Fulham. West London, down at the end of the Kings Road and near the river. There you go, ‘O’ level geography put to excellent use at long long last. I’ve never been inside Craven Cottage but I did walk past it once when lost and looking for the five million (one million if you believed the police) others who had invaded the capital for a CND march. Must’ve been 1983 and thank goodness I went as without my encouragement and support for unilateralism I doubt Gorbachev would have had the courage to eventually dismantle the Soviet Union.
I have heard it’s a nice ground, in fact a friend of mine prefers it to all others and he’s visited many of the professional stadia in this country so perhaps he’s on to something. As far as I’m concerned Fulham brings back memories of an unlikely cup run in the mid seventies. I was a teenager in that benighted decade and the FA Cup final was a firm fixture on everybody’s calendar. You watched it on the BBC, you flicked over to see if it looked any different on ‘the other side’, and you ran out onto the street at half time, case ball under your arm, to re enact the first half and again after the final whistle to relive the match with your mates. Ah the innocence of lost youth.
The seventies were an extraordinarily good time for me FA cup wise. The drill was to support Arsenal. Well of course. However in the unlikely event that they had failed to make the grade you had to select one of the two competing teams and get behind them as if your very life depended upon it. This made the final matter that little bit more. In adult life people use online bookies for a similar purpose. In any event we enjoyed the final regardless of who was in it, usually supporting the underdogs but always backing not Leeds and not Man Utd. Why was it such a purple patch for me? Well, despite having to fill in with proxy support for the likes of Newcastle, Sunderland and Southampton I still got to witness Arsenal play in no less than five finals between 1971 and 1980.
The only game I couldn’t really get excited about in all that time was Fulham versus West Ham in ’75. The West London side should have ticked boxes. Playing in the second division conferred unquestioned underdog status, and they had the fading legend that was Bobby Moore playing for them, which was precisely the sort of stuff I needed to have them as my team for the day. For whatever reason that year it dawned upon me at around 9.30am, and about half way through Cup Final It’s A Knockout, that I actually didn’t give a stuff for either side. I cannot explain why, but if the word ‘meh’ had existed then it would have neatly summed up my feelings on the ’75 final.
Modern day Fulham is a rags to riches story beginning in March 1996 when they languished in 91st place in the football league hierarchy. They recovered from the edge of the abyss and then were moderately financially doped by the owner of Harrods and rocketed up through the divisions to the Premier league. They really are the antithesis of Arsenal in many ways, not least the endless manager go round with a succession of coaches as far apart in football philosophy as Keegan, Hughes and Hodgson. They’ve given us a few decent games in recent years and I don’t doubt that they’ll be stung by their most recent embarrassing scoreline and won’t relish another humiliation. So thanks for that Chelsea you bastards. They have a few players who know their way around a football pitch and a goalie who often seems to save his best for when they play us. However well or badly they perform today I just hope and pray that they don’t attempt to emulate Moyes shameful tactics on Tuesday night, which were quite simply unforgivable. And be honest who wants to see a pleasant young man like Phillipe Senderos sent out to try to injure a fellow pro? It’s a hideous thought.
Closer to home now, and we had news yesterday of a Positively Arsenal triumph. Our very own Mel O’Reilly has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to get the club to act more radically on it’s pricing structure and so the news of ‘Mel’s Scheme’ as the club will doubtless be calling it which broke across all major news outlets was music to our ears. In years to come the futuristic equivalent of bloggers will talk of how they first watched Arsenal because of the tenner teen ticket introduced under ‘Mel’s Scheme’ which made watching the world’s premier super club affordable to the meanest of incomes. Doubtless the statue will follow and the O’Reilly Stand should be a formality. Congratulations, and I hope this doesn’t mean you are now too good to comment on our humble blog.
