The "Highbury" stadium in North London was the home of Arsenal football players for almost 100 years (from September 1913 to May 2006).
In that stadium, which received a little more than 38 thousand spectators, he led fierce battles, paved the way to a large number of cups, including 13 in the English championship...
And then it was the turn of the move that raised the club financially to the top level - moving to the almost twice as big "Emirates", money became a priority, but trophies became a rarity.
How much did the move from "Highbury" to a bigger building affect Arsenal's results? The legends can say a lot about it - the creator of the great Arsenal, Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry, with 228 goals, the best scorer in the club's history.
"At Emirates we wanted to create the same thing we had at Highbury, we worked on it. But it seems we left our soul at Highbury. We never managed to create that togetherness again, the atmosphere that pushed us ", says Wenger, who left the club in May 2018.
"As a club, we were at a crossroads at one point - we had to decide whether to keep up with our big rivals or live from the past. We chose the former, that meant we needed a bigger stadium, with more income, the rules were was different and we had to play according to them", remembers the French expert.
Season 2005/06. it was Arsenal's last at Highbury.
Wenger's team was far from the title race in the Premier League, but they were pushing phenomenally in Europe. He was, however, one step away from a historic success - he was stopped in the final of the Champions League in Paris by Barcelona when he was defeated 2:1.
"At the time when we played at Highbury, Arsenal was like a family business, with about 40 people in the club. Going to a bigger stadium, that number increased to 600. We knew that we were no longer a business family, but a big company," Wenger points out. .
It was this family relationship among the "gunners" that disappeared when they moved to a bigger stadium.
"A player goes to take a corner and can say goodbye to a fan sitting in the first row. While I was on the bench I could also talk to the fans... We were all on the same task, me as the manager, the players and the fans - and everyone close to each other. That feeling of warmth, which Liverpool or Everton have, now Arsenal lacks".
And for Henri, "Highbury" was and remains something special.
"In the last match I played at Highbury, I fell on my knees and kissed the grass. Many thought I did it because I was leaving Arsenal and going to Barcelona (he left only a year later). But, no, I kissed her because I knew that a part of all of us was going down in history, that I would never again play football in "my garden". That I would never again step on that field at 11 in the morning, a few hours before the game, knowing that I would be back in Arsenal gear again." states Henri.
Arsenal played two thousand and 10 games at "Highbury". He won 1.196 times, has 475 draws and 339 losses.
"We have many more good than bad memories from that period. Everyone loved to come to Highbury, and for me personally it is the most beautiful stadium I have played in. I have been to better and bigger stadiums, wonderful buildings, but Highbury " is number one for me. That's how it will always be. And I know I'm not the only one who feels that," Henri concluded.
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