the deaths of the manager Herbert Chapman in January 1934 and of the architect Ferrier in July 1935. The March 9th 1935, Highbury records its record of multitude with 73.295 paying spectators for a match championship vis-a-vis Sunderland AFC. The northern platform (North Bank) is covered in 1935.

Only 23 years old, the platform is rebuilt. The inauguration of this luxurious platform takes place the October 24th 1936. Its marble hall includes/understands a signed statue Jacob Epstein of regretted managing Herbert Chapman. The cost of this platform is twice higher than that paid by Tottenham to set up the platform is of White Hart Lane.

Highbury is the first British stage where a match retransmis by the radio proceeds on line (January 22nd 1922). Benefitting from the proximity of the studios of television of Alexandra Palace, Highbury is selected to be the first stage where a match taken again by television is held on line (September 16th 1937).

The German bombardments of the Second world war do not save Highbury. In 1940, it is Clock End which is touched; in 1941, five incendiary bombs transpierce the roof of the northern platform (North Bank). Restored during the war, the roof of the northern platform is remade with new in 1956.

Highbury, since 1932, is equipped with a lighting system allowing the behavior of the night drives. This system is improved in 1936 then in 1951.

Safety obliges, the capacity of Highbury starts to melt in 1969 with a limitation in 63.000 places. This figure falls to 57.000 in 1988. After the drama of Hillsborough and the Taylor report/ratio, the capacity of Highbury is temporarily of 41.188 places, including 18.095 sitted (1992). North Bank is shaven in May 1992 and rebuilt with 12.400 seats. Since 1993, the capacity of the stage is approximately 38.500 places, all bases.

Two giant screens are installed since 1993.

With less than 40.000 places, Highbury is too small to face at the request of the fans. Afterwards many palaver, and in front of the impossibility of renovating Hihgbury because of the hostility of the vicinity, the lack of place and the classification to the historic buildings of certain elements of the stage, Gunners choose to leave Highbury to set up a stage new bright burning coal of approximately 60.000 places: Emirates Stadium. The last official match of Arsenal with Highbury was against Wigan Athletic, the May 7th 2006. A match gained 4 to 2 per Arsenal.

Un real unit pertaining to the Arsenal FC is currently in the course of construction on the site of Highbury. An article about Highbury Square is disponible.

See too

External bond

Official site of the real complex of Highbury
Article on Highbury

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