I could talk about the atmosphere at games, view from seats, smell of burgers but that has all been written about before. This is more an account from my years as a GOONER.

If I am being honest I can’t remember my first Arsenal game. I was that young (5years old) when my dad took me to my first game. The reason I support “The Arsenal” is because of my dad, I mean you always follow your dad’s lead. Right? Unless your @petemartin who was far too clever at a young age to become a spurs fan like his dad.

What I do remember at that early age was where we sat, in the upper west stand, close to the clock end & seeing how passionate gooners were about there team, it was an extraordinary thing at that age – I wanted to be like that. I asked my dad “were you like that dad?” he responded, “yes son, but I stood in the North Bank, we rolled backwards & forwards for the full 90. And when we scored, well you did not know what hit you”. Wish I had have had the chance to stand on the North Bank. I eventually got the chance to be a “North Bank boy” when the new stand was built, not the same though! That temporary boarding still makes me chuckle……

I remember sitting in the East stand, we were playing Wimbledon & my brother was the mascot, shooting balls at John Lukic & of course netting one, which brought a cheer from the clock end. This annoyed me as I was the bigger “gooner”, I lived, breathed arsenal, bought the shirts (kind of), cried when we lost & would not eat my dinner (mum hated it when we lost). Dad used to say if we lose make yourself scarce…go out as we won’t be happy. The worst line a Lady can ever say is “it is only a game”….sh*t would hit the fan then.

There was a benefit of my brother being mascot. I got to go to the marble halls & into the payers lounge after the match. I will never forget this, we met Rocky, Paul Davis, Michael Thomas, Richardson & more. We were waiting for “Captain Marvel” Tony Adams of course (he was mums favourite). Then he appeared in the marble halls, as we were about to leave, he stayed talked for 15 minutes, pictures, signed programmes etc. Me being a cocky little Sh*t said “ where you been Tony?”, he responded “getting your ball signed son” & then handed over the ball and patted me on the head. TA never was the gentlest, that pat hurt, though I did not mind!

Like all good dads ours signed us up to the junior gunners & we then sat in the lower west stand in the Junior Gunners section. I used to love choosing the photo’s that came out in the Junior Gunner pack. I always chose Rocky, as he was my hero. I was a bit like Carl Jenkinson, in that I had arsenal pictures, posters on every wall in my bedroom, though never had the bed spread. My prized picture now is of the last day at Highbury & the great Henry Cooper is in it (have a look if you have the same one).

My first experience of silverware was the 1987 cup final, I was 6 yrs old. I remember watching on the T.V & hearing the crowd singing “Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie of course for Champagne Charlie Nicholas.

My first away day was in 1988 away to Wimbledon at Plough Lane, the only other time I had been to Wimbledon was to the dog track! I was 7 yrs old, I had my Arsenal top on, a scarf (was a hot day), Arsenal badges & of course wimbledon had won the FA cup the season before. We smashed them 5-1, with a hat trick from smudger. Coming away from the ground we knew we had a good side that year & so it turned out.

I was not allowed to Anfield but of course was able to watch on TV & having read others blogs on here it sounds like it was probably the best night in our history – it was against the odds, against a great l’pool side but we did it & will never, ever be forgotten.

The coming years after that saw us win another league title, Double cup year, CWC winners, really great times as a gooner.

That Era then came to a halt, george took bungs or did he? I don’t know and don’t really care, anyway he was gone. We then had an “interim” manager for a year that bought us probably the best player I have ever seen so we must be thankful for that.

Then it was a certain Mr Wenger that turned up at the marble halls & the trophies then continued and these memories are my best as I was a nearing my 20’s, allowed to drink & had my own cash. It was during this time where I followed Arsenal all over the country, up to Sheffield when Big Ron took over & we got done 2-0, up to boro (crap hole), all London grounds & beyond. The thing I loved about away days was not necessarily the winning but the bond you had with other fans – you were on the road together, travelling miles to cheer on your beloved team. I liked learning the new songs, the ones about players are always my favourite as it associates them to the club & shows our love for them. Though I used to love “she wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon…on our cup runs, Anthem.

And of course “we are unbeatable, we are unbeatable”. Will that ever be sung again?

I recall all the trips to Wembley & Cardiff, the one that stands out most was the 2-0 victory over Chelsea mainly because we were singing to the welsh police in “welsh” & we got kicked out the pub for “weeing” in the coat cupboard. Discusting I know!!!

It was only Ray Parlour though….lovejoy is a mug!!

I am lucky to have had some great memories. I have travelled to some fantastic grounds to watch my great club & experienced trips to Wembley, Cardiff (cup finals are great days) & done a few naughty things along the way. But the luckiest thing is to have been able to watch some of the best football this club has ever played, real privilege.

All in all I will always love this club, I still have a season ticket in Block 10 & will always support whoever is wearing the Red & White shirt. I have had a few “heated discussions” on twitter, who hasn’t? I love talking arsenal & I love reading blogs & hearing stories from way back when.

I now have a boy of my own, so there is one more gooner in the world now. I hope he gets to enjoy moments like I have had.

I AM AN ARSENAL MAN, that will never change & nor would I want it too. I am off to buy a baby kit!!!

We love you Arsenal we do, we love you arsenal we do……….

