The Tuesday Club was the name of social gatherings held by players of English association football club Arsenal in the 1990s. It was viewed as a club bonding experience by the players and manager, George Graham .
56-520: The Tuesday Club involved regular heavy drinking sessions by Arsenal players in the 1990s. These sessions were led by Arsenal captain Tony Adams and usually involved other Arsenal players such as Lee Dixon , Perry Groves and Paul Merson . It became known as the Tuesday Club as the events occurred on Tuesday nights as Arsenal had a day off from training on Wednesdays. Merson wrote that Graham
112-452: A "stopper" (or man–marking defender) by Tom Sheen of The Guardian in 2014, Adams played as a centre-back. A tall, brave, rugged, physical, and committed defender, his main traits were his leadership, aerial prowess, and his ability to read the game and time his tackles. While initially he was not known to be the most gifted player on the ball from a technical standpoint, he developed this aspect of his game under Wenger, and he later excelled as
168-485: A 3–0 win over Northern Ireland at Wembley . 16 October 1986 – QPR put defender Terry Fenwick on the transfer list at his own request . Legendary former Everton goalkeeper Ted Sagar dies aged 76. 18 October 1986 – Nottingham Forest return to the top of the First Division with a 1–0 home win over QPR. Norwich surrender the top position in the league with a 1–1 draw at home to West Ham. Liverpool keep up
224-478: A 3–3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield after the hosts come from behind twice to equalise. Nottingham Forest remain top with a 1–0 win over Arsenal at the City Ground . 28 September 1986 – Manchester United's dismal start to the season continues as they lose 1–0 at home to Chelsea in the league at Old Trafford – their sixth defeat from their opening eight games. After Kerry Dixon gives Chelsea an early lead,
280-724: A 4–1 win at Aston Villa. A nine-goal thriller at Leeds Road sees Huddersfield beat Oldham 5–4 in the Second Division. 21 September 1986 – The pressure mounts on Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson after a 3–1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park , with his side still second from bottom with one win and four points from their first seven league games. 22 September 1986 – Luton Town are banned from this season's League Cup for refusing to lift their ban on away fans. Meanwhile, Aston Villa appoint Billy McNeill as manager from Manchester City , who replace him with Jimmy Frizzell . 23 September 1986 – Liverpool defeat Fulham 10–0 in
336-405: A ball-playing centre-back, in which he became known for his ability to carry the ball out from the back, as well as his penchant for undertaking individual runs. However, he was also known for his lack of pace. After starting a sports science degree at Brunel University , Adams became the manager of Wycombe Wanderers on 5 November 2003. He took over the team that were in last place in
392-485: A club record £1million to sign the 24-year-old Norwich City defender Dave Watson . 23 August 1986 – On the first day of the First Division season, Wimbledon 's first match in the top division ends in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester City. Southampton record the biggest win of the day, 5–1 against Queens Park Rangers. Champions Liverpool beat Newcastle United 2–0, and Arsenal beat Manchester United 1–0. Colin Clarke scores
448-505: A drinking session. In 1995, Ray Parlour was arrested for assault for throwing prawn crackers at a taxi before hitting the driver during an Arsenal tour to Hong Kong . This led to Parlour being fined HK$ 2,000 by Eastern Magistrates Court and £5,000 by Arsenal. In 1996, Adams and Parlour deliberately set off a fire extinguisher in a restaurant. The Tuesday Club was unofficially ended by the appointment of Arsène Wenger as Arsenal manager as he portrayed alcohol negatively in order to change
504-413: A goalless draw at Oxford. Manchester United are still looking for their first point of the season after losing 1–0 at home to Charlton. 31 August 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur finish August as First Division leaders under new manager David Pleat , level on points with Liverpool and West Ham United, while the bottom two places in the league are occupied by Manchester United and Aston Villa, who have yet to gain
