INTRODUCTION
My name's Bright Daniel,from cross river state. I didn't really grow up in a sport loving family, i was reallly surrounded with women,the closest connection i have to football insight was my old grandpa's newspapers and pool papers.
Although i was always playing football with my friends i didn't really understand football, (i.e basic football education),i just had to gather experience along the way,being i was talented in playing i was fortunate to associate with more experienced players and coaches.
HOW I FEEL IN LOVE WITH ARSENAL
In other to fully understand how it happened i have to take you back to early 2003,i was leaving with my aunty in Akwa ibom state, i was still passionate about football,still looking for ways to better my skills as an aspiring football, mostly doing chores after school so i would be free to go train in the evening.
It was this Saturday evening, being i always train in the morning on Saturdays, i was about doing my chores(and on this occasion fetching water) and i saw i people gathering at an entrance of a shop,i was curious "what's going on?",it was a viewing centre, the first in the local government. I don't think you guys understand what that meant to me,"finally a means for me to improve myself ". As i went closer to fully grasp this moment, i peep and there is was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen. A team dressed in red and white,my eyes brightened,for a moment my heart stop beating, my eyes beheld the most beautiful set of plays,the pattern,passing lanes,moving all laid in front of me,in that moment i feel in love with this team.
And in this moment, with me engulfed in my fantasy the one player that was in the center of all of this was a man who was scared to fly in an aeroplane his name was Dennis Bergkamp.This man was doing thing in the field that my mind couldn't comprehend,man was invisible, a ghost, no one could get close to him talkless of marking him,his touch as smooth as a silk. And on top of him was a menace,a goal machine in the name of Thierry Henry.
Imagine the joy an 11-year-old boy who totally loves football, seeing the world of endless possibilities, a whole where football is played at a telepathic levels, the passion the team had awaken in me,i went home that day a different person,i had found my first love, a love the would later bring so many emotions, heartaches, pride,tears,love and friendships.
I couldn't wait to finish my chores that day,i had to know more about the team that awaken a kind of love i never knew i had,i was curious, how come i never meet Arsenal before now(a name i got to know from my investigation),that name became my favorite name among my peers,i preach about every new facts i discovered about Arsenal,the insertion of the team,the founders,the early players and how they came to be called the gunners(another great find).
I got my very first Arsenal shirt after saving for months and i can say,that was one of the proudest days of my life,you can imagine how many days i wore the shirt,it took a scolding fro my aunt before i gave it up for washing.
Over the years my love affair with Arsenal have been a roller coastar of emotions, i witnessed us go invisible (going the whole season unbeaten),witnesses an 8-2 thrashing by Manchester United during the latter part of Arsen Wenger reign at Arsenal,Enai Emery cluelessness and Mikel Arteta trying to stable the ship. They've been few F.A cups here and there,in last three years we've been competing in the Premier league finishing second, three times in a role,this season got knocked out in the sami-final in the champions league, personally i think it was good season (others would say otherwise), but for those of us that saw this team suffer and be ridiculed, we know the emotions that has gone the years, so we say"COYS"
P.s: I got a beating from my aunt that day because i ended up spending almost 2 hours going to fetch water. By if you ask me "i'd do it again",cause it was worth it.