– Although conventional wisdom holds the seeds of this reborn Arsenal were planted with Mikel Arteta’s hiring in 2019, I maintain the foundation of something much more important was laid on Sunday, 13 March 2022.
Any parent, when asked, will affirm one of life’s great mysteries. How can siblings be so different? As this is not a recitation of biological inheritance, I’ll spare you any discussion of genetic phenotypic probabilities, but, suffice it to say, it never ceases to amaze me just how different my daughter and son are. Maddy has my darker complexion. She is quite intelligent (straight-A student, National Junior Honor Society), is socially engaging (when she wants), and is a conventional beauty. She is also a natural athlete. Gifted with speed, strength, and balance, Maddy stands out on the pitch, in a dojo (she earned a black-belt in taekwondo), or on the waves (she took to surfing straightaway…during her first visit to Mau’i, her instructor called her a natural “goofy foot”). On the other hand, my younger child, Josh, has his mother’s lighter complexion (colorism is one of America’s many awful legacies from slavery, but, alas, that is a discussion for a different blog) and is more “distinctively” handsome. Generally more comfortable with a book or his computer, he is wicked smart (testing into one of the top private schools in the country). Josh enjoys writing stories, playing video games, and practicing his computer coding. Although he is a good athlete, he has to work at it much harder than his big sister.
Now, as a stereotypical father who came of age playing several sports reasonably well (American football, basketball, tennis…even rugby) sports were a huge part of my identity and always on the television. As Maddy began to show promise on the pitch, I poured all my football enthusiasm into her and, later, into Josh as well. Thing is, even as Maddy got better and better on the pitch, I could tell she didn’t (and doesn’t) love the game…at least not as much as I do. She couldn’t (and still can’t) be arsed to watch a match or review her game film or practice on her own time at home. As Josh got older, he, too, eschewed football’s siren song. Imagine my predicament. I wanted nothing more than to share my love of football and the Arsenal with my kids, but that yearning remained unrequited.
Fast forward to March of 2022. For the previous couple of years, in addition to playing club soccer, Maddy had qualified for and participated on the North Texas Olympic Development Program team (a program ostensibly designed to identify talented players and provide them additional training and competitive soccer opportunities, in addition to club soccer, it was also another opportunity to separate parents from their hard-earned). She and a couple other girls were invited to join the South Texas ODP team on an exhibition tour to England. Over nine days, the girls would play three matches, attend a Premier League and a WSL match, have a training session with a Premier League club staff, and see all the sights in London and Manchester. Parents and siblings could also join the trip for the low, low, price of…oh nevermind that.
The trip seemed an opportunity of a lifetime, and I signed-up the family. I also checked the calendar and surreptitiously snagged two club-level seats for Arsenal v Leicester.
The tour group arrived at London Heathrow on Thursday, 10 March, and we were on our way to the hotel in Hammersmith. My wife was unsurprised to learn that I had tickets to the Home of Football but disappointed to learn it meant Josh and I would miss Maddy’s first match against the Haringey Girls Academy under 14s. I mean, I was disappointed, too, but there was absolutely no way I was missing the opportunity to see the Arsenal in person. And I was going to take my main man with me? Come on, now.
Sunday arrived, and, after a brief pep-talk with Maddy, Josh and I struck out for the tube and the start of a grand adventure. We made our way onto the Piccadilly Line and exited at the (wait for it) Arsenal station. The vendors were already out in full force, and I bought Josh a hot dog (which he did not enjoy) and a Sprite (which he did) as we made our way to The Arsenal: Highbury Store. We rendezvoused with a mate of my mate in Dallas who gave us a walking tour of Islington where he grew up. We took pictures in front Highbury and had pints at the Bank of Friendship and Che. Josh got the full matchday experience as our guide recounted what it was like “going up the Arsenal” with his dad, and we took pictures at all the necessary places. By the way, top man, Rustum. Many thanks for your hospitality.
Before I knew it, it was time to get to our seats. Rustum, a season ticket holder, guided us to the proper club-level entrance and then hustled over to his seat. It was just me and Josh, and, I swear, entering the stadium felt like what I’d like to think every Roman was taught the Elysian Fields must be like. Euphoric, bustling, vibrant, and, yet, comforting. Josh’s ear-to-ear grin showed off his braces…cute little bugger. We soaked in the atmosphere, and the Arsenal did the rest. A headed goal from Partey and a Lacazette penalty secured the victory. A lifetime of memories was created. Josh and I sang (of course I taught him and his sister various chants instead of traditional lullabies) along with the “boisterous” club level denizens (Arteta was already having an atmospheric effect), and a stranger seated next to Josh hugged him in celebration. There were no strangers that afternoon. At full time, we leisurely ambled through the maze of hallways at the Emirates, and, when the ushers finally more firmly suggested we make our way outside, we headed over to The Armoury. After buying more gear for the wee lad and his sister and his mom, we took a meandering route back toward Gillespie Road.
