Thank You, Arsene, Arsenal And Arsenal Supporters
Dec 15th, 2008 by 'holic
‘Five hundred posts, ‘holic. Will you be doing something special?’ I am amazed at some of the stuff I get asked by complete strangers. Only you’re not complete strangers, are you? I have had the good fortune to meet a number of you, and from the comments that are left there may well be many more I have been in the vicinity of in years gone by.
Not everything is complimentary. ‘It’s a blog, give me more of your views and fewer previews and reviews. Tell me how you became so clearly attached to Arsenal. The anecdotes you recount can be much better than your day-to-day stuff.’ You’ll be sorry, fella!
It’s very easy to explain how Arsenal became so important to me. I can tell when I am talking to people today that they just do not believe that I was taken to Arsenal before I could walk, or talk. If mum needed a break from me I was entrusted to Dad, and when that happened on a Saturday the old fella would be going to Highbury, so I had to go to. (Yes, you probably would get locked up for that today, but the fifties were a different era in so many ways.)
My first recollections were sometime later, and probably stuck in the memory because it was an evening game under floodlights, and for some reason the fact that Bob Wilson was making one of a handful of early appearances also stayed with me. The match was Arsenal’s second competitive European match at the old stadium, a Fairs Cup clash with Royal Liege in 1963.
Bob probably stayed in the memory because just after that game we bought another goalkeeper, Jim Furnell, from Liverpool. For the next five years Furnell, and the assortment of clowns in our defence, contrived to make growing up as an Arsenal supporter a painful experience.
Actually, that is not strictly true. As an attacking force we gave young impressionable fans a lot to appreciate. Joe Baker was my first idol, the free-scoring and spirited centre-forward so often on the end of the creativity of the likes of George Eastham, Geoff Strong, and wingers like Alan Skirton, and a young George Armstrong.
We didn’t win anything though, and no words can convey the depth of anguish felt by a young ‘holic when we lost the League Cup Final to third division Swindon Town. I had missed the trip to Wembley a year earlier when we fell at the final hurdle to Leeds, because we were moving that weekend. How I wish I had not been there in 1969! Yet a year later I was one of the privileged indeed, squeezed into Highbury to see Anderlecht taken apart in the Fairs Cup Final, second leg.
All of a sudden the teenage ‘holic was transported to somewhere very special, as that European success was followed with the hallowed double, only previously achieved in the twentieth century by ‘that shower’ up the road. To increase the euphoria we landed the title at the Lane, and as if being there wasn’t enough I was at Wembley five days later to see Charlie, bless him, nail the winner against Liverpool.
Around this time I started to travel regularly to away games too. Through the seventies I missed very few games. Travel was cheap and the crack was just tremendous. Sadly though that double side was broken up all too quickly and by the mid-seventies we were complete and utter garbage. If it wasn’t for Brian Kidd and Terry Mancini we would have followed the path that led the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, and Chelsea to the second division! To put that into a modern context, that would be like Dwight Yorke and Pascal Cygan saving our skins this season!
Anyway, before responsibility, a mortgage, and a back problem got to curtail my football activities I had the good fortune to follow Terry Neill’s red and white army around Europe (and Leicester!). Four Cup Finals in three years, including an ill-fated trip to Brussels, signalled another glut of high-profile games for us to attend.
The mid eighties however saw a return to the mediocrity I had grown up with, and witnessed again in the mid seventies. I could go on, but surely by now you are getting the drift of this very personal trip down memory lane.
Some people accuse me today of being a blind follower of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, as though that is some sort of blind spot. Those used to a decade of nothing but success are starting to turn on some of the players and manager. Do you really think we didn’t say exactly the same things in the mid-seventies and mid -eighties (mid nineties too, come to think of it!) that you are saying now?
In fact I can recall Ian Wright leaning out of the dressing room window and hurling an absolute stream of invective at a group of disolusioned and protesting Gooners in Avenell Road in the wake of Arsenal’s defeat to Blackburn in December 1997. Didn’t we win a couple of trophies the following May?