560-503: A hat-trick for Southampton on his debut in a 5–1 home win over QPR. 25 August 1986 – Manchester United lose 3–2 at home to West Ham, with Frank McAvennie scoring twice for the visitors. 27 August 1986 – Luton Town ban away fans from the club's Kenilworth Road ground. 30 August 1986 – Tottenham go top of the First Division on goal difference with a 1–0 home win over Manchester City. They are level on point with Liverpool, who beat Arsenal 2–1 at Anfield , and West Ham, who are held to
616-633: A point this season. Birmingham City and Hull City occupy the top two places in the Second Division, while the next three places are occupied by Oldham Athletic , Crystal Palace and Blackburn Rovers . 2 September 1986 – Wimbledon, Football League members for just 10 seasons, go top of the league with a 1–0 away win over Charlton Athletic . Oldham go top of the Second Division with a 1–0 win over Ipswich at Portman Road . 4 September 1986 – Watford sign Everton midfielder Kevin Richardson for £225,000. 6 September 1986 – Manchester United, bottom of
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#1732779948429672-496: A result of his own experiences with alcoholism and drug addiction, Adams founded the Sporting Chance Clinic , a charitable foundation aimed at providing treatment, counselling and support for sports men and women suffering from drink, drug or gambling addictions . The clinic is modelled on the substance-abuse rehabilitation facility Crossroads Centre , founded by music artist Eric Clapton . The registered charity
728-650: A season. 2 July 1986 – Rangers sign Norwich City goalkeeper Chris Woods for £600,000. 3 July 1986 – Coventry City sign striker Keith Houchen from Scunthorpe United for £60,000. 7 July 1986 – Two big First Division clubs buy young players from smaller clubs as they prepare to build for the future. Everton sign 20-year-old winger Neil Adams from Stoke City for £150,000, while Tottenham Hotspur sign 21-year-old defender Mitchell Thomas from Luton Town for £233,000. 18 July 1986 – Sir Stanley Rous , chairman of The Football Association from 1934 to 1961, dies aged 91. 25 July 1986 – Ipswich Town , relegated to
784-669: A series of setbacks during the early 1990s. He was surprisingly left out of the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad by manager Bobby Robson , missed UEFA Euro 1992 due to injury, whilst England failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup . England reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1996 , before losing on penalties to Germany . Adams appeared at the 1998 FIFA World Cup . Later that year, he made headlines for several statements in his autobiography Addicted , criticising manager Glenn Hoddle for his management of David Beckham and Paul Gascoigne , and for making Alan Shearer captain instead of Adams; he also called Gascoigne an alcoholic, which
840-689: A short spell seconded to Utrecht as a first team trainee coach in January and February 2006. While at Feyenoord he also worked part-time as a scout for Arsenal, watching games in Italy, France and the Netherlands. Adams joined Portsmouth as assistant manager to Harry Redknapp in June 2006, a position left vacant by the departure of Kevin Bond . In his first season as assistant, Portsmouth finished ninth in
896-406: A shoulder injury to help Manchester United record their first league win of the season at the fifth attempt as they beat Southampton 5–1 at Old Trafford and climb off the bottom of the First Division. Nottingham Forest go top with a 6–0 home win over Aston Villa. 14 September 1986 – Aston Villa sack manager Graham Turner after just over two years at the helm. 16 September 1986 – Gordon Hill ,
952-549: A three-year contract to manage Azerbaijani club FC Gabala of the Azerbaijan Premier League . He departed as coach of Gabala due on 16 November 2011, before the end of the 2011–12 season . In October 2012, Adams returned to Gabala in the capacity of Sporting Director. Whilst sporting director at Gabala, Adams suffered from acute chest pain whilst exercising. At the Baku Medical Plaza he
1008-769: A title-winning team in three different decades, three FA Cups , two Football League Cups , a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two FA Community Shields . Adams is one of six people honoured with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium , Arsenal's home ground. He won 66 caps for England between 1987 and 2000, and played at four major tournaments. When his playing career finished, Adams went into football management, spending periods in charge of Wycombe Wanderers , Portsmouth , Azerbaijani side Gabala and Spanish side Granada . Born in Romford , Adams grew up in Dagenham and
