I’ve Had Worse Days At Wembley!
May 31st, 2015 by 'holic
Todays post is brought to you by the letter R for record and r-senal, and the numbers 6 and 12, for obvious reasons.
A wonderful day took shape in Pinner. Scallops with black pudding followed by a delicious fillet steak, all accompanied by the most wonderful drop of red I can remember since last year! A leisurely journey to the stadium allowed sufficient time for us to down a couple of tasteless lagers each at the summit of Mount Wembley.
What unfolded in front of us in the next couple of hours was pure pleasure. We don’t do ‘easy’ Cup Final wins, unless you are counting Newcastle in 1998. Even that wasn’t without it’s moments. What happened yesterday though was the total and utter dismantling of admittedly poor opponents.
We had chatted with some Villa fans earlier, and wished them well on a rare day out, although by ‘well’ we didn’t mean win it. They must have been devastated at their team’s no-show, although some could have behaved better afterwards I hear.
One could understand a degree of disappointment, however. I haven’t seen a rerun or any other reports yet, but I cannot remember a solitary strike on goal for Wojciech Szczesny to save. The biggest surprise was that it took us forty minutes to turn our overwhelming dominance into the first goal. Theo Walcott, preferred to Olivier Giroud, fully justified his selection with a swing of his left boot. Three overgrown kids in block 502 hugged and bounced.
The second goal, if I am not mistaken, will fill our screens every Cup Final day to come when they are showing the great Wembley goals. Alexis Sanchez launched an absolute belter in off the bar. Why am I telling you that? You’ve seen it. Another group hug and bouncy bouncy thing with Arseblogger and West Stand Tone. The half-time rum was kicking in I think!
We were at it again when the BFG netted with the simplest of headers. Half an hour to go. I looked around, determined to take in as much as possible. A sea of yellow and blue, a forest of smiling faces, this is what good feels like.
The substitutions, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere followed in the dying moments by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Frenchman crowned his and our season in the final minute with a near post flick, and then the final whistle, and that sea of yellow and blue let forth pure emotion.
I seem to recall an announcement about Santi Cazorla being named man of the match. How one could assess any of the attacking players to be better than each other is beyond me. Maybe the rose tinted are still on, but for me Villa let us play, and to a man we did just that.
Arsene said of the victory afterwards,
“It was a convincing one because we were at it from the first until the last minute. I never felt that the focus dropped or that the quality dropped. Overall it became comfortable in the end.”
It was of course a day for records. Twelve FA Cup wins now for Arsenal, and six of them under Arsene’s tutelage. He reflected on the fact.
“Iโm very proud of that because if it has not been done, it shows that it is not easy. All of us want to achieve things that are difficult. Itโs great for the club as well because weโve won it 12 times, more than any other club. Personally, Iโve played in seven finals and won six, so I am very proud of that.”
So another season, a mixed one certainly, ended on a high. The pints at Paddington tasted all the sweeter for it. Thank you to Charles and Kirsty, Ian, Ray, Steph, Blogs and Tone for a simply marvellous day. Thank you Nigel for the ticket, and thank you Arsenal for delivering at Stevie G’s birthday party. He would have loved it if he had been there.
218 Responses to “I’ve Had Worse Days At Wembley!”
Drink!
Brilliant H.
Just brilliant!
what esso and joe said
Thank you Holic for another brilliant report!
Beeing a Gooner wouldn’t feel the same for me without this bar ๐
‘holic, you made me feel I was there with you. What a fabulous day.
A fantastic Cup Final performance. Sheer class from beginning to end, helped, of course, by Sherwood’s over arching vanity in thinking he could go head to head with an, obviously, to everyone else, far superior team.
But for us a really happy day, a pleasure to watch every minute.
A bit like the last time we played them, oh and the one before.
Trust you are well mate.
Your friend Raymondo
Cheers H.
That Alexis goal getsbetter overtime you watch it. In fact, the whole match does. You’d be extremely hard pressed to name a better performance in a game of such magnitude.
We won it and we won it in style, take note you of dubious means.
PS, lessons in how to give a parade are planed for today too.
A real pleasure Guvna, a real pleasure.
It’s loud enough to wake the dead, Roxette groans and frostily turns her back on me and my call-to-arms alarm, set for stupid o’clock.
Half comatose, I manage to shower, dress and in less than 15 minutes am behind the wheel, in 30 at the airport, and in 45 at the gate, gripping strongly on a massive caffeine infusion, to start my day proper.
Not just any other day.
Cup Final day.
Rewind to a week ago.
“Traipsing to London to watch Arsenal” (as Rox described it) at a time when family from overseas made an unplanned but wholly necessary invasion on Feelgood Towers, was never going to be my most popular announcement. Nevertheless, I was cock-a-hoop to hear that a ticket for the big day was within reach, and once secured, it was never in doubt that I’d put a plan in place to head South and leave them to their own devices.
I reflect on her words on board the plane (for a micro-second), think “she’ll get over it”, and divert all my nervous energy to Wembley.
Descending into Heathrow from the east I see the distinctive arch of the stadium glittering in sunshine and take it as an omen.
See you soon.
It looks much closer than it obviously is, and that could be a metaphor for the day – my hope and that of 45000 others, is that the players realise we’re in for a tough day, the prize not just there for the taking. I go underground and realise I am Oyster-cardless. I take it not as an omen – “nothing’s lost”.
Onwards.
The path to the rendezvous not as linear and direct as it is to the Emirates, with 3 changes the quickest route and saving all of ten minutes on the in/out of the city alternative, I set off and 90 minutes later arrive in Pinner. Get off the train and see Baff and Miss Baff a stride ahead of me. We walk up Pinner High St and there is The Man outside the pub with the Guinni already served.
Great food, great company, great host, (nice socks Terry), and a civilised approach to lunch especially after Snowy appears. This is in contrast to the bedlam of the Green Man a year ago which was fun but hardly relaxing. This setting is serene and calm – not a bad way to be before a big Final. Bergkamp the Man provides The Brief and captures all our souls for posterity on his very expensive Nikon.
Fed, watered, its showtime and I am walking back down Wembley Way, one of football’s great strolls. Snowy and I part, heading to our respective areas in search of beer but when I clock the queues for plastic fizz I give it a miss and am in my seat, almost an hour before kick off. This seems like uncharted territory, I just sit there and take it all in – don’t think I didn’t do the same at last year’s final, I did – the details decidedly hazy for some reason.
From the get go, Arsenal are on it. The nightmare of last year, being caught cold, stagefright or whatever, is nowhere to be seen. We fizz into challenges, move the ball at speed and with purpose, and create several good opportunities that suggests “only a matter of time”. And so it proves. A deep cross headed back into the 6 yard box eventually finds its way to Walcott and he hits a great shot in about the only place that he could through the congestion and still beat Given at his near post. Stranger-hugging time again! Villa are lucky to go in at the break only one down.
In the second period, Villa appear, chests puffed out which I suppose is to suggest they mean business. Five minutes later they and their followers get deflated in style with a majestic strike by Alexis whose flight, at first viewing and in real time from my view at the opposite end, I’m convinced has taken a deflection. The big screen replay tells me otherwise. A really great FA cup final goal and richly deserved to a man who is the embodiment of the new, improved Arsenal.
To prove how rich this performance is, we only go and score from a corner. Whilst I’m regularly disappointed by our set piece routines, it cannot compare to how disheartened the Villa fans must feel at their man Benteke’s attempt at cutting out the cross. I don’t know who is more surprised as the faintly touched header goes in – me or Per. And that’s the game won right there with a good 30 minutes or so to spare. This is just SO relaxing. We have time for a fourth goal at the death but I’m convinced it’s offside. Who cares?!!
I will no doubt read and hear tomorrow that Villa failed to turn up. In truth, we’ve not allowed them to turn up. This is a great team performance with everyone playing their part. I would however pick out young Coquelin, as my man of the match, exemplary in snuffing out anything that the opponent tried to create and showing that he is not without the silks himself. The find of the season.
After the de-rigeur lifting of silver it is nice to see a smile back on Arsene Wenger’s face again – despite our continued upward trajectory he has still had some difficult moments this season but they are all forgotten now. I’m sure I detected an urge to scream “you fucking beauty” in his body language which he manages to suppress in his own unique urbane style. No such suppression from Snowy and me afterward as we schlepp back to The Tollington to cap off a splendid day.
