Unimportant Gooners. A rant. A whine. A cry….

Un-important Gooners. A rant. A whine. A cry….

distant gooners.

by Arsenal 13

This is what happened during the West-Ham game. Comments section of the Untold. Most people know this. BUT compiling it again to show the person and for the people with similar views where they are wrong. For generalization, lets name him X, and all the people responding to him as U.

X:3:20 pm:The ref is shitting it now and letting the fans make the calls.

X:3:33 pm:Gotta hope we up our game in the second half, we are second to pretty much every ball.

X:3:36 pm:Tony Gale is really pissing me off.

(We score 2 goals in milli seconds)

X:4:12 pm:Again, we are second to every fucking ball. why are we so slow, we hardly ever win second ball. Something in training?

( we concede a goal)

X:4:21 pm:We are too soft.

X:If West Ham get a second, we lose.

(Now this poster gets replied for that ‘soft’ comment.)

U:4:24 pm:don’t you forget what your team is?

U:theres nothing soft about arsenal.

X:4:29 pm:Yes there is, we are soft when the ball is in the air and we are soft when the ball is bouncing. We lose second ball over 80% of the time. The old arsenal never did. We need some warriors in the team.

X:4:37 pm:Two Arsenal against one Hammer and the Hammer comes away with the ball. We are soft and that is why we fail in the league.

Seaman / Lehmann

Adams, Keown, Campbell

Vieira, Gilberto, Petit, Parlour

Bergkamp, wright

All warriors who could mix it, who do we have in this team? Sanchez?

U:4:38 pm:please go find some place somewhere else to cry.

U:me personally do not need your “proof”.

X:4:42 pm:people are allowed to have opinion. Mate, I was at Highbury from 1974, you?.

X:I am guessing you are non English Arsenal fans?

U:4:44 pm:oh….. so that’s what it is…

i wasn’t at highbury in 1974… nice.

U:I am a fan if it is not enough.

X:4:47 pm:So, you are saying I have to U,please go find some place somewhere else to cry. Yet, I have been all over the country following this team since 1974 but your opinion is better than mine? You’re a bit of a numpty.

Now we all know what followed. We even have an article on this ‘soft’ thing, The Red Badge Of Courage. To be fair on X, maybe he was wound up by Gales fantastic commentary. And maybe this got a bit more personal than it was intended to be.

BUT this article is not about us being soft or hard (sounds weird). This is about the fans, man I hate that word. Rather non-English ARSENAL fans. Why should the discussions end or start here. Should nationality or your presence within the stadium or in the vicinity of it add weight to your argument, however absurd it may be. Should your parents, grandparents or your childrens and grandchildrens and gardeners and maids and neighbors loyalty  add weight to your argument? Or is it something else??..

Something else as in financial. I’ve heard arguments about how they’ve been season ticket holders for x number of years and how we ‘distant gooners’ spend nil. Not that I am offended by any of these claims/accusations. I turn a blind eye deaf ears dead brain to all these rants. BUT I think the fans placed ‘up’ the hierarchy should know that we together make the gooner world. Not them alone.  Maybe we’ll not have such discussions in the future.

ARSENAL 13. (time zone: GMT+5:30.)

This is me. Being an ARSENAL supporter is not easy. Cricket nation, people don’t understand football. The timezone should tell you. INDIAN. I am from INDIA. To be more precise, southern part of INDIA. I am a young gooner (not by age), comparatively. I’ve been following ARSENAL from the 09-10 season. I’ve had no papa gooner or mommy gooner. It just happened, ARSENAL. More I got to know, more I loved. My children (when I have) will be gooners, that I can assure.  And since our 125th anniversary year, I’ve been a Red level member. Well I get zero benefits the red level member in UK gets, I can buy tickets though but alas can’t make it to the game. There is sense of involvement, in a good way. Well, not a season ticket holder but a club member nonetheless. One day I’ll set off on a pilgrimage to the temple of football.

My place has no supporters club, may be there are not many gooners here either. I’ve come across many ManUtd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern and Real Madrid fans, but not a single Gooner!!!!…. Fashionable to wear the winners jersey and all. I’ve seen carpenters wear a Messi replica. A fake one. And have no idea what Messi or Ronaldo or Rooney or Terry is.