1064-543: Is an English former football manager and player. Adams played for Arsenal and England , captaining both teams. Known as Mr. Arsenal , he spent his entire playing career of 19 years as a centre-back there, making 672 total appearances and winning four English league titles. He is considered one of Arsenal's greatest ever players, and is also included in the Football League 100 Legends . With Arsenal, he won four top flight division titles, uniquely captaining
1120-579: Is supported by Elton John , Kate Hoey , Lee Dixon , Tony Smith , Tony McCoy , and Kelly Holmes . Adams' Arsenal testimonial match in May 2002 also raised £500,000 for the foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic , Adams founded Six Mental Health Solutions (SIX MHS), an organisation that provides mental health and addiction services to employees across a range of partnered businesses. SIX MHS has since formed partnerships with several organisations, including
1176-491: The Asda supermarket chain agree to pay off the club's £3million debts. 7 August 1986 – David Seaman , goalkeeper at relegated Birmingham City , opts to remain in the First Division and signs for Queens Park Rangers for £225,000. 8 August 1986 – Rival gangs of Manchester United and West Ham United hooligans are involved in violence on a Sealink ferry bound for Amsterdam , resulting in dozens of arrests, sparking fears that
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#17327799484291232-856: The BBC News reported that he is tee-total . In 1994, Adams led Arsenal to their first European trophy in 24 years by defeating favourites Parma 1–0 in the European Cup Winners' Cup final held in Copenhagen. "When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a doctor of defence." – Wenger hailing Adams' experience in 1997. Six weeks into Adams's sobriety, Arsène Wenger arrived as Arsenal manager in October 1996. Adams reflected in 2020 that Wenger understood his psychology, and knew of
1288-672: The Football League Second Division (third tier). On his debut three days later, he won 4–1 at home to Swindon Town in the first round of the FA Cup. After a 2–1 loss at Tranmere Rovers on 12 April 2004 left the Chairboys 12 points inside the relegation zone with four games remaining, Adams said that his team would carry on fighting; unbeknown to the club, they were already relegated as two teams above them still had to play each other. Wycombe began 2004–05 in
1344-559: The Premier League – their highest standing since the 1950s and won the 2007–08 FA Cup . Adams was appointed caretaker manager of Portsmouth in October 2008, alongside Joe Jordan , following the departure of Harry Redknapp to Tottenham Hotspur . He was subsequently appointed full-time manager. He was sacked in February 2009 after just 16 games in charge in which Portsmouth picked up only 10 points. In May 2010, Adams signed
1400-563: The 32-year-old former Manchester United and England winger, becomes a high-profile new signing for Conference side Northwich Victoria , managed by former United striker Stuart Pearson . 20 September 1986 – Leeds United hooligans overturn and immolate a fish and chip van at Odsal Stadium , the temporary home of Bradford City . Nottingham Forest score six for the second League match in succession when they thrash Chelsea 6–2 at Stamford Bridge . Nigel Clough and Garry Birtles both scores hat-trick. Newly promoted Norwich go second with
1456-649: The League Cup. 11 October 1986 – Newly promoted Norwich City top the league after a 0–0 away draw with Luton Town. Nottingham Forest fall into second after a 3–1 defeat to East Midlands rivals Leicester at Filbert Street . West Ham go fourth with a 5–3 home win over Chelsea. Portsmouth go top of the Second Division with a 2–0 win over Birmingham at Fratton Park . 14 October 1986 – Manchester United sign 18-year-old Irish midfielder Liam O'Brien from Shamrock Rovers for £60,000. 15 October 1986 – England open their 1988 European Championship qualifying campaign with
1512-463: The Second Division at the end of last season, sell England international defender Terry Butcher to Rangers, managed by former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness , in a £700,000 deal – a record for a Scottish club. 29 July 1986 – Middlesbrough are wound up in the High Court due to debts in excess of £1million, but have yet to be expelled from the Football League and may yet be included in
