View source for Arsenal 1-1 Sheffield United (lost radio commentary of football match; 1927)

{{InfoboxLost 
|title=<center>Arsenal 1-1 Sheffield United (1927)</center> 
|image=Arsenal1-1sheffieldunited119271.jpg
|imagecaption=Square system provided in ''Radio Times'', which may have inspired the phrase "Back to square one".
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> 
}}
On 22nd January 1927, Arsenal hosted Sheffield United for a Football League First Division match at Highbury Stadium. The encounter made history for being the '''first football match to receive radio commentary'''.

==Background==
Heading into the match, both teams were engaging in First Division campaigns that would conclude with them finishing mid-table.<ref name="tables">[http://www.englishfootballstats.co.uk/Level%201%20Tables/1926-27.htm ''English Football Stats'' detailing the 1926-27 Football League First Division table.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref> Arsenal would ultimately finish 11th with 43 points, while Sheffield United was 8th after scoring 44.<ref name="tables"/> The visitors however were motivated to gain revenge on the hosts for dumping them out of the 1926-27 FA Cup.<ref name="arsenal">[https://afchistory.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/arsenal-on-this-day-22nd-january-1927/ ''Arsenal On This Day'' detailing the match and the radio broadcast, while also providing newspaper clippings.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref><ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engcup1927.html ''RSSSF'' noting Arsenal eliminated Sheffield United from the 1926-27 FA Cup] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref>

Meanwhile, the BBC was breaking new ground with its radio service.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1760579.stm ''BBC Sport'' detailing how the radio broadcast was achieved and noting it is now lost.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref> On 1st January that same year, it gained the ability to provide coverage of large sporting events, after it received a Royal Charter and became a public corporation.<ref name="concise">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_Concise_History_of_British_Radio_1922/y7jo0IcUZeoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA50&printsec=frontcover ''A Concise History of British Radio'' noting when the BBC gained its Royal Charter and noting this match was the first to receive radio commentary.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref><ref name="inclusive">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Inclusive_Masculinities_in_Contemporary/T0QlDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA34&printsec=frontcover ''Inclusive Masculinities in Contemporary Football'' detailing concerns the FA, Football League, and Fleet Street had over live broadcasts, leading to them being banned.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref><ref name="bbc"/> A week prior to this match, it had provided commentary for a rugby union match between England and Wales, which was also the first rugby radio broadcast.<ref name="chris">[https://www.chrishobbs.com/1927broadcast.htm Chris Hobbs detailing the broadcast and providing newspaper reviews of it.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref><ref name="arsenal"/> However, providing radio commentary for a football match had a few challenges. Firstly, the BBC were required to convince the FA, the Football League, and Fleet Street that the commentaries would not draw away spectators and newspaper readers respectively.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="inclusive"/> Secondly, without any visualisation aids, listeners needed a means of being able to closely follow the ball's movements.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="chris"/> 

To achieve this, producer Lance Sieveking established a square system, where a plan of the Highbury Stadium pitch was split into eight numbered squares.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="chris"/> Published by ''Radio Times'', the commentator would state the section where action was occurring as they spoke.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="chris"/> Thus, the listeners were kept informed of where plays were occurring, resulting in the broadcast being deemed more successful than the rugby one.<ref name="bbc"/> Commentary was primarily provided by Henry Blythe Thornhill Wakelam, who was also the commentator for the rugby match.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="chris"/> A former rugby player, Wakelam stated in his autobiography that a BBC official wanted his presence on an "urgent matter".<ref name="bbc"/> He was then selected by Sieveking to commentate on a schools match a few days prior to the game, before he was deemed suitable to commentate on the Arsenal-Sheffield United match.<ref name="bbc"/> Newspapers such as ''The Times'' praised Wakelam's, including for providing "notably vivid and impressive" descriptions of plays.<ref name="bbc"/><ref name="chris"/><ref name="arsenal"/> It is known that C. A. Lewis also provided commentary, informing viewers of the ball's position via chart updates.<ref name="chris"/><ref name="arsenal"/>

It is also believed that the phrase "Back to square one" originated from this and other early football match commentaries, as often plays would be cancelled out, resulting in the ball travelling back towards the goal, numbered as 1.<ref name="bbc"/> Ultimately, despite the success of these broadcasts,<ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="chris"/> newspapers, as well as the FA and Football League were still greatly concerned that fans would rather listen to the radio rather than read newspapers for results or travel in-person to watch the matches.<ref name="inclusive"/> Thus, live commentaries would be banned for a period of time.<ref name="inclusive"/>

