17th of Aug, 2019. A month prior, I had bought the Arsenal Red Membership with no hope of ever getting a chance to watch a match. It didn’t arrive for 2 weeks. I reached out to Arsenal support and they sent a copy of the membership card; it came with an Arsenal book, a red and white Arsenal muffler, and a woven winter cap. I was delighted after receiving the package and next thing was to try and get a ticket somehow.
Searched through reddit about how to get one, realised it’s almost impossible to get a ticket on Red Membership but I can buy one from the ticket exchange. So, I did exactly that. I didn’t realise how big the stadium is, at that time… and booked the cheapest one which was at the top.
And, the biggest mistake was, reaching 2 hours before the game. It was sort of empty outside, with mostly families lining up for pictures for their kids. No queues, and not much people once I went IN. An hour later, stadium was packed with 60k+ fans, players warming up. It was ecstatic.
It was the game against Burnley, under Unai Emery. Dani Ceballos started his first game for us on loan, we had David Luiz too starting his first game in Red and White after a move from Chelsea. We went ahead in 13th minute from a Lacazette’s goal, assisted by Dani boy. Happiness didn’t last long when Burnley scored one just before the half time. It was in the 64th minute when Auba scored the winning goal for us, stadium was buzzing, people were singing and I was on my arse for the rest of the game.
Wonderful experience. Brilliant atmosphere. Dream to watch Arsenal at Emirates was done. I managed to watch few more games before returning from UK, but the first game was special, even though I couldn’t see the players’ faces from up top.
The featured image on this post was the first pic I took of Emirates.
In this 4 years, my love and passion towards AFC has increased – so yeah, it affects my mood even more now. This love made me start a blog, which has 168 articles, 7,599 approved and genuine comments, and 91,500 unique readers. Things have gotten better, both at the club level where we are competing with Man City for the title, having one of the youngest and best group of players playing for us; and for LiR where the traffic is increasing as day passes.
Thank you, for all your support. LiR wouldn’t be anything without the readers.
Cheers.
Happy birthday of sorts Ambarish. 91,500 readership is excellent and I hope many find their voices to write here. I had no idea the success you were having because of the limited amount of posters.
.
Congrats mate. Excellent job!
I love heart felt, passionate posts like yours, Ambarish. The true stories are always the best.
.
I was just skimming the online Gooner news and thought about Arteta’s
.
“We HAVE to get this TW window right.”
.
Shame that wasn’t the thinking when Timber got injured before half time. It’s all b web said now, so there’s nothing to add.
.
Some very strange stories doing the rounds with big LCB Gabs looking at Saudi and others looking to depart, but few stories of further buys and god knows we need with our best buy thus far this TW now out for at least 6 months that could have been avoided severals ways by Arteta.
.
We’ve been lucky to have extra days until our next game and first London Derby away to Palace on Monday night. Would be helpful if Olisse and Doucoure were absent waiting for medicals with The Chavs or others. Time for Arteta to sort out his backline again. Groundhog Day alert!
.
14 days until the TW closes and we don’t know what to buy by the look of it. A 188+cm CF is a must, but other incomings are dependent on outgoings that has a familiar ring to it. Sell to buy? The familiar TW cry after some purchases.
.
I feel a ‘Confused from Croydon’ would be an apt moniker for me at the monument.
.
Anyone else confused as to what A&E are playing at? Some herbs, some herbs, KP a Kingdom for some herbs! Did you or Almunia see a movie comedy of Richard III where I think Richard Dreyfus played the camp hunchback king? Funny adaptation. If I remember correctly, and that is some stretch, I think the movie was centered on Dreyfus playing the part on Broadway and kept getting it wrong. Anyone else know?
.
Really not much on the net or emanating from the club, so wait and see time.
.
Have a good one LIRs .:)
been said*
Ambarish
I echo what Tony has said. It was heartwarming to read about your love of Arsenal and how it came about. It sounds as if you made the most of your time in London and that your feelings for our club were a key element of that. I’d also love to hear from the many that read the site – c’mon women, men and everyone else. We’re all Gooners (which is what makes us so superior to other so-called fans! 😊). I’m hugely grateful that there’s a huge Arsenal fan in the shape of Ambarish posting this from India. You’re doing a brilliant job mate.
