BT Sprout is an Arsenal partner. So why are they on the attack?

Posted on by Tony Attwood

By Tony Attwood

On 5 August 2013 Untold ran an article with the heading BT Sport: easily the worst TV sports station of all time

But taking no notice of our concerns Arsenal went ahead and signed a partnership deal with the Sprout in October 2013.  It is a deal that allows Sprout to promote itself through Arsenal’s own on line programming!

Which is a bit like employing the Wenger-hating Stewart Robson as a co-commentator on Arsenal TV.  Eventually after a load of protests at his rampant and outrageous negativity and virulent criticisms of Mr Wenger Robson was removed from his post.

So the question is, can we sort out Arsenal’s media mess once again?  I ask, because if we don’t I doubt anyone else will.

This summer as with last summer we have clear evidence that BT Sprout is singularly anti-Arsenal.

The beef last summer was the way the so-called commentators endlessly, ceaselessly and remorselessly mocked Arsenal and the Emirates Cup, proclaiming that the method of calculating a winner of the tournament was impossible to calculate because of Arsenal’s silly competition rules.

Now they are at it again, as you probably know.  But why?  What is in it for BT Sprout?  Why go all out to harm Arsenal when they are Arsenal’s media partners?

It is a question that I am not sure anyone else is asking – so since it is an unasked question, Untold is the obvious place to pose it, and try and find an answer.

And here goes…

The problem this summer is that the station has set its stall out by using the defeats against Chelsea (the one where the ref sent off not just the wrong player, but in fact any player when no one should have been sent off, since the ball was not actually heading for the goal), and the defeat to Liverpool.  Sprout even did an ad making fun of the incident in which the wrong player was sent off.

Historically those defeats meant very little – had we lost 0-1 our position in the league would have been the same.  But of course emotionally they were difficult to take for all of us who seriously support the club.

So why is Sprout doing this?

First off, the company knew that there would be a reaction from Arsenal fans and that this would be reported in the press – as indeed it was.  So 1-0 to the Sprout, with lots of free publicity.   As an example, consider this from the Independent:

“The advert prompted a wild reaction from Arsenal fans on social media, with many threatening to cancel their subscription to the channel.”

Wild?   Well, wild maybe in the curiously insulated and pre-ordained world of the press, but hardly wild in terms of discussions between Arsenal fans as far as I can tell.

Second, by running two ads one after the other, both with Arsenal suffering serious defeats, the Sprout was able to build on the momentum of the first advert with the second.

So more anti-Arsenal, and more free publicity.

But there’s a second level – a desire to attack Sky.  This simplistic approach is based on a much discredited vision of advertising, in which one looks at the competition, sees what they do, and they does more of it.  Although it is a long discredited approah, it does give short term gain – and that is what the Sprout is after.

Sky watched the Sprout last summer laugh at the Emirates Cup system of 3 points for a win and one for a goal, and responded by utilising Jamie Carragher (the man who threw a coin at fans at Highbury) as the maths imbecile, as for example in February when he said that Manchester City could take 30 points from the next six games.

This built on a story the previous October in which Carragher was asked if Giorgio Chiellini of Juve was harshly punished when sent off for an elbow into Cristiano Ronaldo.

The demented Liverpudlian spoke on the topic by saying, “I always liken it to, imagine taking the wife out on a Saturday night and a fellow walks past you and gives you a little clip in the face, imagine rolling round on the floor I think the wife would smack you with her bag as you were down on the floor…’Get up!'”

Well, yes.

So the Sprout launched gibberish as a mode of commentary at the Emirates last summer, Sky took it up, and now the Sprout is looking to move over to what we in the world of adverts call “knocking copy”.

But still why knock Arsenal?  After all other teams had poor results last season.  Man U had an awful lot of them.  Chelsea had their manager endlessly in trouble with the authorities, and defeats to Villa, Palace and Sunderland.  Liverpool had their defeats to clubs like Southampton and Hull, and dare I saw it, Arsenal.

But here’s the thing.  If you look at the number of articles written each week on individual English football clubs, there are far more on Arsenal than any other club.  Chelsea come second, and the others far behind. (My source is the chair of ScoopDragon who publish Goonernews, Chelseanews, Walkon.com, ManU news, Spurs News, Man City news).

So knocking Arsenal gets far more readership and excitement in the media than knocking other teams.  It generates publicity.

