Wenger - Why I missed special Anfield moment

[Basil is a Gooner]

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... eld-moment

Every Arsenal fan knows the story of Anfield '89 but Arsène Wenger's memories of that famous game are actually rather sketchy.
This season marks the 20th anniversary of the night that Michael Thomas scored in stoppage time to snatch the title from Liverpool on Merseyside. As a result generations of Arsenal fans have grown up with Brian Moore's memorable commentary - "It's up for grabs now!" - etched on their consciousness.
For Wenger, May 26, 1989 was a rather more sedate affair. The Frenchman was in charge of Monaco at the time and, as he explained ahead of Tuesday's visit to Anfield, he was unable to see Arsenal's title decider on television.
"No, we did not watch English games live in France," said Wenger. "We felt we were better than England and television was less internationalised than it is now – we only watched domestic games.
"I have seen the goals, I haven’t seen the game but I have seen the goals many times since and it makes history. It made history because it’s in the final minute and it was the unpredictability of winning 2-0 at Anfield that made a big impact.
"You always feel when people speak about it that it was a special moment of the Club. It was such a big thing. Since then we’ve won a few times at Anfield as well. What is amazing is that Liverpool was a dominant force at the time but they’ve had more problems to dominate English football like they did at the time."



I find Arsenes comments quite amusing and odd (nothing new there).

I know we have discussed this here before, but to lift the mood here today I thought I would ask where were you in 89.....

I watched it with my dad and he nearly took the roof off - mental crazy and absolutely incredible!

[Boomer]

Same at home in the front room watching it. Yell to the top of the house and even Dad (a Hammer) celebrated the goal.

[flash gunner]

I watched it at home with my dad, mum and brother all of us gooners i was 17 at the time we all went mental when Mickey scored and I met up with some friends afterwards and got pissed.

My dad passed away a few years ago at a fairly young age its one of the things im so glad i shared with him

[SPUDMASHER]

I was in the Kop end and had to be rescued by the old bill. Back in them days I was just taken down the other end of the ground (I was told to keep off the pitch but ignored the instruction) and was put in among the Arsenal fans. Today I would just be ejected from the ground
I woke up the next morning in a field a couple of miles from my house. I have no recollection of the journey home from Liverpool at all, which is a bit worrying considering I drove home

[Boomer]

I was in the Kop end and had to be rescued by the old bill. Back in them days I was just taken down the other end of the ground (I was told to keep off the pitch but ignored the instruction) and was put in among the Arsenal fans. Today I would just be ejected from the ground
I woke up the next morning in a field a couple of miles from my house. I have no recollection of the journey home from Liverpool at all, which is a bit worrying considering I drove home

[MK Gould]

Was on holiday in the South of France a couple of years back and tried to find a bar showing our Champions League qualifier. Not easy....and this is in the days of satellite TV! Not surprised that French TV didn't show the Liverpool v Arsenal game in 1989....football in France just isn't a big spectator sport!

[DB10GOONER]

I was in the Kop end and had to be rescued by the old bill. Back in them days I was just taken down the other end of the ground (I was told to keep off the pitch but ignored the instruction) and was put in among the Arsenal fans. Today I would just be ejected from the ground
I woke up the next morning in a field a couple of miles from my house. I have no recollection of the journey home from Liverpool at all, which is a bit worrying considering I drove home

Quality.

My mate and I were promised tickets but got let down so we decided to do something special for the game and about four of us booked into a hotel in Dublin (seperate rooms you arseholes ) and hit the beer. Turned out there were about 30 Scousers on a sunday league football team away weekend staying there too...

Atmos was a bit tense to say the least and the barmen were shitting... Then we won and we decided (pissed as fuck as we were) to be funny bastards and asked the barman to put on "Ferry Across the Mersey". He did and we started singing "Empty handed across the Mersey" to the Mousers. In fairness to them they laughed and bought us a few beers. We drank til 6 the next morning, slept for a couple of hours (me in the bathtub in my room for some reason) and then hit a bar down the harbour for the day in lovely sunshine. Was drunk for about a week afterwards, just couldn't stop celebrating...

