Is it two syllables by now or three syllables - Em-ritz or Em-i-rates? That's what I wanted to find out.
Architecturally, Arsenal's new Emirates stadium is brilliant, a real piece of sculpture in the sky, and all done so quickly and on time. Oh, if only Wembley had come to fruition as quickly.
It was strange walking there for the first time, along streets I knew, had walked for years; then suddenly being brought up short because streets usually open were now roped off. It's half a mile nearer Holloway Road, and is twice as big, so it's like a tidal wave has suddenly engulfed what was once dry land. And yet no souvenir stalls, no crap food outlets, had been washed up, not the way I approached. Perhaps they'll come.
You go up some concrete steps, then reach a huge concourse that goes all the way round, the way it used to be at the old Wembley. Very spacious, with stone seats, yet rather brutal and wasted, when it could be full of stalls, events, attractions, statues, decorations. I do like to promenade at football games, soaking up the atmosphere.
High up inside, there's another excellent promenading space, also all the way round, filled with the usual football-stadium, fast, no-nonsense caffs. Coffee or Bovril £1.50, pint of beer £3.20, glass of red wine £4.20. Normalish prices these days, for London. From this space, enclosed by glass, there are terrific views, almost as good as the London Eye.
Inside the arena itself, well that is stunning. Better than Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium because that's just so big that half the audience are watching matchstick men. Similar to the new Stadium of Light in Lisbon, awesome and vast, yet still touchable and human.
Bigger, better seats than at the old Highbury stadium, even if most people are higher up, but the big film screens are useless, so badly designed. Just two of them in stupid places. Up in the West Stand, I could see only the lower
half of the screen opposite. Behind
me, up into the sky, were another 30 or so rows, so presumably they couldn't see the screen at all.
I hated the moving electronic advertising hoarding all round the pitch that flashed away during the whole game. These are more common now. Even Cardiff City has them at Ninian Park. The ones at the Emirates are the biggest and flashiest I've ever seen. I had to shield my eyes from the glare. God knows what the players think, when new images crash into view. It must affect their concentration, and passing.
The tunnel has moved (now under the West Stand, not the East), so I couldn't look across and see the bench. Opposite me, on the East Stand, there were rows and rows of empty seats for at least ten minutes after the start of the second half. Apparently, these are the seats that cost the price of a small terraced house. Free drinks are provided, so people are always late back to their seats.
The main singing was to the left, in the North Stand, where the old North Bank and also Clock End fans now reside, but they weren't all that loud. The Geordie fans were more enthusiastic, especially as Newcastle managed a draw.
On the way out, I asked three people how they pronounced the name of the new stadium. Partly because they were Jewish and did not like saying the name of an Arab country, but mainly because it didn't seem right, they preferred to call it Ashburton Grove - or just The Grove.
So, when they've got some new chants worked out, will it be "Arse-en-al from the Grove . . ."? To the same tune as "Tot-ing-ham, from the Lane . . .
