Junior Gunners? We Were All One Once
Jun 13th, 2013 by 'holic
Although we moved out of North London when I was barely walking I didn’t go without my Arsenal fix, and that somewhat surprisingly included the summer months. As both parents worked when the summer holidays came around I would often find myself in the car with ‘holicdad as he made his calls around the various catering establishments of London. So what, I hear you ask.
All of his customers were a relatively short drive from Highbury, including the firm that took over the Arsenal catering contract in the late sixties. Invariably we would end up in the club shop for a chat with the legendary Jack Kelsey. There were not too many customers competing for his attention during the close season, so we could chat things Arsenal for ages, and I usually ended up with one of the signed photographs of the players he sold in those days.
One very lucky day skipper of the time Terry Neill wandered in after pre-season training and signed one for me personally. I still remember reading it and thanking him. “Lots of Irish luck, Terry Neill”. Simpler times, but little things like that helped to build the unbreakable bond between football club and little lad.
So I smiled again this week when hearing of the adventure awaiting eighty lucky Junior Gunners on Friday night as they camp on the Arsenal training complex. I’m not sure many will know how fortunate they are to breach the tight security that normally surrounds the place. The youngsters will receive a behind the scenes tour, play a game of football and eat dinner in the playersβ restaurant before camping out. Check out Arsenal Player for a little camping challenge featuring Wojciech Szczesny and Francis Coquelin to promote the event.
Image courtesy of Arsenal Football Club
In a week when so much talk has surrounded the business end of the club it is great to see them acknowledging the need to seriously hook the future supporters. Can you imagine the fun they will have on the evening. I suspect the bulk of the eighty will be watching us land European glory for the umpteenth time forty and fifty years from now.
I’m just a little jealous.
89 Responses to “Junior Gunners? We Were All One Once”
The Young One!!
Wonder why they are not letting the kids loose on the stadium pitch this year?
Top 4
that’s a great idea, indeed.
le coq and chezza don’t seem to feel much happiness about being there, though goonersaurus does!
The pitch was relaid after the concerts, Sheepy. No time to organise it beforehand.
In my year we got to jump straight from jr gunner to silver membership and still pay family section prices. 22.50 I paid to go to Arsenal v blue scum and see Bridge do us out the dead cert that was winning the CL that year.
A camp post from Holic.
Who knew. π
Nice one ‘holic.
I too was weened on visits to the clubshop and stories from Mr Kelsey, brought there by my “Arsenal parents” an elder couple who had been regulars at Highbury since even before the great man played.
I remember when the whole Junior Gunners scheme started, I was just about still elibible, I think, but had no intention of joining as I’d already been going to the games for quite a few years and considered myself a fully fledged Gunner and not one of the Junior variety.
My younger brother signed up straight away and was one of the first members, I remember he prayed every night to the footy gods that he’d be picked out of the hat to lead the team out, but sadly it never happened, in the begining it was the kids of the players who got that honour, my brother complained that the draw was fixed.
It scarred him for life. π
Future supporters are future season ticket holders. Got to keep that cash rolling in π
Good move by the club. I’m even more jealous of those kids than you’re. They will definitely have the time of a lifetime.
*chuckles*
The cynic in me says it’s the excellent PR that we have come to expect from Ivan but in truth you’ve hit the nail on the head Holic. What a great experience for those 80 kids and they’ll never forget it.
Don’t suppose you could swing it for the regulars at this bar through your connections Holic?
Most of us would need inflatable mattresses, a heater, a nightcap or two and analgesia for the morning of course. π
My son (A Junior Gunner) was lucky enough to get picked to be the mascot recently – he’s definitely hooked for life now! I was very jealous of course, but I did at least get to go behind the scenes with him.
Arsenal often come in for some stick over high prices and commercialisation, but they are one of the few clubs that don’t charge kids hundreds of pounds for the privilege of being the teams mascot – as well as the kit he was given on the day, they gave us free tickets for the match and sent us a load of quality photos taken by the club photographer and a match DVD. Compare that to that lot up the road who charge hundreds of pounds to be one of 11 mascots, you have to bring your own kit and buy your own tickets for the game. And they don’t send you any photos.
So we’re very happy with the Junior Gunners scheme – the best 20 quid we ever spent!
Not sure I fancy camping with Wolfie, bath π
I heard that ‘Holic π
Oops π
If Wolfie’s there, I’m getting in my tent and keeping my flaps very tightly shut. π
Good piece, ‘H. Makes me wish I were 30 years younger. No, actually, makes me wish that if I were 30 years younger I’d qualify as a Junior Gunner.
Andy@13 illustrates why people like us think Arsenal are a classy club.
