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The Arsenal. How did it all start?

Well as a very young nipper my parents split and my mum relocated up north to West Yorkshire, near Huddersfield, so naturally I had to go with her.

So as I settled in I actually supported Liverpool, easy thing to do right? Seen as though it was around 1984. I remember my mum even buying me Dalglish Silver Puma boots around my 6^th birthday, god I feel dirty thinking about that now. Luckily this folly was only temporary.

I used to see my dad back in Royal Oak every 3 weeks, and on this one occasion circa 1985/86, we had a conversation on my chosen football team. ‘Come on son support Arsenal like your dad’ my response ‘but Arsenal are rubbish dad, Liverpool are the best’. The conversation continued as we walked under the A40 flyover from Royal Oak Tube to which I said ‘alright dad, I’ll support Arsenal like you’. And that was it, the changeover was complete and didn’t take much persuading. A boy should follow in his dads footsteps when it comes to football, well in my opinion anyway.

So in the following years as I grew older as visited my dad, he’d often take me to Highbury (RIP) and the odd away game. Never forget going to Highbury in close season 1986/87 to the Avenell Rd club shop. As we walked up the road I had a peek though some of the exit gates on to the pitch, a very sandy one at that and low and behold someone saw us and invited us into the ground. So in we went and there was the Littlewoods Cup in all its glory, couldn’t believe my eyes!! Luckily my dad had his camera so we stood on the pitch facing the East Stand we had a picture of us holding the Littlewoods Cup, Christmas had come bloody early that year!!

Arsenal soon became a drug that I was totally hooked on, always on teletext for news, checking sports bulletins on the radio and being first to the door when next weeks Pools arrived so I could see who we was playing. As well as all the kits and tracksuits, late 80’s was a great and excited time to be a young Arsenal supporter.

This never eased off as grew into my teens. I started going more with my mates and then my love for the clobber and a few matchday drinks soon took hold, the matchday view took a new but just as excited turn.

Now I’m in my mid 30’s admittedly I don’t go anywhere near as much. I have a young family to bring up and add to that, that Highbury is no more and plus sky high prices. It doesn’t leave my with the urge to go, I’ll always love the club like I did back as a nipper but going just isn’t the same anymore.

But next week for Southampton my next chapter supporting The Arsenal starts, I’m taking my 5 year old son to his first ever game. I’m not sure who’s giddier, me or him?

So the Arsenal journey starts all over again….

Thanks for reading.

Bobby

Follow @BobbyAFC79
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So the news out today is that we are being charged a massive £58 to go Manchester City for the away game on 14^th December. I don’t think any of us are really surprised at this but the whole away ticket issue has been on the forefront lately and it’s getting worse. We charged City £62 last season I believe which is just a colossal amount for an away fan to have to pay. Our club is just as bad and are not helping the situation.

It’s got to take us fans doing something to stop this happening. We need to change the thinking of clubs on the away fan ticket price otherwise where does it stop? Before long you will have spent £200 before even walking out the door on match tickets and trains. With you having to drink and eat when at the game the average fan will not be able to afford the away trips any more. The problem is that when you raise the issue of fans not going to the games and not buying their ticket their response is always the same, if I don’t go someone else will. I understand this and they are right but the only way we can send a message is to vote with our feet and not go to the game. Make sure our away attendance at this game is one of our lowest ever and then people will realise.

Our own club hasn’t helped this situation and in fact we have probably inflamed it with the introduction of categorised games. The class A games are the most expensive in the league and whilst I don’t agree with the prices we charge, what we make our own fans cough up is our own business. This should not interfere with the price we charge away fans, and in fact I believe there should be no difference throughout the league on what away fans are charged. All clubs should charge the away fans the same price, £30/35 at a maximum.
Its happening throughout the league, not just with the so called big clubs like City and ourselves, Norwich charged Arsenal fans double the amount we made their fans pay at our ground. The so called smaller clubs see a cash cow when the big teams roll into town and they know they can charge what they like, as our excellent away fans will pay it and be there regardless.

I know I’m asking for a lot on this and it will probably fall on deaf ears but I encourage all Arsenal fans to not go to the City game, go down the pub with your mates and put £58 into the whip instead, have a few beers and a laugh with your pals in the boozer rather than line the Sheikhs pocket even more.

How they can charge that much when they have one of the richest men in the world who owns their club, not only that but their ground was free and given to them by the council! At least we had to pay for ours out of our own pockets!

Clubs need to follow the lead of Newcastle, Swansea, West Brom, Hull and Palace who have all entered into pricing agreements with each other to ensure away fans do not get charged over the odds. Fans of both clubs will pay the same amount when visiting each other which is a perfect idea. Have a look into this here. Hopefully other clubs take note of this and follow suit.

Have a look at these guys as well, trying to change things for the better