Matt Windmill seeks to separate the men from the boys in today’s guest post.
After hard fought back-to-back 1-0 victories, is it just possible the Banner and Black Bin Bag faction now have their Arsenal back?
Perhaps we can look forward to another stellar season like the one that the 1994-95 vintage squad delivered us? Isn’t this what the BW Brigade want? (Banner W**kers for those wondering).
A 12th placed finish in the league, which at one point actually looked like it could turn into a relegation scrap, were it not for a late run. George Graham sacked after a bungs scandal and Paul Merson missing for three months while he underwent treatment to combat drug and gambling addictions.
Sounds great doesn’t it?
It got me thinking though, where were the banners and protests then?
Where were the supporters’ groups telling us what to think, telling us what we want, and then representing ‘our’ views to the club? Where was the booing in the stadium of such performers as Ian Selley, David Hillier and the howls of frustration at wing wizard Glenn Helder? If the vocal minority are moaning and whinging today, back then they must have been apoplectic with rage!
Or maybe there is another possibility.
Perhaps they only started supporting Arsenal once the good times had actually returned?
Perhaps it was only after Arsene Wenger arrived and revolutionised English football – and more importantly – our great club.
Transforming The Arsenal into one of the top 10 clubs in Europe, doing away with the “Boring, boring” Arsenal tag and producing the most exciting brand of football the English game has ever seen.
Overseeing the construction of arguably the best football stadium in European football.
Whilst consistently challenging for honours at the top of the English game.
How happy the BWs must have been in 2004, with the delivery of an historic unbeaten season, by a team capable of beating any opposition, right across the globe.
You see – as any glory hunting supporter will tell you – it is easy to follow a team when they are winning. Just ask the majority of Manchester United supporters.
But the arrival of Russian and Arab billions has changed the landscape forever, and made it extremely difficult to stay at the top. Surely anyone with a smidgeon of intelligence can work that out.
Can’t they?
No, not the BW brigade!
Of course, they well know only ridicule would come their way if they were to actually change their choice of team to support. But the anger that seeps from their pores, manifests as screamed abuse of frustration. The logic of this ruinous mentality culminates in the ridiculous notion of them putting themselves up as those who somehow know better than one of the greatest managers in our club’s proud history.
Where am I going with this, you ask?
Well at the start of this piece I suggested, with tongue firmly in cheek, that the BW’s now have their Arsenal back, but do you know what Arsenal I want back?
I want the Arsenal back without them.
Perhaps our lean spell, trophy wise, has a silver lining?
Perhaps it separates the men from the boys. Perhaps we will see a return to having only those fans who are there just to support? Those who smile just at the thought of walking up to The Emirates with its ever improving, ever impressive décor and its carpet-like pitch.
And one of the best teams in Europe gracing it.
That’s what I want – comebacks from 4-0 down, 7-3 victories, attacking football that, back in that 94-95 season, I dared to not even dream about.
I don’t want my Arsenal back, because it has, and never will, leave me. I fully intend to make the most of every single game I go to.
And hey, if I am lucky, the BW brigade will be nowhere to be seen.
Positively Arsenal 
“Relentlessly criticising the fans, attacking them constantly, holding them responsible for all that’s wrong. After every defeat, attack the fans, call them morons, celebrate violence against them”.
Aw, come on little Dutch … if that’s what you think is going on here, you are very sadly mistaken, and kind of “off point” by a wide margin.
LikeLike
Actually, there’s nothing more uniting in football, than relentlessly supporting your team through thick and thin, and appreciating their qualities.
LikeLike
FYI Joey Barton *that* is how you quote Nietzsche 😉
LikeLike
Little Dutch, I think it is was out of place and disrespectful, I am not for that as I am not for them getting punched either. If they think Arsene needs to leave, they have all rights and they have channels where they can contact the club directly and many blogs where they can spout their foolishness. And, when you wave a banner, unless you are specific on it, its gives the impression that everyone agrees with it. So, what they actually did was put their opinion on all Arsenal supporters, I also don’t agree with that.
