London Calling

Champers and Shovels at Highbury
 

I got a phone call last Monday. ‘Is that Lucas?’ ‘Er, Yes.’ ‘Excellent – I’m phoning to tell you that you’ve won the O2 ‘Tear up the Turf’ competition and to make sure you are still interested.’ ‘Yeah – sure.’ ‘Ok, well it’s next Monday at 6pm and we’ll send you your confirmation and ticket in the next couple of days’. ‘Excellent.’ Now from that it may seem as though I wasn’t overly enthusiastic, but to be honest I didn’t have the slightest clue what she was on about! Firstly the shock of actually winning something (I think the last thing I won was in a raffle at a pub benefit for the Bradford fire!), and secondly I couldn’t remember entering any competition! Quick Google and I found out what it was and had to sit down for a minute. So what was it? Well, this is how it went…

I got the train down (it’s a lot warmer on them in the summer) Monday and got there early enough to have a stroll round the outside of Highbury II but it was so bloody hot I really couldn’t be bothered so I went for a drink instead. You were allowed to take two guests and just before 5 one of mine (Harlow Steve) phoned up to say there were no trains in from where he was because of some problem on the line so he didn’t know what he was going to do but he’d call me back. He called about 10 minutes later sounding incredibly relieved that he was on a moving train and just as I put the phone down George walked in to the pub. Time for another livener and then it was off to the ground where we met Steve just before 6, and also met up with another friend, Xanthos, who had managed to get a ticket. First thing I noticed was that a lot of people had very strange ideas about what ‘smart/casual’ means which (as I’d made the effort for a change) amused me. Shorts and sleeveless t-shirt? Not what I’d call ‘smart/casual’ but I certainly didn’t have a problem with it – as I say I just found it amusing. Then the doors for the North Bank opened and we were let through a few at a time. O2 angels everywhere and the first thing we do is pick up a glass of champers each before being led round the east side of the North Bank onto the pitch. Yup, ON TO THE PITCH! We were just left to wander round the pitch while all the other guests (around 200) were coming in. WOW! Now I’m luckier than most, I’ve been on the pitch a couple of times before (I’ve even actually played there) but even so I got goose pimples crossing the white line. Looking around as people came in it seemed that most people were totally in awe (as we were) of being out there. There were a few kids there and watching the smiles on their faces as they came onto the pitch was superb. It’s amazing when you’re actually out there how tight the stadium is. Even stood in the centre circle the stands seem so close to you that you can almost imagine them full of cheering fans, although there is something slightly eerie about an empty stadium. Especially when there’s a classical Quartet on a podium in the middle of the pitch playing…Arsenal chants! Strange but superb. When everyone was in MC Bob Wilson called everyone towards the podium, which had been temporarily vacated by the Quartet. After a few words from an O2 executive (who was wise enough to know this wasn’t his normal corporate audience and kept it brief and to the point), Uncle Bob introduced Keith Edelman. Now if you’ve followed this column you’ll know I have an extremely low opinion of our MD but somehow he didn’t even manage to live up to that. Even though he was (very obviously) reading from a prepared script he came over as a right muppet. To be fair I asked a couple of people after what they thought and they were all of the same opinion. It was obviously the speech of someone that knew very little about Arsenal (or football in general) and was trying to look as though they did. He gave a list of ‘facts’ about Highbury, and a lot of them were just plain wrong. He kept saying ‘You might not know this but’ before checking his notes and getting something else wrong. At the end of his ‘thankfully brief’ speech he said ‘Enjoy the match’ which had everyone looking around confused. Uncle Bob then took the mic back and after a few words about the stadium started pulling some old kit out of a bag and (to much hilarity) was comparing his old kit with more modern kit, and then introduced Charlie George. Charlie walked onto the podium, pulled a duster out of his pocket and deadpanned that it was the cloth he used to have to clean the dressing room with. Charlie then talked about the place for a few minutes and next up was Sammy Nelson. Now everyone knows Sammy has a reputation as a joker – and I can tell you it’s well deserved. He put himself down with a few beauties, delivered in his soft Irish accent. He’s one of those guys with a perfect delivery, and even though the ex players had probably heard all his jokes a hundred times before they were still cracking up. In fact when Uncle Bob introduced Frank McLintock they were still both laughing. Frank gave a little speech as well and then Uncle Bob was back telling us to enjoy ourselves. The players would be giving tours of the inside of the East Stand all evening and if (and when) we wanted a look around we should just go to the tunnel and go on the next ‘tour’. The O2 angels were everywhere giving out drinks and canapés and there were jugglers, magicians and even Gunnersaurus. We weren’t allowed in the stands or to actually play football on the pitch but the stewards were being very easy going about people going into the stands to get their photo’s taken, and we even managed to get one of the ball jugglers to lend us his ball so we could kick it in the North Bank goal. We sat there, we strolled around, we took photo after photo and it was superb. There were even people playing ‘statues’ holding big signs saying ‘Here I am in the North Bank goal’ and such like to get your photo taken beside. I’m not sure exactly how it happened but at some point they gave up on the ‘no football’ rule and we ended up having a penalty shoot out in (first) The Clock End goal and then, later, in the North Bank goal. I left George for a while and went and chatted with Xanthos and Harlow Steve by the tunnel and we decided (for no good reason) to just go for a stroll up the tunnel to see how far we could get. Well we got into the ‘halfway room’ where the players used to have their meetings but is now used for post match interviews, and then up to the main halls before being turned back. When we got back out onto the pitch there was another tour about to start and as they went on that I had a private moment. Strolled over to where my Dad’s ashes are and just sat there for a while. After that George and I went on one of the tours, with Sammy Nelson. If he hadn’t made it as a footballer then the guy would have been able to make good money as a comedian. With four tours going on at a time they were crossing over each other, and although I’m not sure how, I lost George and somehow ending up on Frank McLintock’s tour which was heading for the Boardroom. Oh well – life’s hard isn’t it!

