Morning Gooners,
Bit of gossip before the main post. Rumours are going around that Arsene Wenger has already, or might travel to France in order to tie up a deal for Auxerre youngster Yaya Sanogor who is out of contract at the end of the season. Liverpool are also interested in signing the player.
If this is true it could be good news, not the signing bit but, hopefully he has already flown to France and will stay they for a few days before meeting up with the squad in Germany on Wednesday. This would leave the pre Bayern training to Steve Bould and he could get stuck into the defence for a few days. That could be enough to give us a slight chance.
The Daily Star again suggest that Wenger will step up his attempts to sign Victor Wanyama this summer and Micah Richards is the latest defender linked to us. I’ve always like Richards, big strong, no nonsense defender who can play central or on the right. He’s a bit short though at 5′ 11″ and currently injured. In fact he’s often injured so as good as he is, we should steer clear.
The other two, well wouldn’t they be typical Arsene Wenger signings?
Onto today’s post which is something a little different….
How many of you played or are still playing football?
How many of you remember your first ball, your first team, your first goal or even your first manager?
Is that testing the brain cells?
Many of you will remember when and why you chose your first football club to support. I say your first, as many of my mates changed whenever another team were winning things. They could be so fickle.
How many of you paid subs to play, washed your own kit or all the kit?
Back in my day we even had to put dubbin on the ball, did you?
Many of you younger fans/players will no doubt have been driven to your fixtures, yet I had to walk. Oh, and walk home after the game!
Rain or shine we turned up, many of you, like me, would have helped to put the nets up. We had to pay the refs, pay for the pitch, pay to be in the league and of course, pay for the kit we wore. Boots in those days were a step up on what I started with. Ankle high with wooden studs which were nailed on and I felt the nails as soon as I put the boots on but that didn’t stop me, it didn’t stop us.
Once the boots were on you were a footballer.
I write this dribble just to remind you of the hard times some of us had.
To be able play a sport which would stay with us for all these years is an honour and although I am too old to play today, I still watch the game and still feel that I am kicking/heading every ball.
We played for love, in ice wind, snow or rain.
In the early days my clothes were left on the touch lines, washing facilities were non-existent and if you got hurt you had to get on with and even find your own way home home. I remember twisting an ankle and cadged a lift on my mates bike. Push bike that was and I even got to see a player having to be carried home after breaking his leg. Tough eh?
Just as Arsenal improved their facilities over the years, I too witnessed changes. Ok, nothing would have ever matched what out team gets pampered with but things were better, just.
Both teams had to share one sink and every other week we would have our pockets picked while we were on the field! In the end, whatever possessions we had, we have to leave with the manager, otherwise we would have left the ground broke…
Once I was invited to play against a team at Tooting Broadway at a BBC connected complex. It was a friendly fixture and I was told a coach would be there for our side. I soon agreed to play and went by public transport which seemed first class back then.
We played on a muddy pitch during a rainstorm and we were all filthy and soaked through when the final whistle blew.
As I went back into the changing rooms, a door opened and there was a swimming pool………
That was my first taste of how the other half lived, we had a meal and then back home.
Sadly I was never good enough to play to a high standard, so after 30 years of -playing local football and with bones/joints which were letting me down, I had to admit defeat and quit.
Many of you may of had the same kind of experiences you know what i am talking about. Many of you that still play or you follow your children probably still pay, but I am sure the amenities are so much better.
Why do I bring this to your attention?
Those of us that never made it to the big time had to look after ourselves, we had to pay to play you might say.
Players today who show sign of talent are snapped up very early, they get looked after well and at many clubs, earn more that they could dream of at such a young age.
Many of these youngsters never have to think about what it could be like to pop down the jobcentre to seek employment. They progress through the ranks until one day, they break into the first team, they have no idea just how many supporters who watch them envy them to a certain degree. How some of their antics can infuriate them.
We watch these fortunate players who drive flash cars and live in big houses at so young an age and at times I wonder if they realise how lucky they are, not to have had it tough…
Good luck to them I say but don’t expect them to understand just how passionate we are about the game of football.
Written by Steve Palmer.
Morning all.
Love it Sp, you old codger 😉
It was as bad, maybe worse in the Ladies game. Always the last to be given a pitch, changing room facilities etc….
Nike Tempo’s for me though, no wooden studs 😉
Quiet one here today… Sorry Sp…
Popping off for a while, lunch to do for the inlaws 🙁
Morning Rico,thanks for tidying it up. Mothers day who doesn’t love their mums, wish i still had mine.
Boo! Great as always, SSP. Our players should read this post. Might give them some perspective. See how fortunate they are to be playing for such a fantastic club with the best facilities/resources. But these days, most of them can’t even be bothered to put in a shift. Grrr.
