Highbury Closes on a Note of Triumph

On 7th May 2006, the curtain came down on 93 years of glorious Highbury history and everything about it was exactly what you would expect of Arsenal. Pure class.

The players emerged to find the packed stadium a tapestry of red and white “I was there” t-shirts, worn by virtually everyone including the Chairman, with a single stripe of blue replicas sported by grateful Wigan fans in the traditional away supporters section in the Clock End corner, down by the Herbert Chapman suite.

Despite an often exasperatingly idiosyncratic performance by referee Uriah Rennie, the game which followed was entirely worthy of the occasion. After Robert Pires had given Arsenal an eighth minute lead from close range Wigan, who to their credit were determined that no-one could accuse them of being at Highbury merely to make up the numbers, quickly equalised through Paul Scharner and then snatched an improbable 33 minute lead when Thompson’s free kick caught Jens Lehmann a little too far from his near post.

It was the cue for the Henry hat-trick which allowed the man Arsene Wenger has described as the greatest striker in the world to sign off his Highbury career in style. He grabbed the equaliser within two minutes and as Arsenal dominated the second half with some wonderful flowing football he added his second on 56 minutes and completed the job with a penalty 20 minutes later, celebrating by kissing the turf in a moving personal farewell to the stadium.

Arsenal’s 4-2 victory, coupled with the news that West Ham United had beaten Spurs 2-1 at Upton Park, guaranteed Arsenal fourth place and Champions League football and marked the start of a memorable Highbury party which even the Wigan fans were determined to stay and enjoy. It was wonderful to see the parade of Highbury legends, led by the frail 73 year old Derek Tapscott, an Arsenal inside forward from 1953-57. Among them were John Radford, George Graham, Bob Wilson, Charlie George, David Seaman and the irrepressible Ian Wright. A procession of proud youngsters ran on with replicas representing all the trophies the club have won over the years and the double winning Arsenal ladies paraded the fruits of their labours. There was even a tribute song written and performed by Arsenal fanatic Roger Daltry. And then it was time for Arsene Wenger’s squad to do their last lap of honour at Highbury and for speeches from the Chairman and the manager, before the clock finally ticked down to zero and the fireworks and the tears signalled the end of the line for the most elegant and atmospheric stadium in the country.