Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest - Premier League - August 12th 2023

The first game of the new premier league season and Arsenal are at home to Notts Forest.  It's also a 1230pm kick off and so I will have to be away early from dear old Kent to get there in good time.

My plan is to ride up on Vera Strom and park in my usual place at St Joan of Arc Church.  I have been retired too long now to expect any favours from school staff in islington.  In the 25 years I worked in Schools IT Support I had a great relationship with the admin and teaching staff at many schools in the borough.  Covid really killed the personal touch and contact was by email or phone.  Not the same.

So given the traffic chaos I reckon I need to leave about 10am at the latest to give myself time to navigate the ridiculous low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) so loved by Labour run London councils. Vera complies with the current Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) regulations, but given how they move the goal posts to suit themselves to rake in £12.50 (a rip off) off motorists every day they travel into the Zone.

So given the money spent on improving the squad how will we do? It's a mystery how we seem to kick off either Friday evening or the early games on Saturday. TV must like us! Who cares that away fans have to travel from Nottingham by train or road for that time kick off? The TV money governs everything.

I will be doing fewer games this season as I have decided to share my season ticket with my friend Phil. He has paid 50% of this year's season ticket price and we have divided up the games to have half of the home games each.  I have the first two games,  Forest and Fulham on the 26th,  and I then will use the Arsenal Ticket Transfer system, to transfer other games to him.

When I am on holiday in September, I have already transferred the Manchester United game to his account. It looks as though games available to transfer are on the system around a month before kick off.  So later this month before I go away I should be able to transfer the Tottenham Hotspur to him as well.

Come on The Arsenal!