The Day Arsenal Became Real: My First Match at the Emirates

I shall never forget the first time I watched Arsenal or visited the Emirates Stadium. It was not too long ago, but it wasn’t exactly yesterday either.

Despite still being young at the age of 24, I went just over half of my lifetime ago to see the mighty men in red and white for the first time, in the summer of 2013 when the Emirates Cup was on.

This was during the heyday of the annual competition, which saw the Gunners play back-to-back games across Saturday and Sunday, something they’ve stopped doing since. Most likely because they play so many games during pre-season now and travel much more, or at least that’s how it seems or feels.

Arsenal was already in my DNA

Even though I’m related to Arsenal great Ted Drake, I had never been offered the chance to be taken to watch the team or have any involvement with the sport itself, which was just the way it was.

At heart, when I was younger, Formula One came first and nothing else. Even when I was six or seven, I would read the monthly F1 magazine my late Nan bought me as if it was a current Arsenal matchday programme.

I’d very briefly tried to get into football when I was seven, but it didn’t quite capture my imagination or enthusiasm, leading me instead to being taken to Silverstone two years on the trot to watch the British Grand Prix – which I fell asleep watching early on during both occasions.

I did ask my Grandad, one of Ted’s sons, about going to watch Arsenal, but I was told I was too young to go and, looking back at it now, I find it quite upsetting.

Ironically, the same man would fortunately take me to watch the Gunners a few years later, when football had been reignited within my soul after I became captivated by the same team one evening while watching them in the Champions League.

Finally going to see Arsenal

After being told I’d had tickets bought for me to watch Arsenal play Galatasaray in the Emirates Cup, I was in complete and utter euphoria.

I couldn’t believe it. I was finally seeing the team which is in my DNA after having watched the Gunners the night before play Napoli in their first Emirates Cup match of the 2013 edition.

Upon arriving in North London, I was taken aback by the sheer number of red Arsenal shirts and merchandise stalls, which took my breath away quite literally.

When we entered Arsenal territory, I was in awe of the sheer size of the Emirates, the legend banners where I noticed my Great Grandad, and really just the Arsenal fever which was forever pulling me into where I belonged originally.

In other words, it felt like destiny.

Not long after turning up, one of the other sides featuring in the Emirates Cup and playing before Arsenal scored, and it just felt electric hearing the cheering from outside the stadium.

Once we walked up to the heavens of the North Bank, I felt as if I was in paradise and that, in some ways, life couldn’t get much better as an 11-year-old.

A day I’ll never forget

Admittedly, the view wasn’t amazing, but at the time I didn’t care. I was just glad to be at an Arsenal match.

I can recall Theo Walcott scoring the opener not long before half-time against a Galatasaray side which included Didier Drogba and former Gunner Emmanuel Eboue.

However, in the second half, the Turks bagged two goals, eventually going on to steal the Emirates Cup away from Arsenal. I felt slightly upset, almost as if the North Londoners had lost an FA Cup final.

At the same time, I was sitting next to a young Galatasaray fan who was within the Arsenal crowd and celebrated when they scored against us, which I took quite personally and found disrespectful!

When we walked out of the ground, I remember feeling terrified when the visiting fans let off massive flares. It was challenging to see through the red and orange smoky mist in the air.

However, it didn’t matter. We made it back to Basingstoke in one piece two hours later!

That was my first experience of watching Arsenal live, and all these years later it remains a day I’ll never forget.

What do you remember about your first Arsenal match? Was it at Highbury, the Emirates or somewhere else entirely? Share your memories in the comments below.

Liam Harding
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