On a personal note, I have to take my Mum out today, so if you see me I’ll have my phone off and fingers in my ears hoping like hell to avoid the result. The plan is to watch Arsenal Player on Sunday morning which in the past has turned into a real trial. When I first subscribed the good folk at dot com used to think it was a wizard wheeze to display the score prominently on the front page of the web site. In order to bypass this skulduggery I saved a short cut to the Player itself on my desktop. Then they decided to put the score below the video of the match itself. Genius. I mean that doesn’t destroy the pleasure of watching at all does it? I assume I wasn’t the only one to moan about this as they have subsequently taken remedial action and the score no longer appears on the day immediately following the match . However they are nothing if not cunning at the Arsenal. The people who run the site are as devious and mischievous as Tomáš Rosický turning pirouettes in amongst the opposition midfield for laughs (like he does). When you open the relevant page they have a still from the match in the window where the video plays. The last time I sat down, congratulating myself on managing to avoid any mention of the match all day Saturday and Sunday morning, I opened the page to see this still image, a freeze frame from the match and guess what? It was from the 82nd minute, at which point the game stood at 2 – 1 to the Arsenal. How did I know? Well in the top left hand corner of the image there was the time and the score. Absolutely fucking unbelievable. In the game in question we had been trailing by a single goal until very near the end and so all the tension and surprise , the anguish and relief were neatly, surgically removed for me. See, who says we are afraid to criticise the club on PA?
In any event, I’m not very good with that kind of thing so if you happen upon me treating my dear old Ma to a cream tea in Burnham On Sea this afternoon, best not mention anything about the match. I may be a pacifist who saved the world from nuclear annihilation, but things might still get a little messy.
Positively Arsenal 
As ever if you came here for team predictions and injury news I can only beg your forgiveness. It seems to me that there is a perfectly good supply of that kind of fodder on every other blog out there including the club’s own website.
We all know what you want anyway. You want Tomas to be fit and the Ox given a chance if not. There, now let’s move on.
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Morning mate
Fantastic photos. I must say. Hope the guys are up for this. We must give a good account of ourselves. Here is to three points in the bag and finishing ahead of our London opposition. And I’m not talking strictly just of fulam. One of the original sugar daddy clubs.
UP THE GUNNERS OF ARSENAL!!!!!!!!!!
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Great article Stew – like you I’ll will be unable to follow the game live; no doubt it’ll be a tense event.
Terrific piece on the DotCom site (which first appeared over at ACLF) by M O’Reilly and quite astonishing news on the statue front!
But seriously, bloody hell, Mel!
Think I’ll refer to The Great One as Mel DotCom from now on …
Have a great day all and COYGs!!
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Fuck off out of my limelight Mel.
Stew,that was perfect.
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“The people who run the site are as devious and mischievous as Tomáš Rosický turning pirouettes in amongst the opposition midfield for laughs (like he does)”.
How I wish I can write like this. 🙂 Super super super article.
Theoretically small pitches shouldn’t suit our game, but what’s football got to do with theory eh?
Hwehwehwhewewe. Fulham away has should be a difficult game again.
I hope for a 3 0 or 4 1 the scoreline. Goal difference is an important now.
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Lovely stuff Steww.
Arise Sir Mel.
What a beautiful day. Here’s hoping I’m still in this Springlike mood come 5ish.
ARSENAL
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We need Bayern Munich (away) levels of intensity today. Strolling around the pitch will not be an option, excepts for the Bulgarian.
Wenger smiling this morning for an interview – must be a good omen.
COYG -Forward!
Mel for Queen’s birthday honours list.
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Recognition at last!, I shall be advising Arsene on transfers in the summer and generally just giving it the big un,just think-you lot knew me when my arse was hanging out of my trousers,I won’t forget you,well some of you…
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Mel,
Ahhhh ‘ere, leave it out!
Mr Wenger has enought advisers on transfers at the moment, thank you very much! See the uncultured grove gang.
Only joking. Get your suit dry cleaned for that OBE comming your way.
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Lord Melvin ? How gracious of you to take an interest in this humble little blog – a busy man like yourself -You have no idea how honoured we feel
Absolutely no idea
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sorry stew but I know you only went on those marches for the vast array of live bands accompanying them, the Jam etc but great writing all the same.
well done Mel although my oldest lad having just turned 18 is swearing his head off as a much needed hero you came just to late. I will take him to see the new Mel statue, youth leader, and gaze up and wonder what might have been!