We saw fans being interviewed. We joined in the singing as feral bands of supporters passed. As we neared the Ken Friar Bridge, Josh grabbed my hand. I knew there’d be a day when his hand wouldn’t be so small. “Dad?”
“Yes, Buddy-boy.”
“Today was a good day. Wanna know why?”
“Sure.”
“Because we won.” I grasped his hand a little tighter.
“You’re right, Buddy-boy. We did.”
MCMBD.
Postscript
The South Texas ODP team lost to Haringey 6-3, but Maddy scored one and made another. The touring Texans won their final two matches, and Maddy had a very respectable total of four goals and two assists in those matches.
Josh has been made-up ever since his visit to the Arsenal. We have watched almost every game together since then, and we played fantasy premier league for the first time this past season. Saka is his favorite (of course), but his general interest in football has blossomed. Whether it’s playing FIFA, listening to Arsenal podcasts, or discussing transfer gossip with his old man, Josh is now my partner in football. AND, his play on the pitch has become unrecognizable. He might not have his sister’s natural athleticism, but his passion eclipses hers. No matter what happens for us as a family, for Maddy, or for Josh, I will always remember that trip, and I will always be grateful to the Arsenal for adding a sparkling facet to this relationship between father and son.
Oh LG this touches so many chords with me. Anyone who has been to a game with me will have seen a 6’3” long haired lad in his early twenties next to me. I took him to Highbury when he was 5, where he saw Arsenal beat Portsmouth 3-0 with a TH14 hat trick from the Family enclosure. Many of his friends in this Cambridgeshire market town support Man United. Not my son. As the Jesuits say, give me the boy before he is seven and I’ll give you the man.
Lovely piece.
Oh Mate! Fuckin’ excellent read that.
Took my youngest (born in 2003 and named Patrick!) to his first game in 2011 at the age of 7 (coming up to 8). Was against Sunderland. He actually met the late, great Goonerholic through the Tollington fence before we proceeded to the ground. Sat in the North Bank upper, Van Persie scored into the Clock End in the first minute. Cue pandemonium and a total stranger picking him up and waving him around like a scarf. I don’t think he’s ever forgotten that, and he’s been a fanatical Arsenal supporter from the day onwards.
I’ve managed to get him to about 30 or so games since then, including some aways, but tickets have just become impossible now, even as a so-called ‘Silver Member’. Did manage to get him to one game last season, Palace at home – we went with Ollie, which was a great day out, but can’t see any possibility of us going together this season at all. I’ve had the conversation with him about the ticketing difficulties and he fully understands, but it really does piss me off at the moment and doubtless will continue to do so.
C100 – Thank you very much, mate. Recalling the moment we approached the Ken Friar Bridge still fogs my glasses (yeah, I had to get glasses over the intervening year). Those Jesuits, eh? 🙂
Cheers, Esso. Mate, I didn’t accurately describe the stranger-hugging moment in the story. TBF, it was far more similar to your son’s experience and, like Patrick, I reckon Josh will always remember it. I was videoing the kick (for the memories of course). When Laca converted, it was limbs, mate. The guy to Josh’s left picked him up, started jumping up and down, and they both lost balance and fell into me. The video captured the entire knock-on fiasco.
I hope the impact of the connection made comes through in the piece. The experience has truly made a positive impact in our relationship and in his relationship to football. It’s made all the difference.
MCMBD.
Amazing, Lonestar. Just amazing.
Great piece.
COYG
Just excellent, Lonestar. A wonderfully heart-touching story. The same connective magic that Clive describes from 70 years ago is still at work today. It is part of what makes our club so special.
Excellent, Lonestar. Really enjoyed that.
A further endorsement – I recommended to Oxonne that she read this piece. Famous for her complete indifference to The Arsenal and most, if not all, things sporting, her response was “What a nice blog.”
Trust me, LG, praise doesn’t come much more fulsome.
Nice one, Lonestar!
A superb piece, LG. It will tug at the heartstrings of every father who took a child to their first football match and every child who remembers that day. Great work.
And yes, MCMBD!
