The early 1980s may not have been kind to Arsenal, but there was a reason to be cheerful in summer of 1983. Optimism and anticipation, hope and expectation abounded - and all because a certain 21-year-old Scottish centre-forward had chosen Highbury as his new home.
It was clear why Charlie Nicholas was the hottest property in British football. Scoring 48 goals for Celtic the previous campaign, it was inevitable the English would circle. Yet his final destination was far less predictable.
With Liverpool and Manchester United interested in signing Nicholas, it was a pleasant surprise when he agreed to join Arsenal for £750,000 in July 1983. After all, we were hardly flying at the time, and the north-west clubs were title contenders.
Speculation was rife that the bright lights of London had attracted Charlie, which grew when he immediately started to exploit commercial opportunities away from the pitch. But as the new season neared, Arsenal fans revelled in the fact he was a signing others could look on with envy.
The hype surrounding Nicholas was suffocating. The club itself did little to help the situation when on the opening day of the season Nicholas was given his own introduction on to the pitch as the players left the tunnel. Nicholas felt uncomfortable, simply wanting to be part of the team. For a club priding itself on the team ethic – Victoria Concordia Crescit – it seemed a strange move.
The 2-1 win against Luton at Highbury saw Nicholas show glimpses of his ability but in truth, Nicholas was joining an average, inconsistent team. Yes, he would provide excitement and attract a few more through the gates. But without adding extra quality around him, it was wishful to think he alone could reverse our fortunes.
Yet, when Arsenal visited Wolves on Bank Holiday Monday, August 29, 1983, the bandwagon started to seriously gain momentum.
Newly promoted Wolves held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the season, and a trip to Molineux appeared to be the kind of fixture that could trip up Terry Neill’s Arsenal team. Yet as the season developed, it soon became apparent that Wolves were an abysmal team, and a club in meltdown.
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