I’ve got a flag in the loft that my Dad bought me before the 1978 FA Cup final at the old Twin Towers. Yellow and blue. No matter how much I waved it all those years ago it couldn’t help the glorious Gunners overcome the yokels from Suffolk. We lost 1-0 and I was gutted beyond belief.
I have thought about fetching it down and taking it to Portman Road tonight in the hope that it will inspire us to reach another final at Wembley – or at least gain a suitable advantage in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. Instead I shall take my newly-knitted red and white bar scarf – a gift from my nimble-fingered missus (lucky for nimble).
Of course, I have been to Ipswich loads of times since that miserable May day all those years ago but I still can’t forgive them for dashing my boyhood dreams. I remember lots of trouble at the games there in the Eighties with Arsenal fans packed into the away section as well as dotted around the ground. And on the roofs!
Anyway, tonight we have the superb chance of booking our place in the final and another step to ending five years of nish when it comes to pots. I hope and pray the manager and players don’t underestimate a wounded Town side fresh from their seven goal mauling at the Pensioners. Surely AW will play a reasonably strong side and we won’t have to put up with the malaise that we witnessed at Wigan. And let’s not forget we needed a rocket up our backsides to sneak a draw with dirty Leeds in the FAC on Saturday as well.
Tonight we are without Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) and right-back Bacary Sagna, who is serving a three-match ban. Wojciech Szczesny will be in goal and AW will bring back Laurent Koscielny to partner big Johan.
Let’s hope Robin van Persie and Jack Wilshere come back in and Cesc and Samir play too. Start with our big guns, AW, and get the job done. Of course, he will have an eye on the Premier League game at West Ham on Saturday too.
Right, I am off to get a lift to the game with Keith and Skin and the Bognor Regis division of the Arsenal army is officially on the march to join the 4,497 other travelling Gooners…come on you rip-roaring Reds..
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