The nearest ARSENAL supporters club is 250 miles from my place. Hence I watch the game alone, on TV. One of the reasons why I comment here when the games are on. I had to change my DTH service provider last year, so that I get all the sports channels, so that I don’t miss even a single ARSENAL game.

My timezone is a bit kind on me though. The EPL games are at a convenient time for me. One of our members Menace will know. Games are usually played at 7:30 pm or 8:20 pm, sometimes at 11:00 pm. If its a saturday early start, it gets a bit awkward to me. I work on saturdays too. But thanks to internet streams, arsenal.com and Untold live commentors never miss the game.

The game day usually starts with reading Untold, which I do every day. And other news and fan blogs on the internet. Checking out the TV guide to see which channel the game is on and the exact time. And not to forget arsenal.com. I don’t get to walk around the emirates stadium and walk through the turnstile or drink coffee out of the infamous coffee machine and look into the hallowed pitch from the stands.  Nevertheless get very excited on the match days. Inner child, can’t do much about it.

But the champions league games are a different story. Played at 12:15 am or 1:15 am depending on the day light saving thing in the UK. Short nap before the game is not an option. The game ends at 2:30am/ 3:30 am. Thank ARSENAL gods that I am self employed, going to the office, the next day, an hour or two late and with sleepy eyes doesn’t do much harm to my professional life. But then, its not as simple. See my boss happens to be my father, and the lecture sessions I get every midweek………These lectures I get depends on time and my fathers mood. It varies from importance of time to seriousness required in professional life to how to get over my childish behaviour to financial mismanagement (on personal level not my business) to, well ……………(add on).

Sitting at home watching the game on TV is not as simple either. You have to fight to get your hands on the remote control for TV. Your loving sister turns devil that day. She’s always got some pathetic music channels to watch at that time. And then you’ve got relatives who appear out of nowhere. And their kids only watch cartoon network. Or they’ve got to watch some family drama which they can’t miss. And then there are cricket loving friends. Err….why always me!!!…

So fans, supporters is a better word I guess, in the vicinity or within the stadium, count yourself privileged. There are many willing to swap positions with you. You are a privileged lot. You represent us in the stadium. It hurts when we hear you go boooooooo on our players, as its not what we want to do. We want to hear you sing for them. Stand by them. Raise the atmosphere. And help players in the process. We are all gooners. We support ARSENAL. No matter where we are from.

PS: Hope the rumors are true and ARSENAL are coming to India this time. I’ve already postponed my himalayan trip plans this summer in hope of seeing Ramsey, Ozil, Wilshere, Mr Wenger and.Gunnersaurus in flesh.

PS PS: This is just January. A lot of season to go. Hope we go from strength to strength and challenge for all possible trophies.

Go Gunners.

Rant over.  

Classic Untold

Spending money on transfers doesn’t relate to success

PGMOL v Arsenal – the score after 8 games.

Untold index

64 Replies to “Unimportant Gooners. A rant. A whine. A cry….”

  1. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

  2. …good rant 13, and some valid points you brought up there.I always like game days on UA and meeting up on-line with the others that live outside of the UK (or who cant get to the game)and to read and write a few comments.
    The game v Gala(especially the first half) was great on UA- a real community feeling like being dahn the boozer etc with your friends.
    I think the holy grail of what a “real” fan might be isn’t worth chasing but no doubt your article has created a polemic for a few threatened souls to bark back!
    Cheers Arsenal 13,see you on here for the FAC game v Hull!

  3. I live in Jamaica. I’ve been to 16 countries worldwide….watched football in Argentina and Brazil…..never been to England. I’m a gooner to the core. Indoctrinated my wife and my sons. We are all gooners! I totally identify with this post. Our great club is so much classier than those who think overseas gooners shouldn’t be welcome to support the Arsenal. I guess even in the realm of who supports a club there is bigotry. Because the notion that where you live and whether or not you’re a season ticket holder should belittle your right to love our truly awesome club is nothing short of bigotry. These are the same people who call others “plastic fans” because we dare to support the greatest manager our club has ever had. Well…..I’d rather be a supporter than a fan anyway. True supporters back the club, the players and the manager no matter what the challenges may be….we note and rue their mistakes and even cuss at times…but come what may, we support. Fans, on the other hand….well FAN = Fickle Arrogant Numpties. Nuff said…. Oh to be a gooner!