It’s still mobbed and mental, and its difficult to move not least because my shoes are trying to evade the traction of countless ales slaked across the wooden floors. Outside, the loonies are throwing the booze into the air in their exuberance. tabs and N7 too are exuberant – we all are.
Making my way back to Hotel Bland at Heathrow, having parted properly this time from Top Man Snowy at Hammersmith. I am cheesing and I am happy.
Tired.
Content.
Happy.
Bring on the new season.
๐ ๐ ๐
Just watched the replay, fabulous. Superb attacking, fluent all over the pitch and no cards for any of our players either! Great effort from back to front. So good to see Wenger happy and pumping his hands after every delicious goal. May he win more. btw, nice shot, ‘holic.
Brilliant! A great game, great performance, and, as ever, great blog Goonerholic! A big end-of-year congratulations and thank-you for your always entertaining Arsenal blog. Truly appreciated!
Top report, Dr Feelgood.
Great report ‘holic, very impressive after yesterday’s celebrations. Is it twelve yet? Yes, it’s TWELVE!
nice one dr Z
.
and
I saw that in the last drinks h2h ๐
not far off the mark though ๐
I doff my cap in awe of those gentlemen who, after a full day of carousing, can provide us with such lucid and literary accounts of that historic day.
Respect, Holic and Dr Z.
Cheers H and Z. Both magnificent.
Bacon and tea have not touched this hangover. Something stronger is called for. I wonder if Doc Feelgood has any leads…
Oh, and WE WON THE CUP!
Wot Baff said!
A pleasure to have spent time with you all yesterday. Still on cloud nine.
Brilliant reports Guvna & Dr Z……they match the standard of the team yesterday – high praise indeed. What s fantastic finale to the season.
PS..still buzzing.
If you’re not watching….. You should be;
http://www.arseanal.com/home
Top reporting from the Guv’nor and from the good Doctor!
Don’t click H2H’s link if you’re in church. Haha!
๐
BBQ & Beers with a garden full of nervous Gooners.
And then on in to the house for the match….I cannot add anything really…except even the couple of “neutrals” in attendance were off their seats with that second goal !
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
I’d just like to thank Jack Wilshere for absolutely making my day by starting up a rendition of “My Old Man said be a Tottenham fan…”
Before Arsenal Player had to cut away (and presumably take the microphone off him…!
Priceless ๐
Jackbladdered. ๐
Hilarious.
That was magic from Jack. Just magic.
Superb write up Dr Z.
What a great couple of accounts of a wonderful day. Congrats to Holic and Zico.
I went to and from the match ( but did not sit ) with an old friend who despite supporting Arsenal for many years had never been to the Final before. We went to Marylebone pre- match to meet some friends in the Sports Bar, a recent ritual that seems to have a 100 % record of paying off! The place was jumping and while everyone was expecting a close game there was reasonable optimism we would prevail.
But we girded our loins for a long, fraught afternoon , possibly encompassing extra time. It felt even longer to my ancient limbs as the ยฃ90 seat I had in block 115 necessitated me standing for the whole game. Now I know why I sit in the Upper Tier at Arsenal!
The game had a dreamlike quality. It was as if Carlsberg had invented the perfect Arsenal Cup Final. We just bossed the game from the start. Our attitude was spot-on and all we needed was that first goal. That it came from Theo was appropriate. He is a scorer of opening goals in big games and he did it again making a tough chance look straightforward. His and Sanchez’s movement were the keys to our fluidity and our midfielders bought themselves time by close control, confidence and strength which Villa couldn’t match. Liverpool must have watched our performance and wept. Grealish was totally peripheral , Delph looked less like a top quality general than a harassed lance- corporal and Benteke was starved of anything resembling a service. So Villa were reduced to the side we have already thrashed twice this season. Now it was a third and more comprehensive beating. They literally were unable to threaten our goal. In that sense I don’t think I have seen a professional final where one team so outplayed the other.
The last two goals went in at the far end to such an eerie silence we couldn’t believe they had been allowed. The Sanchez goal was a perfect metaphor for his season. Spectacular, viciously deceptive and utterly unstoppable. I thought he was probably our MOTM but what a lot of choices we had!
At the end we partied and hugged, took our videos and tried to drink in that elusive feeling of success, particularly sublime success. We got back to St. Pancras for the obligatory beer and then joined a train full of Gooners home. My mate observed that this was ‘ the perfect day’. My perfect day involves sex with Michelle Pfeiffer but alas, I don’t believe that was ever on offer but 4-0 at Wembley is the best sort of replacement for carnal lust.
It was a triumph for Wenger, who I hope receives the respect he deserves. He has learnt this season and deserves huge credit for being prepared to adapt and change. It will be wonderful if he can crown his career with one of the big two…and an FA Cup hat- trick of course
Thanks z and ttg for your recollections. I don’t think Michelle Pfeiffer would give you 45 minutes each way for ninety quid, sir. ๐
Agree with snowy about being on cloud nine still ๐
I donโt think Michelle Pfeiffer would give you 45 minutes each way for ninety quid, sir.
No harm in asking though. ๐
But could you score 4 in that period?
Good stuff, TTG.
๐ cracker
‘hol
.
though
thanks to you and thunder T
I now am the owner of a headful
of shall we say forthright pfeiffer thoughts
and it the sabbath day
for shame
๐
Lovely stuff TTG
Afternoon Ladies and Gents
What a game !!!!! watching Arsenal and no sign of a heart attack or fainting with nerves. Just a performance from start to finish and what a performance ๐
Alot has been said about how the villa never turned up, they were not allowed to turn up. They tried briefly to slow the game down and catch thier breather after onslaught after onslaught. We however had other idea`s we hunted them down in packs and didnt give them a chance to draw a gasping breath and took the ball off them ever time. They had no answer at all to it, fantastic performance from back to front, just outsatnding.
COYG
It was such a pleasure watching the game. For once we simply turned up, played well and won the game. With twenty minutes to go I said to someone that it was weird being in such a comfortable position ie. knowing we were going to win the game. We didn’t do anything to make our own lives harder. We played our game and did it as well as we could. We were just so good.
That should be the blueprint for the procession of finals we shall march mightily into in the coming years. Oh yes. *rubs hands avariciously*
What do we think of Tottenham?
I found the cure to my hangover!
Turns out it was more beer…
So I’m simply gonna keep the celebration going- WE WON THE CUP!
attaboy gsd
i’m resplendent in paper stitches on me chin
and a little off the shoulder guinness gargle number
and yes
WE WON THE FUCKIN CUP
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
https://vine.co/v/ehqJdTT2E2u
Hehehehehe
Great report ‘Holic, Zico, TTG & others. This was possibly the best performance in a FA Cup final our generation have seen. Sure it was only 17th place Aston Villa (I guess the Chelsea we beat 2-0 was a better team) but to dominate a final so overwhelmingly and play with such breathtaking abilities and composure is a rare occasion.
A successful season in my opinion. The league was lost in the first couple of months where a scandalous amount of injuries and post-WC fatigue did us in. After that we regrouped, evolved as a team most importantly in manners tactical and game management, had a couple of career breakthroughs of Arsenal youth team players, had a few wonderful performances against the other top four sides, and made a new home for a player who is going to become one of the scintillating bests of PL history. The Monaco home game was one of the low point of the season but what transpired after that match make me cautiously optimistic that this Arsenal team is finally overcoming their patented Seppuku act forever.
My top five players of the season, in no particular order, but I think the player of the season would be a toss-up between the first two. In any case, they would be my #1 and #2 of the season, #3-#5 can be in any order.
#1 Santi Cazorla: Who had ever thought this diminutive two-footed wizard of mischievous smile would become a magnificent deep-lying CM in PL? The performance against Man City away would remembered as one of the best in that role for a long time. He glided around muscular tackle-hounds as smoothly as he made fool of more technically minded midfielders, defending deeper, carrying the ball through lines of midfielders, releasing laser guided long passes to set-up attacks and joyfully joining ranks with Ozil and Alexis to create some of the finest moves in football this season. Keep your paws off, Barca and Real!
