Ok I totally had baby brain and misread the bounty on this one! So, let's try again.
I'm not one for international football, despite the atmosphere at some pubs being incredible it just doesn't excite me as much as club football.
Growing up I saw some incredible games, indeed my sister's first match with us was Arsenal beating Man U 3-0 in 1998 and I'd just purchased my Ljungberg shirt before the game only for him to come off the bench and score the third.
But the best game that stands out is the only North London Derby I went to. I'm not a gambling man but I'd planned on putting a bet on the game, only for us to arrive just before kick off and didn't have time. I told my dad what I thought the score would be and who I thought would score.
So the game begins, Arsenal go 1-0 up, courtesy of Emmanuel Adebayor. Stage one of my prediction complete.
Spurs went on to equalise, the usual suspect and thorn in our side at the time, Berbatov getting the equaliser. Stage two complete.
Then came the spanner in the works, Arsenal gave away a penalty, I buried my head in my hands, not ready for the taunting that would come my way. The very enthusiastic woman sat next to me grabbed my arm and said "Don't worry love, Almunia's got this, he'll save it, no doubt!" I did not have her confidence, I kept my head buried, listening for the jeers and cheers as the ball would inevitably hit the net. Cue an eruption of sound from the home fans and the woman shaking me saying "I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU DIDN'T I?!". The adrenaline was pumping (as it is reliving this as I type) and my prediction remained intact.
5 Minutes later we look down at the touchline and see the much maligned Nicklas Bendtner warming up. The woman to my left said "oh god don't bring him on, he's useless!" It was my turn to be the football whisperer. I turned to her and said, trying to imitate her London parlance,"Don't worry love, he'll come on, first touch, back of the net" The sound that came from her mouth was "Pffffffffft - yeah right!".
Arsenal win a corner, Bendtner is bought on and this happens....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAMa4UGXLuQ
The woman to my left is ecstatic, ignoring her husband and hugging me, jumping up and down screaming "WE HAVE TO SIT NEXT TO EACH OTHER EVERY GAME!".
Bendtner scoring to put us 2-1 up, stage 3 of my prediction was complete. Arsenal held on and won that game 2-1, as I thought, and I can't be mad I never got there in time to make a bet. I'm not superstitious, at least, not anymore. Back then? Oh you better believe if I wasn't wearing the right combo of shirt and beanie then Arsenal would be in for a bad day at the office. I often think if I'd got there in time to make that bet, it wouldn't have played out the way it did and I'd have been robbed of one of the best moments I shared with my dad and younger sister.
