Marcia Milnes
How many people can say they spent a day with Michael Thomas at Arsenal? Okay, it wasn’t THAT Michael Thomas, but his five month old namesake. His mum (and fellow season ticket holder) Sarah brought young Michael to Members’ Day 2011 for an early opportunity to see the first team squad in action - or to be more accurate “inaction”.
To avoid queuing in the rain (last year the turnstiles opened 40 minutes late) I arrived at 11.40am, five minutes before proceedings were officially due to commence… and walked straight in to find the players already on the pitch! Cesc was there - but no sign of Nasri? There had been speculation as to whether Cesc would be there for the Official Team Photo (taken behind closed doors before we were to be allowed in). Rumour was that two photos would be taken, one with Cesc and one without (the latter with RVP as captain). However, the bad weather put paid to this (well we wouldn’t want the poor dears to get wet, would we?), and the photo-shoot was re-scheduled.
As with every other Members’ Day I have been to, the players worked through a relaxed training schedule (surprisingly Arshavin didn’t ask to come off early), followed by a short match and then a few footballs kicked into the crowd. We were unlucky enough to have the B52 bomber shooting at us; his inability to hit the target left us feeling like sitting ducks. Michael junior had the right idea, sleeping through most of the proceedings, but waking up just in time for a first meeting with Gunnersaurus and the Q and A session with Ray Parlour and Martin Keown. Because of the crowd Sarah and I had to stand at the back so that Michael didn’t get squashed, so we couldn’t hear properly what they were saying. This was a good time for Michael to glug down his bottle of milk, although after yet another same old Members’ Day I felt I needed something stronger.
Fortunately a steward told us that the Arsenal Ladies were a couple of blocks along, so we made our way there to meet unsung heroes like Faye White, Jordan Nobbs, Ellen White and Kim Little, along with the Ladies’ FA Cup (yes I know, silverware at the Grove, whatever next?). They chatted with the fans, posed for photos and signed our programmes. Arsenal men – please take note!
Before Members’ Day a group of Junior Gunners had been chosen to make banners for the players and then sit next to the Directors’ Box to watch the training. After training a few lucky ones were selected to attend either a Q and A or a signing session, but for the rest of us that was the end of our day. We spotted Ivan and Silent Stan lurking under a brolly by the tunnel (but not venturing onto the pitch), probably wondering who all those kids were sitting in their seats upstairs.
Michael needed his nappy changed; but instead of allowing us to take him to the baby change facilities (I didn’t know there were any there), a steward led us to a disabled toilet. However, this had no baby change facilities, so we would have had to lay poor Michael on the toilet floor. More reminiscent of Charlie George than our Anfield hero namesake! This wasn’t acceptable and we set off in the direction of the baby change, but were intercepted by the stewards and ended up in the First Aid Room. So Michael Thomas was on the treatment bench without ever having been on the pitch – Sarah and Donny will make an Arsenal first team player of him yet!
In terms of Members’ Day it was another Groundhog Day experience, but I enjoyed my time with Sarah and Michael. I wonder if Michael might be free for the first home game, appropriately against Liverpool. Given the team’s current problems we just might need him.