I managed to skip around twenty years there as I could see some of you starting to yawn! I will skip the last decade too, because most of us have been through it and have our own recollections, and expectations of following Arsenal, either as a result of that last decade, or because of a much wider term.
I just hope that helps to explain a little better why I am not yet slitting my wrists when we are eight points off the Premiership leaders in December 2008. Like many others I think we are short in the squad. Actually I thought at the start of the season we were two players short of being successful, and now I think it is three.
However, being successful is not a right. I am extremely grateful to be supporting one of only two clubs in the top flight that has not experienced second-tier football in my lifetime. I am decidedly grateful to be supporting the only club south of Lancashire that has regularly scooped up major trophies in my lifetime. I wish I had enjoyed the good fortune of my Dad to follow Arsenal when Herbert Chapman made them the biggest club in the world, from nothing.
I’m enjoying my ‘Chapman’ era now though. I hope in time most of you will come to appreciate what I mean when I say that. Thanks , Arsene, Arsenal, and all of you. It’s been joyous, and painful, and that is what has made it so great.
40 Responses to “Thank You, Arsene, Arsenal And Arsenal Supporters”
Nice article and remarkable how closely it coincides with my own Arsenal history. Old Islington family, Dad and Dad’s Dad were supporters, then they took me and my brother Lived within walking distance of the ground. Went to all the games, even reserve matches in those days. And I agree, it’s been great. Thanks ‘Holic it does no harm to reflect on a lifetime’s support occasionally.
Cheers Chris,
Remember on occasion, when money must have been tight, going in the exit gates when they were opened with about twenty minutes to go, for first team and reserve games. You just reminded me. Thanks.
Yes, I even remember the Schoolboys enclosure and being able to walk right around the ground when the stewards opened the doors during reserve matches. I used to walk with my mates up through Highbury fields and get to the ground at about 1.45pm. I suppose it was just for the buzz. And during the school holidays I spent most of my life playing on the cinder pitch at the top of the fields. I realised quite a while ago that supporting Arsenal has been woven deeply into the social fabric of my whole life and even though I live further away these days, when I get to the game it still feels like I’m coming home. Great times mate and my very best to you and yours.
Hey ‘holic, I supported Arsenal since 9th grade and I will think of you when we wins the BPL again
Great article and it reminds me of my love affair with Arsenal which began in 1979. The team has given me a roller-coaster ride of emotions since that F.A. Cup Final when Alan Sunderland’s goal made me want to support a team that never says die and fights to the very end. Also as everybody in Singapore was either a Manure or Pool supporter I decided to be different. I remember many fond memories as well as down moments throughout the years since then which also included my most memorable emotional high when Michael Thomas scored that goal and I was jumping up and down in the middle of the night with tears in my ears with everyone else in the house waking up and thinking I was mad. Ahh… those were the days; I’ll always be a fan even now when it seems we are going back to those up and down days of mid-table mediocrity but no matter what, I’ll always be a fan. The law of averages says we can’t always make it to Europe so let’s cut the team some slack and support them even if they finish below 6th this season.
Go Gunners! You frustrating team that’s shown me the whole range of emotions that I’m capable of and never new possible. At least you are never boring and predictable!
Terrific post ‘holic. It’s always good to hear anecdotes and get perspective from someone who’s followed Arsenal for so long.
Good one old man.. 🙂 .. Lot us young greedy lot can learn from your experiences..
if u ever step in uganda, u’ll have a crate of club on me ‘holic. nice post.
My first game was in 1964, Jim Furnell, Ian Ure et al. Other than that, you have summed up my love affaire with Arsenal. The away trip to Brussels. (Heady days, shame we lost, Damn you Rix)
But the essence of your post is spot on. We were saying the same things. I remeber a group of us in the west stand throwing our season tickets onto the pitch in protest in the mid 80’s (The club saw fit to return them to us in the post).
