Champions league Final (this is it).

As the excitement builds and the anticipation fills me and many other Arsenal fans with a feeling seldom felt (if ever).
The countdown to the 2006 Champions league final draws ever nearer (it will have kicked off in less than 6 hours from now).
All the hard work and heroics that have led us (Arsenal) to this stage will count for very little if we can't overcome the mighty Barcelona this evening.

I am proud of my team, even if they loose.

Despite many people saying that "Arsenal have no chance of winning the Champions league", they are in the final and have been playing increasingly well in the last few matches of the season. Is this our year?

Well I am gonna go all out and say yes, I see no reason why we should think that Barca's name is already written on the cup.
If Arsenal play as they can play, with all the team spirit and togetherness the have displayed in seeing off Real Madrid and Juventus they will be very hard to beat.

If they play to their potential and it is a fair game (no soft free kicks, penalties of harsh bookings) then whatever the result, I will be proud.


Hopefully the next time I post on this blog, it will be a celebratory article applauding the success of my team, fingers crossed anyway. XXX

Arsenal Claim 4th spot

Not only did Arsenal manage to make it to the final of the champions league, but they also snatched that elusive 4th place from poor Tottenham (my heart bleeds). However at this stage Spurs have written a letter to try and get there final league game at West Ham replayed.
I don't think this will happen, I would hope not.

It wasn't that long ago that Tottenham were scoring a contentious goal against Arsenal. with two Arsenal players on the floor after colliding with each other, Spurs manager Martin Jol saw the incident, Michael Carrick was contemplating putting the ball out of play (as is the standard honorable thing to do) but Mr Jol urged his player to play on and thus spurs scored with two Arsenal players out of position.

The Arsenal players were not badly injured, but Jol didn't know this, he didn't care and so his team got the goal he craved. If either of those two Arsenal players had been crocked would Jol have asked for the goal to be chalked off or the match replayed (as Arsenal themselves had done in the past in the FA cup against Sheffield united), I don't think so.

It was unfortunate that Spurs had ten players infected with food poisoning the night before the game (I wouldn't go back to that hotel in a hurry if I were you Dick Jol, They don't seem to have served you well).

Maybe this is just a case of what goes around comes around.

Who knows,

Bye-bury to Highbury

On May 7th Arsenal will play there last Game at Highbury,,, ever.

Hopefully Arsenal will beat Wigan and Tottenham will fail to beat West Ham and thus Arsenal will snatch that elusive 4th place and the champions league spot that comes with it. To be honest, even if we (Arsenal) manage to beat Wigan I think that Spurs will probably get a result against the hammers. West Ham have a cup final to prepare for and may well decide to rest key players whilst Spurs will be gunning for glory and hoping to secure that champions league spot. But football is a funny old game and anything can happen (that's why it is the best game on the planet).

Anyway, Arsenal will soon trot out on to the hallowed Highbury turf for the last time. It is sad in a way.
It makes me think of all the times I got the train to London, hopped on the tube (Northern Line) and made the journey to the home of football (as far as I am concerned).

I will never forget the first time I visited Highbury,


As I disembarked from the train onto the platform and proceed to stroll down the tunnel at the end of which I was greeted by the sight of my mecca, Highbury. It wasn't a match day, I was only young (about 14). I walked around the entire stadium, It didn't take long. As I walked down the road with my Arsenal shirt on a white van whizzed past, the driver would down his window and shouted "Arsenal wankers" I presume it was the voice of a Spurs fan. I also remember seeing that tickets were on sale for an upcoming FA cup tie against Leeds United. This was the first of several visits to the hallowed place. I never managed to see a game, until somewhat ironically i had moved from London to Cookstown, county Tyrone, N. Ireland. It cost me over £200 (by the time I had paid for flights and accommodation), but it was worth every penny. Saturday January 31st 1998, Arsenal Vs Southampton (FA Premiership), I was sitting in the North bank.

As I walked up the steps, tingling from head to toe, I found my self on the North bank terrace, I couldn't believe how small it looked, It was like Lego (the only football match I had been to previously was a friendly between England and Norway at Wembley (which was a lot bigger to say the least). I took my seat behind the goals. It was surreal sitting just a few metres away from Alex Manninger in the nets, I can remember shouting "for fucks sake Alex, Get rid of it" (he was a good keeper, but he had his moments of baffling blunderment) No score at half time, the second half would see Arsenal attack the goal closest to me.

On the hour Steve Bould hit a long pass to Bergkamp, he beat the offside trap, the keeper came out, (at this point I was going crazy "come on Dennis, come on, come on") Bergkamp shoots, GOAL!!!!! It was brilliant, such a release as the whole of the North bank went nuts "there's only one Dennis Bergkamp, one Dennis Bergkamp, one Dennis Berg----kamp, one Dennis Berg----kamp" the crowd chanted and then "walking along singing a song, walking in a Bergkamp wonderland".

Then an Arsenal corner, Adams rose to meet it with his head, GOAL!!!!! "one Tony Adams, there's only one Tony Ad---ams, One Tony Adams"

Before I had time to settle myself ,Bergkamp started his run and Overmars flicked it, first time, into his path. Bergkamp took it forward, spotted Anelka in the clear on the far side of goal, gave it to him, GOAL!!!! Only eight minutes after scoring the first goal, we (Arsenal) were 3 - 0 up.

What a match, no goals in the 1st half, then three second half goals right in front of me, I was in heaven.

That year Arsenal went on to claw back a 15 point deficit to pip Manchester United to the tittle and also manage to lift the FA cup, and become only the second team two win the double twice. It was a truly great year.

That was the first and last game I will ever see at Highbury.

Arsenal, Double winners!!!!

Having already secured their third successive league title with a 2 -0 victory over Charlton Athletic on April 13th, Arsenal Ladies went into today's FA cup final against Leeds United with an impressive double in their sights.

Victory never looked to be in doubt. After just three minutes Julie Fleeting headed Arsenal into a one nil lead. By the time the half time whistle had sounded it was 3 - 0 to the Gunners courtesy of another Fleeting goal and a curled Rachel Yankey a free-kick sailing sublimely into the top corner.

With a three nil lead at half time the contest was as good as over, but they hadn't finished yet. The second half produced two more goals (both falling to Arsenal) with Kelly Smith scoring from the spot with pinpoint precision (It is no exaggeration to say "this was a perfect penalty"). Lianne Sanderson then slotting home to make it five nil to the Arsenal. In truth the match could have run into double figures due to the amount of chances the team created but I'm sure they will have been more than happy to settle for a fantastic five nil final score.

This seasons double triumph leaves Arsenal Ladies with seven FA cups and Eight league tittles in their ever expanding trophy cabinet, there is also eight league cups to add to that. Not bad at all.

Incidentally, the final league table makes for very pleasant reading with Arsenal in pole position and Chelsea propping up the rest at the very bottom. Who knows, maybe next year the Men's table will be as pleasant to look at.

Hopefully this will not be the last silverware lifted by an Arsenal (Senior) team this year with the European champions league tittle up for grabs and only Barcelona standing in the way of glory. But we will just have to wait and see. Till then Congratulations to the Arsenal Ladies and roll on May 17th..... Fingers crossed.