HIBAG: How I Became a Gooner

I am celebrating my 9th year as Arsenal FC fan today. So in honor of such milestone, I am writing this blog for the curious.

THE BEGINNING
Way back in high school, I already exhibited signs of my fangirlism. Most of my high school friends often associated me with basketball, that they even predicted that I'll be the first female coach of the Cebu Gems of the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. But unknown to them, I was secretly rooting for the likes of Barcelona (because of the original Ronaldo) and Liverpool (because of Michael Owen), during the time where David Beckham was the crush of football. 

Back when David Beckham was the girls' word of mouth when it came to football, I find this baby-faced Scouser cute.

The things was I did not watch most football matches then. I only relied on the results being broadcasted via Sportscenter, Sport Today and World Sport. I did tried to watch an Italian Serie A (which was shown on cable back then), but I fell asleep in the half-hour mark. The first (not-so full) match that I saw was the 1999 UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Manchester United, in which Teddy Sherringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored at Fergie time to win the club's second CL crown.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stunned Oliver Kahn and Bayern Munich  enroute to the Red Devils' treble that year.

When I moved on to the much provincial setting for my college degree, I was kind at lost of my basketball and football (news) fixation. Back then only the affluent families had access to cable television with huge satellite dish. I became accustomed to Filipino soap operas and such...

PRELUDE TO GOONERDOM
Before I graduated on my first course (My state run school had a ladderized system for the DVM degree.), cable TV in the province is readily available in the masses and even in some dormitories. Every June, upper class men (and women) of the DVM degree would flocked into Banahaw Dorm (aka the Vet Dorm) to watch the NBA playoffs and finals. This was in 2003. The San Antonio Spurs where the NBA champs and my apple of the eye was Tony Parker.

REMOVAL EXAMINATIONS, LUNCH, FARM REPORTS, SEMESTRAL BREAKSWhile waiting for my housemates to finish their removal examinations, I was eating lunch alone in our hangout, The Honeycomb. One of my housemates boyfriend, Justin, joined me for lunch. We initially talked about basketball, then we started talking about football. He was merely raving about Barcelona's (I being a Barcelona admirer back then.) latest acquisition, the great Ronaldinho ( Ronaldinho was a revelation during the World Cup 2002. That was what I've read.), and at the same time he was talking about Tony Parker's BFF, a guy named Thierry Henry who plays for Arsenal. Justin encouraged me to watch any Arsenal match during the semestral break. I agreed.

When I got home, Justin texted me that Arsenal had a match on the weekend I arrived home for my semestral break. But the kick-off was late night. That was Oct. 18, 2003 at around 10 in the evening or so.

I did not paid much attention to the match back then. All I wanna watch was that guy named Henry and check if how good he was since Justin was comparing him with Ronaldinho. The only thing I could remember during that match was the date, the venue, Highbury, and Thierry Henry scoring. By 12 midnight, I was convince that I'll follow the progress of this club in the Premiership. By May 15, 2003, Thierry Henry and his teammates (by now I already knew all their names), were crowned the Premier League Champions without conceding a loss.
 

The Invincibles. Played 38. Won 26. Drawn 12. Lost 0.

It was just recently that that Oct.18-19, 2003 match was against Chelsea, their runners-up for that season. But who cares. On that night, I fell in love with the brand of football Arsenal played. It was an attacking style of football, and I swear I never fell asleep on an Arsenal match, EVER!

I will forever be grateful to Justin for introducing me to Arsenal! Take a bow, Jus!

The Return of the King

Tolkien's "The Return of the King" was the climax of his literary masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) trilogy, wherein the reign of Sauron was finally put to an end, and the return of the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor.

I am not blogging about LOTR. I am blogging about the Thierry Henry's return to the club that made him a global football superstar, Arsenal. My love affair with Arsenal began with Thierry Henry (But I have no intention to end it with Thierry's impending departure at the end of this week.). He may have left the club for Champions League glory, but he is a Gooner through and through.

His brief second spell as a Gunner are stuff that fairy tales and/or Hollywood sports movies are made. Unlike the LOTR's, Theirry's return is not the climax of Arsenal's 2011-2012 season. I must say his return served as a band aid to the club's beleaguered line-up due to injuries, out-of-form players, and players on-duty for their respective countries.

Thierry's first game was versus Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup. He started from the bench. Arsenal fought a gritty Leeds United team who were playing for a draw at the Ashburton Grove in order to attain a replay at Elland Road. Just as we thought that this game was going to end in a goalless draw, Thierry Henry scored a goal that was reminiscent to his Arsenal heydays.

That goal brought tears in my eyes. I could not describe the feeling, as if that moment was already written in the stars. I had high hopes with Arsenal's next fixtures in the Premier League now that the legendary player who was cast in bronze last December, came to life with the same clinical precision with his feet.

Unfortunately, Arsenal failed to win their fixtures vs. Swansea City, Manchester United and Bolton. One time they were sitting on seventh place, the lowest rank that they have ever  been since Arsene Wenger took over the reigns of the club (at this time of the year).

But on the first fixture for the month of February, Arsenal thrashed Blackburn Rovers 7-1 at the Grove. The club's present captain, Robin van Persie, scored a hattrick. Thierry came on as a substitute. In the 90th minute he exchanged passes with van Persie, and scored the 7th goal for the Gunners. That goal seemed to remind me of his partnership with Dennis Bergkamp, van Persie's now retired compatriot.

Just this weekend against Sunderland with scores tied up at 1-1, Andrey Arshavin delivered a lovely cross to Thierry Henry's foot, and snatch a hard fought victory almost at the death (and not to mention a very patchy pitch).

Goal # 229. That could be Thierry's last goal for Arsenal in the Premiership. He he will have to return to his present club, the New York Red Bulls, for the coming Major League Soccer season. But before he goes back, he'll have to face AC Milan at the San Siro in the knockout stage of UEFA Champions League. Thierry competitive as he is, will always stand up in any huge occassion. I remember how his teammates then thrashed AC Milan's bitter rivals, Inter Milan, at the same stadium, when qualification for the CL knockout stage was on the line. I still remember that scoreline, 1-5.

They say I am too old for fairy tales, but because of Thierry, I still believe in them.


Au revoir and merci beaucoup, Titi! Bonne chance!

PS: I am quite disappointed that he will not play vs. Tottenham on the 26th. He is fond of scoring goals against them.