1969 Remembered – And A Lesson Learned
Jun 26th, 2013 by 'holic
I have something of a connection with our youngest supporters of today. Rewind to 1968 and Arsenal reached the League Cup Final. The eleven year old ‘holic was looking forward to watching his team win something for the first time. “Sorry son, we’re moving that weekend. We’ll be back again before long.” Fortunately, as it turned out, I missed us losing to dirty Leeds to a hotly disputed goal.
Of course the ‘holicDad was true to his word. A year later we beat our friends and neighbours in the semi-final of the same competition with a last gasp header by John Radford at the Lane. A fortnight later Third Division Swindon Town humbled Burnley in a replay and that first elusive trophy was about to become reality. When the tickets for the Final became available the old fella wrote a lovely begging letter to Dick Jones, the Supporters Club secretary of the day, and four tickets for Wembley duly arrived in the post.
And so I remember us jumping in the family Cortina for the drive to the national stadium. It was a miserable grey day, but that didn’t matter because I was going to see Arsenal win a Cup. We had two terrace tickets which were taken by my sister and one of the lads from the local Cricket Club, while ‘holicDad and I made our way to the seats and took a first glimpse of the pitch.
A week earlier the International Horse of the Year Show, usually held in the indoor Empire Pool venue, had been staged on the lush turf for the first time. The surface showed the result of that ill-conceived decision. Essentially it was a mud flat with the odd patch of grass attempting to show through. The combination of heavy rain and a host of jumping horses had destroyed the playing area. That didn’t matter, because I was going to see Arsenal win a Cup.
In the lead up to the game the papers had been full of Swindon’s injury woes. I don’t recall mention beforehand of any potential Arsenal casualties. The teams were announced and Swindon were at full strength. That didn’t matter, because I was going to see Arsenal win a Cup.
The game started, and may sound familiar to Arsenal supporters of today. We pretty much controlled proceedings without creating much in the way of clear cut opportunities. We were dominating possession, and the corner count. However in the 35th minute it was Swindon who grabbed the advantage following a rare break led by Don Rogers. The move seemed to have come to nothing when Ian Ure attempted a back pass that Bob Wilson was not expecting as he came to claim an overhit through ball. Roger Smart eventually bundled Peter Noble’s cross over the line. Calamity.
A veritable sea of sheepskin and denim-clad skinheads turned the air blue, The atmosphere was on the turn. This was not in the script. The second half saw continued Arsenal pressure with a little more of what might have constituted end product in different circumstances. A string of goal bound efforts were somehow saved by the Robins ‘keeper Peter Downsborough. One in particular from Jon Sammels will never leave me. It remains possibly the finest display I have seen from any goalkeeper at Wembley.
Then just as it looked as though all hope was lost we were level. George Graham fed a Peter Storey clearance into the path of Bobby Gould, and a kindly ricochet allowed him to head the Gunners level although in so doing he took a kick in the chest from Stan Harland that added blood to mud on the front of what underneath was a yellow shirt. That didn’t matter, because now surely, I was going to see Arsenal win a Cup.
What we didn’t know at the time was that in the week leading up to the match a flu bug had swept through the Arsenal squad. another half an hour on what was now a quagmire would prove to be too much for them. Unaware of that the shock of what happened in extra-time was only too painfully real. Swindon, and Rogers in particular, came out of their shell and took the game by the scruff of the neck.
In the final minute of the first added period we failed to deal with a corner and allowed Rogers to poach a goal from inside the six yard box. To a twelve year old it was a ghastly moment, but surely we would recover? Ian Ure’s afternoon was not over.
The hapless centre-half found himself on the left wing as Arsenal sought a second equaliser, but lost the ball carelessly to Smart and Penman immediately freed Rogers to run at Bob Wilson. A dip of the shoulder, a swing of the right boot, and chants of “easy easy” from the tunnel end completed the humiliation. It is shown in black and white horror here.
As young boys do, I took the defeat badly, and in a strange way. On the way home we stopped for a bag of chips, and for a while afterwards I associated the taste of chips with the taste of defeat. I avoided them at all costs until a year later when hunger allied to a sensational European Fairs Cup Final triumph ended a foolish superstition.
Of course there was also Monday morning at school to be faced. Spurs fans of today will know only too well the venom I developed towards them at that time. We were still in with a mathematical chance of the title, but on an April afternoon in the Highbury sun dirty Leeds came and beat us to end that dream. Fifteen years without a trophy became sixteen, and I learned all about the lows that this amazing game we all love can dish out.
229 Responses to “1969 Remembered – And A Lesson Learned”
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Great article. Love reading about past failures as it puts our current plight in perspective :))
I remember the old Cortina, ‘holic. The name though sounds like something you might find in a chips shop. May Sir Chips help to further dispel the memory. 🙂
Not exactly the tonic to brighten up close season, but otherwise a nice piece, ‘H. The good news, of course, is that you did later see Arsenal win a Cup, and a league championship, and another….
Who’d a thunk we would have lost to a Third Division side in the League Cup eh?
What?
Oh 🙁
Revenge wasn’t long coming…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtogvAX2Wbg
Not so nice one Holic
If Higuain uses Google Translate, we’re fucked! 😛
sixteen years, it’s been sixteen years…
oh, no? right, only eight. wagner AHT!
well played, sir. sorry, too.
Oh, and this wasn’t a penalty 🙁
Difference being that the recent humiliation was to a Bradford team who were actually in the 4th Division and had a team bought for the sum total of what one of our many players in the squad get in a week!! Also there wasn’t anywhere near as big a financial disparity between the top and lower league clubs back in the late 60’s as there is now.
Lars, inbox. When you get the chance.
Well though that may fit what you would attempt to argue that is blatantly untrue Mr superstar.
Arsenal’s average gate receipts in 1969 were still twelve times what Swindon got. The players earned four times as much.
The shock was just as massive.
We have much in common ‘Holic. I was also at that match with my Dad. We confidently anticipated victory but gave away about the sloppiest goal I have ever seen. Bob Wilson just spluttered when I asked him what happened many years later.
You are also right about Downsborough. I have seen three great performances at Wembley when I have been there in person. One was Pat Jennings against Ipswich(a very underrated performance),another Tomaszewski for Poland and Downsborough on the ploughed field that was Wembley that day. I can never remember being so down for so long after that game. Frank McLintock threw his tankard away afterwards and it was lost in the mud.
I like to think the disappointment forged the spirit and teamwork that led to the Fairs Cup and ultimately the Double in 1971. Into each footballing life a little rain must fall . That day it felt like a cloudburst
Nice post Guv. Memories like this put our recent failures* into perspective.