  4. Arsenal 13
    Ive got a couple of solutions.Support an indian team or move to England like everyone else seems to be doing!!Simple

  5. Bit harsh that Nick – I think Arsenal 13’s point was that it doesn’t matter where in the world a supporter comes from. It’s how you support your club that counts. And while I think it’s important that football clubs maintain a core support from the local area, I think he’s got a valid point. Not all match-going fans are a better class of a fan than those that don’t attend – I’ve come across more than my fair share of clowns amongst our own lot when following City down the years.

  6. At Arsenal.com, we have the latest on UEFA U19 Youth League, and schedule changes due to it.

    http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20150102/youth-league-fixture-confirmed

    Atletico Madrid U-19 v Arsenal U-19
    Tuesday, January 27
    Kick-off 7pm (local time)
    At Atletico Madrid Training Centre

    As a result of the above fixture, our under-21 fixture away to West Bromwich Albion has been rearranged from the original date of January 26 and will now take place as under:

    West Bromwich Albion U-21 v Arsenal U-21
    Tuesday, April 28
    Kick-off 1pm
    At West Bromwich Albion’s training ground

    There is also details about the You FA Cup game on Jan 21 versus Royston Town.

  7. A charity instance, that perhaps someone can turn into a catering report. The game between Glasgow Celtic and Partick Thistle was clled off due to a waterlogged pitch. The catering staff had a full store of pies. They were donated to The Marie Trust.

    Has anyone from Untold been to the Partick Thistle home ground? What are their pies like? Do they make capucchino?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30653648

    From Wikipedia, we find the current location of the home ground does not agreee with the club name.

    > Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908.

  8. I have had it thrown at my head a few times in the past. By some of the moaners on Untold and more on other sites. As I was foreign I was of lesser importance than they.
    I didn’t spend enough money as the “locals”.
    I once calculated how much my Arsenal passion cost me from where I live and how much I pay to come over a few times in the season and it well exceeded the cost of a season ticket.

    I understand what you say Arsenal 13. But I think that for most Untolders it doesn’t matter where you come from, live, sleep, eat or drink. As long as you support the club from where you are you are a Gooner for us.

    Just ignore those who think differently about it. That is what I always do.

  9. By the way: maybe if you would find other Arsenal supporters you could form a supporters club yourself? If you ever would do it and you got some questions then ask them to me. As I am the president of the Arsenal Belgium supporters club I know a few things and I could help you from afar.

  10. Thanks Arsenal 13: interesting stuff and sorry to hear of your battles to wrest control of the TV remote from your evil sister. Maybe your wicked employer might be persuaded to raise your wages enough for you to purchase your own set. My favourite item from last year was the video compilation of the various supporters groups round the world enjoying the FA Cup win, and it is terrific that the Club has such world wide support, and that it celebrates diversity in all its forms. I have happy memories of playing cricket in your country, and am intrigued to see how popular football will become there. I am also interested as to why so few UK Indians have made their mark in Professional football over here, and would welcome any views on that anomaly.

  11. here i am…
    the “all the people responding to him as U”

    the one that was blocked (maybe it was some malfunction on UA) just after this conversation with “real gooner” WILL the SHAIKHSPEAR …

    all i was trying to say is it was not the right time (20-30 mins till final whistle) and place (the only home for supportive fans) to whine about how bad arsenal are (even if it was true which it wasn’t)

    then i was called “cunt” by the WILL “HA HA HA – i was born a goooooner”and blocked… at least for a couple of hours i can’t write anything….

  12. Arsenal 13 & Walter

    As a season ticket holder living close to the ground I am full of respect, indeed admiration for the Arsenal fan base from all over the world. You are a hugely important part of the Arsenal family and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. I am sure that if Ivan Gazidis had time to read let alone reply to blogs then he would tell you all that the largest part of AFC income comes from television based on it’s world wide audience and further the greatest potential for expansion of the critically important marketing income is with you and your fellow fans across the world.

    Keep the faith and find more loyal and true supporters like yourselves.