[12thGooner]

I was in my lounge at my parents watching the game on my tod. I have more friends now.. honest

[BRAZILLIANT 19]

I can still remember it as if it was yesterday. 20 years ago before my knees gave up the ghost i was still playing and as luck would have it some bright spark had organised our end of season presentation evening for the same night. So i threw on my gladrags and made sure the video was set before heading off to the local hostelry. I had planned to try and avoid the score and watch the game later when i got in. However the manager of our team { a Leeds fan } had other plans and sat across the other side of the room from me on a table with the two Scouse supporters that played in our team. The three of them were huddled around a little transistor radio on the table and i couldn't take my eyes off them trying to judge how the game was going by their expressions. Half time came and went with the manager signalling to me that the game was 0-0. Then a huge grin came on his face and he gestured to me that we were 1-0 up. By this time the entertainment had started,some dodgy comedian,who i paid hardly any attention to,so busy was i staring across to the Scousers table who were starting to get even closer to the radio as the minutes ticked away. Then the magic moment happened,the two scousers slumped forward on the table,head in hands and our team manager with a huge grin on his face,gestured to me that we had scored and the game was over. By this time the comedian had picked up on the hand signals being fired across the room at this moment our manager got to his feet,apologised to the comedian and announced to the room that the mighty Gunners had seen off the Mousers on their own patch 2-0 and landed the league. At this point the two scousers got up and walked out. I then attempted to drink like an irishman { but failed miserably }

Then after a few more drinks i picked up a Chinese takeaway and went home to watch the video of the game in to the wee small hours. Not quite the same as being there but a fantastic memory just the same and i still have that original video somewhere in my attic.

[RaM]

I wasn't even conceived.

My parents had just moved out here and so my Dad also missed the game because of course it would have been nigh on impossible to get coverage in Australia back then.

[12thGooner]

I wasn't even conceived.

My parents had just moved out here and so my Dad also missed the game because of course it would have been nigh on impossible to get coverage in Australia back then.

What were your parents thinking....

he should get you the dvd special and hire a cinema, fill it full of honey's and do special screening just for you. That would be cool.

[corkbarry]

I wasn't even conceived.

My parents had just moved out here and so my Dad also missed the game because of course it would have been nigh on impossible to get coverage in Australia back then.

Get the DVD Fever Pitch, it will move you to tears (of joy)

[WHL-71-04]

I was on holiday with a friend and his family (Liverpool fans). We were watching it in their caravan and when Thomas' goal went in I went so crazy I broke the stands on the thing. They had to knock £400 off the price when they sold it.

Great memories.

[I Hate Hleb]

Was sat in my front room with a couple of mates smoking the herb and drinking whilst watching the game. With a couple of minutes to go and resigned to the fact that we'd played well, were going to win, but not by the two goals neccessary, another pal popped around with his gal to offer his condolences.

Just at that moment, with the crowd whistling and Barnes making his way threateningly into our box, it appeared all but over. I said thanks to my pal and sat there, watching the screen but in an emotional as well as drink & drug-induced daze thinking of what might have been.

I was of course proud of the lads, because no-one really expected us to do it, but very sad at the same time that our best opportunity to win the title for the first time since 1971 had slipped through our fingers. The rest is of course history that we know well, and I can honestly say that I've never celebrated an Arsenal win in the same manner since.

However, the memory that will forever stick with me is the way everything literally slowed down as Thomas made his charge into the box. We all know that Mickey T. took what seemed like an age before shooting but I swear that at the time, and with every subsequent viewing of the goal, it looks like Ray Houghton is going to make a tackle to dispossess him. Thank feck he didn't because the shock and then joy I felt when the ball eventually went in the scousers net has yet to be replicated in the subsequent 20 years.

[Chunky The Gooner]

I was at home watching the match. When it looked liked we werent going to get the 2nd goal my dad went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee!!! Only to miss Mickey T's goal!! . My phone went shortly after the game and all I could do was scream down the phone. To this day I still didnt find out who it was or what they wanted !!
My dad cant be very lucky as he told me for the 1971 title decider at White Hart Lane when he got there he couldnt get anywhere near the ground due to the volume of people and he actually had a ticket!!