Superstar, so nice of you to remind us that the writer forgot to add that we lost to Bradford a team who are a full 1 division lower than Swindon were back in the day, I’m sure you didn’t notice the part where he wrote that we went 16 year potless back in the day.
*I do not consider the past 8 years in our history a failure.
You know the really funny thing, ttg, is that having moved to Swindon I have met Don Rogers. He’s a thoroughly decent fella and loves to talk football.
Every ten years here they still celebrate it. I suppose if you put it into perspective they have won the League Cup more recently than the team we beat in the semi-final have won the league 😉
‘Holic@14: Remember it only too well. And it was a massive shock.
Don Rogers was much underrated though.
‘Holic@11: Penalty! Bah!. Those were the days when men were men and mud was mud.
And how skinny they all look, compared to today’s muscle-pumped players.
Holic
I like that comparison . Spurs get off very lightly for a team that have won the title twice and not for 52 years! As for Swindon of course they did knock us out again in the 80s when you had probably moved down there. I think it was in extra time in a replay- and we had a good team then as well.
I really don’t begrudge Swindon, Bradford or any of those teams their moment in the sun particularly if they don’t start getting arrogant. I hated the awful Brummie reaction after they beat us in the League Cup Final- a game that has been distorted by various pundits as a day when we were outplayed. That wasn’t the game I saw and Swindon hung on by their coat-tails too. On that day in 1969. You can imagine Luton still celebrate their league cup win over us in 1988. It hasn’t been our luckiest competition has it?
I think it just goes to prove that when its your day it’s your day. I have just watched the penalties in the 2005 Cup Final where we had no right to win but victory was still very sweet given the history with Man U .
Ouch Holic !
A myriad miserable muddy memories. Maybe you could do the Ipswich final next, or the West Ham one, with the only goal Trevor Brooking ever scored with his head.
That Don Rogers goal must have been shown, back in the day, as often as the Giggs FA Cup goal was decades later.
Or the Leeds League and FA Cup losing finals.
Good fun being an Arsenal fan wasn’t it. 😉
Damn you, ttg ! I’d forgotten Luton.
Actually it was fun.
The ’71 Double and the 1970 Fairs Cup win were really special.
But we earned them.
I had so put Luton out of my mind. Particularly as my ticket came from Millwall for that game, and everybody around me was giving it large.
Great view though 🙁
I had to comfort a very sad eight year old but I was able to celebrate with him when Linighan scored in 1993. We’ve had some varied memories haven’t we?
Didn’t see the unfortunate loss to Swindon (not being born and all) but I can reminisce about the Cortina! My first car was a red Cortina stationwagon that was so old it didn’t come with windshield wipers or seatbelts!
Needless to say, the only girls I got to ride with me were those who didn’t mind helping me change the tires on the side of the road in the rain…
Those were the days…
Cheers ‘holic, great read. I escaped this one as it was almost exactly a year before I started following the Arsenal. Mind you I made up for it in 1979, when I saw us get dumped out of the same competition by the same opposition, in a replay at the County Ground. Never held any affection for Swindon ever since.
Gary Sprake came out of his goal and punched Bobby Gould in the face. NO PENALTY! I was behind the goal (Clock End)Game against Leeds was the last game I saw at Highbury before I emigrated.
Either this was one of the worst refereeing incidents of all time or Bobby Gould head-butted Gary Sprake’s fist.
We do seem to attract bad decisions though Lehman, van Persie against who? Same side hmmmm?
There seems to be more blogs off-season than during the season! 😉
I’ll read it in a bit.
Cheers ‘holic!
Of course this just adds weight to my argument that we should stop playing in the League Cup, 1987 apart it does nothing but torment generations of Arsenal fans!
zico, rely posted.
“reply”, even.
16 years without a trophy, wonder what would have been made of that by today’s media representatives?
ttg@19: agree about the lack of class shown by several Brum players in 2011, particularly that cunt Ferguson who taunted Koscielny after the winning goal. What has also been forgotten about that game is that we had some significant injuries (Cesc didn’t play at all and we lost van Stapleton during the game) and while we should never have lost that game and while I still can’t watch pictures of it without it hurting it was far from the upset many would have it. At the time, Brum were in relatively fine form in the league and I think winning that final was a direct cause for their subsequent relegation because just like Swansea this season they more or less stopped playing after winning it. At the time of the final, Brum were 15th in the league but only two points behind Stoke (yes, I did just check this – I don’t carry that information in my head!) who were tenth and level on points with teams like Everton and Fulham.
winning is nice but there is only 2 if Cl then Cl and PL if no Cl then FA and Cl cups and trophies are things 4 kid they are fine whilst your mum polishes them once you grow up all they do is tarnish Hock shops are full of em i want us to spend on top players and keep our best and really compete Fab. Song plus 4 20m players
The family Cortina, ‘H ?
“Had a love affair with Nina
In the back of my Cortina ……….
She took me to the cleaners
And other misdemeanours ….. ”
Rum and Ribena, please Barman 😉
First responses from the club to the “WE WANT MORE DICKS” campaign are not encouraging.
I received some bemusing statistics about the fact that there are some poor unfortunate men in the world who have actually lost their dicks in accidents, “lovers” tiffs etc. etc. etc.
This gives rise to the fact that the average number of dicks per male throughout the world’s population is 0.99973654.
It would seem, therefore, that there just aren’t enough Dicks to go round.
🙁
I think we’ve lost our Dick in Madrid. Never to be seen again
Good stuff ‘H.
Good job you weren’t old enough for Guinness and went for chips after the game!
Solids are for softies anyway 😉
I’ll freely admit that people doing their prayers at work is a bit unsettling. Allah akhbar, right, but just hearing it 20 times in a row today. Must be a special day.
And then Ramadan starts in less than 2 weeks… Might skip lunch every day, not sure how this works here….
Is that really clever Trevor at #32? 😉
Dream on, Damian@31.
We allegedly have about £70m to spend.
Let’s see:
“Fab” – £35M,
“Song” – £5M,
“4 20m” players – £80M
———————–
Total: £120M.
Do you see anything wrong with this sum? I do.
Another piece of Arsenal history, well remembered and vividly brought to life, Holic.
As some may or may not know, my fandom of things Arsenal only goes back to 1999 or thereabouts, but reading through the drinks I was reminded of two soul-destroying League Cup Finals that I was unfortunate enough to watch: the Brum one (damn, the memory of that cunt Ferguson rubbing it in Kos’s face is not a pretty one) and of course the Chelsea one where Theo opened the scoring.
