It was the 1995 season that saw George Graham lose his job from, and come closest to being the first club to retain the Cup Winners Cup after David Seaman had gotten Arsenal into the final saving a penalty. It was in the dying seconds of extra-time against Real Zaragoza that Mohammed Ali Amar, more commonly known as Nayim, seeing David Seaman off his line, struck the ball from 45 yards lobbing him to score the winner.
I remember watching this match and seeing that goal go in, and was literally stunned. I went up to my room and just lay there in shock at the age of 15 – I had just witnessed my hero concede a goal from 45 yards, and lose the final of the Cup Winners Cup.
I will admit for the first time, nearly 16 years later, I did cry and wonder how we would ever come back from that. As we all know we did fight back, and David Seaman went on another 8 years at the club, where he cemented his name in the record books, and in 1997, the Englishman was awarded an MBE.
The awards came thick and fast for Arsenal and David Seaman, and in 2002 winning the Premier League and FA Cup, had sadly taken its toll on David Seaman, who was suffering from injuries and was now aged 39.
The 2002/03 season was to be David Seaman’s last, and he was prepared to go out with a bang, and he did just that in the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United. Arsenal were defending a 1-0 lead with under 10 minutes to go and David Seaman did something that Peter Schmeichel described as ‘the best save I’ve ever seen’.
Check it out:
What made that match more remarkable was the fact that it was David Seaman’s 1000th professional career game. His last act at the club came in the Finals of the FA Cup in a match he was captain because of injury to Patrick Vieira. David Seaman went on to keep another clean sheet and his last job at Arsenal was to lift the FA Cup, which would be his eighth and last major honour at the North London club.
David Seaman is not only an Arsenal Legend, but a hero to so many of us during his time at Arsenal.
To me David Seaman was my boyhood hero and was the best goalkeeper Arsenal ever had…a true Arsenal legend!
Here is a short video of some highlights:
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