Forward · 1968–1975 · verified
Charlie George
The local boy who sealed the club's first Double. Charlie George was an Islington-born forward of swagger and flair who grew up on the North Bank and lived out every supporter's dream, scoring the extra-time winner in the 1971 FA Cup final and lying flat on the Wembley turf in the most famous celebration in the club's history.
| Born | Islington, a local boy |
|---|---|
| Defining moment | 1971 FA Cup final winner |
| Honour | 1971 Double |
| Left | 1975 |
One of our own
Born in Islington, a stone's throw from the ground, Charlie George supported Arsenal from the North Bank before joining the club as an apprentice. Long-haired and fearless, he broke into the first team at the end of the 1960s as a forward of rare natural talent, equally capable of a thunderous shot or a moment of improvisation. To the supporters he was one of their own made good, a genuine terrace idol in an age before football's modern distances.
The 1971 Double
George's defining moment came in 1971. With the league title already secured at Tottenham days earlier, Arsenal met Liverpool in the FA Cup final at Wembley. After Liverpool led in extra time and Eddie Kelly equalised, George struck a fierce shot from around twenty yards past Ray Clemence to win it 2-1 and complete the club's first League and FA Cup Double. He sank to the turf on his back, arms outstretched, waiting to be lifted by his team-mates — an image burned into the club's folklore. He left Arsenal in 1975.
How he played
A forward of touch, vision and ferocious shooting, George combined the cool of a creator with the instincts of a finisher. He played with a swagger that thrilled the terraces, never more than when the stage was biggest, and remains one of the most beloved figures of the club's first Double-winning era.
Timeline
- 1968Joins the club he grew up supporting
- 1971Scores the extra-time winner in the FA Cup final to seal the Double
- 1975Leaves Arsenal
Connected pages
Verification
Published as verified · checked 25 Jun 2026 · 2 retained source references.
Sources and evidence
- Arsenal.com (reference recorded; direct URL not retained)
- the historical record (reference recorded; direct URL not retained)
Links and source labels are shown exactly as retained in the published record.