Local Hosteleries - "The Highbury Barn"

I suppose I started going here in the late 80s and was a regular for 5-6 years. The Barn is in an excellent location and this became its downfall - too busy and taking too long to actually get a pint. The courtyard and the chip shop were missed - especially on a hot day when you could relax outside. Times move on and The Barn (I think) will be further away from AG than Highbury - we may return next year?

Fulham (4-1) - 24th August 2005

If the landlord of The Bailey pub is reading this (unlikely I know) please ensure you have London Pride on for Arsenal games (my mates are getting p###ed off with the infrequency of its availability these days) - Thanks! The early season games are normally T-shirt affairs, this one wasn't - a wet & miserable autumnal feel greeted the fans last night. I like Fulham, nice club, try to play football the right way, nice little cottage at the ground and usually 6 points every season. Compared to their less illustrious neighbours they play attractive & entertaining football BUT we play it better and have now found a plan B - its big, bald and French and called Cygan! Only 181 goals to go Pascal..... (the pic is of the glorious sunset last night - honest!)

Great Goals - 7th September 1991

Remember this one as a great moment in Highbury history? Nope not really but it's not often that Lee Dixon scored, yet alone from 40 yards. Shame it was at the wrong end - but at least he managed it in the final season of the old North Bank. As is our want after winning a title we made a mess of it the following season - losing 2-1 at home to Coventry is never going to win you titles.

Highbury Memories - 31st December 1994

Not a date that sticks in your mind particularly? Look at the picture - remember this man, many are convinced George only signed him because of one goal in Euro 1992. He became a cult hero for not scoring and myself and two mates started betting between ourselves on what time he would score . Unfortunately, the day he finally did it (in a forgettable 1-3 home defeat to QPR) we all missed the game - typical really. The "pot" carried on but we switched to betting on which opposition player would get sent off - we met Everton soon after and so Duncan Disorderly duly obliged by punching someone and getting a red card. Thank You John Jensen.

Things to talk about

Having set this blog up I'm now trying to think of different subjects and categories to populate a whole year of blogging....

So far I've managed to come up with the obvious - Favourite Goals, Strangest Moments, Highbury Nightmares, Things I'll Miss, Things I'll be glad to get rid of, The Transition to the new HOF, The Highbury Experience. Actually there is quite a lot there so I think I must just manage to fill the pages - whether anyone reads them (possibly) , finds them amusing (unlikely), interesting (could do) or just mad (probably) I just don't know.

Newcastle (2-0) - 14th August 2005

Thanks to those lovely chaps at Sky we have the traditional curtain raiser of the new season at 1.30 on a Sunday afternoon. Just great - we have to get up much earlier on a Sunday morning, the pubs don't open until 12.00 and we only have an hour to drink pre-match. The Bailey (I'll cover this later in the season) is, as usual, awash with barcode supporters - it is a regular away haunt for them. So I disappear with 2 mates to Lily Red (ex-wig and gown) - not a great place BUT the cricket is on - August 14th, first game of the football season and we're only halfway through the most intense Ashes series in living memory. The back pages of the tabloids still have shrek on the back pages though!

Oh the game - 2-0 (Henry -pen & RvP), not inspiring but a good way to start our final season at Highbury and I did see the first (or maybe I just can't remember any before) streaker at Highbury that I've ever seen. Here's the view from my seat in the Lower East stand - you can (or could if I had a taken a higher res shot) the new stadium in the distance.

Introduction

So the 2005/6 season has started and I have to say farewell to what has been my second home for just under 30 years - Highbury or, as we gooners say, THOF (The Home of Football). Many clubs have changed grounds in recent times and for varying reasons -I'm sure all of the regular supporters felt various emotions when they did - this season long blog will hopefully let you know how I'm feeling about this huge change in my football supporting life. I'll be mentioning memories (good & bad), what I'll miss and what I'm looking forward to at the new stadium as well as detailing the football that takes place this year.