Hiya, rico!! What are you making? Happy Mothering Day to all (errr as applicable) . 😀
Richards yes please – forget the rest – buy some real players tight fisted git 🙂
two good young managers going head to head tonight – hoping for a reds win personally, you?
Morning all.
Excellent post Steve! Totally agree, most footballers are totally removed from the reality of normal life let alone having any sort of grasp of what we fans go through on a weekly basis.
Hung up my boots a few years ago, but started playing again recently, got the bug again. I had forgotten how much I loved it, at least until I get injured again…..
great article by the way SteveP, brings back memories alright
Cheers all, have a good day and don’t forget your Mums 🙂
Great article SP, yeah I wish my mother was still around too mate!
Well we want the dippers to beat the scum today….the PL’s two biggest divers go head to head! I really wish we didn’t have to rely on other teams doing us favours, we used to just smash the opposition!! Those were the days…..
Hi Lee, She’s still there Lee but in your memory mate, we were still lucky to of had them and even more important that we remember them.
You think you had ot bad! We had to change in a hardboarded up Bandstand. No water, no washing, no showers, mind you when you’re 9 years old you don’t like water anyway. Add to that slope that seemed to be at least 1 in 3 and the wind blew like a gale, every week! But do you know we enjoyed every minutenof it. My white soled Bobby Charlton boots covered every blade of grass, upand down the left wing, we weren’t allowed to go past the centre spot towards the right wing, heaven forfend!
For those of you that know it the park was Ridgeway Park in chingford. So far as I know it’s still there. We also played cricket, tennis and rode on the scale 1 steam trains that had a track there, as well as doing the Carnival etc. etc.
Happy Days. Sometimes my mumand dad came too, sometimes they didn’t. I think they were grateful for the space my absence presented them with!
Too late now.
Wenger comments in the Sun today, He states that we will go into the game positive he says we have nothing to lose so we are going in with all guns blazing. We are going to start positive and we will give it our best shot. Last year we were 4.0 down in the first leg against AC Milan and we pulled back 3 goals. Wenger said we will remember what we did in the second leg with Milan when this match arrives. We will fight until the very end.
That’s all we can ask for Arsene, but just not in this game all the games,
And Kevin If your out there , That’s positivity speaking, and every Gooner will be right behind them, you can count on it.
Good post Wavy. Made me smile that mate. 🙂
Great post. I used to think young coppers were the most arrogant until I started watching Arsenal youth games in the early 80’s. Standing within close proximity of the subs with their sheepskin coats over their kit, expecting everyone to fetch and carry for them was sick-making in the extreme. The only satisfaction was that most of the flash gits never got anywhere near the 1st team although two of the worst culprits – Jermaine Pennant and Stephen Hughes, did for a while. Having said that, I work with a guy who won the FA Youth cup with Arsenal and went on to a pro career elsewhere and he turns out in our lunchtime five-a-sides and is not flash at all.
Hi Bob John, Thank you, you made me remember when i played and worked in my factory team. We used to turn out lunchtimes and play for an hour. we had some right battles and many lads trained at night as well many of us went Jogging but after the game at the weekend we had to shake off any injuries to clock in on a Monday morning. I played Sundays as well so often my mates complained that i stunk of horse oils in the morning . I limped for most of the week but still turned out at lunchtimes. little pulls and strains were run off. and by the weekends we were gagging to get out there. I must admit i had never heard of some of the ailments that the pro’s get now, in actual fact i wouldn’t have been able to pronounce some of them . We played more football than the pro’s and the only thing that stopped us for a spell was a break , i was lucky i never broke anything and i went for 30 years until a cartlage went that buggered me for a year, but only because i had to wait on the list before they could do it.
Common story Steve , training Tuesday and Thursday County league ( serious ) Saturday and Fun stuff with your mates on Sunday. Funny how the standard Sunday was better but facilities were better Saturday. Packed up 5 a side on my 50 th birthday, but given the chance if the genie ever offered me 30 years younger it would be to play again that I would say yes.
me too Potter, would love to play again.
Maybe we should arrange an oldies game and play for 5 minutes and then realise that it’s not such a good idea.
Hi all,
Great read Steve. I enjoyed that.
potter, an oldies match. 😀 😀 Well, not many in here would admit to qualifying for that. But if you say a “youth” tourney, I would think you’d be able to muster the sufficient numbers. 😉
Good afternoon all!
all those players have a question mark for me.
so, why not – Draxler (Schalke)?
Afternoon folks…..
Come on you Dippers 😉
What a goal by Suarez….
I’d like to see him with Arsenal shirt…
I can’t understand why a struggling Liverpool team have a world player like Suarez and AFC playing CL for 16 consecutive years cant keep there best players..Ambition means something different at AFC.
So would I JM, that Courtinho (spelling) isn’t bad either….
How did they even attract him in the first place Gdna?
Hi all,
Good reminiscence Steve. I’m quite young so I got lifts to practice from my parents until I was old enough to ride a motorbike. So happy when I could drive, the bike was freezing.