It’s the same ol same ol…
Good post ‘holic. You are a legend!! we young supporters of our beloved Arsenal FC we need such people to tell us such history to make us strong and don’t criticize too much. These bad days will change am sure for that. Wenger, just add 3 players, we shall rule again. ‘holic, if you come to Africa, pass through Rwanda and meet the elders too (great supporters).
hey big man,
arsenal gets me off depression..it hurts to see what we are going through but knowing wenger i believe that we will pull it off.In a recent survey in Kenya Arsenal was voted the best club in the EPL with Wenger taking the best Manager,Thierry the best all time and guess what Holic Fabregas thumped Ronaldo.(www.nation.co.ke 15/12/08).Go gooners go…go goonerholic go. we love you.
Great post ‘holic. I think we all need some perspective when the chips are down and to the following discussions on the web. I grew up in the 80’s and when you remember what kind of players we had in the team and especially on the bench back then and what kind of performances we had to endure sometimes. I feel so lucky to have been able to see so many matches during the Wenger era and I am just baffled when people are saying ‘Wenger out’ after a couple of bad matches.
Thanks ‘holic – I always enjoy your trips down memory lane.
I agree with all the sentiments in the article. Gooners of a certain vintage have seen a lot but we are patently short of a few class players. I just dont see the potential being fullfilled in the Diaby, Denilsion, Song triangle of doom! Thing is though Arsene can be ruthless sometimes. January will be interesting. oh welll at least Eduardo is back.
the crack was just tremendous
I didn’t have you as a drug addict, ‘holic 😉
Anyway, fantastic write-up, cheers fella, here’s to you.
*raises glass*
Lovely blog, ‘holic – really puits things into perspective.
Similarly, I was an Arsenal supporter before I was old enough to support, and it folowed me through the years to where I am today. I’ll fill you in the full details over a cold Guiness, the next time we’re in the pub for a game!
Keep up the good work…COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
Cheers!
Great blog, ‘holic
*raises glass*
Your Blog is always a fine read `holic.This one is an absolute cracker.
Looking forward to the next five hundred.
Great stuff ‘holic. Roll on the New Year and raising another glass or two.
Great post, great blog. Will you be watching Eddy’s return tonight?
great post.
My grandfather ran away from home in dundee to london in the late 1920’s and lived in an orphanage at the top of avenell road.
He told my dad he used to jump over the fence and into the ground throughout the 30’s as we started to dominate. thats how my dads a gooner and I’m a gooner.
when its a fmaily thing like this it puts everything into perspective, to be honest as long as we keep ourselves with the true traditons of arsenal I can take not winning the league any year.
arsenal till I die
i just wanted to share how i became am arsenal fan….i first remember being emamored with arsenal when i watch them play newcastle in teh FA cup finals and anelka was devastating in that game…i came into liking football very late…as i am from jamaica we did not have access to the premier league until like the mid 90s…and from that day on i have been a rose tinted gunner if there is everyone…i have lost girlfriends over arsenal…in the mornings when i wake up the first thing i do is scoure the internet for anything and everything that is arsenal… i know we maybe going tru a little slump now…but in perspective things are not that bad…and i klnow arsene will turn it around…tru thick or thin…i know i will forever be a GUNNER….
arsenal always be my team in my hard ,even this kind of problem they going true
Wenger said to be patient for the team of players that we had last year. Then when they finally got to be world class he sold off the backbone of the team. This is bullsh*t, Arsenal is not a youth development team, kids should be “getting better” in the reserve team or on loan, not “learning on the job” in Arsenal’s first team, while Arsenal drops out of the top four and its fan base gradually erodes away. Wenger is doing a lot of really stupid stuff with Arsenal right now the train is barely on the tracks, an international fan base will only stick around if the team continues to be world class and filled with some of the best players in the world, this is what we saw at Ajax, as soon as they decided to become a “selling club” of “youth development” they became a small club and their international fanbase dwindled away to nothing, now they are just a local club with a fanbase only [for all intents and purposes] in the Netherlands.
That is what Arsenal is looking at if Wenger continues the curret path, we will be like Tottenham, a club that thinks big of itself but is really small and that nobody in the world cares about except for some diehard fans in London and the UK. A club that is rarely if ever in the running for trophies, forget about winning them. We will wait 15 years to get a Carling Cup trophy and then release a DVD about that historic victory, just like Spurs.
