It is quite evident that the Arsenal transfer policy has been a really divisive issue between the fans. No one doubts the fervent desire of both sides of the divide for their team to do well and win trophies, but a sometimes ugly divide there most certainly is.
How has this come about?
Well for a start, the divide does not break down into older fans seeing things one way and the younger fans another way. Oh no – it is rather more complex than that! All older fans have normally supported the club for many, many years and have fond memories of wonderful Arsenal triumphs, including the first Double with Charlie George, George Graham and others heroes of the 1970s as well as other League, FA Cup, League Cup and yet more Doubles under Arsene Wenger. They also remember the dead, dull seasons when Arsenal were patsies and won fook all, not that they were deterred from supporting their team.
The younger fans have been fortunate that both first George Graham and then Arsene Wenger delivered trophies over a comparatively short period of time. And then it stopped. For seven long years while the new stadium was being built the Gooners went back to winning fook all.
From a certain section of the oldsters and the youngsters, up went the cry “It’s Wenger’s fault”, “It’s the tight fisted b*stards who own the club who are at fault”, “it’s intolerable that we fans are denied our bragging rights, and basking in the reflected glory of our team, and just because Wenger/The Board won’t spend some fooking money”, and so on and so on.
The other camp, also composed of a mixture of oldsters and youngsters, tried to take a more pragmatic view of events, and quickly adopted the moral high ground. Their battle cry was aimed at “the Oily Barons”, “the Billionaires and their playthings”, together with sometimes smug comments regarding “self sustainability”, and “just wait until FFP kicks in”, and so on and so forth.
Those are, baldly put, some of the things that have led to disunity among the fans, with each side convinced they are right.
But what unites them?
Well for a start, neither group look back fondly at either the recent past or even much further back and say “Ah, I remember 1974 when we won nothing, but we had a jolly good Balance Sheet”, neither, I suspect, will anyone smile sweetly at a fellow Gunner and say, “2008 what a great year that was, we won fook all again, but my goodness we showed all the others how NOT to spend money and we produced a beautiful set of self sustaining Accounts”.
The vast majority of fans will agree that there has been an undeniable tightening of the screws, in terms of the ticket cost of attending a game, and the additional exorbitant costs of buying a pint or a plate of fish and chips. In addition to those almost unavoidable costs – you could cut out the fish and chips and buy a greasy burger instead – there are, in addition, the transport costs of getting to the ground.
So what are we to make of all this?
I am sure that Arsene and the current owners see themselves as the caretakers of something special. Something that goes right to the heart of not just the local community, but all Arsenal fans worldwide. They want to protect and nurture the heritage of a wonderful club which is steeped in history, and not just for the here and now, but also for the foreseeable future, and they do not want to ever risk the club living beyond its means and ending up in hock to the banks, or going bust like the great Scottish club, Glasgow Rangers.
So, if we are to accept the above, at least for the sake of argument, what has happened to cause the unpleasant divide between the fans and the animosity shown to the Board of Directors?
I see Arsene Wenger caught up in his commitment to the protection of the club and his loyalty to his employers who own the club. Through financial forces he has no control over, he loses key players on a regular basis to the siren call of more money, and the greater chances of winning trophies elsewhere.
However, rather than re-investing the money received from the sale of top quality players, he buys good, or adequate players who may have potential. This policy carried out over a year or two may not be a bad thing, but as it happens on a regular basis both the club, and therefore the team, are insidiously weakened.
This policy has a double whammy effect, in that even if we were we not losing our best players to our immediate competitors, and therefore boosting their trophy winning chances at our expense, but when a quality player becomes available we take a submissive approach to competing for his signature, which was crystallized in the words of Arsene, some years ago, when he said, “we wait for Man United to choose who they want to buy, then we go on the market”.
Sadly, we now have to wait for the ‘top three’ in this country, as well as the clubs owned all over Europe by other “Oily Barons”, to buy who they want, and leave us to scrap for the left-overs.
Even within the self sustainability model, there is an argument for us to spend selectively on a top name player, at whatever the current market price is, and meet the cost of the required salaries. In effect, on the Balance Sheet, we would simply be swopping our cash asset for a player asset. Non footballing companies do this all the time. They buy, with cash, to get stock which they sell at a profit. It’s called entrepreneurship!!