The latter of the two just shaded it in terms of pure gut-wrenching disappointment tinged with rage. My wife and I watched it with our circle in a pub near the Euston Road, an establishment called the Tower Tavern that I refuse to watch another game in for ever (and not just because of THAT loss either). We got through a fair number of pints from kickoff to final whistle, and I just knew it was lost about 10 minutes before the end. When a scuffle broke out around Mikel in the last 5 I just knew the players were feeling it as keenly as I was, hopefully more.
The sight of my mate and his girlfriend celebrating was too much for the both of us – pissed, pissed off and not in the mood for hanging around. We were straight out the door and headed for home without a backward look.
Dredging up those memories makes me feel a kind of hatred for the League Cup. She’s a cruel mistress.
Addendum: it seems that art imitates life a little too closely for my liking at times.
Last night I had a cheeky game of FIFA before bed, it was Arsenal vs Huddersfield Town in the League Cup. I dominated possession, shots and corners for 85 minutes and lost 1-0 to their only shot.
I quit in rage without saving.
Restarted it and this time, played a bit too lackadaisically and went in 1-0 at the break. Coquelin levelled it in the 2nd and it went to extra time, where the ref gave them the softest pen you’ll ever see…at the end of the 2nd half of ET. You literally can’t win sometimes!
I am a true believer that you have to earn your scars when you support your team. I was too young for Swindon 69 but have vague memories of 71 and the euphoria that swept through my Dad and his brother and my older cousin. I was a regular through the 70’s and my first heartache was the 73 Semi Final v Sunderland. The long journey up to Hillsborough was my first away game outside of London. I ripped up the match day program and was inconsolable all the way home. Then we broke up the double team and well all those that were there know what is was like but unlike the growing number of Liverpool scarfs that were appearing at school I stuck with my yellow and blue silk one with the cannon on it proudly. Scar tissue was forming. Then came my Swindon. The 1978 cup final v Ipswich. We were finally going to win a cup. Osborne 1-0. I cried a river that day.Now when you look back at that Ipswich team it was full of great players or were to become great or have very good careers. They damn well nearly one the league too. 1979 every one knows about. But 1980 has to be the greatest disappointment of all time. What a season,so many games,such expectation. The Liverpool semi final replays,the Paul Vaesson goal in Turin. Then the two finals,what were they 5 days apart. Those defeats ripped my heart out like a scene from Indian Jones.i did not think I would ever recover. Thank you George Graham a few years later for some serious healing. Today we play an attractive style,we are a good team we have had success, now we need to be patient till the next glory day and if i know Arsenal it will not come easy.
Thank you.
Nice one ‘holic.
Although alive in the period you reference, I was way too young to have any memories of it. My “Swindon” was Ipswich in 1978. It would be the first trophy I’d get to see Arsenal win. I was totaly convinced that we would win and win big, defeat wasn’t even contemplated, I mean, how could the mighty Arsenal lose to Ipswich?
Yes we had shared the spoils during the season, a 1-0 defeat at Portman Rd on the first day of the season was followed by a victory of the same scoreline at Highbury, but we had finished joint 4th(well 5th on GD behind Man City) and they had avoided relegation by just three points.
I was so sure we’d win that I luged a silver carton cut out of the famous cup, that was as almost as large as me, all the way from Holloway to Wembley, on the jam packed public transport, through the crowds down Wembley Way and held it close on the full Wembley terraces, no mean feat I can tell ya as anyone who had visited that stadium back in the day who wasn’t even yet in his teens could confirm.
But it wasn’t to be, and like my dreams, that cut out cup lay broken and trampled on the cold hard ground of the stands. I was distraught on the way home, I didn’t think I’d ever get over it, but the very next year……………..
TH Gunner, H2H:
Brilliant. Heart-wrenching stuff.
As Tar Heel says (great name by the way, sounds like the nickname of a character in a 50’s movie about miners!), you not only earn your scars, you also lengthen the list in your little black book by one more name every time one of these disasters befalls you.
Well, Birmingham City were already thoroughly hated before that final – but that day didn’t just put a nail in the coffin of potential reconciliation, it sealed up the air holes with West System Eboxy Resin and gave it a maritime burial.
That said, other teams have gone on my Eternal Hatred List for less than that…
Lovely piece, ‘holic.
But I thought you were younger than that 😉
Thanks CG
I never really had much hate for Brum till the Eduardo game. I recall Keith Bertschin scoring an outstanding goal at Highbury around 77 or 78 which had even my Dad applauding. Trevor Francis was a great player and when Jasper Carrott told his Birmingham stories you just laughed your arse off and felt sympathy if not connection. Birmingham were just another team for the most part but that League Cup Final has moved them into the dislike column for sure. I still cannot hate Forest or Ipswich,like I hate Man Yoo or Liverpool because they played great football and were small town clubs coached well, although it took me a while to forgive Ipswich. Rotherham I can’t hate despite knocking us out as my Grandfather was born there but Wrexham i was glad to see leave the football league. I hated the FA Cup game we won and try to forget the one we lost.
Tar Heel,
Great name. I too was blessed enough to spend 4 years in Chapel Hill. God’s country. Another regular here is about to start sports management at UNC.
Holic’,
nothing is easy in football. If it were, why watch? Good with bad, I’ll take it all. It’s what makes it fun. Without it there would be no passion.
Cheers all
NorCal
Good points all, fully agree with you there. If you don’t have the bad times, some fans start turning into spoilt brats who spit their dummies every time you lose a game.
Oh hang on, we haven’t won any trophies for [insert unknown number that noone ever mentions] years and the more retarded among our fans do exactly that!
Few things can match the feeling of winning a game coming off the back of a few dodgy results. Passion indeed.
TH
On the subject of clubs you love to hate, one of the things that really warmed my heart at the end of last season was the way EVERYONE started turning on Pulis, Stoke and their fans.
Football365, normally a lowest-common-denominator tabloid ripoff, played their part well in publishing the emails of all the Stoke-denouncers. Brilliant stuff.
Tar Heel
I too was at Hillsborough in 1973-the game that ended Jeff Blockley’s career. I know Frank McLintock a little and he is a lovely man. His face wrinkles in disbelief when you ask him how Bertie Mee preferred Blockley to him. I remember in 1973 wandering around Sheffield and wondering why there were no Sunderland fans anywhere. When I got to the infamous Lepping Lanes End i saw why. They were all packed into the ground. We got outfought that day which is usually the story of the sort of games we have been reminiscing about here.
It just goes to show a lifetime of supporting Arsenal brings a lot of light and shade. At the moment we are marginally in the shade but nearer the sun than Tottenham!
Lovely remembered and written!
Evening all,
Thank you for your kind words, and if I may turn them around on you thanks for some cracking contributions of your own.
On to the Brandy and a Shandy next, Trev?
