The Arsenal: 125
For 5 days only, London s prestigious Saatchi gallery played host to a unique new exhibition to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Arsenal Football Club.
SoccerBible dropped by for an exclusive pre-viewing and to talk to Kieran Gibbs and Wojciech Szczesny about gloves, boots and what it means to them to represent The Gunners...
The Nike exhibition featured a collection of photography and film which celebrates the past, present and future of the North London side, established in 1886.
On entry to the gallery we found the wall space was adorned with canvasses of Arsenal fans and players which gave the exhibition a sense of pride and emphasised the togetherness of the club.
Candid pictures of current stars were spread across the gallery, including off pitch shots of CTR360 playmaker Jack Wilshere and Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh. A series of portraits of Arsenal supporters on their matchday journey to the stadium further highlighted the relationship between fans and their club.
We took a seat in the private cinema to watch a film entitled Feb 11 (10 min. 35 sec. As an Arsenal Fan) which offered a glimpse into the matchday experience of a fan and showed the emotion and commitment supporters put into every game at the Emirates.
Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny took time out on the night to speak to SoccerBible and we were eager to find out their views on the club and its rich history.
On asking Keiran Gibbs what it was like to make his Arsenal debut, the England Under 21 international told us, I made my first appearance for the club four years ago but I still remember it very clearly. It was a special time. I worked very hard to get there and it wasn t easy. Most of my family are Arsenal fans so I always watched and followed the team.
Wojciech Szczesny re-lived his Arsenal debut by telling us, I moved to England from Poland aged 16 with a simple goal - to be the first-team goalkeeper at Arsenal. I was delighted to do that for the first time and I managed to keep a clean sheet too.
After the much highlighted release in June, the Arsenal full back was keen to share his thoughts on the new anniversary kit by Nike. Gibbs said I like that the shirt represents the club s history and it is inspired by kits from a former time. I think it s the nicest kit we ve had in my time here.
SoccerBible went on to discuss inspiration and idols with the 6 4 Polish goalkeeper asking him who he looked up to out of Arsenals impressive list of number 1 s from the past. When I signed for the club, Jens Lehmann was the number one keeper and at that time I think he was one of the best in the world. In times gone by, David Seaman and Bob Wilson were both great keepers who stayed at the club for a long time. I hope that I can make a name for myself here as well.
With the special relationship between fans and players at the club we asked Szczesny what the atmosphere is like at Emirates Stadium, he was full of complements for the Arsenal faithful telling us The Arsenal fans are fantastic for all 90 minutes every game. I am excited every time I walk out on the pitch and we are thankful for all their support.
Turning our attention to Szczesny s Nike Vapor Grip 3 gloves, we were surprised at how many pairs the Gunners shot stopper got through in a season! I like to throw my gloves to the crowd or give them to fans after games so I expect to get through maybe a hundred pairs a season. Fifty pairs for matches and fifty in training. When I was young, two pairs of gloves would last me a season.
Each time you put on a new pair, you don t need to wear them in. They are comfortable and help me do my job. I think the hands inside the gloves are the most important though. On my feet, I wear Nike CTR 360 boots. They are comfortable and good for your touch.
Finally we asked the young prospects what they wanted to achieve as an Arsenal player, Keiron Gibbs told us This season, I want to play as many games as I can and hopefully win trophies for the club. I love it here and hopefully I will be here for as long as possible.
Szczesny couldn t hide his desire for the club by telling SoccerBible, If you offered me the chance to stay here for my whole career, even though I m young, I would say I d love to.
The exhibition truly documented the bond between Arsenal fans and players. The supporters play a huge role within the club and Arsenal FC showed gratitude to their loyal fan base by celebrating their clubs 125th anniversary together.
Arsenal proved they have a successful trophy winning past, but what lies ahead this season for The Gunners? Can they get their hands on some long awaited silverware? Share your thoughts of the launch event and the new Nike Seitiro football with the SoccerBible community online.