#2 Alexis : He likes to be called just by his first name. And there really is only one Alexis. A great signing, he started the season on fire and even though towards the end of the winter the goals and penetrative runs started to fade away a bit he remained an ever-present ever-willing ever-inspiring talisman of this side. A superlative combination of abilities, attitude and hunger , his impact on the whole squad has been one of the stories of the season. Players as different as Ox and Giroud had all caught his infectious enthusiasm as chasing for the lost cause to win it back. 25 goals in 52 appearances in the first season was just only one aspect of his game. And we Arsenal fans know that we are privileged to watch someone very very special.
#3 : Francis Coquelin: Never write anyone off. In these times of transfer fees comparable to GDPs of a small African nation and signings being judged by how much they cost, this was a good old Arsenal success story of bringing players through the youth system. He has been around, some of us liked him in his limited appearances before he went out for loans that seemed to have stalled his career before an emergency recall gave the team, albeit somewhat serendipitously one must admit, to complete the final puzzle in shape and formation by showing the need for a purely defensive minded player at the base. His intelligent, physically aggressive, tactically astute and most importantly selflessly disciplined protection of the back four allowed the wizards and geniuses in the front to flourish.
#4: Nacho Monreal: Remained under the radar outside of Arsenal fraternity, but it was undoubtedly the most assured and accomplished left back performances in Arsenal shirt after A$hley Cole had left. Not as athletically gifted as Clichy or Gibbo, but used the experience of playing as a center back in the early days of the season to add physical aggression and positional awareness to his already solid technical abilities and tactical discipline. Our left side never looked vulnerable in the second half of the season. Even though Gibbs with his flying runs on the outside probably complements Alexis tendency to cut inside better, Monreal was no slouch going forward as well, protecting the ball in tight areas around the penalty box and playing some lovely one-twos with Ozil and Alexis or making a sideways dragging run to open up space. And course he then scored a very important goal away at ManU in FA Cup Q-F.
#5: Shared between two players who essentially played for half a season each: Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil. Sections of media and even some in our fan-base remain unconvinced by them, but their reintroduction in the winter after the long lay-offs (along with Coquelin’s rise) gave us the silk and the steel — Giroud’s silky touches and Ozil’s steeliness are overlooked — that we were lacking a bit. Both had one or two nightmare games, but both were central to our biggest performances this season. Giroud ended with a highly respectable 19 goals in 36 appearances with some coruscating pile-drivers against ManU or Liverpool complemented by a series of trademark near-post clever finishes, but equally importantly his hold-up and link-up play remain a reliable revenue for our attacking midfielders to swarm in. Ozil, ever the meta footballer, opening up spaces for others with relentless movements and swiftly changing focus of attacks with a single spin and pass or creating opportunities with flicks and dummies that only he could see were on, had also tirelessly aided Coquelin and Santi with defensive duties that could be under-appreciated. However, one feels more are to come from these two in the next season.
cynic ye seen the gunner funk you up tonight vine
๐
@37 … #5 … “reliable avenue” , not “revenue” ๐
Great photo, Holic, and a damned decent write-up too.
Good Feelgood stuff, and ttg.
Glad you all had such a great day. Will have to try and join you next year as we complete the double. ๐
cba – I haven’t. For some reason vines don’t work on my Mac unless they’re posted somewhere like Twitter or embedded on another website. If I try to watch it on the actual vine site, it doesn’t work. Just a frozen image. The link I posted doesn’t play for me, but it does on the Twitter page I nicked it from. No idea why,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nNwkVHPh_T0
So yesterday’s result is permanent then? ๐
Repeat performance next year in Champions League final against Barcelona!!
๐
Alas Dockyard Dora wouldn’t give you 45 minutes each way for ยฃ90 ( it’s more like ยฃ110) and nowadays I would definitely not score four times . It’s sad for Michelle because she won’t know what she missed.
Haha, thank you cba.
You can the age of the patrons of the bar, all this drooling over Michelle Pfeiffer ๐
can tell*
Michelle Pfeiffer happens to be my exact age so meeting her on the street, or even at the docks, would still be an arousing experience I suspect. As for scoring 4 in that period I can only wonder, is Viagra allowed in this game?
Only 49?—-I’m not a cradle snatcher!
One of the lovely footballing days yesterday – one that reminded me how proud I am to be a Gooner! It was a thoroughly proficient, clinical performance by the team. An interesting subplot was that I think a lot of the media-inspired ‘hot air’ about Sherwood’s merits as a manager was shown up yesterday. Giving players a bit more belief and liberating their attacking intent is all good, but when you’re up against far superior opponents, that’s when you really need to justify your salary and come up with a honed, disciplined tactical game plan (a la recent efforts by Monk and Advocaat against us) – instead, Sherwood set up as I hoped he would – no tactical nuance, taking us on at our own game – and there was only ever going to be one winner. That takes nothing away from our performance which would have troubled any side in Europe yesterday.
Agreed with the general consensus that it seems churlish to pick a MOTM from yesterday, but I think for the staggering goal and the sheer positive intent and relentlessness of his performance (which he gives week in, week out), I’d pick Alexis. And picking up from a Dr F comment, Alexis would comfortably get my Player of the Season vote, not Santi – who seems to be the current favourite. Alexis carried the team from an attacking perspective from Aug-Jan, and even when his performances waned slightly and other players (Santi, Mesut, Oli G) came to the party, he was still contributing substantially to the team. Nacho would be my #2 – outstanding performer through the entire season – helping us out of a right hole when we had no centre-backs to pair Per (!), and has since taken that CB robustness to make him a more proactive defensive LB, and his attacking game now carries more thrust and variety than Gibbs. So many interesting selection subplots to take into next season (hopefully coupled with a couple of necessary additions at DCM & CF) – should be an exciting season….
still basking like basking basker from baskerville ..also pretty drunk ..JA GUNNERS JA!
Anyone thinks this was not masterminded by little Anderi Arshavin?
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32950796
The question is: where is the raggedly dressed weather beaten serf? ๐
Excellent post, ‘Holic. You, too, have ended the season on a high.
Tip of the hat to Zico, ttg and (the other/the real?) Dr F, too. And a drink on the bar for all the other regulars old and new.
Still basking in the pure scrumptiousness of yesterday.
Excellent memoire of a fabulous day, Holic. Couldn’t have been better.
fantastic story, holic. still buzzing, still overjoyed, and, as always, so thankful for this place. “watching” the game here at the bar was a pleasure, with trev, h2h, bayonne jean, Delia, รฉandy, and others sharing the joy and excitement.
z, ttg, thanks for your great pieces…they make me ache with longing to some day find a rocking horse dropping in early mid May London.
another Guinness? don’t mind if I do, thanks. ๐
Gregoire@51: That there is more than one candidate to be player of the season says a lot about how much the team has progressed this year. For me, Alexis would shade it over Santi or Ozil, magnificent players all. First, Alexis has done what great players do, i.e., have game wining moments, and second his attitude to the game seems to have rubbed off on those around him. If we had an award for step-up-when-you-have-to-and-take-your-chance by the scruff of the neck, it would be three-way tie between Nacho, Le Coq and Bellerin. They all contributed a huge amount to the run-in. There are going to be some interesting team selections next season: Ospina, Woj or a new keeper; Bellerin or Debuchy; Ollie G or Theo up front; Le Coq, Arteta and the world-class DM we’ve not been able to find. How are the Ox, Wilshere and Welbeck going to get regular playing time? Or the likes of Gnabry? Good problems to have.
Was there a match yesterday?
Thanks for another season of excellent writing, Holic.
Still love reading your posts.
Another trophy.
Enjoy the silly season, all.
I’m still enjoying the afterglow! Not just yesterday, but all season long the traveling support has been magnificent! Roll on summer.
‘Holic -thanks again for your excellent work this season.
Michelle Who, Cynic? If you wanna be a toy boy perhaps, but let’s keep it under 50 and offer Sophie Marceau the ยฃ90 … you never know with les femmes Francaise. ๐
Excellent summary, ‘holic, as always.
Just goes to show what might have been in recent years when we continually played with key players injured. Pretty much a full squad to choose from yesterday, and the chosen XI duly looked awesome. If we can keep ’em fit then anything is possible – especially with one or three judicious buys, just to keep everyone on their toes.
