Amanda Schiavi aka Princess Gooner (@GoonerGirl1969) has been an Arsenal season ticket holder for nearly 45 years.
After being head hunted for The Gooners Girls Podcast, and then appearing on many others, she then formed Highbury and Heels which later became The Highbury Squad podcast with co-host Sophie Nicolaou and resident guest, ex-Arsenal legend, Kevin Campbell. She has now taken a breather from podcasting.
Amanda has also appeared on other podcasts as a guest and worked for AFTV in its infancy.
When did you start supporting Arsenal and why?
My father is obsessed with The Arsenal and always impressed on me the importance of being a Gooner.
When I was about three, apparently I was recalling the names of the 1971 Double team to friends and family.
I often wonder how different my life would have been if I had not had Arsenal.
During my teenage years, I would probably have been shopping with friends, instead of travelling up and down the motorways, often freezing and coming home disappointed after we lost again.
What was your first Arsenal match?
It was in 1973 when I was about four years old but it’s one of my regrets that I cannot recall the specific game.
I used to sit on my Dad’s lap at Highbury and I took it all in. Those were the days of Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton and I remember them scoring lots of goals.
My memories become clearer in the late 1970s when we had three FA Cup finals in a row.
The worst feeling was in 1980 when we lost to Second Division West Ham and consoling myself with the fact that we had the Cup Winners’ Cup a few days later.
We all know what happened there as we lost that as well and my school was dominated by Tottenham fans so that made it even worse. Tottenham were doing well at the time and they only started to decline when I left school, which coincided with us becoming more successful.
Who was your first Arsenal hero and why?
When I was a teenager Charlie Nicholas was the Arsenal poster boy and I really fancied him.
He was a bit of a dude and came with the glamour that his transfer and reputation had attracted.
My first live final was the Littlewoods Cup Final in 1987 against Liverpool. I never hated Liverpool – they were so dominant but I admired and respected them in a way I never did with Manchester United.
The fact that we won the game made it even better, with Charlie getting both goals.
We had fantastic seats by the stairs at the old Wembley so as the team went up to get the trophy, Charlie took my hat and scarf and danced around Wembley with them.
Who is your favourite ever Arsenal player and why?
This is tough, but it was Ian Wright.
I loved his passion his skill and his cheekiness on and off the field – I even loved his song!
He scored a lot of goals and acted like a fan with a real connection with the fans. We all loved him and he gave his all for the club. He was Wrighty to all us Gooners.
What’s your biggest Arsenal regret/disappointment?
My family had all got tickets for the Cup Winners Cup final in Copenhagen in 1994 but I couldn’t afford it, so I couldn’t go.
I went on Capital Radio who were running a competition called ‘Birthday Bonanza’ and I won £10,000.
But it was too late. I tried to get tickets and a flight and nothing was available so I watched the game at home alone…
What is your favourite Arsenal memory (away from the pitch) and why?
Meeting Arsene Wenger was a real highlight. I got the chance to ask him lots of questions as well, which was great.
I also worked for AFTV at the premier of the film ‘89’.
I ended up interviewing ex-Arsenal players that walked down the red carpet.
It was unbelievable to see and talk to these players who had been such a big part of my life and I felt like I was in a dream.
I am not an interviewer but that will live with me forever.
What is your favourite ever Arsenal match?
Without a shadow of a doubt May 26th 1989 at Anfield was the best footballing night of my entire life.
The game had been postponed after the Hillsborough disaster and I remember writing a letter of condolence to Liverpool, because I was devastated for the 96 who died and their families.
We should have walked to victory over Derby County towards the end of the season but Dean Saunders scored twice (to secure Derby a 2-1 win) and left us shell-shocked.
I remember feeling so distraught I rang up a London radio station and said we should hand the title to Liverpool now!
The fact that we then drew 2-2 with Wimbledon and Liverpool only needed a draw in the last game against us made it worse. They were buzzing after beating Everton in the FA Cup final as well.
Tickets for the game were like gold dust, but unlike for Copenhagen, my luck was in. My Dad knew someone, who about a week before managed to get some tickets. I remember going mad with joy when I found out.
I was working in a solicitors in London at the time and they were not really into football but my boss was sort of a West Ham fan so when I told him that I needed the day off, he refused to let me go. I said “Ok I will resign then” I was 18 and living at home and I knew I would get another job and I was not missing that match. My boss ended up saying “Go, but I hope you lose!”
Luckily my Dad wanted us to leave early, which turned out to be a blessing because of all the traffic that fans later encountered on their way up to the ground. We were all so excited. I had never been to Liverpool let alone Anfield before and to dream of possibly seeing Arsenal win the Championship was the dream of all dreams for me.
There weren’t many Gooners around when we walked across Stanley Park, because of the traffic, so we were asked by a TV company if we could be interviewed for a news programme in London. They initially wanted to take us on to the pitch to be interviewed, which would have been incredible but eventually they did it outside the stadium with Liverpool supporters in the background. All I remember is my Dad ending the interview by saying “Kelvin, live at Anfield, for ITV News.” We all started laughing hysterically.
I always sat in the East Upper at Highbury and now at the Emirates, but our tickets were behind the goal. I soaked up the atmosphere and when the players came out, they had bouquets of flowers as a mark of respect for the Hillsborough tragedy. I was honoured because I got the late great David Rocastle’s flowers which a man in front caught and passed them to me. I always felt blessed that they were Rocky’s flowers.
You could sense that both teams were apprehensive in the first half but that changed after the break and we played as if we had nothing to lose. Nigel Winterburn curled in a free kick and Smudger (Alan Smith) got the faintest of touches which sent us all crazy.
The Liverpool players were surrounding the referee and I was pulling my Dad over to show him. Thankfully the ref didn’t listen and awarded us the goal and I remember thinking we only needed one more goal.
We were singing our hearts out we wanted that one goal so desperately and I thought our chance had gone when Mickey Thomas went through and messed up his shot.
I will never forget Steve MacMahon putting one finger up to indicate one minute and I felt sick. Then Mickey Thomas went through again and buries the ball into the left-hand corner of Bruce Grobbelaar’s goal and the rest is history.
I remember Martin Hayes trying to stop Thomas doing a forward roll and they fell on the floor, right in front of me.
We went BALLISTIC; people were hugging, screaming, crying and kissing. I will never experience that feeling again. I actually think I went onto another planet because I couldn’t digest what had happened and I had a few tears for sure.
Everywhere we looked Gooners were hugging, jumping and singing and my Dad kissed an Everton fan, who happened to be a Policewoman. She was so happy because we had won!
At the services on the way home, we bumped into George Graham’s son and daughter and ended up chatting to them and singing together and then when we got back in the car, we pulled up alongside the coach with the team in it and I remember Nigel Winterburn going mad and the players and us waving at each other.
The next day I went to Highbury and had a party with everyone and then the parade where I got some great pictures of the boys with the First Division trophy.
In my living room I have the picture of Mickey Thomas striking the ball that scored the winning goal on what was the most exciting ending to a football season I’ve ever known.