Old Gunners and Gooners : Germany Calling !!

Manny.

On Sunday 28/6/2020, Our old mate, Manny, who we’d known since 1973, when we drank in the Greyhound pub in Balls Pond Rd, sadly passed away.

He’d been suffering with pneumonia but managed to watch his beloved Arsenal on television one last time.

Always smiling, Always Arsenal.

RIP.

Germany Calling!!

Berlin - Borussia - Bayern.

Berlin - 2013.

In August 2013, my wife and I, took our granddaughter, Hollie, to Berlin for a few days.

Apart from sightseeing and shopping, I managed to get to see the Olympic stadium, built in 1936, nowadays, the home of Hertha Berlin.

Hollie prefers Shopping.

Borussia - 2013.

Arsenal played Borussia Dortmund away in the Champions League in November 2013.

As I’d never previously seen a football match in Germany and had always wanted to see the Dortmund fan’s famous “Yellow Wall”, I travelled there by car with Henry T, Mick C and Terry Jones.

Henry had done all the travel arrangements and we stayed in a hotel directly opposite the stadium.

On the morning before the game, we visited the Dortmund museum.

Museum.

Everywhere I go, they’ve got a European Cup.

London Fan Club.

Yellow Wall.

Klopp is King.

The Terry “Dortmunder” Jones Entrance

Match Programme.

Terry is about to become a German.

After a Bratwurst (Without Sauerkraut) and a few beers, we later crossed the road to enter the stadium.

The police were doing the mandatory pat down of Arsenal Fans, checking for weapons etc, but not the locals.

Now Terry Jones has, for many years, always argued that my head is bigger than his.

As I approached the police officer, he patted me down and searched my pockets as normal, then let me pass.

When Terry stepped up and raised his arms to be searched, the copper just said, Dortmunder? and let him through the cordon.

I was in hysterics and told Terry, the copper thought you were German because of the size of your head.

Terry can’t ever argue with me anymore, as I just call him a “Dortmunder”.

Inside the stadium we met our old mate Spandau and Terry borrowed his scarf for our photo.

Myself & Terry “Dortmunder” Jones.

The teams walk out.

Arsenal won 1-0 and we returned to our hotel for a few more beers.

When we eventually decided to go to our room, there were two very tall, unhappy, German blokes in the lift with us.

After a few moments of silence, Terry started singing “Always look on the bright side of life”.

They burst out laughing and shook his hand.

Terry’s Grandson, Sam, gets a Dortmunder shirt.

Terry’s Grandkids, Bethany & Sam, in an Arsenal shirt.

Bayern - 2017.

An offer I couldn’t refuse.

As I was rarely going to a football match by now, when Mick C offered me a seat on a mini bus with his mates to go and see Arsenal play at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, I gladly accepted it.

After driving across France, we eventually arrived in Munich, on match day, at about midday.

After quickly checking in our hotel, we went to the Hofbrauhaus Bierkeller for food and drinks.

Hofbrauhaus Bierkeller.

Cheers!!

Spot the German!!

Like Father - Like Son.

Later, we merrily, along with a few thousand other Gooners, made our way to the stadium, only to see Arsenal get slaughtered 5-1.

Ray Parlour was in with Gary D’s son Lee.

Outside the Stadium is impressive.

Inside is impressive as well.

The Bayern team were even more impressive.

They beat Arsenal 5-1 in both Legs and we all knew that the Arsene Wenger reign was coming to an end.

As a measure of how bad Arsenal played that night, the stadium announcer mockingly asked,

“Can we play you every week?”

At the end of the game we went back to our hotel for a few more beers and next morning, I managed to do a bit of sightseeing, while the other blokes slept in.

We all went to the stadium again, before driving home.