#RoadtoGlasgow – Bayer party in the library

In 1992, when Nick Hornby published his book 'Fever Pitch’ telling his personal history as an Arsenal fan, Highbury Stadium was different. Bigger, louder and still with less seating. I love the different types of noise: the formal, ritual noise when the players emerged, the spontaneous formless roar when something exciting happened on the pitch, the reinvigorating power of songs after a goal or a phase of continuous pressure up front." The British author remembers games at Highbury with 63,000 spectators. "Floodlights, driving rain and a powerful, rolling roar throughout the game."

Hornby's profession of faith to the club

Andreas Kostmann had also read Hornby's profession of faith to the club from North London, as had some of the 2,500 Bayer 04 fans who made their way to the legendary venue of Arsenal almost ten years exactly after the book was published. The book provided huge anticipation for the first away tour in England.

"Hornby described the route through the narrow alleys to the stadium, talked about the many pillars in the stands that obstructed the view of the pitch – and that's exactly how it was," said Andreas looking back to 27 February 2002.

The 47-year-old had already been to London on a school trip and had seen Highbury from the outside. But on that evening he was sitting for the first time in the stadium built in 1913 – in the South Stand, called The Clock End because on top of the stand there was the famous Arsenal clock with a diameter of 2.6 metres. "I actually had a seat behind a pillar and could hardly see much of the pitch," explains Kostmann. His ticket did say there was an obstructed view. "But I didn't think it would be that extreme."

Hillsborough changes Highbury

But Hornby's place of yearning had changed. After the disaster at Hillsborough, where 97 people lost their lives during the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, the decision was taken in England to only allow seats in stadiums for safety reasons. In 1992, the North Stand at Highbury, where the most passionate Arsenal fans were, was torn down and replaced with an all-seater stand. The modernised stadium now only had a capacity of 38,500 instead of over 60,000. "And we knew the ticket prices had gone up massively so that a normal worker could no longer afford a ticket," says Kostmann. "It was clear that would have an effect on the atmosphere at the stadium."

While the Bayer 04 fans in the Clock End started singing before the kick-off, the English crowd remained remarkably quiet even after the lightning start from the Gunners who were 2-0 up after seven minutes with goals from Robert Pires and Thierry Henry. For many Leverkusen fans, the disappointment was greater with the poor atmosphere in the full stands rather than going behind so early. "The Arsenal fans celebrated the goals briefly and then it was deadly quiet on their stands again," says Kostmann. More library than Highbury – more of a library than a cauldron.

how to celebrate scoring when losing 4-0

In the away stand, the singing just continued even though it was clear there wasn't much doing for the Werkself on the night. "Yes, we thrashed Dortmund 4-0 at the weekend before and set off with great expectations. But the result was no longer important and we were at Highbury and giving our all. And, when Zoltan Sebescen made it 4-1 just before the end of the game, we celebrated so loudly and for so long that the English fans just looked at us in disbelief. They didn't understand how you could celebrate a goal when you're 4-0 down."

The Leverkusen fans also maintained their good mood after the game on the way back to the coaches with the route lit up by the London police with a huge floodlight. "They told us we should follow the beam of light. And then other police officers accompanied us through the narrow alleys left and right. And they had lamps in their hands so we started singing St Martin's day songs and we had some fun," explains Kostmann with a smile.

Highbury becomes the Emirates Stadium

Four years after that night, the last match at Highbury was played on 7 May 2006. Thierry Henry again stood out for the Gunners with a hat-trick in a 4-2 win against Wigan Athletic. Arsenal moved into the newly built Emirates Stadium, just a short distance away from the old ground, in the summer of 2006. Where Highbury was there is now the residential Highbury Square. A memorial garden was set up in the area of the former pitch where the ashes of 500 Arsenal fans have been interred.

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