Tag Archives: Arsenal F.C. supporters

The Arsenal and Me – Tushar’s Story

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I was a 13yr old with no interest whatsoever in football. I was a cricket fan. By a lucky chance I happened to purchase the FIFA 2002 game. But I just could not win any match. Then I once played with the first team in the Premier League list (The Arsenal of course)…that was my first win which included I still remember a spectacular bicycle kick from a certain chap called Henry (who I had never heard of before). That of course does not make you a Gooner.

Then one day while surfing on tv I found this football game being telecast on the most ridiculously perfect football pitch (I didn’t know the name of course) & Lo and Behold! it was an Arsenal match. That was the 1st time I saw Thierry Henry & Dennis Bergkamp! Those were the only two guys whose names I knew (hardly surprising seeing that they scored the bulk of my goals in FIFA).

One thing led to another & gradually my interest in football & Arsenal began to grow. One of the main reasons was Arsenal’s fantastic footballing style(which I often tried to copy on FIFA) & secondly Highbury! What a magnificent stadium! What perfectly manicured pitch! Even my family who had nothing to do with football agreed that it was a Brilliant sight to see a sun-soaked Highbury!

By then I was hooked on to Arsenal & wasted no time finding out about the Club, about Arsene Wenger. The other players particularly
Robert Pires and Freddie Ljüngberg were my special favourites. In my school ManUtd was pretty much the only supported side but I always stood up for my team. Those banters served to increase my passion for the Club. From a boy who never watched football I changed to one who would obsessively mark the dates of Arsenal games & watch all of them…including the Champions League nights. Those UCL games are after midnight in my country but I can proudly say that pretty much watched all of them & still do.

That was in 2002-03. My greatest memory was the Invincible season….my lowest the UCL final 2006. My greatest regret…not finding out Arsenal before & so I missed out on watching MrArsenal himself.

Coming back to now…Its safe to say that my life revolves around Arsenal FC. I am a Doctor now & still strive to watch all Arsenal games including UCL ones in fact on many occasions I have skipped cricket matches when they have clashed with Arsenal games. Like all Arsenal fans who haven’t it is my dream to watch Arsenal Live in London.…that for me will be a pilgrimage.

UP THE ARSENAL!!!!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!
ARSENAL TILL I DIE!!!!

Tushar

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The Arsenal and Me – Harrison’s Story

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A broken down car and a sprint to a packed main road as a 6 year old boy. Who would have thought that would be the start of my Arsenal story.

Well, how about if I told you my dad and I were running a bit late to the invincible parade, that make it acceptable to leave the car on the side of a backstreet?

That is the first memory I have of going down the Arsenal, and not a bad one really as I got to see all my idols that day and ever since that day it’s been Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal.

Still to this day I remember the time I was told I was going to my first competitive Arsenal game. My 7th birthday, 2nd April 2005, Arsenal played Norwich at home and the moment I walked into Block 20 in the Clock End will stay with me forever. Thierry Henry had been my idol from the moment I could say Football, so it couldn’t be more necessary for him to get a Hatrick on my first game to help Arsenal to a 4-1 win. I am really not someone to get emotional about anything but even as a 15 year old that only went to Highbury 4 times, whenever someone mentions anything about Highbury it brings a tear to my eye and I remember how much it hurt me to watch that last game vs Wigan and seeing Thierry kiss the turf.

From that 7 year old boy to me now at 15 years old, now a season ticket holder and in my first season on the away scheme. I honestly don’t know where I would be without Arsenal. I have met so many great people, some that I go to every game home & away with, through Arsenal by things ranging from a Junior Gunners Christmas party to being on the BSM Boat to Fulham. It hasn’t been fun growing up recently in a community of West Ham and “London’s finest” Manchester United supporters but that family feeling and the nod of the head whenever you see another Gooner down the street is what keeps me going.

Up The Arsenal

Harrison

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The Arsenal and Me – Joe’s Story

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February 2005, I was aged 11:

“Sit down Joe, I’ve got something to tell you.”

My Mum made it sound like someone had died in the family, when in fact she was trying to calm the reaction she knew I’d give down before it happened.

“Your Dad’s done it, he’s got hold of those two season tickets from work, your going to Aston Villa vs Arsenal.”

I’d waited years to see my heroes, this unbelievably strong, quick, unbeatable team of Thierry, Dennis, Bobby and the rest. I could do nothing else but burst out crying. There was one catch…

It was in the Holte End, Villa Park.

holte

The “North bank of the Midlands”.

I didn’t care, I turned up in my Arsenal shirt (under a jacket that my old man made me stick on), gloves, hat and I sat there with thousands of Brummies as for the first time ever, I saw The Arsenal walk out live on to the pitch.

“Whatever you do, don’t go mad when they score” the old man warned me.

Within 10 minutes, Freddie scored and amazingly I kept my cool. But when Thierry Henry, my hero and idol from the age of 7 went through and smashed it past Sorensen for 2-0, I couldn’t do anything else but jump out of seat and scream (They weren’t going to attack an 11 year old.) My Dad eventually joined in with me, two southerners buzzing in the Holte End, facing the Gooners at the other end of the pitch. And after Cashley Cole scored what is still one of the best goals I’ve seen from the Arsenal, I was made up.
I genuinely didn’t mind cheering Juan Pablo Angel’s late consolation. My day was complete, and I have been hooked on the drug that is watching the Arsenal ever since.

Luckily, since then I’ve got in the right seat, whether that was for the final season at Highbury, the Emirates or a few away games. Me and my 17 year old brother head up there together a lot now, and people can say what they like about ticket prices, how its “wrong” and how “football has been ruined by money”. And in fairness the older fans are probably right. But for us younger lads, this is all we’ve known. And the thrill and adrenaline rush when The Arsenal hit the back of the net is like no other feeling in the world. Keep backing the lads, eventually they’ll get it right. And hopefully I’ll have a seat when the finally pick up that Premier League title.

Joe

 

If you would like to tell your Arsenal story, click here