Five Star East End performance sets up Arsenal for Manchester United clash
From Lisbon to East London: It was good fun in the away end watching Arsenal thrash West Ham on Saturday
Hello,
Happy Monday!
Well, that was fun wasn’t it. I had the pleasure of being in the away end on Saturday, and it was joyful to celebrate all five Arsenal goals going in.
Can I just say here and how I love beating West Ham as an Arsenal supporter.
Absolutely love beating them.
The view from the away end on Saturday before Arsenal routed West Ham 5-2. CREDIT:
I suppose it stems from being a kid in the 1980s and somehow avoiding all the violent scrapes at Upton Park every time we played them.
Some of them were quite serious outbreaks of football hooliganism that scared the life out of me, while, it has to be said, also being strangely compelling to watch from afar.
I’m not sure what my parents were thinking of, letting me go to Arsenal away games in the early to mid 1980s as a 12-year-old - but plenty of my memories of trouble from that troubled decade seem to revolve around trips to the East End to watch Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground.
Anyway, somewhere deep in my psyche the 12-year-old me was taking extra special delight in absolutely shellacking the Eastenders at the weekend.
West Ham fans stream out at 4-0 down. Watch my video posted on our Gooner Fanzine Facebook page here
And what a performance it was.
I love it when the goals are spread around.
Gabriel, Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard (pen), Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saga (pen) put the Irons to the sword - and my how we celebrated every single strike.
As an aside, I remember reading a match report circa 1990 damming Arsenal for spreading the goals around during a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, while lauding Liverpool for sharing the goals among nine different players when they routed Palace 9-0 around the same time.
I think it was the first time I realised there was bias against our great club. But that’s a story for another day.
Thankfully, being in the trade myself nowadays I can help to rebalance and redeem matters a fraction from my humble, little red and white corner.
Just not on my days off, where I can have a few beers and catch up with so many good people.
It was also great to catch up with so many old pals and loyal Gooners including former Gooner Fanzine editor Kev Whitcher and his son Frank.
………..
Wealdstone 0-2 Wycombe
Speaking of which, as I had a day off on Saturday - as the newspaper I write for has a dedicated West Ham reporter, meaning there was no room at the inn for me - so I made the most of it by attending two matches as a spectator/fan.
It was an early start for me on Saturday to head to Wealdstone (or Ruislip Gardens almost at the end of the Central Line) to catch up with an old schoolmate of mine, Mozzy, who used to watch the Arsenal with me in the 1980s (ask him about witnessing the ICF in terrifying action on the District Line at Aldgate back in the day).
He stopped going to Arsenal at the height of the toxicity during the late Wenger years, preferring instead to watch his local non-league club for a fraction of the price, and no hassle. So, when I visited on Saturday, it was great to have a few pre-match beers and catch-up in the Wealdstone clubhouse.
You never know who you’ll meet in such places, as to the right of us, sitting unassumingly were Lee Dixon and former Wealdstone legend Stuart Pearce.
Lee has been a friend to the Gooner in the past, so it was nice to say hello, before the game.
Goals from Beryly Lubala and Richard Kone were enough for the League One leaders to defeat their National League opponents in front of a record crowd at the Vale of 3,534.
Wealdstone should have taken the lead after 22 minutes when Sam Ashford played the ball across but Alex Reid put the ball over the bar from three yards out, when he really should have scored. Who knows what would have happened from then on?
As it is my mate Mozzy said after the game: “You can guarantee Arsenal will get Wycombe now…”
DAILY LIST:
I - Gooner Fanzine admin and editorial work today, ahead of my favourite cup draw of the season: The draw for the third round of the FA Cup at 7pm tonight.
Who do you fancy? I always want a non-league side away from home, as it’s such a different experience.
Just a shame it’s not going to be Wealdstone….
II - Mikel Arteta’s pre-Manchester United presser at Colney on Tuesday afternoon. Then on Tuesday evening it’s a nearby trip to Hertford Town to see the Arsenal U18s play at Hertingfordbury Park in the third round of the FA Youth Cup.
PS:
Thank you to all you Arsenal dog-lovers who said they have enjoyed pictures of my pal. So, we might make it a regular thing…
