WALKING ALONG, SINGING A SONG: A WALK THROUGH A BERGKAMP WONDERLAND
BY BARRY PLUMMER / @bazplummer
There’s only one, Dennis Bergkamp.
Reminiscing about one of the greatest players ever to grace our football club, and hearing his famous song play through my mind, there is an inescapable sadness that the truth behind the lyrics, of course, means that we will never get another Dennis Bergkamp.
On reflection, I believe him to be the most influential player to wear the famous red and white in the club’s modern era. There are other legends who could stake a claim, however, when you consider everything he did for the Gunners, I think you’ll start to see my point.
The arrival of the Iceman
“If Dennis Bergkamp played in the snow, he wouldn’t leave any footprints. That’s how good he was”
John Hartson
Given the impact he went on to make, you could be forgiven for assuming that Bergkamp hit the ground running at Arsenal following his £7.5 million move from Inter Milan in the summer of 1995. In truth, while there was excitement on the terraces, it took a few weeks for him to truly win over the Gunners faithful. It took the Dutchman six games to get off the mark for his new side and by the point certain elements of the national press had already dubbed him a waste of money. However, by late September, everyone in world football would start to see what a shrewd piece of business Bruce Rioch and David Dein had completed.
I recently found myself re-watching Bergkamp’s Arsenal goals and what struck me is that from 1995 to 2006, it was like a one-man goal of the season competition. His first against Southampton was no exception, a right-footed volley that he picked out of the sky and thundered into the bottom left-hand corner. That proved to be his platform, and after a swift education in English Football, he took it by the scuff of the neck.
Europe, here we come!
It was in 1996 that Arsenal fans started to truly understand what their dynamic Dutch wizard was capable of. A decisive goal against Bolton Wanderers on the final day of the campaign helped the Gunners to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Having said he’d chosen Arsenal over offers from more prestigious clubs across Europe because he felt he could promote positive change and drive the club forward, this was an early indication of his ability to move the needle.
After that crucial goal at the end of the 1996 season, club legend Ian Wright said: “It was scripted, so I don’t know what all the fuss is, that is what Dennis was going to do anyway.”
The belief that his fellow players had in him, even after a short period at the club, is a testament to his class and quality. A player they labelled ‘The Messiah’, Bergkamp had not only integrated himself into an experienced and intimidating group of professionals, but more than that, he was becoming someone they trusted and relied upon.
The start of the Arsene Wenger era
“Dennis Bergkamp killed the boring, boring Arsenal tag”
Bob Wilson
While Rioch started the process of rebooting Arsenal after George Graham’s exit, following his own surprise sacking in 1996, CEO David Dein turned to Arsene Wenger; a coach who would reshape the club in his own image and help propel Bergkamp’s game to the next level.
It was Wenger’s tactical genius that unlocked the best of Bergkamp. He took on a deeper role, becoming more of a facilitator, and helped others to fill their boots with goals-a-plenty. The Dutchman’s relationship with a succession of strike partners, from Ian Wright and Nicolas Anelka to Marc Overmars and Thierry Henry, turned the “boring, boring Arsenal chants” on their head. His creative genius was central to Arsenal’s rebrand as entertainers.
Even as his powers wained, his winning mentality was infectious and helped the Gunners cement their place in English football history. Alongside Wenger, Bergkamp transformed the perspective others had when they saw the cannon crest. Indeed, for a period of nine years, we were one of the most feared and respected clubs in Europe.
The silverware, the memories and the greatest of all achievements
“I’m not exaggerating. First-team training sessions were often a daily convention of the Bergkamp Appreciation Society”
Adrian Clarke
It’s impossible to summarise every magical moment Bergkamp provided the club, but certain highlights will stick with me forever. These were the moments that made me fall in love with football. His famous hat trick against Leicester City oozed class, blending a clinical and tenacious eye for goal with an innate flair on a scale I had never before witnessed.
The good times rolled on for Arsenal in the Bergkamp years, winning the Premier League and FA Cup ‘Double’ in 1998 and again in 2002. Prior to the Iceman’s arrival, such achievements appeared impossible given Manchester United’s dominance of the English football landscape. But, there we were, going toe-to-toe with Ferguson’s giants and growing ever more confident.
Of course, it wasn’t all highs. It would probably be right to mention a certain penalty in an FA Cup semi-final, but I think we will leave that one for today. I’d rather focus on 2003/04 - one of my fondest memories of supporting the club - when we went ‘invincible’. It’s a word that will forever be associated with Arsenal, and one my friends and Tottenham-supporting relatives find me revelling in at every possible opportunity.
Reflecting on that achievement, Bergkamp said his teammates “knew they were going to win, it was just a case of how many”. That level of domination, control and confidence demonstrated to me that the players in the squad were almost superhuman. While Bergkamp was edging towards the twilight of his career, so much of the progress towards that achievement was driven by him. He remained the conductor; the director; the example.
Oh, and to win the title at White Hart Lane was also pretty cool.
The inevitability of time
"When you start supporting a football club, you don't support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong."
Dennis Bergkamp
Sadly, nobody can play forever. Despite several short-term deals, the time came to bow out gracefully and consign himself to legend. It was fitting that his final competitive appearance came on the day the club bid farewell to our beloved Highbury Stadium. He took to the pitch with rapturous applause ringing around the terraces. His importance to everybody was obvious. The disappointment of the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona would follow a week later, something Bergkamp will surely remember with regret after the early red card to Lehmann ended any hopes of him getting onto the pitch to help with one last trophy push.
For all his phenomenal achievements in an Arsenal shirt, one of my most poignant memories of Bergkamp is from his testimonial. Having kickstarted one new era on his arrival at the club, he raised the curtain on another by hosting the first game at the Emirates Stadium. It was a poetic nod of thanks to the role he played in transforming the club, handing over the responsibility to the next generation. Still to this day, I can picture him being carried aloft by his legendary teammates, like a warrior of battle in front of a sea of red and white emotion. Accents of the famous Dutch orange and a deafening melody rang in unison…
There’s only one Dennis Bergkamp.