  13. The only difference that I can make between a in the ground supporter and a tv watcher is the perspective of what is happening off the ball. When you are in the ground you see things from a distance without the benefit of televisions close ups , re-runs etc. However in the ground you see the poor positioning of certain players , their movement and whether the player on the ball is aware of runs of both his own and opposing players. This is why frequently you will find people praising / criticising a player without having seen the full picture . This is why I give more credence to those at the ground than those that are not there, If they are genuine football watchers and not texting throughout the game they will see the tactics more than the individual play , the tv man will see the incidents more clearly at least on the 2nd 3rd or 4th watch but in the ground the pattern of play is clearer.

  14. Porter: a very good point, but perhaps also worth noting the amount of pints that many fans seem to have consumed before entering the ground perhaps makes some of their judgments slightly unreliable too.

  15. That is also true , however as I live some distance from the ground and as my only real method of going is to drive , that option is not open to me. The other thing that tv has affected for me is that I get to see less games live as the change of dates and silly kick off times has made my season ticket virtually redundant and unlikely to be renewed especially as there is talk of Friday night games to add in as well. TV has bought the English game to the wider world but one by one the faces that I used to see at the ground are dropping out and I am afraid mine will soon be joining them .

  16. i think the main thing you are ALL forgetting was what started this. I was told to “cry somewhere else” when i dared say Arsenal were not good at something. As someone who has not only been to 100’s of home games, travelled the country and even Europe, I took offence for someone daring to call me not a true Gooner.

    Now, no matter what I say, I am castigated by people who haven’t been to a game and even only started “following” theteam 3 years ago.

    You do see how stupid that is right?

  17. You were not SUPPORTING the team. For the most part, you are still not SUPPORTING the team. You are looking for a fight, and you will do whatever it takes to have a fight, with as many people as possible.

    If you were at the game, and typing all these comments in during game time; why were you not SUPPORTING the team?

    I cannot be at the game, I live in NW Alberta, Canada. I have every much right as Arsenal 13 to SUPPORT the team on this blog, which is a blog meant to SUPPORT the team. I have as much right as Tony who often goes to games, from a considerable distance to SUPPORT the team.

    Right at the top of the page:
    > Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News; Supporting the club, the players and the manager

  18. Will
    it wasnt about how “true gooner” you are.
    pierce morgan as true as you are in terms of “born… travelled…amount of home games”
    but when you read his twitter …. you see what is wrong with his “genuine” way of supporting the club.
    it was about wrong place to be “clever, observative, and HONEST”.
    we support arsenal here, even if we “naive stupid or blind”.
    especially while the game is still on.
    what is so important in you observation about arsenal softness? while arsenal playing and winning? we need to know how bad arsenal and profound you are? write an article about it after the game. show stats and proof your point. then mail it to wenger or arsenal board and tell them that you want to manage arsenal and you’ll be better then wenger.

    and …again… all this 1000000’s home games doesnt proof anything about how good you are as a fan.

  19. @ Arsenal 13 – A very nice article and sort of shows the usual trend amongst those fans who reside outside the UK.
    As a fan since 1971- 72 season , it was difficult without live or regular football on tv.
    In Malaysia then ,only the FA Cup was shown live ,while a hour long round up show was the norm very much later.
    Newspapers and magazines were the usual sources .The magazines would come 2 months late (shipping!)
    The BBC World service would give live commentary of the second half of a selected game , followed by the full scores and the game reports .
    Studying in your neck of the woods from 1975-84 , there was no tv then , the local magazines had very little football coverage and we would only get to read the English magazines when someone would bring them when returning after their holidays .
    Practically no local even knew any of the English football teams ,and would look bewildered when when we would sit around arguing the merits( or demerits) of each others’ teams !
    There weren’t even any fake jerseys around then !

  20. @Arsenal 13 that is a great post and Nick’s comment was uncalled for (shame on us it takes a City fan to point that out, but thanks @M18CITD).

    Supporters are supporters (like pirates) because they are. I was born in Tufnell Park and my dad took me to Arsenal when I was in nappies but I chose Arsenal properly in about 1970. In the late 70s early 80s i went to every home game with my mates but got priced out of football in my 20s. It wasn’t until recently I could afford a ST and even now that is something of a luxury. I am fortunate that I can share the travel costs by driving down with Tony.

