This piece originally appeared in the Online Gooner a couple of weeks ago and is reproduced here by kind permission of the Editor. Four GHF writers write for the Gooner, TTG, myself, CER and 21CG. If you don’t have a subscription to both the Online and Print editions, why not?
When it comes to following The Arsenal, I am a fortunate individual. I have a season ticket in the North Bank Lower and since 2013 have been building up my away credits. Therefore I go to a lot of games. More than most, but not as many as some.
In season 2024/25 my son and I went to 43 games, 30 at home and 13 away. My stamina and health (I’m 68 and walk with a stick, with my son being my constant companion and co-driver) mean that I can’t manage European aways. The grounds at Bournemouth and Brentford are too small for me to have any chance of getting tickets and Crystal Palace and Fulham sell out before they reach my level, being “easy” London aways. So the only grounds where I could get a ticket, but circumstances meant I couldn’t go, were both Newcastle games, Everton and Liverpool. Kudos to those who went to all 58 games last season.
The away games I did go to were:
Aston Villa
Spurs
Manchester City
Preston North End
Chelsea
West Ham
Brighton
Wolves
Leicester
Nottingham Forest
Manchester United
Ipswich Town
Southampton
We drive to football, even at home (and I’m not going to reveal my reliable, cheap parking spot 10 minutes from the Emirates), using parking apps, often on people’s drives or company car parks. Last season we drove a total of 5,452 miles to and from football. Hence the title of this piece. I have no idea what it cost me in tickets, travel and food, and frankly, I don’t want to know. My pensions are sufficient to allow me to do it, and I have a very tolerant wife, so once again I count my blessings.
We began the season on 25 credits and finished on 38. In the off season my credits will be reset, taking off those from 2022/2023. By my calculations I earned 10 credits in that season, so will start next season on 28 credits.
Best games
This is mainly about away games, but I can’t ignore the magnificent home victories against Real Madrid and Manchester City. The Madrid game had the best atmosphere at the Emirates that I’ve been to, even better than the game against Barcelona in 2011. The City game was cathartic, the first time we’ve given them a thorough drubbing in longer than I want to remember. For away games, West Ham was great fun. Four up in 35 minutes we rolled out the songs. “Who put the ball in the West Ham net? Half our fucking team did!” When the West Ham fans began to leave on 30 minutes it was “Everywhere we go, stadiums get empty!”. One lad in the West Ham seats closest to us was all in, offering all 3000 Arsenal fans out after the game. So we sang, “Cry in a minute! He’s gonna cry in a minute!”. All good clean fun. The game at Leicester was also fun. Eighty minutes of dross followed by ten minutes and two goals from Mikel Merino. A new song was born. The games at Ipswich and Southampton were easy, sunny and comfortable.
Worst game
Has to be Brighton away. A dour nil nil played out in the second half to lowering skies and increasing sleet. Queuing for 45 minutes in that, by now driving sleet, for the Park and Ride bus. Then real snow on the motorway reducing our speed to 30mph until we got north of London, scuppering plans for a curry. It’s by no means all glamour (for the Preston game, thanks to roadworks on the M6 it was past 3am when we finally got home. Worth it for that Ethan goal though).
New stadium
Perhaps surprisingly, I’d never been to Portman Road before. Living in Cambridgeshire it was an easy drive, a short walk to the ground and very friendly natives. The only downside was wall to wall Ed Sheeran music ….
Footy scran
At home, friends from this blog had a few excellent boozy pre match lunches, usually at El Rincon (an Ecuadorian restaurant on Holloway Road) or The Alcedo which is right next door. For away matches the clear winner is the Bombay Bridgeford, a quite superb Indian Restaurant by the Trent Bridge Inn, close to the City ground. We had several excellent breakfasts at the American Diner near Grantham, when heading north up the A1. Honourable mention for the pies at Brighton (why can’t we have pies near Block 7 at the Emirates?).
The away fans
Oh my word. The reason for going to away games is to be part of that crowd. They are positive, funny, loud, usually just the acceptable side of being well offensive, and never stop singing. Every team member has his own song. New songs this year included one for Martinelli, the somewhat hackneyed “He’s one of our own” for Ethan Nwaneri and 49, 49 Lewis Skelly. Even Raheem Sterling has a song, brought out at Ipswich and Southampton. “If Sterling scores, we’re on the piss!” Not, please note, “we’re on the pitch” as reported by the denizens of the press box. Chapeau to every member of every away crowd. I’m proud to be amongst you. It’s been nice to see fellow ‘Holics, CER and 21CG steadily building up their credits this season.
