minesadouble
Drove my Chevy to the Levy
- Jul 27, 2006
- 749
- 2,933
In January 1967, my father took me to Highbury to see Arsenal v. Spurs. I was 10 ½ years old and was already an addicted Spurs fan (since 61/62 Season). Through business, my dad knew Denis Hill-Wood, the Arsenal Chairman back then, and we sat in the Arsenal directors box, where I proceeded to be the only person to jump up, not once but twice, when Jimmy Robertson and then Alan Gilzean scored in our 2-0 victory ! Even in those far-off days, it wasn’t the done thing to celebrate while sitting in your opponents seats and I remember the silent, scowling faces of the old men sitting around me.
Fast forward 43 years to 20th November 2010. Because he couldn’t get to the game, my gooner brother-in-law (my missus’s brother) loaned me his 2 season tickets at the Emirates to take my 11 year old younger son (an addicted Spurs fan) to Arsenal v Spurs. I think it was my brother-in-law’s idea of a joke. But we sat in his Club level seats and I pointed out to my lad the huge gap in Arsenal’s trophies history from 1953-1970 in the hoardings that surround the inside of the stadium, recounting how many honours Spurs themselves had won in the same 17 year period.
It is a weird experience sitting amongst Arsenal fans watching Spurs. I don’t think I’d ever do it again. As we arrived outside the Emirates, we’d watched with pride as the Yid Army sang and jeered whilst being escorted into the Away fans corner. The last time I travelled was to Manchester for the 1-0 CL qualifying victory over City and I told my son that being with your mates in the Away end is the best feeling you can have as a fan.
And so to the game. It was easy to stay seated in the first half as we watched us go 0-2 down and play badly, although I felt Arsenal made us look worse. I’m the type of ex-semi pro fan who can admire good football when he sees it, even if it’s played by Fabregas and Nasri. We seemed uninspired up front and uncertain in defence.
But strangely, I still felt positive at half time, as I consumed the free pint that came with the season ticket. We couldn’t play worse and a quick goal would bring us right back into the match. Step up Gareth. A simple clench of the fists and my boy and I grinned at each other as the mood around us changed. I believe that football crowds have a kind of communal ability to predict results. There was an inevitability about our second, made all the more delicious by Fabregas’s stupid handball and Rafael’s cocksure penalty. Damn it was hard to keep calm as we watched our boys celebrate in front of the Away corner.
We were sat right in front of their offside third goal and Koscielny’s header over the bar. But even if I’d been offered 2-2 then I wouldn’t have taken it. We hadn’t played well but the Goons were there for the taking (and one thing Harry’s worked out is that a win and a loss are much better than two draws). I actually had a strong feeling that Gallas would score our winner but it was no surprise when Kaboom rose highest.
And it was at that moment that history repeated itself. I’m just an old git now and I contented myself with a murmured ‘yess’. Not so my son ! He leapt, like a young Gilzean, from his seat in the bowels of the Arsenal corpse, and roared his delight. Red faces scowled at us and orange-bibbed stewards made gestures.
It was time to leave. We hurried out of the stadium, past rejoicing Yiddo policemen, jogging along the Holloway Road to the tube station. A glance at a pub TV screen told us all we needed to know. Injury time was over. The red flag had been lowered, the Woolwich cannon had been spiked.
On the tube home, I reflected on the men I’d just watched wearing the white shirts that once belonged to the likes of Greaves, Gilzean, Robertson and Mackay. For so many years since, Spurs teams have played like boys, not men. But the current crop have something about them, regardless of age and youth.
One of my all time heroes was Pat Jennings, who made the switch from the Lane to Highbury and yet was loved by most of North London and respected by all. Nowadays football doesn’t allow such sentiment, but yesterday William Gallas earned the right to be treated as one of us. I have found the anti-Gallas posts since he signed juvenile and small-minded. Now I’d find them offensive.
I didn’t think Gallas had a great game technically, and his pace isn’t what it once was, but he showed huge courage and application. Younes Kaboul has everything in him to become a true legend of the Lane. Gomes is Gomes, a great keeper prone to the odd dodgy moment. Jenas was out-classed and overrun, but I’ve never been a JJ critic. He does what it says on his tin. He runs and runs, and plays the simple ball, and in the end he outran the greater skill of Fibreglass. He’s a crucial member of the squad in my book. Van der Vaart didn’t play that well but scored and had 3 assists (his free-kick won the penalty). We shouldn’t forget he’s still only played 2 months in the Premier League. The spiky attitude VdV and Gallas have added to our team is visible. And Bale is quite simply an extraordinary footballer having an extraordinary spell.