    I don’t have any more rights than anyone else but I do think there needs to be provision for local fans. I sit next to a postman who lives five minutes from the ground. He isn’t wealthy. He had two days off at xmas, I have three weeks. We both get frustarted at the team but we both support them vocally. As you know if you read my recent piece on here I am more than happy to call out those that boo or who won’t support the team.

    But opinion is just that, an opinion. I don’t rate Podolski as a starter. My postman mate loves him. I like single malt, Tony likes Merlot.

    Finally Will… my step-twins started supporting the Arsenal when they were about 12 (because I took them) so they have only been fans for 5 years. I’ve been a fan for over 40 years, in 10 years Arsenal13 will have been a ‘fan’ for 13 years. At what point does he become a ‘true gooner’? You see how stupid that is, right?

  21. I really feel your pain Arsenal 13 being an indian arsenal fan myself I know what you feel like. I’m from Mumbai a city of millions of people and yet for 19 years of my life I hadn’t seen another arsenal fan(9 of which I supported arsenal) the TV and general football related struggles in a cricket MAD nation are not so easily understood by you NON INDIAN arsenal fans :p .
    @will I understand you have an opinion and your opinion carries its weight but being from out of England doesn’t degrade someone else’s opinion mate, this is just humanity 101 treat other people’s opinions with respect( I may not know the entire story but your response paints you as a little bit of a villain)
    I’ve been an arsenal fan for a large part of my life (12 years out of 21) so why should where I reside really mater? Why should my struggles to support the team I love be any less important? We all love arsenal

  22. Nick Lee – “Support an indian team or move to England like everyone else seems to be doing” Aaaaah it all makes sense now. Judging from that one sentence your clearly a “get these bloody foreigners out my country” kind of guy. This explains a lot. A ignorant person whos in the Wenger-out brigade; surely it cant be?!

  23. @Will – I dont have the money to go to Arsenal games and ive also not had the pleasure of taking as many breathes on this Earth than you. So are you saying that this means im not a true supporter?

  24. Personally feel the way the club has excluded its core fan through price rises and treated its stadium staff to less than the London living wage in recent times is disgusting.

    The Emirates has become a holiday destination to some.

    There certainly should be more value & availability for local fans and I’m saying that as someone who lives in Yorkshire.

    As for ‘not being a true fan’ because you don’t agree with the way the club is currently being run, many who feel this way were fans way before Wenger, Stan & Ivan and will continue to be long after.

    I find it ironic that a site that urges its readership to see through media & association ‘bias’ does not do the same with the clubs PR.

    Of course the people who want change are not always correct as can be said for the people who do not. Shame we as a fan base have been driven to such devision.

  25. But it’s not just arsenal though Barton . I wonder exactly what percentage of our fan base actually live in the city. I know from my experience that many years ago I played in a fairly successful team in the North london Sunday leagues , we had 3 teams and with reserves about 50 players on our books. The last time I heard not one still lives in London all of us were priced out of our area. Many of us still travel in to see games though but as I said before , the number dwindles every season. We know that United have a strong following from the South of England and it is the case for all the other teams that can be termed as big as well. Once television gets to grip with it’s scheduling it becomes harder to get to matches which is why in my opinion the “” atmosphere “” at grounds is not as raucous as it used to be . How many 3 .00 o’clock Saturday games do we now get a year ? 3 maybe 4 . We play Tuesday , Wednesday , Saturday and Sunday and soon Fridays . it’s not just this club it is football as a whole that is turning it’s back on it’s traditional support. Maybe one day it might live to regret it.

  26. Well I’m in North america and may not likely ever get an opportunity to see a live Arsenal game but I do have a few questions for the aaa cheerleaders, Will and Nick Lee:

    1)What does one’s location have to do with supporting the Arsenal? If you can explain how living next to the Emirates makes one a better supporter than one living in Hyderabad….please do.

    2)What does having supported the Arsenal for x number of years have to do with being a better supporter than someone who just discovered the Gunners?

    3)Finally how does one person spending more $$$ make them a better supporter than those who spend less?

    Maybe its all about being loyal and faithful to the team that makes the difference and suppoprting them through good and bad times?

  27. Arsenal 13,

    I am sorry to be so terribly late to this party but boy, am I happy to read your rant. Here are my few belated notes:

    1. Apart from people like Tony, blacksheep and Andrew Cranshaw whose Emirates patronage we have evidence of, how do we know that those who claim to go to the games TRULY do? as I have said on this site many times in the past, we are on the Internet and anybody can claim to be anything they want.