That doesn’t make it good – in fact it is an utterly reprehensible thing to do, because it places the broadcaster in an overtly biased position.

All commentary is biased, but it all depends how obviously and strongly biased it is.  One could instead of this say, “This is a crucial year for Man U having slipped so very badly last year, and not even being able to get a Champions League position this year.”

Or one could say, “times are getting desperate for Liverpool, for although they won the league cup in 2012, they have not won either of the main domestic honours since their FA Cup win 8 seasons ago.”   Or of Tottenham “True, Tottenham won the league cup in 2008, but with teams like Arsenal often playing reserves in that competition, its value is somewhat devalued.  The last time Tottenham won either of the main competitions was the FA Cup 23 years ago.”

It’s all a matter of emphasis.  The Sprout cynically knows that it can get Arsenal fans worked up, and fans of other clubs smiling, but focussing on defeats for Arsenal, rather than on, for example the clubs in this years Champions League who have the most consecutive appearances:  (Real Mad on 17, Arsenal on 16 thus far).

The Sprout is however playing a dangerous game, because by so openly knocking Arsenal while being an official partner of Arsenal, the approach can backfire.  Yes they have got themselves publicity, but it is a publicity gained from negative positioning, and the history of advertising always suggests that this can very easily go wrong.

If Sky reply with a balanced approach, they will show up the Sprout as seriously lacking in balance and supremely flawed.  Alternatively if Sky choose to attack another team and make fun of them, then the audience will start to split.

Of course the Sprout is biased because the Chelsea manager has signed a three-year deal with the Sprout which has him making programmes, appearing as a pundit and featuring in marketing activity.  He’s already started by boasting about how much he was fined this year for his comments, and saying that this won’t make him shut up.

The Sprout contrasts making fun of not being able to tell Arsenal’s players apart in its commentary on the wrong player being sent off, with Daniel Sturridge teaching a Zumba class his goal celebration and similar positive activities by Gareth Bale and Rio Ferdinand.

So its all a marketing ploy – but a risky one and an odd one when we consider that Sprout is a media partner of Arsenal.   And considering that Sprout did not get the contract to broadcast the New York game.    Either Arsenal have now cancelled the agreement because of the way Sprout has behaved, or Sprout really isn’t interested in Arsenal at all, but the clubs are lumbered with each other.

This is a truly appalling situation.  Arsenal is unlikely to have had any editorial control written into the contract and they have to go ahead with the deal to allow Sprout to comment on the Emirates Cup this coming weekend, even though it is patently clear that unless something is done Sprout staff will spend the entire match sniggering at Arsenal’s incompetence, the stupidity of the Cup’s arrangements, and so on.

Arsenal should deal with the Sprout now, and tell them to offer a more balanced view in every match they run, or stop.  Arsenal should also ensure that every contract they sign in future gives them the right to pull out of a deal if the broadcaster uses the deal in the disgraceful cynical way in which Sprout is behaving.

It is a truly awful TV station, and one that we could all well do without.

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54 Replies to “BT Sprout is an Arsenal partner. So why are they on the attack?”

  1. I have asked Arsenal on Twitter why they have extended the deal with the company who humiliate us in a daily basis.

  2. I have asked Arsenal on Twitter why they have extended the deal with the company who humiliate us in a daily basis.

  3. well writen article,i feel Arsenal have shot themselves in the foot here by allowing bt to advertise on our home media platform,after such anti arsenal adverts and the idiotic michael owen we should not touch them with a barge pole,but someone has put £s before pride

  5. would like to add that we could not win either way,if we had said no bt would have used that against us

  7. Surely any gooner must be angry at BT for producing such a mocking advert. Don’t give them your money!!! I won’t even watch games on BT in the pub. Even without these ads who wants to listen to that little rat Michael Owen talking gibberish about our club. No gooner ££s to BT!!

  9. Although as I never watch BT Sport unless they are showing Arsenal I have not seen any of their adverts…

  11. I think you’ll find BT’s mocking of Arsenal a lot simpler than that. The advertising agency they use is headed by a Sp*ds fan.

  12. Won’t go near this channel. I am sure quite a few on here played,our own small part in,getting rid of Steward Robson, I will also be contacting the club with concerns of the negativity and bias to clearly demonstrated by BT, if enough do it the club may again listen.
    sure BT are just doing their bit as part of a wider agenda against the club, but it is also clear some of our fans do not help, indeed they feed into the anti arsenal agenda with their fickleness, their extreme knee jerk reactions inspired by any perceived failing of the club and team. Goaded of course by Utd, Spud, Chelsea and Liverpool sleepers on forums and phone ins, but some of our fans truly are pathetic.

