| First match of the season 15:15 - Jan 21 with 1301 views | factual_blue |
No, I didn't struggle up to the heathen wastelands of the President Macron stadium. I was at the Emirates with Neil The Fireman (my splendid nephew) and his twelve year old lad Bellerin Ben (Bellerin is his favourite player), who has, from the wilds of Shropshire, decided he is an Arsenal fan. As a Christmas present, Mrs Factual and I took Neil The Fireman, Mrs Neil The Fireman and their two kids to London for the a trip and overnight stay. NTF bought himself and his son tickets for Arsenal v Palace. NTF doesn't know a lot about the whys and wherefores of match tickets, but I knew it would be tricky.
A brief e-mail exchange with Eamonn The Gooner ST holder confirmed that the only way to get tickets for a home game was being a member of the Gunners Club, or whatever they call their membership scheme. At £39 a head, and still on guarantee of a ticket, I explored the 'secondary sellers' market.
I found some that I don't think were too much above face value, but with a fee and postage three tickets came to over £300. But NTF wanted to take Bellerin Ben and was willing to pay for the two tickets, so we went ahead.
On Wednesday last week, the tickets arrived by Signed For Special Delivery. I was surprised to find the tickets were actually three membership cards for three named individuals. There was a sheet giving us the seat numbers and a return special delivery envelope, stressing that if I didn't post them back on 22 Jan, they would come and kill me. Or something like that.
We duly set out yesterday morning by train via Cambridge. This route was only partly because of the replacement buses, but also so we'd go right passed the Emirates, at which point NTF planned to produced his lad's Arsenal shirt and tell him where he was going that afternoon
That worked like a dream - I've never seen a twelve year old so close to bursting with excitement.
The boys and girls parted company at Kings Cross - the girls (Mrs Factual, Mrs NTF and Belleriin Ben's sister) to the Tower of London followed by 'a bit of shopping'; the lads set off for the Emirates.
It was my first visit there. What a difference from dull afternoons at Portman Road. At least three security checks. Well-stocked bars in spacious concourses. Bars that, I might add, take card payments.
Although we were only 2-3 rows from the back of the upper tier, we had a splendid view.
The football? Well, Arsenal were lethal, particuarly for the first twenty minutes when they bagged four goals. The last was the pick of the bunch. Arsenal's performance made Palace look like eleven blokes who'd met up for the first time on the underground travelling to the match. Jack Wilshere caught the eye, pulling the strings and leaving the Palace players chasing shadows. We in the Championship (not just Ipswich, but all the teams) are light years away from how Arsenal play the game: high line, pressing the opposition with 5+ players on their own 18 yard line, all eleven players possessed of the ability to pass and move with insight and devastatingly deceptive speed.
Arsenal conserved their energy second half. A bit more effort bought a response from the Palace fans, from whom the loud singing of 'You're just a ground full of tourists' was a highlight, and certainly not inaccurate. Japanese or Chinese tourists with half and half scarves abounded. Presumably they're well and truly mugged off by the guys selling them, making this a niche but profitable market.
The game over, we made our way back, meeting up with the ladies in Covent Garden, a quick meal at Prezzo and then retiring to the Premier Inn at Kings Cross.
Train back this morning, arriving home at noon. NTF had to drive back to Shropshire in the miserable weather for an evening shift scraping drivers off the M6.
I shall probably fall asleep in front of the blazing fire shortly. [Post edited 21 Jan 2018 17:35]
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| First match of the season on 15:31 - Jan 21 with 1232 views | Binner |
I've met up with 'ladies in Covent Garden' before, you crafty old beggar  |  |
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| First match of the season on 17:31 - Jan 21 with 1152 views | Guthrum |
Was talking to a Bristol City supporting mate who'd been up to see them play Man City. One thing he said was the extra speed, agility and tactical nous the MC players seemed to possess was in a different universe to Bristol. |  |
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| First match of the season on 17:55 - Jan 21 with 1124 views | Lord_Lucan |
I watched a bit of the game today and I was amazed at the mass of empty seats in one of the stands.
WTF? |  |
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