The truth is, even Spurs are more ambitious than Wenger is now, they are trying to build a top club they just can’t keep hold of their players like Berbatov, but they at least kept hold of him for some seasons, if he was at Arsenal he would be gone to Chelsea or Man City or Barcelona after one great season, see you, and Wenger would probably only get like 10 million pounds for him, because that is Wenger’s new style of doing business, sell to the lowest bidder, get rid of your best players as quickly as possible, only play your worst players, never bench your players no matter how bad they play, make sure there is no competition for first team places no matter what, etc.
It is the textbook opposite of everything that is required to run a successful football club. Yes, Wenger did great things with Arsenal 12 years ago, but since Veira left what has happened to the squad: it has gotten worse, worse, worse, just compare the squad we have today to the one we had in Veira’s last year if you want to have a laugh, Arsenal were a huge club filled with stars back then, but now we only have one big star left and that is Fabregas.
Congrats goonerholic! I will cheer u achievment tonight!
I think “crack” should be “craic”!
Great post. I really started to notice and appreciate The Arsenal in the ’70’s – Charlie laying flat on his back after scoring that goal, the thrilling finish to the FA Cup Final when the win over Man U was inspired by Chippy and Sunderland scored the clinching goal. Then there was that European final when Seaman was lobbed by the ex Spurs player (can’t remember his name). The fabulous back four (they shall not pass!) and the sublime football played by the Iceman and Henry. The trouble is we have been spoilt in recent years, when you are at the top expectations rise and the only direction you can move is down. The team may be struggling a bit at the moment and some of the football isn’t great and I’m sure the manager knows that he has made some mistakes but we should remember all that he has achieved and the effect he has had not just on Arsenal but on the whole of English football. One of the problems we have is that all the other teams have raised their game and are now a lot better than they were a few years ago. The race for the title is no longer a two horse one and there are now four or five genuine contenders. However the season finishes I shall still be an avid follower of Arsenal football club and I shall still say thank you to Arsene Wenger for giving me the opportunity to enjoy such wonderful football over the last 10 or 12 years.
Cheers ‘holic. A great perspective.
Nice post…. I’m so fortunate of following a club whose fans are sooo passionate… Even though I started following arsenal very recently(compared to you all) as there was no Premier League being broadcasted in India until the late 90s.. And it was accidently that I started following The Arsenal.. When broadcasting of the Premier League started in India, I used to watch the various footballing shows and was amused to see the footballing skills (the best I’d ever seen in my life) DB10 (my all-time favorite player in the world) did. I then started watching all the premier league shows and slowly started watching Arsenal’s matches.. Thats how I started following the Arsenal..
I’m not so fortunate as many of you guys who had/have the privilege of watching the match Live from the stadium. I have to satisfy myself by watching it on TV or updates on sites. Someday, I’ll fulfill my dream of watching Arsenal playing at the Grove(I used to dream of watching Arsenal play at our beloved Highbury before moving to the ‘Grove. That dream of mine will remain a dream forever)..
I admit we are through a bad patch(the worst during my time following The Arsenal) and it hurts a lot when we lose but I’ll sure that very soon we’ll be out of this patch.. And I’ll be waiting for that. Gooner4ever..
Great read as your posts normally are.
I was born and raised in South London. My late father was an Arsenal supporter and I thank him dearly for that. Most of the family were CSKA Fulham fans but I refused to buckle under the pressure.
My first real memories are as a 6 year old and the 71 season. Had no idea at that stage of the enormity of the achievement. Since then it has been one long eventful journey. As I have since explained to my wife, my relationship with Arsenal is the longest relationship I have ever had. After many years she now fully understands.
The memories I have as a kid onwards, are too numerous. These days I am blessed with two children aged 9 and 5. Both had Arsenal romper suits on when they were less that 24 hours old. They have no choice really but I know they will thank me one day when it has all sunk in.
Let’s be honest about it. Like it or not, we can never change. We are just amazingly fortunate to have been dealt the hand we have.
Arsenal, and very very proud of it.
My best wishes to you and Mrs H.
