WERE YOU THERE PART 6.....Paris 2006?

[merson_is_god]

What a game for us...our first Champions League Final and against Barcelona. Were you there that night? What are your memories of the build up of the game, walking to the stadium, Lehmann's sending off, Sol's bullet header and then the collapse?

[USMartin]

Yes. Arrived London Ticketless. Managed to take a coach to Dover and a nd a ferry across or a quartet of Gooners, cab to Lille train to Paris, where we got separated. Watched in a pub right across from the ground(didn't have the money to buy two tix as the one tout I found insisted - just as well as a mate here I know was stopped and arrested going in fo buying his ticket illegally).

Very weird match that seemed over almost from the moment Jens was sent off. Even after Eboue's dive and Sol's goal there was more disbelief than confidence. But as the lead held up it was replaced by nor confidence or assurance but increasing hope till the equaliser, which although ineviitablle was as stunning as could be. Somehow the last goal was less stunning at that point. The one thing that sticks with me today was thinking if not for Almunia being beaten where he nveer should have been beaten really - as we have said on and off mostly on the last five years - we might actually have won that night.

The night after that was a bizarre experience that want on forever. Singing loudly with proud and defiant Gooners deep into the night, what seemed like epic - but was truly routine - sex with what seemed a an utterly stunning but most likely was a fairly pretty barmaid defuintely a pity fuck on her part. Stumbling about for a place to sleep (genuis that I am I hadn't thought of booking early for a room) then still awake and barely functioning taking the train to Dunkerque instead of Dover and looking about thinking am I the first foreigner here since the Germans pulled out in 44?.

Eventually tavelled back to Lille and onto dover where by the time I got on the ferry looking for a place to crash but I was to wound up to sleep now. It was a sadly quiet ride acrioss the channel - sad's a bit strong - but it was quiet for sure we all acknowledged each other as Gooners but that was about as much as we were ready for now.

The funny thing is getting into Dover I hadn't seen the four Gooners I'd travelled over with - Roger Mark, Colin and John they were I think - great blokes and top Gooners - Since boarding the train into Paris. So guess who was right in front of me as the National Express office? Yep. Don't remember the ride back into London at all except thinking one them was messing about fanning my head as I was out and just about comatose by then.

Anyway that's about that then...

[dorset_gooner]

Took the ferry over and train from Calais to Garre du Nord on the day of the game. The train journey was epic, never seen so many stubby bottles littering the carriage, think P&O's entire duty free shop was on the floor of that train by the time it entered Paris

The ground was awesome, the sightlines from the seats were in my opinion probably the best I had ever witnessed. Atmosphere was weird in the ground, like the above post, there was just a bizarre feeling of waiting for the inevitable to happen. Disbelief when Sol scored, and what seemed like about three or so clear chances for TH14 to finish em off and do the unthinkable.

Left the ground as soon as the whistle went and have never watched the game on TV since.

Looking back, it was a great experience, it was the climax to an amazing euro run really and I suppose I thought that we were gonna pull it off despite Barca being heavy favourites as we had just had the luck and performances in the previous rounds.

[Vince]

Here's some of the pictures I took that day:



I'm from north east of Paris, so it was amazing for me to see so many gooners in Paris. It's the kind of thing that happens once in a life (because there's no proper football Club in Paris).
Anyway, on my way to Paris I met some gooners, so I helped them. I followed them on the many bars we went, and they payed me some beers. It was a fantastic atmosphere, then we went at the stade de France, of course I had no tickets. The guys decided to buy some tickets, and I couldn't afford it so we split and I joined my mates to watch the game in a bar just near the stadium. Great atmosphere, we could hear the fans celebrate Campbell's goal just few seconds before we seen it on tv. Of course it wasn't a happy end, I was upset but it's still one of my best memory as an Arsenal fan.

[USMartin]

Not the same pub as I was I at. Never heard the roar - too tense to notice anythiong but the TV, especially as it was rather small and brought in just fior the match by the look of it. It was bit like that movie "the Cup" about the Bhuddist monks who find a TV to watch the 98 WC final really....

[onemoreminute]

Here's some of the pictures I took that day:

[URL=http://sd-1.archive-



host.com/membres/images/45105191552299729/Arsenal_Barca_2006/12.jpg]
[/URL]

I'm from north east of Paris, so it was amazing for me to see so many gooners in Paris. It's the kind of thing that happens once in a life (because there's no proper football Club in Paris).
Anyway, on my way to Paris I met some gooners, so I helped them. I followed them on the many bars we went, and they payed me some beers. It was a fantastic atmosphere, then we went at the stade de France, of course I had no tickets. The guys decided to buy some tickets, and I couldn't afford it so we split and I joined my mates to watch the game in a bar just near the stadium. Great atmosphere, we could hear the fans celebrate Campbell's goal just few seconds before we seen it on tv. Of course it wasn't a happy end, I was upset but it's still one of my best memory as an Arsenal fan.

Vince

In the first picture, the guy with the top tied round his waist is none other than ......................DB10!!!!!

[Vince]

Here's some of the pictures I took that day:

[URL=http://sd-1.archive-



host.com/membres/images/45105191552299729/Arsenal_Barca_2006/12.jpg]
[/URL]

I'm from north east of Paris, so it was amazing for me to see so many gooners in Paris. It's the kind of thing that happens once in a life (because there's no proper football Club in Paris).
Anyway, on my way to Paris I met some gooners, so I helped them. I followed them on the many bars we went, and they payed me some beers. It was a fantastic atmosphere, then we went at the stade de France, of course I had no tickets. The guys decided to buy some tickets, and I couldn't afford it so we split and I joined my mates to watch the game in a bar just near the stadium. Great atmosphere, we could hear the fans celebrate Campbell's goal just few seconds before we seen it on tv. Of course it wasn't a happy end, I was upset but it's still one of my best memory as an Arsenal fan.