Where do I sign for the in-tents Goonerholic weekend?
Top man Andy. Thank you.
What’s more scary outside your tent a bear or Wolfie?
You can bet your bottom dollar who gets my vote. π
Great story Andy. Class.
Re: The previous drinks. Thanks to Trev for being the first to suggest we should have fellatio in midfield. π
If….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcPsA2xybrc
i’d like a run down of when my upstairs toilets worked
A. not often
B. seldom often
C. often when i don’t need one
D. Tuesday
No idea what Redtruth’s post has to do with anything, but it conveniently ignores the match-fixing scandal that riddled French football in Marseille’s favour all those pre-1994 years.
Top post, ‘holic. π
don’t feed the – a – like totally – stroll – oops – troll – an – stuff – an – a – whatever
oy
in other news a mexican on bonanza
was shot
the day before yesterday
he was called jose moreno
i chuckled
.
and so should you
.
not that i wish him any harm
cept maybe for the sore ones
fuck’s sake
he’s dead
give ’em a millimetre to grieve
night night,
night time lurkers
hope alls well with you
and
your day time counterparts
Happy happy joy joy
Good stuff holic. My two are now firmly part of The Arsenal family and both love it. Both very much enjoy being junior gunners. As Andy says, we do still have that bit of class that others can’t match.
I am also surprised that you would fancy doing anything at all with Wolfie?????
Nice piece ‘holic. I remember when I signed my nephew up as a Junior Gunner. Although we are far away in Oirland, he was thrilled with the connection to the club.
andy@13: cheers for sharing that, must be a memory for life for the litte fella!
As Oxon @18 says, Andy @13 illustrates exactly how classy the Arsenal are as a football club.
NorCal @20: You bet your bottom for a dollar? Mine would cost a great deal more than that. π
NEw post again? I can’t keep up…
Cent, Bath etc from previous drinks – thanks for the kind words and the same to anyone I’ve missed out.
Now if I can just get through the rest of this pesky work business, burn off some steam in the gym, pop into the local for a couple of jars and then tuck in the Mrs early, my Friday will be saved by FIFA 13. Bought it just at the right time.
Afternoon all. Afternoon off with the management in town. This will be followed by much supping to celebrate the Airbus A350’s maiden flight. How sad am I π
Any excuse will do ‘h, any excuse! π
Afternoon all,
Holic, it’s the maiden landing you should be celebrating.
The flight is the easy bit. ;). Enjoy the afternoon.
Andy,
I missed your post last night. Taking a son/daughter to The Arsenal is a real pleasure. Good to hear that the club do it so well.
For all the things about the club that drive us mad, it’s class is still unmatched.
How i wish their’s a ‘HOLIC DRINK. Named after ‘gunnerholic’ too. Nice.
Sir Chips Keswick has been appointed Arsenal Chairman.
Deserves it for the name alone.
Trev @17 – Heh π
Ah, I see tabs done it already.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/sir-chips-keswick-appointed-chairman
Heh Tabs.
I thought that was a new spawned alter-ego, but a quick google informs me he’s real.
A Chipendale on the board… I’m sure Wolfie will approve. π
so that’s what Ivan meant…we’re really in the chips!
Is this what Ivan meant by adding youth to the board?
Hmmm. Let the chips fall where they may.
Arsenal till I die
Is this true ?
Nobody bloody told me.
Still, at least he has a bit of Arsenal history. Liam’s father, I suppose.
Hi di hi ‘holics.
Just a quick jolly old pop in to reassure you chaps that everything will be in the plus fours next season, we’ll hit the competition for six and spend some lolly to get us a good old honest to goodness prop or hooker to score us lots of tries in the new term.
Tally Ho, toodle pip and a buzz buzz buzz.
Chips Keswick OUT!! π
Thank you PHW. He will be missed. Despite all the grief he got, I always believed that he had the best interest of Arsenal in his heart.
Thank you sir.
Sir Chips owns a Bar in Holland? And has an all male strip show in Vegas?
He really is an international man of mystery! π
Its also been announced that the deputy chairman will be Lord Haddock of Holloway Road π
Good to see the issue of the elderly board is being addressed:
PHW – 77 years old
Sir CK – 73 years old
Lovely piece Barman!
Coq camp with Woj woggles sounds great.
I also feel a bit guilty now for not getting son #1 involved. He would have loved it. Still, he’s going to The Ems cup on 3rd August.
Jelly and ice-cream on the bar for that wish to partake.
Up the Junior Gunners!
H2H @39 – I do, I do. π
Hehs @ Sir Chips and Sajit π
Reckon we’re in clover as long as we don’t appoint Michael Fish to the Board as some sort of weather consultant.
