125 – The Fans

I’ve put all kinds of things in this blog but without fans a club is nothing. Some of these are my photo’s, some press photo scans. Who, why and when don’t really matter as this page is simply a tribute to the true heart of the club.

124 – Arsenalisation

Moving is rough. You’ve haven’t moved for 93 years and know every nook and cranny of the old place and you move to a new place with no feel to it, no matter how magnificent. I think that’s how most people felt about moving from Highbury no matter the need or logic.

And it was bland at first, but then the club got the decorators in and jazzed it up. There are many photo’s of the ‘Arsenalisation’ of the outside of the ground so keeping with the idea of showing something slightly different on here I’ve taken a bunch of photo’s of some of the stuff you can see inside the ground around the concourses.

123 – The Fourth Official

Ever wondered what those cards the bench and the fourth official exchange before substitutions were? Well wonder no more. Today’s scans are those cards, and also the pre-match letter sent to the ref before we played West Ham in 2008.

122 – Opening the Emirates, Officially

Today’s scans are some pages from the brochure issued for the official stadium opening in October 2006.

121 – Bergkamp’s Briefing

Today’s scans come from the Briefing Notes for the first match at the new place. As I would rather not have a knock at my door I’ve removed the operational details and any pages that reference officers specifically by name or number, but I think there is still enough to make it of interest, if for no other reason than the list of local pubs!

120 – Tear up the Turf

In mid-June 2006, after all the other events at Highbury had taken place, I was lucky enough to get tickets for an o2 event called ‘Tear up the Turf’ where we not only got to play around on the pitch and stroll at will around the East Stand, but also got to take a square of pitch home. Surreal as that was, being accompanied by a quartet playing football chants in the middle of the pitch pushed it off the scale.

As the pitch was complete when we arrived, but not when we left, you could easily argue that this day was the very last football played on the pitch and to celebrate/commiserate that moment here are some photo’s I took that evening.

119 – The Final Salute

May 7th, 2006.

After over 2000 first team games, and more again of reserve and other matches, Highbury hosted it’s last ever football match. Below is a scan of the programme for the game and some of the photo’s I took.

118 – Highbury, my Highbury

Although I’m certainly no David Bailey, I took enough photo’s of Arsenal Stadium in it’s last couple of years to be able to pull out a few good ones. Hope you think so too!

117 – Building the Emirates Stadium

It’s July 2005 and whilst the team prepares for the last season at Highbury just around the corner on Ashburton Grove the new ground is nearing completion.

Today’s scans from The Architects’ Journal (dtd 14-07-2005) provide a fascinating insight into the stadium from a technical perspective.

116 – Farewell to Highbury kit adverts

Below are scans of the A4 kit ad set that Nike sent out in the summer of 2005.