That leaves the question of how to plug the ‘losses’ that the club currently incurs, which at the moment it does by selling players. This can, should and must be achieved by much improved commercial deals, just like all our competitor clubs are doing.
We also have to recognize the fact that in reality these quality player acquisitions will increase our chances of winning trophies, which will then increase our fan base, which in turn will generate more sales/more profits, which will enable us to win more trophies, and so on and on in a virtuous circle.
Arsenal need to give me a call!!
Written by: Red Arse.
Bergkampesque 
Morning fellow Gooners,
Who said we don’t have a good strikeforce? 😉
I was kindly kept up to date by my mate E via old-fashioned text messages last night, and I thought he was pulling my leg all through the night. What a bizarre game that must have been! And what a recovery:from 4-0 to 5-7! A hattrick byTheo and a brace by Chamakh!!!
Isle of Mull is great and I am having a good time, but I would have loved to watch that second half performance. 🙂
Bring on the manky Mancs! 🙂
Hi Redders,
Thanks for a fine, thought- provoking post.
I think you have a point regarding being a little less risk-averse and invest the money we make from player sales back into quality players. My view is, though, we cannot compete with those clubs who can win a title whilst making a loss of almost £200m in one year.
If we were to take more risk by paying our top players what the Oilers are paying and start buying players in the £25m+ region, then who is to say Chelsea/MC etc will not simply further increase wages and transfer fees? Only FFP can sort this out, but will it?
I reckon the policy of developing youth talents plus buying experienced, good quality players who are likely to stay at Arsenal is our best bet currently. However, it would not hurt at all to now and again break the bank a bit and bring in a top quality player that the others have not spotted, or for some reason cannot buy.
Hi TA, 🙂
You must see last night’s game, because it was the most extraordinary mixture of the truly dreadful and the absolutely amazing, stunning and tense spectacle.
The first half showed the very worst of Arsenal who played like total strangers. This lack of cohesion was made worse by a combination of bizarre own goals from Kozzer and Martinez and the inertia of the whole team, particularly the defence.
A word for Reading here — they were well worth their 4:1 half time lead and it could have been more.
The second half continued in much the same half arsed, lackadaisical way, until Giroud was brought on, and almost immediately scored a beautiful header at a corner.
Suddenly the team clicked into gear and pushed for more goals without really going close.
Onto the 89th minute and still losing 4:2 all hell broke loose with Kozzer making up for his earlier mistake and heading another great goal, and then justas we thought we were not going to make it, up popped Theo, again, with a 95th minute equalizer. [The corporal was claiming it!!] 🙂
Many of us watched with amazement as Chamakh, yes that’s right, Chamakh actually had a shot and put us ahead at last, only for Reading to head another equalizer.
With penalties looming, Arshavin made a superb 50 metre run and shot which was spilled out to Theo who buried it for 5:6, and then that man Chamakh again to carefully lob the keeper to finish the game off 5:7.
Words cannot actually do justice to the most extraordinary match you will ever see!!
Enjoy! 🙂
TA,
I do not think Arsenal can ever match the Oily Barons, as you rightly say, but I think there is room for some judicious, quality purchases who would be the spice to add to our very promising mix of young stars emerging from the youth system.
My theme is that it would be better to buy one or two quality players rather than six rather poorer quality players.
In other words — a little more quality – and a little less quantity!
Great pearler of a post RA.
I take great pride in how we go about it financially. I’d cop it on the chin if we were told “hey fans, we are building a new stadium so we will probably struggle for a few years (around mid-table) but then we will be a force when our debts are all sorted.” But Arsene has given us more than that. There have been times where we had trophies in our grasp but for various reasons we have let it slip through our fingers.
I always think of Arsenal as Rocky. We may not have the glitz and glam of the Apollo Creed (Man city, Chelsea) but we will always go toe to toe with them and go the distance. Once our sponsorship deals are sorted it’s trophies and titles for us! Then Pat Rice’s time at Arsenal will be up (Rocky III) and against the bigger stronger opponents we will have to rise again with a new assistant.
