ARSENAL SUPPORTERS BEHIND THE SCENES

Morning all,

Now things have quietened down somewhat, and before Arsene starts to buy i thought i would just like to write about some of my Arsenal supporter friends, these friends are just the same as some of you, they have supported our fine club for ever, through the good years and the lean spells that we are experiencing at the moment, but whether winning or losing they are the mainstay of what you look for in a supporter, if of course you were looking. I have a friend who i shall just call Slim, Slim is about six foot four, built like a brick built shithouse, and he is Arsenal crazy, slim has been lucky in life as far as wealth goes, he worked in a family business and when the family decided they had had enough sold up and split the rewards up and were left very comfortable. Slim is loud and proud, his a guy that would help anybody out, and has to my knowledge many times, a lovely guy but Arsenal mad, he goes to as many games as he can, which is difficult as he lives here and abroad, but will fly over when certain games come up that he particularly wants to see. Facebook and twitter Linkedin get hammered by him before a big game and i must admit he takes defeat badly, just like the rest of us. In his company you will very rarely go to long before Arsenal comes up in the conversation, and his knowledge is quite staggering, an Arsenal man through and through.

Then there's my old school mate, we met at five years old at primary school, and have stayed close mates ever since, i will call him the Gudge he and his son have been season ticket holders for ever The Gudge even brought a brick in The arsenal wall and a bond holder as well, they very rarely miss home games and often travel away as well, The Gudge's son i'll call him Paul, Arsenal mad Probably picked it up from his Dad, I was in Paul's company just recently where he astonished me by admitting that he now, at the moment goes to the match with his Dad but leaves his Dad to watch the game on his own as he has taken to watching in a local pub because he gets so wound up watching us at the moment, and reckons that watching in the pub with other supporters, the atmosphere is much better than in the stadium, it also helps that the beer flows all the time, Paul has stressed that as soon as its not so frustrating he will resume his seat in the stadium, he said before i become an alcoholic i hope. But these two, definite Arsenal nutter's, The Gudge's wife and daughter are just the same Nutter's.

Then there's another good friend i'll call him Buckers he has four seats at the Ems, again all his family are Arsenal mad, now and again if one of the family is on holiday or sick i may even get an invite to watch with them, Buckers makes sure you have a good time He even feeds you at half time a proper Arsenal fan, he seems to take defeat better than the rest of us but i reckon when his on his own he kicks walls. but Arsenal through and through.

Now we come to Kev, kev is a gentleman never have i seen him lose it, calm and collective but i have sat with him when we lose and he must be gutted like me but very seldom will you see it, another man that has two or three seats at the ground and an Arsenal Family, Kev is calm but he hates to lose a golf ball he can spend more time looking for a ball than it takes to play a cup final, but he too, Arsenal through and through.

I have many more friends who are Arsenal through to the core, and also many who support other clubs with the same passion as us well almost. I often look at all my mates and when we play against their teams all the badgering that occurs before during and after the games, but we keep it friendly and stay good friends as we all have the same things in common, pity the rest of the world the ones that are fighting and killing one another couldn't sit down and watch a game and try and get on with one another, ah well funny old world Ah.

Then there's me Arsenal till I die, my Mrs reckons she's Arsenal, but moans when its on the tele, three daughters all Spuds what have i done to deserve this, as I said funny old world.

Now who have we signed Arsene another Arsenal Nutter

Written by Steve Palmer 

MORE CHANCE OF A CURE FOR CANCER THAN ARSENAL BUYING TOP PLAYERS

Morning Gooners,

My post today may upset one or two of you so I will apologise before you read it. I have watched Arsene Wenger since he joined us and have been one of his greatest admirers. Yes over the years I have called for his head, and could either be singing his praises or calling for his head again at the end of next season. Yes at the moment he frustrates me, no news is not good. A nineteen year old defender is not ringing my bells at the moment. Arsenal also frustrate me, less news from them than Wenger, in many ways Arsenal remind me of Charities, and one in particular comes to mind, Cancer Research, now i don't know anybody that has not lost somebody to this terrible illness, just in the last month I have lost two friends. Maybe I am a bit bitter but I can remember as a kid putting penny's in a cancer box, and later the name changed to Cancer Research. I was saying to my Mrs the other day, I said, I don't think they will ever get a cure for this terrible affliction you know, and she answered me with Whys that, I said, Because charities are a business, every Pound they receive a penny goes to the actual cause the rest of the money is paid out in wages and administration, just imagine the amount of people they employ, if a cure were found tomorrow, think of how many would be out of work. Cancer research I am sure, will keep paying some money in, working for a cure, but in all honesty if you were in charge of this multi million Business wouldn't you fend off a cure as well, well that's my view and i am sorry if i have offended you.

