My brother George first took me to the “Arsenal Stadium” at Highbury on a regular basis in during the 1957-58 season. I was 8 years old.
In 2020, with the UK in lockdown due to a global pandemic, I decided it would be a good time to share my life following “The Arsenal” for over 60 years.
Gunners and Gooners is my memoir. A collection of some of my stories, photo’s, memories and experiences following my club over land and sea across 8 decades.
Over that time football, and The Arsenal, have changed beyond recognition.
From the “hooligan era” of the 60s and 70s, through to George Graham’s revival, Anfield 89 and European success in the 90s. Post-Euro 96 and the Wenger era and the move from Highbury to Ashburton Grove.
I go into some great times shared with great mates, terrace characters and legendary players that have been encountered along the way.
Following The Arsenal has had its ups and lows. Its triumphs and tragedies. The book has been written with humour, honesty and insight from someone who can see they were there, living in the moment.
As an old mate of mine once said, “You can change your wife but not your football team”.
Eddie Symes, Author
I first met Eddie on the North Bank in 1965 when Joe Baker and George Eastham were our heroes.
I’m even in the photo with his North Bank banner at Bristol in 1967, when I missed a reserve game after claiming to have the flu.
I was fortunate to live the dream, playing for and winning trophies with “The Arsenal”, our beloved football club, in front of many of my mates.
Undoubtedly, if I hadn’t become a professional footballer I imagine my life would probably have been similar to Eddie’s.
Hopefully this book will either bring back some happy, funny memories or give an insight into the life of an Arsenal fan of our generation.
Charlie George, King of Highbury
Author Eddie Symes was born in Westminster hospital in July 1949 and now lives in Buckinghamshire. He’s been a Licensed London Taxi Driver since 1977 and is married with one daughter, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
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I was never a fan of the taking a knee “protest” that started around a year ago to highlight racism in football.
My opinion was that it was a hollow gesture that would do nothing to combat racism across the world.
A footballer taking a knee would not stop an immature 15 year old in Darlington racially abusing a footballer on Instagram thinking it is “banter”.
It would not stop someone in Nigeria or India racially abusing players on social media, using intolerant language that is acceptable in their countries.
And it would not stop an Eastern European footballer racially abusing a black player.
Hollow gestures do not change the world. Education does.
Taking the knee made it seem like racism was a problem in English football. A problem in England. That was simply untrue.
The UK is one of the most tolerant countries in the world.
There have been countless studies and reports commissioned by all sorts of bodies including the EU which always show the same thing. The UK is one of the least racist countries in the world.
The racism problem in the UK is always blown out of proportion.
What to see real racism? Go to Eastern Europe, to China or Russia. Go to India or visit many African nations.
In many of these countries, racism is rife. People of a different ethnic background are routinely discriminated. Treated as less individuals.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup stadiums are getting built by slaves imported from South Asia and East Africa.
Over in China we see the genocide of Uighur Muslims. And you only have to see the abuse of Glen Kamara for Rangers against Slavia Prague to see the problems Eastern Europe face.
And Africa is a whole different kettle of fish, where a lot of the abuse and discrimination is based on even finer ethnic groups and religion.
In the UK, racism still exists, but it is not a huge problem in comparison to those mentioned.
Taking a knee was always just a gesture. It does nothing to change the views of people in Eastern Europe, in Asia and Africa, China or Russia.
The only thing that will change those peoples views is better education. But that has to come from the governments of those countries. And the feeling is they have no interest to change things as the leaders share the views of their citizens.
Wilfried Zaha highlighted how pointless taking a knee is last week.
His key point was that taking a knee had become something players now “just do” and the meaning behind it had now been lost.
He also mentioned the lack of action.
What is the point in a footballer taking a knee if social media continue to allow racist posts appear on their networks? If they fail to take action?
What is the point of taking a knee when it is a 12-year-old that can not be named who is racially abusing Zaha? The youngster will be arrested but unlikely to see any further action be taken.
What is the point in taking a knee when many of the countries where the racist comments come from have much deeper, racial issues?
In the game between Rangers and Celtic, both sides “took a stand” rather than a knee. But this again risks becoming a hollow gesture of Slavia Prague go unpunished for the behaviour of their players and fans.