LikeLike
Where have they told the manager to fuck off? They said “time to say goodbye.” Key syntactic difference 🙂
ZimPaul, like I said, not all of you.
LikeLike
I’m not a fan of Nietscchse .. Nitchse … Niezsche … Nietszche, whatever. Anyway who speaks like that never fought a real monster. Be very careful if you ever have to.
LikeLike
That’s fair enough Paul N, but then what about the banner inside the Emirates that says “In Arsene We Trust”? That also, by extension, is put on everyone.
LikeLike
Hello Merlot!
–
Slight tangent:
Nick Hornby and Tom Watt agreed with little old me (according to Tom on BBC5 last Saturday). The ref in that Braga Away game was so dodgy it was farcical.
The problem with some of the ongoing shennanigans is that, well, sometimes it is all a little too obvious.
LikeLike
Nietzsche told 19th century religious society, “God is dead,” I think he fought a fair few battles.
LikeLike
Also, I think supporting ones club and running it down everyday is in no way parrallel. I have heard it, people saying that they pay so they have all the rights in the world, what rubbish. If what you have to “endure” is so bad, simply don’t pay but paying is not a right to abuse anyone.
Supporters support, first and foremost.
LikeLike
Well, no one has punched them up have they? that is not disrepectul.
LikeLike
It’s not like the bannerwankers don’t have sympathetic ears, it’s not like there are not a number of self-publicising ‘spokessmen’ speaking on their behalf, it’s not like there is not a proven small number of trolls trolling every Arsenal blog out there in order to propmote a clearly identifiable and specific aganda which, to quote limpars assist “has a whiff of right wing cuntery about it”.
LikeLike
Too many fuckiing idiots out there thinking that they are Supermen. And as usual, it all blows up in their face.
LikeLike
Let me ask you; forget the punch please, just the banner. Is it a acceptable to weaken your team’s morale, sitting in 5th and needing a strong run to clinch that 4th spot, or 3rd, in front of the TV and the crowds? Does it help? Is this something to defend on the grounds of everyone has their right to express themselves, and they’re really quite nice blokes? It sounds just like a provocation, on the flimsiest grounds imaginable. I would have thought escorting them out of the stadium for their own protection would be sensible too. If they had any principles, they would have their banner on the street, down the road where the underground station is. But they don’t. Not really.
LikeLike
Bingo!
LikeLike
“Actually, there’s nothing more uniting in football, than relentlessly supporting your team through thick and thin, and appreciating their qualities.”
I see your point, but I’m guessing fans of FC United, AFC Wimbledon and Portsmouth, desperately trying to save their football club now, would disagree.
LikeLike
Tim ,I have said that the club and the manager make mistakes,We can discuss the magnitude and frequency here if people want.But here is the thing,if someone joins my circle of friends and starts arguments by spouting illogical guff,he will be told to go away.The way he chooses to leave is then up to him.But I will not accept him into my circle ,if that means the the company is no longer the company I wish to keep.
Why would I ask people into my house ,if I don’t like them? And why then would I spend all day talking to them ,chasing my own tail,rather than talking to my friends and people who genuinely make me happy..
If I want to endlessly discuss pointless topics with the intellectually challenged ,then twitter or a plethora of other blogs will service my need nicely.
LikeLike
Little Dutch – you utterly miss the point of this blog. We don’t want argument or debate we come here to get away from it. I don’t give a fuck if you think that makes a hypocrites, or as bad as those we criticise or anything else. Irrelevant. It’s a quiet happy place for those who want to celebrate to gather and be happy about supporting their club of choice.
You coming here and trying to tell us that through some high minded ideals we should see anything laudable , defensible or acceptable in people publicly slagging off the manager, players and club that we support is out of place.
