OK, maybe this post is not particularly linked to my world travel tour but you have to start a blog somewhere, so why not Arsenal Stadium?

Just spent a rather splendid day up at Highbury football stadium with a friend from my old work place. The lucky sod won the chance to take part in a 5-a-side football competition at the ground as one of the activities set up to mark the move to Arsenal's new home. As one guest was allowed, he took me along (just as well or he wouldn't have got a loan of my season ticket next year!).
Anyway, having got there, been shown to the upper tier of the stand with the other guests and watched everyone below warm up (with envy), the announcement came that some people hadn't turned up. What the f*ck! Why? Are these people insane? Therefore would any of the spectators like to play? Would they? Hell, yeah. Slight problem of having no sports kit with me, but the Arsenal shop is on the same side of the stadium. Quick sprint down there, purchase of trainers, shorts and socks, and then down to the main entrance to shout "me, me, me". So Jon and me both got to play. ;-)))))
5-a-side went ok - at least my team (veterans/old gits) managed to win one of our matches. Jon had no such luck in the young mens' team. Then they ran two full 11-a-side football matches on the full Highbury pitch. Vets/ladies combined, and then young men. Just wish I wasn't so kind and generous. Got the chance to score a goal with just one defender and the keeper to beat, and noticed that one of the girls was unmarked in the middle of the penalty area so I passed the ball to her. And then to make it worse, not only did I not get to score a goal at Highbury but she hit the ball over the top of the bar!!!! Aaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh. Apparently Jon was screaming "shoot, hit it, shoot" at me from the touchline. Playing was brilliant enough - if I'd scored too, then I'd have been intolerable for months to come. We did manage to win 1-0 though which was cool.
Watched a bit of Jon's 11-a-side match too - he lost that one as well - and then showered and changed in the Arsenal 1st XI changing rooms. And then we got treated to lunch in the main hospitality suite, with Charlie George making the presentations of winners' trophies and medals for everyone who played. Now have a medal saying "I played at Highbury 1st June 2006". Reckon there were only about 64 players in total, so that will be a fairly unique memento.
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