Could you write a few lines about the first time you saw Arsenal live?

As part of the AISA Arsenal History Project I am starting to collect reminiscences about Arsenal.

There will be quite a bit to the project over time (at least I hope there will – although it depends on people’s responses) – and this is just one of the early stages.

What I want to collect are stories about the first time you saw Arsenal at a game.  It might be a reserve game, a youth game, or a first team match.  It might have been at the Ems, or away, or on a tour, or anything.  Just as long as it was Arsenal, you were there, and it was your first time.

Your thoughts can be in any form, and of any length. The piece doesn’t just have to be about the first game – and indeed if it were a long time ago you might well feel that some of the memories are unreliable – but don’t worry about that.  You can talk about other matches around that time too; you can present it in any way you like.

What is going to happen with these stories?

First I hope to publish some on this web site.  Second it is just possible, looking into the future, that some may be used in other forms and other ways – but I can’t really talk about that at the moment.  It is the chicken and egg thing – I can’t get people really excited in a project centring on memories of one’s first experience of Arsenal if I don’t know if fans want to share these memories.  Because I don’t know if anyone will reply to this, I can’t say what will happen next.

What I do want to say is that in writing to me in response to this, you will be giving me the right to publish your comments.  That might sound very heavy, but I trust you realise through my work here and on Untold Arsenal, and with Arsenal Independent Supporters Association that I am as devoted to Arsenal as anyone around, and so your words will be treated with respect and deference.  But I do need your OK to use them – both on this site, and in any other form that might come along later.  You don’t have to write anything about this – by sending me your written piece, that will mean you agree.

If you are uncertain about how to do this, don’t worry.  Tomorrow I am going to put up my own answer to the question about my first memory, and maybe that will give you an idea.

What I would say is, please don’t worry about being a writer, or being able to express yourself fully.  I want your words, your memory.

How to do it.

If at all possible, please write your memory as a Word file, and send it to me attached to an email.  If you can’t do that, please send it as an email.

Most important: at the start of your memory (ie in the Word file or in the email) please write your name (as you are known to your friends), and your address, plus email address, plus phone number.  Your name will be published but nothing else.  It is just that if the project takes off, I might want to get in touch, so I do need your details.

Send the email (if possible with a word file attached) to Tony.Attwood@aisa.org and in the subject line write FIRST MEMORIES.

If you have any questions or concerns do write to me at the same address.  May I add that I am going on holiday for a short while soon, so I may not reply to you quickly, but I wanted to announce this now, to give you time to think and plan, and write.

I do hope you will find this of interest.

Tony Attwood

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