WHS - The Enemy from Within
Hi all, I’ve found some blog hacking software - as you can see, it’s rather good!
So, here’s my opportunity to tell you the way it really is.
Let’s start with a bit of background - without revealing my age, I can tell you I remember the League Cup win over the rapidly declining Liverpool team of 1986-7, vaguely, and remember losing to Luton the following year.
Those days were tough times for us Arsenal fans. We were, as a team, methodical, workmanlike, proper working class footballers, supported by proper working class geezers, it seemed to fit. You could respect the game and the players, you could empathise, but also you felt frustrated, there were many times during the early days that I thought that I could easily replace Lee Dixon, I could plod through a game, hold a line, make a decent tackle and hoof the ball to Alan Smith.
But this defensively minded team brought success, no one was expecting our league win of ‘89, and I guess that was what made it so magical. We followed that up with nearly grabbing the double in ‘91, some blind luck free kick which Seaman attempted to parry with the wrong hand and a blatantly off-side goal put paid to that, but we still secured the league with the meanest defence around. That defence served us well for most of the next decade.
Sheffield Wednesday were our new victims in ‘93 and fans were starting to think something is happening here, we are making progress, spuds were doing their thing, and were considered to be the cultured side playing a more expansive game, but we were the ones winning things. You could live without the fancy flicks when you have the upper edge on the banter and trophies in the cupboard.
A Cup Winners’ Cup win against a very good Parma side followed, with every fan wondering how we would score without Wrighty, thank heavens for a great strike from Alan Smith. By the way, in the semi final of that competition Lee Dixon was up against a certain David Ginola of PSG who dived and whinged the whole game, that’s how he became an Arsenal hate figure, playing for spuds later on just underlined it.
At this point I’d say both teams were in a similar position, both having off field troubles, both having manager difficulties, both making no in roads into ManUre’s dominance, but we had the upper hand when it came to winning trophies.
Then, it happened.
I don’t know how he did it but Bruce Rioch managed to persuade Dennis Bergkamp to sign for us - that was the change. Rioch left and a certain Arsene Wenger took over, all of a sudden, we were winning games and chasing ManUre. From a fans perspective, the rivalry we had with spuds, though still bitter and forever shall it remain, was replaced, in footballing terms, by the rivalry we had with ManUre. We were fighting with ManUre at the top of the table, we had the players with the fancy flicks and skills, all based on that solid defence.
You couldn’t and didn’t keep up - the gap between the teams just grew, I guess the final piece of the jigsaw was when Sol Campbell signed for us. That’s when Arsenal fans realised that we were bigger that our north London neighbours, that we were the team to admire, that we were the team that players wanted to play for. We could deliver medals. Maybe you all realised the gap was widening, that’s why the 5-1 win was so special for you.
With trophies and titles, challenging for something each year, the time came for us to move to a new stadium, now this has happened, we are a dominant force in Europe with a world wide fan base, a magnificent stadium, some of the best young talent from around the world, a fantastic training centre, we play a great game of football and appreciate the way it is played, we have an honour at Arsenal, we knew how to do things the right way.
But, somehow it’s a little tarnished.
I suppose a little like the difference between the Las Vegas of the 60’s and the one we know today, it all seems a little sterile, a little more fluffy, a bit too corporate, what’s the best way to describe it? A bit stand-off-ish. But this isn’t just Arsenal, it’s happening to lots of teams, where once we were regarded as necessary for the clubs survival, now the fans are not even considered customers. We are just fluffers to the team, something for the cameras to pan during the game; background noise to a commentators remarks.
But it’s not like I can change the team I support now, is it? I have to and will defend my team no matter what; no slur can be accepted without being blurred in some way.
I went to Peterborough on last week, dire football and a 3-1 win, but I shouted and screamed with the others in the terraces. It didn’t matter if there were kids around because you knew if you were taking a kid to the game, you’d go to the family enclosure and join the corpses on the seats. I told the referee what I thought, told the players what I thought, or what I didn’t think shall I say it? Will I upset the people around me? Will they mind me shouting? It was raw reminder of the way it was.
Don’t get me wrong, I have witnessed fantastic times, and so many great games. We have season after season of being there or thereabouts, and it’s unusual for our campaign to be finished early, rare for us to play without passion or fight, but I just feel more detached from my team than I used to.
And I guess this is where it leaves us: would I swap all that Arsenal have now for a ticket to Anfield on that Friday night in May ‘89 ?
Now there’s a question.
WHS
February 6th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Most pointless hack ever!? If it is one…
Do something useful or just go outside…
February 6th, 2008 at 10:57 am
C*nt of the year?
