An Apology To Arsene

I would like to apologise for being the only Arsenal site not to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Lord, Wenger, yesterday. In all honesty I felt that everybody had said all there was to be said about the great man. Others captured perfectly what we already know, that we are extremely fortunate to be living through the Wenger era, in exactly the same way that my Dad considered himself blessed to have witnessed the Chapman period.

My only 'meeting' with 'Le Boss' took place at the end of the last game at Highbury. I had observed him making his way round three sides of the ground shaking hands with those fortunate enough to be in the front rows on the way. As he approached the North end of the East Lower, my home for the day, he came within yards of me and then stepped back to the pitch to avoid the photographers. I was not about to miss my opportunity and called out to him. He came straight over, "Thank you", I said, "for everything you have done for Arsenal". He shook my outstretched hand, smiled and moved on.

It was not an ordinary smile, however. He seemed genuinely moved by the emotion he witnessed that day. Then it dawned on me. Arsene Wenger is, I think, totally smitten with the passion that supporters here have for their clubs. He has remained here for ten years largely because the challenge he set himself to develop our club has been so appreciated by Arsenal fans. The sense of fulfillment he experiences is beyond what he expected when he first arrived in North London.

Of course I am being extremely presumptious, but I genuinely believe that the love affair between the intelligent and studious orchestrator of our finest decade, and the myriad of personalities who make up the Arsenal fanbase, is a mutual affair. The look of incredulity he wore on his face that day in May will long live with me. He thought he had seen the depth of passion that anybody could feel for a football club, but he saw something else that day. He watched grown men cry for the loss of a spiritual home, and I would like to think he finally appreciated his place in Arsenal history that day.

Once again I say, "Thank you, Arsene".