This season break is already beginning to drag… ๐
รskar
On Wednesday I received a phone call from the mate of mine who I have attended games with for the last 20 years. A friend of his had now come into a spare ticket. If he went and sat with him did I want the other of our two tickets to take my little fella? I of course jumped at the opportunity, and the start of a truly wonderful occasion was born. The look on his face meant the financial cost was really not something to even think about.
Saturday arrived and the excitement was building. The pre match plans remained unaltered. JJ Moons in Kingsbury is not somewhere you would take a loved one for that โspecialโ occasion. But for a spot of lunch and some reasonably priced ale it is just the ticket. Not quite fillet steak but the 14oz rump with a free pint for a tenner did the job. Pre match refreshments completed it was time to make the short journey to Wembley.
Decked out in yellow we both alight and join the masses. The crowds are more than building even though it is still 90 minutes before the kick off. As we start the walk along Wembley Way I get that immense feeling of pride. I make sure that nothing is rushed. Take it all in son, these days do not come along that often. I ask him how he feels. He replies with a massive smile on his face, โexcited dad, but Iโm nervous.โ
That walk is one that will stay with me forever. We enter the ground and head to block 505. The Lord must really have been smiling down on me as I stroll to the drink outlets. Do my eyes deceive me? Not at all. For the first time at Wembley I find the Real Ale bar. Not only do I find the bar but itโs the only one with no queue. 2 pints of Hobgoblin drawn from the cask and itโs time to head to our seats.
The atmosphere was electric, truly wonderful. The events on the pitch have been viewed many times over so there is little I can do to add to what has already been said. I was excited by the team selection. My only worry with Villa was that they may catch us on the break. Playing Theo up front meant that the Villa back four would not be able to hold such a high line. It also creates a lot more space for the trio of magicians to operate in just behind the striker.
Arsenal dominated. Villa didnโt turn up. No shots on target is evidence enough of that. But this was as most a complete an Arsenal performance that I can remember. This was a poor Villa side but we genuinely took them to the cleaners. By the time Theo scored the opener we could already have been three up. The Sanchez strike 5 minutes into the second half was just world class. What a signing he has been. I was particularly pleased to see the BFG get on the score sheet. He is a player that many find easy to criticise, and on a regular basis. Yet he is another that always does the scruffy stuff well. How many times a season can you say that Per has been responsible for us conceding? Not many I would suggest. Ollie G provided the forth and queue even bigger celebrations around the ground. Block 505, as was the rest of Wembley by this stage was a sea of yellow. The celebrations were savoured to the max, as I said, you have to make the absolute most of days like these.
We left the grounds with massive smiles on our faces and headed to say hello to Sir Bobby. There we met up with BTM, Bath and Miss Bath. Smiles and mutual appreciation followed before Bath took us on a 5 mile route march that he insisted was a short cut. To his insistence we managed to duet to the Stevie G birthday song. The days proceedings started to draw to a close with a fish supper , successfully devoured on the platform at Preston Road.
We eventually arrive home 20 minutes before MOTD was due to start. The celebratory ale that I had chilling was about ripe for picking. The day had been one of making memory after memory. I have been very fortunate over the years with the amount of finals I have attended. But none have I enjoyed more, or have made me more proud than this one. Getting to spend the day with Ben, seeing the look on his face and seeing him jump through the roof at every goal is something that I will treasure forever.
Top report H. Excellent tales from Zico and TTG. To those whose company I had the privilege of yesterday, thank you for being a part of it. To all of those I have enjoyed the company of over the last year, both virtually and in the flesh, my sincere thanks to you all. To the Guvnor, my sincere thanks for a season on toil and excellence. This is a truly wonderful establishment.
Steve, you were missed, though I’ll wager you had an amazing day. I could have eaten a fish supper last night and most definitely could now.
To all of you, thanks for your kind words. Enjoy these winning moments. It is these that make all of those defeats, and the ensuing vitriol, worthwhile.
Now for summer, and a blogger who hates transfer speculation. Hehe, it could be quiet around here! ๐
Hello everyone!
I’m still buzzing here!
I’m glad to see that everyone else enjoyed the cup final as much as I did.
I swear, I can’t stop watching highlights of that final.
We were so good!
Thinking this was going to be another one of those days where we had 60-plus percent possession and have it be 0-0, or 1-0 to the opposition because of a single defensive lapse, I figured 10 minutes before the half was the right time to beat the halftime crowd and head downstairs to the can — sorry, forgot to speak English there, the bog.
And just as I finished washing my hands, a huge roar went up. Since I knew the place had maybe 10 Villa fans and 100 Gooners, I knew this was something good happening. I ran upstairs with my hands still sopping wet, and before I could see anything, I heard, “Theo! Theo! Theo!” After his injury last year, I was so glad he got to be the hero.
I was still a little nervous that the defensive lapse was going to send this to extra time or penalties, when Alexis hit that screamer. After that, I was able to do 2 things I’ve often been told to do, but have never be able to do at the same time: KEEP CALM AND SUPPORT ARSENAL.
There were 2 boys there in full kits, both around 6 years old. The boy in the Arsenal kit had nearly a ginger afro. A fake cheesy mustache, and he would have been a perfect Mini-Me for 1979 Final hero Alan Sunderland. The boy in the Villa kit took it hard, as if he’d just gotten his heart broken for the first time. The only unfortunate note on a great day.
We’ve gotta do this again sometime. How’s next May sound?
Outstanding reports by the Guvnor, Ttg, Dr. Z and Steve T. You all make me feel as if I had been there even if I wasn’t and am actually sitting here jealous as hell. ๐
Great tale, Steve T, of a great day out. As the Guv’nor said, these are the days that you suffer all the bad ones for. Saturday wiped clean an awful lot of slates.
Oh so different from last Mays knife edged thrill ride………..
Just rows and rows of white teeth on display from smiling and relaxed Gooners.
Was it all a dream? The Arsenal dont do finals the easy way,credit to Wenger and the team magnificent!..
Must say the Villa fans played their part, great support for their team.
MOM The Arsenal…………..Salute all Gooners where ever you are
Nice words above thanks to all.
Biggest thank you goes to the Guvnor for another stellar season of blogging.
Enjoy the silly season, Holics.
Me, I’m looking forward to my convicted cousins from Perth etc coming home for the holidays. ๐
Top stuff Steve T. I believe you are in fact the first person ever to locate the real ale bar in Wembley.
It may even have been staged just for you in what sounds like a perfect ‘Carlsberg’ Cup Final.
FFS, someone I know who was at the game was washing her hands when Theo scored as well.
I had to wash mine after he scored. ๐
Today is the 720th anniversary of the first written record of Scotch, a notable feast day at Castle Ned. A monk at Lindores Abbey in Fife was the responsible scribe. I am sure all ‘Holics will honour this occasion appropriately.
A great write up from the Gaffer and some cracking drinks above.
What a day that was. Had the pleasure of spending the whole thing in some absolutely top notch company, and couldn’t have asked for a better environment than the Tollie in which to witness one of the finer Arsenal performances in living memory (OK, Wembley might also have been an acceptable alternative).
I won’t do a blow by blow, as others have already covered that ground far better than I suspect that I’d be able to. I’ll just call out a few highlights.
I thought the boss had an absolute stormer. The selection of Theo up front was a big call, but one he got bang on, and the defence’s handling of Benteke was an absolute dream. It also occurred to me on the way home that not many people at the start of the season would have suggested that Cazorla would be effectively converted to a deep lying central midfielder (I certainly didn’t see it coming at all), but what a crucial decision that’s proved to be. As others have said above, our player of the season, narrowly edging Alexis and Monreal in my book.
In terms of performers on the day, I thought that Coquelin was MOTM, simply by virtue of not putting a single foot wrong. Maybe it’s because he gives us what we’ve previously lacked, but it’s an absolute delight to watch a player who seems to care about nothing more than breaking up play, winning the ball, protecting the front of the defence and starting attacks from deep. His discipline is just immense: even in the last 20 minutes, with the game won, he showed no inclination to get forward and try to join in with the attack. We’ve probably not had a player in this position who you could say that of since Gilberto. Not only was he defensively superb on the day, I thought he also made fantastic use of the ball. Top stuff.
