It was 30 years ago today...a look back to my first ever Arsenal match

This weekend marks the 30th Anniversary of my first ever Arsenal match. Back in October 1981 I was a spotty 13 year old who had only ever been allowed to watch West Ham with my older sister Karen - who had rather misguidedly become a fan - or Dagenham, my local non-league club.

As none of my school friends followed Arsenal, I had spent the previous three months nagging Karen to take me to Highbury, and, on October 17th 1981, she finally agreed, for the match against Manchester City.

The programme from my first ever Arsenal home match

Back then of course many things were different. I was much shorter and had more hair for a start, while there was no such thing as the Premier League and very few foreign players. All games kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon and football was a sport as opposed to the business it is today. Arsenal also played in a different stadium of course...

Hooliganism was rife in 1981, hence why my parents were reluctant to let me travel across London on my own, but the World in general seemed a far safer place. Kids played football in the street instead of on computer games and the three TV channels all shut down at midnight.

In the world of music I was listening to The Jam, The Police and The Specials, while Adam and the Ants, Ultravox and Soft Cell were all selling lots of singles. Yes singles. Remember them?? But some things, it seems, have not changed very much at all.

Back in 1981 we had a (fairly) new Tory government, there had been riots on the streets of London during the summer and Arsenal were coming to terms with the loss of their two best players. Liam Brady had left for Italy in the summer of 1980, while a year later Frank Stapleton had moved to Manchester United for a bigger pay cheque. Not too dissimilar then to the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri 30 years later...

On the pitch things were also quiet similar. The club had not started the 1981-82 season too well and had only won only two of the opening nine league matches. In fact in the week prior to the Manchester City match we had lost three times away from home - at newly promoted Notts. County and Swansea City (whatever happened to them??) plus a League Cup tie at second division Sheffield United.

Of course under normal circumstances it would have meant the City match would have been nothing to get too excited about, but for me it meant the World! I don't think I have ever felt more excited as I got off the Underground at Arsenal Station and made the long walk up the windy tunnel.
I had been to Highbury before of course, to visit the club shop and for the odd reserve team match, but that was different. It had been empty then. Now it was alive...

My sister and I made our way to the North Bank and I remember the feeling of awe as I reached the top of the steps and caught sight of the pitch for the first time. Wow!! Going to West Ham and Dagenham had been great but it was nothing compared to this. After 3 years of watching football I had finally found my 'home' and it felt great!

We found a place to stand, about half way up to the right of the goal, and although the ground was half-empty - the crowd was somewhere in the region of 25,000 - I felt like I was in the centre of the universe!

The Arsenal team that day was a mixture of youth and experience. Pat Jennings was in goal and the back four was John Hollins, Kenny Sansom David O'Leary and young debutante Chris Whyte. In midfield was Brian Talbot, Paul Davis, Graham Rix and Peter Nicholas, while up front was Alan Sunderland and another debutante Raphael Meade.

I'm not sure who was in the City side, although I seem to recall Joe Corrigan was in goal and Peter Reeves may have been playing. City had of course reached the FA Cup final the previous season, another similarity to 30 years later...

The game itself was typical of many that season. Arsenal were uninspiring but scraped a 1-0 win, thanks to a goal from young Meade, so I, at least, went home happy. Now I have seen the club win league titles, cups and seen them score some truly memorable goals in the subsequent 30 years, but this one probably means more to me than any of the others. In the days before mass TV coverage and end of season DVD's I have never seen this goal again since, although I can still picture the ball hitting the back of the net at the North Bank end in the second half. I think I was still celebrating on the Tube all the way home!

Rapheal Meade who scored the winner. So long ago it's in black and white!

I managed to persuade my sister to take me to another three home games before Christmas -Winterslag in the UEFA Cup (2-1, Rix and Hollins (pen)), Everton in the league (1-0, Brian McDermott) and Liverpool in the League Cup (0-0), but it was not until early 1982 that I became a regular visitor to Highbury, after I convinced a Chelsea-supporting school mate to join me.

Thankfully the first game he attended, a midweek encounter with WBA, saw Arsenal score twice in the last five minutes to clinch a 2-2 draw (Sunderland and Meade again on target!) and he was hooked!

Of course my life has changed a lot over the last 30 years. I am no longer a spotty teenager, I have children of my own - some of who now come to the football with me - and I have lost both my parents and, sadly, my sister. But Arsenal still mean as much to me now as they did then, and I will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary at The Emirates on Sunday.

Of course Anniversaries are a time to remember and reflect, so I will be thinking of my sister Karen on Sunday, as without her I may have had to wait a little longer to finally get to Highbury. Perhaps I would never have got to go at all...I will also think of Mac and his mate Frank, the Watford fan, who I met on the train on the way to that first match. I know they were only chatting to me that day to get to know Karen but we become good mates in the end and went to many matches together over the years. I even went to Watford with them a few times in the days of Luther Blissett and Nigel Callaghan. And of course I can never forget my mate Steve, who I converted from Chelsea to Arsenal so I had someone to go the games with. Finally I would also like to give a massive thanks to Rapheal Meade who made my first game so memorable.