  13. Ha ha Tony, I am glad to see you took my advice to ‘rise above it’ seriously?

    It is funny you say ‘they know it is easy to get Arsenal fans all wound up’ … You are a prime example?

    Apparently their next advert will feature our best bits of the FA Cup win, so perhaps you will have calmed down a bit by then?

    As I said on the last blog, it should be a good motivator for Arsene to show before these big games.

    You may not like what they do or say about Arsenal, which I think you exaggerate a tad. But to slam the whole sports program as the worst is also way off beam.

    They are doing a fantastic coverage of Moto GP

    They have the superb James Richardson chairing the European football, backed up by the excellent team when they review the French, German and Spanish matches.

    If you are into Women’s tennis, they are on that too.

    Just to give a bit of balance, I also think Sky do an excellent job with their golf coverage. Speedway too, for that matter.

    BBC does Wimbledon better than any other broadcaster, and a great job on athletics.

    Channel 4 having the horse racing, but not without some minor issues.

    Sorry, but ‘sport’ is not just about everything to do with Arsenal.

    BT has got a foothold in the Premier League, which is far better than a total dominance by SKY. One of their features is the Friday night matches, going behind the scenes, and Arsenal have signed up to that, so that might get your teeth gnashing, or not? Wait and see.

    Rise above a petty little blip on an advertising campaign, which will be the electronic version of fish and chip wrappings in a month or two’s time?

  14. I can’t say if BT is much worse than all the others, but the others are somewhat anti-Arsenal too, at least most of the pundits and commentators.

    I enjoy more and more to watch without sound, that way i can see the game as if i was there(no crowd sound though). I enjoy it.

    Else i find a Spanish or German one. The Spanish commentator makes me laugh even though i do not understand him, the German ones are pro-Arsenal.

    Sad to see Jenks go. Guess those who tipped loan were right, but released, i did not expect that. Guess he will now improve and come back some time later if he is not upset.

  15. BT Sprout is an Arsenal partner. So why are they on the attack?

    For the same reason talkshite are interviewing the groaning self-appointed spokesman of all Arsenal fans, Tim not so nice but dim Payton?

    Transparent agenda? What! Hostile corporate takeover of incredibly valuable real estate slap bang in the middle of one on the world’s secure financial centres? Youwhatguv?

    Fanshare was always doomed with Payton undermining all credibility and respect for the AST. As the dream of a spot on the board recedes the bleating will only continue.

  17. This is a good precedent. Make ads against my club and then come for partnership renewal, we will reward you with a new contract. New way of marketing!

  18. Surely Arsenal are a big enough club to dispense with BT, and tell them politely to go away.

  19. Interesting Finsbury, have often wondered who is behind the anti Araenal agenda.
    Seems like we have a relative bargain with Callum, at least according to FIF, similar stats and sabre metric value to shaw., but anywhere between 14 and 18 million cheaper……can see this by scrolling through tweets
    https://mobile.twitter.com/footballisfixed
    Interesting the comments on how seisitive van Gaal is over shaws price….and Jose’s malign influence.on matters

  20. I’m afraid I cannot join in the rant about BT Sport.
    There are many Arsenal supporters who live outside the UK and for various reasons cannot attend games at the Emirates OR away matches.
    These folk who, by the way, outnumber the live attendances of ANY Arsenal game, rely on Sky,BBC,ITV and BT in order to follow their heroes.
    The commentary, analysis and adverts each game can be easily controlled by expert use of the remote.
    Those of you who have Arsenal season tickets, please bear in mind that the vast number of world-wide followers of our great Club, only have television as an aid. We are not too concerned about unwarranted criticism, ignorant comment or downright lies by so-called experts. All we want is good camera work and all broadcasters seem to provide that.
    The rest we treat as chaff in the wind.
    Remember that without BT Sport we would watch fewer Arsenal games.

  21. nicky,

    I always find your defence of the English media passionate but as ever, I disagree. Your point about majority of football fans depending on the broadcasters is precisely why we should demand the best in commentary from them. You can’t ask me to forgive a news network’s poor news reporting because without them, those outside of war zones wouldn’t be able to see acts of war.

