London Calling

Continuing the (very) occasional musical theme there’s a song I keep hearing at the moment where the hook is ‘you’re scum, you’re scum and don’t you know it’. I think you know where this is going…

Tickets.

Before we get to the spuds match a few words about tickets. Now for various reasons there was a good chance that although I would be at Highbury nice and early my season ticket might not make it until after kick-off. Having a sensible moment on Thursday I phoned the club to arrange a duplicate ticket. I’ve had to do it once or twice in the past and it’s surprisingly little hassle. You have to leave a deposit when you collect the duplicate but you can get this refunded after by showing your season ticket still has the relevant token.

No. I couldn’t believe it. They said that they were not issuing any duplicates for the last two games and I asked her why that was. She didn’t actually know but to be fair she asked me to hold while she found out. Apparently it was (mainly) on police advice to stop people abusing the facility, which could create dangerous overcrowding inside the stadium. However, she said because it was two days before the game and she remembered talking to me before (sometimes it’s handy having a ‘memorable’ name) they were going to do it. Sheila – you’re an angel. Funnily enough when she realised that my season ticket was one of the smart cards they’ve been trailing this season (and could therefore be cancelled for the game) she said I wouldn’t even have to leave a deposit!

The other ticket problem was for Villarreal away. I said in the last piece that I’d told everyone I could think of that I needed a ticket, but that was more in hope than expectation. But, Thursday evening I got a text from a mate saying he knew someone selling a pair and did I want them. Did I want them? Take a guess…

As you can imagine I was absolutely ecstatic. Win lose or draw I was going to be there. It also meant that I wouldn’t have to try the blag I planned. I’ve got an official Arsenal blazer at home. Proper Aquascutum jobby with the cannon sewn onto the pocket in gold braid. The ‘plan’ was that I was going to dress smartly (!) and go to the ground the day before the game and try to claim to have been sent by David Dein to collect an extra pair of tickets for some guests. Ok, maybe a plan that was destined for failure but I’d have given it a go!

Spuds.

Drove down Friday with all my luggage for a week in Spain (cat lovers need not worry about Rocky because she’s safely at Jazz’s having his own seaside holiday). To be honest by the time I got to Wycombe I was absolutely shattered. Third journey down in a week and the travelling was starting to take a toll. I was supposed to go out in the evening with some friends but I shocked them by deciding to give it a miss and stay in! Early night, train into London, and I started collecting tickets. Top box office for my duplicate then down to the other one to get a pair for Citeh away. After that it was the big one – Villarreal tickets. It was a ‘friend of a friend’ job but the tickets were waiting for me and I gladly handed over the money for a pair. Yes!

My knee was still pretty bad so I arranged to meet Carlos by the ground and went in fairly early. Got the lift up whilst Carlos had to go up the stairs which meant that as he struggled the last flight or two I was happily looking down on him!

Let’s get this straight now. I think hate is a wasted emotion but in the case of the goat bothering scum from the lane I’ll happily make an exception. They are scum of the highest order and all this rubbish people come out with now about the mancs or whoever being our most hated team is cobblers. It’s the spuds first, last and always. You can search everything I’ve ever written and you’ll never find their ‘proper’ name on here because I absolutely and completely refuse to sully my computer with that word; in fact I won’t even say the word. I’ll swear like a trooper but even I have limits!

With 4th place up for grabs the press were happy to build it up as the most important derby between us ever which is probably stretching a point but maybe not by that much. Strangely (or maybe because of that and the 12:45 kick off) the atmosphere didn’t seem as charged as it normally does. But you could feel the hate in the air.

The main talking point has got to be their goal. That’s the second time in 10 years that they’ve not observed convention regarding injuries (the other was – I think – ’96 when we went on to beat them 3-1); which is just another example of their general scumminess. Jol had the nerve to say he didn’t see the players down but TV later clearly showed him look over then turn to his player and shout ‘Play’ 3 times. That’s why Arsene called you a liar you lying muppet and the fact that you alluded to the fact that you’re bigger then Wenger (with the obvious implications) show what a classless git you really are. ‘You’re scum and you know you are’ has never been more fitting.

Jens. I can’t believe he didn’t clobber Davids. I really thought that he was going to lay him out when he charged out at him but fortunately he kept it to just words (and incidentally the player had committed more than enough fouls to have merited two yellows long before that). Then came a moment that shows the gulf in class between the clubs.

The ball had gone out for a player to be treated (as it should). We took the throw and it went to Fabregas. Now when he got the ball for a moment I (and most of the crowd) would have been quite happy to see him play on but the kid very deliberately ran the ball out of play and trapped it over the line before running off. I can’t tell you how proud I was of the future world player of the year and my club as a whole at that moment. Even with everything that was at stake. Even with what they had just done. Despite that a bloody kid showed them what class is.

I’ll tell you what though – the roof went off when we equalised. And Thierry went just as mental as the fans. For anyone that doubts the great mans commitment to and love for The Arsenal just have a look at how he reacted to the goal and the sheer release of passion as he ran off banging his chest. He celebrated as a fan, not as a player. He IS one of us and I stick by what I’ve always said that he will stay. When it comes down to it I think leaving would be far too much of a wrench for him. On top of that, leaving Wenger’s Arsenal hasn’t exactly done a lot of good for many people, has it?

Seeing their scum celebrating at the end of the game was tough, but it again shows the difference between the clubs that they were so happy to not lose at Highbury. I haven’t got any references here but I think the last time they beat us at Highbury (EVER!) was 1993 when we played them just before the FA Cup Final and our virtual reserve team got beaten 3-1. And they celebrated beating our reserves with much gusto that day, but nothing compared to us celebrating winning both domestic cups a few days later!

The advantages of gravity mean that I can (sort of) bounce down the stairs without using my knee so there was no need for me to get the lift down again. Back to the 12 Pins for a while where the ‘last North London derby’ was fully put into perspective. After a few minutes discussing the game everyone started talking about Villarreal and tickets. Nearly everyone I spoke to was travelling without tickets and at one point I saw someone pay £800 for a pair of tickets. Eight hundred quid! For any spuds fans that are getting confused now I’m mentioning foreign teams there’s this thing called the Champions League that the best teams in Europe play for. It means leaving Blighty from time to time, but at least we get to miss Eastenders!

Ended up at George’s with my luggage ready for an early flight Sunday to Spain and a week of sun, sea, sand and hopefully qualification for the final.

Come on you Red(currant)s!