Tag Archives: Arsenal FC

HIGHBURY CLASSICS – VOLUME 1 ARSENAL v NORWICH – NOVEMBER 1989

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Not since 1934-35 have Arsenal successfully defended the league title and the 1989-90 effort didn’t come close to changing that stat. By May we had fallen well short to the eventual winners Liverpool; a club who nobody at the time would have possibly imagined would go at least 24 years without repeating that success.
Worst of all about 1989-90 was that we would end up in 4th, one place behind a Tottenham side who had improved since the signing of Gary Lineker (though it’s worth noting that we still finished nine places above Manchester United).
Despite not being a vintage season, there were still some good times such as Tony Adams’s volley into the corner of the net that beat Tottenham 1-0 at Highbury. There was also the 2-1 victory against Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox in the Battle of Britain ‘friendly’ (we of course could not play in the European Cup because of the five year ban on English clubs).

If one match stood out as the most dramatic of the season then it was ‘Fireworks Day’ against Norwich City in November 1989. Proceedings started off on polite and civil terms as David O’Leary came on to the pitch and was applauded by both sets of players. He was making his 622nd appearance for the club which was, and still is, a record breaker.
At the tail end of the previous season Arsenal had put five in against Norwich without reply on route to being crowned champions. It was one of many severe beatings handed out over the years which contradicted the myth that Arsenal played negative football. This time in the November to Remember, City would not go down so easy and by halftime they were 2-0 up.Malcom Allen had scored a close range header from a corner and then Phillips doubled the lead with a great free kick from 25 yards. Before the free kick had been taken, tensions and tempers had flared up that would come to a boiling point by the end of the game. Malcom Allen who had won the free kick, was dragged along the ground and then roughly picked up by an angrier than normal O’Leary, who accused him of going down easy (Allen did indeed go down easy – O’Leary easily hacked his legs and sent him flying).

The game changed in the second half when Niall Quinn scored from close range after a Kevin Richardson free kick was saved by Brian Gunn. Then we were awarded a penalty when future Gunner Andy Linighan handled inside the box. Surprisingly, Lee Dixon stepped up to take the kick. This was a first and most unexpected – Lee Dixon our first choice penalty taker – since when?
In a decisive and confident fashion Dixon put the ball straight down the middle and we were level. Disaster – Norwich went 3-2 ahead. Lukic saved a long range header from Linighan only for Tim Sherwood to put the rebound into the top of the net.
A loss would have overshadowed a day of celebration for an Arsenal legend. O’Leary was a class act in defence and was talented enough to have moved on and represented more successful European sides during the early to mid 1980s when Arsenal were mediocre. He had shown us loyalty and stayed because he loved the club, and on his record appearance O’Leary scored a rare goal to make it 3-3. A cross was put in the box by Winterburn and the Irishman headed past Brian Gunn in front of the North Bank.
That was the icing on the cake – the man of the day O’ Leary had saved us from defeat and we would go home happy. More icing – in the dying seconds, Michael Thomas was brought down in the box by Butterworth and another penalty was given by referee George Tyson. Dixon stepped up again to take the kick. I can’t speak for the rest of the crowd, but I remember not being at all confident that our right back would score two penalties in one game. Dixon shot and missed – but in a day of rebounded goals he managed to stud the ball past Gunn and it slowly crossed the line. We went ballistic as did the players – both sets of players as it turned out. A fight broke out in the goal net: as Alan Smith followed the ball passed the line he was jumped on by three yellow shirts. Smith being the one player in the red and white who couldn’t and never did want a row was set upon. But he was in a team that wouldn’t allow such liberties to go unopposed. Rocky Rocastle once said of the squad “We didn’t start fights but we finished them.” Within seconds, players from both sides were involved in a confrontation that would go on to dominate the back pages for the next week.

