football firsts
Mark Arber - The former Barnet and Peterborough defender talks us through his football memories
First game you watched live? Arsenal v Southampton at Highbury, with my uncle. I remember I cried when Southampton started singing, ‘when the Saints go marching in’ because it was too loud!
I got brought up into an Arsenal-supporting family; my uncle was a season ticket holder and my dad was an apprentice there.
I would’ve been a young boy – maybe five or six – but I don’t have a clue what the score was! I was told Arsenal won. First football hero? Tony Adams. Being an Arsenal fan, I loved his attitude and integrity. In the modern era, there aren’t many that stay at the same club.
My other hero was Paolo Maldini, so perhaps there’s an allegiance or conscious bias to those that have served one club as players, captain, and were successful in what they did. First football boots? I can’t remember them specifically, no. I wouldn’t have known where they came from, what they were, what make they were.
I used to wear white boots in my later years of playing but back in those days, it was black across the board.
If you look at kids of today, they want to be in labels but back in my day, it was whatever you were fortunate enough to get your hands on! First kit? It was an Arsenal kit. I was 40 last year and my wife did a memorabilia diary of photos from when I was growing up, and I had an Arsenal kit on at two years of age.
If you look at all the kits I ever wore, it was more often than not Arsenal. First professional game? It was for Barnet at Exeter away but there’s a story about that.
The game before, I was at Tottenham and leaving the club to go to Barnet on loan. I had a game at Highbury against Arsenal in the reserves and Barnet’s manager at the time – John Still – came to watch me play with a view to signing me.
I actually got sent off in that game for fouling none other than Dennis Bergkamp.
My first sending off was at Highbury against the team I supported for a second foul on Dennis Bergkamp – when you look back, it was a good story but I don’t think Barnet were too pleased!
My debut was Exeter away and I think we drew 1-1. First professional goal? I actually can’t remember it! I can remember how many goals I got in my career, which was 49.
It would’ve been for Barnet but I’m not 100 per cent sure where and when.
My record for Barnet was pretty good – in those days, I used to score goals from set-pieces.
Early on, I was averaging seven or eight a season! First red card? I was lucky in terms of red cards. I think, in my professional career, I only got sent off twice, and one of them got rescinded. I got a second booking for feigning injury and appealed to the Football League, and it was rescinded – but the first red card would’ve been the one against Arsenal.