Rob

Follow @robwoodfin1

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My earliest memory of going to see the Arsenal is clouded by the mists of time. I know it was at Highbury, I know it was against Spurs and I know I went with my Dad and Mick the Milkman, I know we sat in the West Lower and I know Terry Mancini was at centre half for Arsenal. The year I think was around 1974 and I think it may have been a testimonial and I think we won. I’ve asked my Dad about it, but his memory is worse than mine. But I do know I was hooked from that moment.

After that, my Dad took me intermittently as I was to learn the misery that was following Arsenal in the mid to late 70’s and early ‘80s with the ’79 cup final being the shining beacon in a sea of mid table drudgery.

When I started secondary school I was allowed to go to Highbury on my own. My parents were reluctant but my argument was that if I could get myself to school and back on the bus then Highbury would be easy enough. It was a simple trip, 279 bus from Waltham Cross to Manor House, 60p return and walk from there. If was feeling daring I would stay on the bus to Finsbury Park, even though I hadn’t paid the extra 30p, I knew how to live life on the edge.

I had my first season ticket in 1984, £50 for the North Bank. This was also the year I started going away as well. Travel club specials run by Paul Johnson (and what a career rise he’s had at The Arsenal!), dodgy ham rolls served out of a black bin bag by big Nick. At this time I was going to most games on my own as all my school mates supported That Lot Down The Road, but there was always someone to talk to and share banter with. The one thing that remained the same throughout this was the mid table drudgery.

There was a glimmer of hope when Charlie arrived from Celtic. I was on the North Bank when he jinked his way through the Spurs defence in a 3-2 win. The team however, much like Charlie, flattered to deceive. A few good performances were interspersed by far too many poor ones.

Then George Graham arrived, and the mood around the club changed. As had I, I had now left school and was working. And As I was still living at home, I had money to spare so I started going to every game, home and away. I had also discovered beer and met Dicky, my future best man.

1987 and Wembley, I saw Arsenal pick up a trophy in the flesh for the first time, the Littlewoods Cup. Yes I was there when we f*&ked Rushies record up. Heartbreak returned the following year with Luton and Gus Caesar tripping over the ball and a missed Winterburn penalty. But this was different, the team was changing.

The following year we were to become Champions. Up to this point in my Arsenal career the thought of us being Champions had never occurred to me, we had never even come close. But on the 26 May 1989 we were crowned First Division Champions. I was there that night as I was for every away game that season.

The next few years brought heartbreak and joy. There was another league title with just one defeat; there was the domestic cup double and of course Parma in the Cup Winners Cup. On the downside we had a dire title defence, there was being thumped at home by Benfica, the Nayim Final and Wrexham away.

But I would argue that there has never been a better time to follow Arsenal away than during the George Graham years. I did every game home, away and abroad. I met a good group of mates, there was the afore mentioned Dicky, and there was also Chuff, Stodge, Groper, Thommo and Andy. We had some great days out. Wembley Cup Finals, Euro Finals, League wins, cup exits, Old Trafford punch ups and everything in between but we always had a laugh.

Some of the away trips were a bit odd as well. There was the plank at Shrewsbury station on the same day Tony was released from prison. We had seven hours in a Genoa car park before the Sampdoria game, sausages in Copenhagen, a three day coach trip to Vienna, three day stay in Paris red light district and too many more too mention. But nothing will ever top that Friday night at Anfield.

When George left, I moved to the East Lower, just in front of Tom Watt (no waiting lists in those days, we applied in May and were invited in June to go and pick our seats!). By the time Arsene came into my life, the future Mrs Wazza was also distracting me. Away games became fewer and fewer and disappeared altogether when I became a real adult and got a mortgage.

I still went to home games and made the move to the Emirates (row 13, block32, just behind the away dug out if you’re interested). The Graham years may have been the best time off the pitch, but the early Arsene years were head and shoulders above anything I’d seen before on it. Bergkamp, Overmars, Henry, Vieira, Pires and all took English football by storm as we witnessed football played by the gods. Doubles, cups, titles and unbeaten season all followed. That’s what makes the last 8 years so hard to take. Arsene gave us a glimpse of how football could be, and then he snatched it away from us. This year he may be teasing us again!

But in 2003 everything changed for me. A baby girl arrived in the Wazza household, I carried on going to home games but as money and time became more precious, and going to football became more difficult. In 2008 when baby girl number two arrived it became even harder, to the now impossible as I spend most of my weekends ferrying girls between ballet, swimming and parties (sadly I can now explain the finer points of ballet better than the offside law!)

I still have my season ticket, but it’s currently on loan to Dicky’s stepson and will be for the foreseeable future. One day I will be a regular at that the Emirates again but for now I rely on TV and the radio.

I still love The Arsenal, I always will, I’ve invested far too much time, money and most importantly emotion in them for that to change. I still feel the ecstasy when they win and the hurt when they lose, hell I even blog about them on a daily basis. But as I’ve got older the relationship between us has changed, matured you could say. But I will always be Arsenal ‘til I die.

If you’re a youngster starting out on your Arsenal journey and are moaning about a poor result against some bunch of oil rich mercenaries, have a word with your Dad and get him to remind you that once upon a time, when footy was a simpler game, we considered 0-0 away to Coventry a good result!

Thanks for reading

Warren

Follow @WarrenCone

Warren’s Blog

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