Here’s a little tale that’ll make you laugh given your endeavours to get tickets. In the mid to late 1980s, football was really in the doldrums in England. Hooligans everywhere, heavy-handed policing, stadia in disrepair (even Highbury!) and closer to home Arsenal were distinctly ordinary and looking rudderless. Moreover the Hill-Woods were choking the club with their parsimony and showing little or no ambition. Indeed, had the Internet been around back then, my moniker would have been HillWood-o-phobe!
Anyway, cutting to the chase. I’m in London in 1987 between jobs in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Arsenal are playing Doncaster Rovers at Highbury in a replay league cup tie (they drew 2-2 up there-unbelievable I know). So I take a friend along and we win 1-0 with a goal by dear old Rocky. (Ambarish – you would have loved David Rocastle. He is one of a few players we’ve had who embodied the best things about Arsenal) . Anyway, the point of this story is that the attendance was on the ridiculously low side given that THOF (the home of football as used to call Highbury) still had terraces and a potential attendance total of 60 thousand.
I’m ashamed to say there were only 18,321 people there that night to watch a team that 2 years later, would win the title up at Anfield.
Did see on the previous post someone put a link to a story about the Saudi League trying to get into the CL.
Do they realise this would play into the European teams hands purely because they’d be subject to the FFP rules that would stop them spending the crazy amounts to entice the payers over?
The Saudi League is going to be a damp squib of epic proportions.
Just seen confirmation that Timber’s injury is an ACL.
Can anyone remember a case of a player being assessed and being sent back out after half time who had an ACL?
Just to add to the narrative that Arteta should have taken him off even though the physics declared him fit. The Spuds manager saw that one of his players had a head collision and then after he headed the ball he took him off because something wasn’t right.
Compare that to Arteta’s handling of Timber. The excitement of the TW is gone and only Rice is to be excited about. Arteta is just a possibility poor manager.
Possibility/piss
August 1998, dimly lit bar somewhere in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Me, and my then girlfriend (now wife) are sitting at a table, eating some delicious food and drinking beers. There’s a game of football on TV to which I’m half paying attention to. And then I notice this guy wearing number 10 shirt, and he’s nothing short of spectacular on the pitch. Yes, the reason I’m an Arsenal fan for 25 years now (almost to date) is a footballing god by the name of Dennis Bergkamp. And the rest is history, as they say. My first (and only so far) Arsenal game that I attended is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I get goosebumps just by thinking about it. I turned 50 last year, and when my wife asked me what I wanted for a gift (she was secretly hoping I’d ask for a big bday bash at some restaurant in Toronto or something), I said that I want to go to London to watch my team play at the Emirates. She said okay. On October 1, 2022, we both witnessed in person a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Tottenham Spurs sitting at a 2nd row. I can still smell the grass; seeing Saka taking a corner kick just a stone throw away; Xhaka scoring right in front of my eyes… it was everything I thought it was going to be and then some.
Ambarish-glorious Arsenal first-timer tale-I’ve been fortunate enough to see our beloved club in various locations across the globe, including at the Highbury and the Emirates, but I will never forget the overwhelming sense of anticipation and the rush of emotions that surrounded my very first in-person experience…thanks for all your efforts, as I truly appreciate having a forum where myself and others can express themselves freely without undue judgement, especially at a time where this is far from a given…kudos to you
two points of interest fromour MIT
(1) MA had the unmitigated gall to suggest that we have no number 1’s because we’re supposedly so rife with elite level depth that we have 2 full top drawer lineups…what a lip service whore, considering this was on the heels of the Raya signing, which raised the ire of several pundits, rightly or wrongly…furthermore, how ironic that our manager would talk about squad depth considering his history of having the shortest bench in the footballing world
(2) he likewise complained about the “packed” schedule, in light of the supposed plethora of ACL injuries…what a transparent recency bias twat…for the love of God Arteta, Timber was injured in week fucking 1, when you refused to err on the side of caution and replace him at half, even though we were playing a bottom-feeder club and we had more than one viable option on the bench…it reminded me of his earlier Xmas rescheduling covid weasel maneuver that ultimately cost us in the end…maybe he should stop planting excuse seeds and get to work on a fucking plan B
from our manager in training
Upstate
Brilliant story mate. To see Arsenal win an NLD among your first few (of many I hope!) matches must have been very special. I’m lucky in a different way having seen them play too many times (as an ST holder on the north bank then the clock end), not to mention including away in Europe and some of the saltier corners of england.
