Time to revive this almost-dead expression of my ever-increasing love for Arsenal!
*Cheers self for completing first season as an Arsenal fan*
A journey that began so randomly, that it almost didn't happen did end up being a significant part of my life in the last few months. And on 11th of May, as the PL ended, I actually felt a little blaaaaaaaaaaah with no football to look forward to! And I seriously never expected to feel it. Didn't realize how much the relationship had grown! ;)
Ans yes, I knew the FA cup was there. But it was one thing I was consciously not thinking of. Because it was too much tension! One whole week of uncertainty was too much to take. And as far as the Champions Trophy went, I couldn't care less about who won between Real/Athletico Madrid. So it was just another game. So football season for me, ended on 10th May 2014. but little did I know that the best of the season was yet to be! :)
17th May 2014!
Woke up at 10:00 a.m. to find a brand new Arsenal phone cover gifted by brother dearest, near my pillow. Day made! :D
11:00 onwards - Tried reading, listening to music, watching TV, everything to stop me from going into full #COYG mode. I had done that, with watching videos and player chants and all before the first game we played against Manchester United this season. And we lost Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal. To make matters worse, RVP scored that godforsaken goal. So in a bid to not jinx anything, no doing any Arsenal stuff was my note to self.
Sometime in the afternoon - Logged on Facebook and saw everyone going on and on about She worr a yellow ribbon. I didn't know the chant! I had to! Rules had to be broken! So they were!
1:30 onwards - Listening to the She wore a Yellow Ribbon chant, and to many other player chants, and to the We love Arsenal song, and seeing some of their best goals of the season, and having conversations with friends about dressing in red and white for the screening!
4:00 p.m. - Tried to sleep for lack of anything else to do and inability to concentrate on other stuff
4:30 p.m. - Woke up after tossing, turning, and being too nervous to fall asleep
5:30 p.m. - Discussing what time to leave, making tea, getting ready to go, wearing Arsenal jersey and feeling AWESOME
5:45 p.m. - Wondering if wearing the jersey was a right thing to do and telling myself they've lost games and won games without me wearing the jersey, so me wearing it won't make a difference.
6:30 p.m. - Friend is already at the venue, me and the bestie are on the way, and I feel equal parts nervous and excited
7:15 p.m. - Right there, waiting to enter, indulging in useless conversation about the nervousness, chiding the bestie for saying we will win, assuring each other that the rest will take care lest anything happens due to too much nervousness/heartbreak of loss, meeting some people from Twitter in real life, getting cool FA Cup badges, STILL WAITING TO ENTER!
7:45 p.m. - Finally make it inside the venue, see that there's no place, shift a place or two, find one nice couch and a chair, plonk asses on it with standing instructions to each other to NEVER EVER let that place go!
8:00 p.m. onwards - Singing out loud every single chant. She wore a yellow ribbon, We love Arsenal, Santi Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Ramsey, Sagna, Super Jack (will do videos and upload later because with no football to watch, it will be my way of keeping in touch :D)
Absolutely dil se screaming away with chants featuring other 'esteemed' clubs and players - Who the f**k is Man United (to the tune of Glory Glory...) , Chu Chu***a Van Persie, Tottenham Hotspurs it's happened again! Fun times!
8:30 p.m. - That heartbreaking moment when you look at the watch and realize there is another hour for the game to begin! And the tennis match being aired doesn't really help at all!
8:45 p.m. onwards - Participate in a random football/pool game, get offended when they simplify the qualifier because you're a girl and ask you who the manager of the club is (LIKE SERIOUSLY???!!!), then make a fool of yourself at that game, feel embarrassed to death, but be the first one to score anyways, and then gloat when you get a Budweiser beer mug, and do a joy dance when you realize that the other chick who came SECOND to you is called Jaya (don't worry if you don't get the significance of this), and then still wait for the freakin game to begin!
9:30 p.m. - FINALLY!!!! And after all this endless wait, when the game starts off with someone's singing performance, what do you do? Well, you sing Hum Honge Kamiyaab in unison, and say your most sincere/desperate prayer ever hoping that your team is listening and will do just that! :)
9:45 p.m. - It has been 10 minutes since the game started. The score is Hull City 2 - 0 Arsenal and you are wishing you just stayed home. You kinda wish you could leave right then. And the bestie's wondering wtf is wrong! It's just a game she's probably thinking but she knows better than to say it! And the other Senior Gooner bestie who has been a fan way longer is probably in a worse place. But you dare not go there. So you just let things be. No words. No looks. No nothing.
And then I lose track of time. But in the 17th minute Santi Cazorla scores a goal and the venue erupts into a collective scream followed by sweaty hugs, blood-curdling yells and then desperate attempts to get dancers blocking our view to sit down! Because the game's still on!
11:00 p.m. - Half time. We need to score 2 goals and concede none if we have to win. And no one's sure if it's happening. So the half time is a blur of cordial conversations like do you want a drink to I need to use the washroom to I don't think I can eat.
And then in the second half, Koscielny scores the equaliser and we were back!!!!
