Match Day Experiences
(Your Reports, experiences, anecdotes etc., while following The Arsenal)
(Your Reports, experiences, anecdotes etc., while following The Arsenal)
Charity Shield, Millenium Stadium 10.08.2003
I remember our visit to the Millenium stadium in August 2003 very well.
The Charity Shield match against Man.United, Aug 10th.
I recall this was our first look at Jens Lehmann.
This was our first time of two (my son & I) at the stadium, and the trip was memorable for many reasons, but there are five Match related incidents which stick in my mind.
Firstly it was swelteringly hot, so much so that it ruined the game.
The only incident of note in 90 minutes was Francis Jeffers sending off, and Steve Bennett's usual appalling refereeing.
The third thing that I remember was that some kind soul had put chewing gum on my son's seat (he was 10 at the time)...the result being his Arsenal shorts were eventually thrown out as I could'nt get the gum off. This cost me an extra twenty quid for new shorts some weeks later.
We were in the Family enclosure which was devoid of atmosphere I recall.
The fourth thing was the penalty shoot-out which was the only vaguely exciting thing about the game, which brings me on to the final memory of the game.
Next to us in the Family enclosure was a Father and son, much like ourselves. They had a rucksack which produced copious amounts of sandwiches throughout the afternoon...(I don't know if there were any prawn ones in there, but it would'nt surprise me).
Anyway they sat thru the game patiently like ourselves...experiencing the terrific heat and what can only be described as the complete boredom of the game in those conditions.
Now we all know the cost of a trip to Cardiff was'nt cheap...so at last we would all have at least a little bit of recompense with the excitement of a Shoot-out after 90 minutes.
Not these two 'Gooners'.
What did they do?
As soon as full time was blown by Bennett, they immediately got off before a penalty kick was taken...citing traffic and having to get back to Kent as the reasons.
Unbelievable!
We lost the shoot-out anyway, so maybe they knew something we did'nt.
Goonchild.
I remember our visit to the Millenium stadium in August 2003 very well.
The Charity Shield match against Man.United, Aug 10th.
I recall this was our first look at Jens Lehmann.
This was our first time of two (my son & I) at the stadium, and the trip was memorable for many reasons, but there are five Match related incidents which stick in my mind.
Firstly it was swelteringly hot, so much so that it ruined the game.
The only incident of note in 90 minutes was Francis Jeffers sending off, and Steve Bennett's usual appalling refereeing.
The third thing that I remember was that some kind soul had put chewing gum on my son's seat (he was 10 at the time)...the result being his Arsenal shorts were eventually thrown out as I could'nt get the gum off. This cost me an extra twenty quid for new shorts some weeks later.
We were in the Family enclosure which was devoid of atmosphere I recall.
The fourth thing was the penalty shoot-out which was the only vaguely exciting thing about the game, which brings me on to the final memory of the game.
Next to us in the Family enclosure was a Father and son, much like ourselves. They had a rucksack which produced copious amounts of sandwiches throughout the afternoon...(I don't know if there were any prawn ones in there, but it would'nt surprise me).
Anyway they sat thru the game patiently like ourselves...experiencing the terrific heat and what can only be described as the complete boredom of the game in those conditions.
Now we all know the cost of a trip to Cardiff was'nt cheap...so at last we would all have at least a little bit of recompense with the excitement of a Shoot-out after 90 minutes.
Not these two 'Gooners'.
What did they do?
As soon as full time was blown by Bennett, they immediately got off before a penalty kick was taken...citing traffic and having to get back to Kent as the reasons.
Unbelievable!
We lost the shoot-out anyway, so maybe they knew something we did'nt.
Goonchild.
