Dear Arsenal Supporters…

Well, it’s only 14 more Days until the first Match back in Europe for my Club and I’m really, really looking forward to visit the great City of London for the first time since the early 1990s. I’m not sure if my memory will misguide me at first because back then, when I’ve been a regular guest (my aunt lived in Shepherds Bush on Bloemfontein Road, so Loftus Road was just a minute away) i reallly fell in Love with the City of London. It was so big, so busy, so out of my world. For christ sake, there was a freaking Kentucky Fried Chicken around the Corner, which I’ve never seen before. London was a different Universe. I admit, I was a bit younger and a little bit less experiencend in exploring the world but you get my point. I was blown away.

Now, 25 years later, which is coincidentally the exact period for which FC Cologne did not make it to the european competitions, I’m coming back and this time it’s for football. Who could have thought? Five years ago we were down to rock bottom, we honestly never believed in visiting another away game in Europe. We joked about it, we laughed, we drank a little bit too much and all in all these were dark days. You might compare it with the time between 1971 and George Graham. Those endless years of nothing. Yeah, I read my Hornby…

It’s going to be great. I can’t wait.

There’s just a slight little downside to it: I didn’t win in the ticket lottery. And that’s where you come into play. I’d really like to think, that there is one of you out there who can help me out with a ticket for the match. You Sir or Madame will be in my book of cool people for the rest of our lives. I will be in St Pancras around 1pm on the 14th, I will bring German Beer (Kölsch of corse) and if you visit Cologne for the Rematch I will treat you with a visit to one of our famous Brauhäusern (beer breweries), if you want.

25 years I waited for this moment and I’m not going to miss it.

Drop me a line at axel[at]dervierteoffizielle.de if you like to help me out.

Thank you so much.

[Update]

You’re brilliant! I got my ticket and made some great contacts with some of you lads! Thanks to Ian, Roger and Dustin for your kind offers!

There are some people who still need help, so if you like to help further, write me and I will forward your contact to those how still need tickets. Three or four more should do the trick.

We will be drunk and loud and funny and passionate about our team, but we also will raise our glasses with you and hope that this evening will exactly be, what we all dreamed about for 25 long years. Football has always been a simple game and it should be simple outside the rules too. It attracts all kind of people, no matter of race, gender, age or religion. It should be a game for us, for the fans, not for SKY, not for ITV or the fucking £2000 seat bastards.

Thanks for sharing, thanks for caring.

Let’s do this.