It’s the biggest game in nearly a century when, this Saturday afternoon, EFL League One mid-table side, Mansfield Town, welcome quadruple hopefuls, Premier League leaders, Arsenal, to the One Call Stadium.

A lot has changed since the two sides last met, their only meeting, was back in January 1929 with the visiting Gunners having won thirteen, First Division Premier League titles, fourteen FA Cup successes, two European trophies, and much more.

The Stags meanwhile, their highest honour(s) has seen one Third Division, one Fourth Division, and an Associate Members Cup (Football League Trophy), the two sides at the opposite ends of the footballing spectrum.

Back then, in the late 1920s, it was a period that fell between the two wars, the First World War having ended in 1918, and the Second World War just a decade away, in 1939; for Mansfield, it was a town that was coming into its own, coal mining and tramways linking it to a wider Nottinghamshire, with Mansfield Colliery up there with the most extensive in the country.

The Beautiful Game was, in effect, still in its infancy in area, with the name of Mansfield Town first seeing the light of day in 1910, and, just a decade later, brought forth a halcyon period of success for the club.

Early football for the Mansfield club would see them ply their trade in the Mansfield & District League, the Nottinghamshire League, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire League, and Central Alliance, until that first season following the Great War.

In 1919/20 Mansfield Town would be crowned Central Alliance champions, winning nineteen and drawing three of their thirty games, netting eighty-one times along the way to lifting silverware.

Although the next few years brought no silverware, Mansfield were a competitive force and, now resident in the Midland League, the mid-1920s was to be a successful period for the club, bringing with it their first, proper, FA Cup runs.

Two more league titles were lifted, in 1925 and 1929, whilst also finishing runners-up on two further occasions, in 1926 and 1927, the latter in the Midland Combination League. It was also within this period that the Stags became resident of their current, Field Mill home.

In addition, was that of the 1928/29 season, one of their most successful; winning the Midland League champions for a third time, with manager/secretary Jack Hickling also leading the club to perhaps its biggest ever day.

Although the league title was won by nine points, the Stags winning thirty-one and drawing ten of a mammoth, fifty league games, bagging some 133 goals, it would be in the FA Cup where they shone.

Having progressed from the qualifying rounds, Hickling’s Mansfield side faced Shirebrook Miners Welfare, away, on 24 November, progressing with a 4-2 win; this was followed by a 2-1 Second Round victory over hosts Barrow in early December.

A season that was promising much then saw the Stags overcome Wolverhampton Wanderers, 1-0 away, in early January, setting up a clash with ‘The Arsenal’ later that month, at the Gunners’ famous, Highbury home.

Of the sides in the Fourth Round, Mansfield Town, and another London side, Corinthian, were the only non-league clubs remaining (they’d won 5-0 at Norwich City in the Third Round).

On Saturday 26 January 1929, Mansfield Town travelled to London to face ‘The Arsenal’ in the FA Cup Fourth Round, the Gunners eventually winning 2-0 with late goals from Harold Peel and David Jack. The headline in the following Monday’s The Times gives an idea as to how close Mansfield came to an upset. Along with the opening paragraph of the match report, the headline read;

MANSFIELD’S BRAVE FIGHT. ARSENAL GIVEN A HARD MATCH

“The Arsenal qualified for the Fifth Round by beating Mansfield Town at Highbury on Saturday by two goals to none. Manfield, although they lost the match, maintained the reputation they have achieved this season as sturdy cup fighters, and they held The Arsenal at bay until nine minutes from the end. In the final stages the difference in the class of the teams became plain to see, but until a goal brought relief the home side were sorely troubled by their extremely keen opponents.”

FULL REPORT CAN BE SEEN HERE

Mansfield’s line-up for that day in North London was – A. Staples, C. Anthoney, WH. Jackson, H. Kay, C. Chambers, J. McKenna, ER. McLachlan, C. Staniforth, H. Morris, E. Kerry, G. Cooke

The match programme for the cup tie even gives the players’ heights and weights in the pen-pictures, with Stags centre-half, C. Chambers coming in at an impressive 6ft talk, and 12st 10lbs.

Right-back, Anthoney, was a local footballing product of the North Notts League who served in the Royal Field Artillery on the Rhine and played for the Army Representative side in Czechoslovakia; left-half, McKenna, was an Irishman who’d had experience in his homeland with Ards United, as well as in Lancashire, and with New Brighton, before joining the Stags; outside-right McLachlan was a well-travelled, experienced player and “is said to be the fastest winger in the Midland League;” and centre-forward, Morris, he’d netted over thirty goals the previous season and was the Midland League’s current top scorer.

Picture credited to Stagsnet

VIEW THE 1929 FA CUP FOURTH ROUND PROGRAMME HERE

Of those players who lined up against The Arsenal, eight were home-grown stars, including their captain and inside-right, Chris Staniforth, who was born in the Carrington suburb of Nottingham, way back in September 1885.

Primarily in-and-around the Nottinghamshire, Staniforth had five spells with Mansfield Town, between 1921 and 1932, whilst also turning out for Oldham Athletic, Notts County, as well as local sides like Sutton Town and Worksop Town, to name a few.

A three-time Midland League title winner with the Stags, Staniforth would play in the first ever games in which Mansfield had in the Football League, in the early 1930s

His pen-picture in the FA Cup programme of 1929 said;

A native of Nottingham and captain of the team. First played for Mansfield in 1920 since when he has had spells of service with Oldham Athletic and Notts County. A big-hearted player and a fine shot, having scored over a hundred goals for Mansfield Town.

Perhaps the only down-point in Staniforth’s illustrious career was in the game with The Arsenal, he missing a penalty in the 33rd minute which could just as easily have changed the trajectory of the game.

It matters not though, it was still a grand day out for the 4,500 Stags faithful that travelled that day and now, near a century on, the Stags and the Gunners are set to battle once again.

For only the second time in their respective histories.

Nigel Clough’s current charges are in a bit of a rut of late, despite their cup run they are currently winless in their last nine league games (six draws and three losses); to reach this stage of the FA Cup they’ve seen off Harrogate Town (3-2), Accrington Stanley (2-2, 3-1 on penalties), Sheffield United (4-3), and Burnley (2-1).

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners are challenging on four fronts, leading the Premier League title race, will contest the final of the League Cup, into the last sixteen of the Champions League, and this, FA Cup Fifth Round match; unbeaten in their last seven in the league (five wins, two draws), they’ve seen off Portsmouth (4-1) and Wigan Athletic (4-0) in their last FA Cup outings.

Mansfield Town will welcome Arsenal to the One Call Stadium, in the FA Cup Fifth Round, this coming Saturday lunch-time (KO 12:15; live on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Nigel Clough looking to create more cup history with Mansfield.