Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Rocky7 
Date:Thursday November 1 2012
Time: 9:14AM
UK time is: 14:57:19
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It's Bradford City Away! Yes!
It`s been a fantastic week in the league cup. We saw our miraculous game against Reading, Spurs crash out at Norwich, a great game at the Bridge and Liverpool lose at home to Swansea.
The week was made even better last night as Arsenal were draw away to Bradford City in the quarter finals of the cup. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity to progress to the semi-finals, but on a personal level it gives me the chance to take my 5 year old son to his first Arsenal game.
Since the day the we found out my wife was pregnant he became the most important thing in my life, so much so I gave up my fortnightly trips to London to see my beloved Gunners in order to save money (trains, coaches, beers burgers and match tickets every other week really adds up!), and going to see The Arsenal became something of a treat I was able to experience only a couple of times per season.
When the little monkey arrived I promised myself I`d never force my beliefs and passions on to him, leaving him to make his own choices, but fortunately for me he grew to love football and followed in his daddy`s footsteps in becoming a Gooner.
My plan always was to wait till he was 5 or 6 before taking him to his first Arsenal game, I didn`t want to spend hundreds of pounds getting him to London only to find he was bored after 15 minutes so I tested the water by taking him to a couple of matches to see our local team …. Bradford City.
Indeed if Arsenal weren`t playing or I couldn`t get to the game, I spent many a happy afternoon stood on the terraces of the Valley Parade Kop watching the likes of Chris Kamara, Dean Richards, Paul Jewell and Sean McCarthy, so I have a bit of a soft spot for Bantams.
It`s a great game for The Arsenal, a tremendous day for Bradford City, but even more momentous is that it`ll be my son`s first Arsenal match, a day I`ve been waiting for for a very long time.
Thanks for listening to my self-indulgent ramble!
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Your Comments
Always great when the sort of draw comes along that you and you alone can appreciate more than anyone else. I spent every cup draw in my time at uni wishing for Colchester United away. (Well, every cup draw they were in a least). My Mum lives in Brighton now, so Brighton away has replaced that. Most of my mates support Millwall, but somehow I always get mixed feelings about the possibility of drawing them away from home! Did something similar with my nephew a few years ago, he lived in Woolwich so I waited for Charlton to come along before I took him for the first time. That your son will experience his first game away from home, in a louder and more positive atmosphere than we get at home games will be very special too.
Little Dutch
The best I've hoped for in the past is Leeds away in the FA Cup. We got that the other year (when you kindly furnished me with a ticket) but the travel that late at night would have meant he got home in the early hours. City through midweek will be ok, I don't live too far from the ground at all. The other plus side is that if tickets prove to be too scarce in the Arsenal end I've got friends who to sit with in the mainstand. I've still got a trip to The Grove planned for sometime in the new year, because you can't beat that feeling of seeing the lush Arsenal turf for the first time.
Rocky7
R7 I understand the "not forcing your beliefs and passions on your son comment" I have a 9yr old who has caught the gooner bug to the point where he was in tears when RVP left. He awoke yesterday morning just as Reading had scored their 4th and was in disbelief - Should have seen him dancing at 6-5. Long trip for me to get to a game - maybe one day.
gunner_downunder
Something else I've found out in the last 12 hours through Twitter is that there are a few more Arsenal fans in Bradford than I thought! I often thought it was just me and this bloke down the road. Heh.
Rocky7
GD - I didn't even want to force him to like football. Even though it's one of my biggest passions, he just needs to make his own choices, I never once asked him to come and sit and watch a game or if he wanted a kick around, thankfully he decided all by himself it was what he wanted to do. He tells me that he wants to play for Arsenal when he grows up, he's just worried because he doesn't know the way home from The Grove :)
Rocky7
My lad plays as well and wants to play for Arsenal. I have wondered and asked him whether he might want to play something else but just loves football. Whilst I still play its pretty hard seeing any other sport getting a look in. PS I did see the Gunners play in 1978 - wanted to see Super Mac but he was sent home before they got here.
gunner_downunder
Cheers Rocky; and happy for you and the lad. My delight at the tie is that it is a winnable one and is a perfect chance to advance. We have to be looking to win this trophy, surely.
Naijagunner
Rocky7, that is adorable! Hope you and your son have the best day of his life so far on December 11th.
FunGunner
I don't wanna jinx it but could we win a trophy with our decent reserves/youth set up? :O
LeFondle18
Luck You!!!
chuks09
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