Beyond that, everyone else was great. Particular shouts for Ozil, who showed his class, Alexis, for the assist on the first goal and that absolute rocket of a second, and also Per. It was great to see the BFG score the third and celebrate with gusto – he had a tough start to the season, and I’m probably not alone in having thought his time with us might be up. He’s proved me wrong these last few months by reasserting his level, and it’s clear that there aren’t many players in the squad who care more than he does. He’s a proper leader, and he and Kos together are formidable.
Before the game, I was loudly forecasting a 4-1 win, but it turns out I either underestimated us, or overestimated Villa. Either way, I was glad to be wrong. This game was a total contrast to last season’s cup final, for me – I was convinced we’d win it for weeks beforehand, and never felt particularly stressed. Our record against Sherwood and Villa is faultless, Timmy the Gooner loves to play a high line, and the selection of Walcott in the final league game suggested that Le Boss recognised this and was setting up accordingly. I thought we would smash them, but I hadn’t remotely anticipated the manner in which we’d do so – the most one sided cup final I can ever recall seeing.
Finally, a word on this place, and our support. Where would we be without the bar and the friendships which have been forged herein? I have no idea, but I do know that the lows would be lower, and the highs that bit less high (quite literally, in some cases). I’d like to thank Holic for the continued running of this place, and all the contributors for the ongoing good tone and general decency of the blog.
My view of what it means to be a supporter is that you celebrate together in victory, and lift each other in defeat, and that’s what this community has done down the years. Many’s the time after a bad result I’ve dropped into the bar, perhaps harbouring some dark thoughts about our future direction, and had my mood lifted by the jokes, sense of fraternity and astute observations to be found on these pages. It’s sometimes hard to find a bit of perspective on the internet, but this place is a bastion of good sense when the chips are down.
As I stood in the Tollie beer garden on Saturday night, surrounded by joyful Gooners, I couldn’t get the smile off my boat. The celebrations were, if anything, even better than last year, when we’d all been put through the wringer to such an extent that the final whistle felt less like winning a cup final and more like the climax of a protracted group therapy session. This time round it was just pure happiness: we’d known we had it won for at least half an hour, we’d done it in style and – most importantly – we were all there together, with no real dark clouds above our heads. This is what it’s all about, football: enjoying the highs, and celebrating with your mates. Hopefully we’ll have more of this to come in the seasons ahead.
Speaking of which, I’m going to take this opportunity to restate my prediction: we are going to win the title next season. It’s finally, finally on for us. I think the boss has a tricky summer ahead, in that he needs to make smart additions (and probably not too many of them), while also maintaining the excellent balance we enjoy across the squad. Personally, I’d like to see another DM, a top class keeper (if one is available) and maybe another attacking player. I’m starting to get a funny feeling that what we might actually see is one big signing, perhaps in the centre forward position, and my gut is telling me that it might be Benzema. We shall see.
A drink on the bar for all who read this far. Here’s to the club, the players, the manager, and the support. Here’s to the Arsenal.
COYG
Great posts from those that were there,including himself,glad you scored a ticket H.
Not really a contest unfortunately,but superb performance by the whole team.
But the stand out moment for me occurred after the match,and that was the affectionate heartfelt embrace between Stan and Arsene.
Throughout all our recent travails in past seasons Stan has maintained his unequivocal support for our esteemed manager.
No Russian Oligarch or oil rich money to bankroll the team,just a firm belief in good governance and balancing the books,and no interference in the football side of the club.
Stan’s ear to ear grin said it all.
Danny was right in his decision to pass the baton to Stan,safe in the knowledge that he would continue to uphold the traditions of our great Club.
Playing football the way it was meant to be played,with a manager whose philosophy has never wavered,even in the face of the most virulent criticism,that he has had to face.
Long may it continue.
cheers
The Sweeper.
N7, Clive,
Two very different posts.
Both superb.
What Trev said. With bells on.
Wot N7, Clive, Trev, GSD and Jack said. ๐
bath knows.
what everyone said
everyone knows
๐
Indeed really great posts Z, TTG, Steve, N7 & Clive.
My non football moment of the day was the underrated yet utterly class manner in how Arteta handled himself as a Captain, player, ambassador and leader of this bunch of lads.
The interviews he gave pre & post match, his coy reluctance to lift the cup despite not making the squad (let alone the bench) and his thoughtful involvement of Diaby in the post game celebrations demonstrates the cohesiveness and inclusiveness of this bunch.
He may have slowed down somewhat and struggled for fitness all season but he’s a smashing lad and one would seem to think he has all the attributes to become a really good coach one day.
What CBA said.
Nobody knows.
pan G
๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
chuckle of the day
Thanks, cba!
Pangloss, on this occasion you are wrong. Rare, I know.
Arsene knows. ๐
Not as rare as I’d like to think, bath. Thanks for the correction.
Too late really for my comments on the game, except to say that the boy and I enjoyed a great day – this time from a different perspective in row 4. Nice to have so many North Bank mates dropping over to say hi and share the day – true camaraderie. Congratulations to so many above who have so eloquently shared the moment. We were lucky to be at Wembley and this performance will live in the memory.
What I really wanted to do was support Jack so strongly. For those not in the UK a clearly semi pissed Jack led the crowd in a few choice anti Spurs songs, including the delicate ditty My old man, said be a Tottenham fan ….
Now a number of Aunt Matilda’s have taken umbrage to this, talked about boorish behaviour and even said it should put his England place in jeopardy (The Daily Torygraph). So I just wanted to say this.
Football is a working class game. I’m a working class lad, elevated to a middle class existence by educational opportunities and my own hard work. Football, and especially the North Bank, is where I reconnect with my working class roots. Swearing is part of football and always has been. (as I told my son when he was little, just don’t repeat the chants in front of your Mother or Teacher or risk the consequences). It’s part of the catharsis that is going to football (sorry – getting all Fever Pitch on you now).
Jack, like Charlie George, Perry Groves and Ray Parlour amongst many others is a fan as well as a player. His drunken chants endear him to the fanbase who recognise one of their own.
Get off his back!
bath ๐
from my knows
to Arsene’s ears
i can’t even sit down and behave
in me own house
watchin a game
for free
.
agree c100
.
football is about big dollops of emotion
It’s Saturday afternoon, the sun is shining, anticipation is thick in the air and Gooners are appearing from all directions in huge numbers. There is about to be a football match – yes, they do still occasionally happen on Saturday afternoons – between The Arsenal and Aston Villa.
This game has been eagerly anticipated for quite some time. Thousands of fans have been unable to get the tickets they had hoped for as demand has hugely outstripped supply.
This Saturday afternoon was August 19th, 2006, and Aston Villa were the first visitors in a competitive match to our sparkling new Emirates Stadium. There it stood, landed like a giant alien space craft between the two railway lines that run into Drayton Park and Moorgate to the east, and Kings Cross to the west.
In keeping with the Arsenal way, things didn’t quite turn out how they were supposed to that Saturday afternoon. The visitors had the temerity to take the lead on 53 minutes with a header from a set piece, you will not be surprised to hear, and Arsenal enacted their oft repeated version of The Alimo to secure a solitary point 6 minutes from time. A young Theo Walcott, making his debut that day, crossed for a certain Mr van Persie to head on to the foot of Gilberto Silva who fired home to the mass relief of most of the 60,000 crowd.
Much has changed since that day – here is the Arsenal team –
Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Djourou, Hoyte (Flamini โ80), Hleb, Gilberto, Fabregas, Ljungberg (Walcott โ73), Adebayor (v.Persie โ65), Henry. Subs Unused: Cygan, Almunia.
– but that goal encapsulates much of what has happened in the intervening 10 years. Just look at the personnel involved – Gilberto Silva, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott.
Gilberto Silva, possibly the player we have missed most in recent years, was allowed to leave too soon in deference to the youth policy Arsene Wenger knew was going to have to see the club through some difficult, financially strapped years. But leave he did, along with the world class Robert Pires and, one year later, a somewhat disaffected Thierry Henry, who was joined on the plane to Barcelona by Alex “Twisty McNoscore” ( courtesy Bloggs, I believe) Hleb. The quality of his replacement, Denilson, was indicative of what we would have to endure for some seasons to come.