    I have always seen the same numbers of Arsenal matches, with or without BT Sport, thanks to online streaming. And more importantly, foreign followers of the English game are supplied by TV companies with different and separate contracts.

    In other word, fuck BT Sport.

  22. Nicky,
    I don’t live in UK but I support Arsenal. So, I fit the profile of the Arsenal fans you wrote about. Yet, I don’t find it funny or convenient to watch games involving Arsenal accompanied by a barrage of negative, facetious and downright untrue historical comments about the team or analyses of incidents in the match.
    The comments and analyses assume an aura of being the truthful or authoritative view of the team or the incidents in the match in away that spoils the mood and demoralize Arsenal supporters. It also provides ready and seemingly authoritative ammunition to non-Arsenal supporters thereby putting Arsenal supporters on the defensive and at great disadvantage in the post match banter with friends, etc., which is a major part of the fun of following the games and being a fan of anyone of the teams.
    Bring able to mute the TV is a private defensive mechanism to ensure that one enjoys the game and I do this a lot. However, much better than this is being part of a crusade against blatant bias, especially, against Arsenal.

  23. I follow a very simple principle. Watch every game on mute. Honestly. That might not work for everyone – of course, but that’s what I do, and find that my own understanding of the game has since improved. Something to think about.

  24. I know of such tactics. As former hotel manager myself, I regularly find myself in such position all the time. As a non-native (although a born bred citizen), will find myself on the tip of the stick from national and Chinese media and markets. Need pay offs or back scratch to get along. No way I’m gonna do that, so did the unorthodox. Hire your greatest critic as your promoter and you will see a war stage where the promoter and fellow competitor tear each other apart. Your promoter is duty-obliged to face other critics. The organization itself survives but individual heads will roll thus replaced by more competent ones. These tribal dogs don’t criticize you for righteous reasons for a starter, just plain jealousy and self-interest. I guess nothing wrong treating them like one. Good watch and experience though.

  25. Good point about a motivator but it’s wrong to ridicule one club with such venom is wrong it’s bad enough commentators are very biased always swaying towards northern teams I mean the only good thing they did was bring back Andy Gray albeit one game, I think that’s the worst part you need commentray or volume I think you should be able to have 3 sound options
    1. Commentray
    2. Fan commentray
    3. No commentray with atmosphere
    Tony you need to start a petition to undo this mockery we signed up to its worse the Squillaci signing.

  26. I just finished reading about BT sports, BT group, Chief Executive (and Mugsmashers fan) Gavin Patterson, and other issues, such as Bt groups’ role in drones being utilized for strikes in civilian areas. Not good. I will not link, as Big Brother is probably watching. Just go to Wikipedia and read to make yourself an educated opinion about these issues.
    Luckily, the US market has only the bandwagon strident (they love a winner, they became strident when we lost our hold on first place) NBC sports for the Prem, and SkySports’ buddies from Fox Sports for the CL and the domestic Cups.
    The recipe is simple: Image from the telly, commentary from Arsenal Player.

  27. I have written to Arsenal amd Mark Gonnella on Twitter asking why we have extended with BT when they have humiliated us with every advert. No response fo far.

  28. “Image from the telly, commentary from Arsenal Player”

    Interesting combination. I have to try that for emirates cup and see how it goes.

  29. what Arvind said… mute them. Or watch a stream..they don’t get any money from you then. Personally i tend to listen to the games I can’t get to. I watched BT Sprout twice last season and we got heavily beaten (by Citeh and Southampool/Liverhampton or whatever they are called) I shan’t be repeating the experience

  30. For those defending this anti arsenal agenda as harmless, I beg to differ.

    I cited the following as an example of how a constant media assertion can establish as fact what ever they require.

    It’s regarding Wilshere.

    The medias line on Wilshere is that:

    He’s injury prone because of the way he leads his life. IE he’s a bad boy party animal.

    He’s injury prone because of the way he (and Arsenal) play there football. IE too MUCH passing just invites fouls.

    The conclusion they draw is that, basically, it’s all his own fault.

    So it’s not the dirty b*****ds kicking him off the park every game that are to blame it’s his own stupid fault.

    And this is what the public swallow, hook, line, and sinker.

    I said on here the other day that I had a ‘discussion’ at work with a guy who verbatim trundled out exactly what he was programed to.

    I countered how there are stats to show how often Wilsheres fouled etc etc.

    Oh come on, you don’t need me to point it out, we all see it with our own eyes week after week. But nope, he was having non of it.