February 6th, 2008 at 11:36 am
now, now. When a man writes for the bagel, he can’t be all bad…
Especially when he admits he’s detached from his team.
All the more reason why we should fight tooth and nail to stay at the lane if at all possible. The one thing about Tottenham that ISN’T corporate is the match day experience, even if they try and make it so.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I was merely posing a question
February 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
A bitter young man you are
February 6th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
thanks WHS - great writing.
Definitely agree that signing Bergkamp represented a turning point for you, and then with Wenger coming in - similarly with Gullit’s arrival at Chelsea. I always hoped Klinsmann would be our saviour, but it seemed too high a mountain to climb, with the points deduction and not qualifying for Europe - we seemed to slip away and get overtaken.
This is why, without dwelling on our False Dawn issues, it’s a joy to genuinely look at Spurs now and know we are on the up - that our turn in the cycle might be on its way!
Arsenal have made strides and stolen a march with a fantastic, world class stadium right next to a tube station - it makes me think the gulf has widened further. However, fans do need substance and something real to hang onto - not to be made to feel like consumers/numbers as you mention. In a ripe market of questionable businessmen and ex-prime ministers, the soul of a football club with great history has become a fragile entity to preserve. The handling of Jol saga aside, I couldn’t be happier with the work Levi and Co have been doing and would be devastated if we ever sold out to some faceless oligarch (although there’s undoubtedly an inevitability about it happening). I’d imagine none can see the improvement we’ve made better than Gus Poyet, brought into at the time by Hoddle, with other aged players, on a brief to get quick results. How he must marvel at all our young British players and know without doubt that there is no club we need fear or cannot beat on our day. It is hard not to be optimistic these days - but i’ll just stick with quietly confident!
We’ve got our soul intact, a noisy and passionate crowd and a team full with youthful British talent in every position.
We know it’s another game these day, not just the corporate thing but the standard of players, the speed of the game, health, diet, fitness - everything. The good old days weren’t all that good though!
oh to be a YIDDO!
February 6th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hey-Ho, what’s all this? Beginnings of a mutual appreciation society? New EF-BAY (Electronic Friends of Bagel, Arse & Yiddo)?
Makes a good change, a bit of (almost) civilised exchange & banter, LOL!!!!
February 6th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
PS: Late follow-up on yesterday’s pre-match report, Bagel, you know which bit I mean. Was just telling Mrs FC Porto about your idea for the dream practical toy for the man-who-hasn’t-got-everything.
Replies Mrs FCP: “So he could patent it as the Alarm Cock…”.
A true Portuguese Yidesse through & through!!
February 6th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Like it. The thing would take some cleaning though…
The Bagel.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Lmao - you need to get a life if you are searching for blog-hacking software especially for this site haha
February 6th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I mean only for this site - not especially!
This site isn’t bad - that just came out all wrong; I am obviously not as gifted with words as the bagel :D.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
It looks like Hutton is not elibable to play for Spurs in the UEFA Cup
http://uk.reuters.com/article/footballNews/idUKL0629098620080206
Without Bale, and Ledly playing only 1 game in 3…there’s a lot of pressure on Woodgate — as I have little faith in Dawson for the full 90.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Well whs everything in this world is going to shits.its sad but true.. Lot of clubs are heading that way.at least you can say you saw the good old days.que sera sera…
February 6th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
sorry about the missing e* Ledley!
February 6th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I don’t mind corperates, but there’s a fine balance. They contribute a lot to the clubs coffers, but not the match day atmosphere. Can’t have it all I’m afraid.
February 6th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Thats unacceptable ali.. If it were up to me i would have you banned;-)
February 6th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Thanks for bearing your soul, WHS.
But seriously, what was the point in telling us all about the recent history of arsenal? what should my reaction be? should i ignore your previous obtuse, idiotic, infantile comments? should i convert?
February 6th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Well, my old man said be an arsenal fan…..
February 6th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
1-1 england JENAS!
February 7th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I hate everything about the other lot. i hate the players, the fans and anything that is connected to the scum half of North London. It would be a good day if the whole club was wiped off the face of the earth. My passion for Spurs is only matched by my hatred of the SCUM!
Well done WHS. You make some interesting points.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Great timing of the post.
Today the PL announced they will be looking at extending the season by one game, then selling the rights to host that game.
The team playing will be picked at random and the points scored will go toward the league table points.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/7232390.stm
Excuse my french, but thats a fucking joke, ‘our’ game aint, the peoples games is turning into a circus showpiece event.
February 7th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
An absolute disgrace if it happens.
That Mihir Bose is such a tosser. Has he ever stood on a football terrace? I fucking doubt it by the sound of him but he thinks he can tell us what is good for football. FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!