NorCal, CG: Wining trophies is hard. Every season, more than 750 clubs don’t win the FA Cup, 91 don’t win the League Cup, 75 don’t win the Champions League and 19 don’t win the Premiership.
thundertinygooner
Whenever I think back to that era and the packing in of the crowd i shudder. I always felt safer at Highbury but it was misplaced. How there were not more fatalities is beyond me. While it is fun to look back at footage of the swaying of the crowd at a goal or near miss the reality was you ended up miles from where you started and if you were a young un probably with your feet off the ground. Yes the atmosphere was brilliant but it was scary at times. Especially at the grounds such as Hillsborough with the cages. I also met Frank on occasion in the late 70’s and was very upset how quickly the 71 team broke up rather than go on to be a real force for a decade. How awful was it seeing him in those blue and whit hoops and having a measure of success.
North Bank Ned
Great point and Tottenham never win the League!
Tar Heel
You are absolutely right about how dangerous it was. At the Fairs Cup Final in 1970 I fell about then terraces when Jon Sammels scored our third goal. Thankfully no-one was hurt but it could have been oh so different. And that Leppings Lane End was an accident waiting to happen. A completely unlit tunnel opening out onto cages.
Although Frank was successful at QPR and almost got them to win the league I saw him at the 1979 final against Man U pleased as punch after our victory. Yet his son has a season ticket ay the Swamp!
I love reading these history posts, especially the ones where I wasn’t even born yet 😛
Nice one Maestro 🙂
That Navas will take some stopping this season. Looks like Gervinho is on his way but how annoying that he and Djourou won’t attract a fee and we will probably subsidise their wages- and we get a pittance for the greatest striker of all time. That’s not financial management of the highest order but it shows how expensive a bad buy or the granting of a too generous contract can be.
I enjoyed this article http://arseblog.com/2013/06/transfer-hay-fever/#
That Navas looked a lot like Theo – fast and threatening but woeful crosses 9 times out of 10 – but redeemed himself with the winning goal in the shootout. I enjoyed the game, but sense Spain are on the brink of decline…
Still no signings. What if Axolotl decides he can’t spare Higuain after all? Say if Ronaldo insists on leaving. It looks like the same old same old with all our rivals finalising deals in every direction while AW tries (presumably) to trim the last mil off whoever (if anyone) he’s negotiating for.
Oskar
Interesting article, C’B. I particularly endorse the link to the piece on passing. I have several times in these bar brawls bemoaned our passing game not being nearly as slick and intelligent as it was with AW’s best teams of the recent past.
Time was when a quick breakout led almost inevitably to a chance at the other end. Lately it more often leads to a stumbling pause followed by a pass backwards, or at best a poor cross easily intercepted by a defender.
In all facets of the game we simply give the ball away more often than we used to.
Oskar
@Cent’Berry, me toooooo. I hope all the holics find time to take a gander at it…Stillman is always on point, but never more than here… His remarks on sentimentality et the “bygone days” were especially apropos.
If more folks took his advice and ignored the transfer hoop-lah, there’d be less of it.
Tough to do, though.
@40: Camber, Swindon is also a cursed team on FIFA. Played them last night in the League Cup and it was ridiculous! They scored first, ref sends Mertesacker and Arteta off, then I equalized in the 90th minute, only to lose 3-1 in extra time…so infuriating! That damn game cheats so much on Legendary Mode…
All our rivals finalising deals in every direction……
Really?
I must be out the loop…..
Oskar
I think the old Spain team may be on the brink of ( relative) decline partly because they have had to play continuously for years. But they have another generation ready to slip into their places. Their strength in depth is awesome and it was instructive to see just how effective Mata was- and Mourinho apparently wants to let him go! They also have Santi ,Silva and Alonso who didnt play and Martinez who loked really effective when he came onIllaramendi,Alcantara,Isco and co are ready to slip into midfield,the defence is quite young and the key is the striking area where they don’t appear to have obvious successors to the current generation. But England could do with 10% of that talent .
I forgot a young Spanish player called Fabregas as well.
CoR, You’re streets ahead of me mate, I’m still pottering around on semi-pro!
Revenge against the mighty Huddersfield will come tonight…
Afternoon chums.
Parked up at th’ospital while Dracula drains the management. Then it’s off up the jolly M5 and M6 to perform vital missionary work in the Black Country.
Grand’holics ahoy!
TR7 just became father today:) good luck to him and his gf, especially after she had miscarriage year and half ago. Now to win something for little Tommy 🙂
Hi everyone. Safe trip Holic. A bouquet of daisies for the Management, if you please 😉 Folks, think it is time for Holic to become an author. Did you notice the effect his repeated phrase, “That didn’t matter, because I was going to see Arsenal win a cup.” , made? Very good literary technique ! 🙂 And @ # 11 , surely a penalty ! Nice bits from other holics on their memories, enjoyed them all 🙂
I did notice it Abb, nice technique.
‘holic, goodluck with all of that.
And goodluck to TR7 and his girlfriend too.
Went to buy football kits yesterday and stumbled upon a yellow retro Arsenal football socks(has the old crest), it looks like something from Adidas. I posted a picture of one pair on Twitter, looking for a way to post a link so the older Gooners can see if they recognise it from seasons past.
http://pic.twitter.com/NRNX9fpvJX here is the link, my posts are not showing at the moment but when they do show, I will be expecting your reactions.
Enjoy ‘holic.
Bring those youguns safetly towards the light. 🙂
Have we sig ………… Oh, no …
It’s now 3 weeks since Mr Gazidis promised us exciting news in 48 hours.
Apologies to anyone that that comment annoys but they were his words, not mine, and probably better left unsaid in the circumstances.
Madrid appear to be buying again, with their new manager now safely installed. Clearly not selling yet, though.
Or do we just choose all the fusspots who take ’til window closing day to agree to come and play for upwards of £100,000 per week.
Some French bloke is mentioned in the press today that we are “chasing”. Really ?
He has, however, been seen in a photo wearing an Arsenal shirt on ………. .com, perhaps ? …….. actually, on Twitter. 🙁
Must be true then …….
Have fun with the grandholics, ‘H. 😉
I do think Gooners everywhere are getting a bit hyper because we haven’t signed anyone yet. Sanogo is signing next week and I suspect Higuain will eventually get there despite my pessimism earlier in the week.The problem is that there are far too many websites and papers with virtually no knowledge of what is really going on at all. The Daily Star for instance makes up the most frightful rubbish and some websites like the Sport Direct one put stupid headlines like yesterday’s where they claimed we had abandoned Higuain for Lewandowski.
