Northbank No More

Heading towards Ashburton Grove from the Highbury Quadrant area for today’s Premiership clash with Newcastle, I came across a sight that was as upsetting as it was bewitching.

The Home of Football would now, not look out of place in central baghdad.

Today was my first venture south since the Middlesbrough game (which also finished 1-1, I think I’m jinxed)and even then, views through the padlocked Northbank gates were pretty grim, but nothing had prepared me for the sight that greeted me as I turned down Conewood Street on Saturday 18th November.

At first I couldn’t make out what was infront of the old girl, but as I neared, I saw huge iron girders fixed to the once beautiful East Stand Facade, and worse was to follow as I slowly wondered down Avenell Road in disbelief of what had happened to my Highbury.

I didn’t get to nearly as many games as I wanted to over the years, with ticket demands sky rocketing it made it nigh on impossible to secure yourself a seat for the hottest show in town, but for all but one of my visits to Highbury, I sat in the Northbank. I loved it, and it loved me back in return.

So imagine the heartbreak I felt as the once magnificent Northbank came into view, or should I say didn’t. It’s horrific.

Hesitantly, I snapped a couple of pictures using the old mobile phone and then proceeded to try and con myself into thinking that I would publish pictures of this disaster area due to the fact that many Vital Arsenal readers are not lucky enough to get to the N5 area and won’t have seen history being torn apart.

But if I’m being honest with myself, it’s just because I don’t like feeling like this by myself.

So ease my pain, and look at these horrendus pictures.