The Gooner Forum

Perryashburtongroves wrote:

When you went through the turnstiles, what was in front of you?

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Ah, you must be one of Hlebby's mates!

marcengels wrote:

flash gunner wrote:

Eboue-Why? wrote:You know when you were a kid M.I.G, were you one of those who just kept saying to your parents...'But why?'
Don't get me wrong, I love your interest in the past but you must have been a bloody nightmare when you were 9 years old!!

Anyway in answer to your question, Sammy's summed it up nicely!

and Sammy was right.... stairs

But at the top of the stairs - what about the golden light, the fountain, the angels, the....oops, ive already said too much

and some wonder why us old bastards didnt want to move from highbury

Anyone ever read "Highbury, The story of Arsenal in N5? by John Spurling. Got some interesting first hand stories in it. I like the one with the guy who cleaned the terraces after matches in the 30s. He said he found used condoms in the terraces.

Tom Watt - "The End".
It is a book about the North Bank, a very good read.

The first time i came to the top of the stairs i saw my love.....yes the big beautiful lush green field with whitewashed lines and in the distance...the clock end....oh the clock end

however, the pitch had a brown tint to it and the red and white kitted out players look imperious.....then the noise...the roar, nothing today matches it....the surge forward and the explosion of utter delirium when the ball hit the oppos net....

The smells were often sick....fags, piss, beer and the odour de B.O
BUT

it was Highbury, the North Bank and home....

fuck the prawns, the wonder of you, the diamond club, the sixty thousand seats.....nothing will ever ever surpass the heart beat getting faster when you reached the top of those stairs......nothing....the old men who remember the 30s, 40s and 50s would struggle to get to the bottom from the turnstile, but all would leap those stairs to the top knowing what was there to behold....and nothing made a man happier (or boy) when the whistle was blown and 90 minutes of theatre began....a quick glance to the ABCDEFGHI board for scores and the songs....the North Bank songs...the crush barriers and the peanut man.....

SammyDroppedHisShorts wrote:The first time i came to the top of the stairs i saw my love.....yes the big beautiful lush green field with whitewashed lines and in the distance...the clock end....oh the clock end

however, the pitch had a brown tint to it and the red and white kitted out players look imperious.....then the noise...the roar, nothing today matches it....the surge forward and the explosion of utter delirium when the ball hit the oppos net....

The smells were often sick....fags, piss, beer and the odour de B.O
BUT

it was Highbury, the North Bank and home....

fuck the prawns, the wonder of you, the diamond club, the sixty thousand seats.....nothing will ever ever surpass the heart beat getting faster when you reached the top of those stairs......nothing....the old men who remember the 30s, 40s and 50s would struggle to get to the bottom from the turnstile, but all would leap those stairs to the top knowing what was there to behold....and nothing made a man happier (or boy) when the whistle was blown and 90 minutes of theatre began....a quick glance to the ABCDEFGHI board for scores and the songs....the North Bank songs...the crush barriers and the peanut man.....

Spot on Sammy great post mate

Although I was too young to remember being on it when there was terracing, The North Bank for me was home.....My first memories are from the 94 season to be honest, so dont have good old stories from those days but it didnt/doesnt make a difference to me.

My mum was the one who took me and my bro and sis to highbury not me dad as he was fulham.

Used to get the train from acton town on the piccadilly all the way to arsenal, and would sit their waiting for anyone to get one in gooner colours, so i could look at my sis and smile "they're going where we are", we'd get off do a left and always buy our programme from the sme place the programme seller opposite the "EAT IT" hot nuts seller.

That I still miss, it was almost un-audioble, but the strong/loud "EAT-IT" the fella made it sound like one word. Then we'd go in the left of the stand and make our way to the lower tier. There would be a smell drifting over from the lower left, i never knew what it was but i loved it and it was like a homely smell to me (only in my teen years did i realise it was weed, which made me even more proud for loving the smell )

The atmosphere was always great before the game, and would get better if the result was going the rite way.

