That Was The Week, That Was
Jan 15th, 2010 by 'holic
In all honesty, I am extremely pleased to see the back of the last week or so. Not one thing has happened on which everybody could agree and therefore the potential for upsetting people has been off the high end of the scale.
We had snow in the UK, and lots of it. Now we are not very well prepared for an extended spell of the white stuff, which for me is brilliant because I absolutely love lots of snow. I’m less enamoured with that light dusting that usually appears once a year for a day and causes complete chaos for just twenty-four hours, but I love loads of the stuff, which apparently puts me at odds with a significant number of people.
The much-anticipated game in hand fell victim to this precipitation. Furious voices denounced the postponement of the game with Bolton, because securing three points against a rudderless ship was obviously far more important than the safety of all of those who would have been required to use the ramps and steps around the Grove. Oops, I’ve upset them again!
In Angola events unfolded which brought out the best, and worst, of the black humour that surrounds such incidents. I cannot be two-faced and preach on some of the Adebayor gags that came out because I was enjoying some of the funnier ones too much. Let’s take him out of the equation and look at the feelings of the other players and staff involved in what sounds like a horrendous and prolonged attack. Hopefully that will put it into a little bit of perspective for some.
The game in hand on the bus stop in Fulham arrived when the Grove was passed fit for the visit of Everton while Hull sadly failed to avoid the icy snap. Apparently Phil Brown lent the Tigers an impressive array of sunray lamps in an attempt to thaw out the KC stadium, but he remained the only sickly-orange glow in the vicinity.
Wouldn’t you know it, Arsenal were frustrated by Everton and only just snatched a last-gasp point. By the reaction of some you would have thought we had just slipped into the relegation zone. Bloggers’ struggled with telling how it was while maintaining a sense of balance, but most did it very well.
Tuesday was the craziest day of the lot. As an unimaginable human tragedy struck Haiti, you would have been forgiven for wondering why the appearance of Sol Campbell in a reserve match at West Ham was deemed at least equally newsworthy. As nine million people began a desperate struggle for life that continues as I write, we were in danger of falling out with each other about a thirty-five year old centre-half.
That was the week, that was, and I am going to be pretty damned pleased to see the back of it.
I’ll be back at some stage of tomorrow looking at the first of two consecutive meetings with Bolton (urgh!). If you haven’t already you can hear my initial thoughts on this weeks arsecast. Tonight I am off for a couple of pints of the black stuff before it runs out, in the company of some decent Gooners.
Until Saturday, ‘holics.
31 Responses to “That Was The Week, That Was”
First drink!
Dare not enter the blogosphere if you want love… even “balance” will upset the extremists.
the best, and worst, of the black humour
Sorry, but heh.
And as it may be better to save the supplies of Guinness for now, I think a glass of Pomerol will do the trick today.
Your all thirsty!
And as it is also the very well put point of today’s blog, I shall raise it to better weeks.
Champagne and fish and chips tonight.
Goodbye bad week indeed and hello to the week in which we could be top of the league by Wednesday night – not that I’m holding my breath but there’s some perspective on the Everton game.
As nine million people began a desperate struggle for life that continues as I write, we were in danger of falling out with each other about a thirty-five year old centre-half.
heh but perspectivey heh.
Just a coke, please.
There’s a line over….
What?
Oh, sorry.
Excellent article. Great to see some perspective.
Thanks a lot `Holic, can’t agree more on the perspective. It’s off-topic but a reddit thread pointed to this organization as one doing a terrific job in Haiti: http://www.pih.org and much more likely to put donation money to good use than the usual big names.
Heading off to Arseblog to listen to that podcast right now!
Well said ‘holic – sometimes we do tend to get our priorities somewhat confused.
I am feeling good about next week because I have a ticket for the game at Bolton and the Cup Tie at Stoke! I just need 11 gentlemen in red and white to place the cherry on top of the cake!
Not too much to ask is it?
Van Perspicacious perspective
Top bloggin, holic.
Got myself an email from Arsenal Tv today asking me to appear on the fans forum in feb.
Think they liked the AKB slant of my blog π
No one was spared!
Interesting to see you holding the week up for sardonic inspection, ‘Holic. There’s nothing like a good lampooning of the Goonosphere to get a tired Friday evening rolling. Mart evin have been a milli-cent better if you’d played in David Frost with your snow reference? I’m sure that Willie Rushed On and Lance Perverton might even have featured had you been at your satirical best? But you were wise Levin Bernard out. Not so much a blog then, more a way of life?
Sunday nights were never quite the same after TW3 went off the air, were they? (smiles smugly to self knowing full well that no other bugger is old enough to remember).
It IS a very funny old world though, isn’t it? The immediacy of today’s media, their decisions on prioritising thrills versus spills versus shocks versus pox. The fact that it all appears larger than life on a flat screen near you mixes the wheat with the chaff, and rudderless ships with events in Angola. Now when I was a lad, we were lucky if we knew what was happening one mile away in Strathmiglo and we thought then that Angola was a type of bubble gum.
Anyway, all of this is making me tired so, goodnight and That Was The Week That Was…..that was.