The Instagram post from Slavia Prague racially abusing Kamara sums up the situation.
Taking a knee will make new difference to these people when racism is so ingrained within their society.
We need action, not gestures.
We need the FA, UEFA and FIFA to give out long bans to players that racially abuse others. I would go as far as saying life bans.
You racially abuse an opponent, you are banned from football for life.
We need social media companies to do more.
On social media, racism is not just aimed at footballers. It’s aimed at musicians, actors, influencers and the common man. By Twitter or Facebook saying they will “work with football” shows they are choosing to ignore the problem of racism on their platforms. They are attempting to shift the blame to football.
And then we have societies.
We will only see racism across the world eradicated if all countries, all societies follow the like of the UK in education and punishment.
It is all well and good the UK being a tolerant, accepting country but there are hundreds of nations out there who have no interest in becoming so.
The combination of intolerant countries and social media creates the toxic mix.
Twitter has made the world a smaller place. 20 years ago Bulgaria’s racism problem is people remain in Bulgaria. But now we see those racists on social media tweeting abuse to someone in England.
Sadly I do not think racism will ever be eradicated. There will always be someone in every society that is hateful.
Footballers taking the knee was never going to change racist views across the world. Only education and real action will do that.
Time to stop taking the knee and force the authorities to take action.
Arsenal really are a Jekyll and Hyde team under Mikel Arteta.
From fantastic victories against Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham to humiliating defeats to Brighton, Burnley and Aston Villa.
If I were a betting man, I would not touch Arsenal with a barge poll as you never know which side is going to turn up.
And against West Ham we took it to another level, showing both Jekyll and Hyde within 90 minutes.
In the first 38 minutes, we were all over the place. Slow in body and mind. 3-nil down the game was won.
Then in the next 52 minutes we were scintillating. Scoring 3 of our own and could have won the game.
Arsenal would not be the first side who have had Sunday struggles after a Thursday Europa League tie.
Of the 3 sides who played on Thursday night, only one won.
It is a common theme for those that play in Europe on a Thursday. The Sunday games end up sluggish performances.
Add in the fact that Arsenal have played 10 more games than West Ham in a condensed season
We have seen it the last couple of seasons how our Premier League form has dipped due to our continued progression in the Europa League.
In our run to the semi-final in 2017/18, we lost 8 of the last 15 games of the season. We one just once after the Quarter Finals onwards.
In 2018/19, we won just two of our last 7 games, sacrificing a top 4 finish in the process as we made the final.
The Premier League has become much stronger than it was 20 years ago.
In the late 90s / early 00s, the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United could change 7 or 8 players the game before and game after a Champions League tie and still win. But these days the likes of Leicester City, Everton, West Ham, Wolves and Leeds are filled with internationals.
The top teams can no longer make wholesale changes and expect to steamroll their opponents. Squad management has become so much more important.
Without the Europa League, Arsenal would still be a Jekyll and Hyde team. The Burnley draw highlighted that.
We did not play mid-week. In fact Burnley did. Dominating the game and 1-nil up, we shot ourselves in the foot and drew the game.
The Europa League just further highlights the problem.
Arteta is trying to manage his squad through the season, giving us the best chance of winning the Europa League whilst still hanging on to the coat tails of a top 7 finish in the Premier League – only a Southampton victory in the FA Cup will see it only be the top 6 make Europe.
We have seen him try to rest and rotate Emile Smith Rowe.
The Englishman has been fantastic this season, but he as a fragile injury history and it has to be remembered this is his first year of top flight football.
For Arsenal to move forward under Arteta, we need to start seeing more consistency in performance. And that also comes down to consistency in team selection.
Arteta changes his back 4 more often than I change my underwear depending on the opponent.
He plays Rob Holding and Pablo Mari when we want to play a deep defence, and David Luiz and Gabriel when he wants us to play a high line.
This chopping and changing in both personnel and tactics is a big reason why we are struggling for consistency.
The most successful teams rarely change their style – From Manchester United to Arsenal in the 90ss/00s, Chelsea under Mourinho, Barcelona, Manchester City and more recently Liverpool. All have won countless trophies by changing very little.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 