Derby day – Turning the bowl into a Cauldron @Joe_Hurd93D
I want you to think back to the last time you genuinely enjoyed going to the Emirates. Genuinely. Not enjoyed a result, or a comeback, because you could look to recent hammerings of Liverpool and Manchester United either side of the summer in 2015 or the late, late Welbeck winner against Leicester in 2016. I mean when you genuinely enjoyed going to our “home” ground, Ashburton Grove, Emirates Stadium.
For me, it was February 26th, 2012. Arsenal were in a mess and Spurs came into the match 13 points clear of us. While the numerical gap is “only” four right now, it is a similar state of affairs. Spurs look like a team that want to challenge for top honours and we look worringly clueless. However, on that day, we turned around a two goal deficit into a 5-2 victory in what is still my favourite experience at the “bowl.” When Sagna and Van Persie scored before half time to get us level, I remember walking back from the toilets at half time and there was this sudden burst from the clock end. People were screaming, shouting, chanting. We genuinely believed we had them where we wanted them at 2-2 and that we’d go on and win.
The rest, as they say, is history. Tomas Rosicky scored the third before Theo managed to score the next two (despite doing his best to take a poor touch on the 4th). The atmosphere in the ground was the best I had ever heard, it was electrifying. We will need that kind of spirit on Saturday 18th November 2017. And it’s the one game I can rely on the fans to be 100% up for it.
For too long, the Emirates has been this sterile, corporate cathedral that also hosts the odd football match every now and then. Fans are discouraged from standing, while the idea of shouting and chanting at a 3pm game is often treated with surprise at best from 99% of the ground. Arsenal fans have their enthusiasm squashed before they enter the ground, with the tedious “Arsenal Football Club welcomes…” banner outside the away fans entrance.
The away fans go on to have the time of their lives in that corner of the Clock end, as our announcer extends a “warm and sporting welcome to the players, staff and fans of the opposition” while we endure a mellow atmosphere at best, and often the lack of enthusiasm passes through to our players, many of whom appear lacking of the heart and passion need to represent The Arsenal.
The Emirates, as you may or may not know, was inspired by the design of the Parc des princes (PSG) and the Stade de France, amongst others. While the Sade de France is a national team stadium, PSG are hardly known for their intimidating atmospheres. The Emirates was designed with Arsene Wenger’s ideals in mind, even down to the circular dressing rooms so nobody feels left out. I almost get the feeling Wenger enjoys the quiet. Its’s well known that he doesn’t like shouters in the dressing room, so there is every chance he’d prefer us to be sat for 90 minutes and politely applaud at what we like.
Some will say we are spoiled at the Emirates. We have a perfect view from every angle and a leather padded seat that we should enjoy. What I am asking from everyone in that pristine, spherical, sterile bowl on November 18th, is to not use those padded seats. Turn the bowl into the cauldron. Make it as loud and as uncomfortable for Tottenham Hotspur as possible. Don’t extend a warm and sporting welcome, as they don’t when we arrive at White Hart Lane and won’t at Wembley. Make it a place that should inspire people to play football, not make people shit scared of making a mistake. Make their players feel tiny and our players feel huge. If we do our bit, as I know we will, the players have no right not to respond and do their bit.
Pochettino has yet to lose to Arsenal in 3 years of Premier League football as a Spurs manager. That’s not good enough. So for 2 hours or so; forget Kroenke, Gazidis, Wenger (to a point), Keswick. Worry about what’s important, our football team. And maybe, just maybe, the Emirates will feel a bit more like the home we were promised.
Up the Arsenal.
Written by @Joe_Hurd93D
why are we playing somehow better away and loosing while playing awfully at home and winning?
I wont watch that game but i can tell you what will happen..
1.arsene wenger will come up with some stupid tactic.
2.someone like xhaka or ramsey will give away the ball leading to a counter which spurs scores.
3.spurs will score from a corner.