I understand this angst entirely but United haven’t done much or Spurs or Everton and Chelsea have made one signing and Citeh two.it would be lovely to go crash bang wallop and have three signings sorted but at the end of the market we are buying in the deals are tough to get over the line. Let’s hope that without being silly we are not failing to clinch deals over tiny amounts. We have shipped out a lot of the rubbish although we still need to wave goodbye to Santos,Park,Chamakh and Gervinho but we are making encouraging progress in sending people through the Out door. But what we mustn’t do is fail to clinch deals until the end of the window as was the case two years ago. The squad we started the season with was woefully inadequate and we had lost the title by the end of August and could have gone out of the Champions League as well. Although we picked up Arteta,BFG and Yossi we also had to settle for substandard buys like Park who was clealy not scouted properly and Santos who is a lardarse.with a very odd attitude. Lets hope the official opening of the window brings some exciting news.
But Trev’s point Re Gazidis is a fair one. Don’t raise expectations Ivan especially when people are hanging on your every word,unless you can definitely follow through
Angst it is, Ttg, but expectations were definitely raised this year, and not only by Gazidis … another poor season making the need for positive action greater than ever and the 70mil figure having been touted as the solution for months now.
True, not a lot has happened among our immediate competition … ManU have made just one modest buy, but arguably don’t need a lot having lost only one key player (Scholes), plus we know they can afford whoever they want and the talk is at the level of Ronaldo, Lemonsquashki, Fibreglass etc etc … Tottenham are hamstrung by the Bale leaving threat, but if he does eventually go I believe it will only make them stronger (Spuds a one-man team with Bale, but strengthened all over the park with 80-100mil to spend) … ManC have spent close to 60mil on two players, (thank Dennis they missed out on Falcao and others, but they’re not finished yet and still looking at the very top level … Pool have snapped up Mignolet and some useful cheapies (Kolo for free, eg) and finally sold Carroll for a decent amount, so can do more business … and Chelsea can pick up pretty much who they want when they want, so will surely be in there soon. Only Everton have come out badly so far with several leaving, including their class manager, and no significant signings.
I’d have been far happier if we’d signed the early favourites Jovetic or Villa, Capoue or Fellaini plus Reina and Williams – all identified as fitting our needs well enough. Right now only the later addition Higuain seems possible. And if that falls through what then, more last day panic buys like last year?
Women have their time of the month, Ttg, I’m having my time of the year. And should a string of class signings eventuate I shall deny ever being the least bit grumpy… 😉
Oskar
Nice stuff holic. Finally catching up at last.
Trev, I hope you are not suggesting that the board may not be as switched on as we had surely come to hope for???? I mean, who would have thought that a board member would release a statement about transfers that turns out to be utter twaddle????? Of course, you never know what to actually believe in the press these days but it does seem to me that we hardly cover ourselves in glory in these situations.
Just wait and see I guess.
Your server needs a new hamster, old bean.
Is holic gone to Glastonbury? 🙂
Steve T,
far be it from me to suggest such a thing. Folks will doubtless be telling me that deals are complicated and can go wrong for all sorts of reasons, and nobody else has signed anyone, and any number of things I had no idea about.
What I said, and will reiterate, is that the chief executive – not the Daily Star, the Daily Mail, or any other tabloid newspaper – was widely quoted as saying that we would get very exciting news “in 48 hours”.
That was three weeks and one day ago, funnily enough around deadline time for renewing season tickets. Since then there has been a remarkable lack of news of any kind, exciting or not.
We have had seasons of promises, uttered and observed in televised interviews, that the club knew what the shortcomings of the squad were, and how they would be addressed effectively and promptly.
Sadly, that has repeatedly turned out not to be the case, albeit for reasons that we understand well enough.
So why make the statements at all ?
Just say that the club has huge financial responsibilities to address and will, therefore, be unable to make significant improvements to the squad.
That’s life, and we would all live with it, free of exaggerated expectations.
This summer, though, we have been given assurances that the financial situation is radically different. It may yet turn out to be the case.
If anyone is daft enough to hang their hat on TalkSport rumours, they can expect to be disappointed.
But if we can’t begin to take quotes from the chief executive seriously, we are entitled to be a bit miffed.
In my opinion, of course.
Here’s a link that Snir posted up on Facebook.
Can’t resist sharing it here –
http://vimeo.com/m/69360936
Enjoy 😉
Why would anyone want to watch a video that opens with us losing the biggest game this club has ever played?
Did you read the caption underneath it Cynic, or follow the vid ’til the end.
It’s all about coming back.
The current main post is about losing – it happens. What matters is how you come back.
Good link trev enjoyed that,and not one goal for the skunk.
Good point Garsguns.
I was enjoying Dennis, Thierry and Sir Bob too much to notice.
I didn’t read it and didn’t watch it, I don’t need to watch a video about eight years of failing, especially as all the talk of having buckets of money to spend looks like being just that again. Talk.
It’s a good link. Some great reminders of what we once were. The Gary Neville points are especially worth a lusten. Not just for what we might have to look forward to but also to where in my humble opinion we have got it so wrong. Especially when we get the constant shite from the board that we have had to endure.
I also noticed the omission of any RVP footage. Personally I find that totally pathetic and very sad. Sad to hear Gary Neville saying how great an achievement it all is with no mention of someone who single handedly got us a top 4 finish. Without his goals there would have been no top 4 and as a result, no video clip. Some people have some very short memories.
Have we bought anyone yet?????
Steve T@89: I agree that RVP played an indubitably superlative role in helping the team secure a top four spot. However, I think it’s grossly unfair to the other members of the team when you say that he “single handedly” got us a top four finish.
The last time I checked, football is a team sport and there were other members of the team who contributed significantly to that achievement.
Nevertheless, I do agree with you that despite our bitterness regarding his defection, we cannot just eliminate him from our history.
As I remember it, it was TR7 who (almost) single-handedly turned our fortunes around during the season RvP finally delivered the goods. But I agree that in a collection of Arsenal goals of the past 8 seasons it is (almost) criminal to exclude some of the Dutchman’s remarkable efforts … notably the cracker against Pool in his final season and an even greater volley against Charlton during one of the occasional times he was fit some years earlier.
And should all those Bergkamp goals have been included? God only played for us in the first of those 8 years, scoring just 3 goals all season.
Oskar
Whatever you think of him RVP averaged a goal in two games for us. A video clip depicting the best of the last 8 years brought back some wonderful memories of some truly great players. However, the fact that the creator finds time to insert goals from the likes of Eboue and completely blanks RVP for me de values his efforts massively. At best it is an act of petulance.
All in my humble opinion of course.
