During this time of unparalled success, i keep telling myself that i'm very lucky to be a Gooner now. Remembering the Don Howe mid-table mediocrity, the George Graham exciting but limited late 80's. The depressing mid-nineties when Graham's tactics were outdated, and the rebirth of Wenger's Army. Now, in 2002/2003, we have the greatest ever Arsenal team to support. It'll not be like this all the time. Take stock and thank the Lord. That's why i want to bloody well see them at Highbury this year before it's too late!!!.
See, I'm a new fan. I've only been following the club for the last year. On the one hand, I feel self-conscious, because I wasn't around for Graham's lack of success. I wasn't there to tough it out when trophies weren't things that could almost be taken for granted. On the other hand, I missed out on some truly golden seasons with Wenger, because I was a busy kid who thought he should only be paying attention to his local league. I suppose I'm just thrilled to be a fan now, because Arsenal are the most exciting team in the world. This has been an absolutely towering season, with many glorious victories and a few crushing defeats. I hope the Gunners have many more like this, because I'm in for the long haul. Win or lose. Success like this can't last forever-- or can it?
Your'e spot on Irelandboy, Ive been going to Highbury since 1964, so I remember the barren years before and after the Fairs cup and '71 double (Nice having to put the year of a double as we've got so many ) And find myself telling other, younger, fans how lucky they are, and although it's hard, not to become too arrogant about thier success. As Irlendboy said it's the greatest Arsenal team ever, I have to pinch myself sometimes so as I know it's not a dream, and although it was nasty and seedy at the time I now look at Grahams demise as a blessing in disguise....still find it strange how he was the only one found guilty though.
During the days of no television coverage I remember getting excited about going to Hollys or Dave Clements in Denver so I could read through the magazines about Arsenal. I did have a subscription for awhile but dropped it after they started charging outrageous shipping fees. Arsenal were so mediocre that I lost track of them from 1989 to 1992. Bad time to quit paying attention.
Life is good I've been a dedicated and loyal supporter since a mid-season visit to Highbury last year. I'd been a big fan of the game but hadn't found a club I truly wanted to call my own. Now the whole family follows Arsenal. In fact, it's not uncommon to hear my 9 and 4 year olds singing songs like "We won the league, in Manchester..." One of the most unforgettable moments for me was talking the whole family to Highbury earlier this season (thanks to Jeff). Between Arsenal's success and the regular coverage we now get in the States (although many of the recent matches have been on PPV), this has been a very good year. Let's hope it only gets better!!!
I've been an Arsenal supporter for roughly four years. I have to admit that my reasons for supporting the Gunners had more to do with the fact that they were not ManU than anything else. Then that rash of second place seasons, including a Champions League loss to a now extinct club, Fiorentina, actually endeared me to the club. I love an underdog. Now Arsenal are not only the apotheosis of beautiful football, but they are winning left and right, even occasionally in the Champions League. So I'm enjoying myself. It's been seventeen years since the NY Mets did their thing, twenty since the Islanders touched Stanley and Doc and the Sixers won, 14 since Inter got a Scudetto, etc, et, etc. I finally got a winner, and though it took a while, it's good to feel envied. I now know what my girlfriend, a rabid Yankee fan, feels like year in and year out.
taking stock I think I speak for (nearly) everyone here when I say that recent events have made us appreciate this period of success more acutely than if it had been a "one off" season of good form. When the double of '98 was followed by three straight years of finishing second (behind them of all teams) in the league, abject failure and/or utter heartbreak in the FA and League cups and a limp capitulation in the 2000 UEFA Cup final all followers of Arsenal were reminded repeatedly and unkindly of just how frustrating following a team can be and not to treat success lightly. Near misses and second place finishes are almost worse than midtable finishes and losing in the fifth round, so to speak. To come so close to so much yet to achieve absolutely nothing was an experience that very few of us that were following the team for all that time will ever forget. Things were made all the worse by having an unshakeable confidence that in each of those three seasons we were Manchester United's betters yet always shot ourselves in the foot, this is particularly true of 98-99, and by the prolonged nature of the torture. By the time last year rolled around I'd have payed money to finish anywhere but second, third would have seemed like a victory. The defeats to Galatasary at Copenhagan and to Liverpool at Cardiff were again made all the harder to swallow by the belief to my very marrow that we were the superior team and against Liverpool at least, we were actually leading the match with only minutes remaining. And perhaps the greatest and most horrific of all the indignities of those three barren years was that on that terrible night in Denmark when our heros failed us completely, of all people, only Ray Parlour could manage to score and that in the penalty shoot out.
1998 - 1999 season was one big kick in the "naughty bits!" Not only did Arsenal throw it away with a 1-0 loss to Leeds on the penultimate match day but then I had to support Sp*rs winning over Manchester Utd for the Gunners to win the league. I washed myself with turpentine after that day... While many others probably enjoyed last season, I had visions of '98-'99 floating through my head until the match at Old Trafford. I was basically one stressed out Gooner from December 2001 until May 2002. Each game became an agonizing 90 minutes of torture with brief moments of elation after the Gunners failed to lose each one in succession. Don't worry though, I drank heavily and that made it all better... This season hasn't been as bad. I only feel stress for about a day before each match and then through the entire 90 minutes. Excepting of course games like against Manchester City, where after 20 minutes it was over (more please!). The elation generally lasts for the entire time until the next game. Come on you Gunners!
As a lifetime Braves fan, I feel sorry for you. I, like Mike, am a new fella. I've been a fan since I was 9 or 10, but only because I watched Fever Pitch, and I had never heard of the EPL and why not, Arsenal sound good to me... That was the attitude. It has been since last year that I truly started following the club and I've heard about the rotten years, and I know that they're gonna come back, and I will remain a Gunner when they do. I can't see myself supporting any other club. I get the feeling that I have been spoiled in the sports word. The season that my grandmother made me a Braves fan was the first year they won their division, the first year that I was a Florida State U fan (Go Noles!!) was 1993 (only Notre Dame beat us), the first couple of years the Jags were around they were good (now they're not so good, the only real experience I've had being a supporter of a losing team), and the Red Wings are doing good stuff nnow that I support them. This makes me sound like a huge glory fan, but I know that the Braves might not win this year, that the Noles' Conference is getting better, and that the future of the Jags is uncertan at best, and I just don't care. I'll keep my season tickets, thank you very much, and I'll keep on going to the games, come rain, shine or a losing season. I've put all my football eggs into the Arsenal basket and that's how it's gonna stay. Vive le AFC! OPArsenal
Oh I know, I know. It's the fact that you're gojng out with a Yanks fan that makes me feel sorry for you. Vive le AFC! OPArsenal