My first Arsenal game was as a 10 year old away at Leicester in the good old Filbert Street ground. We lost 4-1. In a nice bit of symmetry, I’m off to Leicester this weekend with my son and his mate to watch the foxes take on my Welsh favourites Cardiff City in the championship. I’m always happier watching games away for some reason.
A bit more of a challenge I suppose and the wins are extra sweet.
I hope it’s not too long til your next visit.
I couldn’t agree more about Bergo. I still love the guy for what he did to lift Arsenal and give us back some beautiful football, played with a healthy bit of muscle and spite. I remember his first season at Highbury and the media were on his back after about 6 games into the season because he hadn’t yet scored. That changed one beautiful Saturday afternoon at home to Southampton when he scored a screamer. From my spot in the clock end I saw it every step of the way into the net. We all went nuts.
https://youtu.be/DzkGiiASIac
I’m a terrible historian having completely forgotten his first goal earlier in the game scored at the clock end. I’d somehow remembered the second one in this clip as his first. Simply terrific goal.
Vieira
Your point about GKs. I’ve just about cleared a huge lump of sick from my throat (don’t ask) after reading that a certain Mr Runnarson might be off to – you’ve guessed it – Cardiff on loan. Oh no….
Kroenkephobe
Cheers, mate! I envy you, Londoners, sometimes when it comes to watching live games. Although, I probably wouldn’t commit to a season ticket myself, I’d definitely go to a few games here and there. Champions league knockout rounds, or a spicy FA Cup tie. One can only dream. Having said that, it just so happens that I’m a huge Buffalo Bills fan as well who are taking on Jacksonville Jaguars in London on October 8th, and I can probably score some reasonably priced tickets. What does it have to do with Arsenal? Well, they are playing on October 7th at the Emirates against… Man City. Tickets are pricy for that game on the second market but it would be awesome to watch both of my favorite teams play back to back on two consecutive days in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Problem is, I kind of verbally committed already to Spain (Barcelona and Madrid) in the fall to my wife. So it’ll be tough to convince her to go back to England 2nd year in a row. P.S. I can watch DB10’s highlights all day.
KP-I feel for you and your pending Keeper plight…once can only hope he’s learned something since his horrifying yet thankfully brief time at the Emirates…maybe MA/Edu have been following you online and are simply fucking with you
one can only
Vieira
That’s a powerful image mate. Me on A and E’s voodoo doll shit list. There’s probably a good number of LiR contributors on there to be fair, present company included!
Upstate
I assume the Bills-Jags game is being played at Shite Heart Lane rather than Wembley. A chance to see how the other lot’s stadium feels like although the outside of the ground, ie Tottenham/Edmonton is like a favela til you get southwest to the relative sanctuary of Manor House and Finsbury Park. That’d be some weekend watching Buffalo and Arsenal on two consecutive days. Good luck with selling the project to your other half. Mine would laugh in my face if I suggested something like that! She just about tolerates my Cardiff away days because they’re inspired by Kroenkephobe junior. Spain can wait til next year. 🇪🇸😊
I think the term ‘upstate’ largely refers to the state of NY anywhere north of NYC right? Are you actually in the Buffalo area? I passed by there a few times while on mega road trips from my base in DC.
Upstate
Great story and welcome to LIR. Bergkamp just shades Liam Brady who was Bergkampesque at his best.
.
KP
When I saw Runnerson had been loaned to Cardiff I thought I hope KP hasn’t seen this yet. Good to see you’re ok, and if you’ve drunk the house dry maybe look on there bright side the GK coach didn’t go with him. Runnerson under a decent coach might unearth a gem, right?
.
Ok, you’d need Jesus’s dad’s help to bring divine intervention to turn Runnerson into the second coming of prime Gianluigi Buffon. Junior said poor KP but can I laugh now? That was it full on lack of oxygen laughing. It was rude to let Junior laugh alone. Junior said too me will KP forgive us for this between gasps for air and I said sure once the suicide watch is over.
.
Oh mate we feel for you. Your Cardiff reports are going to have far more interest and relevance for junior and me this season.
.
Still at least Runnerson is coming to God’s Country and one time home of rugby.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEWGyyLiqY4
.
I hate Monday night games as they are 2am or 3am here depending on summer time. Next day viewing is never the same. Still, Palace shouldn’t too difficult to take 3 points from, right?
Leaks being made in the press about Timber’s injury along the lines of “he felt fine” yada yada and he was walking the day after which doesn’t happen with ACL’s.
