(1979/80-1994/95)
After spending 16 seasons at Arsenal and winning two First Division
Championship medals, Paul Davis was released on a free transfer in the
summer of 1995. He looked set to team-up with his former Gunners team-mate,
Jimmy Carter, at First Division Portsmouth but instead opted to sign for
the Norwegian side, Stabaek on a two-month pre-season loan deal, in an
attempt to regain his fitness for the start of the 1995/96 season. He
joined Second Division Brentford in September 1995, making 5 league
appearances before returning to Highbury the following season in a youth-
team coaching capacity. 'Davo', who made his last ever appearance in the
Football League for Brentford in a 2-0 defeat at home to Shrewsbury on
Saturday, November 4, 1995, is now working as a coach for the Football
Association.
Kaba Diawara (1998/99)
Kaba Diawara left Arsenal to join French side Olympiques Marseilles for
£2,750,000 in the summer of 1999, having failed to score in 12 league games
for 'The Gunners'. He was a member of the Marseille side that reached the
Second Round of the Champions League having defeated Manchester United and
Chelsea, both at home, in the first and second phases respectively.
Incidentally, it was Robert Pires, now of Arsenal, who scored the only goal
of the game for Marseille in their 1-0 home victory over Chelsea but it was
Lazio and Chelsea who qualified for the quarter-finals. Kaba joined Paris
St. Germain in the 2000/01 pre-season; the French club that Nicolas Anelka
is currently playing for. Despite the attraction of playing Champions
League Football, Kaba joined First Division Blackburn Rovers on loan until
the end of the season in August 2000. He failed to net in 5 league games
with the club and the loan deal was cancelled in September so he could
finish the season on loan with West Ham United. He failed to earn himself a
permanent move to Upton Park, having fired blanks in 11 league games, and
returned to France with Paris St. Germain in the summer of 2001.
(1992/93-1996/97)
Paul Dickov joined Manchester City of Division One in a £1,000,000 deal
during August 1996, with the club hoping he could score the goals to set up
a return to the Premiership at the first attempt. He scored 5 goals in 29
league games in a season where City woefully underachieved, finishing in
fourteenth position and ten points behind the play-offs zone. During
1997/98, Manchester City were relegated to Division Two, despite recording
a 5-2 victory on the final day of the season away to Stoke City. Paul
scored 9 goals in 30 league games throughout the campaign but his most
memorable moment in a City shirt was to come a year later, beneath the Twin
Towers at Wembley. In the fifth and final minute of injury-time, he scored
the equalising goal against Gillingham in the final of the Second Division
play-offs, where City were promoted back to Division One after extra-time
and penalties. Paul scored 10 league goals in 35 games during 1998/99 and a
further in 5 goals in 34 league games during the clubs second successive
promotion season of 1999/00. During 2000/01, the clubs first season back in
the Premiership since 1995/96, Paul received his first call-up to the full
Scotland squad, winning his first of 3 caps as a substitute during a 2-0
victory away to San Marino in October 2000. The 4 league goals, in 21
games, that he scored during 2000/01 were not enough to help 'The Blues'
avoid relegation.
(1996/97-1998/99)
Remi Garde had initially announced his retirement from the English game in
the summer of 1998, having won winners medals in the Premiership and FA Cup
respectively. He was set to become a coach at French club Olympiques
Marseilles, but on the advice from his team-mates, decided to stick it out
for one last season at Highbury, signing a new one-year contract. Having
been ruled out for the remainder of the season in February 1999 through
injury, he was not able to participate in the 11 remaining league games
that decided the Championship in Manchester United's favour. Remi announced
his retirement from playing for good in the 1999/00 pre-season and since
his decision to quit, has been working for the French media.
Perry Groves (1986/87-1992/93)
Having started the 1992/93 season with Arsenal, Perry Groves joined
Southampton in August 1992 for £750,000. The red-haired midfielder, George
Graham's first signing as manager of Arsenal, earned the tag of 'super-sub'
during his time at Highbury as he had the ability to transform matches
after coming off the bench. Perry only made 15 league appearances for
Southampton between 1992/93 and 1993/94 after sustaining a serious Achilles
injury that he could never fully recover from. In May 1994, he announced
his retirement from the game at the age of 28, ending a playing career that
began and ended prematurely. Since retiring from the game, he has been
plying his trade as a travelling salesman, making up for lost time having
spent much of his latter years as a professional footballer on the
sidelines through injury.
See also