I’ve never been in the boardroom before. Guess I’ll never go in there again either. Frank sat us all down around the table, took his place at the head of the table, and after telling us how he’d never dared go in there as a player he threw it open for us to ask questions. A few people asked questions and he was superb, then I said one name and he really came to life. That name – Lazio (for those that don’t know when we played Lazio in the early ‘70s there was a mass punch up between the players after a post match dinner in Rome).

Well at that moment he turned from Frank McLintock – Arsenal Legend back into the man that became the legend. His eyes were alive; he was on his feet, throwing punches and telling the story with an amazing passion. I was sat next to him and I can tell you I know exactly why the double team said he inspired them to walk through walls. The guy was just so damned impressive and if at that moment he’d asked me to dive headlong through the window I’d probably have been half way through before I’d even thought it might be a bad idea.

For the record Ray Kennedy went outside for some air after the speeches. A Lazio player and two fans walked past and said something. Ray said ‘Pardon’ and got clumped. Now Ray was a big young lad and started giving some back. Apparently as the speeches had just ended the players were going out in ones and twos ‘for air’ (let’s be honest – a lot of them would have been smokers then) and joined in. Bob Wilson went out, ran back in and told everyone what was happening and everyone piled out. At one point Frank had someone on his back and someone else punching him and threw one at the other. From what he said it went on for 5-10 minutes before the olda billa turned upa (sorry) and forced the Arsenal onto the team coach. Funniest image though has to have been little Bertie Mee trying to argue with a copper who picked him up by the lapel (as he continued to argue) and put him down on the coach step!

Then it was down the tunnel onto the pitch. I was talking with Frank and as we went down the tunnel I couldn’t help telling him what a buzz it was to follow him down the tunnel onto the pitch. He was ‘my’ first Arsenal captain so it was like a real young childhood moment – I think he understood. It was also obvious from talking to him how much the stadium meant to him and how sad he was that there would be no more football there. I wouldn’t say he was actually angry about the move, but he was obviously upset on a personal level.