Bullshit – he was in a lot of pain when he went down and only managed a few minutes in the second half before going down in obvious pain again.
Someone screwed up in a big way and Arteta’s doing his usual of ducking responsibility.
Marc
“Can anyone remember a case of a player being assessed and being sent back out after half time who had an ACL? ”
A Pedro Rock Bottom argued listing all tests Timber was subjected too at half time and naively deduced that the fantasy medical team are absolved because their inept testing didn’t reveal anything amiss.( saw the 2 geriatrics apparently with bad knees themselves who arrived when Timber collapsed? )
Thanks, fellas. I’ve been reading LiR for a while (really enjoy the satire pieces as well as the overall posts/conversations), and even commented a couple of times here and there some time ago. I’m not a regular though like most of you here.
KP
Re: Bills/Arsenal in October – yes, it will be a tough sell, and I don’t think she’ll go for it even though one of her best childhood friends lives in London, and I told her that we could do a day trip to Paris (which she loved when we were there in summer of 2019). Unfortunately, it looks like London will have to wait 🙁 .
Re: “I think the term ‘upstate’ largely refers to the state of NY anywhere north of NYC right? Are you actually in the Buffalo area?” – you’re correct, sir. I’m in Rochester, NY area which is about an hour away from Buffalo. Been here since 1991 so it’s the place I call home.
Re: Cardiff/Runnarson – good luck! 🙂
Hoopah
Its just perverse – players get injured its bad but it happens. Arteta’s got form for this remember him pushing Partey back onto the pitch?
Can you imagine what Pedro would be saying if the same thing had happened under Emery? Still at least the fanboys have their ready made excuse for the season.
One has to only listen to DeZerbi’s comments today to understand why our first priority signing should have been Caicedo…considering all the grief surrounding the player since the winter window, his former manager could have easily sewered the player or simply declined making any commentary whatsoever, instead he waxed lyrically about his “unique” importance to the club, going so far as to suggest that he would have to make significant tactical adjustments as a result of his exodus…just saying
Vieira
Good point. In other words, De Zerbi knows how to keep his bosses happy by protecting and enhancing the value of his players. Bloom, and to a slightly lesser extent the fans, must love him.
I fear Arteta would have put Caicedo on the naughty step and ostracised him thus making it easier and ultimately cheaper for the buying club. Yes, I still bear the scars from the Guendouzi farrago and will never forgive Arteta for ruining the kid’s career.
R-r-r-r-runnarson looks set for South Wales. I can’t escape the guy. Iceland’s answer to Manuel Almunia. Talking of whom……
Upstate – keep persisting mate. That double-header sounds too good to miss. Are you expecting the Bills to have another good season?
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/18/ange-postecoglou-warns-tottenham-fans-that-happiness-will-come-from-pain
‘joy comes through suffering’ according to spud manager Ange Postecoglu. Sounds almost confucian doesn’t it, although my personal favourite from the world of pessimistic mysticism is…
The only time to spit in a man’s face is when his beard is on fire.
I don’t think Ange’s message is going to resonate with the cro-magnon denizens of N17 is it? Relative to the hordes of other spud managers over the past 30 years, I think I quite like Ange (at least because of his oeuvre at Celtic). He’s an honest guy who is already as depressed as fuck about managing Spurs. Brilliant, and hardly the harbinger of football artistry and entertainment. Just imagine such philosophical candour from Arteta.
Sorry Tony
I didn’t see that Richard III spoof you were talking about earlier. I did however see a serious 50s/60s version with ‘Larry’ Olivier in the eponymous role a few years ago. Terrible ham acting and some properly mad medieval barnets on display which provided some tragi-comic moments in one of Shakespeare’s greatest historical plays. It did help cure my insomnia at the time.
I doubt I’ll have time to investigate on my trip but Leicester is now the Richard III world capital after they found his body buried under a car park…
“He’s an honest guy who is already as depressed as fuck about managing Spurs.”
He’s only been there 5 minutes – I keep getting flashbacks of the scene from Shawshank where they’re betting on which new inmate will be the first to lose it.
Ambarish,
A belated congrats on the milestones reached. A tremendous job the way you’ve grown the blog. Let’s hope this is just the beginning. Your genuine love for the club shines through,as does your humble nature.best of luck to you.
I found the Runnarson to Cardiff story funny I have to say,sorry KP. He’s hardly going straight into the first team is he? It’s gas the way it’s yet another loan,the end of which will see him out of contract. We make del boy and Rodney look like smooth professionals.
