John Jensen's Goal

As far as career defining moments this one has to be the most bittersweet.

For a player who scored the opening goal in a European Championships final to be remembered almost exclusively for a single goal in a 3-1 defeat to QPR must be a little deflating to say the least.

At the time, however, it was a joyous occasion for both player and fans alike. My part in this small but momentous occasion was miniscule but it has left an idelible mark on the scrapbook of my memory. I was sat in the stands level with the penalty box where Jensen received the ball. Highbury must have been all-seater by then otherwise I would have been wedged in at the front of the Junior Gunners terrace. Like everyone else wearing red in that stadium I was willing for this to be the moment. For this to be John Jensen's goal.

In front of me sat two rather benign, middle-aged QPR fans living in blissful ignorance of the fact that they were receiving the glowering of a lifetime from the angry little teenager behind them. My fury was only abated when I noticed them laughing happily after I'd screamed "shoooot!" at John Jensen while he was clearing our lines from a corner. Then as now nothing placates me like someone laughing at my jokes.

It was pure chance that I happened to be at that game, I was not able to attend Highbury for every game, though I went to as many as I could. Saturdays at the time were spent playing little league football in the morning, training with my Sunday league team in the evening, then playing the next morning, before going home to experiment with masturbation on a Sunday afternoon. It was tradition however that my dad, my brother and I would attend at least one of the games around the Christmas period. It just so happened that John Jensen chose that game to break his duck.

It was a fantastic goal by any standards. And Highbury burst into song in a way I've never heard before or since. So often we have the accusation of our ground being a 'library' levelled at us, well that day we stood up and ripped down the 'silence please' signs.

The result was unimportant, never has a crowd been so jubilant after a loss, but the thing that defines the moment for me was John Jensen's reaction, there was no thought of savouring the moment for himself, no pointing to the name on his back or pretence at badge kissing, he just ran straight to the crowd this was for us as much as him and Jensen knew it. And what more can a fan ask for than when a millstone is removed from a players neck the first people he thinks of is the fans who stuck by him while he endevoured to remove it?

Maybe the professional game today could do with a few more Johnny Jensens. Though not too many, 0-0 draws would get tiresome after a while.