Written by Jonathan Chong on Wednesday, November 4, 2009

On the day of the North London derby, I was lucky enough to be given a private tour of Arsenal Stadium, courtesy of Tiger Beer and Arsenal Singapore.

We were greeted at the Director's Entrance, where there are busts of the most defining figures in the club's history - Denis Hill-Wood, Herbert Chapman and manager Arsène Wenger. The area itself breathes opulence, with marble walls and security. It's feels more privileged than the entrance to the Executive Boxes, which I've also had the small fortune of attending matches in but never really enjoyed the experience much.

After clearing security, we stepped into the stadium into an area that had artwork hanging on the walls. I didn't get a chance to ask what these artworks were, but from their style, can only guess that they are part of Arsenal's role in the community to encourage football development at the grass roots level. Ironically, one piece of art told the story of the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspurs match in 1996, which we won 3-1. Ominous? Maybe.

The perfect view

We then walked upstairs and stepped into a luxurious room that was modern but brimmed full of tradition and history, with the original maroon colour of the club filling the chairs and tables, placemats and wooden interior. And the carpet? The colour of a football pitch, of course.

And if there was ever a way to watch a football match, trust me, this was it.

Dead centre on the half way line, between the fans, below the Club Level and Executive Boxes, the view of the pitch was absolutely stunning. The leather chairs (with the names of the Directors' at the bottom), were so comfortable that I didn't want to leave for my seat for the derby!

If you had attended a match at Highbury, with its hard plastic chairs (akin to most football stadiums around the country), you know what it felt like when you first sat on the seats at the Emirates for the first time. Imagine that, times 10, and you probably get an idea of the material and comfort of the chairs in the Directors' Box.

Standing around and admiring the view, we were also told that the guaranteed matchday income from the Diamond and Platinum Clubs alone equalled the matchday revenue of Highbury. Everything else that the Emirates brings in, the seats from regular fans, matchday programmes, food and drink, are a nice bonus. And what a bonus to have indeed. If ever there was a need to justify moving away from Highbury and building a new stadium, this was it.

If I remember correctly, you had to pay a cool £25,000 to apply to be part of the Diamond and Platinum Club, and then £25,000 per year for your ticket for four years, paid upfront. The money that the corporate levels at the Emirates bring into the club is absolutely mind-boggling, and what's even more amazing, is that there is a waiting list as well. What recession, eh?

Breathing Arsenal

Grudgingly stepping out of the Directors' area, we took the lift to the next stage of our tour. I know that we have been saying that the Emirates doesn't feel like home, and that it feels like a slab of concrete. The Arsenalisation project has addressed that, but I can assure you that every part of the internals of this world class stadium is Arsenal through-and-through. Every wall is adorned with the club crest, a motto or quote from a legend, and photos (so many) of past glories and legends. The structure breathes Arsenal, and it made me feel so proud to be a supporter.

The lift, for example, had different mottos on each side, and on the floor, the club crest. And greeting staff, players and more importantly, the opposition when they arrive at the stadium, is a red wall with the club crest, with the motto "The deeper the foundation, the stronger the fortress". The first stage of intimidation, before they step further into the stadium. More on that later.

There was also a time capsule at the entrance, and it's filled with memorabilia such as Patrick Vieira's armband, a lock of Charlie George's hair and Tony Adams' boots. When we eventually move away from the Emirates, to the stadium which my grandchildren will be going to watch the Arsenal, the team of the future will open this time capsule and experience the journey from Highbury, marking another chapter in this club's illustrious history.

The dressing rooms

We then stepped into a corridor which led us to the dressing rooms, of which there are four in total. Again, this corridor was lined with photographs of past successes, and if you were an opposition player walking to your dressing room, you're reminded in a subtle way of who you're playing against, what this club has achieved, what this club represents and why we are the Arsenal. If anything, it should serve as a reminder to some of our players as well!

As this was a private tour and the club don't usually conduct tours on a matchday, we were in a situation where the home dressing room was being prepared for the team's arrival. A quick word with Vic Akers, who gave us the nod, and we nipped in quickly. The home dressing room is, as they say, like a five star hotel.

There is a huge warm-up area and the temperature in the hydrotherapy pool is heated to 30 degrees, and is available for injured players to strengthen their muscles.

Then there was the mini hospital, where injured players get treatment. I asked if this was where all those "late fitness tests" take place, and was told that there is a possibility that they never actually take place!

We then stepped into the players' area, where the seating arrangement is in a half circle - no hiding places, said Arsène Wenger when he designed it. The seating arrangement (decided by one Tony Adams) started with the goalkeeper, the defenders, the midfielders, the strikers and then the substitutes. We saw the kits being put up, and knew that Manuel Almunia was in goal for the match. The captain, insisted by one Thierry Henry, sits in the middle, and that has been the only change in the seating arrangement for so many years.

We were also told that the bell to signal for the players to go back onto the pitch was above the goalkeeper. When Jens Lehmann was playing, he would be absolutely infuriated when it went off, and asked for his place to be moved. He was told that the seating arrangement was dictated by tradition. Lehmann eventually had his way ... they moved the bell instead.

The opposition dressing room, it has to be said, isn't as luxurious as the home dressing room but it is still a few levels above the home dressing rooms of other stadiums! The other two dressing rooms are spare, for special events such as World Cups or more regularly the Emirates Cup. The opposition players however, don't have a warm-up area so have to make do with whatever space they can find!

There were other rooms for the media, but we couldn't go to them as it was a match day and they were currently being used to prepare for the match. We were told that the likes of Sky and journalists have their own mini screens where they can replay controversial incidents. Makes you wonder how most of them still manage to get their commentary wrong!

The immaculate pitch

We then walked through the tunnel and onto the pitch. The grass is as immaculate as they say, like very fine carpet. Another aspect of this beautiful stadium. We were told that there were drain pipes underneath the soil to drain the water from the pitch during the raining season, and it is that water that gets reused when the pitch needs watering. The watering focuses on areas of wear and tear, namely the area near the goal.

The big jumbo screens were also being tested whilst we were on the pitch, and as you can see from the photo, someone got the score right!

The area where the Arsenal players sit have heating plates on the ground to keep the players' feets warm when it is cold. And we were also told that manager Arsène Wenger originally sat on the left of the seats. And because he always jumped out of his seat during the match, he kept hurting his arm on the side railing. He promptly told (then) physio Gary Lewin to swap places, with Pat Rice staying in the middle.

That was the end of the tour per se, and we had to adjourn to the museum and have lunch with Perry Groves, before getting to my seat for the derby. I'll leave that for another article, but if you want to view more photos, here is my Flickr set of the Arsenal Stadium Tour.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable tour and I'd like to extend my thanks once again to my friends at Arsenal Singapore and Tiger Beer.

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