Farewell to Highbury : the Arsenal story

Highbury, one of the world's most famous, historic and elegant football grounds, will close at the end of this season.

Arsenal will move to the new, vastly expensive Emirates Stadium, but "Farewell to Highbury - The Arsenal Story" questions the need and advisability of the venture and puts the history of both the old ground, with its gracious 1930s grandstands, and the club itself into perspective.

Norman Fox points out that since the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea the financial goalposts of football have been moved, leaving Arsenal and other clubs picking up the crumbs in the transfer market and making their futures less secure.

Other books have attempted to portray Arsenal's history from the early days of struggle and crisis to the glorious eras of Herbert Chapman and Arsene Wenger.

This one goes further, linking Highbury itself with the dramas, scandals and successes of teams, players and managers through the ages.

It tells how the club gained first division status by devious means; analyses Chapman's triumphs and discloses how his most famous team came within feet of being wiped out on an aircraft.Read why the club gambled on the virtually unknown Wenger and what the players really think of him.

There are also serious questions raised about why a team that can win so many trophies in domestic competition regularly fail in Europe.

This is a book being published at a nostalgic time for Arsenal fans and one that they will want to mark the end of an era.