Not one punch was thrown, just a bit of pushing and shoving along with one kick from a Norwich player. And despite having not been the side to start the ‘brawl’ the media hacks laid into Arsenal and we were labelled the villains. In 1989 Saint and Greasvie were TV’s most prominent pundits and were a bit more pragmatic over what had happened. Coming from a rougher era, they noted that the incident was no worse than “scuffles in the January sales” but they did criticize the referee for handing out two controversial penalties which they blamed for starting the row.
In general, there was mass hysteria and the back pages carried headlines such as ‘Fireworks’ and ‘disgrace’. It’s important to remember that earlier in 1989; the media’s hatred for Arsenal resulted in one prominent Tabloid’s back page carrying the image of Tony Adams with donkey ears in what was a needless insult. Back then, rival fans and the tabloid media despised Arsenal far more than now. But that was all good fun as it bought a sense of togetherness among the fans and the players. We didn’t care about what they thought, but we would be made to pay the price. The result of such press fury would go on to cost us two points the following season. And that’s another story….

Matthew Bazell

Matthew Bazell is the author of Theatre of Silence: The Lost Soul of Football

TOS

The Arsenal Membership Pack – What a Waste of Money

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This week I finally opened the Arsenal Members pack that all Gold, Silver & Red members get from the club as part of the membership scheme. And what a disappointment it was;

  • A small red and white scarf
  • A fixture list which was already out of date due to TV changes
  • Cheap tin badges
  • A membership book
  • An Arsenal Foundation book
  • A buy one get one free voucher for an audio tour

My first thought was ‘what a load of crap.’ My second thought was ‘where is the bin.’

Now I know why the packs are relevant. It is to make it look as if the club is giving something back to the fans. To appear as if the membership cost is not just a tax on buying tickets. But at the end of the day, I pay £1000+ for my season ticket. This year I will spend around £4000 on tickets (home and away), transport (over land and sea), booze and hotels following The Arsenal. A pack which cost less than a fiver to put together is not exactly the club giving back.

Now sending me a pack is a waste of money, as I am sure it is for many fan of a similar age who does not buy programmes, shirt or any other of the crap merchandise the club pedals. The club could save money by having an ‘opt out of members pack’ box that you can tick when renewing your membership.

I would not even ask for money off my season ticket or membership. The pack costs sweet FA so it would be a saving of a fiver. Not much of a saving when I am willing to spend £4000 following The Arsenal.

And the club would not exactly make an earner from it. The money saved from the packs would probably be less than the cost of a weeks wages for Nicklas Bendtner.

So my theory is this. On your season ticket renewal form, there should be a ‘donate to charity’ box that one can tick. Then, rather than me getting the pack ,it go’s to someone who would potentially appreciate it more. Add to the Christmas gifts the players take to a local hospital. Send them to Great Ormond Street. Distribute it to those living abroad who a little bit of Arsenal would brighten their day.

It would cost me nothing. It would cost the club nothing. But it could make the day of someone less fortunate.

So Arsenal, if you are reading this, allow me to donate my membership pack to someone who would actually like it, rather than send it to me to chuck in the bin.

