Ask longstanding Gooners which Arsenal team they remember with affection and most will pick the 1970-71 Double-winning team. Yet how many of them have had the chance to meet our heroes in person, to thank them for all those wonderful memories? Like, telling Bob Wilson how much you treasure the memory of that fantastic save at the feet of George Best when we beat United 4-0 – and find out ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’ that it’s his favourite moment too! The 35th Anniversary charity dinner held at Highbury on the evening of 27th April provided just that opportunity for me and about another 300 Arsenal supporters of varying ages, many from that Double era.

What impressed me most was just how willing the players were to acknowledge our gratitude: signing memorabilia, match programmes, shirts, newspaper cuttings; discussing this match, that goal, or posing arm in arm for irreplaceable photos. It was like meeting your mates down the pub. Back in 1971 live TV football was rare, footballers were intangible beings, rarely interviewed or seen other than on Saturdays. Tonight all the guys stayed right to the end. My White Hart Lane programme of 3rd May 1971 now bears the autographs of most of the team that made that such an amazing Monday night. Is that really me arm in arm with Pat Rice, Eddie Kelly, Bob Wilson – surely it’s a digital mirage? No, the pictures are for real.

It was wonderful to see how so many of those players have retained their loyalty to AFC. Pat Rice, Bob Wilson, Sammy Nelson and the irrepressible Charlie George still work with Arsenal. Pat, of course, is an integral part of the management team that has taken the Gunners to the Champions League Final – he came straight from Upton Park and Ashley Cole’s reserve work out. Paris got lots of mentions and lots of cheers – Charlie George said Grace before the meal, though his interpretation of ‘for what we are about to receive’ seemed more about beating Barcelona than the excellent dinner menu. I hope no-one took it too seriously, and certainly the ground never opened up and swallowed him.

Inevitably there were a few absentees. Ray Kennedy, who scored that goal on May 3rd, was too ill with Parkinson’s Disease; Frank McLintock and George Graham sent their apologies and Peter Storey was ‘otherwise engaged’. And of course the late, great Geordie Armstrong was sadly missed. Bertie Mee too is another lost memory.

However, the guys that were there more than made up for it. Bob McNab and Peter Simpson came over especially from the US and Don Howe and Geoff Barnett were there too. It was great to see Pat Jennings as well, who was of course in goal for Spurs on that memorable May night. Maybe it was a bit brave of him to turn up following the recent Wenger/Jol fracas, but Pat subsequently saw the light, had a distinguished career at Highbury and is an Arsenal legend too. Eddie Kelly was irrepressible, Peter Simpson seems a little shy, as is Jon Sammels, who nevertheless seemed appreciative that I remembered his goal against Anderlecht and had read his interview in the latest edition of the Gooner. Johnny Radford was a revelation, visiting tables to chat and sign autographs and generally getting into the spirit of things. I’m not sure how many times people mentioned to Raddy his crucial goal against Anderlecht in the 1970 Fairs Cup Final but he didn’t seem to tire of hearing about it. There was even a guy who looked remarkably like our Gooner editor helping out in distributing Arsenal Supporters Trust flyers…

What might have been better? The compère not asking everyone to stand to welcome the team’s arrival before the meal, as those at the back of the hall couldn’t see; as I don’t have £4000 to bid for a signed England or Arsenal shirt, or signed 1971 photo of the team, I found the auction boring (but definitely in a good cause for the Rocky and Willow charities); and personally I’d have preferred a football-related after dinner speaker to Mike Osman’s repertoire of smutty jokes, which probably embarrassed the female partners who’d come along to keep their other halves company. Finally many, many thanks to the Department of Transport for shutting Junctions 1-3 of the M4 on the same night they closed the Hanger Lane Underpass. ‘Sorry for any inconvenience’. Are they ****? But hey, we can’t have everything, and it did prolong an enjoyable evening.

Finally thanks to my heroes for a memorable evening, to Sammy Nelson for his organisation, but most of all thanks to daughter Marcia, who spotted the advert, and wife Natalie, who saw the opportunity for an early birthday present. The players said they felt privileged to play for that team; for me it was certainly a privilege to meet them. £100 seemed a lot beforehand but it was worth every penny. Priceless!