A few years ago I clambered aboard my trusty mountain bike and set off upon an epic journey. My plan was to cross the barren wastes of Dartmoor and then to negotiate the hills and valleys of Exmoor. I didn’t do this in order to raise money for charity nor to raise a laugh from passers by as they strolled alongside my sweating labouring hulking mass as I attempted another doomed assault on the 5mph barrier. I did it because I’d happened upon the concept of a channel to channel challenge whilst whiling away a wasted day on the internet and felt inexorably drawn to the neatness of the idea, the pleasing bookended symmetry of the thing fired up something in my synapses. My course began on the edge of the English Channel, on the Hoe in Plymouth to be precise, and ended a few saddle sore days later with a memorable helter skelter descent into the unfashionable West Somerset resort of Minehead, that fading jewel of a town nestling against the lapping muddy waters of the Bristol Channel. It wasn’t an enormous athletic achievement but I did it and didn’t get lost and at the end of it I took the steam train out of Minehead to the foot of the Quantock hills where I rewarded myself with another bike ride. But that’s a story for another day.
The whole thing engendered in me an interest in coast to coast escapades both great and small and through further research I discovered a little ritual in which walkers traversing the body of England like to partake. Say, for instance, you were going to hike from the Irish sea coast to a destination adjacent to the North Sea. What you would do is get right down onto the beach on the first day of your walk then select and trouser a pebble. Any pebble. Whichever might take your fancy. For reasons which will become apparent a particularly large pebble wouldn’t necessarily be a good idea and a tiny one that could get confused with your pocket fluff and loose change would be similarly unsuitable but for different reasons. Then you stride off, ruddy of cheek and berucksacked into the rising sun the reassuring lump in your trousers belying the presence of your chosen pebble. When at some point in the future you stagger sans rosy cheeks and with considerably reduced levels of enthusiasm onto the shore at the other side of the country you complete the ritual. Quite simply you take the pebble from the beach on the west coast and you fling it into the waters of the east. It’s a simple and symbolic thing to do and one I rather like. I dare say if too many people did it it would have a deleterious effect on coastal erosion but that needn’t concern us today.
Because today is of course the day of days. We along with the fans of all the other Premiership clubs are at that point where we are stooping on the first beach and selecting our pebbles. The pebble which hopefully ends up being flung into the net in the Champions League final. Football seasons are very much like coast to coast walks. The parallels are obvious but if I just leave you to think of them I’d be doing myself out of a blog so I shall elaborate upon my theme. We begin today with everything possible, everything in front of us and many miles to travel before the end. The end which seems so distant so fraught with potential pitfalls and yet bursting with possibilities. And one day we’ll suddenly find ourselves on the other coast. It will all be over for another season and we will be left scratching our heads and wondering where all the time went.
In recent times the first and last games have been for us the most important. The former where we start refreshed, renewed, virginal and pure and the latter where our efforts are ultimately measured, our rewards doled out. These two matches are of course not the be all and end all. Just like the intrepid hikers on their coast to coast adventure it would be a hollow unsatisfactory affair to simply leap from one to the other. What defines a season isn’t necessarily the finishing positions nor the trophy haul, if it were then every team in the country bar a tiny few might just as well have not bothered lacing their boots. What makes the season is every twist and turn along the way. The journey is defined by every amazing comeback, every appalling refereeing performance, every outrage committed against us and every triumphant tackle, pass and goal that our side pulls off, makes and scores. It isn’t the arriving it isn’t even this wonderful, exciting, hope and expectation filled departure that will make 2013 -14. It’s the journey itself that matters. The fixture list is our map, our season’s route planner. There will be unexpected diversions as a result of cup replays, weather or the whims of the all powerful television executives, but wherever the journey takes us we shall go. We don’t really have a choice. Arsenal chose all of us at some point in our pasts and whither it leads we must follow. For me at my great age it was a dim and distant moment. The white sleeves? The cannon? Bob Wilson’s cap? I can’t remember what device our great club used to ensnare me for life but I know this: I’m bloody glad it did. The alternatives don’t bear too much close scrutiny – imagine looking in the mirror and seeing a Chelsea fan.
