Ian Allinson (1983/84-1986/87)
Ian Allinson left Arsenal for Second Division Stoke City in the summer of
1987 on a free transfer having only made 14 league appearances for Arsenal
during the 1986/87 season. His stay at Stoke, where he failed to score in 9
league games, was a relatively short-lived one and he moved to Luton Town
in October 1987 for a fee of £10,000. He scored 3 goals in 32 league games
for Luton, who spent ten successive seasons in the First Division between
1982 and 1992, before rejoining Fourth Division Colchester United (38
league appearance) on a free transfer in December 1988. In his second spell
at Layer Road, Ian scored 10 league goals and helped Colchester preserve
their league status during 1988/89. The club was relegated to the Football
Conference after the relegation campaign of 1989/90, which happened to be
his last season as a professional footballer. Ian became manager of Beazer
Homes League Southern Division Baldock Town during 1989/90, where he stayed
in charge until October 1992. He is now manager of Ryman League Division
One club Harlow Town and in November 1999, he signed his former Arsenal
team mate, Chris Whyte, on a free transfer from Atlantic Division outfit
Raleigh Capital Express after a spell with Football Conference side Rushden
& Diamonds. Ian is one of many former Arsenal players who have moved into
non-league management since leaving Highbury; others include Brian Talbot,
Martin Hayes, Colin Pates and Eddie McGoldrick.
Kwame Ampadu (1989/90)
Having only made 2 substitute appearances for Arsenal in the league during
1989/90, Kwame Ampadu failed to make a single league appearance during the
1990/91 campaign and completed a £50,000 transfer to Third Division West
Bromwich Albion (42 league appearances) in the summer of 1991. Kwame was
part of the West Brom squad of 1992/93 that finished fourth in the Second
Division and went on to beat Port Vale 3-0 in the final of the play-offs,
before he moved to Swansea City (147 league appearances) of Division Three
for £15,000 in February 1994. One of his team-mates at the Vetch Field was
the former Arsenal striker, Martin Hayes and Swansea went on to win the
1994 Autoglass Trophy before relegation two years later. After finishing
fifth in the league during 1996/97, Swansea were beaten 1-0 by Northampton
Town in the final of the Division Three play-offs and at the end of the
1997/98 campaign, Kwame was released on a free transfer. He signed for
Leyton Orient (72 league appearances) of Division Three in the 1998/99 pre-
season and underwent further heartbreak in the play-offs in his first
season at the club, this time in Orient's 1-0 defeat against Scunthorpe
United in the final. He was released at the end of the 1999/00 campaign on
a free transfer and signed for Exeter City of Division Three in the summer
of 2000. A further 36 league appearances followed during 2000/01 as 'The
Grecians' narrowly avoided relegation by 5 points.
(1996/97-1998/99)
Nicolas Anelka, whose inevitable move away from Highbury finally ended in
the week leading up to the 1999/2000 season after weeks of negotiations,
joined Spanish side Real Madrid in a £23,500,000 deal. The controversial
striker failed to settle in Spain and was given a 45-day suspension in
March 2000 for refusing to train with the club, although the ban was
overturned when he made a public apology. After a long goal-drought, he
helped Real Madrid reach fourth place in the FIFA Club World Championship.
Nicolas scored in Real Madrid's 2-0 home victory over Bayern Munich in the
European Cup during the first leg of the semi-final. In the second leg, he
scored Real Madrid's crucial away goal and despite a 2-1 defeat, Real
Madrid went through to the final by winning 3-2 on aggregate. The club
defeated Valencia 3-0 in the final, played in Paris, to become European
Champions for the eighth time. During the summer of 2000, Nicolas brought
his stay with the European Champions to an end and completed a move to his
former club, Paris St. Germain. During 2000/01, he helped his French side
reach the second phase of the Champions League, before finally finishing
bottom of a group consisting of Deportivo La Coruna, Galatasary and AC
Milan. In April 2001, Nicolas denied speculation that he was set to leave
the French club and it is his ambition to stay and win the French
Championship. Paris St. Germain, who have signed Brazilian striker
Ronaldinho for the 2001/02 campaign, finished ninth in 2000/01, failing to
win the league for the seventh successive season.
Viv Anderson (1984/85-1986/87)
Viv Anderson left Arsenal for Manchester United (54 league appearances)
during the 1987/88 pre-season in a £250,000 deal. The only trophy that
United won during his time at Old Trafford was the FA Cup in 1990, although
he did not appear in the final against Crystal Palace (3-3) or the replay
(1-0). Viv moved to Second Division Sheffield Wednesday (70 league
appearances) in January 1991 on a free transfer and although he missed out
on Manchester United's European Cup Winners Cup success, he could help the
club to finish third in Division Two. Luckily for 'The Owls', four teams
were promoted to increase the amount of Division One teams from 20 to 22
for 1991/92. The 1990/91 season was the start of exciting times at
Hillsborough as the club defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the
Rumbelows Cup and finished third in Division One a year later. During
1992/93, Wednesday were beaten finalists against Arsenal in both the Coca-
Cola Cup and the FA Cup competitions. Viv left the Yorkshire club on a free
transfer in the summer of 1993 so he could begin his managerial career with
First Division Barnsley (20 league appearances). His spell as
player/manager with 'The Tykes' ended in the summer of 1994 when he became
player/assistant manager at First Division Middlesbrough, working alongside
newly appointed manager and good friend, Bryan Robson. Middlesbrough won
the Division One Championship during 1994/95 but were relegated from the
Premiership two years later despite finishing as runners-up in both the
Coca-Cola Cup and FA Cup. Viv announced his retirement as a player in the
summer of 1997 having spent 23 years as a professional with six different
league clubs. He had only made 2 league appearances for Middlesbrough; both
during 1994/95, with the latter coming against his former club Barnsley in
a 1-1 away draw on Saturday, April 22, 1995. Middlesbrough returned to the
Premiership having finished as runners-up during 1997/98 and were also
runners-up in the Coca-Cola Cup for the second time in successive years.
Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 (0-0 AET) in the final, and three more
seasons followed with the club failing to successfully challenge for a
trophy. In the summer of 2001, Viv Anderson, along with manager Bryan
Robson, ended their seven-year spell at the Riverside Stadium as the pair
parted company with the club by mutual consent.
(1997/98-1999/00)
Luis Boa Morte never fully established himself as a regular at Highbury
despite showing occasional glimpses of his ability and failed to score in
the Premiership for 'The Gunners'. Despite starting the 1999/00 season at
Highbury, he transferred to Southampton in August 1999 in a cut-price
£500,000 deal, joining forces with his brother, Bruno Leal at the South
Coast club. The move never really worked out and he only scored a single
goal in 14 league appearances for 'The Saints' during 1999/00. In the
summer of 2000, Luis joined First Division Fulham on loan for the season
and helped the club secure its third promotion in the space of 5 seasons.
He scored 18 league goals in 39 games, earning a place in the Portuguese
International side, and was at last beginning to find the form that
attracted Arsene Wenger to sign him for Arsenal in the summer of 1997. In
February 2001, he was reported to have agreed terms with Benfica about a
pre-contract deal, in which he would return to Portugal for the start of
the 2001/02 season for a fee of £1,500,000. However, such reports appeared
to be unfounded as he completed a £1,700,000 permanent move to Fulham
during the summer of 2001.