I have to say the last 30 years have simply flown by, and as I walk towards the ground on Sunday I will still fell that same prang of excitement I felt back in 1981. Nearly 700 games later that feeling has never gone. I just hope I am still around to celebrate the 60th Anniversary in 30 years time!! I will, after all, be just 73!

Back to the future...

Two important issues have popped up this week. The first is Portsmouth landlady Karen Murphy, who won a High Court battle against Sky to allow her to show Premier League matches in her pub on a foreign decoder. The second was the red card shown to Jack Rodwell in the Merseydside derby on Saturday, which has now been recinded.

Lets start with the Sky issue. I have to admit I have quiet often watched Premier League matches on foreign internet feeds at home. The picture is not always great, the commentary is often foreign but it is free and much prefereable to lining Rupert Murdoch's already overflowing pockets. Plus it means I can watch matches live at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, something Sky will never let me do.

Karen Murphy, who took on Sky and won.

The full implications of this court ruling will not be known until 2013 when the current Sky deal expires, but it is hoped changes will be made. The big issue seems to be the price pubs and clubs are being charged to show Sky Sports in their premises. Hopefully this ruling will see that reduced, or at least allow other companies to tender for the contract. Quiet how it will affect the way we watch football at home is not so clear.
My hope is that Sky, or whoever gets the gig, will decide to show every Premier League live, all kicking off simultaniously at 3pm on a Saturday. The viewer would then be free to pick which game they want to watch at no extra cost. With a split screen you could, if so desired, watch two or three matches at the same time. Unfortunately I can never see it happening. But in the meantime I will continue to watch the internet feeds, safe in the knowledge that it is no longer illegal to do so.

Okay so onto the red card issue. It was clear to anyone watching the incident that it was never a red card, not in a million years. The FA, in a rare act of common sense, have since recinded it, meaning that Rodwell will not face a three match ban. But does that go far enough?

Jack Rodwell on the wrong end of the red card.

There is very little doubt that the sending off, coming as early as it did, changed the course of the match. Would Liverpool have won so comfortably if it had stayed at 11 v 11? Would they indeed have won at all?? Those three points could have a massive impact on the rest of the season, not only for both Merseyside clubs but the others in the Premier League as well. Let's assume Liverpool finish in the 4th Champions League spot, one or two points ahead of Spurs or Arsenal, the very points they won from this match. Imagine if they pipped Everton for 4th place by the same margin? Moreover every position in the final table is worth a huge sum of money, and for a club like Everton that extra prize money could be the difference between keeping their best young players and having to sell them.

Martin Atkinson, the man at the centre of the controversy.

Therefore if the FA now believe the red card was the wrong decision, the only option available to them is to call for the match to be replayed. The fact they have over-ruled the referee means that every other decision he made has to be brought into question. And of course the very result of the match must now be considered to be invalid.
Of course this would open up a whole can of worms, but if the FA have the option where red cards can be over-turned, then they must follow it through to its natural conclusion. Unless the card was issued when the result was already as good as decided - with at score at say 3-0 with five minutes to go - or so late in the game it could not possibly have had an impact - in the last minute for example - then the result should be declared null and void and the match replayed. Either that or let the referees original decision stand, however bad it may have been, as always used to be the case. Back in the 1970's there were not a million TV replays and different camera angles. If the referee sent someone off you just accepted it and moved on. Maybe it is time to go back to that?

So there you go. Saturday afternoon 3pm kick offs and no video evidence. Perhaps I am just showing my age. Of course I can see that times have changed and technology has moved on, but not all progress is good. Maybe the future can learn from the past...

Another 1-0 away win, more rain and a City with 'issues'

I first went to Bradford in 2001 to watch them play Arsenal in the Premier League. For the record Ashley Cole scored his first goal for The Gunners in a 1-1 draw. But it seems the subsequent 10 years have not been kind to the football club or the City.

Although it now one of my local League Two grounds, this weekend saw me return to Bradford for the first time since that match against Arsenal all those years ago. Although the Daggers have played there three times in the intervening period it has always been on a day something else was going on in my life. For our first visit in March 2008 I was playing in cup final and couldn't make it, in December 2009 I was unwell, and then our last visit, in March 2010, was the day of my missus' 40th Birthday party and I had preparations to complete! So I was quiet looking forward to this one...

We set off from Darlington, late as usual thanks to Rees' failure to get out of bed, and although the ground is only 70 odd miles away it took the best part of an hour and half to get there. We finally arrived in Bradford at 2.30pm and my immediate thought was that we must have landed in another country. I always knew Bradford had a high Asian population but this was unreal. After parking in some small retail park about 10 minutes walk from the ground we soon discovered that, apart from a few other fans going to the ground, we were the only white people there! Now whatever your thoughts on race issues or your political persuasions you cannot tell me this is a good thing for our country? Yes, lets be tolerant of other races and cultures but please, please, please do not let us lose our own. The weird thing was considering the high percentage of Asians living in Bradford almost all their fans were white...

With Emerson and myself in the press box as usual we left Rees and Ryan to go in the away end. Of course being a former Premier League venue the facilities were top class. We collected our pass from a lady in reception and asked where we had to go. She said something in the broadest Yorkshire accent I have ever heard, and I have lived up here for ten years, but I did not understand a word of it. I asked her again, and again I failed to comprehend any of it! In the end I gave up and asked Emerson if he knew where we had to go. 'No!' he replied.

