Editing Tony Adams (section)

=== 1989–1996: Arsenal's famous back four ===
Together with [[Lee Dixon]], [[Nigel Winterburn]] and [[Steve Bould]], Adams was part of the "famous back four" that lined up in Arsenal's defence, which under [[George Graham (footballer, born 1944)|George Graham]] was renowned for its well-disciplined use of the [[offside trap]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smyth |first=Rob |date=2009-05-08 |title=The Joy of Six: Great defences |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/may/08/joy-of-six-great-defences |access-date=2024-05-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> 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 Arsenal F.C. season|1990–91 league season]], and the four players amassed over 2,000 appearances for the club.<ref>Maidment (2008), p. 75.</ref>

In [[1992–93 in English football|1992–93]] Adams was the captain of the first English side to win the League Cup and [[FA Cup]] double.<ref>{{cite web|author=Joe Lovejoy |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football--european-cupwinners-cup-smiths-strike-brings-arsenal-european-glory-battling-londoners-make-light-of-the-loss-of-wright-and-jensen-1433888.html |title=European Cup-Winners Cup: Smith's strike brings Arsenal European glory: Battling Londoners make light of the loss of Wright and Jensen |work=The Independent|date=5 May 1994 |access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref> In 1994, Adams led Arsenal to their first European trophy in 24 years by defeating favourites [[Parma Calcio 1913|Parma]] 1–0 in the [[1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final]] in Copenhagen.<ref>Maidment (2008), p. 67.</ref>

Despite this success, [[alcoholism]] increasingly blighted his life from the mid-1980s. He was reportedly often involved in fights in [[nightclub]]s, and on 6 May 1990 crashed his car into a wall in [[Rayleigh, Essex|Rayleigh]]; his blood alcohol level was found to be more than four times the legal [[Drunk driving law by country#United Kingdom|drink-drive limit]]. On 19 December that year, at [[Southend Crown Court]],<ref name="greatest" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.askmen.com/top_10/sports/top-10-stupid-criminal-acts-by-footballers_4.html|title=Tony Adams|publisher=Ask Men|access-date=22 February 2014|archive-date=16 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216031322/https://uk.askmen.com/top_10/sports/top-10-stupid-criminal-acts-by-footballers_4.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=519627|title=Stick Your Two Points Up Your Arsenal|first=Tim|last=Stillman|publisher=Vital Football|date=25 July 2010|archive-date=25 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925230420/http://www.arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=519627|url-status=dead}}</ref> he was sentenced to four months in prison, and freed after half of his sentence on 15 February 1991,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Watts |first1=Charles |title=27 years on: The inside story of Tony Adams' return from prison as told by those who were there |url=https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/arsenal-news-tony-adams-highbury-14297249 |access-date=12 October 2022 |publisher=Football London |date=16 February 2018}}</ref> but continued drinking for another six years. Adams in a 2024 interview said that in early 1996, aged 29, he was in a very dark period, not wanting to live when not playing football, unable to "do life". He was injured that February, removing football. One Sunday evening he drank seven bottles of [[Chablis wine|chablis]], so his (first) mother-in-law took the children.<ref name=interview24/>

From mid-1996, with help from a man he named only as "James W",<ref name=interview24/> he became one of the most high-profile [[recovering alcoholic]]s in the UK;<ref name="ias">{{cite journal|url=http://www.ias.org.uk/What-we-do/Publication-archive/Alcohol-Alert/Issue-3-1998/Adams-turns-his-back-on-alcohol.aspx|title=Adams turns his back on alcohol - review of Adams's ''Addicted''|author=Paul Whittaker|journal=Alcohol Alert|issue=1998–3|publisher=Institute of Alcohol Studies|date=March 1998}}</ref> his battle with alcohol is detailed in his [[autobiography]], ''Addicted'', which was released in May 1998 to critical acclaim.<ref name="ias" /> ''BBC News'' reported in 2001 that he had become [[teetotalism|tee-total]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Battling the booze|work=[[BBC News]]|date=4 October 2001|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1578718.stm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728050312/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1578718.stm|archive-date=28 July 2017}}</ref>