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Amazing post stew. Last line made me laugh out loud.
Tough game today. Come on Arsenal!
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goodmorning everyone!!! tough game i think..we need to be aware of that short greek fella if he plays, he can score from distance. quite experienced footballer too….rosicky can take revenge for being eliminated by him in them euros in portugal….
mel the altruist !
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Actually it’s just ‘Mel’ (gaelic)Anicoll, but I may use Lord Melvin when I booked for Bar Mitzvahs,I’m also available for weddings,christenings,opening garden fetes, that type of thing….
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Hunter
“Morning all @ 2:08pm”!’
What time do you get out of bed mate!?
Rosicky starts! Yay. Happy day so far.
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Steww – I really appreciate your “not follow the herd” approach to game day blogging which invariably is a game of pre-empting the manager’s team selection. Not that I am slagging those bloggers but it inevitably gets boring or worse yet gets into bitter scapegoting by those fans who have an agenda and who, if results don’t go our way, rant and rave that they know more about the team than Wenger.
Good job and even better a statue for Mel.
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lol dc…what can i say..fridays are heavy sessions usually…. 🙂
3 points arsenal …lets go!
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Good stuff, as always, Stew. Enjoy your day out with your mum. Hate to get all sappy on match day, but I don’t have my mom around anymore to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon with. I can imagine my having to explain to her my strange obsession with an English soccer team that makes me drag my lazy ass out of bed this early every Saturday!
Mel said I could be president of his Alabama fan club. I’m working on the T-shirt design.
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Super stuff, steww. I love that adorable picture of you as a little gunner.
Don’t have time to look at Mel’s article but will do.
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Went out earlier than expected, Mum ready to come back at 3 so have just made it back to see a thoroughly decent bit of refereeing. How refreshing.
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Come on, Arsenal – use the extra man
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that turn and shot by giroud was nice! more of that please
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Kos!!!!!
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Perfect. Stayed patient, let them have a go then killer goal just before half time. Patient, intelligent football.
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exactly what we needed before ht. bravo …nice composure there woijech…
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Have just discovered that the only other “fan” I know in Alabama is a doomer. “Kos terrible” “Giroud terrible” “This is what we accept now as class?” Drew me into an argument about Ramsey, but I bailed. What’s the point? This guys’ young, he parrots Piers Morgan. Good thing I have you guys to talk to.
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FWIW I think that after the sending off they decided to go all out for a goal which they could then bus park to defend for the rest of the game. We coped soooo comfortably with that tactic then as soon as we got a clear chance we took it. Perfect.
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Good thing we have you too Alabama!
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Yes, I make you right, steww – on both counts!
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Early HT goal please
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I second that, P George.
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oops, sorry it was Merts who scored. Per!!! BFG!!!
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In fairness FG he was bending right down and so was only really tall.
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Whats up folks!
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Per’s reactions lightning quick in our area. Well played that man.
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Any streams that will work on a Mac, folks?
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Hey Paul. Good news I made it back in time for the game, we’re winning and they are down to ten men.
Bad news. Um…
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AA – I don’t know anything about those machines sorry.
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That is excellent news, Steww!
About 3 more goals now.
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Another facet of Giroud’s game showed there at 62 minutes. He senses when midfield need defensive support, makes the extra man and the opposition are forced into a hopeful ball which goes out of play.
Unsung hard work.
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Glad I don’t play in defence for Fulham. You start getting tired, look up and see half an hour left and the Ox warming up.
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And he stays fit, huge plus. Strong boy, as Arsene coyly describes him
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I would like to see us pick up the pace a little.
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I was talking about OG there.
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Come on, Arsenal – keep it tight at the back. And don’t settle for 1-0.
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The fuck did Santi just do??? That was impossible.
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I’ve always loved the linesman.
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So now the offside matters. I see. The ref can pick and choose when to pay attention to his lino.
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That’s the beauty of the current dog’s breakfast of an offside rule …
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Desperate defence from Fulham.
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