That was not only a distinct pleasure to read, but also to know of the father-son and other more inclusive family bonding experiences that arose from your visit to TNHOF as well as Highbury and other stops on your tour. Doubled (at the very least) your pleasure as a Gooner, sounds like. Excellent write-up Lonestar. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
That’s very sweet Lonestar. In comparison my 12 year old son has one football possession, if you can call it that, namely a Spurs baseball cap courtesy of my Canadian father in law. The saving grace is he shows absolutely no interest in football results or any football news, save wearing this blessed hat when it’s sunny. My younger two couldn’t name a football club if you asked them. Where am I going wrong?
Take them to a game SP.
Wonderful story Lonestar.
Brought a tear to my eye.
That story was so good, even Esso, a man of very words in his posts, has been moved to write 2 long paragraphs. !!
My first game with my Dad was sitting on one of the crash barriers on the North Bank terraces with him standing behind it, with one very big arm wrapped around me.
In all the excitement and being very young, I accidently peed down the back of the raincoat of the man standing in front of me.
Dad had to pay for the dry cleaning, and dined out on that story for many years, along with the one where on a trip to Old Trafford early 60’s for a 3rd round FA cup tie, I lost the new Arsenal bobble hat he had just bought me for Christmas.
To make his Day even worse, we only saw a goalpost that day from the terraces as the game was eventually called off due to the Fog.
I think that was the only occasion in our lives going to Football together, that on the long train journey back to London, if someone had offered him a decent price, he might well have sold me. !!
My time with my Dad has long gone Lonestar, but if you have half as much fun and pure unadulterated love and affection from your football times with your son, as I had with my Dad, you will be doing well.
Lonestar ,
That is an evocative piece and touches on the essence of the nature of football support and the bond it creates n between father and son.
I’m a very old bugger now but my familial connection with Arsenal extends back to my grandfather who watched Arsenal at Woolwich before becoming a regular at Highbury . My Dad took me and I’ve taken a daughter and grandson . Had I still got two season tickets he’d be coming regularly with me .
So glad you had a great day and a win and created memories tgat will never fade. Arsenal does that to you . Ask this lot !
You all are simply the best. Your thoughtful and earnest responses have left me at a loss for words. With all your collective experience as supporters and in life, generally, I am simply chuffed my random musings (the minor thoughts of a reasonably decent bond lawyer) were able to make a positive impact. Thank you all for sharing your memories (Pangloss, please give Oxonne my best) and making this virtual space one to cherish.
Oh, and fear not Sancho. Although your children might feign disinterest, I’m sure you know a father’s influence, like water, is a universal solvent. When coupled with a love of the Arsenal, your influence will touch them in their cores, and, one day, the simplest of stimuli will trigger a geyser of Gooner support.
MCMBD
Excellent piece, Lonestar, thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Great follow ups as well, gents.
Cheers Lonestar! What a heartwarming story you have. I agree, on that day a beautiful new bond was born. Between you father and son, and between Josh and The Arsenal. Excellent piece of writing.
Holy Heavens.
I’ve just seen our new away shirt.
Words fail me.
Clive@18: I think Adidas had a few wavy stripes left over from the Notts Forest away kit and wanted to use them up.
That was a joy to read Lonestar – so beautifully written.
Clive @ 18 2022 to 2023 from the sublime to the ridiculous!
Thanks, Lonestar for a terrific story.
I’m envious of many of our contributors who went to the Arsenal so regularly with their dads. Mine only took me once – he only had a very casual interest -but it made an indelible mark that lasts to this day.
I used to take my daughter when she was younger – we met Dave at The Tollie, and Esso with Patrick – and she loved her “days out” there. She’s nineteen now and ticket availability and the other inevitable interests that seize teenage girls from your grasp , have made those days a good while since.
I hope you maintain the joy with your own son, and daughter, albeit from such a distance. Hang on to those days – they’re gone far too soon.
What a great read, LG. And the fact that it touched so many and there are so many tales of familial bonding as a result of a match day trip really brings home the strength of feeling the game in general and our club in particular can evoke. Growing up down the road in N1, I took it all for granted that going to The Arsenal was just what you did. Little did I ever think I would read of people from so many different places and backgrounds that experiencing the same emotions and depth of feeling about the same, match day experience. Marvellous. You’ve made my day.
It is heartening to see that what Lonestar’s post and the subsequent drinks touch on about the connections that make a club ‘our’ club survive despite the advent of those who regard the game as just another international investment to be optimised for shareholder value or as a vehicle for national aggrandisement.
