A dream about to be realised

As you might imagine, writing about this club for four years on an almost daily basis has created a fairly unique connection between myself and the club.

I’ve passionately argued with fellow supporters about whether Nicklas Bendtner will ever be good enough, written a very personal piece about my all-time footballer Freddie Ljungberg and received a couple of splendid tweets from the very lovely Johan Djourou.

I’ve spoken on the Arseblog Arsecast, designed and released Arsenal t-shirts, written match report after match report and on the way, found a tremendous community of fellow supporters who feel the connection with Arsenal in the same way that I do.

This time I'll go one step further

And so it is with great joy that I share with you some rather excellent personal news on the blog today.

Next Saturday Arsenal will host Blackburn in the Premier League. Nothing too special about that, you might think. Just another bread and butter Premier League fixture.

Except for me, it will be special. Very special indeed.

You see, after 13 years of supporting Arsenal and four years of writing the Arsenal FC Blog I will be watching our boys play live for the very first time.

How brilliant is that?!

Of course, I wouldn’t be a very good blogger if I didn’t share with you my thoughts and feelings of this momentous trip with you.

But unlike a lot of my Football Nomad work (yes, I write another football blog!), where the handycam and camera are never too far away, I’m going to do my best to simply enjoy the sights and sounds of the experience myself and put them into words for you when I get back. You know, living in the moment and all that jazz.

As things stand my plan for the week is to leave Berlin on Thursday morning next week, hang out with my brother for a couple of days before participating in Arseblog‘s excellent 6-a-side football tournament on Saturday.

From there I’ll meet up with a couple of the lads, head to the game with the brother in the afternoon and let the madness unfold.

Spread the Arsenal love by leaving a comment.

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Comments

  1. Excellent. Enjoy your time at The Emirates.It’s a dream to go there and watch our team play for any Arsenal fan. Hope to go there one day. GO GO Gunners 🙂

  2. Enjoy the game Andrew. I believe you will bring good luck with you and this will be the start of something great.

    Come on you reds

  3. Right on! Have fun eh. I am stopping in England this summer on my way back from Dubai and hoping I can go there this summer when the new season kicks off to see my first ever game as well.

  4. I pray that Arsenal will do us all proud in this closing lap of a great season. For you I wish you all the best at the Emirates. One day I will be there and see it life.

  5. I arrive London on Wednesday and can’t wait to watch my first match at d Emirates too and was wondering how I can lay my hands on
    A ticket for the match. It wld ve been a beautiful oportunity to meet with odas on Sunday but I won’t be available
    But we can hook up on Saturday, u know.

  6. Wow dat’s great.it’s every gunners dream 2 watch d team play live.ope u’ll enjoy ur time there.up gunners

  7. Congratulations! I visit London several times a year on business, sat once on the very same bench at the Arsenal tube station, have visited the Armory Shop a few times but have yet to see a live match. Looking forward to your impressions not only of the match of course, but everything. Do tell. I hope you bring us some luck.
    Cheers,
    1TTA

  8. Wow. its my dream also to watch Arsenal playing at the Emirates Stadium. if yours has come and let it be, enjoy to the brim, collect sound, collect sights and anything else your camera can collect.
    Once again all the best Andy & may the Gunners impress you that day.

  9. Andy – it’s tough for us Aussies getting to games. I’m fortunate to have been to three in my life time. A boring 2-2 draw with Portsmouth in 2006. The famous 4-4 draw with Spurs..and a very boring 1-0 win against portsmouth in 2008.

    Hopefully you get to see a good game! I seem to get the crap ones!

  10. You are about to officially become a lucky bastard. Being stuck in the land that calls this game soccer (one of many such lands, actually), I have seen precious few Arsenal players. The first, you’ll like this, was Ljungberg, last year when Seattle came in to play the New York Red Bulls. Followed shortly thereafter by the New York Football Challenge featuring Man City’s Vieira (who didn’t play), Toure (who did) and Adebayor (who did — sort of) and Spurs’ Bentley (who didn’t, but he stinks anyway). Henry soon arrived, and all the highlight reels came to life.

    I still can’t afford the trip to London, but I’ll be in the stands for U.S. vs. Argentina this Saturday night, where I will do a Gooner’s duty and boo the living hell out of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

  11. I am flying to London from Bermuda to watch the Blackburn game and yes it will be my first time visiting the Emirates to watch my beloved Arsenal. Like you Andrew, I am planning on taking in everything that is Arsenal and cheer on the gunners.

  12. enjoy. i am over for the last 4 rounds. as i was last year. hoping for an N5 street parade this time round.
    make sure you do the legends stadium tour not the regular and visit the museum. its quality just lacking silverware. but not for long. also if you`re crafty like me. you may be able to tailgate your way into the old highbury(now apartment complex) also well worth a look. enjoy pal. london is the place to be.

  13. Have a great day I will be there as well, 5th game this season. 4 or 5 nil to Arsenal just to get us all going again!!!