Robin van Persie, another young acquisition with huge talent but a hot head and an injury record longer than the face Ashley Cole pulled at the club’s offer, for a left back in 2006, of a mere ยฃ60,000 per week. Robin himself would later badly let down the manager who had stood by him through legal and medical difficulties, along with the club’s other best players around the turn of the noughties, Fabregas and Nasri.
Talking of injury records – Theo Walcott. Another huge potential but very young, very inexperienced, very weak but very, very fast. And it would be a very, very long time before we would see the best of Theo. Maybe it is just beginning to happen. At 26 he is now physically mature and over the last couple of games is finally starting to show signs of the strength he will need to play in the position he craves. We would all love to see it happen – no one more so than the manager who put the last of his money where his mouth was when Theo was still in his latish teens.
Just look again at that 2006 team though, with the likes of Ebouรฉ, Djourou, Hoyte, Adebarndoor, Cygan and Almunia.
Compare with, Bellerin/Debuchy, Koscielny, Mertesacker, รzil, Sanchez, Cazorla.
The bare concrete of the 2006 stadium is now decorated with murals of Arsenal legends, fronted by bronze statues of the very best of them. The empty coffers of 2006 are refilled with the proceeds of 18 consecutive years of Champions League qualification – a miracle looking at some of the squads the manager has had to work with and the competition he has faced.
The team is reinvented and rejuvenated as truly top international class stars arrive and are created from the ranks.
All made possible by one man who had a vision, belief, faith in his own ability and that of his players. He also had the loyalty or stubbornness, depending on your point of view, to stay and see it through despite better offers from elsewhere and some disgraceful abuse from some who were supposed to be supporting him.
I’m not ashamed to say I had to wipe away a tear on this most recent Saturday afternoon, as I watched Arsene Wenger doing what he lives for…… holding another Arsenal trophy.
He will now want that Premier League title again.
How brilliant will it be to see him holding it.
trev
.
now that’s how ye do it!
.
nice one
Trev @ 88: Wonderful post.
Five or ten years from now Arsene would be remembered as one of the very best managers of his generation irrespective of how many more trophies that he wins though of that there too would be plenty more.
He himself always says that he finds the club’s consistency over the lean years of stadium building to be his most satisfying achievement.
How magnificently genius that achievement was people would realize in years to come.
Trev – wonderful piece. I agree with every word.
Just a postscript to the final – we wouldn’t have been there without my personal “I was there” highlight of the season – 9000 Gooners cheering on the team to a victory at Old Toilet. Glad to see Danny on the pitch at the end at Wembley – he helped get us there!
Fucking hell lads. Getting emotional reading these.
Well in, Trev – that’s absolutely spot on.
And spot on also is Countryman. Telling that Jack draws bigger and more negative headlines for saying “shit” in public than the Leicester squad do for hosting and filming a racist orgy. Priorities, eh?
Applausey thing @ 2 fat ladies
(88 to you non-gambling types).
non gambling types ?
bingo dr F ?
.
s’not like yer shootin craps
in a 40s dive
wi muscles o’toole
.
blue rinses and lumbago
more likely
.
but respeck gangsta innit
๐
Still recovering from back to back wins and the realisation that I have supported the gooners for 10 wins in all out of 12 doesn’t help
But maybe, for those who missed the goals, this might help
http://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2015/jun/01/2015-fa-cup-final-brick-animated-video?CMP=EMCFTBEML853
Some top drinking on here. Good stuff.
What Esso said.
Fine frontlining reporting from Uncle Mike and Brother Steve.
Top posts by Trev and N7.
And Mr Clive.
Hell, all of ya. ๐
Sanchez style head back accross the box for…………..
?
Well in, cba.
henry
the mild mannered janitor?
no
Why does Arsenal make me cry so much?? I never cry in life but lord they make me cry. I cried when i saw us win again, i cried when i saw Sir Arsene Wenger hold the trophy aloft and i cried again when i saw the victory celebrations. Must tell you those tears never felt better.
Where are those who booed Wenger at Stoke? Where are those who criticized Ozil and Ramsey and Said Santi is to old now. Forget it and let me keep it for another day.
I adore Wenger, i have not seen Arsenal without Wenger apart from the time Rioch was in and out, so for me he is been the the perennial figure when players have come and gone, disrespecting him is a crime. He is human and has made mistakes but not intentionally, no one can accuse him of that.
Finally as the dust settles down, the stupid media is going over Jack and his comments which has apparently lead him to apologize. I mean what has the world come to, he wins a trophy, says what he feels and then this moral policing??? incredulous, never mind jack telling the truth is very rarely accepted.
On to 2 months of boredom and speculation. I do as always look forward to the next season and this time with a genuine belief that with a couple of additions, we will win the league.
Thank you all here for a wonderful season and looking forward to the same next season.
You’ve clearly never been to the Housie in Fife, cba….
ah
howdy ned
anything planned uisce- wise
for the anniversary?
*adds the kingdom to travel plans*
good man vinay
next season is ours
Trev@88: Top post. Agree with every word. AW deserves another PL title or two, and especially the one trophy that has eluded him to date, the CL. It would be nice for him to get both next season.
Well in cba.
cheers h2h
found meself with time on me hands
this afternoon
those around me disagree
post-final slack cutting appears done
.
mmmyeaaahh blaaaaaa
.
miserable sods
Great posts N7, Trev, and all those hailing Arsene Wenger. ๐
cba@105:We’ll be raising a glass, and then downing its contents… and don’t think we didn’t notice that little bit of Gaelic slipped in there.
Eloquently put Trev. Never a truer word.
I believe that Arsene will win the two trophies he craves before he bows out gracefully.
We are privileged to have watched the Arsenal teams he has hitherto created and which will become iconic to Gooners of the future.
His first decade was a ‘golden age’ for the Arsenal. The intermisssion has passed. Golden Age Part 2 is just beginning.
COYGs
Re LJW – I saw some cobblers being spouted on the Grauniad site yesterday and have ignored it since. I would, however, like to point out for the record that I first heard that particular song at Anfield where I had gone with a friend from the dark side to watch Liverpool v T*ttenham to celebrate his birthday. On that occsion, the words of the first line were “My old man said ‘Be an Arsenal fan'”.
I’m not sure who is supposed to have been offended by Jack’s “boorish behaviour”. Certainly not the Arsenal fans who had turned out to watch, nor presumably the Arsenal fans watching the parade on th interweb, and, it turns out, not even Sp*ds who sing the same thing themselves.
Once more, I find myself muttering “Bollocks to the Meejah”.
๐
o’Ned
๐
pan G
the meejah is sometimes
oftentimes
worthy of a fat lip
and
a thick ear
indeed
i dabbled in that industry
of the moving sort
for a while
.
met some right spanners
Since I last back drunk I have flown to Portugal for my end of season tour with a load of mates. Very slow potter around the Algarve, loads of beer and wine( and brandy..and port etc). I am still beaming from ear to ear and the great thing is none of the other lads here are Gooners and they are soooo jealous! I am drawing out their agony by making no mention of the match but replaying the last minute which I taped on my phone. They hate me.
Just wanted to congratulate Steve T, N7, Trev and Clive and many others on some marvellous posts. We are blessed to be Gooners. Could you have a better day than Steve had with his little fella? How big an impact will that day have on his life? I’ve come to terms with my Michelle – less existence but would not turn my nose up at Sophie Marceau( or even Sophie’s mother I suspect)
My daughter sent me a picture of my 5 year old grandson dressed in Arsenal kit waving an Arsenal flag by the telly as Per and Mikel lifted the Cup. That will be a photo I treasure forever .
Wonderful stuff from all at the bar, keep the memories coming. We are in a good place as a club.
A sensible view of Jack’s civilisation threatening drunken ditty:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2015/jun/01/arsenal-jack-wilshere-song-tottenham-outrage
A German commentary on Per’s goal and a helpful translation of the BFG for his audience!
http://www.101greatgoals.com/gvideos/german-tv-commentary-for-per-mertesackers-fa-cup-final-goal-for-arsenal-was-fantastic-video/?
i wrote the death odes
for card makers
of course i didn’t
they wrote themselves
.
*fills up*
*for 79p envelope inc.*
@121 TTG
F….. right! BFG!!!!!
Get In!