Next season
We lose Leicester and Ipswich (both to my regret) and Southampton (not so much). Up come Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland. We’ve been to all three of those grounds, so the highlight of next season will be Everton’s new ground at Bramley-Moore Docks, to be called the Hill Dickinson stadium (who?). We’ll miss Goodison.
So that’s another season done. Frankly I’m knackered. Time for a holiday and some cricket at Lords and The Oval. We’ve already been this season to Trent Bridge where we bumped into The Editor of the Gooner playing hookey. TTG was going to join us but unfortunately his wife fell ill and he couldn’t.
My season ticket is renewed and I look forward (I think) to the transfer dramas and the new fixtures coming out. Next year …..
Come on you Gunners!
What a terrific piece . It’s lovely to see the joy that the Countrymen and Winchmore Hill get from their travels and I think we all enjoy the matches vicariously through their really enjoyable accounts . Our away support really is magnificent and must be a huge lift to the players
C100 will be pleased that it has been confirmed that Partey is leaving at the end of his contract . I suspect we will meet him in Europe next season
Really nice piece, C100, which I first read in The Gooner. I echo your entreaty to others to sign up. It’s a very good site with lots of interesting pieces, including those from some of our own, as C100 says.
13 away games is quite some effort, especially when driving both ways. 21 CG and I have made an effort to get to away games this season but we’re lucky enough to live within a fairly short drive of a pick-up point for the club coaches so the heavy lifting is done for us.
Your point about the nature of the away fans is well made. They’re universally positive and energising to be around. And there really is a community of away fans. It’s the same guys and gals week in, week out from what I can see. There through wind and sleet and snow, often getting up at stupid o’clock for the early kick offs and often not getting back home until cock crow for some of the further flung late evening trips. We didn’t get back from Preston until 5.30 am last season. There is no complaining. Just relentless support and good humour, no matter how we get on. The contrast between the away fans and the view of Arsenal fans you might get from reading online message boards is like night and day.
You’re a great advert for the away experience, C100 (& son) – we salute you.
What TTG & CER said @1 & 2. The away-day reports are one of the highlights of this fine establishment, especially for us far-flungs.
Thanks c100, the away reports are much appreciated.
And so was your run through of the travels this season.
As another far-flung I heartily echo what Ned said at 3, and stand on my seat to applaud c100 and son for their their staunch away support not to mention curry eating. Don’t forget the chutney, fellas. 😆
Thanks C100 for this most enjoyable summary of your peripatetic season giving us once again a taste of the away fan experience including, importantly, a glimpse of the associated travel commitment and travails, though somewhat light on your gourmet indulgences on this occasion.
I doff my bunnet to you once again for your massive dedication to the cause and, like others in this establishment, look forward to another season of away day coloratura.
Bravi, i due Countrymen!
Cheers C100! Here’s to a new happy season on the road!
Quelle Dommage! To have forfeited a close season , spent a fortune and ended up with nothing. Our hearts bleed for C130y
Truly hilarious.
Proves the old adage that our billionaires will beat your billionaires.
Kepa Hakunamatata announced.
I must admit I was expecting a bit more activity today. If only removing the players no longer with us from the website. Its all a bit disjointed.
Great stuff, C100 – always enjoy the away game reports. Nice to be able to do it all with your son too. Great memories.
Roma non è stata costruita in un giorno, amico mio. Un mattone alla volta……
We have a signing. Arrizabalaga added to our Basque contingent.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/kepa-arrizabalaga-signs-arsenal
Also, MLS has been added to the first team roster on the club site, but not Nwaneri, who is on the updated Academy list with a new number, 22. MLS keeps his no. 49. Raya is taking no 1. Returning loanees Vieira, Lokonga, Nelson and Hein are listed with the first team, too, as, still, is Partey.
Your last group could reasonably be found in the transit lounge, Ned.
Bath@13 – e vero, ma soffrio io!
Ned@15 – all a bit bizarre as far as the pics pages go, isn’t it?
Abbi fede, CER @17. Credo che siamo in buone mani. Potrei sbagliarmi però! Penso che scegliere quale attaccante acquistare sia una decisione molto difficile. Vale la pena di perdere tempo su questo. Meglio non sbagliarsi!
Welcome Kepa, a better back up than Neto I think.