I think Harry is pushing it to say we could win the PL this Season (boy would I love to munch my words). But in 1967, after beating Arsenal 2-0 at Highbury we went on to finish third in the League and won the FA Cup. Sounds a more likely repeat this Season.
Oh yes, one more thing, after we won at Highbury, Arsenal’s season petered out and they went on to finish 7th.
Fast forward 43 years to 20th November 2010. Because he couldn’t get to the game, my gooner brother-in-law (my missus’s brother) loaned me his 2 season tickets at the Emirates to take my 11 year old younger son (an addicted Spurs fan) to Arsenal v Spurs. I think it was my brother-in-law’s idea of a joke. But we sat in his Club level seats and I pointed out to my lad the huge gap in Arsenal’s trophies history from 1953-1970 in the hoardings that surround the inside of the stadium, recounting how many honours Spurs themselves had won in the same 17 year period.
It is a weird experience sitting amongst Arsenal fans watching Spurs. I don’t think I’d ever do it again. As we arrived outside the Emirates, we’d watched with pride as the Yid Army sang and jeered whilst being escorted into the Away fans corner. The last time I travelled was to Manchester for the 1-0 CL qualifying victory over City and I told my son that being with your mates in the Away end is the best feeling you can have as a fan.
And so to the game. It was easy to stay seated in the first half as we watched us go 0-2 down and play badly, although I felt Arsenal made us look worse. I’m the type of ex-semi pro fan who can admire good football when he sees it, even if it’s played by Fabregas and Nasri. We seemed uninspired up front and uncertain in defence.
But strangely, I still felt positive at half time, as I consumed the free pint that came with the season ticket. We couldn’t play worse and a quick goal would bring us right back into the match. Step up Gareth. A simple clench of the fists and my boy and I grinned at each other as the mood around us changed. I believe that football crowds have a kind of communal ability to predict results. There was an inevitability about our second, made all the more delicious by Fabregas’s stupid handball and Rafael’s cocksure penalty. Damn it was hard to keep calm as we watched our boys celebrate in front of the Away corner.
We were sat right in front of their offside third goal and Koscielny’s header over the bar. But even if I’d been offered 2-2 then I wouldn’t have taken it. We hadn’t played well but the Goons were there for the taking (and one thing Harry’s worked out is that a win and a loss are much better than two draws). I actually had a strong feeling that Gallas would score our winner but it was no surprise when Kaboom rose highest.
And it was at that moment that history repeated itself. I’m just an old git now and I contented myself with a murmured ‘yess’. Not so my son ! He leapt, like a young Gilzean, from his seat in the bowels of the Arsenal corpse, and roared his delight. Red faces scowled at us and orange-bibbed stewards made gestures.
It was time to leave. We hurried out of the stadium, past rejoicing Yiddo policemen, jogging along the Holloway Road to the tube station. A glance at a pub TV screen told us all we needed to know. Injury time was over. The red flag had been lowered, the Woolwich cannon had been spiked.
On the tube home, I reflected on the men I’d just watched wearing the white shirts that once belonged to the likes of Greaves, Gilzean, Robertson and Mackay. For so many years since, Spurs teams have played like boys, not men. But the current crop have something about them, regardless of age and youth.
One of my all time heroes was Pat Jennings, who made the switch from the Lane to Highbury and yet was loved by most of North London and respected by all. Nowadays football doesn’t allow such sentiment, but yesterday William Gallas earned the right to be treated as one of us. I have found the anti-Gallas posts since he signed juvenile and small-minded. Now I’d find them offensive.
I didn’t think Gallas had a great game technically, and his pace isn’t what it once was, but he showed huge courage and application. Younes Kaboul has everything in him to become a true legend of the Lane. Gomes is Gomes, a great keeper prone to the odd dodgy moment. Jenas was out-classed and overrun, but I’ve never been a JJ critic. He does what it says on his tin. He runs and runs, and plays the simple ball, and in the end he outran the greater skill of Fibreglass. He’s a crucial member of the squad in my book. Van der Vaart didn’t play that well but scored and had 3 assists (his free-kick won the penalty). We shouldn’t forget he’s still only played 2 months in the Premier League. The spiky attitude VdV and Gallas have added to our team is visible. And Bale is quite simply an extraordinary footballer having an extraordinary spell.
I think Harry is pushing it to say we could win the PL this Season (boy would I love to munch my words). But in 1967, after beating Arsenal 2-0 at Highbury we went on to finish third in the League and won the FA Cup. Sounds a more likely repeat this Season.
Oh yes, one more thing, after we won at Highbury, Arsenal’s season petered out and they went on to finish 7th.