It was time for the shovel. Part of the competition prize was a piece of the pitch! I actually got to take a shovel and dig up a (marked) foot square piece of turf and take it away in a special Perspex box. When we’d first gone in and I’d looked at the area marked off (couple of yards in from the touchline where a left winger would attack the North Bank end before either crossing or cutting into the box) I did think how terribly sad it was that after all these years it was being dug up so I decided I wouldn’t get mine until lots had gone but as I went over there and looked at the empty plots I just got an amazing buzz that I really was there the last time ANYONE would play on the pitch.

Then something happened that shows just how special Highbury is. Uncle Bob asked one of the O2 people if there were any spare boxes and she said there were a couple to cover breakages. So Bob, Charlie George and Sammy Nelson (Frank had gone by then) each decide they’re having a square for their gardens. And they looked as excited about it as the rest of us. George said something to me about ‘Uncle Bob’ and one of the Angels asked if I was his nephew. ‘Nah, but he’s just Uncle Bob isn’t he’ George told her and she just smiled and said ‘He is lovely, isn’t he.’

The players were more than happy to sign autographs all night but I got a strange look from Sammy at one point. He was happily signing for everyone and chatting when I passed him something to sign. He was glancing down at each thing he signed without paying too much attention but when he looked at mine he suddenly stopped talking and looked at me for a second before asking where I’d got it (in a mixed lot of football stuff). What was it? Well, it was a telegram from the club to Sammy congratulating him on his first international cap! He smiled and carried on as before but it did suddenly occur to me that I hoped he’d never been burgled! Charlie was quite impressed with what I had for him to sign as well. A while back I bought this A3 print of him mounted on mdf. It’s the classic long-haired head and shoulders but they’ve played with the colours a little. As I was getting it out I said that I hoped he liked it and when he looked at it I was glad to see him grin and say ‘Oh yes, that’s me!’ He held it there looking at it and was quite interested where I’d got it from, and so were a few others. In fact, one person offered me £25 for it on the spot. No, sorry.

Well, me, freebies, you know. Shovel - had to ask because they were branded ‘Tear up the Turf’ and seemed useless for anything else. Girl said she didn’t know but if it was all right with the people on the gate… so I picked up a shovel. George and I played a bit of football and sat around on the pitch a while (and since George didn’t get a box of turf we, err, let’s say we ‘created’ a divot for him) until we really had to go. As we’re walking out one of the signs the ‘statues’ were holding was lying in the penalty box so I thought ‘why not?’ Then George comes out with a beauty, and the last George moment of the season. He says ‘Great, you can hide the shovel behind it’ and I think ok and then look down at this seven foot arrow I’m carrying and the shovel and think ‘What the hell is he on about!’ On the gate they just grinned at our booty and we were each given a nice squad picture on proper photo paper in a tube (if you’ve seen the postcard set that was at the last game then it’s that image) and I’m ‘One for my brother’ and get one. We’re on a roll. Dump everything in George’s car right outside and I want to go back in. It really was my last chance and I didn’t want it to end, so we told the stewards we’d left a bag behind and we went in for a nice slow stroll around the pitch again.

We really were the last people there and it was our last chance to leave before someone came over and had a word so we headed out. We saw another shovel on the pitch and so George got himself one, then we saw the other two arrow signs. Back through the entrance and we ask and they say fine and even gave us some more photo’s.

A superb night (it was nearly 10:30 when we left). In every single possible way. Congratulations to O2 for their organisation of the event because it really was an amazing, intimate way to really say goodbye to a place where I’ve spent so much time and emotion over the years. So many memories, so many friends, a (fortunate) few prats, and a lot of laughs.

Goodnight Highbury.