Charlie George

A cult figure in Arsenal folklore, Charlie George was a north London lad who fulfilled his dream of playing for his beloved Gunners and will forever be remembered for his goal in the 1971 FA Cup final at Wembley.

Born in Islington in 1950, George signed for Arsenal at the age of 16. He made his first team debut two years later against Everton and quickly established himself as an integral part of Bertie Mee’s starting line-up.

A broken ankle temporarily halted his rapid progress but he recovered in time to make 17 appearances in Arsenal’s First Division title winning campaign in 1970-71, scoring five times from the midfield.

The Gunners also reached the FA Cup final that season. The game against Liverpool was locked at 1-1 in extra-time when George latched on to John Radford’s cross to score from 20 yards out, settle the match and steer the club to its first ever Double.

He played four more seasons at Highbury before a fallout with Mee saw him sold to Derby County in 1975 in a £100,000 deal. In total, George played 179 times for the club he has supported as a boy, scoring 49 times.

Memorabilia signed by Charlie George