As well as being lucky enough to be chosen to go pitch-side
on Saturday, I had a piece in the match day programme accompanied by my
picture. Unfortunately, they decided to print the most unflattering photo of me
ever. If proof is required, you can see the hideous mug shot below.
Regular readers will be aware I sent an article into the
editor back in February but it wasn’t used, probably because there was too much
opinion of what it really means to be a true fan and how much pain the team is
causing me with this trophy drought. Anyway, my point is that I published the
‘Final Word’ on here to let my readers see. I am doing the same with the little
piece I wrote for Saturday:
‘I began supporting the Arsenal as soon as I could talk and
used to listen the games every week on 1548 Capital Gold with Jonathan Pearce
(remember that). I did not see my first home game until October 1999, aged 5,
when Arsenal beat Preston North End 2-1 to progress to the Worthington Cup
from. It was a second string team with goals from Kanu and Malz but I did get
to see the new kid on the block, a certain Thierry Henry. From then on, I tried
to attend more matches at beloved Highbury. I have so many great memories
watching from the West Upper but my highlights are Henry’s majestic lob in 2001
and the best day of my life, completing the season unbeaten against Leicester
before celebrating being crowned Premier League champions.
This was one of my last games at Highbury because since I
was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia at the age of 9, my leg muscles were
getting weaker and I was struggling to walk. The move to the Emirates coincided
with me using a wheelchair more and I soon registered as a disabled supporter.
My purple membership allowed me to apply for games and luckily I got to go to
most. At the beginning of last season, my life-long wish came true and I was
offered a season ticket, which I obviously accepted. I now sit in block 8 every
game and go away quite a lot too. You could say I’m addicted.’
It is only a short 250-word summary of my love affair with
the Arsenal. I could write a whole essay if necessary but I thought it may be
of interest. They did include some of the key points either in the programme or
over the PA system but this gives more of a rounded story. Obviously, they
couldn’t fit it all in (I had half a page as it is) but I did have one problem
with the headline. The best professional journalist can come up with is ‘Ball
carrying a Shorey thing’. Poor effort.
I won’t be blogging about Saturday anymore so don’t worry.
Bye for now!
Have you seen 'Wheelchair Boy'?
Highly dangerous criminal
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