VAN PERSIE’S SHIT TROUSERS
Three days after winning the 2003/04 title at White Hart Lane, Arsenal confirmed the signing of Robin van Persie from Feyenoord "on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee".
Still only 20, the Dutch striker was tipped as a potential long-term successor to Dennis Bergkamp whose contract situation on the eve of his 35th birthday remained unclear.
Wenger was quick to laud the player's potential and praised the left foot that would eventually bang in goal after goal for the Gunners.
The Frenchman neglected to mention his new recruit’s reputation as a hothead but word had already reached the English press who relayed a bust-up between Van Persie and his coach Burt van Marwijk. Feyenoord had subsequently decided their striker wasn’t worth keeping around for their final game of the season.
As such, Van Persie was free to travel to London to watch Wenger's champions close out their season against Leicester and in an unusual move, Arsenal decided they might as well parade their new signing before kick-off. Why not? Highbury was in a party mood on a potentially historic day for the club.
Whether Van Persie knew he was going to greet the Arsenal fans when he got dressed that morning, is unclear. Either way, when he was led onto the pitch to give the crowd a thumbs up, attention immediately turned to the new boy's unmissable trousers.
Blimey. They were quite the statement. Bright white with chunky black and red pinstripes and a slight bootcut, they screamed, "I AM YOUR NEW KING".
While Van Persie gave the crowd a thumbs up, they responded with a mix of polite applause and plenty of sniggering. If memory serves correctly, there was even a brief rendition of “What the fucking hell are those?” before the new boy escaped back down Highbury’s tiny tunnel.
Even today, those who attended that afternoon are as likely to recall Van Persie's clobber as they are the celebrations that marked Arsenal becoming the first side of the modern era to complete a season unbeaten.
On a side note, spot the typo on the big screen in the picture below…