I honestly have no problems at all watching clips of RvP scoring goals for us and I fully agree that not including any of his goals in a reel supposed to highlight the past eight years is quite childish.
Not sure I agree you can say he single-handedly saved us, though. Yes, he scored a lot of goals and was of course a very important player but let us not underestimate what players like Rosicky and Benayoun (yes, really) contributed in the second half of the season.
Single handedly might be a tad over the top. It was meant to emphasise how childish it was not to include any RVP clips. I do find it all very strange.
It is childish. But he’s a prat and I don’t mind us acting childish towards him.
Oh dear, I just thought the video was really good.
Starting with painful defeat and then some reminders of some of our greatest recent players, goals, wins, and the achievement of building the new stadium.
Luckily for me, I neither looked for, noticed or dwellt on any victimisation or childishness.
It instilled a bit of pride in me, and I enjoyed it.
Maybe I should try to be a bit more critical. 🙁
Trev knows!
I haven’t checked the video, Trev, but I suppose it’s the one that over a hundred fucking people have been tweeting about non-stop since yesterday?
I hate over-advertising, and shit connecting at hotel means I haven’t bothered checking it.
Everybody seems to say it’s brilliant…
‘holics just a grumpy bunch then :p
And since it’s quiet and I rarely get the chance, I might as well assist the next punter.
Oh dear, I still can’t post in real time? There goes my hopes of lurking for the century…
And Punter gets another 100. 😉
*bat raised*
A quick “bang” before I hit the bowling green. Thanks for the assist Ollie – good to keep the form going in the close seaon.
Looks like Trev has upset Arselog 😉
Bah…well in Dr Z…..today’s lesson is never celebrate until the balls in the net. 🙂
heh Ups. Well in zico.
@ 102
Or over the ropes 😉
Heh Zico….the joy of six !
What is wrong with you lot today? That video was one person’s upbeat look at the last 8 years, not a blow by blow documentary! Cut the guy a break. He has put a lot of work into an entertaining package and I and others enjoyed it. Nice to see something cheery instead of all the moaning. Football will be back soon, honest folks! Might even hear about some transfers after the transfer period opens, onwards and upwards! Have a pleasant Sunday all! Enjoy the time with the grandkids H and Mrs H.
Self assisting, Ollie? I’m in generous mood. Yellow card kept in the pocket 😉
Hang on, I did a drink get ADDED?!?!?
What did you do there, ‘holic? :s
‘how’, not ‘I’
Cent was unspammed 😉
Actually sorry, 2 posts?
Seeing Cent’s 101 wasn’t there earlier and his complaint, I can only assume the other added post is one of his too.
Ah, I see 112 explains it 🙂
So after going to the third umpire, that last shot was a six and not a four…..
*bat still raised*.
Not getting cramps in the arm yet, zico?
Thanks for un-spamming me, ‘h.
Heh @ the confusion my drinks have caused, if this wasn’t a virtual bar it would have been a case of one person drinking and random onlookers getting pissed, heard it has happened in some bars here in Nigeria when there is a drinking competition going on.
Do they still brew Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (bottle conditioned) in Nigeria?
Have been watching highlights of last few seasons in Arsenal Player, the past as we remember is such a living thing, continuously being morphed to fit into our current state of awareness and judgments.
Arshavin saying in Russian newspaper that the later months in his Arsenal career drove him to near depression was just such a sad thing to read…he really was a fantastic player, extraordinary ability, guile, awareness and an infectious joy of playing. Technical ability wise he was one of the best players that we have had in the last 6-7 years. Generally the 4-4 gets talked about most, but there have been many a sparkling performances in that first one and half years.
Chamakh has now become the perennial target of jokes from Arsenal fans, but his start to the Arsenal career (new league and all) was more than promising. Hard working, neat link-up play and goals. Not only headed goals some clever one-two ones as well (one against Braga at home with a delightful one-twp between him and Jack). A slightly lighter version of Giroud — both in term of physical abilities and the fighting spirit — but still a player who could have been used as an effective sub even in the peak of RVP’s prominence.
I am sure there is no simple answers to the problems of why their Arsenal career ended in such pathetic manners … must be a combination of many things with both sides I suppose responsible to certain extent. I am sure Arsene and his team have learnt the necessary lessons from their perspective to avoid those in future, but while we await impatiently for the next shiny name to appear on .com, let us remember those whose Arsenal career ended in manners that none of us would have predicted when they first started playing for us, with so much promise.
True and wise words, Dr Faustus
Did we singe anybody yet?
I certainly hope so because I can’t see us signing anybody before the second week of August at the earliest. The singeing would at least provide a modicum of frustration alleviation. Maybe we can singe Adebayor? 😉
Did we ‘singe’ anybody?
Are we still talking about Mr Bale? 😉
Thanks Ollie…you are a Bordeaux supporter, is Chamakh going back there?
In that list I also would have liked to add Vela who never got that much of a chance with us, but a technically accomplished player who had shown signs of being a very good finisher when played. His successful season with Sociedad comes as a no surprise and in a few years won’t be surprised to see him play for either of the big twos in La Liga.
No rumours whatsoever at the moment, Dr Faustus. It’s all about budget costs though so I very much doubt it.
I have to agree with Dr.F here. I was delighted when we signed both Arshavin and Chamakh. Arshavin impressed me on Euro but Chamakh did some really good job for Bordeaux back in his days from what I have seen.
Its a shame how their Arsenal careers turned out, I still held some bit of hope for Chamakh this season and you could see how happy he was when he scored that first goal against Reading.
I think he is very much like Gervinho, confidence player. Sadly we are in no position for experimenting with him any further, so I wish him all the best wherever he is going to go.
Arshavin just sinned on his talent, he could be one of the best if he added appropriate workrate to the obvious skill and ability he has..also a shame but he brought it upon himself.
Maybe it’s just my dislike for the tournament as such that is affecting my judgment here, but this Italy-Uruguay game is bloody awful in my eyes.
Biscuitbum, @118, yea, they still do.
Dr F, wise words, as Ollie said.
I write to condemn Dr F in the strongest possible terms. Anyone who does not agree wholeheartedly that Arshavin and Chamakh were the worst players to have pulled on the sacred red-with-white-sleeves since David Dein was the innocent victim of a boardroom coup has no place in this bar.
FX: Switches off irony mode.
Fine post providing great perspective for those who feel we have underachieved of late and that the trophy glut from 98 to 04 was ‘normal service’. Hopeful next week will show we mean business this season. Fucking hot here. Un cerveca mas, señor.
Tautology, fuckwit.
Go look it up and stop licking windows.
yeah, bath, you’re supposed to drink the cerveza, not worship it.