    Apparently Wilshere’s too slow, too weak, goes to ground too easily, and gets everything he asks for.

    So the ground has been laid. Wilshere WILL again be targeted, and every time he goes up in the air, and the ref does nothing, there will be no outcry. There will be no concerns that a real ENGLAND prospect is being targeted. Nope, nobody will give a shit.

    BECAUSE IT’S ALL HIS OWN FAULT.

    Again, for those of you saying we are over reacting. For those who say it doesn’t matter.

    you are WRONG WRONG WRONG.

    The

  31. Who cares? Why get worked up about some silly advert? Have you got nothing better to do? Yes we got hammered by Chelsea and Liverpool and as far as I recall no other big team got such big hidings. And then some channel made an advert about it. Big deal.

    So we get more stories about us in the press. Is every single one anti-Arsenal? Only a few days ago Old Groover put up to a link to a positive piece but of course everyone ignored that because everyone wants to moan about the press.

  32. No there are good ones out there Rupert. Our next article is about such one 😉

  34. There are so many live streams that no one has to really watch ‘buggering t**ts tv’ or pay for the service for that matter. None of what they promote is good for us as a club. Taking it on the chin and letting them get away with it is not the best for us either.

    Jambug I think we need to start a protect wilshere campaign / protect all out players programe of some form.

  35. Rupert Cook,

    Some of us get worked when we see unjust behaviour towards our team. I think most football fans do this. But then just like you, a few like to forgive and rationalise unjust actions of the referees and the media towards their team while amplifying the imperfections of such teams, whether real or perceived.

    To each their own but please, don’t tell us to not get worked up; it’s not your problem. We all look forward to when the season starts and you start getting WORKED UP here over every unfavourable result of the team while glossing over the injustice that might have caused it.

  36. Come on guys, rise above all of this of stuff. The obsession with Arsenal is simply because we are so genuinely interesting, driven by jealousy from some quarters and to be blunt because other clubs are pretty bloody mundane at best.

    There are in reality only ever going to be 4/5 clubs worth writing about and if you compare the character assassination of David Moyes last season and the pretty clear attacks on that club for most of the season and then offset that with the coverage of Liverpool and Suarez and so forth these media channels have to dig pretty deep to ruffle The Arsenal.

    I for one won’t be getting all hot and bothered by anything that Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Adrian Durham or any of the other morons have to say about my football club. Simply because I personally like my football team have far too much class. Something I think a lot of so called Gooners have forgotten is a supposed to be a unified personality trait of the club and it’s fans.

    Class is permanent? Sometimes I wonder these days.

  37. Gfromgirton

    You’re right there! Who pays to watch football anymore? I watched every single match last season (including the pre season games), and didn’t pay once. The quality of streams is often a little sub standard definition, and the commentary not in English (usually an asset), but at the price (nothing) who’s going to complain? I find Wiziwig the best, but there may be others equally as good, and it’s not illegal to download them. Does it get any better?

  38. To all and sundry.
    With all its faults I would rather watch Arsenal on BT Sports
    AT ANY TIME, in preference to only reading about the game the following day.
    And no-one will shift me from this position.

  39. There’s a new article on ticket prices on the Grunaid.

    After having been told off by Arsenal’s press officer they have included the number of games covered by Arsneal’s season ticket, yet they still call it the most expensive season ticket, because they make sure that they don’t mention the number of games covered by any other season tickets at other clubs. How strange! How transparent. Who do they think they are kidding?
    What this means is that the complicated calculation of dividing the cost of a season ticket by the number of games and comparing it with the equivalent from another club is a task that, in spite of corrections given by the club, is not surprisingly beyond the uncredible journalists and the editorial staff of the Manchester Grunt.

    Must just be my imagination I suppose?They don’t like the Arsenal. We don’t care.

  40. But they managed to find some calculators down at the Daily Heil. They found people who can count and know how to divide. Blimey!

    The Heil reports that Tottenham provides the most expensive tickets at:
    £90.24 p/game

    Whilst the top rate season ticket at the Arsenal will knock you back:
    £77.42 p/game

    So. After having been corrected by the Arsenal press office for misleading reports and coverage the “journalist” at The Grunt repeats his propaganda using a snide technique, which is completely shown up by articles in other newspapers for the disingenuous tripe that it is.

    What is going on here?

  41. nicky

    I am the same. I subscribe because I want to watch Arsenal. There are millions like us.