1568-500: The ball during the game, he gave it away, leading to Sunderland's opening goal. Additionally, Adams had a goal disallowed during his debut. Adams became a regular player in the 1986–87 season , winning his first major trophy that season when playing in the Football League Cup Final win over Liverpool at Wembley . On 1 January 1988, he became Arsenal captain at the age of 21; he would remain club captain for
1624-636: The building materials company Jewson in 2021, and the Football Writers' Association in 2024. He is also a patron of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA UK), The Forward Trust , School-Home Support (SHS), and Saving Faces, a facial surgery research foundation. In December 2018, Adams was named as the 29th President of the Rugby Football League , replacing politician Andy Burnham ; he
1680-497: The club. In 1992–93 Adams gained the distinction of being the captain of the first English side to win the League Cup and FA Cup double. Despite this success, a battle with alcoholism , which started in the mid-1980s, increasingly blighted his life as he was reportedly often involved in fights in nightclubs . On 6 May 1990, Adams crashed his Ford Sierra into a wall in Rayleigh and when breathalysed his blood alcohol level
1736-531: The culture at Arsenal. In 2010 the "It's Up For Grabs Now" online podcast was renamed after The Tuesday Club. It is hosted by comedian Alan Davies alongside Keith Dover, Tayo Popoola, Ian Stone and Damian Harris . The podcast received notoriety in newspapers after Davies criticised Liverpool for refusing to play on the date of the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster . Tony Adams Tony Alexander Adams MBE (born 10 October 1966)
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1792-468: The dangers of alcohol, as his parents ran a pub. Adams rewarded his manager's understanding handsomely, captaining the club to two Premiership and FA Cup Doubles , in 1997–98 and 2001–02 . In August 2002, just before the start of the 2002–03 season, Adams retired from professional football after a career spanning almost 20 years, his last match being the 2002 FA Cup Final . He played 674 matches for Arsenal (only David O'Leary has played more) and
1848-429: The first leg of their second round tie in the League Cup. 24 September 1986 – When Nottingham Forest play Brighton & Hove Albion in a second round League Cup match, Forest defender Stuart Pearce's brother Ray was one of the linesmen . Pearce had no idea that his brother was officiating until he saw him at the start of the match. 27 September 1986 – Aston Villa's first league match under Billy McNeill ends in
1904-857: The first round draw for the Football League Cup . 30 July 1986 – Wolverhampton Wanderers win a High Court appeal against their winding-up order, enabling them to compete in the Fourth Division campaign – the first time they have played at this level. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough are also reprieved, but the bailiffs have locked them out of Ayresome Park and they are expected to play at least one home game at Hartlepool United's ground. 31 July 1986 – Liverpool pay £200,000 for Sunderland defender Barry Venison . 1 August 1986 – Aston Villa sign midfielder Neale Cooper from Aberdeen for £350,000. 5 August 1986 – Wolverhampton Wanderers are saved from bankruptcy after Wolverhampton Council and
1960-687: The former Arsenal player that the club would most benefit from returning. In 2004, Adams was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the English game, and in 2008 he was placed third in the 50 Greatest Gunners poll on the club's website. A statue of Adams was placed outside Emirates Stadium in celebration of the club's 125th anniversary on 9 December 2011. Manager Herbert Chapman and Arsenal's all-time top goal scorer Thierry Henry , and later Dennis Bergkamp , were also immortalised with statues outside
2016-467: The fourth tier, renamed League Two . Although the club were top of the table in August 2004, a loss of form saw them fall down the table. Adams resigned from Wycombe on 9 November 2004, with the club in 17th, citing personal reasons. In July 2005, Adams accepted a trainee coaching role with Dutch side Feyenoord with special responsibility for its Jong team, which is a reserve/junior side. Adams later had