==The Match==
The match itself commenced on 22nd January 1927, in front of 16,831 spectators.<ref name="result">[https://www.11v11.com/matches/arsenal-v-sheffield-united-22-january-1927-63879/ ''11vs11'' providing the result and statistics of the match.] Retrieved 16th Jul '22</ref> Play would be compromised by the poor conditions that day, where ice on the ground had only partially thawed, resulting in the Highbury ground being filled with pools of water, mud, and ice.<ref name="arsenal"/> The goalkeepers therefore faced few challenges in the first-half, although a newspaper clipping did praise Sheffield United for adapting to the conditions more so than the hosts.<ref name="arsenal"/> However, Arsenal improved their control of the ball during the second half, and as the defenders began to tire, it resulted in more chances on-goal.<ref name="arsenal"/> 

Eventually, with fewer than ten minutes remaining, Arsenal scored thanks to a header from inside forward Charlie Buchan.<ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="result"/> It appeared that with the poor conditions, Arsenal should have held on to win.<ref name="arsenal"/> Ultimately, Sheffield United captain Billy Gillespie was able to promptly equalise, also via a header, resulting in the game ending 1-1.<ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="result"/> A newspaper clipping deemed that both clubs were overall worthy of praise for their "highly meritorious" performance despite the extreme conditions.<ref name="arsenal"/>

==Availability==
Ultimately, the BBC has confirmed that the radio broadcast of the match no longer exists.<ref name="bbc"/> The earliest known surviving football commentaries with references to the square system are from the early-1930s.<ref name="bbc"/> Nevertheless, the ''Radio Times'' grid, plus newspaper accounts, provide key information on how the broadcast was achieved.<ref name="arsenal"/><ref name="bbc"/>

==Gallery==
===Images===
<gallery mode=packed heights=500px>
Arsenal1-1sheffieldunited119273.png|Newspaper clipping reviewing the radio broadcast.
Arsenal1-1sheffieldunited119272.png|Clipping's review of the match.
</gallery>

==See Also== 
*[[1937 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1937)]] 
*[[1938 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1938)]] 
*[[1939 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1939)]] 
*[[1947 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1947)]]
*[[1948 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1948)]]
*[[1949 FA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1949)]] 
*[[1955 Scottish Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1955)]] 
*[[1966 FIFA World Cup Final (partially found original colour film of international football match; 1966)]]
*[[1971 WFA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1971)]]
*[[1976 WFA Cup Final (partially found footage of football match; 1976)]]
*[[1977 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1977)]]
*[[1978 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1978)]]
*[[1979 WFA Cup Final (lost footage of football match; 1979)]]
*[[1985-1986 WFA Cup (lost list of entries for football tournament; 1985)]] 
*[[Arsenal 7-1 Hibernian (lost footage of charity football match; 1952)]] 
*[[Arsenal vs Arsenal Reserves (lost footage of early BBC televised football match; 1937)]]
*[[Atlético Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid (lost footage of El Derbi Madrileño La Liga football match; 1958)]] 
*[[Barbados 4–2 Grenada (partially found soccer match footage; 1994)]] 
*[[Barnet 3-2 Wealdstone (lost footage of Athenian League football match; 1946)]] 
*[[Brian Clough's Football Fortunes (lost DOS port of football management game; 1987)]] 
*[[Charlton Athletic 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (lost footage of FA Cup match; 1947)]] 
*[[England 0-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)]]
*[[England 1-0 Scotland (lost footage of Schools' International football match; 1952)]] 
*[[England 1-1 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)]]
*[[England 1-3 Scotland (partially found footage of international football match; 1949)]] 
*[[England 2-0 Italy (partially found footage of international football match; 1949)]] 
*[[England 3-0 France (partially found footage of international football match; 1947)]] 
*[[England 3-0 Rest of Europe (partially found footage of international football match; 1938)]]
*[[England 6-0 Switzerland (partially found footage of international football match; 1948)]] 
*[[Falkirk 3-2 Newcastle United (lost footage of football match; 1953)]] 
*[[FIFA Soccer 2002 (lost build of cancelled Game Boy Advance port of football game; existence unconfirmed; 2001-2002)]] 
*[[Hallo! Bundesliga (lost GolTV series; mid 2000s-mid 2010s)]] 
*[[Juventus 1-7 A.C. Milan (partially found footage of Serie A football match; 1950)]]
*[[Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona (partially found footage of El Clásico La Liga football match; 1959)]]
*[[Real Madrid 3-0 Racing Santander (lost footage of La Liga football match; 1954)]] 
*[[Scottish Universities 1-1 English Universities (lost footage of international football match; 1952)]] 
*[[Serbia vs Albania (found footage of abandoned UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match; 2014)]] 
*[[United! (lost British soap opera; 1965-1967)]]
*[[Walthamstow Avenue 0-2 Queen's Park (lost footage of friendly football match; 1951)]]

==References== 
{{reflist}} 

[[Category:Lost audio]]
[[Category:Lost recordings of sports events]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]
[[Category:Historic]]