Old Gunners and Gooners : Vienna - Lisbon

I will start today by wishing John (Magnum) Buckland, who’s a good mate of ours, and many other Gooners, all the very best with his forthcoming treatment for malignant tumours on his neck and throat.

Keep The Faith Johnny.

Season 1991-92.

The main pre season topic amongst Arsenal Fans, was the board’s decision to replace the Iconic North Bank terraces with a 2 Tier Stand.

This decision was taken mainly because seating in stadiums was to become compulsory after the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster.

It also made financial sense to the club, as capacity would be severely reduced due to All Seater stadiums and this new stand would help maintain the financial income.

Well, that’s what they said, allegedly.

George Graham & David Dein, with a model of the proposed North Bank stand.

They had to leave the enclosed corners out to allow the wind through, to protect the pitch.

The Arsenal Bond.

If that wasn’t controversial enough, a Bond scheme was announced, to help fund the building costs.

Four of us bought Bonds in the North Bank Upper tier and I have to admit the club were true to their word and the Bond was a good idea, eventually.

David Dein, got a lot of stick at the time but would redeem himself, in many Arsenal Fans eyes, when he brought Arsene Wenger and some World Class players to Arsenal later.

The Squad.

Ray Parlour - Neil Heaney & Steve Morrow were promoted from the Youth team and Jimmy Carter and Pal Lydersen, he’d later play a prominent part in the history of Arsenal, were brought in.

In a weird twist of fate, Michael Thomas, the hero of Anfield’89, was transferred there.

Charity Shield.

Andy Cole - One that got away!!

0-0 Versus the team from the Lane.

Andy Cole hit the post.

League.

The omens didn’t look good for the season, after a spectacular own goal from Lee Dixon in the first home game against Coventry.

Dicko Distraught!!

European Cup.

As the restrictions on English teams playing in European Competitions had been lifted after 5 years,

This meant that I could travel to exotic foreign cities such as, Vienna, Lisbon & Wrexham.

Arsenal would now play in the European Cup for the second time in their history.

We start to dream.

Vienna.

In the first round Arsenal beat Austria Vienna FC 6-1 at Highbury.

Then for some obscure reason, the 2 Hoyboys, JC, Putney & myself drove to Vienna to see Arsenal lose the 2nd leg 1-0.

This trip is mainly memorable for 2 more classic JC stories.

When we arrived in Vienna we went to collect our match tickets from someone at the Hilton hotel.

While we’re waiting, JC spots a comfortable looking high sided armchair and decides that he’s going to have a nap in it, despite the fact that he’s slept nearly all the way from Calais.

Off he goes, after a few minutes, he’s fast asleep again.

So, we collect our tickets and have a couple of beers. Then a “bell boy” appears with a little sign on a board with a German name on it.

We direct him to the sleeping JC, the kid starts ringing a little bell in JC’s ear but there’s no reaction.

The kid spots us laughing and in full view of everyone in the bar and lobby, gives us double handed V signs.

Next, the waiter brings our drinks bill and obviously we send him over to JC, where he puts it on the table next to JC’s seat.

We’re still laughing, because we’d already pooled our Euros and Putney was holding them.

We then go out to get some food, leaving JC in the land of Nod.

After an hour or so, we return to the hotel and JC is standing outside waiting for us.

He gets in the car and tells us he’s had a lovely kip.

We asked him how he’s paid the drinks bill? He replies, what drinks bill?

Another magic moment!!

Yep - We were!!

The teams line up.

On the drive home, JC sleeps most of the way, while Putney, Hoyboy and, for a short spell, myself, share the driving.

Every time JC wakes up, he states that Arsenal will never win anything with Andy Linighan in the team.

Well, he’d later be proved wrong about that, wouldn’t he?

In the early hours of the next morning, we stop at an all night garage somewhere in Germany.

The 2 Hoyboys, Putney & myself go inside to fill up with food and drinks, leaving JC to fill the fuel tank up with petrol.

Now, the German behind the counter doesn’t speak a word of English and Putney is using his smattering of German to talk with him.

Suddenly the door opens and JC is standing there.

Hello mate, he says to the German. Do you like football?

The German looks bewildered, shaking his head, because he doesn’t understand English, never mind a Cockney accent.

So JC starts kicking an imaginary ball and the German says, Ya der Fussball!!

JC then asks him “Do you know how Spurs got on?”

Apparently the team from the Lane had played the night before also.

The rest of us have collapsed on the floor with laughter.

The best bit is that JC was serious. That’s what made him so funny.

Benfica.

JC and myself go off to the 1st leg in Lisbon on the day before the game.

While we’re waiting at Heathrow, I spot a famous face sitting in departures and approach him for a chat and a photo.

He’s very friendly and had been to a reunion with the England 1966 World Cup winners.

This was the first “selfie” I had taken (1991), it wouldn’t be the last.

Franz “Der Kaiser” Beckenbauer.

One of the greatest players ever.

Match ticket - Wrong End again - Thanks JC.

Original Estadio de la Luz.

On the pitch with the Original JC.

Benfica’s Eagle.

The Cockneys have landed.

We even bumped into our mate Dodger outside the ground.

Arsenal drew 1-1 and everyone was fairly confident of finishing the job at Highbury

Another European Nightmare.

Arsenal lost the 2nd leg at Highbury 3-1 despite Colin Pates scoring a rare goal.

Benfica totally mugged us with their counter attacking football.

European Cup dream dies.

The season almost died that week as well.

Arsenal also got knocked out of the League Cup by Coventry 1-0.

Then lost at home to West Ham in the League 1-0.

Still, there’s always the FA Cup, ain’t there?

Arsenal splash the Cash.

On the bright side, Arsenal had signed the Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright in September.

He scored on his debut at Leicester in the 2nd round of the League Cup.

He then scored a hat trick on his League debut at Southampton.

Then he scored on his home debut at Highbury.

In fact, he was so good, that Arsenal Fans named him 3 times.

Ian Wright - Wright - Wright!!!

Ian Wright’s 1st goal at Highbury.

He’s looking pleased with it.

Rocky’s Rocket!!

None of Wrighty’s were as good as Rocky’s at Old Trafford though.

JC, Teddy Taylor & myself even went to Notts County.

Wrexham 1992.

Match Ticket.

Mickey Thomas gets his revenge for the 1979 FA Cup Final.

Steve Wilkins scores the winner and a perfectly good goal from Merse is disallowed.

They were even happier after the game.

Apart from the result, this day was memorable for another JC story.

The night before the game, Granty had gone to stay with a friend of his who lived in Wrexham.

This was because the police had announced that only locals would be allowed in the pubs.

Granty’s mate would vouch for JC, Jim K and myself at a pub near the ground.

When we arrived at the pub, we gave the bouncer Granty’s mates name and he was called to the door to identify us.

When we go into the packed bar, we find a space under the television that’s fixed up on the wall.

As it’s the biggest game in Wrexham’s history, everyone is watching pre match interviews on the tv.

JC then looks around at all the Welsh supporters and says “Hello Lads, your don’t mind if I switch this over do you? As I’ve got one running in the 1.30 at Haydock!!

I choked on my beer and all the Welsh are sitting in silence, looking at this nutcase in their pub.

Granty’s mate is shell shocked.

JC didn’t bat an eyelid!!

Arsenal finished 4th in the League despite Wrighty winning the Golden Boot with a hat trick against Southampton again on the last day of the season at Highbury.

Sadly, this was also the last day of the North Bank before it was demolished to build the new stand.

Hoyboy, Putney, myself and most of our mates decided to stand on the terrace one last time, eventually leaving afterwards, with a tear in our eyes but so many memories.