Things will be good for a while until a foreign juggernaut (most likely from Soviet Russia) emerges from the football scene in an effort to gain world superiority. But Arsene will remind the players that they are not machines…but in fact men…so they can be beaten!
The story continues with Bergkamp enjoying a nice Grolsch in a dutch bar. An enraged
RVP enters (angered by the crowds chants of ‘paper champion’ and ‘there’s only one dutch Arsenal hero’) with his new mentor Sir Alex (RVP’s meteoric rise caught the managers attention). RVP can’t provoke Bergkamp so he decides to attack his good friend Overmars. This infuriates Bergkamp! He throws down a football skills challenge to RVP on the street. Sir Alex warns RVP, but to no avail…RVP accepts!
As the skills session rages on, Bergkamp is eventually beaten down and is seemingly out for the count. But then when all hope is lost Bergkamp hears his old mentors voice (Arsene) urging him to get back up shouting “you can do it. ONE MORE ROUND!” And he does, Bergkamp gets up and knocks out his former protege’ with an amazing back heel that bounces off both RVP and Sir alex’s head and into the top corner of the goal! The crowd in the street cheers begins to chant:
“There’s only oooooone Dennis Bergkamp
one Dennis Bergkamp
walking along
singing a song
walking in a Bergkamp Wonderland”
Bergkamp then walks off into the sunset knowing full well that Arsenal will always be number 1 in his heart!
Oh yeah where was i???
Once the sponsorship deals bring in more money I would love to see all player payments to be 100% spent on new acquisitions. Let the other revenues pay for debt reduction ect, let the on field money look after the squad. As TA said, a big fish every now and then wouldn’t hurt. I’ll always grab hope from seeing teams like Borussia Dortmand and Montpellier
Hi Oz, 🙂
Loved your first comment. Dennis would definitely carve RvP into small cubes — gulp I am getting carried away here!! 🙂
I don’t know if you saw the item about Arsenal bringing another director on board for the commercial arm.
Apparently he came from Addidas, and the rumour is that we are now trying to get out of the current Nike deal so that we can get a mega shirt contract with …………….. Addidas!! 🙂
cheers RA. A mega deal sounds very tasty! If tottenham can grab 50m over 5 years in their kit deal surely he can smash that. Hopefully we can get something near United’s 52m a year Chevrolet deal.
Given I know absolutely nothing about business I know anything I say means nothing, but didn’t Ivan bring in a 5 person team years ago to work on sorting out new sponsorship deals ect ect. I thought they were getting paid very handsomely, if they don’t deliver I’ll be out the front with signs and threats of a hunger strike!
Must be off RA, cheers again for the really good read. good day
Oz,
I have to admit that I have not made a note of the commercial revenue breakdown, but the current shirt deal works out at approx £7m a year, I think. This expires in 2014.
The Addidas deal is rumoured to be worth closer to £25m a year. That’s a move in the right direction.
Trouble is Manyoo’s shirt deal is almost double that, and in addition they have a ‘training’ kit deal which is more than £7m per year. We don’t have a separate deal for that.
Shows what we are up against I suppose.
There’s a lot more that needs to be done!!
Bye, Oz,
Have a G’day!! 🙂
A lot of talk today refers to Theo and his salary demands.
The extra money he is asking for amounts to about £6m per annum. That amounts to £48m over a 4 year period.
Now it would be no surprise if a number of other players asked for a similar increase, if he was given this. How many? Well lets guess, there could easily be six of them.
That would work out at approximately £350m over the 4 years.
Does anyone really believe we could afford that?
Hi all, thanks for a quality read, as always, Redders.
My comment last night was posted when we were 4-0 at the Madejski, but the second half comeback didn’t surprise me, only Saturday Reading drew 3-3 at home against Fulham, so there’s always plenty of goals at both ends in games involving The Royals.
