Arsenal star booed by his own team-mates after signing from Tottenham
Sol Campbell made the controversial move from one side of London to the other – and his new teammates made sure he knew all about it
Arsenal travel to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon and there are a plethora of stars who have played for both clubs. But there are probably none more controversial than Sol Campbell, who was booed by his Arsenal teammates after signing from their bitter rivals.
Campbell’s move from Tottenham to north London was heavily criticised. The defender made 314 appearances for Spurs from 1992 to 2001, scoring 15 goals and assisting 12 times.
He headed to Arsenal in one of the Premier League’s most talked-about free transfers, which earned him the nickname ‘Judas’ from the Tottenham fans.
Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had to be mindful of the defender’s “stressful” situation after he signed. Remembering the boos while speaking to 11 Freunde years ago, the Frenchman said: “They did that, and they also made jokes about it.
“But the situation was really stressful for Sol and he told me afterwards how severe it became. He couldn’t go to certain places for dinner or walk freely in London because of the anger of the Tottenham fans.
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“In hindsight, I’m not sure if I would sign him again bearing in mind the difficulties he faced.”
Campbell’s move from Spurs to Arsenal remained a huge secret until it was announced. Wenger had the media convinced that they were attending a press conference for the unveiling of ex-Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright.
Reflecting on the secrecy of the transfer, he said: “This transfer remained secret amongst the four of us: him, his agent, David [Dein] and me. That cannot happen anymore in modern football because there are so many people involved in a transfer.
“We walked around the house in the countryside at night. I knew that it would cause heated debates in London, but I was truly convinced by the player.
“I thought he was capable of facing the adversity. For me, it was easy because everybody was conscious that I had signed a great player. But for him, it was more complicated.”
Campbell went on to become a huge success with the Gunners, winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Community Shield.
Stints at Portsmouth, Notts County and a second shift at Arsenal came in his later years, before the centre-half ended his career at Newcastle. As Mikel Arteta’s men take on the Magpies at St James’ Park, it is likely that Campbell would choose the away end in this tense Premier League fixture.
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