We eventually found a red door which said 'Press' so we assumed we had found the right place and were met by another nice lady who asked us to sign in. We were given a complimentary match day programme and a team sheet and were shown to our seats, halfway up the Main Stand just to the right of the half way line. The view was amazing and with a desk and power point it had everything you could possibly want from a press box...

The view from the press box...impressive!

By now the teams were just coming out and Emerson was getting excited. He always loves the bit just before kick off when the players line up in front of the Main Stand and he was manically waving to all the Daggers lads in the hope one would wave back! Unfortunately none did...

The game started, and after Gav Tomlin almost scored inside 30 seconds, we were under some early pressure. Chris Lewington looked a bundle of nerves as he dropped an early cross which saw them hit the bar. With his kicking also going haywire we were getting a little concerned but Mark Arber did the captains role by having a word with the young keeper and it seemed to do the trick.

We soon begun to get on top and after Tomlin had somehow missed an open goal from 3 yards we eventually took the lead through our Barbadian international Jonny Nurse. A bit of a scrappy goal yes, but a goal none-the-less and it was the least we deserved.

Half time saw us go down to the press room where we given complimentary tea and biscuits plus a choice of sandwiches. Emerson did the right thing and grabbed a handful of chocolate digestives while I went for the ham sandwich. Yes I know I have sold out. After years of saying how football should never lose sight of its working class roots I have now become part of the 'ham sandwich' brigade! What can I say??

The second half saw Bradford huff and puff but they never really looked like blowing down our solid defence, with Scott Doe and Arber again outstanding. We should have sealed the points several times on the break but the old problem of not putting the ball in the net was again evident. Then, with about fifteen minutes to go, it started raining and I realised the one flaw with the lovely stand we were in.

Although it had a roof it had no side protectors and was open to the elements so we were getting wet, very, very wet. We realised that the further back you went the drier it was so we moved to the back row just in front of the Bradford fans in the upper tier and next to the local press guys.

Some action from the second half.

We had only just settled in when the scuffle broke out in our penalty area. Damian Scannell, who had only just come on, seemed very upset and I thought he was rather fortunate to only get a yellow card for his part in the incident. With the crowd getting quiet excited Emerson got a little scared as he does not like all that macho stuff and was now just wanting the match to end.

But the fun was not quiet over just yet. From the Bradford free kick the ball went out on the far side and the referee awarded us a goal kick. The home fans around us were screaming at him, saying it should have been a corner, but from where we were sitting it was impossible to tell who the ball had come off last. The official was only 5 yards away so I was sure he had a better view, which I said to the Bradford press guy sitting next to me. Almost immediately we had a break and Medy Elito burst into their penalty area before slipping on the wet surface just as he was about to be tackled. The idiots behind me were screaming at him for diving and telling the referee to book 'the cheating little c**t...' so I casually turned round and told one of the morons he had clearly just slipped over and had not even tried to claim a penalty. The Bradford press guy then turned to me and said 'Oh so you can't tell if it was a corner or a goal kick from here but you can see that he just fell over can you??' Er yes actually...And I thought it was just the average fan that was stupid...

The atmosphere got a little heated in the press box after that and I was rather disappointed we didn't score a second at this point, although Emerson just wanted to move back to our original seats.

'No.' I said. 'We will get wet.'

Plus it would not have been quiet as much fun!

The final whistle brought both joy and relief to me and Emerson, although for very different reasons I suspect, and I set about preparing for the interviews to follow. We were going to be spoilt as both Damien McCrory and Sam Williams were coming up, along with John Still, and were told to wait in the press room. Eventually John came up and conducted his interview with Radio Stu in the stand while we were chatting to Sam and Damien, who both agreed to have their picture taken with a now very excited Emerson.

Emerson with Damien McCrory.

The interviews were good although nothing out of the ordinary was said. The players were both pleased with the performance, happy with the clean sheet and three points, although Sam seemed a little disappointed he had not scored. John was full of praise for everyone and although he didn't say it you could tell how pleased he was with the start we have made to the season. I asked him if the lack of goals was a worry and he said it was, but not as much as it would be if we were not creating any chances! He seems to have a lot of faith in young Brian Woodall, who looked excellent when he came on, and Jake Reed and is sure the goals will come. But after three wins from four games you cannot really complain!

Sam Williams with his new best buddy!

With that we went to meet Rees and Ryan before heading for our usual post-match McDonalds. Back in the retail park, which again resembled a different country, we discussed the match and the social problems of the City. There were riots here a few years ago and it is easy to see why. How this situation has been allowed to happen might go some way to explaining the recent riots in other areas of the country, but that is for another day and another blog. For now we were just happy with another good away win and a place in the top five, just one point off the top!

My next away assignment will be at Rotherham in September, or should that be Sheffield, where I hope to meet up with some of the lovely Millers fans we met at Wembley last year. I always thought we would be play them again soon but I was rather hoping it would be in League One. Perhaps next season it will be...

Money talks...but does it have to??

