Ten Years At The Emirates

[OneBardGooner]

Great post mate!

did not get sucked to this "dream" could not believe last day at Highbury all these wankers saying its for the best....has to be done

Only go very occasionally even then get into rows with tossers around me or stewards or outside with old bill herding you like fucking sheep

jumped a barrier and walked in the road las time...fucking plod just trying to annoy people with there barriers

Really? Not having a pop at you here, mate - but I honestly doubt anyone didn't buy into the move to some degree at the time. Maybe you didn't buy into it, but if that is true then I'd say you were one of about 3 people that didn't! Hindsight is a great thing as they say and I do view claims like yours (respectfully) with a pinch of salt (a bit like when augie claims he wanted Wenger gone in 2007!! ). But I'm not calling you a liar - if you say you didn't then I accept that.

I don't mind admitting I bought into it at the time. Yes I was terribly sad to leave Highbury which I thought was the most beautiful stadium I've ever been in (and I've been in most of the famous and infamous ones around England and Europe). I'd hoped there was some way to stay in THOF.

If you think back to that time, the club/board had delivered the goods since 1986 - 5 league titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 League cups and the ECWC (including 2 "proper" doubles, a previously unheard-of cup double, and an Invincible season) between the two best managers we've ever had (GG and pre-2008 Wenger). Anyone that claims they don't view that as the club/board delivering the goods is a lying twat tbh. And, it has to be remembered, that success was during eras when first a practically unbeatable Liverpool and then later the financially rich Manure were dominant.

So when the board that had delivered so much success said we were moving to compete with Europe's elite and the PL's newly-pimped clubs, we put our trust in them to deliver again, we believed they were honestly trying to move the footballing side of the club forward - and they did it without leveraging the debt and risking the club's future like the Glasers did at the manc. All looked rosy.

Unfortunately it turned out we were hoodwinked and the board were only motivated by greed and pride and arrogance, not footballing success. So, again with hindsight, I think the move was the worst thing that ever happened to The Arsenal. We sold our soul, left our spiritual home behind, pissed on our traditions, and we have exactly what to show for it? Are we competing with the elite of Europe? Are we winning PL titles? Are we fuck.

Generally speaking, we "averaged" a league title every 4 years in the 20 years between GG's appointment in 1986 and the move out of Highbury. I would go back to that, if that's what staying in our beloved beautiful Highbury meant, in the blink of an eye. A title every 4 years whilst getting to walk up those steps onto the famous North Bank? Fuck yeah.

Absolutely true...i HATE all seater stadiums...maybe thats just me but i like standing up
Being able to move about have some banter and meet others...in a seat you can be stuck next to someone you want to batter within 10 minutes

Loved Highbury...it WAS the Arsenal...Art Deco stand....its own station....place was steeped in history....bust of Herbert Chapman
could sing outside the ground and the players would look out of the windows.....so many other fans were jealous of our tradition and history

It was worth fighting for...standing on the Northbank waiting for West Ham or in the Man Utd away section in the clock, in those days that was par for the course., it was a Working class game

Its where my dad went to se games all his life and where i followed tradition

The characters are gone now...replaced by god knows what...the fans are used to being treated like sheep totally docile no passion

Thats progress i guess....but i still got all my memories, great laughs, and high drama and of course being bored shitless whilst freezing your bollox off


FUCK THE SOULLESS BOWL and Wenger

Sorry, yeah I think I misread your original meaning. I too hate all-seater stadium for football and I thought making the two ends at Highbury all seater took a little something away from them. And with the nazi-stewards at the Conglomerates throwing people out for continuous standing I dislike the place even more.

Also, one of the most despicable things I've ever heard of in over 40 years of being a football supporter is the text-a-steward "service".

Yeah I got 'spoken to' by some nazistewards for calling shawcrosscunt a 'Dirty Wanker' in the game against the orcs ( I even didn't swear - I usually add in Fucking or something equally as expressive) we had a corner and shawcross was about 30 feet away - I know he heard me...then I saw this arf arf wot ho bloke & his missus turn round from 3 rows in front and give me daggers as if I just shat in her handbag (Gucci of course - No seriously it was) and then 3 of the Nazi's turned up told me if I did it again I'd be 'Out!'.

I waited till the end of the game (well it was 10 minutes to go) and saw them leaving early - they headed towards the end of their row...so I politely asked them 'Why did you called the stewards? You do know it is allowed to give some grief to the player who purposefully broke Ramsey's leg!" they didn't deny it, they wouldn't even look at me, then as she went past me she said 'you hooligans shouldn't be allowed in football games' - I was like WHAT!?


That's what it's come to.

[Redarmy]

did not get sucked to this "dream" could not believe last day at Highbury all these wankers saying its for the best....has to be done

Only go very occasionally even then get into rows with tossers around me or stewards or outside with old bill herding you like fucking sheep

jumped a barrier and walked in the road las time...fucking plod just trying to annoy people with there barriers

Really? Not having a pop at you here, mate - but I honestly doubt anyone didn't buy into the move to some degree at the time. Maybe you didn't buy into it, but if that is true then I'd say you were one of about 3 people that didn't! Hindsight is a great thing as they say and I do view claims like yours (respectfully) with a pinch of salt (a bit like when augie claims he wanted Wenger gone in 2007!! ). But I'm not calling you a liar - if you say you didn't then I accept that.