2072-524: The ground. Adams made his debut for England against Spain in 1987, and played in UEFA Euro 1988 . England lost all three games, but Adams scored one of England's two goals in the tournament in a 3–1 defeat to the Soviet Union . He was the first player to represent England who had been born after the 1966 World Cup win. After a highly promising start to his international career, Adams suffered
2128-454: The home side have two penalties saved by goalkeeper Tony Godden . 30 September 1986 – Nottingham Forest are First Division leaders at the end of September, two points ahead of surprise contenders Norwich City and four ahead of Liverpool and Coventry City . Aston Villa still occupy bottom place and Manchester United are second from bottom with just four points so far this campaign. In the Second Division, Oldham Athletic and Portsmouth lead
2184-428: The match being the last to be staged at Wembley Stadium , before the stadium was torn down for rebuilding. That match was Adams's 60th Wembley appearance, a record. With Sven-Göran Eriksson eventually taking the helm and under increasing pressure for his place from the emerging and improving Rio Ferdinand , Adams retired from international football, having made 66 appearances, before Eriksson picked his first squad. He
2240-590: The next 14 years until his retirement. Adams's strong discipline of the defence was considered a factor in Arsenal winning the League Cup in 1986–87 and then the First Division championship twice; the first in 1988–89 after a win over Liverpool in the final game of the season; the second in 1990–91 , losing once all season. Together with Lee Dixon , Nigel Winterburn and Steve Bould , Adams
2296-575: The ongoing ban on English football clubs in European competition could be extended to friendlies between English and foreign clubs. 11 August 1986 – Sheffield Wednesday pay £200,000 for 18-year-old Barnsley striker David Hirst . 16 August 1986 – The first Merseyside derby of the season finishes honours even, in the 1986 FA Charity Shield at Wembley Stadium . 20 August 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sign Dundee United and Scotland defender Richard Gough for £700,000. 21 August 1986 – Everton pay
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2352-464: The pressure on the leading pair with a 4–0 home win over Oxford. 21 October 1986 – Out of favour Manchester United defender John Gidman joins neighbours City on a free transfer. 23 October 1986 – Norwich City sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Bryan Gunn for £150,000 from Aberdeen . 25 October 1986 – Mike Newell , a former Liverpool trainee, scores a hat-trick in Luton Town's 4–1 league win over
2408-550: The table, claim their first point of the First Division campaign with a 1–1 draw at Leicester. Liverpool beat West Ham 5–2 at Upton Park . Wimbledon stay on top with a 1–0 win at Watford. A high-scoring game in the Second Division sees Blackburn climb into second place with a 6–1 win over Sunderland at Ewood Park . 9 September 1986 – England under-21s draw 1–1 with Sweden , with Arsenal defender Tony Adams scoring their only goal. 13 September 1986 – Bryan Robson makes his first league appearance since April when he returns from
2464-483: The way, followed by Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Sheffield United . 3 October 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sign Belgian striker Nico Claesen from Standard Liège for £600,000. 4 October 1986 – Sheffield Wednesday go fourth in the First Division with a 6–1 home win over Oxford. An all-London clash at Selhurst Park sees Crystal Palace go top of the Second Division with a 2–1 win over Millwall. 6 October 1986 – Luton Town lose an appeal against their expulsion from
2520-447: Was a pupil at Hunters Hall Primary School from 1971 to 1978 and then Eastbrook Comprehensive School from 1978 to 1983. His cousin is fellow professional footballer Steve MacKenzie . Adams signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1980, and made his first-team debut on 5 November 1983 against Sunderland aged 17. He accidentally put his shorts on back to front in the changing room before the match. Then, with virtually his first touch of
2576-429: Was aware of the sessions but ignored them as the participants always arrived for training on Thursdays. Regular participants of The Tuesday Club also indulged in eating contests during trips to away games. The Tuesday Club also became known for the antics of some of the participants. In 1990, Merson, Nigel Winterburn and two other Arsenal players were sent home from an Arsenal tour to Singapore due to being involved in
