My old man said be a Tottenham fan and I said f%#k o$$ you (Arsenal Stadium (Highbury))

Member Name: freediveheaven

Product:	Arsenal Stadium (Highbury)
Date:	24/10/05 (3171 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: History

Disadvantages: Old and tired.

This is the last season that fans will get to see football played at it’s purest at Highbury as the new stadium will be open for business for the start of the 2006 season. Now you might think that as a life long fan who used to live in N5 I will be sad to see the team move to a new stadium where the name has already been sold to the highest bidder, Emirates, however you would be wrong. It is not that I don’t love the old stadium even with all of it’s faults, what is more important to me is that the team are able to compete and continue to win things and the sad reality is that crowds of 38, 000 do not generate the kind of revenue that allow the team to compete with the likes of Man Utd and Liverpool and unless you increase your capacity the only other alternative is to find a Russian Muppet who wants to hide his billions from his government.

Visiting fans will always be entertained when they visit Highbury, if the football is not of the greatest quality then our own French Laurel and Hardy will demonstrate their latest penalty taking routine for everyone’s delight, well the 3,000 Man City fans anyway, the rest of us were breaking into a chorus of “What the FCUK was that?” One thing that visiting teams will enjoy is the quality of the pitch which is always perfect and again last season our grounds man won the grounds man of the year award. But the important thing is what does the ground offer for the visiting fan?

Getting There

Located in North London the ground is best reached via the underground. There is a choice of two stations. Arsenal tube station is on the Piccadilly line and is the closest to the ground as you can see the West Stand as you exit the station. As you get off the train you will see the old tiles on the wall with the name Gillespie Road which was the original name for the stadium and those supporters of the scum, sorry Tottenham (old habits die hard) still refer to it by its old name. One point of warning is that this is a small tube station and is prone to crowding, indeed after the game the queues stretch along Gillespie Road as people try to enter.

An alternative tube station is Finsbury Park which is served by both the Piccadilly and Victoria lines and an overland service. It is a ten minute walk to the ground and is easy as you just follow the crowds or the smell of the fast food. Also at Finsbury Park you will find the Arsenal Shop which is bigger than the one at the ground and with more choice.

Driving to the ground is not easy and the local parking restrictions cover a large part of the Finsbury Park area which has a permit parking system for residents only which apply during the week and on match days.

Finsbury Park is also a major bus terminal should the tube not be running and has a large number of buses traveling through it.

The Stadium

Arsenal have been at Highbury for 93 years and whilst the new ground is a mere 500 meters away the facilities will be very much further apart on the scale of comfort and quality.

Highbury is an old stadium and it shows. It is the old style with four stands and is effectively open at each of the corners. It is this old design and the fact that the stands only go up two levels that has helped in the preparation of the playing surface.

The North Bank is behind one of the goals and is the home of the hard core Arsenal fans with the majority of the seats given over to season ticket holders. Opposite the North Bank is the Clock End which is home to the executive boxes and also part of this stand is given over to the away fans. Away fans are very close to the home fans which allows for the free and easy trading of insults however Highbury is not the most vocal of grounds often being referred to as The Library even by its own supporters, it just gets boring to always sing while you are winning. On the plus side away fans are flanked on the West Stand by the Family enclosure while the opposite stand has imaginatively been called the East Stand.

The disabled viewing area is at the base of the East stand and has a large area open for those not able to sit in the stands. One thing I have noticed is that for those who do not bring their own seat you only get a rather basic plastic seat to sit on like you get in schools; however there is a lot of space in the area and it stretches to the half way line affording good views.

Being an old stadium the views are not great from every seat. There are a number of pillars in all of the stands which can obscure your view and if you are sitting at the back of either the lower east of lower west stand then you will have a very restricted view especially when fans stand up. Once after being charged full price to sit in one of these seats I did complain and got a part refund on my ticket although the club did not accept that it was a restricted view so these seats are probably still being sold at full price. One of the reasons that I’m looking forward to the new stadium is that with modern designs there is no excuse not to have a good view wherever you sit in the stadium.

Ticket Prices

Getting a ticket to visit Highbury is not easy. The club runs a membership scheme which has a long waiting list just to become a member and the season ticket list is equally as long. With the exception of Carling Cup matches none of the games go on general sale as the priority goes to those who are either full members and after them those who are on the waiting list.

The cheapest ticket at Highbury is £30 with the highest rising to £54 for the better seats. Junior Gunners get into the Family enclosure for £14. These can be booked two months in advance either through the website, by telephone or in person at the ground however for some matches this facility is not available.

Facilities

The ground is based in a residential area and there are numerous restaurants and cafes around the Finsbury Park tube station and numerous pubs. If you are an away fan and want a pub that is tolerant of away fans then it is best to seek the advice of your supporters club as some of the ones near the ground are definitely for home fans only although in the pub I use away fans often mingle with no trouble. In the ground you will pay about £3 for a pint and the limited choice of food is pricey. One bonus is that you can get a filled bagel for about £2.50 which is still expensive but at least it is not fried.

The facilities are where you notice the age of the building and the toilets leave a lot to be desired. It is also quite cramped behind the stands and very smoky. There are bookmakers and programme sellers within the stadium.

The Tour

In the summer we were lucky enough to go on a tour of the stadium as part of a fans weekend and the kids got to have their picture taken with the FA Cup.

Not something you will see on match day but the changing rooms really do show their age and I have seen better facilities at my sons’ school however it was good to go into the press room and sit behind the desk for a photo opportunity as well as getting to stand on the touchline and sit in Wengers seat.

The museum has some interesting memorabilia however it is quite small and can be visited in about an hour comfortably; the double decker bus with cut outs of the players is fun and provides another photo opportunity.

In summary for many this year is the last chance to visit one of the oldest stadiums in the Premiership. I for one will remember the great games I have seen there and my favourite Highbury moment when Adams crashed in the fourth against Everton, however I will also look forward to life in the new stadium and a crowd of 60,000, it will probably still be quiet but at least it will be easier to get a ticket.

Finally to test your knowledge what was the most unusual substitution that took place at Highbury on the 16th September 1972 during Arsenal game with Liverpool? Answers in the comments section from all those football know alls. Crikey a challenge I’m off to Ciao.

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