4.we will lose the game but we will still find an excuse e.g offside,penalty,or it rained
5.even if he will be off form we will find a way for kane to score against us.
i am not a psychic but it is just the same old story year in year out.
I heard the Emirates was almost a carbon copy of Benfica’s stadium?
Yep I’ll be there against the scum and for those 90 minutes I will not do anything but support my side.
I really don’t like the Emirates, as a sports arena it’s magnificent, as a football stadium its sterile, oh how I miss Highbury and the clock end.
The Emirates is lush to look at but I just what happened to the atmosphere. It’s a shame Highbury couldn’t have been extended, I did like it there
*wonder
There seems to be major differences in the way London stadiums are built. West Ham have the worst, although far and away the cheapest, mainly because of the running track. Arsenal’s is what I suppose you would call a traditional design. Spurs architect’s brief was to get the fans closer to the pitch so it will be significantly steeper, we’ll see how that works. I wonder what Chelsea will come up with ? Once the stadium is built you are stuck with it and to some extent it will determine the atmosphere at the ground from then on.
Your fans need to be more like Portsmouth fans never stop singing
I’ve been to Fratton Park and it’s been very quiet at times.
Crystal Palace fans never shut up & what have they got to be happy about
True saying, fan whine that we dont sing or make an atmosphere because our team does not challenge for epl but spurs, crystal palace and Leicester fans( before winning title) make alot of noise and We won more titles
Another excuse is the football quality is poor or player dont try enough. While that may be true now we had champagne football with cesc,nasri. Wenger was still good and loved and we didn’t know what a scum kroenke was. Still there was no good atmosphere.
Leather seats? Good views from everywhere? Is this the Emirates Stadium the writer is talking about? I assume he sits up high in gold class or what3ver it’s called as where we sit 12 rows from the front in the lower tier is terrible. I do not expect leather seats but a good view would be nice to have. The only way to see well is to stand up and then the stewards tell you to sit down. Oh how I miss standing areas and the North and South banks at Highbury. Anyway, back on subject, yes we need to get behind our team and shout and sing our bloody heads off!
I honestly believe we will turn up, if the players don’t I think there’s a chance Wenger will have lost the majority of us for good, we all know that doesn’t mean he’ll go though!
Wenger needs to walk during the International break, or the board to need to grow a pair and sack him, to give us any chance of beating Spurs.
How to remedy our situation?
bring in 5-6 players (3 replacements for Özil, Sanchez and Cazorla):
– Goretzka (free)
– JM Gimenez (free)
– Manolas (£20 mils)
– Fabinho (£30 mils)
– Moura/Draxler (£35 mils to replace Sanchez)
– Fekir (£25-30 mils to replace Özil)
Wenger to step down or get a director of football etc. to sort out his shortcomings until he’s gone.
That’s 2 class players for free. 2 strong, fighting players for the defence and 2 attacking players who have been quite profilic in the Ligue 1 when given thr chance.
I would sell Sanchez and Özil in January, and get Lucas/Draxler then to replace them. Play Wilshere or Ramsey as CAM for the remainder of the season.
Xhaka needs to be sold. Chambers maybe as well.
loved this article. very well written
As a Yankee, my first PL experience was at Highbury. We were in London with my college mates for New Year’s 1995-96. We stayed at a decent hotel in Russel Square. Upon our arrival (after a red eye) I and my good friend jumped into the Tube and went up to Highbury to see if we could get a ticket or 2: This was Thursday of game week. We were luckily able to get 2 tickets and went to the game that weekend. Dec 28. It was freezing cold. The North Londoners were very hospitable and welcomed 2 Yanks coming to watch the Gunners. The played Wimbeldon FC and lost 3-1. However, the atmosphere was fantastic. The fans were great. I bought my first Arsenal scarf and a wool hat to keep me warm. From that moment on, I became an Arsenal fan and always will be. Ive never been to Emirates, but from what I see, it looks outstanding, but it is not classic like Highbury Home of Football.