  14. I’ve been to SIX Arsenal-games, the first one in-92, and my beloved Gunners haven’t scored a single goal during those matches!!! Jinxed…:-)? Hope ur more lucky then me buddy…;-)

  15. Ha ha, yep! Must be some kind of a record…although a very shitty one…..;-)

  16. Insanely jealous Andy! Hope you bring them luck. A friend of mine will be sent on business to London for six months starting this summer, so I hope to visit him make my way to the Emirates the beginning of next season.

  17. Oh, to be at Emirates! A dream come true for you Andy, way to go! This year or the next one I hope to get there too, but untill then I take everything I can get. Share your thoughs, man, keep us posted! 🙂

  18. Wish you a great day out at the Emirates!!
    Hope that the boys will dish out a 6 goal thrashing of the Rovers specially for you!!

  19. Wow! Wish you a terrific time at the Emirates. I hope your presence brings great results. I see an 8-0 victory.

  20. enjoy the trip ,,,my first time to the grove was 3 years ago i loved every second ,,the stadium tour was a great start then the next day samir nasri got 2 goals as we beat man u it was unforgetable match,,,ive since gone over 3-4 times a season since then wit sum bad results for the team(spuds in november was disgusting) il never forget tat first visit though,,it was magic!!!!!!!!!!

  21. Enjoy Emirates is a stadium of dream and count your self already lucky. All our hearts is long to be there one day like you are now there. ‘Bravoo’ the gunners

  22. Mate, it will be excellent, i was there a couple of years ago, fantastic day. if you get a chance you must do a legends tour of the stadium, i did mine with Charlie George, so many memories.

  23. mate i have been through wht u r going through know, i had to wait for it as well.
    2008 Arsenal 2–1 Manchester United.

  24. Enjoy it Andy.

    @Pelle – for god’s sake will you promise not to go to watch any of our games between now and the end of the season!

    My last live match was back at Highbury – 0-0 v Charlton I think it was and Viera got sent off!

  25. Great for you , i’m to far for be in there and live the experience ,just in my dreams. Arsenal 3-1.

  26. Good on you, mate! Don’t need to tell you to enjoy it because you certainly will. It’s an awesome experience, especially for us Aussies. Haven’t been to the Emirates but went to Highbury many times. Definitely a dream come true for you.

  27. Amazing! Representing international fans everywhere – that’s what you call living the dream! Have a fantastic time, hope the team pulls out all the stops for you and starts scoring some of those goals they’re so famous for. 6-0 please Arsenal! 🙂

    Also random, but your hair is amazing in that photo. Never change it.

  28. Awww, have a great time, Andrew! I’m a newish sort of Gooner (only 2 years and counting) and am still waiting for my first chance to watch the Arsenal in person. I did come close last spring when I was visiting some friends in London (who used to live right next to Highbury, actually), but alas, the Gunners were playing away.

    Anyway, enjoy yourself thoroughly! 🙂

  29. @Andrew, i can tell you, you will be stunned and lost for words with the stadia, I have had the pleasure of sitting in your stadium 4 times this season (just behind the away team) I was hoping to be there for the brazil-scotland game but cant get away from work on time. Enjoy the moment mate.

  30. JAMALI – that was my first game at the Emirates too – couldn’t have been better. Let’s hope Andrew sees that kind of game with that kind of result.

  31. How exciting for you! I know you will truly enjoy the whole experience.

    I’ve only gotten to visit the Emirates, the Armory, the museum and the Arsenal Underground, but I have not been to a live match. I love your picture in the blog post today. I was last there in July 2007.

    Have great fun!

  32. Have a great time Andrew, I remember going there 8 years ago I think, the stadium was cosed (highbury) as it was June we went in. So wound up buying jerseys from the arsenal store. Hopefully you’ll be witness to a match that will swing the season in our favor. Enjoy.

  33. I’ve been to Highbury but I haven’t had the pleasure of watching Arsenal at their new world class facility yet (p!sses all over Old Trafford no doubt – been there too). Maybe next year when we’re back in the old dart. Aveagoodweekend Andy!

  34. I can’t even imagine how excited you must be mate, especially with the game potentially having a huge influence on our season.

    I’ll be in Berlin in 2013 for University, and I’m counting down the days until I can do the Berlin -> London hop for hopefully at least one game!

  35. I was on my first Arsenal game in 2009 and that was amazing! Arsenal – Spurs 3-0. Amazing atmosphere and a great game!
    ENJOY! Proud to be a gooner

  36. You LUCKY Gunner…Enjoy..I hope to be there next season.With some luck..we may see you in the crowd …We will win by a big score.

  37. good luck brother, enjoy every bit of this moment, get time to tell the lads to engage another gear to the last dot. bye bro. joseph from uganda loves you fans, hope our team goes to the wire this season

  38. hey guys, i arfrived London and been finding it diff to get a ticket as i know that its fully booked. does anyone know how i can get to watch tomorow match live at the Emirates? you can contact me on 07917373774 urgently…
    thanks.

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