Morning all.
Often when we pick up the newspapers in the morning, or search the internet to catch the latest headlines, it’s doom and gloom. Fatal road accidents, terminal illness, murder, beatings, you name it, it’s there in black and white and today is no different. Bill Maynard, perhaps better known latterly as ‘Greengrass’, the loveable rogue in Heartbeat, has passed away. By all accounts, he’d had a good and long life, a successful one too and even though the news is sad, 89 years old isn’t a bad age to go is it? I’ll be amazed if I make to that ripe old age, certainly if Arsene Wenger remains Arsenal manager..
In other news, 70 year old Arnold Schwarzenegger was rushed into hospital for emergency heart surgery which went well apparently but for Ray Wilkins, it’s still very much touch and go according to reports. I wish him well and hope surgery and scans bring good news. He’s had his troubles, many might be inclined to suggest some were of his own making but none of us really know what goes on in someone’s life so judging them is perhaps harsh. One always has a choice in life though, certainly when it comes to getting behind the wheel of a car after spending the previous hours drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Yet they are the ones who can easily afford a taxi, they can afford to get help, in fact financially, they afford pretty much anything.
Sometimes though, money can’t buy or change a thing, certainly not when it comes to the ‘Big C’’. As each day passes, research improves, treatment becomes more successful for certain cancers but there are still so many forms of the disease which just can’t be cured not yet anyway.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is an aggressive form of Cancer which attacks the immune system and it’s the one which took David Rocastle seventeen years ago to this day. He didn’t ask for it, his wife Janet, their children and other loved ones didn’t either, he/they were seriously unlucky and no treatment would save him. He remained strong and determined to beat the evil disease but just weeks after the news broke in February 2001 about him being ill, he was gone. He was just 33 years old.
David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle was and always will be a fans favourite. He was a local lad having been born in Lewisham back in 1967 and he was Arsenal to the core and loved by all.
A fond memory from Martin Keown:
“They couldn’t work out why Rocastle was running around dribbling with his head down. So they took him to the halfway line and said: Can you see the goal?”
A pair of contact lenses and he was good to go..
Remember the ‘Winterburn – McClair’ Mass Brawl in 1990 at Old Trafford : Rocky said this:
“It was our team mate, our blood brother, in trouble. They were kicking Nigel like a nightclub brawl. That’s what got us upset. We went in there and we stuck up for each other. At Arsenal we never ever started any brawls – we just finished them”
If only some of our players today had half of what Rocky had in him.
Mr Arsenal himself, Tony Adams always used to repeat the words of Rocky to the Arsenal players new to the club:
Always remember who you are, what you are and Who you represent!
Gone, greatly missed but never forgotten.
Morning Rico and all. Every time I watch the Rocky tributes I feel sad. Not only because he died way, way too young, but because it reminds me of a different age with a lot less cynicism and rush to judgement. Before the curse of social media got such a grip too.
I wish Ray Wilkins all the best.
Morning Adam, totally understand where you are coming from. Football meant something back then, clubs meant something to the players too. Especially the likes of David Rocastle and co….
Morning Rico,Adam and all. Totally get where you are coming from Adam, every time i watch Rocky tributes i get a lump in the throat. They take me back to a time when everything seemed simple in life, before the rise of the internet, almost all if not everything both good and bad, are now just a click away.
Coincidentally yesterday i was watching the Man About The House movie circa 1973, who was in it at his comedic best?
Bill Maynard…a big character in real life and on screen.
Nice post Rico, Arnie being 70 does make you think…
Sad news regarding Ray Wilkins, you just don’t expect to read such things about sportsmen or ex sportsmen.
As Adam says Rico, the Arsenal we knew has gone forever, it’s an American franchise now, a brand (pass the sick bag), we left it’s remnants behind at Highbury, it wasn’t just the stadium it was the community feel about the place, it still felt like our club, the Emirates has more to do with this modern age and footballs obsession with money and wealth.
You can see how it has effected West Ham, despite the reputation of some of the nutters that followed that club the majority of West Ham fans are ordinary working class people with a strong community spirit. Since the move to Stratford that spirit has gone.
The same will happen at Tottenham , their price structure is unclear but it seems that some season tickets are up by 20%. and their cheaper seats are spread out . A lot of their hard core support will fade and die after the novelty has worn off just as it did at the Emirates and their Paxton road / Park Lane rivalry will go the way of the North Bank / Clock end .
In some ways I feel sorry for the kids of today but I suppose they will adapt to the new order because it is all that they will know .Football became sanitised to get rid of the hooligans , but it got rid of it’s grass roots at the same time.