Keenos

The Arsenal and Me – Leon’s Story

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So it begins. My father, who had separated from my mother, met me at Watford junction station one chilly autumnal Saturday morning. He rarely came bearing gifts but on this occasion about his person was a small white carrier bag. He leaned over and gave his son a kiss, (I could smell he had been out on the booze the evening before) and he handed me the white carrier bag. I was delighted. A present.
I looked inside and I saw a piece of yellow clothing, and as I pulled it out the letters JVC became apparent. It was the 88/89 away shirt and it was to be my first arsenal shirt of many. My grandfather was a Gooner, as was his father. so my dad was passing the tradition on and quite rightly so.
That year my dad took me to the a QPR match. I have very little recollection of it, I could barely see a thing and the noise was overbearing. He also took me round Highbury Fields showing me where he had grown up, and where our different generations of family had lived. It was a strange feeling taking all this information in. I had the concentration of a gnat at school but this really hit home. This was personal. Dad would go home and away, bringing me programmes every two weeks when he came to meet me at Watford junction.
I became obsessed. Pannini stickers every week, buying score and match when I could barely even read.  My walls soon became drenched in red and white with all the arsenal greats. I loved Rocky, and I loved Tony Adams. They were my favourites.
My mother allowed me to watch match of the day on a Saturday, and when the arsenal played I would have my mum tune the radio-if she could bear it! If not it would be a case of me sitting in front of teletext every Saturday afternoon. I didn’t mind either way. Even then being a mere 6 yr old kid it mattered.
Saturday couldn’t come soon enough. I followed diligently all season and when playing football at school I wanted to be Tony Adams. Now as we all know Liverpool were at the top of their game in the eighties, and arsenal had made it difficult for themselves in the latter part of that season. It would all come down to that final game at Anfield.
I was delighted I could watch it on the TV and was looking forward to it all week. I knew the task ahead was tough, even at that age but I had no reason to think it wasn’t possible. the optimism of youth you might say. So that night I put on my yellow shirt, got my favourite cushion and sat 2 feet away from the box. I forgot to mention that my stepfather, who had lived with me for sometime was…yep you guessed it. A Liverpool fan.
Mum had gone out to work and he confidently roamed about the house warning me that the Gooner’s had no chance. He’s a good man, and I didn’t hate him for it. I just didn’t like him very much that night. As the players came out the tunnel at Anfield I tucked in to my chocolate and lemonade, my eye’s firmly fixed on the screen . The hairs on my arms stood up as I saw the players enter the pitch and when I saw the away boys singing their hearts out the adrenaline began pumping around the newly turned 7 yr olds body.
For sometime I just didn’t think we would score. Then smithy popped up and it was 1 nil to the arsenal! or was it… a sea of red shirts surrounded the ref and lino. My stepdad assured me it was offside and wouldn’t be given. players were ushered away as the ref made his way to the linesman to evaluate the outcome. It felt like they were conversing for an age, and the ground went almost silent. My heart was in my mouth. Then the ref blew his whistle and pointed to the circle. it was one nil. Fucking get in!
I was a quiet kid but on this occasion I roared out of delight, while my step father shook his head at the apparent injustice of the situation. As the game went on It just didn’t look like it would happen. The clock was running down and 90mins was soon approaching. My lemonade had gone as had my chocolate. I bit my nails in anticipation and they were soon gone too. Then suddenly, Thomas comes charging through the midfield, its up for grabs now..Thomas!!! Right at the end
I sat there frozen. I was rushing. I couldn’t believe it. the arsenal fans were going mental, the players were going mental. needless to say, my stepdad wasn’t.
I watched us lift the trophy stunned. I could barely speak. inside I was bouncing off the walls. The sea of Gooner’s celebrating made me tingle. it was a truly exhilarating experience. My first season as a Gooner, 7yrs old and we had done the bin dippers on their own turf. I went to bed wearing my shirt that night. And as I lay there awake that night I replayed that goal over and over until I drifted sweetly off to sleep.
So here I am now 24 years later. as I grew up I went a lot with my dad, and now I’m there at most home games, and some away if I can get a ticket. My dad doesn’t go anymore and most of my mates just aren’t willing to pay the prices nowadays. So I go mostly on my own. I hate the upper tier so I wait for a game to sell out,  get on the exchange and try to get a seat in the North Bank block 5/6. Because it’s just me, nine times out of ten its fine.
I like standing at games and can’t tell you the countless times I’ve been told to sit in other sections. When we beat Chelsea 3-0 at home a few years back at the bowl I was in block 3 and this bloke shouted at me ‘sit down you cunt’. I couldn’t believe it. We were 3-0 up against Chelsea and I was ecstatic and this miserable bastard said that to me.
I don’t know the solution. But when I go I want to sing and shout and be proud. we have to be the 12th man. Everyone is on their feet when the yids come over so why not other games. I’m a BSM member and I should probably start the ‘Billy No Mates Gooner Club myself.
I live in N5 still and like a pint in the Gunners Pub. I’m optimistic this season, but is anything going to beat that first year as a Gooner at Anfield 89…I very much doubt it.
Leon