To say Arsenal are in crisis would be an exaggeration but these are certainly worrying times down at The Emirates. Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to a limited Liverpool side showed just how weak the current squad is and it seems many fans are losing patience.
With Cesc Fabregas gone, Samir Nasri almost certain to be next and, apart from Gervinho, only kids coming in, there is no doubt the team is in transition. But is Arsene Wenger really blame for this current situation?
Do you think he does not know what the team needs? Of course he does. You do not win all he has won without recognising weaknesses within your own squad. He knows the club needs a centre back, a defensive midfielder and a replacement for Fabregas, and I am sure he has been doing everything he can to get them. The problem is not Wenger's unwillingness to splash out £40million on a player, it is the wage structure of the club. A wage structure that has been in place as far back as when George Graham was in charge.
Yes, the club can afford to pay the transfer fees for players like Juan Mata or Jadson but can they meet their wage demands? And would they even want to? Would it be fair on Robin van Persie or Jack Wilshere to pay any new arrivals twice as much as they have been getting? Would that be good for team spirit or in the best interests of the club?
But perhaps the real problems are further afield. With clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United willing to pay players in excess of £100k a week, why would anyone come to Arsenal for £80k? Even if they were winning trophies it is unlikely they would attract the top, top players as the prize of Champions League football, which is the ultimate stage for any footballer, is clearly not enough. No, money talks and that is the bottom line. Would Fabregas have stayed if his team had beaten Birmingham at Wembley in February? Would that have kept Nasri happy? It seems very unlikely...
So the club are now at a crossroads. Do they give up on their principles to satisfy the needs of the fans or do they stick to their guns and risk dropping out of the top four? Personally I hope it is the latter. Arsenal have always done things the right way and have spent the last six years building a good young side while remaining financially secure, so it would be a shame if they were to abandon all that to chase the quick bucks.
The counter argument, of course, is that it may be better to splash out now to ensure Champions League football again next season, and all the riches that brings, but there is no guarantee that would happen anyway? Liverpool have spent a fortune since January but are they any nearer the top four? On the evidence of Saturday's match I would suggest not, but I guess only time will tell.
Whatever the pros and cons one thing is clear - the next ten days will be a pivotal time in the history of Arsenal Football Club and possibly for the game as a whole. I look forward to the outcome with baited breathe and, whatever your club, I think you should too...

A new season but same old problems...

I went to my first away game in 1981. 30 years ago this very season. On average I have been to around 15 away games a season, so that is somewhere in the region of 450 games. I have seen some truly awful ones too. Cup defeats at places like York and Wrexham, 6-1 league defeats at Everton and Man. United and more 0-0 draws than I care to recall! However I cannot remember enjoying an away game less than this one.
Of course it was not supposed to be like that. The first game of the season is always about optimism and looking forward to the nine months of football ahead, but even before kick off up at St. James's Park the atmosphere was somewhat muted. Many fans, it seemed, had given up on the team and manager before a ball had even been kicked. Not us though. Oh no.
So I set off from my new flat in Darlington with my three lads in tow, looking forward to the new season. Emerson (8) and Ryan (16) were both in their new 125th anniversary home shirt while myself and Rees (18) opted for the new blue one as we headed for the station for the short trip up to the Toon.
Arriving in Newcastle with still an hour and half until kick off we decided to pop into a local pub to catch the scores from the other games on the TV and have a pre-match soft drink to loosen up the vocal chords. Our first point of call was O'Neill's opposite the station but we were told kids were not allowed in. We were met with a similar response at The Lounge just up the road so we decided to cut our loses and walk straight to the ground and get a drink there instead. Emerson always likes to get in early anyway as he enjoys watching the ground fill up.
So we arrived at the away end at 4.45 and climbed the 300 odd stairs up to the concourse area. Anyone that has been to the away end at Newcastle will know exactly what I mean! Usually by now the atmosphere would be rocking but not today. To say it was subdued was an under statement. All the talk was of Cesc and Samir's imminent departures and a lack of new signings, although personally I was looking forward to seeing our one major new signing, Gervinho, make his Premier League debut. We made our way up to our seats and saw the players warming up. With no Jack it meant a midfield of Rosicky, Ramsey and Song supporting Andrey, RvP and the new Ivorian...still a very good side though.

Emerson, Ryan and Ress before kick off.

As kick off approached the atmosphere did begin to build and Emerson was already enjoying himself, singing, dancing and waving his arms about as he loves to do! My favourite part of the whole season is seeing the teams come out for the first time and after 30 years that excitement never wanes.
Perhaps the doubters would have been silenced had Gervinho scored inside the opening two minutes, but he fluffed his lines and slowly an all too familiar pattern developed. We passed and passed and passed but failed to deliver a final ball. Without Cesc, Samir and Jack we lacked ideas and while Gervinho looked lively, I cannot recall their keeper having to make a save in the first half, despite us having 90% of the possession.
But unrest in the stands was already evident with the chant of 'Samir you're a c**t' gaining momentum. Thankfully Emerson did not really understand as he asked if Nasri was playing. 'No,' I replied. 'So why are they singing his name?' he asked. I just thought it best to change the subject!
Of course I was not joining in with that nonsense as he is still and Arsenal player, and you cannot blame him for wanting a move. I guarantee all the idiots singing that song would not turn down a better job offer with better pay and prospects. Why should footballers be any different? And we will get top dollar for him...

Second half about to get under way.