Well said Sajit at #45. The Hill-Woods have served on The Arsenal BoD since 1927. That’s some heritage.
Go say nice things about the old buffer on .com tribute page. Worth the effort I reckon. Guided the club through some choppy (or is that Chippy?) waters and gave us a few chuckles with his gaffes to the press.
A fine old traditionalist who would have made his pa and Grandpa proud.
Up the Arse!
(steady Wolfie)
Wenger will be kicking himself for missing out on this guy. Just in our price range too.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/player-joins-top-flight-spanish-club-insanely-cheap-171937184.html
Bath knows @53!
bath
Chuffed that we have a platform on which to pay our respects to the ‘old buffer’, just the ticket.
I wonder if the club gave him a gold carriage clock or is that idea beneath his station?
Barman? Pullman me another one if you please.
didn’t have to do my usual hour and a half walk home today
got a lift
i love people
mind you
my opinion of people is seriously dependent on whether or not they have a car
lorraine she was called
very kind
hello and bye bye ‘hol and ‘hols
ts, old pw didn’t drive us off the rails, we switched from highbury to the grove under his watchful eyes; now we’re a club gathering steam. and it wasn’t just an accident of his berth, so he deserves all the plaudits he’ll receive during his last meeting at the board’s roundtable.
Howdy Cba,
Best rest that leg of yours.
Lorraine, cba. I knew her…
Sir Keswick Chips will lead us in our bid to Ketchup with the big fishes in European football. Tasty.
TUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEE.
Lip up Fatty!!
Did I mention he knows his onions?
Very good, Cent.
That’s fantastic from the club. What an experience that would have been for those lucky kids
In other news, my date of travel is delayed by a week
Cheers H2H, I’m sure Trev will be proud of me when he comes in.
Indeed, well played Cent, you saucy boy. π
Tabs, Sajit, TS, with the railway puns, a nice little side line. π
Heh and cheers Trev! I knew you’d spice it up with your superior Knorr-ledge.
Have all the chips puns been made yet, can’t be arsed backdrinking, but I see Trev is around, so if you’ve left any, he’ll have done them.
Ollie @69, normally that’s what would have happened but it looks like Trev allowed me win this round with my 61 and 63.
Ollie, i’ll take that as a compliment, i think. π
A compliment ,Not a condiment, Trev ? π
We lose one a legendary character in Peter Hill-Wood but gain another potentially legendary one in Sir Chips Keswick. I have a feeling he already has his eye on Lady Nina’s lovely knees. π
Still, there is always something potentially fishy where chips are involved.
The question remains……..
Is he one off the old block?
H2H. Maybe there is a clue in here somewhere.
http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Posters/C/Poster%20-%20Chip%20Off%20the%20Old%20Block%20(1944)_02.jpg
bt8b, i think that resolves the fish and chips question…arthur treacher’s and all.
As it doesn’t seem to feature in the drinks, I’ll try again that one I tweeted earlier for those who haven’t see it:
I hope that, as we celebrate the title, all the players will be carrying Chips on their shoulders.
Goodnight.
I’ll be back tomorrow in between bits of packing.
I hate packing, I hate airports, so the next couple of days may be very unpleasant.
Are you coughing, Ollie?
You appear to have a nasty bit of Qatar coming…
That’s a good one Ollie. Goodluck in your packing and travel mate.
Sounds like a Qatar-strophe, Ollie.
Good luck mate.
Have a good trip Ollie….hope your good humour does not desert you.
I sand you my best wishes for a safe journey.
I’ll collect my coat on the way out.
Uply @47 – π
Have a good trip, Oillie. π
O-man, you’ll love it out there – just Kuwait and see.
But don’t take any libyaties with the alcohol. Did Dubai any to take with you ? A nice desert wine, maybe. π
cba been at it again? π
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/women-arrested-after-topless-brawl-outside-school-29344418.html
*Applaudes Trev*
Trev wins, again!
So, after further investigation, it would appear that you were all somewhat ahead of yours truly, with regard to my position in the club.
It seems that Sir Chips, or “Fritesy” as Arsene calls him in the boardroom, has indeed been appointed Chairman in my stead.
I have to tell you that I am not all that bloody impressed.
Could some kind soul please try to explain to me how, in the name of all that is holy, we have been landed with a Chairman, Sir Chips, whose name is made entirely out of bloody SPUDS.
It has been your privilege to have me serve you all for more years than I care to remember. Actually, it is now more years than I can remember.
It remains only for me to wish you, “Good luck with Mr Potato Head !”
And with that… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>