Sometime in the middle we get news of Barcelona losing La Liga. And footie friend in Australia texts to tell me he is watching Arsenal's game. Feels like old times when he was in Mumbai. Thank God for Whatsapp! And as always, the conversation's a series of 'ooooooooooooh', 'dammmmmmnnnn', 'wwwwooooowww', depending on what the game is like at that point.
And then when Ramsey scores, I swear to God, I scream as if he has scored right there, with me, in a rather inappropriate way! :D :P We can win this after all! Arsenal will win a trophy after NINE LONG YEARS!!!!!!!!
Chocolate seems appropriate! So I open the Crackle I had carried along and hoped to eat. If we had lost, I had planned to go return it. But well... :)
Senior Gooner isn't too enthu because the final whistle hasn't been blown yet, but for the rest of us, we have won. And all that I do for the next few minutes is pray!!!!
Then the final whistle...
AND THEN THE MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD celebration!!!!!
Sweaty hugs, mad dancing, jumping like maniacs, screaming, clicking selfies, just generally being high on happiness, and another round of the remaining Crackle! Reminded me of the moment in Fever Pitch! :) I have given myself a wee bit of credit for the victory! Brough some beginner's luck along in my first season! And I'm looking forward to celebrating a PL title soon! Considering that we aren't exactly the winning-all-the-time team, I don't know when that will be. All I know is that when it does happen, it wil be AWESOME and will make the years of wait worth it!
A lot happened that day! Got a memory for life. Got a new fan to the club (or maybe two ;) ), and made note to self to keep my promise and make sure I celebrate the next PL title with Senior Gooner. Realized that there's something very special when you're united by a love for something! You feel everyone's happiness. And you don't care if you've never met them before, you probably know you will never see them again, but still, for that one moment, in that significant bit of happiness, you share your life with them. And nameless, faceless, in a crowded haze though they may be, each time you relive the moment, each time you talk about this memory, they're there, and will always be! Forever etched in phrases like 'we all', 'everyone', 'all the Gooners', etc. that you will use when you tell this story! Nice feeling ,that! :)
I didn't get over that victory for a week! And the post-winning madness calls for another blog post that will come soon. A lot of nicer things have happened since then. Arsene Wenger has confirmed his contract till 2017, some players have too. Arsenal Ladies have won the FA Cup today. (YAAAAAY!!!!)
So well, clearly, I have a whole lot to talk about. Not to mention this is the beginning of my first tryst with the whole transfer rumours phase! :D Looking forward!!!
#COYG #GTID
*Cheers self for completing first season as an Arsenal fan*
A journey that began so randomly, that it almost didn't happen did end up being a significant part of my life in the last few months. And on 11th of May, as the PL ended, I actually felt a little blaaaaaaaaaaah with no football to look forward to! And I seriously never expected to feel it. Didn't realize how much the relationship had grown! ;)
Ans yes, I knew the FA cup was there. But it was one thing I was consciously not thinking of. Because it was too much tension! One whole week of uncertainty was too much to take. And as far as the Champions Trophy went, I couldn't care less about who won between Real/Athletico Madrid. So it was just another game. So football season for me, ended on 10th May 2014. but little did I know that the best of the season was yet to be! :)
17th May 2014!
Woke up at 10:00 a.m. to find a brand new Arsenal phone cover gifted by brother dearest, near my pillow. Day made! :D
11:00 onwards - Tried reading, listening to music, watching TV, everything to stop me from going into full #COYG mode. I had done that, with watching videos and player chants and all before the first game we played against Manchester United this season. And we lost Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal. To make matters worse, RVP scored that godforsaken goal. So in a bid to not jinx anything, no doing any Arsenal stuff was my note to self.
Sometime in the afternoon - Logged on Facebook and saw everyone going on and on about She worr a yellow ribbon. I didn't know the chant! I had to! Rules had to be broken! So they were!
1:30 onwards - Listening to the She wore a Yellow Ribbon chant, and to many other player chants, and to the We love Arsenal song, and seeing some of their best goals of the season, and having conversations with friends about dressing in red and white for the screening!
4:00 p.m. - Tried to sleep for lack of anything else to do and inability to concentrate on other stuff
4:30 p.m. - Woke up after tossing, turning, and being too nervous to fall asleep
5:30 p.m. - Discussing what time to leave, making tea, getting ready to go, wearing Arsenal jersey and feeling AWESOME
5:45 p.m. - Wondering if wearing the jersey was a right thing to do and telling myself they've lost games and won games without me wearing the jersey, so me wearing it won't make a difference.
6:30 p.m. - Friend is already at the venue, me and the bestie are on the way, and I feel equal parts nervous and excited
7:15 p.m. - Right there, waiting to enter, indulging in useless conversation about the nervousness, chiding the bestie for saying we will win, assuring each other that the rest will take care lest anything happens due to too much nervousness/heartbreak of loss, meeting some people from Twitter in real life, getting cool FA Cup badges, STILL WAITING TO ENTER!
