I was reflecting yesterday on days past, football memories and others. The exercise probably the result of too little motivation to get on with real work on a sunny Friday afternoon. Some great days and vivid images flooded back. More often not the pivotal moments of a day or an event, but the incidental and personal details are what stick.
Having gathered my wits we come to a day that will, five years, ten years, twenty years (crosses fingers) hence join that pantheon of historic days with the long awaited FA Cup Final.
The paths to this final for our club has been challenging but comparatively smooth. Difficult matches against Liverpool, Everton and our neighbours but all at home and, even allowing for a slight rose tint to the specs, all easily enough won.
Plucky Coventry came and went, the highlight of the Friday evening a demo among the visiting supporters about something or other. At the Ems we are never a crowd to ignore a good demo.
Then….. and then ……. Wigan………. (frowns contemplatively). Obdurate opponents, yes. Well capable of causing an upset as Citeh know, it’s true. In the end put away through a combination of good keeping and penalties on our part, and poor penalties on theirs, indeed. Our performance that day on both sides of the ball did not however do us justice. I have formed fifty plausible reasons for the hiccup, and read and heard a hundred convincing explanations from fans, pundits and everyone in the global village who has access to a keyboard or a telephone. I am unpersuaded on cause. One of those inexplicable afternoons that as a fan I must accept as penance for my hubris. I believe there is an explanation when there is not. Still, better to have it at the semi final stage than find the engine has seized with the Cup with ribbons on and ready to go.
So today, the team(s), who plays where, who I fancy to score and who I see as our killer player and their weak link I shall say nothing as it would antagonise Fate. Anyway you can read that sort of stuff in 50 other blogs and in the papers, and to be frank most of it is factually better informed than I am.
Two final points.
First, I am determined to enjoy today, and drink in the reward our great football has bought this season. I hope to see a great display of football from both teams, a hard, fair fought contest decided by a flash of goal scoring skill or gravity defying keeping. I hope we win but if not, and the goddess has decided that it is Hull’s turn, then so be it. My day, and the small details stowed away to be retrieved in due course, will not be spoiled.
Second, somewhat off topic. I have watched Hull at Wembley twice before, the rugby league club and they won one, lost one back in the early 80s. The city is a great stronghold of the northern game with two sides, Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers, expending the usual family splitting mutual hate. You might think, just once and with the city’s football club stepping onto the pitch at Wembley for their first ever final, that the implacable detestation might be shelved for a few hours, set aside to cheer on their round balled cousins in their first ever final to land a real trophy. If not cheer then at least watch the game. Not a bit of it. The 222nd Hull derby kicks off today at 5 pm.
We shall speak later !
Once again we have Andrew ( @anicoll5 ) to thank for today’s article.
Positively Arsenal 
Goona Gal
May 18, 2014 at 4:32 pm
i think i saw/heard 4 helicopters, or maybe it was just one,..i thought there was some military operation or a bank robbery or some major drug bust .. and yeah there were loads of people ..at some point i decided to show mental strength and cross highbury corner to get to cannonbury but then i realised i was annoying fellow fans who just sat there waiting for the bus to take pictures…i could not push them all out the way..there was ..a fanblock
sensational…hehe i went there earlier to check what they could find to moan about and couldnt stop laughing with this phil.. hero! pity i cant comment , fucking bastards have banned me….while their logo is about ‘having an opinion”…the clowns…its the end for them.
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I admit it – I had a look at Le Grove just now
Very funny reading the efforts of what appear to be the regulars to detach rabid pitbull Phil from the thread – I see we even get a mention.
I can see why they might be a tiny bit suspicious Hunter
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“It was like the Arsenal version of the Notting Hill carnival!”
That’s exactly what I was thinking Goona Gal! It was like a real street party, especially when they started playing the sing-along tunes that everyone was joining in and jumping up and down to. It was magical and I think a few people wanted to hang around for a bit after and soak up the atmosphere, but the stewards were quick to usher us off. Although to be fair to them as one of the stewards told us, they had been there since 5.30 this morning!
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..id never do that honest to god may thunder strike me …nevah..
BOOMBOOM GGZZZSSHHHHRRAAAA….ouch it burns…
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Sagna according to Google translate:
“He deserves it because he has always believed in us. He gave us a chance to everyone. All these years he has been heavily criticized and … (He pauses overcome by tears) We struggled for quite a few years. I’m happy for him and for the club. Because there are a lot of people behind…
…As of today, I do not know if it was my last game. There is a lot of emotion.”
C’mon Bacs…
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/Sagna-beaucoup-d-emotion/466259
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Fins, my thought is he wants to stay, but he just needs Arsenal to go that extra step to get him to sign up. The MUFC rumours are designed to put pressure on AFC, or at least that is my hope! I felt for Fabianski today as no one was singing for him to stay, but I think in his case his mind is made up, he wants (and deserves) to be number 1 and there is no guarantee at Arsenal.