The second half did not produce any better football but it did at least provide some talking points on the pitch. Alex Song did what we all wanted by stamping on that odious twat Barton, who then ran off to tell the fourth official. What a hard man he is. But that was only the start. With about fifteen minutes left Gervinho was clipped by Barton in the penalty area and went over, all-be-it rather dramatically. The referee, Peter Walton, waved away our appeals and Barton took the law into his own hands. After picking on Diaby last season he was at it again as he grabbed our new boy around the throat and tried to lift him to the ground. Now I'm not saying Barton is racist or anything but there does seem to be a pattern developing here...I'll leave you to join the dots...
I actually felt sorry for Gervinho as if you were in a new country and were being manhandled by an idiot with a stupid haircut the likelihood is you too would react. He did with a little slap that sent the tough guy falling down as though he had been shot and Walton produced a red card. No not for Barton but for Gervinho! Genius! As the Ivorian sadly trudged off the pitch all hope we had of a winning start went with him.
The idiots in the away end wasted no time in venting their feelings with chants of 'spent some f**king money' directed, presumably, at Wenger
I really wanted us to score at this point just to see how he would react. Would he shut up and celebrate or stand by his principals and continue with his moronic chanting? What do you think? The fickle twat would have no doubt have been singing 'we're going to win the league...'
The final whistle blew and while I was frustrated we had not won a game we had dominated I just could not understand the boos that were ringing out around me. The guy in front was of course one of the first to jump on this bandwagon too but before I could say anything the guy next to me jumped in and started having a go at him. Soon others were joining in and I have to say it was sad to see Arsenal fans fighting and arguing amongst themselves. It's the first game of the season for crying out loud...No it's not new players we need but new fans, fans who appreciate what we actually have, not these glory-hunting morons who do not understand anything about football.

Not even a drab 0-0 draw can curb his enthusiasm!

So a rather sad end to what should have been a great day but no doubt these scenes will be repeated throughout the season unless things change behind the scenes, which, lets face it, is unlikely.
Luckily Emerson still enjoyed himself and his synopsis of the day was that he was disappointed we hadn't scored but he was blaming the ref for not giving us a penalty! That boy knows more than fans three times his age...
After our usual stop at McDonalds to reflect on the days events we returned home just in time to catch the highlights on MOTD. Yes it was a penalty, yes Barton should have been sent off (again!!) and yes we lacked a cutting edge, but hey things could be a whole lot worse. We are financially stable, we are still unbeaten despite being down to 10 men away from home and as Emerson said, 'Gervinho is pretty good ain't he?' Yes he most certainly is...

1-0, correct goalscorer and plenty of rain...A day out in Macclesfield

Just 12 weeks after our relegation back to League Two had been confirmed at Peterborough, the new season was here again and many things had changed. Greeny and Romain had both left for pastures new, Robbo had retired while we had several new players and a new home kit to enjoy.
For me though one thing had stayed the same. Despite rumours to the contrary I was back in the press box for our opening day trip to Macclesfield and as well as my usual companion Emerson, this time I was joined by his older brothers Rees and Ryan, who are spending the summer with me.
The journey up was an absolute nightmare. The driving rain clearly did not help but it seemed everyone and his mother was on the English motorway network and most, it seemed, only wanted to drive at 50mph! Not ideal when you are running late to begin with...
We eventually arrived in Macclesfield to find the match had already kicked off. With all the turnstiles now shut we walked into reception and were led through the executive suite to the ticket office. The woman in charge was a rather unpleasant individual who seemed determined to make life as difficult as possible for us. After waiting for around ten minutes she finally returned with my press pass and we were told to walk half way back around the ground to the 'Late Gate'. Once there we were told we were not allowed in and had to go back to reception! After explaining that we had just been sent from there in the first place, and we were of course missing the game, we were eventually allowed in, although the older lads had to pay and decided to sit in the away end to 'sample the atmosphere.'
The press box was at the back of the Main Stand, opposite the away end, and was a very cramped. By the time we had settled down it was nearly half time but thankfully it appeared we had not missed too much, as the game had been largely uneventful up to that point.