@Stringfellow Hawke: great news, your last post is right on! As `Holic mentioned there is a small but vocal minority of anti-Arsenal blogs who don’t understand what supporting a team is about. The more they are exposed the better.
on the money, Matt
100% on the money!
we are so lucky to support the club we all love, what an amazing future wenger will leave for our mighty arsenal.
his legacy will transcend generations of gooners in the future.
the contempt some have shown our truly legendary manager has sickened me greatly.
no team has a right to any title / trophy… these neuvo goons don’t know they are born.
Not a million miles from my feelings ‘holic. Melancholic….dispirited somewhat, due to happenings!! The natural order of priority compels me to mention Haiti – my thoughts go out to all those suffering. This is a human tragedy that I simply can’t understand. In all honesty, I hope I never will. Also the incident in Angola serves as a reminder of what happens when football and politics meet. I too don’t wish to appear pompous on a subject over which I’ve shared the odd joke but the two subject matter should definitely never meet…..unevenly yoked imo!
Sulzeer? We wait and see. Everton result? Ahh well….plenty of thrills and spills to be had yet before the seasons end. Nevertheless I believe we’re in great shape to win something this season.
NB. I’d love to see the flamster back at the Grove…..too good for that lot down Seven Sisters.
Peace, love and keep on believing people π
Hawke,
Really good work. Will you post more regularly?
Don, daft, washed up, and Matt,
Thanks for your comments. Much appreciated. This was a bit of a departure from the normal type of ‘holic just to see if anybody would still read it. I should have known ‘holics would.
Cheers.
Holic, i wll endeavour to post as often as i can.
I started my pro-wenger blog this time last year.. and then within a couple of months i had to more or less move out to india for business… and that was a real whirlwind experience.. i let the blog kind of die whilst out there.
I came back last november, and have spent a lot of xmas catching up with a years worth of blogging.
Some of what i read amazed me, i am not even sure if some of the disgraceful anti-arsenal stuff was not a wind up as it was that pitiful to appear on so called Arsenal fan blogs.
I won’t mention the main direction of my fury but i think it would not take too much guessing.
Holic – YOU need to get on Arsenal TV fella, what you have consistently done on this marvellous blog is nothing short of genius.
You have a wonderful style of blogging, and i truly sense a real old skool gooner at heart.
The only reason they have picked me up is due to my real pro-arsene/arsenal stance, which could be seen as slightly over zealous.
Sunday nights were never quite the same after TW3 went off the air, were they? (smiles smugly to self knowing full well that no other bugger is old enough to remember).
You would be surprised around here, I suspect, BtM π
…or maybe not…
Not being an Oxford scholar I have some difficulty in reading and even more difficulty in understanding the stuff you write `holic`.
This should not be taken as a personal criticism it`s just that I come from a former generation and don`t comprehend the lingo.
When I come to think of it most of the great writers like Hemmingway, Dylan Thomas and even John Osborne were `piss pots`so before I try anything fancy I`ll have a few pints of black and tan. Cheers.
Found the time to listen to the podcast. If I may say so I thought you were a little bit influenced by Arseblogger who just repeated the memes from the BBB. Honestly he was too negative overall for me, after a while it became frankly annoying to listen to him ramble on and on about Almunia. He’s the most read (and heard) blogger and he should know by now that if he keeps it up, there will be some weak-minded “fans” who will be on Almunia’s back during the next games. That could end up being really costly for our title hopes. In those hard times Almunia needs our support, not our jeers.
Good post.
Morning ‘holic
It’s always nice to sample something a little different…
With that in mind, I’ll have something without alcohol in please barman.
Cheers.
Cheers Jack, I’ll try to keep it simple.
Matt, I hear what you are saying, but I think you overestimate the effect of those words. It cannot have escaped your attention that a lot of people are already being critical of Manuel. My point on the ‘cast was that I think those calling for him to be sold are wrong. His current problems are related to a crisis of confidence caused by him being distracted. I think he can come back, but for his own good he needs to be taken out of the firing line for now. I obviously didn’t get that across well enough. Sorry about that.
“This was a bit of a departure from the normal type of βholic just to see if anybody would still read it”
Holic, you could pretty much hang a piece called, Spurs:Lets Reach Out To Our Brothers – A Calling to Gooners, up there and people would read it.
Don’t though.
Just tea for me, at least for another two weeks.
Holic – lets see you put yourself up for these Soccerlens Blog awards.
Not in it for that Stringfellow. Let the hit-whores have their competition. I just want to share my love of my club, nothing more.
Holic – agree, not sure what hit-whores actually achieve… but by entering the awards… you could share your true love of the club with more fans far and wide.
There are gooners out there who have yet to come across this blog.. who deserve to read it.
I thought you did well in the Arsecast, ‘Holic. More confident than on a previous occasion when I listened in. It sounds like you’re comfortable and it’s becoming easy. Appropriately authorative and you set a very balanced tone. Very good stuff.
On the subject of hit whores, I noticed that Chris THA (The Hawking Arse) was appealing to “his and his staffs'” readers to nominate him for some award or other. What a tonk. He’s never even seen Arsenal play live. And he prays that Denilson will be injured every week.