We really should’ve bought Sissoko for the price he went for.
The Nextgen match against CSKA Moscow is going to be played at The Emirates on Monday the 25th. £4 a ticket.
Mohamed Sissoko from Paris Saint-Germain could be up fro grabs in the summer Brad 😉
1-1 at Anfield 🙁
AW = No ambition
yay, to go with the African Neymar.
rico, boo!! WHo knew you’d cheer the scummers on?? 😛
Just read that one Brad, he had to be African didn’t he…
Or French 😉
Boo to you agag, just for 90 mins honest, after that it’s back to hatred 😉
1-2 at Anfield … Darn it!
4th place trophy gone.
I love Stewart Downing right now 😉
Aw, come on, Liverpool!! Must. Try. Harder.
Not yet Gdns, but it’s hanging by a thread 😉
rico when did afc come this hoping teams drop points to be in top 4
Top 4 ? I just want the Totts to lose.
They sure need to agag, but a draw wouldn’t be too bad. However, if think it’s more likely that Chelsea are the team we realistically could pass…
For the last 5/6 season probably Gdna. I actually find it all quite funny….
Less drama from Sturridge and it would have been a pen.
Don’t we all Potter….
I thought it was Sterling 😉
But yes, def foul in the box but what a Daley performance….
As Bale calms Suarez down after an incident with a Tott player, the two players head off down the pitch ‘cheat to cheat’ 😉
3-2 to the Dippers 🙂
Was that dancing Cheat to Cheat ?
Wish we’d got Hazard!
Indeed Potter 😉
Totts lose….
rico, you can start hating them again. Well-done Stevie Me Me Me. 😀
Now a chav goal and a replay
Plus we have the Ronaldinho of the African cup of nations.
Already onto that agag 😉
Just what we need for both sides….
Well, you never miss a beat, rico. 🙂 How was lunch, btw? Hiya,, Potter and Bradster. 🙂
Evening Rico and all.
😉 agag. It was good thanks. Well I think, all got eaten….
Hey, Adam. Howdy? You been spoiling Mrs Adam?
How far behind is Liverpool? They could be in the top 4 fight.
Hi Agag. I do that every day and tell her how lucky she is. 🙂
yes, is Coutinho rico. a typical portuguese surname.
Ok, totts, didn’t lost since november. It’s time to change this for the normal way.
Ahaha, Adam. 😛 Cheeky.
Agag. I didn’t say she believed me though. 🙂
Evening Adam….
They are just two points behind us Brad …. oops….
Hope so JM, they need a big decline 😉
rico, all in all a good day, eh?
Well, we must make the Totts’ loss count. We absolutely have to win all our upcoming matches.
Mrs Adam is smart, Adam. 🙂
Indeed agag 😉
Next up in the PL is Everton at home….
no. Our next match is versus Swansea away next Saturday
however, we must win 0-3 next Wednesday in munich, first.
Oops, sorry JM, I am wrong. That fixture was meant to be yesterday – I really need to keep up 😉
Been a hectic one so i’m off for the day…
Have a good one and stay safe…
’til tomorrow….
Night all….
Evening all.
A busy weekend is over.
Spuds lost…lovely.
Seans team had their first outing for the year…..a 12-2 win was a good start considering we have not been able to get together for a training session.
We have a new player this year…..a little down syndrome boy named Jack, so he is already calling himself little Jack Wilshere 🙂
Yes, i am a bad influence lol.
He scored an OWN goal and did two laps of the field flailing his arms around, and every player plus the opposition parents were cheering and applauding him.
It was one of my best ever moment on a football field.
It will be even better when he scores one FOR us lol.
Seany scored 6 or 7 and set up a few.
The training he is getting at the academy really did shine through.
If some our Arsenal lads good turn on the ball and dribble through the pack like him we would be better off 🙂
I then went down to my old home ground……Bensley Rd, home of the might Gunners UTD soccer club.
I had not set foot on the place for 20 odd years, and very little had changed.
My nephew is now a Gunner, so i will pop down and watch when as often as i get a chance.
After that, i watched my niece play.
She is a keeper playing reps for her area, and goes pretty well between the posts.
I can not remember watching so much football ver a weekend for years and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Hearing the news that the Spuds stutter has started just topped it off.
I hope everyone else had as much fun this weekend as i did.
We are coming, Tottenham.
MTG!!
Morning all….
Sounds like you had a good weekend Scott…
Totts losing was good, now we must win our next and see what happens.
However, before then, it’s Bayern. No matter what the result, just hope we play really well, look far more organised and disciplined all over the pitch…
Another poor performance and confidence will be shattered….
Hiya Rico.
We need a postive display against Bayern, no matter what the result…you have that right.
Even a draw would stand us in great stead for the upcoming games.
New post up, see you there shortly….
Spot on Scott…