The view from the press box

I had the pleasure of siting next to the guy who was working for the Press Association and what an eye opener that turned out to be! He spent the whole game on his mobile phone going through every piece of action as it happened...'Ball played out of defence by the Macclesfield No. 4, left footed into the inside right channel...' This went on for the entire match and became rather tiresome after a while. And I thought Alan Greene was annoying...
Half time at least brought us some relief, as well as a nice cup of coffee and a sandwich, while I used the time to catch up on exactly what I had missed. This basically amounted to a shot from Luke Howell that was easily saved  by the home keeper and a Jon Nurse effort that went wide. Oh and a great save from Chris Lewington which we had just caught as we walked into the ground.
The second half began, and to a backdrop of the PA guys dulcet tones, we looked to be playing rather better. New boys Howell and Sam Williams were looking good and it wasn't long before we took the lead. Gav Tomlin whipped in a great free kick from the left and Arbs rose to head it goalwards at the back post. The ball looked to be looping in but Medy Elito and Williams both arrived to bundle the ball home from virtually right on the line. Arbs wheeled away in celebration while Elito was also getting some congratulations so it was unclear exactly who had scored.
With a low roof and a CCTV camera blocking our view the PA guy had been unsighted and asked me who had scored. I was sure it was Elito so, without thinking of the consequences, that is what I told him. Within seconds he had immediately released that information to the BBC and Sky while the stadium announcer also gave the scorer as Elito on his/my say so! It led to some debate in the press box as a local reporter seemed to think Williams had got the final touch while others thought it was Arbs goal. Shit, what if I had got it wrong??  Oh well it was too late now...
Back on the pitch and it was developing into an exciting game with chances at both ends. Lewi was having a blinder in goal for us and made two terrific saves to keep us in front, while their keeper also did well to save a close range Scott Doe header.
But the games biggest talking point occurred with just over ten minutes left. A mistake at the back by Arbs forced Lewington to race off his line and block efforts from first Emile Sinclair and then Rob Draper. The referee, on the advice of his assistant on the near side, decided he had handled outside the area and produced a red card, much to the anger of the lads in green and everyone in the away end opposite us.
Our view seemed to suggest the officials had indeed got it right and it did at least give James Shea the chance to make his debut. Emerson was particularly excited about this as he had gone about us signing an Arsenal goalkeeper for the last few weeks...
The final ten minutes was quiet exciting as Macclesfield threw everything at us, but we defended well to seal a great opening day away win. Meanwhile the PA guy was still on his mobile and was now marking the players out of 10. Most of the Macclesfield players were getting 5's and 6's (harsh I thought) while several of ours were getting 7's. Arber was given a top mark of 8 while Lewington only managed a 6 despite his earlier heroics. I could not let that go and told him that surely he deserved at least a 7, and thankfully he saw sense and changed it! But then came the really interesting bit. The guy was asked about the possession and with nothing more than his eyesight to go on he said, and I quote, ''Lets call it 60-40 in Macclesfield's favour!'' Really?? So next time you see the possession stats in the paper or on TV remember that it not done by any scientific method, it is just made up by a fella in the stand!

Our players walk off after a great away win

After the game came the usual round of interviews and first up was the great man himself, John Still. He was overjoyed with the result and the performance, especially baring in mind the injuries we had been suffering. He said Shea had been carrying a knock and should not even have been on the bench while Nursey was also injured and would not have played had others been fit. He also hinted at some changes for the Carling Cup tie at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening. As we were walking back to the changing room area he asked us about our journey as they had left at 9am and not arrived until 1. I said we had encountered similar problems and had missed the kick off!
With the rain making a comeback we decided to make our way out of the players entrance to meet Rees and Ryan, who were waiting for us looking rather wet! We hung around for a bit as Emerson wanted to have his picture taken with Shea but as he failed to appear Nursey was only too happy to do the honours, saying he was looking forward to his chicken pizza on the journey home!

Nursey with his new best mate

With that we set off to McDonalds to reflect on a good start to the season while I was left wondering if I had got the goalscorer right. After apologising to Arbs on Twitter that night for taking his goal off him I later discovered, via The Football League Show, that I had in fact been right all along and yes, it was Elito's goal! To say I was relieved was an understatement...you guys don't realise the pressures I have in my job!
So, after 12 short weeks away, football is back and boy have we missed it! Next up for me is a trip to Bradford in two weeks, riots permitting of course!

Looking ahead to the new season...the alternative view!

For the first time in about 25 years I am going into a new season not expecting Arsenal to win anything. And you know what? It is a great feeling!

Usually I foolishly think we will win the Premier League, the FA Cup and possibly the Champions League as well, and every year when our season unfolds, usually around February and March, I have this overwhelming feeling of disappointment. That is not good for my overall well being so I am not going to put myself through it anymore.

No, this season will be different. With Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City looking even stronger this year my only concern is that we can hold off the challenge of Liverpool and Spurs to seal 4th place again. And I fully expect that we will...

Yes, with a favourable draw we could go far in the domestic cups - possibly reach the Carling final again should we select a strong side in the earlier rounds - and as long as we avoid Barcelona we could reach the last four of the Champions League, but that is about the limit of my expectations for the coming season.

This has nothing to do with the lack of any major signings so far or the potential losses of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas. No. I fully expect Wenger to make signings and I fully expect us to have a more balanced squad this time around. However I just do not feel we will have significantly closed the gap on the top three to really challenge.

Don't get me wrong I am not complaining. In a sense it is a relief. I am now able to look forward to the season without the usual weight of expectation baring down on me, and I fully expect to enjoy all the more for that.

Of course the plus side is that any success will may have will just come as a bonus, like winning the Littlewoods Cup in 1987 was after all those years of frustration.

So my plea to all you Arsenal fans out there is come and join me. Forget about winning the league or any of the cups, forget about spending £80million in the transfer market, forget about who may or may not leave us. Just look forward to nine months of football where we will probably win a few matches, lose a few others, score quiet a lot of goals and probably win the race for 4th place.

You may believe that is not good enough, as the success you have witnessed between 1987-2005 has made you greedy, but unless you want to go through all that heartache again next March just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride with me. Come on what other choice do we have???

