The title clearly reflects where my loyalties lie. However, this was not the case always. Growing up as a soccer fan in a cricket fanatic country, I had heard and read of a few major clubs only during childhood. And like most people, I became a fan of Manchester United, and Real Madrid (But of course). I wanted these two clubs to win every season.
It all changed in the summer of 2000. That was when I first took note of The Gunners. A team, playing even better attacking football than Manchester United, a team that never gave up, a team that played as a team, in spite of the presence of many players with exceptional talent. Though ManU pipped them to the title in 2000-01, I was converted to a die hard fan of a team that fought, never gave up, followed the all for one and one for all rule, that had the spirit.
Next year, after finishing runners up to ManU for 3 consecutive years, The Gunners went one better to win the League. And what a team that was..... Parlor, Adams, Keown, Viera, that amazing Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Nwanko Kanu, Dennis Bergkamp and "King" Thierry Henry.
A forward line that had Henry, Kanu, Dennis Bergkamp, and Sylvain Wiltord. You dont get much better than that. The midfield was rock solid, and there was continous supply from the wings. With Ljungberg in the midfield with Viera, and Robert Pires ruling the wings, there simply was no stopping the Gunners. Seaman at the goal was another comforting presence.
Though ManU won the league next year, pushing The Gunners into second place, the Gunners came back in 03-04 and went through the whole season unbeaten. Now thats quite an achievement!!!
Next year was the one when we almost won the Champions league. Leading by a solitary goal (from King Henry) to Barca (My Spanish Fav) till the 78th minute, even with a man down, an unlikely end to the match saw The Catalans wrap it up with 2 goals in the last part of the game. It was heartbreak of the highest order!!!
Well, the present Gunners do not have the Talismanic Henry. But we do have Arsene Wenger as our manager, and as long as he is there, every Gunner fan can sleep tight. The present team of Cesc, Van Persie, Hleb (heard he may leave), Kolo Toure, Adebayor is still good enough to win the league, and even Champs league, for that matter.
The great thing about Gunners is that players come and go, some mediocre, some great, and Some Henryesque, but Gunners continue to fire. On paper, always ManU, and in recent years Chelsea, have been stronger. But still The Gunners rout them many times. And the reason for that is the spirit of The Gunners.
Also the Gunners, under the tutelage of Arsene"The Professor" Wenger, always play attacking football. Also the Gunners all put the team interests before self. Henry, for example, would be the only player to be always figuring in the top 5 lists in goals as well as assists. The one touch passing, creation of opportunities, and the flamboyant scoring, is a pleasure to watch, irrespective of the result.
Now with the new stadium and additional revenues, Arsene can buy some new talents. Though, seeing him over the last few years, he will spot talent in some troubled player somewhere, bring him in and turn him to a world beater, rather than buying some "Star".
So as the new season is about to unfold, let us all Gunners wait, and see what our team will win for this season, with the reassuring memory of King Henry scoring against ManU and then silencing the crowd(with finger on lip celebrations). Lets hope that the Gunners win all Laurels available for grabs this season.
Signing off....
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