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By Eibaad Ahmed Butt
Arsenal; a team that excites me to my very core, a team that has defined the word passion to me, a team that made football more than a sport to me.
Now; I live in Asia (Pakistan) and there isn’t much of a craze for football, as cricket is our national game and is loved and played every day. It seems a farfetched idea if someone would have said that I would grow up and start sporting and loving a football team more than anything else in the world.
I am a young guy nearing my thirties and my allegiance to Arsenal doesn’t go as far as for some readers of this site. But nonetheless it is by no way any less than yours that I can guarantee. I have never been to The Highbury nor the Emirates, I have been only able to watch my team play on TV but still it’s a pleasure like none other, considering that due to the time difference usually the matches are very late at night sometimes around midnight; it sure has some problems, as I have to go to office the next day.
I have never written before, but lately I just got tired of reading everything against Arsenal and I got to a point where I stopped reading as I couldn’t believe what I read about something I see every day and total opposite of my view. Then I got to know about Untold Arsenal, and finally I am at peace.
It’s not just football; all the sports have been commercialized and has became a sport for the rich; something to play with where they can show their supremacy by throwing cash around.
If you look into history it was always about pride and devotion, it was about being the best not buying the best. It used to be considered the biggest offence if a player from rival club was bought, it was considered to be a crime if someone was approached from some other team. I know my ideas are idealistic but…
As far as Wenger is concerned well I wouldn’t change him for another manager in the world, and as for Arsenal I would change them for any other team, even FC Barcelona.
I only started to watch Arsenal while under Wenger so I can’t compare much with the previous greats, but I think there is no need to. What he has done, and what he is doing, and what he will do in the future is a whole different ball game.
For all the “Glory Hunters” “the Arsenal Haters”, the “AAA”, I have just one thing to say: if trophies is all that matters to you, then please by all means go and support teams like, ManU, Chelsea, ManC, Real Madrid, etc etc. We don’t need you.
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If you are a supporter of Arsenal from outside the UK then you will probably enjoy the companionship and conversation that can be gained from Arsenal Worldwide. You can find us here.
Untold Indexes index the index behind the index and then supply the contents
Arsenal history takes the official version, tears it up and starts again.
Making the Arsenal is, well, just so different from everything else in the history of history that really words fail most people who have ever read it.
Hi Eibaad
i can totally relate with what you have written man.
i stay in New Delhi..absolutely love cricket…am a Delhi daredevils fanatic….but trust me i do not change channel when Arsenal is playing( Even if its daredevils vs Superkings going on…:))
I also started watchin Arsenal from 2001( was 15 then). have loved them ever since.
Love you Arsenal!!
Hey Eibaad, a very nice article indeed.
And Merry Christmas to the team at Untold.
I agree with you ,Eibaad. I would rather see Arsenal play their exciting, attacking football WITHOUT winning silverware than watching “1-0 to the Arsenal” in pre-Wenger days. Of course it would be nice to be top of the heap, but style and class cannot be bettered as a spectacle.
Forgot to Add in my previous comment.
watching Arsenal Play made me realise one day(all of a sudden) why football is called The Beautiful Game..this might seem peculiar to people from Europe but for people like us( from Not so good football nations) once this fact is realised you gain a whole new insight into the game.
Interesting Article, You will find most of the supporters here are the ones who truly support Arsenal through good and bad times its a blessing in disguise compaired to some of the sites out there.
Merry Xmas indeed to you all.
Hey Untold Gooners
Nice article as i’m a post Wenger arrival supporter aswell.
What I would like to say is that if you became a fan after ’96 whether you were born into an Arsenal family or not- you have no right to critisize La Prof at all. No matter if he doesn’t buy big name players or messes up tactics. You chose to support this team. So therefore either stop being a Gooner or shut up.
I’m not saying that I don’t sometimes get annoyed at Wenger’s ideas, but do I know of an Arsenal without him. Certainly not!
No matter how many tapes I watch of GG n Co’s sides- to me Arsene represents our beloved team.
The dilemma i’ll be faced with in years to come, when the Boss truly retires (hopefully in 20yrs time or so) is whether my love for Arsenal will still be as huge as it has been until now. In actual fact as i’m getting older, i’m loving this team even more than the teams of ’98,’02, invincibles. Can’t really explain why…..
Question to all readers:
How will an Untold Arsenal supporter’s life be in the post Wenger era?
If any readers have Facebook, please add me ar a friend.
I’m on the board of the Arsenal Supporter’s Club in Cape Town, South Africa…
Full name: IMRAN PALEKAR
And a Very Red and White Merry Christmas to all.
Victory Through Harmony!
It would be silly to say that no supporter wants to win trophies. Even Wenger would have been sacked if he had said that he’s more interested in playin exiting football than win trophies. Or lets face it, aren’t any of you fans of Arsenal during the Graham era when we didn’t used to play exiting football??
The fact is that every supporter wants trophies and also wants to see exiting football, u me, everyone. But sometimes you need to stop being pretty and start being rough. Even some of our current players, eg nasri, have stated that there are times when you do have to stop playin fancy football and try to win the match. Its a combination of both which will eventually make a team champions especially in the epl where being physical is more important than being stylish. We have to remember how the Arsenal team of 1997-98, 2001-02 or 2003-04 used to play. They had the right combination of physicality and style. And to be honest, our team has started to become physical nowadays against certain teams. It was required and it is happening. Not all of our wins this year has been due to exiting football, infact, we hav probably played only half of our matches this season with exiting football.