Premier League review 2010-11...Exciting relegation battle disguises a lack of quality

Listening to TalkSport or Sky in the aftermath of 'Survival Sunday' last weekend you would think we had just witnessed the greatest season in Premier League history. But does an exciting relegation battle really equate to a good season?
I have to say I was as enthralled as anyone by the final day drama. The bottom three seemed to change by the minute as the goals went in all over the country but don't kid yourself it meant the league was better as a result. In fact I would argue quiet the opposite is in fact true.
In a 'normal' season the relegation battle will come down to two teams fighting over one place in the last week. The fact that this year saw five teams challenging to avoid two places on the final day simply means there were more poor teams in the league than usual.
The pundits would have you believe that the gap from top to bottom has shrunk - as Wolves could beat Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion could beat Arsenal for example - but in truth it merely meant  the top teams were not as strong.
Take the previous years' Champions Chelsea. They scored over 100 Premier League goals in the 2009-10 season as they won the double. Were they as strong this season? No. An average Manchester United side, certainly in terms of their great sides of the recent past, won the title by nine points and lost just four games yet they looked far from inspiring for much of the campaign. In the end they were able to win games when it mattered but do not kid yourself they are a great side, as we found out when Barcelona taught them a lesson at Wembley this weekend.
Manchester City won the FA Cup and finished 3rd, but with their squad and resources you have to say they under-achieved, while Arsenal and Spurs both dropped down a place to fourth and fifth respectively. Hardly an improvement.
Further down the table sides like Everton and Aston Villa were nowhere near as strong as in the past while Liverpool needed a strong finish to end up in the top six, having been in the bottom three at one stage. So no, the gap is not closing, the top sides have just got worse.
Meanwhile, at the bottom, any one of eight or nine teams could have gone down the standard was so poor. West Ham United ended with the stigma of finishing bottom of a bad bunch while the likes of Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Wolves and Stoke City all survived despite being no better than average Championship sides at best.
But while the quality was certainly lacking it did lead to one of the most exciting seasons for many a year. Mistakes led to more goals, there seemed to be a thrilling late comeback almost every week, while 4-4 and 3-3 draws were not out of place. Similar to most local pub leagues then...
But what makes a for strong league anyway? The fact we had three teams in the last 8 of the Champions League and one in the final for the fifth year out of the last six? Possibly, but I would argue the strength of the bottom sides determines how good a league is, and when the likes of Stoke and Sunderland finish in mid-table it can only mean one thing. The league is nowhere near good as Sky and TalkSport think it is. Exciting? Yes. Competitive? Certainly. But until we can produce sides capable of playing the type of football we saw from Barcelona at Wembley on Saturday evening we can forget all about being the best in the world.

2010-2011, the good, the bad and the ugly!

So, a season that began with a last minute equaliser in the sunshine at Liverpool back in August ended with a last minute equaliser in the sunshine at Fulham in May. And boy oh boy what a ride inbetween!
Despite some strange results, like home defeats to newly-promoted West Brom and Newcastle, and worst of all to Spurs after leading 2-0, we somehow managed to be in the race for all four trophies heading into February. We were playing some good football and looked virtually unbeatable at that time but then came the fall. And what a fall it was.

Tiote makes it 4-4, the moment it all went wrong

It all began at Newcastle in mid-February. Leading 4-0 at half time we somehow managed to cling on for a draw after Abou Diaby was sent off, and our quadruple dreams disappeared within weeks. The Carling Cup Final will go down as one of the most frustrating days in our history. Once again we capitulated to inferior opposition on the big stage, and as much as I love Wenger I have to say this has happened far too often during his reign. Galatasary 2000, Liverpool 2001, Chelsea in the Champions League quarter final 2004 all spring to mind and there have been many others as well.

Defeat at Wembley hurts

That last minute defeat finally killed what little confidence we had left. Okay, the defeat away at Barcelona in the Champions League was unlucky in as much as the sending off of Robin van Persie, with us ahead on aggregate, was a complete joke, but the fact we managed not a single shot on target over the entire 90 minutes perhaps suggests it was the right result in the end.
Our FA Cup dreams again suffered an unlucky defeat at Old Trafford in a tie we dominated for long spells, but there can be no such excuses for our Premier League capitulation. The writing was on the wall with consecutive goalless home draws with Sunderland  and Blackburn, sandwiched inbetween a 2-2 draw at West Brom - where we had found ourselves 2-0 down. A 3-1 win at Blackpool briefly raised our hopes but the Liverpool match summed it all up. Only this Arsenal side could go 1-0 up in the 96th minute and still not win!

Kuyt scores the 100th minute equaliser

Then, after throwing away a two goal lead against Spurs for the second time this season, it was all over when Tamir Cohen headed a last minute winner for Bolton. The last few games did not really matter, hense how we managed to beat Manchester United one week but then lose at Stoke and at home to Aston Villa, to not only miss the chance of finshing second but to end up 4th in what had, for so long, been a two horse race...
But it is easy to let the last couple of months cloud your judgement on the whole season. The period between November and February increased expectation and had us all believing but did this group of players over-achieve then or under-achieve in the run-in? Possibly a bit of both.
Overall it was a strange season. Manchester United were far from convincing in the early months yet looked set to go unbeaten until defeat at Wolves on the day of our Newcastle capitulation. Cheslea set of like a train only to suffer an horrendous winter before finishing strongly to take the runners-up spot. Liverpool spent some time in the bottom three, Blackpool some time in the top six. Meanwhile we often looked good but flattered to decieve and possibly paid the price for going for all four trophies with a squad not capable of winning one.

