Highbury Memories

[UFGN]

I cant write a full article about it cos I cant remember enough detail... but the most amazing match I saw at Highbury was Arsenal 4 - 3 Norwich. We had a last gasp penalty which I think Alan Smith scored to win the match... then there was a big punch up on the pitch... then the scoreboard operator thought the penalty was to be retaken so he put the score up as 3 -3 again, then back to 4 - 3.... oh the drama

If anyone knows which match I am talking about (late eighties) then I would be grateful if you could fill me in with any details you remember about it.

[Libertine]

I remember the game UFGN.
It was the day that David O'Leary broke George Armstrong's appearance record.

Arsenal 4 - Norwich City 3 - 4th November 1989

Norwich weren't a bad team at the time, they'd put in a decent title challenge the season before and had just knocked Bayern Munich out of the UEFA Cup.

We were 2-0 down at half time but, attacking the North Bank, we fought back in the second half and drew level with goals from Niall Quinn and a Lee Dixon penalty.
Norwich then went 3-2 up but almost immediately David O'Leary headed us level again.

Deep into injury time the ref awarded us a soft penalty, which infuriated Norwich. (as i recall it, our first penalty had been a bit debatable)
Lee Dixon took it, their keeper saved it but Dixon scrambled the rebound over the line.
About half a dozen players ended up in the back of the net with the ball and all hell broke loose.
Every player on the pitch, apart from John Lukic, was involved.
The Old Bill had to come onto the pitch to split the fighting players up.
A good five minutes passed before order was restored. Norwich kicked off and the ref blew the whistle immediately, sparking more heated debate and players having to be pulled apart again.

The FA later fined us £20,000 and Norwich £50,000 for the brawl.

[SE13]

I remember that game, but more so for the fact that we have d*cked them 5-0 toward the end of the 88/89 season, and we expected a lot more.

Just after Hillsborough, there were a whole sequence of matches postponed, including the away game at Liverpool, but when everyone returned to action, Norwich, who had led the league for quite a while came to Highbury, and we walloped them. That game could have ended with a cricket score, such was the gulf between them and us at the time.

The game you refer to, I seem to recall quite a few niggles through the game. The penalty was nailed on, no doubts and as I recall, Dixon scuffed the penalty.

The expectations at the start of the 89/90 season were so high, we were reigning Champions, and felt that we should have had an easy ride defending it. Sadly it was not to be.

[gooner_peter]

my highbury memories will be

My first ever game - arsenal v coventry 1995 (won 2-1)
My last ever game - arsenal v reading 2005 (won 3-0)
Being there to see Dennis Bergkamp score his first goals for arsenal
Being there to see Ian Wright beat Bastin's record
Watchin Bergkamp play live
Watching Henry play live

Doing the highbury experience day in our final season with kenny sansom.

[UFGN]

I remember the game UFGN.
It was the day that David O'Leary broke George Armstrong's appearance record.

Arsenal 4 - Norwich City 3 - 4th November 1989

Norwich weren't a bad team at the time, they'd put in a decent title challenge the season before and had just knocked Bayern Munich out of the UEFA Cup.

We were 2-0 down at half time but, attacking the North Bank, we fought back in the second half and drew level with goals from Niall Quinn and a Lee Dixon penalty.
Norwich then went 3-2 up but almost immediately David O'Leary headed us level again.

Deep into injury time the ref awarded us a soft penalty, which infuriated Norwich. (as i recall it, our first penalty had been a bit debatable)
Lee Dixon took it, their keeper saved it but Dixon scrambled the rebound over the line.
About half a dozen players ended up in the back of the net with the ball and all hell broke loose.
Every player on the pitch, apart from John Lukic, was involved.
The Old Bill had to come onto the pitch to split the fighting players up.
A good five minutes passed before order was restored. Norwich kicked off and the ref blew the whistle immediately, sparking more heated debate and players having to be pulled apart again.

The FA later fined us £20,000 and Norwich £50,000 for the brawl.

Cheers man I really enjoyed reading that, and yours SE13

[UFGN]

Not an article but fits into the category of Highbury Memories...

Does anyone else who used to go in the late eighties remember that there was a Peanut seller who used to have a stall near the ground, I think near Arsenal Station.... he used to shout out, over and over, "PEEEAANUTS - THIRTY PENCE A BAG"?