What is truly depressing is so called supporters being determined to shout down every piece of positivity with their boring doom and gloom.
Supporters are allowed to be optimistic, Redtruth, without automatically becoming morons. It’s what support is about. Not blind, unquestioning following, but optimistic supporting.
Try it sometime – you might brighten your sad life up a bit.
If we get the players were in for we will all be optimistic even the window licker.a few tweaks to the squad and we will be bang up for the job.imagine that beast screech holding with jack/arron santi.the hig playing off girou,and a centre half please to play alongside kos as I’m still not convinced by the bigman.if carlsberg did transfer windows…I know red truth would be licking it 🙂
Mango juice for all in the bar.
Baff is in Seville?
Haircut? 😉
heh zico.
I’m guessing he’s there for signings :p
I have signed a few tapas.
Now for a few tippies.
Then we will be the new Barca. But tippies are more difficult to find around here. May need to go to Glasgow.
Then you’ll be the new Hearts. 😉
Nah. That’s Redtruth. Amid loathing creature.
Can’t agree that everyone would be happy if we signed the players we wanted. Some twats would still be able to find fault with the signings (why Higuain? why not Falcao? waste of money, Wenger out etc), and if we then didn’t win anything?? They’d go into dummy-spitting overdrive.
Highly possibly Camb, but interestingly everyone I talked about possibility of Higuain transfer with (not all of them Arsenal fans) said that this transfer would be one of the best Arsenal made in a long time. I join in that sentiment..and really hope it is going to happen.
Eandy, No question of that, I for one would love to see him sign – I think he’d be an awesome addition.
I was talking about the trolls and the little unlicked cubs who have yet to have a meaningful interaction with a razor, let alone a member of the opposite sex (or same, depending).
And while we’re on the subject of transfers…HAVE WE SIGNED ANYONE YET?
No? OK I’ll get back to work then.
No way is Arsene buying Higuain after that drunken lunatic chased him after that wembley game. I fear that buying him would only encourage copycat drunken acts against managers.
There is one guy on Twitter who goes by the name Abroke Diaby (I don’t follow him but his tweets have been retweeted to my timeline) who is adamant that Higuain, Rooney, Fellaini, Cesar and Cesc are all done deals.
Well, it could be true, I suppose.
And pigs might also fly by my window.
No signings yet……Gazidis aaht JoKinnear in / Wangar aaht Tony Pubis in 😉
Would consider Higuain & Fellaini big pluses to our squad. Cesar had a good Confederations Cup and would also be another plus. It’s interesting that everyone’s favorite from the last window, Etienne Capoue, seems not to be on the radar of anyone so far, and at probably half the cost of Fellaini, maybe a game of smoke & mirrors is going on.
Only another 8 weeks till the cheque book and pen get finally get removed from the safe 😉
Been thinking of that aswell Uply, maybe the little to no Capoue talk is actually what we want and boom suddenly he appears on .com in Arsenal shirt along with Gonzalo (daydreaming fullmode).
I’ve been literally checking NewsNow every minute for updates but it’s all lies and innuendos…I think I’m going to sign off the internet for a few weeks until something actually happens! In the meantime, I got So Paddy Got Up last week, so reading that will keep me happy. Lovely stories all around but what’s with the real names? Threw me for a loop that, like being in school again for the bloggers I imagine! haha
Anyway, I’m off to drink a Suntory Premium beer and laugh at the broken hearted Spanish team 🙂
He Blue Himself
You almost have to admire The Daily Mail’s commitment to bullsh*t on their website.
We know it’s a little tricky to come up with an interesting angle on David Moyes’s first day at Manchester United – ‘Man shows up for work, as we have known he would do for a couple of months’ isn’t the most dynamic headline.
However, The Mail’s website carries a picture of Moyes driving into Carrington, and circles the blue folder on the passenger seat of his car – the ‘Everton blue’ folder, as they put it.
‘Moyes looked keen to retain a little of his Everton identity as he arrived with a blue folder on the passenger seat,’ they claim.
But why stop there? Moyes is wearing a pale blue shirt – why not point out it’s a ‘Manchester City blue’ shirt? And the car is black and white – or ‘Newcastle black and white’, you could say.
Of course, you wouldn’t say that because a) you’re not a complete cretin and b) you don’t work for The Daily Mail.
Haha, fine conclusion, sorry tabs 😉
Haha, can’t argue with that mate 🙂
Lars @ 145
That bloke is claiming that all the listed players have already had medicals or are having them tomorrow.
He reckons they’ll be announced on Wednesday, so he’s setting himself up to look a real twat in about 48 hours time.
Twitter is basically 21st century Clubcall, if Clubcall had been run for free by mad bastards and compulsive liars.
I do wish something would bloody well happen though.
a real twat
No need to wait for 48 hours, N7 😉
Although in these day an age, I’m not sure if it’s just a ‘joke’ or if he’s really pretending to know.
I strongly suspect that someong going by the moniker of ‘Abroke Diaby’ isn’t purporting to be taken seriously.
Watcha you lot.
Apologies for no posts at the weekend. Didn’t get half an hour to myself. Will put something out there Tuesday and Thursday at least this week.
Back from the grand’holics with Arsenal kit orders 🙂
Excellent news about the grand’holics Guv’nor. Don’t sweat on the lack of updates. We assumed your silence indicated that you were hard at work arranging some real news – it seems your time was not wasted.
N7 / Ollie: I got a few minutes to spare a bit later and checked some more of his tweets and I did get the feeling he is just taking the piss.
(bloody hell, things are really slow when we start reporting on and talking about stuff we know is bullshit right from the start…)
Holic: Good work! I take it you have now permanently rescued them from the clutches of the big bad Wolves?
Holic,
Tricky work these grandkids aren’t they. I have allowed against my better judgement a son- in- law with scum tendencies to sire two grandsons. My daughter has claimed the youngest to be a Gooner but the 5 year old tells me Spurs are his first team and Arsenal are his next favourite team. It’s easy to see civil war in the family in future. I’m glad we didn’t sign Bale now.
I’ve been to the Swamp with the eldest for his birthday” treat “and may have to bring him to the home of football to see the difference.
Lesson to all of you out there. Clamp down on these mixed marriages! I knew it was a bad sign when the wedding was fixed for the day the Emirates opened.
Lars,
“Big bad Wolves”
What we all know as Wolfie’s Hampton Wanders. 😉
And bang, out of the blue, a signing!
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/french-striker-yaya-sanogo-joins-club
LIKE A NEW SIGNING!!!
Coz , we knew it was coming but is a new signing 🙂
Now for Carlo Ancelotti to free Higuain from slavery.. #FreeHiguain
Heh@157!