    Pretty much if we want to see Arsenal at EVERY opportunity we have to, unless of course you can afford to go and could get a season ticket.

    And that’s what makes it even worse.

    They have us over a barrel. We are paying for the pleasure of listening to our Manger/Team/Club get screwed over at every turn.

    I thought broadcasters had to be impartial?

    Anyway my point is Nicky, there is no excuse for BT’s excessive, un called for, malicious anti Arsenal stance.

    And I repeat, all this negativity DOES adversely affect us on the pitch, for reasons I have stated on here many many times.

    Even though I do not believe for one second that anything I say or do on here, or anywhere else for that matter, will make even the slightest difference it will not stop me from calling these people out for the complete arseholes they are.

  42. Jambug, I have been saying that for years. The media turn myths into truth. They have said for years we are a team who don’t like physical football and cry over being kicked so the ref’s are more lenient over fouls on us as they believe what they read in the press.

    How many other teams have suffered as many broken legs and long term injuries as us?

  43. finsbury

    Alas my friend I am afraid you are living under the misapprehension that these people are in anyway whatsoever interested in ‘the truth’.

    This ‘Arsenal tickets are a rip-off’ stance has been perpetuated in the media now for so long it has become an irefutable ‘fact’.

    I recall from back in the dark old days when I was idiotic enough to still listen, Durham at Talkshite regularly stated that whenever an Arsenal fan picked up his season ticket he should also get a slap round the face. I don’t doubt for one second he, and the rest of that sewage works peddle the same shit today, and every other day, they did back then.

    As Jack Nicholson would of said to them:

    THE TRUTH, YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH.

  44. Will

    At work I constantly get all that thrown at me by fans of other Clubs.

    To them the MEDIA ‘truth’ has become the REAL ‘truth’.

    They have no data, no facts, often no events to back up what they are stating as fact. They are just repeating what they have heard on Talkshite or read in the Sun.

    Even on there own admission you can hardly believe the date on the Sun, and Talkshite are just ‘deliberately provocative’ to get people calling in.

    But no matter how ridiculous. No matter how inane. If you get told something often enough it somehow morphs into a fact.

  45. The Daily Heil….That paper has a history …..well it has many histories, but at least as far ar the south of England are concerned, Tottenham are their team. Under Redknapp, they were actually beyond embarassing

  47. @Jambug,
    I’m sure you are right in all you say about BT Sport and its anti-Arsenal stance.
    Personally, I only watch Arsenal games, completely ignoring the spoken word, I can honestly say I have never heard a single rant against our Club from this broadcaster. How lucky is that!!
    Incidentally, BT has just informed me that my Subscription will increase from £12 to £13.50 wef 1st October…

  48. Jambug

    Hehe!
    Don’t worry I don’t expect any impartial commentary from these presstitutes. They do much worse then defame the Arsenal.

    It’s the poor quality of their propaganda that caught my eye. I understand that it works through the ancient mechanism of repetition, NLP and all that jazz, but really, a simple division calculation is not that hard. Any mindless zombies that fall and frenzy feed upon this kind of offal must have some decomposition of the grey matter? Night of the living dead?

  49. For all those that have a good internet connection Ronaldo 7 . Net give you an hd option for streaming. The quality is very good considering it free. Why pay to hear commentators slag off the team we love. The us commentary teams are not as bad as the uk and the euro channels are very far with there words towards our club. Unsubscribe and watch all games for free you’ll feel better for it.

  50. Tony, as members of AISA, we have to ask what AISA, as well as other such fan assoiations, plans to do in terms of taking the Club to task on this issue. Methinks it will be better coordinated if this associations acted on behalf of fans rather than fans taking individual actions.

  51. LRV – the matter has just got worse since Arsenal have today renewed their association with BT Sprout rather than cancelled it. The next article covers this, and I shall be taking the matter up shortly with AISA.

  52. I am interested to know why people are taught when they are growing up to hate Arsenal.
    I was watching a video of Clough’s admiration for Wenger for going the whole season unbeaten and he mentioned at one point that he was taught to hate Arsenal when growing up.

  53. Ben
    Not quite right. Clough said he grew up “not liking Arsenal.”
    I doubt that any one is actually taught to hate Arsenal as it come naturally, like envy.

  54. Gfromgirton.please elucidate “Ronaldo7.net”. When attempting connection, all I find is Ronaldo’s site? Or are you just winding us up?

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