I don’t want to make predictions on the outcome of today’s encounter with the men from the Midlands. If you want that kind of baloney I can recommend a good fortune teller in Minehead. What I will say is that we are perfectly poised to make an impact on the title race this time around. We were by any measure the best team in the league for the second half of the last season, and remain unbeaten in, what is it? Ten? And let’s be perfectly frank the title was lost in the first half of 12/13 when too many new faces were being accommodated, too many important people becoming acclimatised to the premier league and to each other. They grew into a team in front of our eyes and by the end were playing with an incredible spirit, a refusal to roll over which, if maintained, will make us a force to be reckoned with this time around. Not only are those new faces now fully bedded in and battle hardened but with Jack getting back to fitness, Aaron and Kos on an upward trajectory of form which if it continues will see some stratospheric performances, and, fingers crossed, TR7 available from the start the improvements in our prospects from this time last year are blindingly obvious to all but those who don’t want to see.
So come on, get your packs on, untwist and elongate those funny modern walking sticks, and pick up your pebble. We’ve got a bit of a hike ahead of us.
These Boots Were Made For Walking
About steww
125 comments on “These Boots Were Made For Walking”
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Positively Arsenal 
Morning Steww, everybody – perfect post to kick off the day – and indeed the new season with. Despite our form it looks like most neutrals have dismissed our chances before a ball has been kicked which, to me, is odd in the extreme. The lack of change to our core squad is now being held against us while all the changes elsewhere are being celebrated. For now.
Look after that pebble, boys and girls, its gunner be a great ride!
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Morning Andrew. It is so obvious that retaining a winning team this summer has been immeasurably more significant than the new signings Arsene will announce in the coming weeks.
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Agree; the degree of hysteria swirling around parts of the AFC fan base are to be marvelled at as much as regretted. I suspect elements have used social media to ramp up the stress levels to the point where anyone with any professional connection to the club can do little else but ignore it completely and just get on with their jobs.
Jobs they appear to be doing incredibly well, I might add.
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Hope the performance this afternoon will match your article Stew. My pebble throwing, is no better than my walking, osteo-arthritis having put paid to that, but the dreams continue. I’m not greedy and unlike some, do not expect us to win every game by 5 or 6….surely there’s nothing wrong with 3 or 4?…and all I ask of the lads is that the following day, when they look in the mirror, they can honestly say, “I gave everything in that game”
Keep the faith.
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Morning Steww,
Great to see you back.
We have a great team, something even some other Arsenal fans seem to forget because of the unrelenting piss taking from the media, yadda yadda…..
We need a strong start to the season, only because I know we will finish the season strong but we should and can for once pick up some more points at the beginning of the season which will help with the overall points tally.
I think AW was being a bit incongruous in comments that teams getting over 70 points will be in with a shout this season, I’d humbly suggest that Arsenals’ tally should be closer to 80 points, 80 goals for and 30 goals conceded. All are very achievable targets if we maintain the upward spiral from the second half of last season.
He is probably right that it could be a 5 or 6 way dogfight, as there is no obvious top dog appearing yet from the pack. Manure, chiteh or chavski? Phafff.
have a great game today, everyone.
COYG!
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Morning Stew & Andrew,great stuff number 10, it’s good to have the football back, think i’ll throw my pebble at the waves of negativity sweeping in everywhere from our sea of experts on blogs,twitter & podcasts-thank Christ our friend in the North set this place up…
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Amen. I think we should recruit a few more pilgrims. The close season has thrown up some proper positive Gooners on twitter.
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Hunter & GP are going the match (lucky bastards), God help any doomers they encounter.
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Morning Mel.
Yes, things seem more polarised than ever and harder for the fence-sitters to get a comfy berth. Makes things easier for the rest of us, I guess.
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marvellous Steww. Morning all. here we go… excellent!
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What no formation,line up or score prediction ?
I have to think for myself ?
Or worse still,wait to see what actually happens.
Good heavens.
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Indeed George. No predictions although… I have had a little flutter this morning. Looking at TV regarding top goalscorers for premiership they showed various expected names up to about 18/1. None of our chaps in that list so just had a peek and saw both Giroud and Theo at 40/1 to be Premiership top scorer. Worth a punt each way on both i thought. My one and only tip for the season. Now recorded for riducule or otherwise at end of year.
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well George – the team picks itself, because that’s all we’ve got. Hehe.
We will have to put a few kids on the bench today just to fill it, mind you some of them look liked they deserve the call up.
Villa looked good in pre-season, but we should be more than good enough today.
The injuries are a bugger, typical Arsenal luck.