I’m interested to speculate about what our Dads would make of today’s abomination, sorry kit ! My Dad was horrified if we moved away from yellow ( or gold) as an alternative kit because we wore it in the 1950 Cup Final . Growing up in the fifties and sixties we wore white usually with red socks but one year ( around the time we signed Lee Chapman- a halcyon period for the club ) we had a season where we wore green and blue shirts. Poor old Dad was horrified !
When we got to the bruised banana kit he really lost it ! I shan’t buy this kit. I only buy kit with collars but my family do sometimes buy me new kits usually with an obscenely high number on the back which they claim is my age !
Something of a rundown on the stars of the MLS All-Stars team Arsenal will face tomorrow evening. I’ve seen left sided attacker Denis Bouanga play a couple of times and he is good. He plays with Carlos Vela (ex-Arsenal) at LAFC.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2023/news/hany-mukhtar-repeat-mls-mvp-2023-all-stars-weigh-in
Heh TTG. At least now the number will never be the price of this abomination.
I saw the price of the shorts and was like ‘what?’. And then I looked at the price of shirts and remembered (and yes it looked a little worse as it was in euros but still…).
TTG@24: That genie is long gone from the bottle, never to return. In your dad’s day, or even when you could wear a low double-digit shirt number, there were no such things as home, away and third team strips. Teams played in their club colours every game unless there was a colour clash. (In the 1950 FA Cup Final, both teams changed; Liverpool played in white shirts, and we played in gold.) Then the broadcasters started demanding that teams played in contrasting colours so they could be easily distinguished (a principle now enshrined in PL and UEFA rules. Then the merchandisers ran riot once they realised the money to be made from replica kits, especially if clubs brought out a new design every season. You can bet your bottom dollar that the new away kit has been meticulously researched to be the optimal hue of yellow to flatter the most skin tones around the world and designed to appeal to the fashion sensibilities of men and women in as many markets as possible. Forget what it looks like on the proverbial cold wet night in Stoke.
Ned @27, just to add to everything you highlighted above, I’ve seen quite a few clues that suggest our women’s team will have a different away jersey from this one released for the men.
Seen that too, Cent. Perfect for a big family budget. :-O
If the bootleg pix of the new women’s away kit are to be believed — off-white/glow blue/halo pink — the men’s shirts suddenly look remarkably elegant in comparison.
https://www.footyheadlines.com/2023/06/blog-post_14.html
Also, a reminder of the GHF PL prediction game for the forthcoming season for anyone who has not yet registered their interest. All you have to do is to forecast the final 2023-24 Premier League table in the correct order — before the season starts. The winner will be the one who gets closest to the outcome. TTG and I will send out entry blanks at the end of July. The deadline for returning them and making a modest contribution to Bob Wilson’s Willow Foundation is ahead of the first game (Burnley v Citeh) on August 11. If you have already said that you’d like to participate, you don’t have to do anything at this point apart from polishing up your crystal balls. Anyone else who’d like to join in, just indicate your interest here in the drinks.
Ned, those women’s shirt designs are truly horrendous. Migraine inducing nightmare.
Making money for the club AND for the pharmaceutic industry, Trev! 😉
Ned @30, while most things have relative value, these away shirts are equally bad imho. I suspect from the design and promo video of the men’s away shirt that it has been designed with the global market in mind and it willl appeal to people from cultures where bright colours are the norm. The women’s shirt was designed by Stella McCartney and may possibly be a tribute to the LSD trips her father may have experienced in the 60’s.
A bit reminiscent of the crossbar challenge, or the rodeo perhaps, but Arsenal take the first competition they entered across the pond.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2023/news/arsenal-win-2023-mls-all-star-skills-challenge-presented-by-at-t-5g
Sounds like the kind of trophy Spu*s would desperately relish.
Has the women’s team not suffered enough?
https://bae.hypebeast.com/files/2023/05/adidas-stella-mccartney-arsenal-womens-football-team-uniform-0.jpeg
bt8@35: Kiwior and Timber win the shooting challenge! Has Arteta got the team back to front?
Ned @31,
Sign me up.
MCMBD
Re Ned’s post about the competition, it should be great fun and a source of season long debate.
I go under the knife ( or moe accurately a laser ) on Saturday ) but after this I will liaise with Ned and work out the most frictionless way to support Willow .I am loath to post my bank account details so I think the best methods will be confirmation that you have sent your cash to Willow and I will arrange with them to provide account details where you can donate directly .
Watch this space !
I hope we survive tonight’s match. In the first 20 minutes the MLS All-Stars have committed 7 fouls and earned 2 yellows.
