An olive branch yesterday, just outside Blackburn.
Earlier this week I read a post in our comments section from GoonerKam, which got me thinking. Sadly that means you are going to have to read my incoherent ramblings on the subject. But have a read of his post before we meet that challenge:
“At the pub this past weekend there was no room to sit so I asked to please share a table with three other Gooners.
They were kind and told me to bring a chair and share the table with them. Very nice guys, all in their red/white copies and spirited too. The early early goal relaxed them a bit and the high fives were flying left and right. The conversation started at half-time and they were talking about AW, Stan, Ivan and the team – individual members and as a collective.
Dear me, all in all they shared the same opinions on most topics. AW’s last year, more investment, Stan-not-the-man, yarayarayara. I kept my cool and stayed out since it was just the media BULLSHIVEK being repeated and rehashed. Like Stew I have run my course and have no patience getting into this line of talk again and again.
Then they asked my opinion on things discussed. They were amused then shocked and interested to here more. To make a long story short by the end of the game they were not talking the same bollocks. All three were saying what I said made sense and they left the pub uplifted by the win and more hopeful than when they had come in. They had a different perspective on Stan, Ivan and AW; they are looking forward to the future and a successful run at winning titles. The black cloud around their heads had lifted significantly. All it took was a little talking in a logical and calm tone and all the crap they had been reading was suddenly not the gospel any more. There were other versions of goings-on out there.
Made some good friends and they got me to promise them that I’ll watch the last game of the season at that pub on the same table with them. So all I’m saying is they are not diehard moaners and born doomers. They had learned this way of thinking and they are now on the way of unlearning what they had read and accepted as the truth. I’m so glad I met them and changed their thoughts on things.
Especially regarding Sagna. I mean, all three wanted to sell him in the beginning. Not any more.
Keep the fight alive… Tnx PA.”
Whilst in the process of deliberating what Kam had said, I happened to be on the phone to Stew, he mentioned that he too had seen this post. I would like to say “great minds think alike” but I think that would be piggy-backing Stew’s mind somewhat. But still, it indicated that I was right in thinking the subject should be explored.
For some time now the battle lines have been drawn. On one side the righteous, clear thinking, informed and enlightened( that’s is us in-case you were wondering). On the other, the ill-informed stupid idiots.
Right there we have the problem. That is how I have seen it and how I think of them.
All I know of these people is what I see and hear in the media, in blog comments and on Twitter. I don’t like them, in fact I dislike them. I have no time for their ignorance and stupidity and I tell them in rude and no uncertain terms. Anyone who knows me, knows I would say the very same to their faces. A characteristic that has led me down some paths I wish I had never trodden.
The problem with this is I don’t differentiate between outright idiots and the misinformed. My first response is to treat them all the same.
Kam’s post suggests that I am making a mistake in doing so.
Other than ourselves and Untold Arsenal, I am struggling to think of any constant source of support for the club. I can on the other hand, sadly think of a multitude of outlets that seek to de-stabilise and stir up trouble for the club.
Of the two extremes the negative camp greatly outnumbers us.
The problem is that the vast majority of fans are occupying the middle ground.
If politics has shown us anything, it is that you must take the middle ground if victory is to be achieved. Every party is fighting for this middle ground.
I am of a mind that rather than fighting with the utter idiots, we should do a Kam. Educate the reasonable people who have based their opinions on what they have been told by the halfwits. They can be persuaded. The people like Le Grove can not. So why bother?
Easier said than done for an argumentative old curmudgeon like me, but try we must.
Also we don’t have any personal relationships with these people, so our level of of tolerance is reduced. Take John Cross for example. He comes out with some things that had someone else said them I would go straight into attack and abuse mode. All the usual tools, bad language, mocking sarcasm – all would be brought to the fore. But because I like to think I have some sort of a friendship with him, this never happens. We debate and disagree. I have to think that more would be achieved if I remembered that disagreeing with me does not make someone a bad person.
If you need some pointers on how it should be done follow @GeoffArsenal. The man is informed, knows club business that we don’t, and is unbelievably patient. He engages with both ends of the spectrum and all stops in between. I now feel that this is the way forward.
If we stick to a combative tone, the middle ground will simply see us as a bunch of extremists. Which of course some of us are.
We are outnumbered by the negative sources and if we don’t adapt, the battle will be lost, and Arsene with it.
History proves that once the majority of fans are against the manager, he is for the off.
It’s up to all of us to turn the tide while we still can.
So my disciples. Go forth and preach my word.
I really have to get out more.
Positively Arsenal 
we could organise a unified attack. stage a fake episode of distraction while i play the anti you the pro and goerge and the rest come in also in disguise and start hammering the anti in front of the others so as to teach what happens to idiot antis who talk shit all the time……ive seen skyfall and dark night recently and the plots were awesome.
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Maybe an olive branch was the wrong idea, better deadly nightshade
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Hunter,
George mightn’t like that if it came from PA.