On a list of the worst owners in the premier league Stan came in 17th
Evening guys, thanks Kev.
Hi Bt, me too re the clips of Rocky, I hope The Ems remembers him tomorrow and I’m sure they will.
I’ve been inlawed all day but at least I have a lot more chocolate in my cupboard now… 😉
Alexis had a good game today then…
Morning Rico, how did you do with the Easter eggs? ?
Interesting interview with Emanuel Frimpong in the Telegraph…
He really didn’t like Samir Nasri, which is understandable as Nasri always struck me a a bit of a piss-taking snide.
All the same, I’m not against players digging out their team mates, a bit of finger pointing accountability might concentrate the minds. It’s all too nicey nicey in our dressing room.
And as Wenger is loath to criticise anyone, the malaise goes on….
Now I’d really love to see us give Stoke a right hammering today.
It would certainly go some way to making up for this shit season if we could help relegate those tossers….
I have a feeling you may get you wish today Kev, Stoke rarely give us any trouble at home….
Time for the happy clappers to warm their hands and the team to show their metal…The end of another glorious season looms..
Though it is April 1st…lol
Ospina in goal today..Macey on the bench..
Cech for the ropey cup.?
Hi Kev, Bt, all.
I ate so many Kev, only just managed to get out of bed… 😉
Nice to see us start strongly ?
I think we have found our level. Slow, slow,quick quick give it away. So negative.
I’m not sure I can watch much more of this. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Our superior players must start to dominate surely? This is frickin’ Stoke!!
Ha ha ha, I love Easter eggs Jane, my boys had to hide theirs when they were kids or else I’d eat them… ?
What was I saying Potter…..? ???
Sorry, I meant BT….
My son, watching it on TV, reckons about 35,000 at the game.
AsI said the other day :- This of course is the Arsenal disease , it should be easy but instead of sending a team onto the pitch with a lets get at them attitude all too often in these games we are treated to a lacklustre lifeless , limp ,tepid performance that sometimes scrapes a win and sometimes goes pear shaped and we drop points draw or even lose.
Got it in one.
Ha ha Kev, you thief… lol
It’s been writtten many times but really, that was the worst 45 minutes ever. As you said Meerkat, it’s Stoke!!!
That many Kev? ST sales are going to be interesting this summer..
Kev, I did add April 1st..lol
BT ?
Yes Rico, especially if Wenger remains, as I suspect that he will if we win the UEFA Cup or even reach the final.
The club will bullshit all the way until June 1st and ST deadline day, but the whole club is full of inaction. I don’t think that Kroenke has the gumption to act, not if Wenger holds his ground and refuses to go.
The only other Arsenal manager to lose two cup finals in one season is Terry Neill.
Btw Rico, I always replaced them….. ?
I don’t think fans will fall for the garbage the club spouts anymore Kev. Wenger stays and The Emirates will be a lonely, empty place..
? re the eggs..
Aubameyang 1-0,
4 more goals to go….. ?
3 points totally undeserved.
Spot on Potter.
A touch of class by Aubameyang, passing up the chance of a hat trick to give Lacazette a goal….
Yep, really classy..
Whilst we didn’t deserve 3 points really glad if these ORCs drop down then next season drop to League 1 then the season after drop to League 2, after that let the spiral continue. Can’t believe they were booing Ramsey. How dare he complain about getting his leg badly broken by a Stoke thug !!! Wenger needs to go or there will be no one in the Ems next season. WBA have gone, hopefully accompanied by the ORCs and Palace
Rico. Once again I reckon those empty seats will be speaking volumes.
I don’t mind Palace Paddy. Saints could yet get relegated..
So do I Adam, they certainly should.
I’d a couple of mates at the match today, it will be interesting to hear what they thought of the atmosphere in and around the ground.
Hi BT, it sounded very quiet on the TV I thought. The atmosphere around the whole club feels wrong to me.
WBA, Southampton, ORCs, CP. Does anyone notice the common denominator?
Has Wenger blamed Easter yet for the empty stadium?
Rico, i hear there was an Easter Egg Hunt taking place in Finsbury Park…
Ha ha Bt.
Night guys.
Take your pick Rico,
Playing before a big game (Chelsea v Spuds),
Not in contention for the league
Top four place just about gone
Easter Sunday.
According to AW any or all could explain the low crowd, but he is not worried about it..
He’s not worried about it , but Kroenke might be.
Apparently it’s Easter and our away form Bt… lol
Kroenke should be potter and our only hope is that he is, big time.
Morning..
New post up now.