Martin Wengrow with David Rocastle and Charlie George

IT is the stuff of dreams – to celebrate a victory with the players who made it happen, to drink from the trophy in the changing rooms.

So it was for former retail worker Martin Wengrow, who fell in love with Arsenal aged five when they beat Liverpool to win the cup in 1950. He quickly became a super-fan – one among thousands of boys hoping for Saturday afternoon glory at Highbury. But in his late teens, Mr Wengrow’s unexceptional fandom morphed into something unique.

He was introduced to a friend’s cousin, John Radford, a then little-known footballer who was moving to London from Yorkshire to sign an apprenticeship with Arsenal. Through his friendship with Radford, Mr Wengrow met George Graham, Frank McLintock, Liam Brady and David O’Leary, and now, at nearly 80, he remains close with many of the club’s former stars.

“We were all a similar age, so we sort of grew up together,” he told the Tribune this week, following the launch of his new book, My Arsenal Life, which chronicles his obsession with Arsenal, and friendships with players.

Mr Wengrow with George Graham

He said: “Today, you can’t get anywhere near your icons unless you’re part of some kind of in-crowd. But in those days they mostly lived in north London – you could go and meet them in a pub.

“In those early years of friendships, they weren’t successful at all Arsenal.

“But in the late 60s the group that I was intimately friendly with became very successful. They became legendary players. As they became successful I shared in those successes. I still have close personal friendships with them now, and their families.”

He recounted his enviable experience of Arsenal winning the double – the FA Cup and the League in the same season – in 1971.

“When they won the first leg of the double at Tottenham I was in the changing room with the players who were my friends as well as my heroes. Then on the following weekend Arsenal played Liverpool at Wembley to win the cup and the double, and I was able to be in the changing rooms again with them, celebrating and drinking with the cup.

“No one has ever done that before, no one will do it again.”

Even as his friends acquired cult status among Gooners, their celebrity was nothing like it is for players now.

Mr Wengrow with Frank McLintock

Mr Wengrow added: “They earned good money at that time but they still lived in modest homes. It was a big thing for them if they could buy a car. It’s a million miles away from where we are today with the current footballers playing at that level.”

My Arsenal Life is dedicated to Mr Wengrow’s first son, Danny, who passed away in 1975, aged just five and a half.

“People say ‘how can you carry on?’, your first born child that you loved absolutely madly. But in life you have to deal with whatever you’re confronted with, even when it’s the worst thing that can happen,” he said.

Mr Wengrow had two more sons, one of whom “became obsessed” with Arsenal the moment his dad first took him to Highbury. Surely, then, we have finally found Arsenal’s No 1 fan?

“I think for me to say that would be unfair to thousands and thousands of other fans who give their lives to follow Arsenal, spend all their money following Arsenal,” said Mr Wengrow.

• My Arsenal Life: Doubles, Invincibles, Glory and Despair is available to purchase now. Visit https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/my-arsenal-life