I had a similar list of reasons as Kellys i for our end of season demise and I sure as hell felt the same pain. There was no one reason or one game, just a combination of things. The last few weeks have been hellish in football terms, especially seeing the Mancs yesterday.
   
I went to every game, home and away, including Europe - 58 games in total. How anyone can do that year in year out is beyond me. (Are there many?). The way the TV companies and the clubs muck you around is incredible. And then you have the travelling logistics, the UK roads............

The last time I went to every game, home and away, was 1980/81. We also finished third that season aswell under Terry Neill. Brady had just gone, Stapleton and Sunderland led the attack. Kenny Sanson had signed pre season in that bizarre swap with Clive Allen. In that league season, the record was P42, W19, D15 and L8 but we still finished 3rd behind Villa and Ipswich. Liverpool were 5th and Manu were 8th. Chelsea finished 12th in the old 2nd Division!! We weren't in Europe and got bundled
out of both cups early so all in all, it was a lot easier then than it was now although, the risk of getting beaten up at away games was a lot higher then.
   
In those days, football hooligansim was at the fore. Now the "hooliganism" comes from the TV companies and the corporate greed and attitude of the clubs themselves. They are destroying the soul of football as much as hooliganism did in the 70's and 80's in my view. But they will tell you it is more popular than ever and is a great "product" so that makes it acceptable. 
   
I worked out I have spent £3450 on match tickets for the 58 games (not including the phone bill and wasted time ringing the Arsenal bo(llo)x office to find out where lost tickets were. And then spent £2300 on travel to both home and away games. So a total of close to £6000. Approximate mileage of 36,000. Luckily I had a flexible job and understanding wife.

There were some great highlights with the obvious ones being:
  
  - Milan away
  - Spuds away in the league
  - Spuds at home in the league
  - Blackburn away in the CC
  - Bolton away in the league
  - The first half display at Villa
  - Everton away
   
And some obvious lowlights:
  
  - Pool away in the CL
  - Manu away in the cup
  - Manu away in the league
  - Spuds away in the CC
  - Brum away
  - Wigan away
  - Boro away

Other more miscellaneous highlights:
  
  -Getting clapped out the ground by Milan fans and the long walk down the turrets out of the San Siro
  - visiting Prague twice in a season.
  - getting an easy exit from the Spuds after the CC hiding while the knuckledraggers were still inside celebrating their T-  Shirt/DVD/mug issuing result against us.
  - finding the best chinese restaurant EVER in Sheffield pre CC game
  - finding out there are some great swimming pools in the north of England. My spoilt 8 year old had to be bribed with a trip to a swimming pool for the later games in the season (Burnley has the best pool if anyone is interested!)
  - pre home games in the Robinson Crusoe
  - pre game drinks in Bucharest, Seville and Prague
  - the treatment by stewards and Police at Derby. Letting people out for a smoke, not forcing people off gangways and exits when it is not neccesary ie treating people like adults not animals. Was appreciated and commented on by all that benefited.

Other miscellaneous lowlights:
  
  - Newcy away - what a disgraceful view. A Makem told me on Sunday that the distance from the centre spot to the away section is a quarter of a mile!! He might be biased but it might be right. Never again.
  - Going on the team flight for the CL qualifier to Prague and being treated like dirt by club officials. You would think we were flying with the Queen on board, not a bunch of footballers whose wages we pay.
  - The Arsenal box office - from lost tickets, late tickets, non answered emails - they are a joke and not deserving of the following we have. If I have had these problems, hundreds and thousands of others must have the same problem. Only football fans would allow it.
  - The Arsenal "fans" on the tram to the San Siro insulting the locals (including pensioners, women and kids) with songs about the war, their cowardice and a number of other insults.
  - still hearing "that song" about Wenger at Manu, Spuds and Chelski and these clubs and the FA doing nothing about it. Racial abuse, homophobic abuse are publicised but nothing ever about this.
  - Arsene putting out weakend teams that ALWAYS cost us in some form or another.
  - the sunken feeling when McFadden's last minute penalty went in at Birmingham. I feared then that would cost us immensely and it did. (A public apology to my kids for my mood that weekend!!)

My players of the year - joint 1st - Sagna and Flamini, 3rd Fabregas. Special mention to Gael and Ade as well. I think Flamini is getting a bit of pasting now that he has gone, but I can't remember a game he played badly and quite the contrary, he gave 100% in every game I saw and loved geeing up our away crowd. It is a shame he has gone.
   
Goal of the year - I can't decide - either Cesc's or Ade's at WHL in the league or Fab's in Milan - all 3 sent us mental!! It would have
been Ade's at Anfield if there had been a happier ending!!
   
Finally, a word on the FA. FA being the most aptly named, lazy, lily livered bunch in charge of any sport. The way they are scared of Fergie and not dealing with his bullying of officials. (Why do you think they get decisions like yesterday and only had one penalty against them all year). And the way the FA (don't) deal with Chelski - fining them £40k for their abuse of officials - the third time. Fining Chelski? For goodness sake - what a spineless bunch of cretins. There are some serious things wrong with the game - acting, time wasting and they do FA about it.
   
But I will be back next year, just not to every game. I might try and do it again in another 27 years. We will probably finish 3rd again but will probably be behind Barcelona and Inter as it will be a European league by then!! 
   
Cheers, steve b