As Bill Hicks said it’s like turning up at a Klan rally in a Boy George outfit.
LikeLike
Ah, trust Finsbury to get it right on the nail, bam. Now it makes sense. Beautifully put, from Limps via you.
BY the way, Dutch, your Nietshche, whatever, “God is dead” taken alone quote is out of context; that happens a lot with Nietzsche, ah got it now, coz he had some good one-liners; it has a more interesting context picked up to great effect by the german facists years later.
LikeLike
Btw I like reading Tims blogs! Especially as hes seems like one of a few (not including me!) who can write about tactics in a way that makes sense.
I don’t read the Gooner. And I won’t. They can form a new club if they want to, maybe it’d put them out of their misery?
LikeLike
I’d like to see some of them coaching their new team.
Now, I would pay money to see that. (Maybe just the once).
LikeLike
Zim
There was a twitter thread following the banned ‘incident’ where Queen of Surburbia & Limpar scraped away at the veneer of some francophobic bile.
LikeLike
banned < banner
LikeLike
George & co have a nice new gaff here. They don’t want anyone marching in with dirty boots and leaving sh*t all over the carpet. Fair enough if you ask me. There are plenty of places on t’internet that will give succour and and encouragement to those wankers of a banner waving persuasion. Horses for courses and all that malarky.
The clue to this blog is in the title.
Yeah I prefer Milne to Nietzsche. Pooh was zen. Friedrich was fascist. ‘Nuff said.
Good to see you found this here bunch of cults Merlot!
LikeLike
I don’t like ‘Tim’s blogs’ and that is why I don’t go there. In fact I only used to go to one blog. Still do. Just a different blog.
LikeLike
I agree.
Enough already.
We will leave it at that Tim.
LikeLike
So is it true James Dean is our ref tomorrow? Last I heard he had bad accident.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Mr. Bean ref the match with the new gooner club, coached by, well gooner and friends. Who would they play I wonder? How about Arsenal ladies.
LikeLike
Neither Milne nor Nietsche is relevant to Arsenal support. Both are old hat and out of context. It really is unimaginative stuff. MFP philosophy.
LikeLike
Cheer them on for me tomorrow Frank, I’m stuck in Spain till Wednesday, nice to see Mr Stillman on here(i like him,hes old clock end like me)makes for good debate, but if we are (as he implied) the polar opposite of Le Grove then amen to that!
LikeLike
MFP? Mounting Friedrich’s Pony? Morning’s First Pooh? Many flying pigs?
LikeLike
A potential line up with some rested players:
Scesz.
Angha (unlikely but Yennaris is just back so maybe); Per; Vermaelan; Nacho
Coquelin; Diaby
Rosicky (Please!)
Chamberlain; Gervinho
Giroud/Podolski
LikeLike
Some claim that the reason for this bias in results in Mr Dean’s matches with us is that he is often allocated to our matches against stronger opposition. So let’s look at the list of 31 games.
D West Ham United (A)
L Bolton Wanderers (A)
W West Bromwich Albion (H)
L Bolton Wanderers (A)
W Watford (A)
D Bolton Wanderers (H)
D Tottenham Hotspur (A)
W Sheffield United (A)
D Newcastle United (A)
W Tottenham Hotspur (H)
D Birmingham City (A)
W Blackburn Rovers (A)
W Chelsea (A)
D Tottenham Hotspur (A)
D Manchester United (A)
L Manchester United (A)
D Burnley (A)
L Chelsea (A)
D Manchester City (H)
W Leeds (A)
L Birmingham City (H)
L Tottenham Hotspur (A)
D Fulham (H)
L Manchester United (H)
W Tottenham Hotspur (H)
L QPR (A)
D Chelsea (H)
D Manchester City (A)
L Manchester United (A)
L Bradford (A)
L Manchester City (H)
Quite a lot of ManU matches there, you might say. (I wonder why that could be.) So let’s take them out. 8 wins out of 27, now. Still more than 95% unlikely. What about ManC? Take them out as well. 8 wins out of 24. Still more than 95%. Chelsea? OK, them too – we won’t have anybody left soon. 7 wins out of 21 now – and still more than 95% unlikely.