Arsenal as I said seem to be the same, I have Arsenal slippers Arsenal shirts Arsenal socks a tax disc an Arsenal Charm round my neck just to name a few, Many of you probably as mad as me, but that is just like Charity, they make these things for almost nothing and sell them to mugs like me and make fortunes, and because i was born a Gooner i have to have them, what do they give me back, cheap buys, empty promises, Arsene's vision for the future, I am sorry I believe I may be a victim of that deadly disease before Arsenal invest the money that's needed to make a difference, just like Cancer Research they take in plenty but give out little. Maybe I'm touchy because of my loss, but I get the feeling we are banging our heads against a wall, but hopefully in the near future, if there is a God up, then get your fffing finger out.

Now before all you do gooders out there have a go at me I know that Arsenal Football club do Charity work and try and encourage the players to put back a little into the community, and very commendable it is too, i only hope that more of the raised funds go to the cause. We have many corporate seats at the Emirates I wonder just how many of those seats are actually Arsenal supporters, I also wonder how many young kids are out there wearing their Arsenal kits, who's Fathers can't afford to buy them tickets to watch their team of choice, maybe something for the Board to think about, unless Arsenal are just like Charities and you know what they say about Charity, it starts at home.

I have worked all my life and paid my taxes and my National insurance, This Government should stop their Million pounds bombings of third world countries and use the money you and I have paid in to find the cures to help humanity, Arsenal take heed.

Written by Steve Palmer 

APPRENTICES TO SUPERSTARS

Morning all.

With all the media and the blog world going crazy at the moment, its amazing how supporters are getting more and more frustrated with the lack of news coming through from the club. I can sense the urgency coming from supporters, many I am sure are season ticket holders who are waiting for news of who they will be watching before paying their fee's. Well to all those that are waiting for that to happen, you will probably be wasting your time. Where the likes of the big money spenders The Manc Outfits and Chelsea and poor old Harry's outfit trying not to be left out, will be wheeling and dealing, our old Frenchmen will be taking his time, he won't rush as he never has done before, and i expect him to be exactly the same this time. He has disappeared to South America on a scouting Mission, while all the early running is being taken up by the wealthy owners.

As we all know there are only a relatively few players that are up for grabs and normally its smaller clubs selling some of their stars, so as to finance their coming season. Teams like West Ham have done this for years and will be involved again this year, bigger clubs will be buying and also thinning out their own squads to allow room for new hopefully better replacements. Now with new rules coming in, with fair play rules, teams will have to watch their spending, also try and reduce wages as well as this will eat up what money these clubs can use in the future, although these rules are not in yet, clubs are aware that the wages they are paying are exorbitant and will be detrimental to their future. Why i am explaining this to you is that Wenger has never been one of the managers that have had an owner that has unlimited wealth he has to run on a budget, and although this grates with supporters he has done extremely well, most though would disagree. 

Wenger has in my mind been a fantastic Manager yes some of you have heard me slate the man off on more than one occasion, and I am sure it won't be to long before I am at it again, but he has been frugal and disciplined in his actions, he knows that it won't be too long before the clubs debts are paid off, and with the new rules coming in the near future he realises that we will all be on the same level, well at least closer. If clubs cannot afford the likes of £50 million players, they are never going to be on the same level, so its as plain as the nose on your face that the chances of you competing goes down. Wenger has kept us competing, granted we have not won anything for a few years, but we were a lot closer last year than we have been for quite some time, was it Wenger's fault, I said yes because he never brought in the winter window I believed that was the difference to us winning or losing, but he didn't buy and we never won, but in all fairness, had the players kept up the momentum, we still could have captured something. The players run out of steam, Wenger lost his composure, and we got the hump.

In all fairness to Wenger he has not ever brought fantastic players he has moulded fantastic players. The likes of Henry  Pat Jack and Fab and a string of others tells me he is a man with forward thinking, he very rarely pays enormous amounts for players and I don't see that way changing, this year may prove me wrong, but I would be very surprised, he has a vision, and although it is not falling into place just yet, it will without question. Arsenal football club will be back in their rightful position very soon, and Wenger will again be hailed as a fantastic Manager. I know your frustrated as I am as well, but good times are just round the corner and as Wenger says, have faith and patience, and we will get what we deserve.

Wenger has acknowledged that we have a problem in the defence, why it has taken this long I don't know, but he has stated that he will buy to sort this problem out, at the moment he has signed two teenagers who play in these positions, I would expect another experienced defender to also be included, for the two youngsters to learn from, time will tell. We have young players either loaned in the past or playing reserve football who are ready for a move forward, and I expect this to happen, but what we have to take in, is that if we buy big name players, they would want to play every game, so our youth would stand about twiddling their thumbs and eventually move on. We have to stick with the plan and bring these players forward, and hope we have instilled in them what Arsenal football club expects from them, I also have faith in this way of doing things and expect returns very soon. We have many youngsters and they in my opinion are our future, learning their trade at one of the best clubs in the world starting on small wages building up through their training and eventually making them well paid superstars, isn't that how we all see apprenticeships  turning out.

Written by Steve Palmer