    2. If nothing else, at least I respect the honesty of those of us who are upfront about not attending games – no matter the reasons. I know at least 1 case of a commenter here lying about going to the games. I caught him red handed when he couldn’t back up an arrogant offer that he made. It is pathetic but then there are too many losers in this world trying too hard to achieve relevance by any means necessary.

    3. What the fuck has patronage of games got to do with validity of opinions on how football clubs are run or quality of support? I know many Gooners in my native Nigeria who will never see Arsenal play and it isn’t because they love the club less than the lucky sods here who often take the privilege for granted. Actually the opposite is true. Many (who claim to be) to be season ticket holders have been shown up by foreign non-game attending commenters to be clueless on the knowledge of the game and even worse, useless as supporters of our beloved club.

    4. Like Godwin’s Law, I want to suggest Untold’s Law and it’s basically that any commenter who brings up how long they’ve been supporting the club or how much time and money they spend on supporting the club in order to win an argument shall be deemed to have automatically lost such argument. I have been applying the Untold’s law for a long time here but I think that it is about time that the rest of us use it too.

    Untold Arsenal is a site set up for Arsenal fans who want to support their club. It is not AST which is a collection of self-important whingers. Nobody gives a fuck how much money and time you spend supporting Arsenal here or for how long you’ve been calling yourself a Gooner. If you are supporting the club by praising our players and manager when they are doing well; fairly and constructively criticising them when they aren’t and most importantly, believing in the them when the whole world is condemning them, then you are the ultimate Gooner whether you are in Auckland or Kampala and never spent a penny on the club.

  28. @Nigel, nice article. Yup, therz Always a hope. In my bucket list.

    @kenneth, can’t make it to be the game this Sunday. We have a traditional event, a ritual (if I could post the pic.) At our ancestors. That place is completely out of network coverage. Should climb some tall tree and check!!

    The game has gone global. And ARSENAL with it. The hardwired ‘traditional’ fans should realize that the ‘tourists’ who flock the stadium are there because, ARSENAL. Its not about you being not important anymore. No, you still are the most important cog in the ARSENAL machine. You are the 12th man playing for ARSENAL.

  29. Stunning, wonderful article.
    Great replies, especially Gary JA and Boo, and others.

    Unlike Will the anti.

  30. So basically what I am reading here is there has to be a blindly follow over the top mentality or you are not a proper Arsenal fan. Is that correct?

  31. All I said was we were soft in the second ball challenges, you would have thought I said I was about to rape your daughters.

  32. Bootoomee :- I first trod on the steps at Highbury for a 5th round replay against Preston . Kelsey was in goal for us and Fred Else in goal for them . I don’t expect plaudits for this but when I speak about seeing things differently inside the ground , I speak from experience.

  33. @Will
    With each comment you make you make yourself appear more and more stupid. You are an absolute prat, give it up.

  34. Those who do not appreciate or understand that the growing worldwide support of AFC is a measure of success of the club, have sadly limited intelligence. If they hope that the club will continue to ‘buy big’ as they have started to do, they should know that the worldwide appeal leads to increased commercial sponsorship which leads to more ‘wonga’ which leads to more big money players.

    There are millions of fans, sadly, some are of limited intelligence and they are stupid enough to post of websites. Their only saving grace is that they largely remain anonymous.

  35. Come on Mick the keyboard warrior waiting for you to explain how I am making myself look a prat for saying people are allowed to have different opinions.

  36. Will, you are a prat because as you regularly prove by your negative comments you are more a Le Grover than an Untolder but you persist in coming on this site and mixing with a group of folk who virtually all have the opposite positive outlook on supporting Arsenal. You persist in making comments which you know will provoke the regulars. Why would you want to mix with a load of unfriendly people who all disagree with you, it doesn’t make sense. Sorry but I think that makes you a bit of a prat.

  37. Which negative comments>

    The commets where I say I believe Wenger if the best manager out there at the moment and I never want him to leave or, the comments where I say we have one of the best squads out there so I am not sure why we are not competing for the league or was it the one comment where I said at that moment our players were too soft and losing too many second balls?

    Please clarify for me and I will gladly change that opinion.