LG@39: You are in.
Watch for an email from TTG and/or me around thw end of rhw month.
Cheers TTG and good luck to you!
Nice win. Any news on Trossard?
Only some mildy reassuring quotes from Arteta, baff:
Arteta said Trossard would be assessed after needing treatment for an injury that triggered his immediate withdrawal.
“We don’t want to take any risks at this stage,” said Arteta. “He had some pain and we’ll see how he is tomorrow but I don’t expect it to be anything big.”
Thanks Ollie. That is reassuring.
I’ve only seen the highlights on .con to date and, as we know from years of watching match highlights on MotD from games we have watched in their entirety, it’s a frequently used, Goebbels-like skill of that show’s editorial desk to alter the apparent balance of play in games. That said, and accepting that .con would naturally want to show the Arsenal in the best light, if those are the ‘All Stars’ from the MLS, it’s no wonder our American friends invest so much passion (and cash) in watching decent football. Then again, with a brilliantly intuitive, brainless numpty like Shrek coaching them, I imagine the world’s best might have played like headless chickens after a week of his coaching.
Crawley and Moeen Ali bot hit fifties, we’re lagging behind a bit on the drinks…
If I take a quick single you can grab a 50 here, Ollie ……..
Cheers, Trev!
*runs*
Polite applause for some timely hitting gents
👏👏👏
And a very belated thanks to LG for a great post!
I really enjoyed and it brought back some cherished memories
of taking my own kids for the first time too.
Hope you and Josh will join the fantasy league again this season!
You weren’t the only father /son combo his season 😃 it was about
thé 5th or 6th season for me and Chris, I think this was the first
one I actually finished in from of him
A long read but worthwhile
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/07/20/arsenal-become-slick-well-oiled-machine-again-here-is-how/
That article is behind a paywall but you can read the whole article on Le Grove at 14.47 today. It’s tte best insight into the Kroenkes I have read and it’s tye first interview Tim Lewis has given
It’s a superb article. Real insight into Stan’s strategy. The reason for his earlier parsimony is made clear and it’s now very encouraging for a very bright Arsenal future.
Re: That Tim Lewis / Telegraph interview that is supposed to be on Le Grove. I don’t see it on the site. TTG, you have any tips for finding it, other than subscribing to the Telegraph?
I just clicked on the Telegraph link and it opened fine.
Bt8,
Here a link to the article with no paywall: https://archive.li/h4zeY
Cheers, OM@51, no body was catching you and your son this season. Josh enjoyed playing. I think he’ll be back for another season. For years, I have also been part of a fantasy league that, among other rules, only permits transfers during the transfer windows. So, my team only pushes for top honors in that league.
MCMBD
Well in for the half-ton, Ollie.
TTG@52: Thanks for the link. A fascinating read despite being a look at the Kroenke’s ownership through somewhat rose-tinted spectacles. Without sinking into cod psychology, I wonder if the aptitudes that make for a successful property developer are not more suited to owning a football club than those that make for a successful hedge fund manager.
Many thanks to TTG for the link and to Lonestar for the unlocking of that article (I don’t have a subscription to the Torygraph, I wonder why). Really interesting.
If anyone still wants a community shield ticket and is at least a red member we have received a new allocation of tickets. Available right now on the Arsenal website.
60 drinks….but just short of 600 runs for England, will Bairstow left on 99 after Jimmy’s dismissal….
Thanks LG @57 -excellent article.
What c100 said @59. Thanks to LG and TTG both.
The MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands is reportedly sold out for the game against the red Mancs today. It has a capacity of 82,000, but that gets reduced to just under 79,000 when they retract some seats to create enough space to turn a gridiron field into a FIFA-regulation-sized football pitch. Still pretty impressive to sell out that many seats for a pre-season friendly.
I just checked the MetLife ticket agency. There are a few seats available up in the gods — and that third tier is high — starting at $166. Pitchside seats, which cost $680, are being offered for resale at up to $10,000 each. Some combination of ‘bandits’ and ‘making out like’ comes to mind.
Bargain, Ned! 😳
Vinai’s interview on Bloomberg: https://youtu.be/KN-oc6Qnpfc
Partey is likelier to stay: https://arseblog.news/2023/07/arteta-we-want-super-important-partey-to-stay-at-arsenal/
Thanks for the Bloomberg link, Dr F. Nothing revelatory from Vinny, but at least some coherent questions matched by coherent answers. Who knew Mohamed El-Erian was a QPR fan?
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