I remember that well, along with the unique smell around St Thomas' Road and Avenal Road on match days... a potent mixture of hot dogs, roasting peanuts, horse poo and beer.....and the smell of your fresh bought match day programme... Magic memories

[rodney]

My memories of Highbury are:

1. Guy that I bought a programme off every home game for three years. Never seen him since the move and just something that you miss that I got used to.

2. Again always went to the same burger van and the woman always knew what I wanted without even asking.

3. The turnstiles and getting out the matchday ticket. The cards are good and get rid of touts, but I miss getting my match day tickets in the post and having them to keep.

4. The West stand. I used to always be in the block closest to the North Bank (the family enclosure) and I miss how we used to sing we're the west stand, west of Highbury and then the North Bank would....

5. The whole Highbury feel. When I went to Highbury I always felt I was somewhere special. A place with lots of history, a great place of tradition and where many magnificent Arsenal moments had happened in the past.

6. The amazing atmosphere on those special Highbury nights. Anyone at Madrid/Juve, Spurs, United, Palace a few years back will know of this.

7. Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires. The great players from my time watching at Highbury.

8. Never really see the police on horses at Emirates. They are there, but maybe just the route I go and how I am often only arriving 10-15 minutes before kick off that I never see them. At Highbury there was always the arrogant copper on one who looked like a complete t**t. But was funny all the same.

9. The screamer. I'm sure we all remember her and being right next to the North Bank I heard the famous scream a fair few times.

10. The one match I will remember the most will probably be Real Madrid. Even though I went to a lot of games where we won by a big margin, or by a last minute goal etc...
Despite the fact we didn't win we'd manage to knock out the mighty Real Madrid, the greatest team ever. The atmosphere on that night was truly amazing.

Those are some of my memories anyway

[Emirates_Lad]

the squirrell running on the pitch sticks in my mind

[Reverend Gooner]

So it has now been a couple of seasons since we moved to the Emirates stadium, a small walk away from the old home of Highbury. Thankfully the Emirates has turned into quite a fortress just as Highbury was but we will never forget the ground where our former glories and past memories were founded, where great players walked and where our trophies were stacked.

What are your memories of Highbury? What do you miss the most? What do you not miss? and what are your favourite Highbury memories?

[Andreys_Does_Simples]

Most of the memories I have of Highbury is just spending time with my dad as twatted as it may sound. But my old man worked away when we was kids and when he was home we always were at Highbury watching the Arsenal so it was the only time we really had to spend with him.

There's loads to choose from though, scudding Everton to win the league in 98 is up there tho. Had many great European nights Real, Juve and not forgetting the Highbury Squirrel against Villarreal!

One that makes me laugh now is that Henry/Pires penalty. I was so f***ing mad at the time!

[Libertine]

Some in here...

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2918

[gzagee]

Some in here...

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2918

Some fond memories in the archives

[Gooch]

Standing in the middle of the North Bank as a young teenager in the early eighties. The crowd used to surge forward every time we got near the opponents goal and I used to get squashed against the metal leaning bars on the terrace. Used to scare the crap out of me because sometimes it would take quite a few seconds for everyone to back off again. Not sure if its a favourite memory but I certainly won't forget it.

Also later on when Harry Enfield brought out "Loadsamoney" I remember we used to shout "Loadsamoney" and "Look at my wad" at the northern team supporters! Oh and also "We've got jobs, we've got jobs, you aint!". Childish but funny..Good times...

[fazzydude]

I didn't ever get to go to highbury

[dialsquare]

God, where to start.....

I went to Highbury form the early 80's til the season before we moved and have some great and some crap memories.

The surging is sopmething i remember Gooch, a mate of mine tooks sandwiches to a game once (he is a bit geeky) and dropped them as we wnet forward down the North Bank. As we got back they were about 2 foot wide and 2 mm thick, he didn't eat them.

In terms of games, beating Liverpool 3-1 when they were Gods and we were average in a crowd of 50,001 (always took pride in the one, it was me!) was a good one. Being 3 -0 againbst Chelsea and singing "you might as well go home" at their fans. Who all began to leave. Chelsea scored 2 in 5 mins and we sand "you might as well come back" and they did.

Taking my son to Highbury was an ambition that I was delighted to achieve and would be my favourite moment.