I don't mind admitting I bought into it at the time. Yes I was terribly sad to leave Highbury which I thought was the most beautiful stadium I've ever been in (and I've been in most of the famous and infamous ones around England and Europe). I'd hoped there was some way to stay in THOF.

If you think back to that time, the club/board had delivered the goods since 1986 - 5 league titles, 5 FA Cups, 2 League cups and the ECWC (including 2 "proper" doubles, a previously unheard-of cup double, and an Invincible season) between the two best managers we've ever had (GG and pre-2008 Wenger). Anyone that claims they don't view that as the club/board delivering the goods is a lying twat tbh. And, it has to be remembered, that success was during eras when first a practically unbeatable Liverpool and then later the financially rich Manure were dominant.

So when the board that had delivered so much success said we were moving to compete with Europe's elite and the PL's newly-pimped clubs, we put our trust in them to deliver again, we believed they were honestly trying to move the footballing side of the club forward - and they did it without leveraging the debt and risking the club's future like the Glasers did at the manc. All looked rosy.

Unfortunately it turned out we were hoodwinked and the board were only motivated by greed and pride and arrogance, not footballing success. So, again with hindsight, I think the move was the worst thing that ever happened to The Arsenal. We sold our soul, left our spiritual home behind, pissed on our traditions, and we have exactly what to show for it? Are we competing with the elite of Europe? Are we winning PL titles? Are we fuck.

Generally speaking, we "averaged" a league title every 4 years in the 20 years between GG's appointment in 1986 and the move out of Highbury. I would go back to that, if that's what staying in our beloved beautiful Highbury meant, in the blink of an eye. A title every 4 years whilst getting to walk up those steps onto the famous North Bank? Fuck yeah.

Absolutely true...i HATE all seater stadiums...maybe thats just me but i like standing up
Being able to move about have some banter and meet others...in a seat you can be stuck next to someone you want to batter within 10 minutes

Loved Highbury...it WAS the Arsenal...Art Deco stand....its own station....place was steeped in history....bust of Herbert Chapman
could sing outside the ground and the players would look out of the windows.....so many other fans were jealous of our tradition and history

It was worth fighting for...standing on the Northbank waiting for West Ham or in the Man Utd away section in the clock, in those days that was par for the course., it was a Working class game

Its where my dad went to se games all his life and where i followed tradition

The characters are gone now...replaced by god knows what...the fans are used to being treated like sheep totally docile no passion

Thats progress i guess....but i still got all my memories, great laughs, and high drama and of course being bored shitless whilst freezing your bollox off


FUCK THE SOULLESS BOWL and Wenger

Sorry, yeah I think I misread your original meaning. I too hate all-seater stadium for football and I thought making the two ends at Highbury all seater took a little something away from them. And with the nazi-stewards at the Conglomerates throwing people out for continuous standing I dislike the place even more.

Also, one of the most despicable things I've ever heard of in over 40 years of being a football supporter is the text-a-steward "service".

Yeah I got 'spoken to' by some nazistewards for calling shawcrosscunt a 'Dirty Wanker' in the game against the orcs ( I even didn't swear - I usually add in Fucking or something equally as expressive) we had a corner and shawcross was about 30 feet away - I know he heard me...then I saw this arf arf wot ho bloke & his missus turn round from 3 rows in front and give me daggers as if I just shat in her handbag (Gucci of course - No seriously it was) and then 3 of the Nazi's turned up told me if I did it again I'd be 'Out!'.

I waited till the end of the game (well it was 10 minutes to go) and saw them leaving early - they headed towards the end of their row...so I politely asked them 'Why did you called the stewards? You do know it is allowed to give some grief to the player who purposefully broke Ramsey's leg!" they didn't deny it, they wouldn't even look at me, then as she went past me she said 'you hooligans shouldn't be allowed in football games' - I was like WHAT!?


That's what it's come to.

Absolutely ridiculous.....they want 60,000 fucking robots watching games...
The only way it will change is if it becomes uncomfortable for these "new fan types" .....its all set up for them now, they got the money....

[DB10GOONER]

very Meh about the Emirates. Lovely looking stadium but with an infamously shit atmosphere.

Never had the privilege of going to Highbury but I bet there was a good noisey atmosphere at it.