Also it wud be interesting to see what happens if you’d ask the entire Arsenal supporters of the world whether they’d either win trophies or play exiting football. Probably half of them will say that they’d rather win trophies. And its no shame in sayin that. It does not mean that they’re not Arsenal supporters bcoz exiting football has been a part of Arsenal since last 14yrs only while the supporters have been there since a long time, and will remain there for a long time after our exiting football era ends. So the question remains what is more important, to win trophies or to play exiting football?? I think both are important but more importance shud be given to the former.
*exciting -my bad 😛
@ Dark Prince
Name me the manager who’s won the most trophies for us. Even forgetting the last 5yrs.
Lord Wenger has tought you that winning is everything! And now since we’ve gone through a drought, Thats the only thing you anti-pretty football people want! Pls bring the Special One to the EMIRATES. That will b the day you ppl will b happy… Disgusting!!!
Happy Christmas all and may 2011 bring you loads of goals at the right end!
Eibaad , you,ve chosen a very fine club to support and an equally excellent site to state your views .Wish you many years of pleasure from both.Welcome home.
Well Written Aibad, Zbrdast,, You know what i have been supporting Arsenal for 9years and more than that i have been defending Arsenal in front of my friendz but to shut the mouth of AAA we need to win trophies,,We are a big team and we need to show this time and again, BTW very well written me too never attended a match at Highbury and Emirates but still i am proud to be a gooner because beautiful game and beautiful teams don’t have boundries and you are right we face difficulties watching the late night matches especially the Champions League Matches but we still don’t miss them,,Gooner till I Die from the Land Of cricket,
Wish everyone at Untold a very merry red and white Christmas.
Thank you Untold for being there for us. You help us keep our spirits high as Gooners amidst all the negativity (or was it just plain stupidity!!!) that spreads on the internet by the “glory hunters”.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
I would advocate for trophies and style. Is it a crime for an Arsenal fan to admit that Barca have done better than us of recent?
Much as i believe we will beat them 2: 1 at home
@IMRAN- Winning trophies doesn’t mean we have to start playin anti-pretty football. Playing both exciting football and winning trophies can be done simultaneously like we did in our last three title winning seasons. The point is where do we draw the line between playing only pretty football and successfully playing pretty football. In the epl, you really cant get away with just playing pretty football all the time, sometimes the physical and more defensive side of the football has to be used. Mind u – i said ‘sometimes’. It doesn’t mean we have to change our manager or start playing anti football. Wenger has done it before and i know he can do it again and to be honest, he’s tryin to do that as we have seen this year, its just the matter of when our players step up.
Eibaad, nice read. I have to confess that i particularly abstain from reading articles on arsenal after a loss. ONLY THOSE AT UNTOLD, because they are sensible.
reading you and Imran’s comments make me feel similar to someone when it comes to suporting the Arsenal.
As a reader from India and an even bigger cricket crazy country filled with tons of ManU fans.. it is a rarity to support Arsenal.
I’d like to add my own thoughts about trophies. Why would a fan want trophies? Really? I mean its nice no doubt.. I’d love them too. But.. in the end what does it really mean.. all of it. Apart from bragging rights with your buddies?
For a player I agree, that is how he is measured. For a fan?? I never quite got it. Ofcourse everyone is entitled to their opinion.. no doubt…just saying.. for me .. What Arsenal does.. the way it does things and the way Wenger has tried to build a team.. (Supporter from 2001 onwards here) are reasons enough for me.
The day Arsenal lose their ethics (footballistically) .. that will be the day I reconsider. Till then – the trophies can go to hell. I’ll be happy if we’re competitive. Actually even if we get relegated.. which we wont 🙂
i am arsenal supporter living in Pakistan for the last 5 years and till now i never missed one arsenal game during my stay in Pakistan , i ma foreign student and my name is aka jams , i am around 45 years old and i love arsenal football club.
well done ebaad.nice article.
me from rawalpindi n same condition as yours.
in wenger we trust. gooner till death no matter who is playing and whom they play for.
dont worry every body trophies will come just haved patiance.
love you all. nice to read an article from Paki heart
Nice article Eibaad.
I guess there are quite a few Arsenal fans in the subcontinent now.Certainly not many at the time the Wenger reign started off. The years 1996-2001 were tough because in India, it would be Arsenal who? Good to see how things have changed.
On another note,Are there any Arsenal supporter groups in the Subcontinent? I would certainly like to join one and maybe for a few of us who have never been to the Emirates, a trip could be organized.
Oh and Eibaad, just to make a point, Isnt Hockey is the national game of Pakistan? Don’t remember if they changed that though.
Dear All,
Thank you for the lovely comments and opinions, i thoroughly enjoyed them, and agree with most of them out there.
It’s also good to know that there are other fans like me out there and that they do their best to support Arsenal, and any help from my side please do not hesitate to ask.
@ Mihir; Yeah Hockey is our national game, but sometimes it doesn’t seems like it due to the amount of attention given to cricket.
Brilliant article and the comments, sums up the feelings of a sub-continent Arsenal fan. Gunner for life!!