My opinion is that even if FFP were introduced tomorrow, no club would be forced to sell any of their existing squad players, and the gulf in class between ourselves and the top three has widened to the point that if we don’t respond quickly enough, we’ll be left so far behind, there’ll be no way back. Abramovich has spent more money compensating sacked managers than we’ve spent on players, and still they spent heavily in the summer. The Champions of Europe went out and significantly strengthened, we bowed to the safety-first option of profit and weakened. Chelsea snarled and bared their teeth to show Arsenal how to win a European Cup, the once mighty Arsenal ran away.
Very fine Post Redders…
I did find myself thinking it was too good to be put out on a day when most people just want to talk about last night’s game!
But on reflection it offers a nice alternative.
Given that the new TV money (as well as new commercial deals etc) are due to come on line in a couple of years (as the Board assured fans at the recent AGM) why doesn’t Arsenal “speculate” a little by spending now with the knowledge of all this dosh coming down the pipeline?
Is there a tax/accounting reason for not doing so?
Or just more of the conservatism to which you allude in your Post.
Good to see you, Rocky, I hope everything is good with you and yours.
All well thanks Herb. I hope the same is true for you.
I didn’t get to see the game last night, but I must admit that when I checked the scores and saw it go from 2-0 to 3-0 to 4-0 I did not expect us to get back in it.
You quite rightly point out that Reading concede a lot of goals but I must admit, the best I was hoping for was something like 4-2 – to at least avoid outright humiliation.
I was glad to see Chamakh get a couple. I am not as down on him as many fans seem to be and I still think he could do a job for us from time to time (although clearly he’s behind OG in the pecking order).
Hi Herb, Hi Rocky, 🙂
Thank you for your comments re the Post.
As TA is on hols with the family I felt I owed him some moral support with his new Blogsite. It must be a bugger writing Posts on his own everyday!
Anyway, he is too nice to say “RA, it is a load of bollocks – I would prefer a Rocky special”!! But I’m not proud. 🙂
Rocky,
I’m glad the hurricane did not do too much damage to Canada, I would prefer it to be in good condition when the US invades!! 🙂
Seriously tho’ the aftermath looks absolutely terrible in New York but also the tri-States in general.
Rock man,
I wrote a little comment on WG’s site as he has written a good summary of the match too.
I particularly noted Chamakh’s contribution because he is not normally my favourite player, and certainly wasn’t up until he got booked protesting over a certain penalty that was refused.
After that he went up a gear and really looked the business and the goal he scored after a neat build up with the Meerkat was very good indeed.
Thanks Redders, excellent stuff.
Speculate to accumalate?, why not. It does seem that in recent years the club has been a tad conservitive with there finances, though to be fair i do know that there were covenants in place with the lenders for the Grove in terms of cash reserves etc.
I dont know wether you recall, but some months ago i said that i am always suspicious when clubs build up reserves of cash. Like you said, why not invest in fixed assets, i.e. players, that could in turn bring success and thus generate further income.
However, i think the Rooster has flown. It is my belief that when Kronke bought the club he paid a premium for a healthy cash balance and regards this money as his. I cant see it been spent on players and suspect that it will eventuly end up invested in an associated Company, ie. media rights owned by kronke etc, but we will see.
Thanks for asking about my man flu Redders. Its more like girly flu and to be honest ime just a big wooss. I realize now that i would make a first class Zombie because once infected i have this rabid desire to spread my misery. This strange impules to acost a stranger and start licking them is often hard to control but the cuffs and leg restraints seem to be doing the trick. hahaha
Herb,
Yes I noticed your despairing comment last night, and there were many who were watching who found it difficult to stomach.
Can I ask you for a favor? Well not so much a favour but a gentleman’s agreement to leave the ‘profit’ thing alone, for a while anyway?
You see, you get quite cross when you mention that the lack of trophies is all down to the club protecting their profits.
In turn, I do not know how to make you see that without the sale of players (intentionally or otherwise) Arsenal would make losses. Neither do the shareholders ‘take money out’ of the club by way of dividends.
You are not an accountant, and that’s OK, but the club cannot falsify its financial records and what I have just said is shown in the public accounts in black and white.
So if you can just chat about your dissatisfaction about the administration, the transfer policy or anything else without advancing incorrect information about ‘profits’ and ‘money being siphoned out’ that would be great. In return, I won’t keep repeating the accounting facts.