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I’m home in Chesterfield.
Now that must stand as one of the best weekends of my life…….
Meeting Calamity Jane at the Tolly on route to the screening at the Emirates. Unfortunately, must’ve just missed Seebs. The screening was a great next best thing. To be surrounded by Gooners all suffering together after the first ten minutes, then feeling relieved after Santi’s corker and feeling optimism build prior to the equaliser. When the winner came I leapt into the air with such a whelp that I almost collapsed when I came back down to earth. I rose to my feet and hugged the lady in the seat next to me and she hugged me as fervently as I her for longer than strangers normally do. Then she said “it’s been nine years” and a tear drop welled up in her eye. I said I know and a tear streamed down my cheek. I kissed her young son and daughter……
Then today back at the Emirates for the parade……
It seemed that all of Hornsey, Highbury and Islington was out in red and white…..
I first went along Drayton Park and got a glimpse of the bus and players, then turned back toward Finsbury Park and around to Hornsey Road under the arches to the Emirates. It was a great spot and I was overjoyed when the team appeared with the FA cup.
And make no mistake. The OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of fans love Wenger….the likes of LeGroan and Myles Palmer are a small minority…..
And then I finally met Passenal. The mysterious Passenal…..and what a lovely lady she is too….and I know you all have not met her yet but I have and you can all eat your hearts out……
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ZimP @ 4:42pm
“Hey, Shotta, PaulN, Fins … just look what we got here, a big ol’ victory parade, red and white. Last night an Arsenal supporter took off his Arsenal shirt in a noisy Harare club, the moment the final whistle blew, as did many others, running round all crazy.”
– Well we refuse to be worn down by the End of Eraists, ZimPaul. Lots more crazy running around in the future. That I am sure.
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I see the Jellystoners have been sending us their lover fro the other place.
Haha
They should have a re-read of themselves from 5:03pm to 7:15pm Yesterday.
Bottlers.
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It’s been an incredible and knackering weekend, I’ve been thinking of ways to blow off a meeting I have to attend tomorrow, only problem is that they know I am a Gooner and might put 2+2 together.
@ Hunter13 – North London was(is) definitely red! I saw and heard the many helicopters, a couple kept flying so low you couldn’t hear anything else.
@ passenal – I am hungry for days like this now. Good times.
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ANicoll5
‘PHIL’ is a hero…. I only we had someone like that around here….
*cough* sounds a bit greek, doesn’t it?
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Phil is nuts. How does a someone become like that.? I’m glad we have no one like him posting on here . Hunter would eat him for breakfast !
What? WHAT???
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just watched the parade, there is a lot of us isn’t there, honestly didn’t think I’d feel this good, but I do! arsenal won the fa cup, ‘ kn ‘ el the freakin fa cup in the sun what a weekend it must have been in norf london (jealous), & by a lot of us I mean a lot of positive fans I love that they sang diaby’s name man I had a tear in my eye watching that, & I love they so don’t want bac to go,(surely he’d be mad to go he could very well be part of another invincibles, I can see him now tearing it up & owning it) please not any of them mancs. to me that equals another destabilizing move.
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sparking up some nz green for those gentlemen in red and white, ooo to be agooner. gonna watch the highlights again.
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ooh to, ooh to be, ooh to be a gooner
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I can’t believe I have to go back to reality i.e. work after all the unreal celebrations of the weekend! I had forgotten just how sweet it is to win something. The feeling is so fantastic I want some more!
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Missing persons alert……ex Arsenal and West Ham player, wannabe coach once linked with Southend, specialist pundit, last seen after defeat at Goodison.
If anyone knows the whereabouts of one Stewart Robson, please leave him under the stone… beneath which he has recently crawled.
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ARSENAL FA CUP WINNERS 2014
Sounds great, so proud of the boys for the bottle they showed after those two early goals and one of the most one sided referring performances I have ever seen (although nothing mentioned about it)..
That was real character.
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Well the cyber drums this morning are beating out a three year contract, rather than the two previously on offer, and a wage rise for our manager.
I think that is very sensible and I look forward to the prospect hugely. The Start of a New Era.
I admit it also gives me the opportunity to come out with the stolen line ” Tim Peyton, Stewart Robson, Alisher Usmanov, Adrian Durham, Pedro, and all you black scarf wearing /banner weaving/blog gods – you’ve have had a HELL of a beating”
I thank you !
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Tweeted
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anicoll @ 10:44pm
The anti-Arsene media is in full tilt reverse since Saturday. The whole tissue of lies and propoganda has been exposed and laid bare. Since memories are short a few reminders:
Lie: Scrooge Arsene had the money but refused to spend. Blatant refusal to acknowledge that a self-sufficient club like Arsenal had to give priority to paying down its stadium debt.
