BRINGING FAMILY TOGETHER
I have supported Arsenal since the age of nine, which means I’ve been a Gooner for 16 years. During that time I’ve experienced the joy of winning the league at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane and been privileged to watch some of the greatest players ever in the history of this great club. My most treasured Arsenal memory though isn’t a cup final win or vital league victory, but rather last years’s routine dismantling of Wigan in 2011.
The reason this is my favourite game is because it is the first I ever attended with both my father and brother in tow. I’ve attended games since I have been old enough to pay my own way to London from Ireland, but the Wigan win was the first time my father had attended a live football match.
From the early trip to the airport to pre-game beers and pizza it was obvious all three of us were excited. That anticipation reached new levels when we stepped out of Arsenal tube station and crossed over the bridge. You could see the awe on the faces of my brother and father as they saw the Emirates in all its glory for the first time.
The game itself produced a Van Persie hat-trick, his first for Arsenal even though he managed to miss a penalty, and the crowd was in good voice, heartily chanting, ‘He scores when he wants…’
It was freezing cold by the time we left, but we had the warm afterglow of success to keep us company. As we headed back to the tube with our copies of The Gooner in hand, I turned to my father and asked him if he had enjoyed the game. His response 'It was one of the best days I have ever had with ye.’
This is why we support our team, it brings family together and helps keep them close. It may not have been a spectacular game but I think it will always remain my favourite.
