Tag Archives: Highbury

The Arsenal and Me – Jack’s Story

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Most people to claim to have loved their club from day one, I do not. Don’t get me wrong I’ve always supported Arsenal there was no choice, from the day I was born my Dad would have it no other way. It’s all I knew. But at first I didn’t quite get it.

My earliest football memory is laying on my Nan’s living room floor watching the 98 Cup Final on TV. The image of Anelka and Overmars walking around the Wembley pitch with the FA Cup is not one I’ll ever forget. Good times, but at the age of 7 I still didn’t really get what it was all about.

Fast forward just under 3 years and I was to attend my first Arsenal game. Away to Man United. At Old Trafford in the HOME end of all places. Not ideal if I’m honest. 25th February 2001, I always remember the date as it was my sisters Birthday and she obviously was unimpressed that me and my Dad were disappearing to Manchester for the day.

We left early that morning and made the long car journey there. As you can imagine Old Trafford as a 10 year old is a quite a daunting place to watch your first ever football match especially surrounded by 60,000 Mancs. Like I said, not ideal. I remember it being bitterly cold and within two minutes we’re one nil’ down. Now the plan was to try to blend in within the home end so obviously we’re the only two sitting down two minutes in. Cover blown. Then, 14 minutes in. Henry equalises! My first experience of joy and excitement at an Arsenal game. My Dad trying to keep the celebrations low key, there wasn’t really any point as we were losing again almost instantly. It all went downhill from there and we got absolutely battered 6-1. I seem to remember Stephanovs running down the wing during that game and even at 10 years old even I knew he belonged nowhere near a team like Arsenal.

After the game we met the woman who sorted out the tickets. She asked in a thick Manchester accent if I was going to become a United fan now. I was slow to answer as I didn’t have a clue what she was saying so my Dad was quick to jump in. “No. No he isn’t”

I was a bit gutted after the game not as much as my Dad as clearly losing 6-1 at my first ever game was not what he imagined would happen.

So after that I’m still struggling to see what the fuss is about.

The next game I went two was Liverpool. Again away from home again absolutely freezing cold and again stuck in the home end! I’d won tickets so couldn’t really complain. 23rd December 2001 another date I remember strangely my Dads birthday this time. This time however everything went well we played well and won 2-1. I remember Freddie scoring and running off into the away fans and being insanely jealous of them. This time there we’re know muted celebrations, the full time whistle goes and we went for it! Swiftly leaving afterwards.

Now I had the taste for this ‘going to the football’ lark. I couldn’t wait for the next time.

The first home game I went to was against Blackburn the following season, I can’t remember the date (can’t have been anyones birthday). The whole family went this time. Me my Dad my Mum and my Sister. I was so buzzing for it. We got the tube to Arsenal and walked along  Gillespie road. The first thing I noticed was the smell, burger vans/horse shit/beer,  doesn’t sound nice but its a smell that I’m sure everyone recognises every time you go to football and it always reminds me of that day. We turned the corner on to Avenell Road and I saw Highbury up close for the very first time. A lot of people say they fell in love with Highbury instantly and this time I agree. What a place. Seeing the windows on the side of the North Bank and seeing people finding there seats gave me goosebumps and excited butterflies inside. I wanted to get inside quickly. When we found our spot on this North Bank I couldn’t stop looking all around at this amazing ground. As a young kid it is mesmerising you just try to take it all in.

The game kicked off and we were one nil down early on from a strange Edu own goal. But then later in the half he made it all right by scoring the equaliser. I’ll never forget that goal, the first time I celebrated an Arsenal goal at a game amongst the right fans! It was mental. The noise was deafening and I’m pretty sure I ended up a few seats along.

We went on to lose 2-1 I was disappointed but everything about that day bar the result was spot on. The smells, the sights, hearing the outbursts of chants from all around Highbury, joining in and finally being at a home game.

All of these things finally making me realise what it was all about and making me fall in love with The Arsenal. Something that I will never stop doing, I still get the same excited butterflies every time I go and I hope I always do and I hope when I have a son its exactly the same for him.

I think i’ll avoid United away for his first game though…

Jack

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The Arsenal and Me – Bobby’s Story

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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 6th 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


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The Arsenal and Me – Dave’s Story

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I’m a northerner and have lived in Doncaster since 1975,why Arsenal you may ask? My grandad though from Mansfield lived in Finchley during the war and he passed his love of Arsenal on to my old man who thankfully passed it on to me.

My early games were away at Sheff Utd/Leeds and even an FA Cup semi final at Hillsborough before my dad took me to Highbury for a 1-1 draw in the opening home game of the 80/81 season.

I’ve so much to be grateful to him for, leaving the family on Boxing Day to take me and New Years Day too at the time I took it for granted. A family railcard was £10 for him and £1 for me and my mates (who I still go with to this day).

When I was 15 five of us used to travel to games alone with the help of Mars bar wrappers (free national express coach travel) and of course, on occasion, to northern aways, with a platform ticket and travel for 2p.

Hardly anyone wore colours and I wish it was still like that. It was 83/84 season and I loved the casual clothing and still do (wish I’d kept some originals as it’s worth a fortune). There was a time I couldn’t imagine missing a game and if I did I had to listen of midweek sports special, hardly any football was on TV so it was the only way of knowing the score.

From 1988 I had a season ticket in either the east lower or Clockend. What I do miss is the sheer uncertainty of getting off a train at an away and having to have your wits firmly about you at times it was “kill or be killed” and it was an exciting and at times frightening times.

Many friends back then I still have now and I wouldn’t swap Paris/Benfica/spurs cup semi’s/Anfield / league cup 87 final for anything. I can still recall starting 11’s from say 1988 but would have no idea about the 1st game of this season.

I adored Highbury and a major regret is my kids will never go there. I gave up my season ticket after a couple of seasons at the bowl and have no intention of going back particularly under this regime. Stan , Ivan , Arsene et al aren’t for me but I’ll forever cherish the friends I have made and I will always support the Arsenal and will always care but for me it’s just not the same anymore.

Dave

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