Lie: Wenger signs Ozil in desperation after refusing to spend on presentable targets like Higuain. Subsequent revelations indicate double dealing by Madrid in relation to Higuain. Machinations by Levy to prevent the Ozil deal by delaying the sale of Bale at the last minute. Deceit of John Henry, aided and abetted by the Liverpool loving press, about the Suarez buy-out clause.
Lie: Wenger is senile and past his sell-by date. The Ozil signing is one-off. He will never win another trophy (most trumpeted by the geniuses at Legrove).
Lie: The Board of Arsenal will only renew Arsene’s contract based on results. A contract has been offered to Arsene since January long before the close of the season.
Lie: Arsene’s contract is a 2 year renewal. Apparently another whopper.
Only the pubescent fans who are totally naive or the absolute brainwashed nutcases continue to give credibility to the tissue of lies and propaganda. Saturday’s result was a thorough defeat and will certain give Arsene and the players the confidence to build on the foundations laid over the past 10 years.
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and dont forget how these ‘humble’ fans are the ‘real’ reason arsenal got ozil. it was their pressure that forced the club to spend….nothing to do with saving and calculating the last decade…….
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and dont forget to take the piss out of the 9 year trophy taunts and return the compliments at their faces with a huge smile that secretely says “fuck you you twat haha”
“its been 3 days since last arsenal won a trophy”
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oh jeez my doom-o-scope is in fast forward..sorry i meant ….
its been two days since arsenal last won a trophy
🙂
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and of course lets thank dear beloved arsenal fan and journalist amy for her three paragprahs of legitimate questions and oh my god what a loser wenger for his fear of penalties….as per amy and the fat troll of the dm …hahaa.. they are either suffering or trying to find new ways to keep selling their shit articles…..
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Hunter @ 11:52am
Try telling these geniuses in the media and blogs that the 2014-15 budget has already been determined, goals have been set an it is up to Gazidis and Wenger to execute.
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Hunter @ 12:11 pm
BTW: We need more Phils. Wink, Wink.
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dont know about that…sounds too scary and violent. besides, those guys are irrelevant…fuck em…
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anyway…from now on its all about the world cup….bring on the panini amok!!
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oh…and i found my keys btw….all good. success story.
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I want to scream. While the majority of us are still basking in the glow of our FA cup glory, already the mischief-makers are already at work preying on the gullible. Not only do we have the media out-competing each other by the size of that fabled “warchest” available to Wenger but the useful idiots are now speculating that the club must make an early signing to signal its intent. For fucksake the transfer window isn’t even open, the champions league final is a week away and the world cup starts in a month. Every decent player and his agent is already hedging their bets and postponing any business until after the world cup in the full knowledge that their bargaining position would be enhanced significantly by a decent performance on the international stage.
Nothing about the media and bloggers surprise me anymore but this is insane.
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Shotta it was insane that such experts on transfers fiancé and football expected anything less then a deadline day haggle last summer, with Tottenham’s obvious delay with the Bale deal being the obvious observation, for starters. Anything more than that is beyond insanity, such as the attempts to describe the Özil signing as a fluke, super ceded by slurs against the player, made just before he destroyed Everton in the FA Cup QF :).
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*coughs* finance not fiancé. Bloody autocorrecting b*ll*cks. Artifical intelligence my Arsenal.
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A clever (but not necessarily talented) craftsman always blames his tools. Just like moaning Mourinhio!
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Finsbury- are we close?
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heh shota dont scream…LAUGH AT THEM !
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Shottagunner 1:02Pm
Damn straight, if Wenger and Ivan don’t get their finger out, we are going to miss-out on Ashley Williams and James Milner yet again!!
What are the Board doing?!?
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Statement of intent?
Blow serious wedge on 2nd rate quality in the next few weeks, when we won’t even know if our boys will be back from the WC in one piece?
What are we, the KLF??
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New goalkeeper with experience – the world is full of ’em.
A new RB?, let’s try to keep Sanga, promote Jenkinson and one of the kids – if worst comes to worst Aurier or equivalent would be an easy pick up. Colman or other BPL players would be overpriced. £80k a week in wages will buy a very good RB.
A New CB – hopefully as a 4th choice, and hope we can keep a Tommy V happy here even if we hand the captain’s armband to someone a bit more vocal on the pitch. A 4th choice CB is never going to have a pannini sticker with his name on it. I would have been happy with keeping Djourou but his heart is set on staying in Hamburg and he is going to the WC – so best of luck to the lad.
New midfielders and forwards, however comforting to hear some of the top quality names being bandied about are in the ‘nice to have’ category.
These would be luxury items to add to the already PROVEN WINNERS we have in the squad right now. 1 or 2 more would make us real UCL contenders no doubt – but the very best ones will be going to Brazil (mostly) and won’t be faffing around with new clubs while they can still put on a good show and up their own market value.
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New post is up.
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Nope! The comment above about blaming tools was a reference to some lost text during a lunchtime write up. Arse.
Hopefully late tomorrow morning.
Will need an edit as well as I’ll let you decide on any photos.
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