  38. Come on, in your opinion, which one of my opinions is wrong?

    1) Wenger is still th ebest manager in world football.

    2) We have an under-performing squad.

    3) Sometimes we are a bit soft in winning second ball and that leads to our defence being put under undue stress.

    Do you want to debate football with me or do you want to run with the back and label me an AAA?

  39. Untold a positive site , so why do all the positive regulars constantly moan about Refs – Chelsea – FIFA – England matches – ticket prices etc etc

  40. Will, having read most of the exchanges between you and Alex, jambug and others I am afraid to say that I am inclined to run with the pack. I am not saying you are AAA, just do not understand why you keep putting yourself in the position of being labeled as such with ill conceived and/or badly timed comments.
    So lets leave it there and all have a happy and successful Gunners New Year with a good cup run or two, we can all agree on that.

  41. Problem is, my love for Arsenal has been questioned so I can’t leave it there.

    But what I will do is write a thought provoking and witty article.

  42. HEY….HEY…everybody look at me down here. Oh come on, why won’t you give me attention and accept me as your superior when it comes to Arsenal? I go to games you know? I am a 7th generation Gooner. I was conceived in the bathrooms of Highbury and had my christening at the clockend. I have been spending my hard earned cash on and time on supporting Arsenal since 1962!

    Come on you foreigners and British fans who never spend money on the club, bow down before me. Succumb to my superiority!

  43. Sorry Shoot, would you rather nothing was said about these clear problems in football? Its all positive when it comes to Arsenal, as we are supporters and funnily enough that means we SUPPORT the team.

  44. That was stupid wasn’t it?

    If you fully understood my point rather than again jump in with the pack, my point is, how can someone who has NEVER been to a game and only started following the club FOUR YEARS AGO openly question the support of someone who followed the team through its darkest days in the middle 70’s. Someone who traveled the length and breadth of the country in support of the club. Someone who has traveled Europe in support of his club and has supported the club longer than said person has been alive.

    Do you get why I am offended by that? Can you see how crassly stupid it is to say to the long suffering supporter that he is not a true fan because he stated an opinion on a single game after all he has done and seen in support of the club? Can you? Can you see that?

  45. Georgaki-pyrovolitis: I#m publishing your post, but your insistence on calling fans who don’t appreciate Wenger as being stupid and of limited intelligence is close to the abuse I was trying to get away from.

  46. @Tony
    As you have called out Georgaki-p for crossing your ‘acceptable’ line I suppose I should apologize for earlier on being a prat by calling Will a prat.

  47. Blyth Spartans’ Fine List

    The BBC had a blurb about Figo and Obama following Blyth Spartans’ on the twit thing. That blurb had the fines list for Bltyh Spartans.

    I am putting dollars down, as I am too lazy to figure out how to get Pounds Stirling.

    * Missing a match $5
    * Late for home match $5
    * Late for away game pickup point $5
    * Missing training $2.50
    * No flip-flops on when in shower $2
    * Using someone else’s shower gel $1
    * Using mobile phone after 1:30 sat game +
    6:30 mid-week game $2
    * Mobile not on silent when in changing room $1
    * Urinating in shower $2
    * Failure to weat shirt + tie/tracksuit $2
    * Leaving any kit inside-out $0.50 per item
    * Not attending team nights out $10

    The flip-flops issue is mostly about transmission of athlete’s foot. The shower gel could be transmission of a number of things, ranging from head lice to ….

  48. For those who disbelieve, I like ARSENAL 13 am in India and agree with all he says including control of the remote!!

    I am a season ticket holder & was fortunate to meet @Finsbury who happened to buy the seat next to me as a Red member. @Finsbury is a young man who has a wonderful way of expressing himself. I am much older & I have forgotten the respect for others that my parents taught me. My patience wears thin when the likes of Will loses context of todays EPL compared to that 10 years ago. The strong & tough only carry weight when God is not a PGMO official. The Laws of The Game must ascend above all that partake in the Game but in the EPL the PGMO ascend above honesty and anything that will favour Arsenal.

    We who watch the game from afar (& I know both flavours) feel the camaraderie of those who like us watch alone with only untold keeping us together as company.