Not only that I always remember the stewards being great!!! At the time my mum suffered from panic attacks (something i have only learnt in later years, to be honest I only think she took us for...us. Dont think she liked it but clearly loved seeing us have a good time....bless her!!!!). A lot of games she would dissapear during the game to the "toilet", stewards used to come and do regular checks on me, my bro and sister...."you alright guys?, your mums just having a ciggie and will be back in 5mins". At the time I didnt realise, but they were looking after her in the back and checking up on us.....PURE CLASS!!!!!

Even as a kid it was like a family......god I miss it!!!!!!!!

northbankbren wrote:Although I was too young to remember being on it when there was terracing, The North Bank for me was home.....My first memories are from the 94 season to be honest, so dont have good old stories from those days but it didnt/doesnt make a difference to me.

My mum was the one who took me and my bro and sis to highbury not me dad as he was fulham.

Used to get the train from acton town on the piccadilly all the way to arsenal, and would sit their waiting for anyone to get one in gooner colours, so i could look at my sis and smile "they're going where we are", we'd get off do a left and always buy our programme from the sme place the programme seller opposite the "EAT IT" hot nuts seller.

That I still miss, it was almost un-audioble, but the strong/loud "EAT-IT" the fella made it sound like one word. Then we'd go in the left of the stand and make our way to the lower tier. There would be a smell drifting over from the lower left, i never knew what it was but i loved it and it was like a homely smell to me (only in my teen years did i realise it was weed, which made me even more proud for loving the smell )

The atmosphere was always great before the game, and would get better if the result was going the rite way.

Not only that I always remember the stewards being great!!! At the time my mum suffered from panic attacks (something i have only learnt in later years, to be honest I only think she took us for...us. Dont think she liked it but clearly loved seeing us have a good time....bless her!!!!). A lot of games she would dissapear during the game to the "toilet", stewards used to come and do regular checks on me, my bro and sister...."you alright guys?, your mums just having a ciggie and will be back in 5mins". At the time I didnt realise, but they were looking after her in the back and checking up on us.....PURE CLASS!!!!!

Even as a kid it was like a family......god I miss it!!!!!!!!

You're welcome. No need to thank me. The pleasure was all mine (or so I thought!! )

I Hate Hleb wrote:
You're welcome. No need to thank me. The pleasure was all mine (or so I thought!! )

You could have sorted my mum out with a few toaks, would have helped with the panic attacks....or not

Cheers for the smells......i mean memories hleby

To add my mum always used to take us to the chippy on the corner of Avenelle and Gillespe road after the game....we'd queue for about 10 mins and the chips were as hot as you can get, on a cold night this was a god send.....we'd then head to the old clock end players entrance and wait for the odd random player for a bout an hour.

If we were lucky mum would treat us to a curry in shepards bush on the way home and we'd be back in time to watch motd with dad.

GOD I REALLY MISS HIGHBURY........

Ashburton to big for my mum (and her eyesight to fully enjoy), but she's been and said she enjoyed it, just not the same......




she doesnt have the panic attacks anymore so hleb cant pass the dutchie to the brenbankside

northbankbren wrote:To add my mum always used to take us to the chippy on the corner of Avenelle and Gillespe road after the game....we'd queue for about 10 mins and the chips were as hot as you can get, on a cold night this was a god send.....

At first I thought you meant "chippy" as in prostitute

Sorry mate. Seriously though, good story.

Glad to hear that your mother's panic attacks have ceased northbankbren. I was very happy to play my part - very happy!!

I Hate Hleb wrote:Glad to hear that your mother's panic attacks have seized northbankbren. I was very happy to play my part - very happy!!

Freudian slip IHH?

(glad shes ok now too).

Barriecuda wrote:

northbankbren wrote:To add my mum always used to take us to the chippy on the corner of Avenelle and Gillespe road after the game....we'd queue for about 10 mins and the chips were as hot as you can get, on a cold night this was a god send.....

At first I thought you meant "chippy" as in prostitute

Sorry mate. Seriously though, good story.

Don't let digger here you say that!

Basil is a Gooner wrote:

I Hate Hleb wrote:Glad to hear that your mother's panic attacks have seized northbankbren. I was very happy to play my part - very happy!!

Freudian slip IHH?

(glad shes ok now too).

By me? Never!!!