So it’s not the nature of the opposition that is the common factor.
You may also have noticed that 20 of these 31 games were away. But if we weight Arsenal’s results over the last eight seasons in the ratio 11 home to every 20 away, we have still won more than half our games. And the results in Mr Dean’s matches are still more than 99% unlikely. So it seems we must look elsewhere for a reason.
The simple fact is that, however you cut it, these results are biased, and it’s hard to see why.
So, what can be done? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (to be continued)
LikeLike
Bollox – Piglet used to stand in front of me in the Clock End
Always up at the fence
Right nutter
LikeLike
Well done Merlot! I don’t know how a man can celebrate a goal against you and a you act as if it did not happen. And there is something wrong with him reffing so many matches when we play the likes of United, that stinks.
As for this blog, I love this place and have no desire to go elsewhere. I am sick and tired of all of the other “reasonable” bull crap.
LikeLike
For a small pig obviously
LikeLike
Very eloquently said Steww (8:01) and George (7:59)
btw. thanks for a great blog to all involved and those who have posted articles here.
LikeLike
steww, I don’t think there’s anything high minded about punching people cos you don’t agree with them, but there you go.
But all fair enough, we shall leave it at that. For what it’s worth there’s been some good stuff here over the last week and I’ll keep reading, keep up the good work. But I can see I’m not welcome in the comments section so I’ll not bother you here further.
LikeLike
Sorry, ZP, it is music for pleasure. It is just that I hate it when the same old staples get wheeled out in these pretend philosophical, political, sociological, biological, blogological, arsological…fucking hell I can’t stop….pissological,….crapological ‘debates’. I just don’t fucking well want to hear why other people have the right to not really want to support Arsenal any more. Whether they are good on twitter, on blogs, in bed, in the past. I don’t fucking care. Not interested.
LikeLike
“BY the way, Dutch, your Nietshche, whatever, “God is dead” taken alone quote is out of context; that happens a lot with Nietzsche, ah got it now, coz he had some good one-liners; it has a more interesting context picked up to great effect by the german facists years later.”
A point in closing, I wrote my dissertation on Nietzsche, I’m familiar with his work, thanks.
LikeLike
Who the fuck cares whether you wrote a dissertation on Nietsche, Tim? You need to move on from your dissertation though. Perhaps try to stop yourself from quoting him for a while.
LikeLike
Well its done now.
For what its worth I think Tim expressed himself well.
We don’t agree and he has withdrawn with dignity.And it did bring some discussion at least.
LikeLike
What is done now, George?
LikeLike
But I’m still working on my banner 😦
LikeLike
Knysna Gunner – absolutely.
George, I thought this was a ‘scroll-free’ blog? For the first time I’ve had to employ my scroll button. I hope that is the last. I have no interest in attention seeking banner wankers or their sympathizers – go to one of the myriad other blogs to peddle your wares young man.
LikeLike
My blog ,my rules,oh fuck me who am I kidding((and worse ,who am I sounding like?) ,our blog our rules point taken people.
Scroll free mode is resumed.
LikeLike
The grain of sand in the vaseline does guarantee a reaction, but in my experience it never adds to the pleasure.
LikeLike
I felt that I was a bit hard on AA Milne, though I went right off Winnie the Pooh when they stuck an American accent on him. Sorry nothing against American accents, chaps from the US, just not on Winnie the Pooh.
LikeLike
I will take your word for that Steww
LikeLike
If it helps your social life, George, you could ask Tim Stillman what he got for his dissertation and congratulate him from me if he achieved a decent score.
LikeLike
Vaseline, Steww? What would you need…oh know…oh you didn’t..not there…..uuurrrrrrgh.
LikeLike