2632-399: Was denied by the player's representatives. Hoddle told the press that he had no problems with Adams's opinions from the book. His international swansong was England's unsuccessful UEFA Euro 2000 campaign. With Shearer retiring from international football after the tournament, Adams regained the captaincy. However, within months, England lost a World Cup qualifier to Germany in October 2000,
2688-447: Was diagnosed with a severely blocked vein and underwent a successful angioplasty . After disclosing the surgery, Adams said the minor heart operation saved his life. On 10 April 2017, Adams was named as manager of La Liga strugglers Granada CF until the end of the 2016–17 season. At the end of the season, Granada were relegated from La Liga ending their six-year stay in the top division. Adams lost all seven games as manager and
2744-500: Was found to be more than four times the legal drink-drive limit . On 19 December that year, at Southend Crown Court , he was sentenced to four months in prison, and freed after half of his sentence on 15 February 1991. He became one of the most high-profile recovering alcoholics in the UK; his battle with alcohol is detailed in his autobiography , Addicted , which was released in May 1998 to enormous critical acclaim. A 2001 article in
2800-422: Was part of the "famous back four" that lined up in Arsenal's defence, which under George Graham was renowned for its well-disciplined use of the offside trap . The backline achieved legendary status with its unyielding resilience, remaining formidable for over a decade. Arsenal notably conceded just 18 goals during their title-winning 1990–91 league season , and the four players amassed over 2,000 appearances for
2856-514: Was rejected. Nicknamed "Mr Arsenal", he was honoured by Arsenal with a testimonial game against Celtic in May 2002 with many Arsenal legends playing, including Ian Wright , John Lukic and Adams's fellow back four stalwarts, Dixon, Winterburn and Bould. The game finished 1–1 with Lee Dixon, in his final appearance for the Gunners, getting their goal. In March 2003, just seven months after his retirement and with Arsenal BBC Sport named Adams as
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#17327799484292912-495: Was subsequently sacked. Adams married Jane Shae in 1992, after they met at a nightclub in Islington ; the couple had two children together, a son and a daughter. They divorced in 1997 amid the couple's substance abuse. Following his recovery from alcoholism , Adams married Poppy Teacher in 2004 and had three children together. Poppy is a fifth-generation descendent of whisky firm founder William Teacher. In September 2000, as
2968-431: Was succeeded in the honorary role by broadcaster Clare Balding a year later. Adams also took part as a celebrity contestant in the twentieth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 . After partnering with dance professional Katya Jones , the duo placed ninth after Adams was forced to withdraw due to injury. Arsenal Individual Orders 1986%E2%80%9387 in English football The 1986–87 season
3024-497: Was the 107th season of competitive football in England. 1 July 1986 – After one season at Everton , Gary Lineker departs to Barcelona of Spain in a £2.75 million deal, where he will play alongside former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes in a side managed by Terry Venables . Ian Rush agrees a £3.2 million transfer to Juventus of Italy in a record fee for a British player, but will remain at Liverpool on loan for
3080-520: Was the last England player to score at the old Wembley Stadium when he scored England's second goal in a 2–0 friendly win over Ukraine on 31 May 2000. This was also his first goal since he scored in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in November 1988, thus making the record for the longest gap between goals for England. Adams was the first, and remains to date the only, England player to make tournament appearances in three separate decades. Described as
3136-405: Was the most successful captain in the club's history. The number 6 shirt that Adams wore when playing was not used again until the 2006–07 season , when it was assigned to Philippe Senderos . Just before his retirement as a player, Adams had applied to become manager of Brentford (who had just missed out on promotion to Division One) after the resignation of Steve Coppell , but his application
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