Amy Lawrence - Invincible: Inside Arsenal’s Unbeaten 2003–2004 Season

Hello?

Hi, Ames, its Tom. Listen. Do you want one of the old press box desks from Highbury?

Er, yes.

The Tom in question knew someone who had salvaged a couple of such items when the bulldozers were in the process of demolishing the place that meant more to me than anywhere else in the world. Frankly, the desks themselves are not outstanding artefacts: small rectangles of MDF encased in grey plastic, attached to square metal legs which are painted glossy black. My knees were achingly familiar with them; it was cramped in that old press box. Depending on which seat you were given, there was a reasonable chance one of the posts would require you to bob and weave throughout the game so as not to miss anything. But my goodness, posts and all it was beautiful, and the venue for some astonishing times.

Every time I walk over one of the enormous bridges onto the smooth concourse of the Emirates Stadium I stall for a moment. It is impossible not to long for the place that is, in mind and spirit, forever home. Dear old Highbury, which was not as spacious, not as modern, not as lucrative as Arsenals current abode, but whose soul seeped into every wall, every corridor, every nook and cranny. Walking within, you could always hear the echo of footballing tales of old.

Being able to explore the different parts of Highbury over the years created a treasure trove of memories: taken to the West Upper with my best friend and some Wombles to play with in the 1970s. Grabbing pocket money and jumping on the bus to pay at the North Bank turnstiles to sway with the crowd in the 1980s. Moving across to the Clock End to be with friends in the 1990s. Taking position to work in the East Stand in the 2000s. It is all still so clear in my minds eye. Up the ornate stairs, marshalled by the twinkle-eyed member of the ground staff, Paddy, who liked to stand guard over the Marble Halls. The grand door which led into the tunnel, with a little room known as the halfway house tucked away just off it. The Gunners Shop, in my youth run by former goalkeeper Jack Kelsey. Round the back and through the car park behind the Clock End to the offices and the players lounge above the old JVC centre. In through the red door marked PRESS and up through the thin stairwell leading to the media area. Sometimes I would sneak out the far door and into the hallway above the Marble Halls. What a vantage point; the dark oak-panelled boardroom to one side, the door through which the managers office was located on the other, and straight ahead the light shone through the gateway to the Directors Box overlooking that perfect pitch. The whole place was magical, in a way that new stadia in a high-financed age cannot replicate. We belonged to it, and it belonged to us.

As far as souvenirs are concerned, I have that desk from the old press box. When I look at it, of all the games I watched from that vantage point, the one that remains in its own way more unbelievable than any of the others was this one: Arsenal 2 Leicester City 1, 15 May 2004. It was one of those occasions where it was necessary to make the effort to consciously slow down time. There was a compulsion to attempt to take in what was happening. Dont miss any detail. Store it, with as much clarity as possible. Highbury was sunlit, the supporters were watching the best team they had ever seen, and history was unfolding right there in front of everyone as Arsenal went about completing an unbeaten season for the first time in the modern game. Endeavouring to find the right words to capture the essence of this story, and to somehow convey the atmosphere and meaning, felt like a weighty responsibility. It was a pressure but also a huge privilege.

Ten years later, revisiting that season in conversation with the protagonists was incredibly rewarding. The perspective of Arsne Wenger, his phenomenal players, and other club staff added such depth and detail to the narrative and the characters involved. The memories they so generously shared allows them to explain in their own words how a rare sporting achievement comes together, how a squad of players is constructed, how a style is formed, connections created and a spirit fortified. They developed exceptional resources to sail through the currents of a season sometimes smoothly, other times knocked about on a storm to cross a historic finishing line intact. Its their story, so there could be no better method than hearing them tell it. I decided to leave Wengers impressions in pure, unadulterated form, so he could express them in his own words to conclude the book.