1989: Arsenal - Zenith Data Systems Challenge

This article first appeared in issue 280 of The Gooner. The campaign to Save the Gooner continues.

Until George Graham arrived at the club, Arsenal had spent a large part of the 1980s avoiding trophies. But like London buses, one brought many. Some, like the 1987 Littlewoods Cup and the unforgettable League title in 1989, will forever be etched into the history books of the club. Others less so.

Previously I have written about Arsenal claiming the Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy, a tournament involving the top eight Division One clubs from the 1987/88 Division One season that saw Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 in the final at Villa Park. After the miracle at Anfield in 1989 further trophy opportunities awaited.

Two new competitions were established, both backed by the Zenith Data Systems company that had already taken over sponsorship of the incredibly naff Simod Cup. The two Zenith Data Systems Challenge events involving Arsenal in 1989 may not have provided us supporters with moments of unrivalled ecstasy, but for a manager and squad addicted to success, any silverware was welcome.

The first contest would see Arsenal take on Argentinian champions Independiente in Miami during August 1989. Billed by some as the unofficial World Club Championship, Graham revelled in a rare opportunity to pit himself up against overseas opposition. Falling after Arsenal won the Makita tournament at Wembley, the trip to America proved popular with the players.

With temperatures constantly above 100°F and humidity soaring, training in the lead-up to the event was done and dusted by 10.30am, giving Arsenal’s players free rein for the rest of the day, which often didn’t end well during that era.

Indeed, Perry Groves tells a tale of a golf round on the West Palm Beach course that finished prematurely when he, Martin Hayes, Tony Adams and Paul Merson ran out of balls, with the four players racing each other on golf buggies, much to the disapproval of the members watching on.

The match itself would be played at the Joe Robbie Stadium, a 76,000 all-seater arena that had hosted the 1989 Super Bowl. In reality though the venue was far too big, with just 10,042 fans turning up to witness the clash. However, the match was beamed across the world, allowing UK viewers the rare treat of live Sunday night football on ITV at 10.35pm.

Viewers at home did get to see Arsenal bag another trophy. Yet the 2-1 win hardly provided a feast of football. Played in gruelling heat, the players spent most of the match confronting each other, with referee Raul Dominguez quickly losing control. It was little wonder that Graham later commented: “There were certain incidents that weren’t good for football.”

In total, Dominguez booked seven, sent off a player from each team, and remarkably banished physio Gary Lewin to the dressing room. Attempting to get on to the pitch to provide water to his players, Dominguez adjudged that Lewin had entered the playing area without permission. “To say it was a harsh decision is an understatement,” Graham said.

With Lewin out of action, assistant manager Theo Foley had to tend to the injured Lee Dixon towards the end of a first half that had seen David Rocastle fire Arsenal in front. The second half saw Independiente level in the 69th minute through Alfaro Moreno, and when Gus Caesar was sent off shortly afterwards, Arsenal’s hopes seemed to be evaporating into the humid sky.

But this Arsenal team were made of stern stuff, and when Adams was brought down in the box by Pedro Monzon – who received his marching orders afterwards – Rocastle stepped forward to score the penalty that gave Arsenal the prestigious (ahem) ZDS Challenge Trophy.

Rocastle later told the Mirror of his struggles during the supposedly friendly match. “I was kicked, I was punched, and the only abusive word they seemed to know was ‘Nigger’. That didn't offend me, and I don’t mind being kicked because that's part of the game – but I did object when they spat in my face.”

Arsenal did leave America with another piece of silverware, and David Dein was presented with a key to the city; although the dignitary presenting this did little to encourage hope for the 1994 World Cup in America when he said he hoped to see Arsenal at the 1992 finals.

With a Scandinavian tour, the Makita tournament, and the trip to America, it was hardly surprising that Groves pinpoints fatigue as an issue when the season started in earnest. Injuries began to mount as the new campaign progressed, and it says a lot about the resilience of Graham’s men that the team hit top spot in early December.

By this point another competition was looming on the horizon. The ZDS Challenge would now involve an unofficial British Championship match between Arsenal and Rangers on Tuesday December 19. The three previous Anglo-Scottish events of this nature had taken place in Dubai, but there would be no such luck this time around; Ibrox would play host in freezing conditions.

With UEFA classifying the match as a Category A high-security fixture, Arsenal were not allocated any away tickets. Instead, the contest would be beamed back to Highbury, with people paying £7.50 for the privilege, and highlights shown on ITV at 10.35pm.

Both Graham and his opposite number Graeme Souness stressed the importance of the occasion. “As a Scot, I know all about Rangers’ pride. They’ll want to beat the champions of England, just as we’ll want to beat them,” Graham stated. “This will be a prestigious game,” Souness announced. “Rangers never play friendlies.”

In truth, the match suffered due to several key factors. Injuries robbed Arsenal of Steve Bould, Michael Thomas, and Alan Smith, with David O’Leary and Brian Marwood limping off during the game. Ally McCoist was also missing from the Rangers line-up, and the decision to play the match prior to a busy time in the football calendar on both sides of the border seemed foolhardy.

A crowd of 40,000 was expected, but a delayed kick-off due to a motorway accident hardly helped matters, and with the weather possibly putting others off, only 31,118 turned up at Ibrox. Those watching in Glasgow and Highbury were unlikely to have been on the edge of their seats in what the Times labelled a “forgettable occasion.”

The evening did give Paul Davis the chance to put his injury nightmare behind him, the midfielder starting his first match since April. Scoring from the edge of the box – describing it at the time as “probably the best goal I’ve scored” – Davis gave Arsenal a 1-0 lead at half-time. Putting in a performance that would undoubtedly have impressed the watching England boss Bobby Robson, Davis’ return was a big plus from the evening.

Mo Johnston equalised after 50 minutes, before Niall Quinn gave Arsenal the unofficial champions of Britain tag when he scored the winner six minutes later. Graham commended a “good competent performance”, although Souness indicated that “neither team reflected what they are capable of.” David Livingstone in the Independent did not hold back in his assessment: “Even when sponsored by Zenith, friendly matches, it seems, are never far from the nadir.”

Although talk circulated of a British Cup competition, by the next time Arsenal had won the League the European ban on English clubs had been lifted, and there was little room for competitions of this nature. With the new Champions League in place, Graham and Arsenal now had their eyes on bigger pots. Sadly, winning ZDS Challenge Cups was a lot easier than succeeding in Europe’s premier competition.