๐
We just got to stop this guy : http://i.imgur.com/zzF2Xs4.webm
..and we’ll get the CL next season.
Some say we need more defenders or defensive midfielders.. I say let’s get a clinical finisher!
The premier league next and then the champions league!
Here we come!!
๐
There are a number of quite remarkable drinks there that would have made great posts.
Thank you all. So much quality and such stunning recollections of a wonderful day, season, and of course, decade.
With just the right amount of barking, cab! ๐
And thanks ‘Holic for providing this wonderful forum…
Top Top Man!!
๐
Top top top quality drinks in the bar – just the kind of quality our legendary manager prefers. Still beaming from ear to ear, it’s a tremendous feeling….
Bath@120: Quite right. You’ll hear ‘worse’ on the terraces — or what passes for them these days — at any match up and down the land. Both the neighbours and the Chavs have versions of ‘My Old Man’. Give us a break! What next? Hand-picked sanitised crowds like they had for the TV election debates in the UK, guaranteed not to say a word, let alone a word out of place?
And what BB said @126.
i think i said it before
we’re football fans
it’s football
we aren’t a knittin’ circle
the obvious stupid chants are just that
fuck em and fuck the turds singin em
but
fer fucks sake
its still the fuckin football
jeez
the cattle were usherin their calf-folk
away from the noisy human
in his brick shouty house
i think i might get chucked out
of the emirates when i go
fer standinupsittindownstandinup
shoutin an roarin
You’ll certainly stand out in some parts of the Emirates if you start shouting and roaring, cba. You might well be chucked out for upsetting the drawing room-style decorum. ๐
It’s not like the old days, don’t you know?
bath
i can’t shut me wazoo
when i’m watching The Arsenal
its coupla dozen years
since i was at highbury
.
the days of roarin cant be over
.
do you have to sit and sing from a hymn sheet?
You need to get into the North Upper or Lower if you want to sing pal but it’s by no means universal there (tho much better than it was). No hymn sheets yet. :0)
deary me
deary deary me
*polite quiet chant was that*
.
*gets chucked out*
.
BtM’s story still fresh
Steve, N7, Trev and Clive – excellent posts!
Currently rewatching the final for, I think, the fourth time. Also just downloaded the BBC broadcast of it for later viewing!
Thanks for the kind words, all.
And thanks again, Holic, for this marvellous place.
No more talk of “run races” now ! ๐
THEO!!! GET IN!
Oh, it’s not a live broadcast? ๐
i’ve been at gigs too
where the “shhooossshhh” instruction
goes round
.
one time
i was shoutin a whissik
for the guy singing(dead now)
who quietly asked for a swally
and a moron bouncer
told me to shut up
.
interesting night
.
i was just bein decent
.
he wasn’t
.
.
people are strange
when yer a
Oooh, THAT Alexis goal again…
cba ๐
I’ve been thrown out of a folk club for chatting during a ‘sensitive song’.
I do holler and yell at he football still though.
Enjoy, Lars. Wonderful stuff.
Upcoming dates:
Sat. June 11: Opening match Copa America Chile vs. Ecuador
(gotta find a stream to watch Alexis — whattaplaya!)
Other Chile dates: June 15, 19, 24 or 25, maybe 29, maybe July 4
Wed. June 15: 2015-2016 Premiership schedule announced
(only two weeks away!)
Sat. August 1: Arsenal tonk Chelsea in Community Shield
(only two months away!)
Sat. August 8: (please not Sunday/Monday): Premiership starts up!
Two words: Can’t wait !
bath ๐
mate o mine
passed out a bag o boiled sweets
proper good an cheap ones
stratospheric wrapper volume
when a shower of
acoustic toura loura plastic paddys
were singin their fake earnest hearts out
.
they were disappointed
.
getting the hump when people who lived through it
were munchin rhubarb and custard sweeties
was hilarious
News item: Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner to be honored with Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this Year’s ESPYs (U.S. ESPN) awards.
Will have to alert the missus that I ate lots of Wheaties when Bruce Jenner’s picture was on the cereal box.
cba, please bring your best boiled sweets when you pay us a visit.
Well BJ, it’s clearly only a matter of time until you become Bayonne Jeannie. Hopefully Wolfie will drop by to give you a few tips. ๐
This is a bloody wonderful site. Absolutely top drawer posts above.
Thanks Guv’ for making it all happen, you are an absolute diamond.
bath
i’ve said many times
i’ll be back over
in londonengland
to see the mighty Arse again
.
obviously
i’ll avoid the tollie
weirdos ๐ ๐
.
*gonna stand outside “poshbury” in tears*
Unfortunately, Premier Sports has the rights to the Copa America in the UK.
Rat bastards.
Boo. Luckily that is part of my Virgin subscription. Not everyone will have them, I know. ๐
Got to re-iterate what a brilliant level of drinks that have been posted above – no need to mention names, you are all top drawer ably led and inspired by the captain of the ship. Holic, hope you are basking not only in the peerless performance at Wembley but also in the quality of those who follow you in this fine establishment.
A brilliant level of drinks indeed, Uply, and I have the perfect gift with which to congratulate the guv’nor for inspiring them all. This is for you, ‘holic … http://machodaily.com/2015/05/7-exotic-whiskeys-youll-wish-knew-sooner/
And perhaps you can spare a wee dram for Trev, with whom I occasionally disagree but he’s otherwise a sterling chap and almost as poetic in his commentaries as cba, our resident poet floriate.
But please note the Highland Park 50 was not distilled in America as claimed!!
รskar
A “statistically calculated” team of the season that includes as many Arsenal players (Monreal, Koscielny, Sanchez, Cazorla) as Chelsea players. Maybe the numbers aren’t Chelsea fans?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/who-scored-blog/2015/may/27/premier-league-team-season-2014-2015
Sounds as if Jack should give Arshavin some singing lessons…
http://metro.co.uk/2015/05/31/ex-arsenal-man-andrey-arshavin-leads-zenit-st-petersburg-fans-on-a-sing-song-his-vocals-are-atrocious-5223328/
So…
…Whose in for some transfer market talk with me this summer?
๐
No one, I hope.
Count me in!
I need all the insider info I can get as I have literally no idea who we might sign.
much as i agree with 156
.
155 ๐
Yeah, count me in.
@159. Tottenham Hotspur will sign the entire squad of the past season’s Queens Park Rangers.
8ball
that’d be a comedy dvd
spat outta countless burners
i’d buy meself
.
*gets bus up the high road*
Pool want Walcott and Gibbs in a swap for Sterling?
What are they smoking?!?!
๐
Still bitter over Alexis no doubt..!
BB. The ‘dippers clearly value potential and their own mythology over achievement and reality. Dream on muckers.
@Bathgooner
I think Pool may have gone down the slippery slope to spudscity!
They blew their cash hoard from Torres and Suarez and have nothing to show for it, now don’t see them being able to compete anymore.. especially when ‘potential’ is leaving too..
It’s turning out to be a good year indeed!
๐
Akpom, Sanogo, Jenks, Ryo Miyaichi and Wellington Silva now officially back from loan.
Diaby and Martinez now officially out of contract.
In case you were asking….
WHat about Poldi?
Is he still with us?
Joel Campbell, too, (back from loan).
Lpoo spunking money is nothing new.
Remember Andy Carroll?
Yeah, I know it’s hard.
Guess so, BB. His move to Inter was a loan that expired on June 30th.
Well I guess if we keep most all of our players.. we won’t have room for any new signings! Not a bad thing in itself, seeing that the squad is now a cohesive team and better players are hard to come by in this market!
Cover for Giroud and Coquelin would be nice though..!
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Why would you even bother, H2H?
I went into Subway and asked for the biggest, greasiest, most expensive sub they had – and they gave me Andy Carroll !
๐
Hehs
Heh @ Trev. ‘orrible thought tho.
Poldi said to be bound for Galatasaray. Expect lots of Tweets from Hagia Sofia and the Bosporus.
Good news from Nacho (allegedly):
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/arsenal/story/2476510/nacho-monreal-i-am-happy-at-arsenal-and-want-to-extend-deal?
STILL walking on water.