“if we stick to a combative tone, the middle ground will simply see us as a bunch of extremists. Which of course some of us are..”
There is an old saying – “speak softly and carry a big stick.” I don’t directly go in for shit fights with doomers as this usually gets nowhere, however I call their BS where I see it, especially if they try go get into the mainstream of the goonerverse with it.
I disagree with George a bit, I actually think the large majority of Arsenal supporters on blogs (the good ones) are genuinely believers that the clubs direction is going in the right way for the future: FUCK YEAH!!! and that AW (and the current board) have mostly steered us well through the difficult years of the new stadium transition and the team rebuilding. There have been bumps on the road and unexpected looses of some passengers, but we are nearly through it.
The Future is Bright, the future is RED and WHITE
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i was kidding dc, id never do that. realised it was bit of a waste back in 07 the 2nd trophyless year…
what can i do …. they bring the be(a)st out of me …. ha..
to be fair the real resentment came the last two years when the loss of cesc and robin hurt arsene like a mf and he was talking about unity and all but usmanov being the fan he is wanted to use the loss of those players to have a hit on the board and he used it well. fans lost the plot emotionally and psychologically. in my opinion what causes the biggest divide is that the fans dont know who has ultimate authority on policy and expenditure matters. They want it all in black or white entities so that they know who to complain to and who to blame.
funny thing is usmanov and dein never blamed wenger for anything, their target has always been control of shares and hillwood (basically). who is to say stan dein and alisher wont find it easier to discuss when all the members of the old board are gone? maybe stan wont have any reservations inviting them in once he doesnt have to keep any promises to people who are stll alive. very machiavellian i know.
i am actually very curious to find out how all this wenger doubting instigated. how could the fan lose faith so easily? and make such a disgusting u-turn in terms of support, practically booing players before kick off and abusing wenger in the stadium he built for them. HOOOOOOOOOOW?
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Good Lord, DC – Westboro Baptist Church (I suspect that’s who they meant anyway) AND Waco? My God, what kind of shit are they smoking over there? That seriously doesn’t make any sense – if there are any conspiracies or wacko behavior afoot, it’s from that lot.
War is hell, indeed, Shotta and DC. I hate it for them, truly I do, but it’s what must be done. Saddle up, boys.
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also let it be said that when you see your team being soooooo close and not climaxing…you can flip..especially if it repeats itself, i think it was at those “delicate and tender” moments where the fan went apeshit and decided labeling it all a failure
they could not see that under the conditions arsenal was operating it was an overchievement and thus keep a perspective, that surely it takes good management to keep arsenal in top four and last 8-16 of ch.l while building and repaying 500m stadiums…and all this in the epl cartel of sky fergie russians and opec…
After what this manager has done for this club youd expect the hardcore support of arsenal to be rocking inside the ground to the tune of something like this
we thank you for our stadium arsene
forever we’ll be grateful to your name
your football is sublime
worth every fucking dime
and jack will bring us trophies in his prime
where are they ? whats happening? who brought those imposters booing our players and abusing wenger out of all people ? and those who sit next to such creatures…what the fuck?
instead the hardcore support are some yappies and failed celebrities who concentrate on financial audits way stricter than cristin lagarde
” you promised us trophies when we moved! …well where the fuck are they? ive paid … ”
ill stop now….ive said enough. canon rise fire ..were gonna bomb the shit out of you all chelseas uniteds and cities..
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Yes Alabama,
I meant Westboro. That’s the level of fruit-loopery out there.
An interesting analogy they managed to totally put on it’s head.
That level of doublespeak and reality denial is very much akin to the very nasty people running that hate crime organisation.
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DC, I’m thinking of reading some of it. Know the enemy, and all that. I’ve actually only visited that site once or twice, and I have NEVER ventured into the comments section. But I’m afraid of what it might do to my gentle nature – I’m generally a pacifist, you know.
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Well, I won’t do that again…why didn’t someone stop me? Oh, it’s because you’re all in bed.
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Alabama
I’m not into the ‘allow them to have a right to an opinion’ when their opinions are based on BS and deliberate misinformation. There are a few people there who are more balanced and have reasonable (for doomer ) viewpoints.
But have a look at what these people think of AKBs’, as far as I can see there are more like the Obama birther cultists than reasonable gooners.
At least they f*cking hate Piers Morgan – maybe there is common ground after all.
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MEL @ 1156
sure thing good buddy. I’ll be expecting you.
HUNTER 13 & HARRY F.
DITTO and thanks. Rock&roll.
looking forwards to Tuesday and the Wigan game. COYG..
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“Obama birther cultists” Exactly DC. And from what I saw those particular ones demonstrate about as much intelligence. No thanks. I’ll stick to the “deluded” site.
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Alabama.You might catch something quite nasty over on that shit farm site
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I know, George. I should be more careful. I assure you I’ll never do it again.
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A Nice read thankyou,
I find it disturbing that most people actually don’t know much about football, only what the papers tell them to presume.
It would be good for people if sites such as this did focus a tad more on getting the information to people.
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