So Paddy Got Up - an Arsenal anthology (30 page)

Penalised by referee Terje Hauge for felling Samuel Eto’o on the edge of the box, the goalkeeper received his marching orders despite Barcelona willingly slotting the loose ball into the back of the net. While his teammates called for the goal to stand and the German to be reprieved, there was little that could be done when the official chose to apply the letter of the law. It was an uphill battle after that, even though Sol Campbell raised hopes by thumping home a powerful header to give Arsenal an unexpected half-time lead. 

As the clock slowly ticked down, Barcelona finally and inevitably imposed their game on the Gunners. In the space of five minutes the one-nil advantage was overturned. First substitute Henrik Larsson freed Eto’o to slide an equaliser inside sub Manuel Almunia’s near post, then the Swede teed up Brazilian Belletti to drive home the winner with only nine minutes remaining. Arsene Wenger’s side had been gunned down and with no energy left to expend and lactic acid burning their muscles they limped to the final whistle, unable to muster a response.

Initially stunned into stony silence by the cruel result, the Arsenal fans soon regrouped and found their collective voice. Over and over they cried, “Ar-se-nal, Ar-se-nal, Ar-se-nal.” It was a magnificent and devoted outpouring of passion at a moment when sullen contemplation seemed the only natural course of action. Against the cacophony of Cockney hollering, a bitterly disappointed Thierry Henry remarked, “We can be proud, whatever happened tonight, we can be proud.” He couldn’t have been more right. It had been a tremendous season and one that augured well for the future. Barcelona were champions, but Arsenal were winners as well.

If success is measured not by arrival at a final destination, but by the spirit and endeavour laid bare while undertaking the journey, then the European adventure of 2005-06 certainly lived up to the club’s motto: Victoria Concordia Crescit.

In the 125-years since Arsenal was founded, it remains the closest the club has come to being crowned Europe’s best side. To have been part of the experience was an unforgettable privilege.

***

Andrew Allen is an occasional sportswriter with a lazy disposition. He recently founded The Arsenal Collective, which may or may not still exist by the time of publication. He cringes at talking about himself in the third person.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I’d first like to thank all the contributors to this book, without whom it couldn’t have happened. Obviously. I laid this on them in the summer and to a man/woman they reacted with enthusiasm and interest, and kept to the really tight deadlines (most of them!). With their talent and passion for the subject matter they have made the process as simple as something like this can be.

Thank you to David Rudnick for his outstanding design skills and wonderful cover, and to Saltwater for working so well to an incredibly tight schedule.

To Mrs Blogs for being Mrs Blogs but also for her fantastic editing skills. Thankfully she wasn’t as punctilious when choosing a husband.

To Blogette for not making tea. To my brother, the Mugsmasher, and my father Terry, for all their help in the last 12 months. You guys are aaaaalll right.

Finally, a big thanks to you, reader of this book, and, I assume, reader of the blog. I’ve been writing Arseblog for nearly ten years. As much as I love to do it, it’s your comments, your emails and all your interaction that make it all worthwhile.

From one website has grown a truly unique community, both online and off. I guess I shouldn’t be at this stage, yet I remain consistently amazed at the generosity and decency of Arsenal fans towards each other. I think of those who travel from near and far – sometimes very far indeed – to find themselves welcomed with match tickets, beers and great company. This happens not just now and again, but constantly.

Arsenal brings people together, forges friendships, camaraderie, loyalty and so much more. At a time when it’s easy to dwell on the negatives this most positive of aspects ought to be recognised. I’m glad Arseblog has played a small role in this.

For whatever reason we support Arsenal, be it family, nationality, falling in love with a great team (or a not so great team), or even if we have no idea how we came to be a fan, we should always count ourselves lucky to be fans of this wonderful club.

We support The Arsenal but, never forget, we are a big part of what makes The Arsenal so great.

Andrew Mangan

December 2011