Vince

In the first picture, the guy with the top tied round his waist is none other than ......................DB10!!!!!

ahah yeah I know, the world is small.

[augie]

Not as small as our midget jackeen mod (but then again who or what is ?).

I was in paris 2006 and the atmosphere and craic going out on the metro to the stadium was brilliant as us Gooners chanted at the barca fans and then they chanted back at us - it was all good natured stuff Have to say though that I had never before that night or since that night ever travelled on a train as crowded as that metro and I hope I never will - it was bedlam and we were all like sardines in a tin

[Vince]

Not as small as our midget jackeen mod (but then again who or what is ?).

I was in paris 2006 and the atmosphere and craic going out on the metro to the stadium was brilliant as us Gooners chanted at the barca fans and then they chanted back at us - it was all good natured stuff Have to say though that I had never before that night or since that night ever travelled on a train as crowded as that metro and I hope I never will - it was bedlam and we were all like sardines in a tin

Yeah it's terrible!
In summer, when it's very hot, when u come back from work, there's too many french people in a small place ..... u can't breathe!

i'm joking, of course we don't stink in France

[Gunner152]

i actually moved into my new and first ever house that very day and i decedied to buy sky - good job i did as the ariel didnt work and the tv wouldn't work withouht the sky box.

[USMartin]

Not as small as our midget jackeen mod (but then again who or what is ?).

I was in paris 2006 and the atmosphere and craic going out on the metro to the stadium was brilliant as us Gooners chanted at the barca fans and then they chanted back at us - it was all good natured stuff Have to say though that I had never before that night or since that night ever travelled on a train as crowded as that metro and I hope I never will - it was bedlam and we were all like sardines in a tin

The trains out the stadium were magnificent that night. One of the great things about the whole experience.

[worthing gooner]

Drove to Paris after getting the 330am Eurotunnel on the day of the game and checked into our hotel at CDG airport. Straight on the pop at 7am and never stopped till the game. A geezer offered me and the mrs a grand a piece for our 2 tickets. We politely declined and never from that point on told anyone that we had any for fear of being relieved of them. (Stories going around about that happening). In the ground row 14 or so behind the goal and got soaked. Sol's opener arrived and i dont think that i have celebrated anything like that ever, so cheers Sol. The rest hurt but i left feeling down but proud. Watched them recieve the trophy and left. To this day i have never forgiven Puyol/Marquez/Goofy and the rest for constant working the ref in all fouls. Just made me sick. So Barca are on a par with the dross down the road in the class dept...
Cheers for the memories boys.

[donaldo]

Booked a three day stay in Paris going over by Eurostar the day after the Villareal game.As a ST holder thought i would get a ticket ok.But fucking didnt.Then a week before the final got an email from the club saying they had got more tickets from uefa.And i had a ticket
The whole experience i Paris was brilliant and wouldnt have missed it for the world.When Sol scored it was like a Anfield moment.Just when you thought we were going to hold out Barca scored and once that happened there was only one winner.Almunia gave us a taste of what was to come in the future.
Against all odds we made it to the final and within 15 mins of winning it.Remember drowning our sorrows till 5am in a bar full of Gooners.A never to be forgotten experience.

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

Not as small as our midget jackeen mod (but then again who or what is ?).

I was in paris 2006 and the atmosphere and craic going out on the metro to the stadium was brilliant as us Gooners chanted at the barca fans and then they chanted back at us - it was all good natured stuff Have to say though that I had never before that night or since that night ever travelled on a train as crowded as that metro and I hope I never will - it was bedlam and we were all like sardines in a tin

Yeah it's terrible!
In summer, when it's very hot, when u come back from work, there's too many french people in a small place ..... u can't breathe!

i'm joking, of course we don't stink in France

I took the missus to Paris a couple of weekends ago & we got the Metro back to the airport at rush hour, and I can confirm Vince is right. It is pandemonium (even more than the tube) & French people do stink (even more than on the tube). Some beautiful women over there though. Unless maybe they were all tourists.

Never had a hope in hell of affording a final ticket in 06 but still wish I’d just gone over there for the day to join in the experience. Vowed to myself that when (if?) we ever make it back to another CL final I'm going ticket or no ticket. Even more determined to now after reading other people's experiences on here.

[USMartin]

Not as small as our midget jackeen mod (but then again who or what is ?).

I was in paris 2006 and the atmosphere and craic going out on the metro to the stadium was brilliant as us Gooners chanted at the barca fans and then they chanted back at us - it was all good natured stuff Have to say though that I had never before that night or since that night ever travelled on a train as crowded as that metro and I hope I never will - it was bedlam and we were all like sardines in a tin

Yeah it's terrible!
In summer, when it's very hot, when u come back from work, there's too many french people in a small place ..... u can't breathe!

i'm joking, of course we don't stink in France

I took the missus to Paris a couple of weekends ago & we got the Metro back to the airport at rush hour, and I can confirm Vince is right. It is pandemonium (even more than the tube) & French people do stink (even more than on the tube). Some beautiful women over there though. Unless maybe they were all tourists.

Never had a hope in hell of affording a final ticket in 06 but still wish I’d just gone over there for the day to join in the experience. Vowed to myself that when (if?) we ever make it back to another CL final I'm going ticket or no ticket. Even more determined to now after reading other people's experiences on here.

It was well worth it - other than the actual result of course. Would much rather have had a ticket but think even knowing how it turned out I'd still regret not being there today if I hadn't done it. Maybe if I hadn't gone to the final NLD at THOF I would have had the ticket money but Fuck that. It was ALL worth it. Or as close as it could be given the result.