Is it a deal? 🙂
I don’t have a problem with you putting forward your views, some of which I agree with, some I don’t – just not the accounting stuff.
You have a wealth of experience and often give a different slant on things which most of us find thought provoking, and I would like to encourage you to continue on with that, as I learn a lot from someone’s first hand experience of Arsenal! 🙂
Hi Terry,
I have a dread of ‘flu, because I have only had it once, and it was a totally miserable feeling.
That said, you seem your usual cheerful self!
Sadly, I think you are right in your belief that Kroenka has his own agenda.
It is, of course, in his own interests to boost the worth/value of Arsenal so that when he eventually sells his shares (and he will – all the owners of football clubs are temporary caretakers) the return on his investment will be inflated by these quality player investments winning major trophies and increasing the commercial returns.
That would lead most entrepreneurs to take a calculated risk in investing a sum in player acquisitions that, even if he bought the odd pup, would not cripple the club.
I think he was justified in being careful while the club was securing the funding and repayment of the stadium debt, which as you say has been ring fenced.
Now that has been mainly achieved, I think it is time he loosened the purse strings and embarked on the next phase of the Arsenal project — the winning of the EPL and the Champions League.
It will happen, it is only a question of the timing! 🙂
Redders
Funny that: I’ve only had ‘flu once (and it was ‘orrible).
It made me realise that all the times previously that I had complained of having ‘flu, all I had really had was a heavy cold.
Oz
@13.56
I’m afraid I don’t recall any of the events you accuse me of having taken part in 🙂
Oz is a bit like that, Rocky, — accusations galore!
I understand he is distantly related to to Ned Kelly, and I definitely know he was in Court in Aussie recently – just not clear what he had done!! 🙂
Rock,
I have for some time had a ‘flu jab every year since I went ‘self employed’ with no company to give me sick leave – (or part time since I cannot get about too well at the mo’). 🙂
That’s what I claim anyway, but even I would have to admit, having had the ‘real ‘flu, that there is a bit of self protection involved. I do not want that again – altho ‘flu jabs are not guaranteed against all flu viruses, unfortunately. 😦
I am so full of admiration for war heros. Just watching “world at war” were these guys are retreating from the Japs. They are all starving and short on amo, but some of them volunteer to stay behind and fend off the Japenese whilst the others get away.
If that was me, i would volunteer and when no one was looking shoot the other guy, gorge myself to the point were i couldnt possibly have desert and when the japs arrive would surrender imedieatly giveing away all our positions and offering myself as there Rent Boy. hahaha
You beast, Mancini!!! 🙂
A fine post my fiend……sorry friend and I could understand it ! . hahaha
As far as I`m concerned, FFP will put an end to these ridiculous fees and wages somewhere in the future and we will be able to afford as good as any of the rest, if not better !. It wont be long before we are speculating to accumalate, mark Terry`s words !. hahaha
Where`s that Vee See See today ?. I bet he`s trying to make a video/movie ! hahaha
Got to agree with Rocky. I always had Flu, until I really had it and realised all the other times, it was just a cold !.
The worst pain I ever had was Colic !. I thought I was dying, it`s probably like being pregnant , but ten times worse. Women dont know what real pain is, unless they`ve had Colic ! and Man colic is worse than Woman Colic , just like Man Flu is worse ! . hahaha
If Mrs glic was reading this, I would have Man Pain, after her continuously punching me in the face !, but I would probably die of Man Laughter Pain as she punches as hard as Mr Burn`s from the Simpson`s ! . hahaha ( it`s ok, she`s not punching me yet . hahaha )
A ‘training’ kit deal, bloody hell they have it good!This all started because of that darn pretty boy beckham! Half their fans still probably think he plays for them. Reminds me of kids in the street with ‘bulls 23’ singlets on. It’s fashionable to do so, yet they wouldn’t know Michael Jordan if he punched them in the face.
@ RA
Lies and slander! I’ll have you know I was never apart of the bank robberies or murder of police officers. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer…kelly 26!