Eze talk abounds as well, I don’t mind him coming at all
as long as it doesn’t impact our ability to get a decent striker.
CER, spero che non ti dispiaccia se faccio pratica con te con il mio italiano! Ora che le mie lezioni sono finite non ho nessuno con cui esercitarmi. Se ti dispiace, di’ semplicemente ‘basta!’ Se così tante scuse!
Rumours of a breakthrough in the Sesko negotiations. I hope they’re true and we can get this finalised before the team leave for pre-season training.
On the contrary rumours of a breakthrough in the Gyokeres negotiations. It’s hard to know what’s going on !
Welcome Kepa !
countryman, that is a sweet piece. c100jr is a very lucky man to get to wander with you (dad or otherwise).
i too have written (though just once) for the gooner, and everyone here’s what a nice man c100 is: he bought me a subscription to the gooner as well.
one of these days i’ll hope to get to an away day. until then, your post-game drinks are absolutely required reading to round out my (distant) experience of the game!
Scruz, every game is an away game for you. 21 CG and I went 1000 miles to Lisbon. A fraction ii the distance you covered to sit in the Northbank the other year. ….
lol cer. this is true. i think i top c100s mileage total one way to games 🙂
another thing. c100s piece was the 700th post since we started goonerholicsforever.com back in january, 2020…congratulations to him, and to all of the authors who have contributed. that’s an average of nearly 11 posts per month, or more than 1 every 3 days. well done, all!
CER@17: We also have two no 23s, a cunning plan to baffle the opposition data analysts, no doubt.
Scruz @25- amazing. Here is to our fantastic community here. Always positive.Always constructive. If only the rest of the world echoed this bar.
Ned@26 – double entry bookkeeping?!
scruz@25: 700 posts is a remarkable milestone. Congrats to the readers, too.
700 posts is amazing! Thanks to all of the authors! Onward to 1000!
700? Fantastico. Grazie mille a tutti and all that sort of things baff and CER said that i’ll look into after physio.
Good work, all! Also, well spotted, scruz. A large 7-Up is sitting on the bar for everyone.
Off to Wimbledon today. It’s precipitating down. Bloody typical.
To misquote Dr Johnson, it is seldom difficult to differentiate between CER with a grievance and a ray of sunshine.
C100 @33 – 🤣
ecg @29 – thanks for the thought. Nice to know it’s appreciated 🙏🏻
C100@33: To quote the epigrammatic doctor: He that will enjoy the brightness of sunshine, must quit the coolness of the shade.
Firstly many thanks to C100 to a lovely recap of last season’s away trips – they are always a joy to read.
Also a massive thanks to all the contributors and back room boys who put so much of their time into the blog. It’s an amazing feat to reach 700 posts in the 5 years GHF has been up and running and I’m sure the Guv’na himself is raising a glass or two “up there”
with a huge beam etched across his face. Cheers to you all.
C100@33- and some of them hit the ball so hard it was difficult to follow.
I have asked for a refund.
RIP Diego Jota, killed in a car accident last night. Just 28. Three children.
https://news.sky.com/story/liverpool-star-diogo-jota-28-killed-in-car-crash-report-13391751
Tragic news. RIP.
Thoughts with his newly-married long-term partner and children.
RIP Diego Jota.
Good player. Always seemed to play well against us and often seemed to score
Far too young to leave the pitch.
What baff and the others said. Really tragic.
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the empty seats at Chelsea’s last Fifa World Club Cup game, 26,000 fans in a stadium that holds 74,000, the cheapest tickets for the quarterfinal against Palmeiras on Friday evening have been cut from $80 to $45. Still, filling the 67,594 seats at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia will be a challenge.
It would be nice to think that the recent reversion for wholesale oil prices was as a result of the Saudis needing to pump more to make good the losses incurred in this wretched, sportswashing tournament.
I know, wishful thinking, but still…
Shocking news – imagine how his parents, new wife and children must feel 😱
A sad day for Liverpool, for football and of course for Jota’s family . He was a huge thorn in our side – a fine player
RIP Diogo !
I never saw Jota have a bad game. A complete nightmare to play against and he always seemed to score against us. A player I just loved to watch. RIP.
The merry dance of Arsenal ballots restarts today. In one of those bonus we don’t even know when kick off is but we have to apply anyway otherwise you can’t even access to ticket exchange ways.
Another season of club/ticketmaster/TV companies abusing fans ahead.
Hopefully with a trophy or two at the end. 🙂
>>>>>>>