Up the Gunners.
PS, Nice to see Eduardo playing 45 mins for the reserves, even if he did tweak an hamstring.
i guess this is a good time as any to congratulate you on your blog. Like most blogs i read, i (selfeshly) never post any comments, but i do enjoy the ‘holic articles every morning with a mug of coffee.
My arsenal ‘background’ is not nearly as impressive as yours. I started supporting the team when i lived in london 7 years ago, but i’ve never been to any game :(. I didn’t like football that much before i came to england. and i hate myself for not trying to go to highbury.
So i’m not the life-long, season-ticket, opininated fan that most of you seem to be, and I will probably never be, but i do intend to go to Ashburton sometime in the near future, to see what the fuss is all about. Well done to all of you for supporting the lads week in week out. If i could, i would.
Anyway, thanks ‘holic, i owe it to you!
This is what I come here for: old gits reminiscing (and I mean that in the nicest way) and trying to put some perspective on the present day.
A lovely post which inevitably sends us all off down memory lane. I don’t quite have your credentials having 1st attended in ’68, age 14, with a mate whose dad had previously taken him, despite the fact they were Palace supporters – as I was at the time.
The switch in allegiance wasn’t glory hunting since the team were in the midst of losing League Cup finals at the time, and didn’t really seem to be going anywhere, but just seeing that patch of green and the Art Deco stands in the midst of terraced houses was something magical. The same with the team; but most especially the supporters.
The opening chapter of Fever Pitch is contemporary to this and captures my feeling at the time. These people really did hate being there but there was a feeling of catharsis and when we scored it was something else again.
Hornby says he could have gone to the Lane or the Bridge and had the same experience but I don’t think that’s true. I also went to those shitholes at around that time and came away with nothing but contempt for the creatures inhabiting them.
Arsenal was, and is, something very different and the subsquent years have proved it.
Anyway, enough wittering on. What I really wanted to say was that due to Mrs Garret’s mother being seriously ill I didn’t get to say thanks for the excellent coda to the Eboue saga with your “Prisoner” post 8/12 and to wish Mrs ‘holic all the best.
Ive been reading this blog for a couple of years now. And this has to be THE best post ever in my favorite arsenal blog on the internet.
Thank you, ‘holic.
nice one ‘hols
*mine’s a ice cold carlsberg
Great blog holic. This is one of my must read Arsenal blogs. Cheers!!
Great stuff ‘Holic, & thanks for the great reads.
Your blog & ACLF leave the others standing, for reasoned posts.
I predate you at Highbury by a few years & share many of your memories.
The 1st game I went to on my own, without my Dad, was the pre Munich 4-5 against Man U.
I well remember “Fingers” Furnell, capable of the greatest saves & the worst howlers, flapping being a speciality.
Keep up the good work.
Now what is this?
http : // www . arsenal. com /news/news-archive/arsenal-holdings-plc-board-restructuring
“Ivan Gazidis, the incoming Chief Executive, will join the Boards of the Company and the Club with effect from 1 January 2009.
Richard Carr has announced his resignation from the Board of the Company having served as a director for twenty seven years. Richard will, however, remain a director of the Club.
Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith will be leaving the Boards of the Company and the Club with immediate effect.”
[please remove the space in the link before you enter it in your browser]
Happy days ‘holic! Some wonderful recollections there. Players (and even directors) come and go, but it’s all about the moment, the memories, that game on that day, the fans and the team bonded as just one entity, sharing that instant. I also envy my father in having witnessed the Chapman and Wenger eras, but we’re lucky enough to have just seen one of those (in among some err… less golden times). As with Chapman, Wenger hasn’t just built trophy-winning sides, he’s rebuilt the entire club, and his legacy will be not just the memories of some days when we were simply invincible, but also facilities and initiatives which will reap benefits for generations to come.
Nice to see positive comments for once on an Arsenal blog. We are only 8 points behind the leaders, come Sunday it could be five. We can still get our act together.
Cheers for this article.
By the way, how old are you?
Let’s just say if I was any good at golf I would now be on the seniors tour, Imran!