Best game I've been to at the emirates was the second 5-2 scum game ... great day

I went to highbury for 36 years
Plenty of nights at highbury where the loudest it got was the slamming of seats as disgruntled fans left early during a disappointing performance
In the dreadful 75/76 we lost twice at home to everton in a week
The 2 nd one being in the league cup with 22'000 people
Transfer listed alan ball strolling about not giving a fuck
The only glimmer a young Stapleton emerging
I was 12
At the same age I took my daughter to the emirates in 07 when we beat chelsea when Gallas scored and it was rocking
History does that
Legends never had a bad day and highbury was always a cauldron
It wasn't
We outgrew highbury
When the emirates rocks it knocks it into a cocked hat
We need a manager with the bollocks to take the club where the move should take us
The move was a sound one

No one said Highbury always rocked. No one said legends never had a bad day.

[wibble]

The thing I liked about Highbury is it always rocked and the legends never had a bad day...

[DB10GOONER]

The thing I liked about Highbury is it always rocked and the legends never had a bad day...

Yeah, me too.

[Red Snapper]

The thing I liked about Highbury is it always rocked and the legends never had a bad day...

Yeah, me too.

Also of course they paid us to attend and the chauffer driven limos to take us home were very comfortable!

[GoonerMuzz]

Loved Highbury even the cold, wet, miserable nights felt like home (i know some of them were bad) but i've never been to the bowl due to financial reasons initially and since then because of what i hear from friends that do go.

The thing about the move was at the time most people i knew hated the idea of moving but they understood why we were, or thought they did. The problem is we all thought we were moving for football reasons unfortunately as it turns out we were moving for purely corporate reasons, the first and foremost of them being money

I remember the Tarquins at Highbury they were there at most games i went to but the thing was the majority of those, as i remember it, were dyed in the wool Gooners too, as likely to go mad celebrating as any of us even if they look really slightly embarrassed afterwards.

From what i hear the ones at Cashburton are nothing like the ones i remember from Highbury and i may be a cynic but the gentrification of Arsenal for me feels like a deliberate tactic by the club (at least someone there understands tactics ), the JCL/Tarquins are less likely to be anti-club if things are going badly than the old school Highbury Gooners would have been.

[Jumpers For Goalposts]

I've told this story before including in an article in The Gooner magazine.

I was on the official Fans Forum as rep for silver members from 2005 - 2007. Keith Edelman was MD at the time and he chaired most of our meetings. He stated quite openly on many occasions that the Club's intention was to change the fan Base away from single male to families / women / children. It was obvious that the methods to be used were upping the prices, family areas and zero tolerance towards standing / swearing.

I argued with him to a degree, saying that we need a hard core of fans or it will be sterile but he would not be swayed.

I feel embarrassed now that I didn't fight harder but it was just after 2004 - we were all in awe of what was happening and we trusted Edelman & Co to do what was right for the Club.

Turns out they did what was right for them and people like me were too star struck to stand against them.

Which is probably why I'm so fucking grumpy about them 10 years later. They sold the heritage and traditions of our wonderful Club and couldn't even deliver some meaning silverware to soften the sodding blow.

[flash gunner]

Worst thing we ever did.

Sold a lie about competing with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Miss Highbury more now than ever!!!!

[StuartL]

Worst thing we ever did.

Sold a lie about competing with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Miss Highbury more now than ever!!!!

Did they ever say we would compete against them on the pitch ?
They obviously meant in a financial sense

All that cheap about how admired around d the world we are for our business model

What about what actually counts, winning ?

[robbo10]

Which is probably why I'm so fucking grumpy about them 10 years later. They sold the heritage and traditions of our wonderful Club and couldn't even deliver some meaning silverware to soften the sodding blow.

And the sad,and frustrating thing is we will never get it back,and that really fucking hurts

[Perryashburtongroves]

Which is probably why I'm so fucking grumpy about them 10 years later. They sold the heritage and traditions of our wonderful Club and couldn't even deliver some meaning silverware to soften the sodding blow.

And the sad,and frustrating thing is we will never get it back,and that really fucking hurts

I agree. The club needs to focus on reconnecting with fans and needs to take time to think about who the club is and what it stands for. Quite frankly these days, they couldn't give a fuck about the local area and traditional fans and are more concerned with fannying about in America or Asia than thinking about the fans that really matter.

[robbo10]

Which is probably why I'm so fucking grumpy about them 10 years later. They sold the heritage and traditions of our wonderful Club and couldn't even deliver some meaning silverware to soften the sodding blow.

And the sad,and frustrating thing is we will never get it back,and that really fucking hurts

I agree. The club needs to focus on reconnecting with fans and needs to take time to think about who the club is and what it stands for. Quite frankly these days, they couldn't give a fuck about the local area and traditional fans and are more concerned with fannying about in America or Asia than thinking about the fans that really matter.

Arsenal PLC couldn't care a jot whether Mr Smith from Islington who's been going for 70 years goes to the game, or Mr Wong the tourist fan straight off the plane from China/Singapore/Japan goes,as long as Arsenal get the £55 plus they couldn't care less,we support a business,not football club,

[Brightonnxtround]

So what era we all going to do about this , there must be something, let's fight, kick up a storm
Fight back for fuck sake for the sake of The Gunners

[flash gunner]

So what era we all going to do about this , there must be something, let's fight, kick up a storm
Fight back for fuck sake for the sake of The Gunners