I saw a boy (about 9 years old) in an Arsenal shirt earlier and shouted ‘Arsenal’ at him from across the street. Once I had his attention I beamed at him and shouted ‘FA Cup’. He did that split second pause people do during which his brain recognised that he was in no danger and the that the strange man across the street meant him no harm, and then returned my grin with one of his own. ‘Yeah’ he shouted back, with the glee that football can bring to the young and not so young alike. We shared a smile and a moment of eye contact in which I saw how happy the memory was for him and I imagine he also realised that I had been pretty chuffed by the whole cup run. Then we carried on down the road and went about our lives.
The times when I can shout ‘FA cup’ at another gooner and, without any further explanation, illicit a smile will not last forever. I intend to enjoy them fully.
Twelve times. That cup belongs to US. (By which I mean Arsenal, before all of our American Holics get too excited. Wink)
Two times I refreshed that name change. But not before my last post @176.
None of you ever notice when ‘Saurus is ill and I have to step in (which I take as a compliment). But when it comes to the boss I can’t claim to be the real deal. Arsene does all his own stunts…
Arsene Wenger is NOT a strange man….!
๐
Good point point BB – he’s more eccentric than strange.
I am though.
FIFA
With so many guys in jail and soon in jail , including Blatter , there will be no one left to run FIFA .
I will submit my candidature for free . I will send my rubber stamp to Geneva and they can rubber stamp all decisions taken , for free , no charge .
FIFA will wake up one day and realise.. hey.. where are they?!?! : http://imgur.com/gallery/j5CX6I1
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Breaking news BBC report Blattet announces intention to stand down
Sepp Blatter says he will resign as Fifa president. He says: “An extraordinary congress is to be called to elect my successor as soon as possible.”
No more world cup in the desert?!?!
๐
Win the election. Then retire. Leave them wanting more (AHEMMM). Also, leave before you are proved to be a true scumbag.
I love LJW for his chants- but there are real monsters in football. Hopefully this will mean one less.
trev
over to you , maestro
๐
BB – Let’s hope not. I would rather he’d stayed on and UEFA had boycotted and killed two world cups, but it was never going to happen.
He may still go to jail, as he should, but as a result of resigning he may have bought his freedom. Malign, mendacious poisoned dwarf.
taking the pun piss
that is
not
taking that bloater blatter’s chair
though
come to think of it
why not. , trev
ye’d have the ‘holic vote sewn up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQLQ1Rc_Js
i’m betting he saw or heard some of what the american or swiss authorities have on him, and decided that stepping down he’d have a better chance of fighting it… such a scumbag.
The voting system and the wheeler-dealers who kept Blatter in office are still there (no, not ‘arry) so there is every prospect that he will be replaced by another corrupt bastard who keeps the present plans in place.
Warner is probably singing like a canary to save his own skin. Someone has shown Blatter the evidence.
@Cynic
If I am not mistaken, Germany already said they would not boycott the world cup and not too sure spain would have either.. UEFA isn’t as united as it seems..
Let’s hope it’s not a ‘the king is dead’ ‘long live the king’ event…
but real change and cleanup of an inherently corrupted organization.
BB, it remains to be seen. No cause for great optimism if Blatter stays on as Kingmaker.
lso he has previously said he would not stand again, has he not?
it wouldn’t surprise me that the 9 current executives under indictment are singing like canaries, bath. warner is the past, and so odious. did you see his reaction to the american world cup in 2015 article in the onion? what a maroon.
i wouldn’t be surprised if there was much news of what blatter knew and when he knew it over the coming days/weeks.
i do hope the $ thing is worked out so that votes cannot be bought. i don’t know *what* fifa should look like, but it shouldn’t look like it does.
@ bathgooner
Yes am awaiting more news.. am thinking something drastic must have happened for him to resign.. not too sure if he will be able to play the role of the kingmaker..
But I agree the system itself is ingrained with systemic corruption at most all levels… a complete purge has to happen otherwise it will be Blatter again under another name..!
More from Blatter’s resignation speech: “The size of the executive committee must be reduced and its members should be elected through the Fifa congress.
“The integrity checks for all Executive Committee members must be organised centrally through Fifa and not through the confederations.
“We need term limits not only for the president but for all members of the executive committee.”
—————–
They really got him by the balls….!
Seems to me he made some sort of deal to come out with statements like that.. he’s likely to escape any indictments and investigations.
He was clearly speaking under duress.
Someone has a gun at his head and his balls in a vice.
Hope he gets a court appearance too.
Hahahaha
I expected more resistance guys.
Anyway, a top defensive midfielder to challenge Coq? Without losing anyone we already have of course.
Would anyone else dare to suggest what else we may need to add, in order to become a title winning side?
Septic Bladder is now available to take over at Newcastle.
I wish there was a world class midfielder called Balls, to play just behind Coq.
As I said – once the US Justice Dept get involved then there are usually grave consequences. Let’s hope they clear out the entire FIFA pig sty now and don’t stop at Porco Grande. What legacy has Blatter left himself now? Idiot – he’d almost qualify for a career in Irish politics.
Well in for the double ton, BJ.
Somebody must have found the smoking gun at Fifa. There is no other way the presidency would have been prised from Blatter’s sticky fingers.
Blatter still around for four months at the very least… still time for a final round : http://i.imgur.com/rCffiEN.jpg
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Cynic@202: There is a German lower-leagues midfielder called Tim Ballschmiede or Ballsmith. He could strike up something with Le Coq. And Rayo Vallecano has a centre forward called Adriรกn Saballs. Presumably, he is sa dog’s bollox.
I’ll get my coat…
Here’s h0ping the FBI follow the trail of vice all the way into the Confederations including Platini whose vote for Qatar is utterly inexplicable on the basis of his duty of care to the footballers playing in UEFA countries unless he was ‘influenced’ by the alleged gift of a Picasso from Qatar.
Le Coq and Ballschmiede.. what’s next?! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VCJVZ2I9zY
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I’ve never bothered with polls before, but would appreciate it if you would get over to http://abergkampwonderland.co.uk/abw-awards-2014-15/ and vote for your favourites.
I’ve enjoyed working with those boys and hope to get invited back on.
Thank you.
Joe – agreed, Americans don’t fuck around when it comes to investigations, but it is just me or are they playing world police again, not that in this case it is a bad thing, but how can they enforce american law on non US based organisation?
I mean, if anything, they should be taken to custody under Swiss law, but as far as I have read, they are investigated because of breaching “american law” and I kinda have an issue with that in principle.
But as said, good riddance of Sepp..just the whole involvement of US Justice is kinda iffy and “smells wrong”.
Eandy:
I take the point but in fairness – the European authorities have had ample time to get their act together and do something about it – it’s a joke. So while I can understand why sometimes people take issue with American authorities sticking their nose and laws into other jurisdictions at least they have the cojones to get the finger out and do something. Ffs the EU can’t even agree a monetary policy.
Joe:
I completely agree about the ineptness of EU authorities but still, in principle we cannot condemn US actions in areas like Pakistan and in same time applaud them for basically going “ffs Europe, this is how its done”.
Double edged sword but I will not continue any further on this road as this is still football blog – albeit the fact that various themes are discussed here is one of the main reasons why I am lured here every day.
Holic 209…..thanks for the heads up – voting duly completed.
Joe / Eandy….the FBI became involved due to alleged money laundering by Concacaf via Miami ( where they have an office ). Its further alleged Jack Warners son was buying up real estate there in cash!! They moved onto Chuck Blazer – Secretary General of Concacaf and he has been singing like a canary ever since to assist his “plea bargaining” deal.
What has surprised me is Blatter suddenly deciding to go now after resisting all the pressure to go last week “oh what a tangled web we weave when we endeavour to deceive”. I believe Blatter was only power crazed and not personally taking a cut – he turned a blind eye in order to stay in the job. That stance has now come back to bite him on the arse big time. Of course events may prove me wrong but thank fuck for footballs sake he is going and hope a new broom will sweep FIFA clean
( but don’t ask me to put money on it ).
That Jack Warner gets around from Dixon of Dock Green to Holiday Camp & Hotel magnate to Concacaf boss and local politician in Trinidad.
Warning: Only Brits of a mature age will understand the above ๐
Evening all.
Mind how you go, Uply. ๐
Ok, cba, here we go again –
“Cream of FIFA Sepp-arates”
“FIFA Struck Down By Sepp-sis”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>