7:45 p.m. - Finally make it inside the venue, see that there's no place, shift a place or two, find one nice couch and a chair, plonk asses on it with standing instructions to each other to NEVER EVER let that place go!
8:00 p.m. onwards - Singing out loud every single chant. She wore a yellow ribbon, We love Arsenal, Santi Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Ramsey, Sagna, Super Jack (will do videos and upload later because with no football to watch, it will be my way of keeping in touch :D)
Absolutely dil se screaming away with chants featuring other 'esteemed' clubs and players - Who the f**k is Man United (to the tune of Glory Glory...) , Chu Chu***a Van Persie, Tottenham Hotspurs it's happened again! Fun times!
8:30 p.m. - That heartbreaking moment when you look at the watch and realize there is another hour for the game to begin! And the tennis match being aired doesn't really help at all!
8:45 p.m. onwards - Participate in a random football/pool game, get offended when they simplify the qualifier because you're a girl and ask you who the manager of the club is (LIKE SERIOUSLY???!!!), then make a fool of yourself at that game, feel embarrassed to death, but be the first one to score anyways, and then gloat when you get a Budweiser beer mug, and do a joy dance when you realize that the other chick who came SECOND to you is called Jaya (don't worry if you don't get the significance of this), and then still wait for the freakin game to begin!
9:30 p.m. - FINALLY!!!! And after all this endless wait, when the game starts off with someone's singing performance, what do you do? Well, you sing Hum Honge Kamiyaab in unison, and say your most sincere/desperate prayer ever hoping that your team is listening and will do just that! :)
9:45 p.m. - It has been 10 minutes since the game started. The score is Hull City 2 - 0 Arsenal and you are wishing you just stayed home. You kinda wish you could leave right then. And the bestie's wondering wtf is wrong! It's just a game she's probably thinking but she knows better than to say it! And the other Senior Gooner bestie who has been a fan way longer is probably in a worse place. But you dare not go there. So you just let things be. No words. No looks. No nothing.
And then I lose track of time. But in the 17th minute Santi Cazorla scores a goal and the venue erupts into a collective scream followed by sweaty hugs, blood-curdling yells and then desperate attempts to get dancers blocking our view to sit down! Because the game's still on!
11:00 p.m. - Half time. We need to score 2 goals and concede none if we have to win. And no one's sure if it's happening. So the half time is a blur of cordial conversations like do you want a drink to I need to use the washroom to I don't think I can eat.
And then in the second half, Koscielny scores the equaliser and we were back!!!!
Sometime in the middle we get news of Barcelona losing La Liga. And footie friend in Australia texts to tell me he is watching Arsenal's game. Feels like old times when he was in Mumbai. Thank God for Whatsapp! And as always, the conversation's a series of 'ooooooooooooh', 'dammmmmmnnnn', 'wwwwooooowww', depending on what the game is like at that point.
And then when Ramsey scores, I swear to God, I scream as if he has scored right there, with me, in a rather inappropriate way! :D :P We can win this after all! Arsenal will win a trophy after NINE LONG YEARS!!!!!!!!
Chocolate seems appropriate! So I open the Crackle I had carried along and hoped to eat. If we had lost, I had planned to go return it. But well... :)
Senior Gooner isn't too enthu because the final whistle hasn't been blown yet, but for the rest of us, we have won. And all that I do for the next few minutes is pray!!!!
Then the final whistle...
AND THEN THE MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD celebration!!!!!
Sweaty hugs, mad dancing, jumping like maniacs, screaming, clicking selfies, just generally being high on happiness, and another round of the remaining Crackle! Reminded me of the moment in Fever Pitch! :) I have given myself a wee bit of credit for the victory! Brough some beginner's luck along in my first season! And I'm looking forward to celebrating a PL title soon! Considering that we aren't exactly the winning-all-the-time team, I don't know when that will be. All I know is that when it does happen, it wil be AWESOME and will make the years of wait worth it!
A lot happened that day! Got a memory for life. Got a new fan to the club (or maybe two ;) ), and made note to self to keep my promise and make sure I celebrate the next PL title with Senior Gooner. Realized that there's something very special when you're united by a love for something! You feel everyone's happiness. And you don't care if you've never met them before, you probably know you will never see them again, but still, for that one moment, in that significant bit of happiness, you share your life with them. And nameless, faceless, in a crowded haze though they may be, each time you relive the moment, each time you talk about this memory, they're there, and will always be! Forever etched in phrases like 'we all', 'everyone', 'all the Gooners', etc. that you will use when you tell this story! Nice feeling ,that! :)
I didn't get over that victory for a week! And the post-winning madness calls for another blog post that will come soon. A lot of nicer things have happened since then. Arsene Wenger has confirmed his contract till 2017, some players have too. Arsenal Ladies have won the FA Cup today. (YAAAAAY!!!!)
So well, clearly, I have a whole lot to talk about. Not to mention this is the beginning of my first tryst with the whole transfer rumours phase! :D Looking forward!!!
#COYG #GTID
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