By Boris Mellor
July 26 2022

Peter Marinello departed Arsenal on 26 July 1973 for Portsmouth, 49 years ago today. Having failed to agree a new contract he had demanded a transfer, Bertie Mee decided not to stand in his way,

He signed in January 1970,  Arsenal paid £100,000, a club record fee at the time. He scored on his debut against Manchester United  at Old Trafford on 10 January 1970. He had completed a mazy 50 yard run before slipping the ball past Alex Stepney. Arsenal fans could be forgiven for believing that the messiah had arrived. Looking like a cross between a 5th Beatle and Georgie Best he briefly looked the business. 

Yet with 51 games and 5 goals by the end of his career he turned out to be a worse buy than Pepe.He was at Arsenal during the seasons we won the Fairs Cup and then on to win the first ever double in 1971. I was a fan all that time I can't honestly remember a game he played in or a goal he scored. I dont say that with glee, I really don't remember, but football is ephemeral, only the great achievements stick in the mind, and worst of all the great failures.  If he had succeeded he might have pushed Geordie Armstrong out which would probably have cost the team a lot more than it could ever have gained.

Perhaps being only 19 at the time of signing and being at a club like Arsenal overwhelmed him. Did his head get turned by advertising contracts or night clubbing and photos in the press?

He retired a wealthy man but his bad luck continued being declared bankrupt in 1994. He now runs an Amateur Football club in Bournemouth.