    Nick Lee you a true example of a bigot who thinks that ‘foreign is not me’. You are as much foreign as any other Arsenal supporter, even with family who have lived in England for the life of Arsenal. The Picts, Goths, Vandals, Angles & Saxons were all foreign to the isles in their time. Here on Untold we are a family of Arsenal supporters who have affinity with our club, players & our manager. However, thank you for volunteering to sponsor your foreign Arsenal relations so that we can have your experience. In exchange please allow us the privilege of acting as peace corps workers while we educate you in English history, mathematics & foreign affairs.

  49. @ Arsenal 13 – that’s some anti-whine whine 😀

    Like yourself I’m also a gooner from afar. Albeit, more fortunate in terms of watching the team play 2-4 times a year. Much more fortunate in terms of when Arsenal play, the 60″ LCD is on, volume is up, whoever wants to cheer for the Arsenal in invited to the living room and all other human beings (sorry darling) can remain in the bedroom and watch TV there. Or do something productice just don’t talk to me, cross my line of sight, breathe loudly, etc. 😉

    Be a man, man! Set some rules ! (or make sure you are an amazing modern husband like myself, that cooks, cleans and does the laundry, so you can get away with something trivial such as TV rights…)

    @ Menace – you are a season ticket holder who lives in India?! Dude that’s some investment… How many times a year do you get to use it?

    @ Will – I know you didn’t want me to, and you can tell me to piss off which I would do gladly, but if you hadn’t noticed, I stood up for you, got into a bit of a disagreement with 2 of very good cyber-friends of mine here, just because I thought that you were wrongfully treated (i.e. labeled as an AAA whereby you were just venting out nervous feelings). I still think that you are not aaa (a conclusion reached by several other members here) and surprisingly can understand why you feel that a person that supports Arsenal for 4 years vs. your 40, and never went to a match, is not your “peer” in terms of supporting the club.

    I might be speaking against my own best interst but I don’t think that the opinions of people like Tony, Blacksheep, Nicky or others who have been following the club for decades and went to many matches can be dismissed and one of those factors is the perspective gained by watching and following the club for a very long time. Being there in good times and bad times; standing and cheering in the hard rain; prioritizing things in your life (financialy speaking) just to watch the team (and sometime leave with your heart broken). When I go to matches it is usually with my father in law and his friends who have been going for years. One of them is an “untold” type of guy; my father in law is a bit of a drifting opinion kindov guy and the third one is a moaner who has been calling for Wenger’s head for quite some time, but has such great sense of humor that everything he says makes me laugh. BTW the moaner guy is the most die-hard of them all – the plates and placemats in his kitchen are Arsenal; many pictures adorn his house walls; and he has the most extensive Arsenal library I’ve seen.

    They are all over 60 and have much better perspective than me regarding ARSENAL (not football or sports generally – I watch a lot of other sports as well). They are all great friends despite their differing views regarding the club.

    And they have a very broad perspective about the club, which I totally respect.

    If people don’t understand this, then I am sorry but I’m just not buying into it. It’s fake. If people don’t understand why a person who cannot go to a resturant with his wife, because he spent those 100 pounds on a match, feels that they have invested in the club more than what I did which is pay the cable bill – then I they are turning a blind eye. It’s not the money per se – it’s the emotional investment encapsulated in it. It’s travelling to the grounds, getting parking, being there in the disgusting cold of England (yes it is!), freezing your ass off without any snowboard attached to your feet… horrible.

    However, you were called a **** (which I can’t write now since Tony will get mad at me) and whoever called you a **** was damn right. It’s not your views or support of the club which are now in question, but rather your attitude. If the point came accross that you are not aaa, and you are a true supporter, why do you keep on acting like a bitch? Understand that your comments were, for the worst case, misinterpreted, understand that it annoyed some people that in a game where we WON and one of the games where we displayed the most aggressive attitude this year, you wrote what you wrote – and most of the people who had a go at you were respectful and big enough to back off – why can’t you? And now all this “ha ha ha” in response to this article … wtf man.

  50. @TommieGun I’m in UK till end of October & Back at end of March. I’ve a gooner friend that uses it while I’m in the warm!!

  51. @TommyGun -Done my graft. Paid my dues. Left on my own. So its time to do what I want when I want & nobody to please. Living whats left of the dream…. Dreaming of Arsenal winning the Champions League. Now that would be worth the travel.

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