Untold Arsenal: Supporting the club, the manager and the team
"I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art." A Wenger
By Blacksheep As Tony’s Arsenal History article today reminds us, July 24th 1910 was the day Sir Henry Norris took over the club. You can read about Norris and his importance in the Arsenal story here but I’m going to look at what else happened that day. I wrote some time ago that I was …
Read More “Arsenal’s anniversary today, Henry Norris and the strange case of ‘Dr’ Crippen”
By Blacksheep I know this isn’t a political blog, it’s a football one but at time like this I don’t think we can completely eschew the great political events of the day. Last Thursday I sat down with my colleagues to watch a game of football at work. Most people were supporting England, a few …
Read More “It’s time to stop the ‘scum’ songs; it’s time to grow up; its time to stop the hatred.”
Who are the Untolders? by Blacksheep Tony suggested to me that while we try and cope with the paucity of real football over the next few months it might be interesting (to one or two readers at least – I hope!) to find out a little more about what the Untold ‘crew’ do when we’re …
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By Blacksheep I was at the game with Tony but (as he said in the last post) seated downstairs in the North Bank Lower tier. I didn’t count the A4 cards but it wasn’t many and Tony has a better view than me. There were a few directly behind me but they moan most weeks …
Read More “The protest from the NBL – much ado about nothing”
By Blacksheep Those that know me (not that many of course) or that have read things I’ve written before (a few more perhaps) will [hopefully] be aware that I’m quite a positive person when it comes to most things including Arsenal. I’m pleased to contribute to this blog because it supports the club, the team …
by Ché ‘Blacksheep’ Guevara The moving of the Arsenal v. Leicester City game from Saturday 13 February to lunchtime on the Sunday won’t inconvenience me from a travel perspective but it will give me an awkward decision to make (given its Valentine’s day). I think I know what I will do but at least I …
Read More “Sky-way robbery? Time to fight back, football fans”
What can football learn from rugby? * By Blacksheep I watched the second half of the England/Wales rugby match on Saturday and apart from wondering at the Welsh comeback and the high attrition rate in terms of injury, I was mainly struck by the marked difference in officiating. This weekend we have again seen some …
By Blacksheep As Tony and I made our way back from the recent AISA agm we started to discuss some of the issues raised by the meeting and this led into a rather more wide ranging debate about the state of modern football. I have to admit that I have a tendency to ‘go off …
Read More “What is wrong with football? What is wrong with football supporters?”
By Blacksheep (who should know better) Tony spends considerable time on all of our behalf scouring the interweb for scurrilous stories about The Arsenal. Many of these seem to emanate from that organ of respectability the good ol’ Daily Telegraph. Whilst I do wonder (out loud it has to be said) if it is terribly …
Read More “if it bleeds it leads…: a whimsical look at historical newspapers and football”
By ‘DI’ Blacksheep The confirmation that the police inquiry into the mysterious death of Alexander Litvinenko included a visit to the Emirates Stadium (where they found traces of the radioactive plutonium that killed him) got me thinking about football-related crime scenarios. I am a historian that specializes in the history of crime and punishment (although …
By Blacksheep After what seems to have been a very short summer break football was back at the Emirates and I set off to get my early pre-season fix this weekend. This year I rang the changes a little, decided to go BOTH days and to experience it from different vantage points. As you may …
Read More “The Emirates Cup 2015: an upstairs downstairs report”
Hello all I’ve heard from Arsenal FC today to say that our Untold Banner has arrived. Our graphic designer (Jennie) and I are both going to be at the Emirates Cup on the Saturday (me in the posh Club Level and her and her little boy in the Family Enclosure). Tony and I will both …
Read More “The Untold Banner is imminent: last chance to add your name to the roll…”
By Blacksheep I am pleased to report that Arsenal have agreed our design for a banner that says ‘Football should be an art’ – the shortened version of Mr Wenger’s phrase “I believe the target of anything in life should be to do it so well that it becomes an art,” which has appeared on our …
Read More “The Untold Banner: update and information for contributors”
hello folks I am delighted to say that we now have two designs to approach the club with. These have been created by a graphic designer (Jennie) who is also an Arsenal fan. I am going to send these off to the club this week so fingers crossed they approve them. To reiterate an earlier …
Northampton vs London Irish by Blacksheep On Friday night I was invited to go to watch the Northampton Saints rugby union side play London Irish at Franklin’s Gardens. Now I suspect some of you don’t like rugby, or like me have never been to a game, whilst others (those further afield perhaps) might have no …
Read More “Untold egg-chasing: my first ever rugby union match”
By Blacksheep Today was a five star performance from the Arsenal against a Villa side that might need to readjust to life in the Championship if they can’t get their act together soon. But I’ll leave the match report to Walter when he gets back from leading Arsenal Belgium to the Emirates. I experienced 5 …
Read More “Gunners vs Villains: five of the best (and worst) and a new hero emerges”
By Blacksheep I watched the FA Cup tie against Brighton & Falmer Albion in rather dreary modern pub close to where Tony and I usually meet to travel down to the Emirates. They had the game on their (biggish) screen and it was convenient for hooking up with the twins. There was no sound so …
Read More “Are you a victim of PPP? Don’t suffer in silence, take action!”
On Saturday Manchester City lost at West Ham (cue a cheeky text from José Moanio to Fat Sam to express his thanks). In midweek City were comfortably beating CSKA 2-0 only to throw it away and gain only 1 point. The English PL champions have now slumped to third in the league and their European …
This week I eschewed my usual seating (standing ) position in the north bank and took advantage of the £20 prices for seats in the East & West stands. I know Tony has pointed this out before but it really is a very good deal to be able to watch the Arsenal for just …
A couple of weekend ago Tony and I traveled a little north to see Arsenal play Leicester City who have recently been promoted back into the PL after a long absence. Its fair to say that the home fans had the best of the day; taunting us for large parts of the second half when …
As the cleaners move in to tidy up all the shards of glass that were smashed when the transfer window slammed shut we woke up to find we have one extra international footballer. Welcome Danny Wellbeck! Once before I attempted to see where our current squad would be getting injured while away from Arsenal duty, …
Read More “Untold internationals (or the interlull as @arseblog calls it!)”
Two games into the season and an unconvincing opening win was followed by a sobering defeat at the home of the reigning champions. Liverpool have lost Suarez to Barca (despite him not being able to play, or them not being able to sign anyone…) but have added lots of new blood, including ‘super Mario’. So …
By Blacksheep In 1886 William Stead (the campaigning editor of the Pall Mall Gazette – one of the very first ‘tabloid’ style newspapers) declared that: “Nothing can ever get itself accomplished nowadays without sensationalism. In politics, social reform, it is indispensable” What Stead realised was that the press (the only media available in late Victorian …
———————————————- Coventry fail to tame the shrews* Sky Bet League One, Sixfields Stadium, Northampton – Attendance 1,966 So on a bright sunny day in Northampton (not) and with nothing better to do (except mark essays) it was off to see a local football match to take the mind off Saturday’s defeat. I arrived early, narrowly …
Read More “Coventry City 0-0 Shrewsbury Town, complete with Arsenal’s Chuba Akpom”
