extreme groundhopping

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Arsenal (Highbury)

Emirates Stadium, Islington, London

With Arsenal tube station closed for refurbishment, fan’s heading to the Emirates Stadium need to take the Victoria line to Finsbury Park and then make a fifteen minute trek across the Borough of Islington to the Gunner’s new home. This walk can take you past the old Highbury ground – and what a bizarre sight it is.

All that is left of the 1990’s North Bank is a few steel girders, while the other end, the former Clock End, is completely gone, leaving an uninterrupted view from Gillespie Road across what would have been the pitch to the backs of the terraced houses on Aubert Park to the south. The uninformed passer-by is given no hint of some of the great games that have taken place here since Arsenal became the first football franchise, uprooting and moving here from Woolwich in 1913. Crowds on 60,000 plus were not uncommon, and yours truly has watched a number of games here played out in front of crowds approaching that number.

The listed Art Deco East Stand and it’s opposite number on the former west touchline are to be preserved, and turned into apartments (700 of them), in a housing scheme known as "Highbury Square". Where the pitch once lay there will be a communal garden. A fitting end for the “Library”.

Farewell to Highbury: www.arsenal.com

Highbury Square Apartments (there’s a few left): www.thestadium-highbury

posted by chevblue at 9:30 PM