The dreaded man flu. A nasty sickness far worse than anything women have to suffer through. Unfortunately for me I always catch it from the Mrs at the worst possible times (in a hotel on my birthday, bali ect). I’ve suggested separate master bedrooms to prevent it from happening (I also have been hit in my sleep several times (including a knee to the bum), she claims it to be accidental but I’ll let the courts decide), but I got the frowning of a lifetime! So now I just walk around high on zinc, vitamin C, and fish oil tablets.
@ GLIC
hahaha man laughter pain!
No problem, Redders, we don’t need to be accountants to know we’re nowhere near the competitive force we should be, which is a constant source of irritation and worry, with no sign of anyone addressing the fan’s misery any time soon. Whose next, Jack Wilshere to MC or Chelsea in the next few years?
People laud the fact that we’ve qualified for the CL 15 years in succession. We’re not the only club who’ve achieved this, but of the select few who have, we’re the only one’s who lack the minerals to have a go at actually winning it.
The BoD’s perception of what constitutes a good year, compared to the fan’s perceptions couldn’t be further apart, which is why most couldn’t understand quite what PHW meant when trying to justify Ivan Gazidis’ huge pay-rise, by saying we’d had a good year. I wonder how many Arsenal fans would describe last year as ‘a good year’? Think big and you’ll be big, set your sights too low and that’s inevitably where you’ll end up. For Arsenal fans it means perpetually being short-changed. And the idea that leaving Highbury was going to make us a ‘super’ club is starting to look very hollow. Our greedy Board have made sure the Emirates generates the biggest match-day revenue in Britain, it is a travesty that they’re nowhere near as passionate about building a successful football team.
Morning Folks, 🙂
Herb, are you in a far off country or are you a night bird? 🙂
I was still asleep at 4:38 this morning!! 🙂
Hi all,
Great post RA – I haven’t had time to read through the comments yet so I apologise if I repeat what anyone else has said, I’m rushing about but I had to pop on here for the excellent material that Total always produces – only to find its Redders today 🙂
I think the antagonism, opinion and general dissatisfaction spells from several things all of which add up to a more demanding, more involved fanbase.
1) Greater media coverage, everyone and their grandmother has a blog, or internet or is a persistent reader of the tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, all who are keen to get the next scoop and sell lots of column space/hits on their site.
I for example started my blog because I love Arsenal and it seemed like a great way to have my opinions and discuss them with a wider audience, to get better feedback and discuss it. My grand ideas however then just perpetuate the cycle, I am always after a bit of info that makes me stand out, whilst always writing my own guff. My Arsenal stance is a rather placid one. I love Arsenal FC, I am a glass half-full person and I can see potential. I want to see the players trying hard and working as hard as I dreamt I would if I ever pulled on the shirt. (Getting too old for this dream now Arsene, better call me up soon, its going to take me 6 months to get match fit at this rate!!) My stance however is the antithesis of those like Le Grove which are much more about demanding greater success from Arsenal, as if football is a pre-determined game where you should win every game.
2) The money it costs to watch Arsenal these days has split and changed the fanbase. We now feel more entitled to be entertained and have success delivered to us on a plate because we regularly shell out cash (and a shedload of it!) to watch Arsenal. We want a return on that spend. We need to quantify it to ourselves and our loved ones on a regular basis – especially in this economic climate. Football and its actual, local fanbase has never been so far apart on the economic scale, Clubs like Arsenal FC are now Tourist attractions, not a local team. I sometimes go and watch Rochdale, their fans are mental, wind, rain or snow (any summer day to be honest) and they are there. It reminds me of a long time ago at Highbury.
How many of those great fans still go?
3) Sugardaddies are filling the game and whilst for years we were smug suggesting we didn’t need one, we now find ourselves behind in the game. Top, top talent is going where the money is and that isn’t Arsenal. I don’t think it ever will be, not with the current encumbents on the board. However, anyone who does take over would be foolish to drop the “self-sustainability model” as its an excuse to never invest more money and it does allow us to feel a little bit better about the situation, to take the moral high ground, but in trophies we will always drop off.
There we go…thats my opinion and like my site, I’m here to be shot at for it 🙂
I hope you enjoyed it.