The surprise package of the season?

But this summer could be the watershed for Wenger. The chants of 'Where's the f**king money?' at Fulham show exactly how the fans feel and unless he spends big in the close season the pressure will really be on. However I believe this squad are very close to greatness. The return of Thomas Vermaelen will help shore up the defence next season, as will the emergence of Wjoceck Szczesney in goal. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will only improve while there was no better forward in the second half of the season then Robin van Persie. With the addition of a centre back (Gary Cahill or Chris Samba perhaps??) a holding midfielder (Scott Parker??) and a naturally wide player (Stewart Downing or Adam Johnson??) we could have the resourses to really push for honours next season. But it seems more likely we will sign some unknown young foreign players who may or may not be good enough but will no doubt be much cheaper.

Beating Barca, the highlight of the season

So that was 2010-11. The good (Chelsea and Barca at home), the bad (the Carling Cup Final and almost everything that followed) and the downright ugly (Newcastle away). Not the greatest season, granted, but not the disaster many fans would have you believe either. It saw our first major cup final at the New Wembley, a great win over Barcelona and lots of wonderful, wonderful football. Yes, that elusive trophy once again eluded us but things could have been a whole lot worse. Couldn't they??

Bent double adds to the Gunners gloom

Arsenal 1 Aston Villa 2
by Ricky Butler at The Emirates

If ever a match summed up a season it was this performance from Arsenal as they concluded their home fixtures with a whimper on Sunday afternoon.

Having seen all four trophies slip away in recent weeks, Arsene Wenger's side looked a pale shadow of the team that had thrilled us through the autumn and winter in an opening 20 minutes as poor as anything they have produced in 15 years under the Frenchman.

With the fans staging a pre-match demonstration over price increases and lack of investment in the team, it was exactly the start they could have done without as Darren Bent, the finisher who many feel Arsenal lack, showed exactly what he could bring to The Emirates with two cool finishes in the opening quarter of an hour.

Yes, the defending for both goals was nothing short of shocking, but it should not take anything away from Bent who took his goals with the confidence of a striker who passed the 20-goal mark once again.


But after such a poor start Arsenal rallied and went on to dominate the next 70 minutes without ever really looking like getting back in it. Robin van Persie, who has been in sensational goalscoring himself, struck the post while Aaron Ramsey, in for injured skipper Cesc Fabregas again, felt he should have been awarded a penalty after a firm challenge from Richard Dunne left referee Michael Oliver unimpressed.

As the team went off to a chorus of boos at the interval, Wenger changed his system, bringing on Marouane Chamakh for Sebastian Squillaci, and threw everything forward. The bold move almost back-fired within five minutes of the resumption when Bent made use of the extra space at the back but he showed the other side to his game with a weak finish that presented keeper Wojceich Sczesney with very few problems when he really ought to have completed his hat-trick.

That was a rare foray forward from Villa in a second half totally dominated by the hosts but in a now all-to familiar tale, Arsenal passed and passed their way to nowhere in particular.

Van Persie almost created a goal for Kieran Gibbs, who was denied by veteran keeper Brad Freidel, when he could have taken the chance himself, while Ramsey and Theo Walcott also came close to giving them a lifeline.

Wenger threw on Nicklas Bendtner for the once again disappointing Andrey Arshavin and Arsenal did finally get the ball in the net with fifteen minutes left - Chamakh heading home a cross from Backary Sagna - but Oliver upset the home fans again by disallowed it for a pushing offence that only he spotted.

But in a grandstand finale, van Persie forced the ball home from close range after Bendtner had burst into the area, his 21st goal of the season and his 20th since January 1st, but it proved no more than a consolation as Villa held out for a rare away win.

The lap of appreciation at the end took place in a half empty stadium as the Arsenal fans had long since had enough and you feel this summer could be the most important of Wenger's reign. His side are close to giving the fans the trophies they crave and with a little tweaking here and there they could do it next year. But with Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs all ready to challenge it could be a difficult time ahead for Arsenal.

Wenger, however, was only looking to next weeks final match at Fulham. he said: "We want to do well next Sunday. I want to finish on a better game than that.

''For the first 20 minutes here we were non-existent. We were not focused enough. Were we a bit scared after recent bad results? I don't know.

"We want to give the fans what they expect and when you don't do that they are entitled to be unhappy. But let's not go overboard, we are not fighting relegation.''

Maybe not but a seventh season without a trophy may well be one too many.

Arsenal - Szczesny 6, Sagna 7, Vermaelan 6, Squillaci 5 (Chamakh 45 7), Gibbs 7, Ramsey 7, Song 7, Walcott 6, van Persie 8, Arshavin 5 (Bentdner 62 7).

Aston Villa - Friedal 8, Young(L) 7, Dunne 8, Collins 8, Walker 8, Downing 7, Delph 6 (Heskey 90 5), Petrov 7 (Bradley 80 6), Young(A) 6, Reo Coker 6, Bent 7.

Man of the match - Van Persie. Did everything possible to lift his team.

Referee - Oliver 5. Failed to give Arsenal a blatant penalty and disallowed the Chamakh header for reasons known only to himself. The youngest referee in the Premier League and it showed.

Attendance - 60,023