Location: Emirates Stadium, Islington, London, England
Summary: A nostalgic day at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, complete with a Legends Tour led by Charlie George, a wander through the club’s history, and a sun‑soaked pub crawl back to Waterloo. A perfect mix of football, memories, and mischief.
When my friend Derek told me he had booked his wife a tour of the Emirates Stadium, complete with Arsenal legend Charlie George as the guide, I thought it was a brilliant gift. Carol, however, did not. Whether it was the long train journey, the thrill of meeting Charlie George, or the small detail that she supports Norwich City and couldn’t care less about Arsenal, she politely declined. She did, however, suggest that Derek take me instead. After checking that my sister could look after my mum for the day, I happily stepped in.
Journey to the Emirates Stadium
It was a beautiful day, and I walked to the train station, arriving half an hour early. Derek arrived just in time, having come by bus. The train stopped at what felt like every station, but the journey was pleasant enough, helped by the young lady sitting opposite us who provided a welcome distraction.
When we reached Waterloo, I discovered my Oyster card had stopped working, so I bought a travel card and we headed for Arsenal Station. Stepping out of the station brought back memories of going to Highbury with my dad as a kid. The difference was that today the streets were empty, not packed with thousands of fans heading to the ground.
We arrived at around 12:00 and had time for a drink before the tour. The Gunners Pub was closed, as was the Arsenal Tavern, so we ended up at the King’s Head. I had an apple juice, Derek had a ginger ale, and then we walked to the Armoury Store to begin the tour.
Emirates Stadium Legends Tour
We were taken through the store and into the stadium via the underground car park, where several cars had AFC number plates. Soon we were seated in the Directors’ Box in large leather seats. Charlie George joined us there and began sharing facts about the stadium, all delivered with humour.
One surprise was learning that the Emirates does not have planning permission to expand from 60,000 seats to 100,000. The rumour that it already had approval was, according to Charlie, completely untrue.
We moved on to the home dressing room, where Charlie explained that Arsène Wenger believed square dressing rooms were unlucky. The home dressing room is therefore shaped like a horseshoe, while the away dressing room is square. We all sat beneath our favourite players’ shirts for photos, and Charlie joked that we shouldn’t steal them because they still had security tags.
We visited the physio room and hydro pool before walking down the tunnel to the pitch. Charlie explained how the pitch is constructed and maintained, and pointed out Wenger’s seat in the dugout, number 13, which he considered lucky. Like most of the group, I sat in it for a photo.
In the Diamond Club area, many people had photos taken with Charlie. I waited until we reached pitchside, where he kindly posed with both Derek and me, even though security were trying to move us along due to a bag left unattended by the dugout.
We then saw the press room and interview areas before sitting down with Charlie for a Q&A session. His stories were brilliant, and he clearly enjoyed sharing them. When the tour ended, we were told we could revisit any area we’d seen. I went back to have my photo taken with the FA Cup.
Afterwards, I returned to the shop and bought a new Arsenal shirt with my name and the number 7, Liam Brady’s number, one of my all‑time favourite players. We then visited the Arsenal Museum, which I found disappointing. It was poorly laid out, and many interactive displays weren’t working. Compared to the Nou Camp museum in Barcelona, it felt dated and dimly lit.
Photos from my day at The Emirates Stadium
Journey Home
With the tour complete, we headed back toward Waterloo. Unsure of the nearest station, we stopped at The Drayton Arms to ask for directions. They refused to help until we bought a pint, so we bought a pint. Their directions were useless, so we stopped again at a pub called Horatia. After a couple more pints, we finally got accurate directions.
The heat made the walk hard work, so to avoid dehydration we made further pit stops at The Lamb, The King and Crown, and The Bailey before reaching The Famous Cock Tavern, where we had a pint and something to eat.
Feeling revived, we made our way to Waterloo, arriving with half an hour to spare, just enough time for a quick shandy at the Hole in the Wall before catching the train home.
Final Thoughts
It was a fantastic day out. We visited the home of football, met an Arsenal legend, enjoyed a long walk in the sun, and ensured I got my recommended daily allowance of fruit, albeit in liquid form. The Legends Tour was excellent, and I would recommend it to any Arsenal fan. The museum, however, needs improvement.
A brilliant day from start to finish.
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