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.