I've been to the Emirates

Just realised they've named a whole country after the new Arsenal stadium!

I promised myself I would go to The Arsenal's new stadium as soon as I could get a ticket, so when they became available for the Arsenal - Bolton cup match I was off.

I booked the ticket, no problem. Then I had to get there. Train and coach meant travelling the night before and coming back the night after so I was left with flying. Booked the tickets again with no problem apart from the fact that £26 return became £79 with airport taxes and such.

I was up at 5:00 and out by 5:20 to drive to Durham and Teesside Airport. I arrived there at 5:45 and checked in at 6:00 for the 6:50 flight to Heathrow. The departure lounge was full of soldiers in desert gear, probably off to the beach!

We got to Heathrow at 8:05 so I now had almost 8 hours to go to kick off!

I got the tube to Old Street at 9:30 and then walked up to Provost Street where my parents and grandparents lived. From there a bus to the Angel and then walked to Liverpool Road and the Old Royal Free Space (Fever Hospital) where I was born.

A long walk on a sunny Sunday morning eventually took me to The Nags Head in Holloway Road where I had brunch (11:30). From ther it was on to Highbury and look around what was left of the old stadium - not much.

Then around the corner to the Ashburton "Emirates" Grove with still four hours to go.

They let us in at 2:00, I was very impressed and releived that the high tech card system worked with no problem, apart from the fact that once I was in I dropped my card and a security lady had to get it back from outside the turnstile for me!

Now only two hours to go and all they had to drink was John Smiths and Fosters! At least they were showing the Chavski match live alongside highlights of some recent Arsenal games.

After a crap pint of JS and a "meat pie" that cost almost as much as the flight (don't eat there again). I made my way to my seat, what a great view. Only complaint was that I couldn't see either of the jumbo screens, the one opposite was hidden by the roof and the one to the side was barely visible, still there were no highlights as far as I was concerned so I didn't miss much.

The match was about as good as the pint.

I had to leave early, something I hate doing, so that I could be guaranteed of getting my return flight. At 5:30 with twenty minutes to go I was off to the Arsenal tube station with the wails of the Gooners in my ears.

The tube journey was horrific - ninety minutes packed in like sardines, human beings shouldn't be made to live like this. The thought of 10 million people living in this place is amazing, I think that all the ones not in the Emirates were on the tube that afternoon.

After an hour and a half of ordinary rendition at the hands of London Underground I got to Heathrow with plenty of time before my flight. I phone Ron and looked up the score on the net, 1-1 with Kolo equalising, thank God, Allah, Krishna and the rest.

I was back at Durham & Tees by 21:15 and home for 21:50.

I've got more pictures and they're on Flickr under arowsell.