Ta
WG 🙂
Damn….I just did a massive comment and I’ve lost it all.
I’ll have to re-write it later 😦
Sorry guys
WG
No Redders, sometimes I get agitated and angry, and I don’t know if it’s a class thing, or if my line of reasoning just grates with people.
I’m particularly annoyed that I’ve been frozen out of ‘AA’, simply because a few people lack any moral-fibre, or a back-bone to sort it out.
I have no respect for anyone who appears all friendly and helpful on the surface, but underneath are really just inverted snobs who couldn’t care less what you say as long as you don’t insult one of the inner-clique. Even if they’re wrong and have a stinking attitude with it, how dare a nobody like me suggest they have no manners!!!
Herb,
I am surprised and sorry to hear you say that about (presumably) Peaches and Rasp.
I only know you from the blogworld, of course, but it seems clear to me that you wear your heart on your sleeve.
In my chats with you I have to say that you have always been a well mannered gentleman, prepared to put your case as you see it.
And innocence isn’t enough to get a fair hearing either! They’ve got their very own Karma Police like Sylvain Wiltord’s evil twin SharkeySure to come on to the public platform, so he can embarrass and falsely accuse them of attacking women, and generally throw a few heavy words around in a childish attempt to intimidate them into admitting guilt so that they’ll go away. And these are well-heeled professionals blogging on an Arsenal football site???
I bought a brand new lap-top on the strength of blogging on ‘AA’, I wish I’d never discovered blogging, or a football site with so many petty ego’s.
Even though I don’t always agree with what you say, Redders, you are one of the few pluses from my experiences of that site.
Morning morning morning.
I’m sorry you feel that way Herb. I honestly can’t speak highly enough of AA, only person I ever had a problem with was that RA bloke! Every time i’d get a headache because i’d get caught by a few vocabulary haymakers. I’m surprised you feel that way about sharkespeare, he’s one bloke in the Arsenal blogging world i’d love to share a beer with.
I know people are going to get angry every now and then because it’s only natural when opinions are thrown around. Not to mention we are all so very passionate about the mighty Arsenal. It should always be water off a ducks back.
Don’t let it get you down herb old friend
No Oz,he involved himself in a blog argument that had nothing to do with him, and without checking any background facts, accused me on a public forum of attacking women. What did the site administrators do? Absolutely nothing!
Hi Herb,
Can I ask you kindly not to discuss other blogs on BK.
Thanks.
Herb,
Like Oz, I have to say that I always find Sharkey, and his twin FIL, to be both knowledgeable and very amusing.
It is important to remember, in his absence, that Total is very clear that he does not want denigration of any other site or any other blogger.
Everyone must respect that.
In any case, it is best to put past upsets behind one and look to the future.
Ooops, sorry, Total, I was interrupted and did not see your comment before I pressed the ‘submit’ button. 😦
Take care all, I’m in the wrong place, this isn’t for me.
Hi WG, 🙂
I was just looking back and up popped your great comment.
To me everything you say rings true. I do not have the depth of knowledge of some other bloggers, or even of Rochdale, but there are wonderful fans out there who are not all Arsenal fans, but go because they love the game and their club!
I think I just agreed with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Morning Total. Hope all is well and you and your family are having a great time.
Morning Redders 🙂
Your last comment makes total sense. I respect anybody’s feelings but whether it is AA or LG or any other blog, but discussing them openly of BK is a recipy for disaster, and is bad blog etiquette.
Morning VCC 🙂
Yes, thank you. Weather has improved and Mull is anything but Dull! 😛
Incidentally, WG, I think the ethos of your site is just like TA’s.
Two decent guys chatting about the club and the game we all love, without the need for vulgarity or blasphemy.
It would be no bad thing for you and Total to get together with your blogs – the ethos is very similar, altho’ your Posts are refreshingly different! 🙂
Doh! I had better go for sticking my nose in things. 🙂
Hi VCC, 🙂
The “handsome” one 🙂 is off thrilling the good ladies of the West Country, trying to make them ‘bad’ ladies.
New Post. Fellow handsome Gooners! 😛