Arsenal vs Coventry City - English Premier League

The first game of the new season and it was an 8pm kick-off at the Emirates Stadium.

With the trains as they are I was on the 4.57pm train from Folkestone West.  As it is still school holidays I has expected the train to be a little busy, but it was quite packed. It seems the trippers to Folkestone go home much earlier than in the past.  

I got a seat as I stood where I used to for a decade on the train when I went to work. The doors open right in front of me.  I won't give away my secret....

I met Helen by Marks & Spencer in St Pancras and we voyaged to Arsenal on the Piccadilly Line.  There were rumours of delays but we got on the second train that came along.

My brother Neill was already there but we didn't get the table we usually have as Phil wasn't there tonight! Instead we had to stand. It was Neill's turn for the drinks and we opted for Diet Sprite.  

There's a new system in place. Barriers rather a queue. Barriers that take £10 off your card on entry. Choose your drinks and then if it's over a tenner you pay the difference. I less, they refund. What a palaver.

Sprite come in bottles with those Euro caps on. Usually you don't get to take a bottle into the ground with a lid on. The noise under the North Bank was massive. I had to take out my new hearing aids as they couldn't cope with the noise. So we went to our seats very early.

Helen took a photograph of the brothers....

Anyway, the pre-game "entertainment" was the usual pyrotechnics and then the kick-off.

Coventry have just been promoted from the Championship. It showed. Although they tried they were outclassed. It could have been far more than 3-0.