The train is evacuated, the taxi takes us to the wrong ground… its my first game.

My First Arsenal match live

Daniel Clark

I remember my first Arsenal match- to use an old phrase- as if it were yesterday though mainly due to the build up of the actual game itself.

It was 7 years ago when I was at the tender age of 9 and it was my dad and I off to the Villa.

We’d caught the train from a station of whose name I can’t remember and were happily on our way oodles of time, as the journey progressed we occupied ourselves by having a heated discussion on why Thierry Henry was the greatest player since God himself 🙂

Suddenly, the train grinds to a halt and my dad and I both look to each other wondering what’s the matter.

Me, being a pessimistic nine year old (still am today  at 16) immediately said “Great, the trains broken down and we’re going  to miss the game” and Dad did what only a dad could do and rubbished such a claim saying “Nah, just you wait we’ll be moving in no time.” Stupidly, I believed him…..

Anyway, time began to tick by. First 5 minutes, then 10 and finally 20 minutes had passed with me all the while saying we were going to miss the game.

Finally, the driver makes an announcement, “I’m very reluctant to inform you ladies and gentleman that the train has broken down and we have been unable to fix it. Please make your way up the train to the exit doors where you will be taken to Dudley Station via the tracks. And so we were.

By this point my dad and I are getting slightly panicky that we’re going to miss the start of the game but luckily we get out of the station and grab a taxi and the taxi rank.

Typically, with our luck still going strong that day we mange to grab the only taxi driver probably in the West Midlands who doesn’t know how to get to Villa Park. Not only that but as an alternative he takes us to the Hawthorns instead!

Finally, he pulls up outside Villa Park game well under way and we rush to our seats with the crowds deafening cacophony echoing in my ears.

We have pitchside seats which nowadays I know aren’t great for keeping up with the game but to be that close to the players was a dream for me.

The only thing I remember of the game was that we won 2-1 in the end I believe and also Robert Pires coming to take a throw directly in front of me and staring at the back of his shirt in wonderment.

Daniel Clark

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