Not a sausage of a new transfer rumour today, nothing, nada, nil. Zilch.
That usually means we close to a deal, Highbury House are usually air tight when it comes to leaking stories.
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Hi Steww and everyone at PA. Been on a self imposed exile. Glad the season starts today and we can take our minds of the transfer tattle. The line up I would except today;
Sczeszny, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Jenkinson; Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky; Cazorla, Giroud, Walcott.
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Hey has a fantasy league been set up for folks here at PA. If it is would anyone be kind enough to let me know.
Or if it hasn’t been I could set one up if anybody’s interested.
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What Mel said at 9:27am.
Welcome back Steww. The wait was worth it.
So the football masses, led on by the commecial media, are convinced that we won’t challenge (As I type type this the two Robbies on NBC, Earle and Mustoe, are stirring shit tht Arsene hasn’t spent.). Excellent. That is how the pros eat the lemmings on the stock market by always betting against their emotionalism. So buying is more important than keeping all your best players. Hmmm.
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Hello new season.
Szcz
Jenks-Cpt.Per-Kos-Gibbs
Rosicky-Rambo-Jack
Theo-Giroud-Poldi
+ Fabianski, Sagna, Bellerin/Zelalem, Frimpong, Ox, Cazorla, Sanogo
Good luck to our boys
“…its a new day..get in line, bow down!”
RASERS!
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Nice story, totally agree.
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good day all!
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What a squad. Leave out Poldi and Santi, Arteta injured and still we look good.
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you are right as always stew
wilshere ramsey and rosicky in midfield..been waiting for this forever
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Lets hope at least one remembers to hang back occasionally!
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i think this will be girouds defining season at arsenal..
the way he played in pre season..i wont be too bothered even if we dont sign a striker..but i certainly hope we do
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This http://dazsports.org/?page_id=2601 is working well and no horrible English commentators so that’s good.
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and it starts gentlemen!
gawd i missed football..
watching rosicky play the beautiful game..some things money cant buy.
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Its time for football. Finally!
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players look quietly confident…managers relaxed.
should be a walk in the park today?
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Arsha – no easy games, but nothing to fear either.
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the second rosicky left their player for dead.
i started yelling GOAL!
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Pure Arsenal. Beautiful.
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Ref is on TR7’s case today. Yellow coming sooner or later.
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terrific cross from wilshere..more to come definitely.
we look a solid team
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Was that a penalty?
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Yep.
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What an awful refree. Penalty decision correct (but no red card since not a goal scoring opportunity) but otherwise he has been giving it all to Villa.
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Evil but how long was he planning to play advantage before giving it? Anyway looks like normal service resumed. We get to play against the ref as well.
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@Steww
Agreed, either you should give a penalty straight away or you play advantage. You don’t play advantage waiting for the other team to squander their chance and then go back.
To be fair, that last yellow card for the Villa full back was also a bad decision. Probably the only thing that went our way so far…
I am happy with how the team set up and played, we looked threatening for the most part while Villa didn’t. Confident we can make our chances count second half, I guess it will end 3-1.
Oh and who is this ref anyway? Havent seen him before, but he looks like a younger Howard Webb…
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Evil I don’t know but he has missed some and given others in a bewildering style. I think it’s fair to say we need to step up the pressure and I have no doubt we will.
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World class tackle by Koscielny…. never a pen.
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I don’t have words for the influence the referee has had on this match.
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?
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Well. The referees have set their stall out early this season.
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Cunty Cuntersson just keeps trying to kill us off, this might just do it
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Has this referee ever been given access to a rule book? Did the FA think now that we have goal line technology they don’t have to provide proper referees anymore?
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A world class player like Rosicky shouldn’t have to share the ground with such an incompetent excuse for a referee.
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Ah well. There’s a limit to what any team can do in the face of that. We pick ourselves up and we look to the next game.
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I am disgusted. Disgusted because we lost, disgusted because the way we lost and especially disgusted because the chorus tomorrow won’t be “Arsenal lose because referee makes several bad decisions” but “Arsenal lose because they haven’t spent money”.
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Well this game should be shown in every football academy.
No matter how hard you try, how well you play, how much talent you have in the team, there’s always that possibility that a joke of a ref crushes your chances to do anything.
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I am sick to my stomach, here. I just can’t believe this has happened. These boys do not deserve this. Arsene Wenger does not deserve this. I could just cry.
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Jack looks like he might cry, too.
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