Gutted about Timber,he really did look to have something about him. But we’re not alone on the injury front,players dropping like flies. This is what having a big squad is all about,drive on regardless. City need another attacker,interesting to see where they go now that the Paquetta deal seems to be off. Delighted Olise didn’t sign for Chelsea, getting ridiculous what was going on there. It also means we might still get him in another season or so.
Lots of good matches to look forward to over the weekend. I wonder what we’ll see from Newcastle at City. Last year they were very defensive in the big games. Will Howe be a little bit more adventurous this year? Will utd be as bad against spuds as they were against Wolves? Are Chelsea the real deal under Poch? It’s a real treat of a weekend.
Thank you, everyone for encouragement and support here at LiR.
KP, Upstate,
Loved to hear your experiences. It’s refreshing to hear what other fans feel all over the world. Different people, different expectations and way of handling football and Arsenal.. but we are all Red and White army.
—
Football is back, spuds v manure and city v Newcastle will be the two games to look out for today. I will pray for a city loss.
I have a dodgy stick at home (I know,I know). I watch almost every type of sport and football everywhere but for some reason I’ve never watched the French League and as a result I haven’t a clue whether Balagon is the next coming of Henry or Chamak. So I can’t really comment on the players quality with any authority. What I will say is that I don’t think he can be a step down from Nketiah and I do think we really need a top class striker. If Chelsea are after him then do not sell to them under any circumstances. If he fails there it will matter nothing to them whereas if he succeeds it will break our hearts. My instinct is to keep him and give him games however it seems that Arteta does not want to. Why this is God only knows. One might suspect that Balagon does not have the submissive nature that Arteta requires. At the risk of sounding like a broken record if Saka gets injured we are in big trouble offensively.
Upstate,
Enjoyed your story,I thought you were about to write a little piece of fiction when you started with the ‘dimly lit bar’! Bergkamp was a hero to us all I think,imagine what the modern ‘systems’ would have tried to do to him……
Liverpool one down,could easily have been 2 and Allison a lucky boy not to have seen red. Regardless of the end result Liverpool have shown all the vulnerability of last season again. Combine this with utd’s abysmal performance last Monday and it seems,albeit very early days,that the premiership badly needs a competitive Arsenal again if there is to be a genuine race.
Did any of you see Mitoma’s goal v wolves? Holy shit he is some player. Another Brighton superstar. And they still have Ferguson.
Tremendous equalizer by Diaz in fairness. I don’t understand why Klopp didn’t go all out for Gvardiol,they are desperately short of quality cb’s and he would have sorted them for a decade,especially learning alongside VVD. There’s obviously issues financially there.
Almunia
I can’t say I’ve watched any of the French League but Balo got 21 goals Lacazette got 27.
Now I know there’s all sorts of other variables but its not a great sign for how many goals he’d get for us.
KP good to see you pulled a goal back. Fingers crossed for the 2nd half. Pool and Bournemouth is a good game. Spuds v Manure a comedy of errors one hopes.
.
Hope the mood is good with all.
Marc,
True for you and if we had a striker in form no-one would blink an eye at balo’s departure. But given Jesus’ injury record and Eddie’s performances (decent but he’s not top drawer and never will be imo) I don’t see why he hasn’t been given a run. If he belonged to another club he’d be exactly the profile we’d be looking at. I have to conclude it’s a personality thing. I don’t buy the ‘wanting to start’ argument. Every pro,virtually, wants to start but knows at the top level there are no guarantees. Just look at liverpool’s bench today.
All good here Tony,enjoying the afternoon. Hope all good your end. Estupian just put Brighton 2 up,he’s another good one. I noted Aaron Ramsey scoring for Cardiff also,keep KP happy for his ht cuppa.
Liverpool are so poor defensively it’s ridiculous, beginning to remind me of Arsenal’06-’11, fantastic attack crying out for defensive support.
3 nil to Brighton. Solly March. Even Welbeck looks good!
Good to hear Almunia was going to write a post after the pool game to you.
.
My views on Dezerbi and Bloom are always admiring of all they do. No way that dynamic duo are parting company company for some time to come, such is their perfect combination. I wish we had Bloom as an owner because he understands.
.
Sadly no one on our board or owners have his foresight or drive. Hats off to him!!!
.
Hope all well with you and your family.🙏😊🙏
Szoboszlai is showing his class today. Pool look more dangerous with 10 men.