Have we signed anybody yet? I know we’ve just signed Sanogo but the transfer window has opened and we should get at least two signing per day. What? It’s not possible? Shut up you c*nts the press says it’s possible and we know they are always right about these things.
We’ve signed someone !!!!
Yaya Sanogo on a long term contract.
Oh, looks like Ollie beat me to it by some distance. 🙁
Bloody ITKs. 😉
£20m+ Higuain?
£20m+ Rooney?
Oh, it’s a cheapo random bloke from France again.
*sighs*
And Norwich sign Ricky van Wolfswinkel !!!
I kid you not.
If ever a player was destined for the Goonerholic bar …….. But we missed him. 🙁
Trev, Wolfie is already crying in the corner don’t rub it in please.
Not ‘cheap’ Cynic – he’s free !!!
Heh @169.
Oh well, I suppose he can go out on loan for two years in January 😉
No that’S a no go, Cynic. 😉
JackWilshere just followed Higuain on Twitter. Its on !!!!
Oh Twitter – finally, it’s certain. 🙁
As someone remarked, he follows Darren Bent too.
And on this, it’s gone past midnight. Goodnight.
G’night Ollie.
Goodnight Ollie.
The offsides rule has been clarified (except for me 😉 ) If you haven’t checked it out yet, quite a fussy bit leaving me stupified 🙁 Now Trev, not that I don’t trust you ,but I just had to google Ricky (he is for REAL) 🙂 Is this Yaya for the first team ? Mean no disrespect, it’s just that we have unloaded so much of our youth, just not sure !
Abb,
Have you ever nursed a Wolfswinkel ? 😉
“Oh well I’m uh
Sitting here la la
Waiting for my Ya Ya a hm ahm…”
It may sound funny but…………….
Another cheap French striker … quelle surprise. 🙁
Oskar
Mind you the same might have been said of TH14… 🙂
Oskar
Wish I could remember who tweeted it first, weeks ago, so I could credit them, but I am so going to roar at the first rendition of Wake Me Up Yaya Sanogo, We Hope You’re Better Than That Chap From Togo.
😀
FUCK OFF, ‘holic.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Not only do I hate Wham!, you’ve also managed to put that fucking tune in my head.
I hate you all. :'(
Heh ! Holic, Ollie. 🙂
I’m sure I heard that rumour Last Christmas.
Oops, 😉
Trev,
Are you certain it was last christmas and not in a club drinking tropicana’s……
Was it a rumour Trev or just a careless whisper????
And yes, I know before everyone points it out.
Heh Holic at the song for YaYa.
Day 1, step 1 in the renaissance.
Now for the big boys.
Hooray we’ve signed someone! He can join our young guns.
Wenger will tell him to ‘go for it.’
We’re going to be better than last christmas for sure.
Maybe Sanogo went up to Arsene and said “I’m your man” but maybe when he gets here we might think “nothing looks the same in the light” 🙂
Wonder if Higuain is going to be our “credit card baby”?
Die, all, die….
Afternoon all.
So we’ve got our first signing of the summer in, let’s hope that signings are like busses, ie you wait for a long time and then quite a few come along.
Don’t really understand all the fuss going on about the lowness (if that’s a word) of the profile of this signing, surely he’s just a back up, a squad filler at most? The way some are going on, you’d think that he was our only signing, who had joined at the 11th hour on transfer deadline day.
The window didn’t even officialy open until yesterday, so that’s one day, one signing. #Looking forward to more
H2H knows!
Poor Ollie 🙂
Rolls the ball out of defence…
Phew, for a moment, I thought you’d all died! 😉
Ollie, are you not ‘having some fun’?
…Lumps it upfield…
Deft flick-on
…plays beautifully weighted pass to opposition fullback…
wham
Washed up dedicates his goal to Ollie.
Well played washed up
Ignores washedup and runs to celebrate in A Different Corner. 😉
Nice to see the signings have finally started….
Not arsenal related but thought i had to share this from a Geordie mate:
“Raging I missed that programme on Channel 4 the other night about the man with the 10 stone testicles. I’ll not miss it next week tho, apparently its gonna be about Mike Ashley’s mother – The woman with the 20 stone cunt”
Disgraceful goal, washed up
Hellas that is a disturbing mental image. 😀
Trev.
You are taking the George Michael.
Bad Boys should stand in a different corner
I think we just gotta have faith more signings are coming…
Chill out Ollie.
Keep the “Faith.”
Seriously, what is holding up the Higuain deal? Assuming he is a player we want and there is some truth in the press reports, why can we not get it concluded????
Shitting bricks over spending the money?
This is good. Handjobs all around for Abramovich, but Matthew Syed pisses on the party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmCtci6cen8
I have had this fear for years that whilst our board may consist of shrewd business people I have grave reservations as to their football knowledge. I sincerely hope that their lack of knowledge/ability etc is not the reason.
Ollie, stuck in the desert, no beer, listening to George Michael songs.
It’s a triple whammy. 😉
Steve T,
Relax. This is, after all, the board that brought you Squillaci, Park and Chamakh. Oh……. 🙁
@205. Has jealousy crept in or is the cat amongst the chickens?
Hehs @180 and 183. Now I see where 205 comes from, being a direct follow on from 184. Maybe Ollie is not completely losing it? 😉
Speaking of getting your yayas out, it seems like a good time to do it now before the Asian tour begins. We don’t want to be all spent on a distant continent, do we? 😉
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Get_Yer_Ya-Ya%27s_Out%21_The_Rolling_Stones_in_Concert.jpg
Jerry “Bone machine” Flannery is in da house.
Oh boy, there’ll be some broken bones here and there.
Somebody need to toughen up those lillies.
I feel his pain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDaubsq3mGs
Heh! Bearded.
I thought that was a joke at first. 😉
No joke Trev. Poor bloke was hoping to join a Thursday night darts league but that definitely isn’t happening now.
Worth checking the view from the north bank blog. He is the most genuinely ITK blogger ( although he rarely blogs at present) and his summary on where our transfer activity is at
http://Www.wearethenorthbank.com
😀 heh! “Paulinho: “I got enough of the sun here in Brazil, So I wanted to go somewhere a lot cooler, So I join that team in Arsenal’s shadow.”
Now moving up the lower ranks of the FFL:
Urban Chicken Farmers Formerly Stranded in Suburbia FC
(popularly known as UCFFSISFC)
Most of the home support are a little embarrassed to admit the adamancy of their fanaticism but there you go. 🙂
Thanks for that Ttg.
Very interesting. Exciting times ahead if true.
Seems like Lars link yesterday might not have been as far off the mark as we thought.
At last, as Etta James once sang so beautifully… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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