Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

The Arsenal and Me – Jack’s Story

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Most people to claim to have loved their club from day one, I do not. Don’t get me wrong I’ve always supported Arsenal there was no choice, from the day I was born my Dad would have it no other way. It’s all I knew. But at first I didn’t quite get it.

My earliest football memory is laying on my Nan’s living room floor watching the 98 Cup Final on TV. The image of Anelka and Overmars walking around the Wembley pitch with the FA Cup is not one I’ll ever forget. Good times, but at the age of 7 I still didn’t really get what it was all about.

Fast forward just under 3 years and I was to attend my first Arsenal game. Away to Man United. At Old Trafford in the HOME end of all places. Not ideal if I’m honest. 25th February 2001, I always remember the date as it was my sisters Birthday and she obviously was unimpressed that me and my Dad were disappearing to Manchester for the day.

We left early that morning and made the long car journey there. As you can imagine Old Trafford as a 10 year old is a quite a daunting place to watch your first ever football match especially surrounded by 60,000 Mancs. Like I said, not ideal. I remember it being bitterly cold and within two minutes we’re one nil’ down. Now the plan was to try to blend in within the home end so obviously we’re the only two sitting down two minutes in. Cover blown. Then, 14 minutes in. Henry equalises! My first experience of joy and excitement at an Arsenal game. My Dad trying to keep the celebrations low key, there wasn’t really any point as we were losing again almost instantly. It all went downhill from there and we got absolutely battered 6-1. I seem to remember Stephanovs running down the wing during that game and even at 10 years old even I knew he belonged nowhere near a team like Arsenal.

After the game we met the woman who sorted out the tickets. She asked in a thick Manchester accent if I was going to become a United fan now. I was slow to answer as I didn’t have a clue what she was saying so my Dad was quick to jump in. “No. No he isn’t”

I was a bit gutted after the game not as much as my Dad as clearly losing 6-1 at my first ever game was not what he imagined would happen.

So after that I’m still struggling to see what the fuss is about.

The next game I went two was Liverpool. Again away from home again absolutely freezing cold and again stuck in the home end! I’d won tickets so couldn’t really complain. 23rd December 2001 another date I remember strangely my Dads birthday this time. This time however everything went well we played well and won 2-1. I remember Freddie scoring and running off into the away fans and being insanely jealous of them. This time there we’re know muted celebrations, the full time whistle goes and we went for it! Swiftly leaving afterwards.

Now I had the taste for this ‘going to the football’ lark. I couldn’t wait for the next time.

The first home game I went to was against Blackburn the following season, I can’t remember the date (can’t have been anyones birthday). The whole family went this time. Me my Dad my Mum and my Sister. I was so buzzing for it. We got the tube to Arsenal and walked along  Gillespie road. The first thing I noticed was the smell, burger vans/horse shit/beer,  doesn’t sound nice but its a smell that I’m sure everyone recognises every time you go to football and it always reminds me of that day. We turned the corner on to Avenell Road and I saw Highbury up close for the very first time. A lot of people say they fell in love with Highbury instantly and this time I agree. What a place. Seeing the windows on the side of the North Bank and seeing people finding there seats gave me goosebumps and excited butterflies inside. I wanted to get inside quickly. When we found our spot on this North Bank I couldn’t stop looking all around at this amazing ground. As a young kid it is mesmerising you just try to take it all in.

The game kicked off and we were one nil down early on from a strange Edu own goal. But then later in the half he made it all right by scoring the equaliser. I’ll never forget that goal, the first time I celebrated an Arsenal goal at a game amongst the right fans! It was mental. The noise was deafening and I’m pretty sure I ended up a few seats along.

We went on to lose 2-1 I was disappointed but everything about that day bar the result was spot on. The smells, the sights, hearing the outbursts of chants from all around Highbury, joining in and finally being at a home game.

All of these things finally making me realise what it was all about and making me fall in love with The Arsenal. Something that I will never stop doing, I still get the same excited butterflies every time I go and I hope I always do and I hope when I have a son its exactly the same for him.

I think i’ll avoid United away for his first game though…

Jack

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What does new Szczesny deal mean for other Arsenal keepers?

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Recent speculation that Wojech Szczesny had agreed a new contract with Arsenal was finally confirmed at the weekend when the club announced the Polish number 1 had signed a new long term contract.

Whilst it is brilliant news that we have secured the future of one of Europe’s best young goalkeepers – he is still just 23 – it has made me wonder what it means for the rest of the keepers at the club.

With him being still so young himself, the club are unlikely to have given him such lucrative terms (reported 5 years at £100k per week) if they do not have faith in him. It means they do not expect any of the other current senior keepers at the club to challenge him for number 1, and they do not expect many of the youth keepers to become anymore then back up.

Lukasz Fabianski is likely to leave Arsenal at the end of the season. His contract is due expire and, with him being 29 by the time the season is out, he has a decision to make. Either sign a new contract at Arsenal and remain as a number 2 for the rest of his career, ensuring he never plays for Poland again, or leave now, resurrect his career elsewhere, and challenge Szczesny for the number 1 jersey for his country. At 29 he will still have a lot to give. He will probably make the decision to leave Arsenal.

The signing of Emiliano Viviano was always an odd one. A decent goal keeper. A journeyman Italian, he began forcing his way into reckoning for next years World Cup after a string of magnificent performances for Fiorentina last year. Despite Arsenal paying a loan fee for him, he has since been relegated to Arsenal number 3, with Fabianski taking his place between the sticks for the League Cup. One can only think he was signed due to concerns over Fabianski’s injury record and, that with Vito Mannone leaving, Arsenal could not risk having a rookie on the bench. I would be very surprised if we make the loan deal permanent.

It is the future of the rookie goal keepers that interests me the most. Arsenal recently signed 18 year old Matt Macey from Bristol Rovers. His career has not even started yet, but at just 5 years Szczesny’s junior, he is already too old to be considered our next number 1. As he enters the years where it is important he players, Szczesny will be at his peak. And unless he is very, very special, you might as well write off his Arsenal career before it has even started. At best, the 6’6” keeper, who has already been playing under 21 football, will be a number 2 at the club.

Picture: @KieranCPhotoAFC

Picture: @KieranCPhotoAFC

The signing of Matt Macey was already a strange one. With Arsenal already having Damian Martinez (21),  Deyan Illiev (18), Josh Vickers (17) and Ryan Huddart (16) in the ranks,  it is clear there is competition aplenty in the youth teams.

Time is probably running out for Damian Martinez. If Arsenal had faith in him, it is unlikely that they would have got Viviano in on loan. He was on the verge of being promoted to the 1st team during pre-season, but a decision to get in Viviano seems to spell the end of his Arsenal career. He failed to impress last season when in goal against Reading in the League Cup, he is now on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, where he has yet to play.

Deyan Illiev is next in line in terms of age. Signing late in the summer of 2012, the Macedonian played in a couple of the ‘Asenal XI’ pre season friendlies. Looking poor under the high ball, it seems he has already fallen behind Matt Macey in the pecking order of young keepers.

Josh Vickers was the man last season, playing more than any other keeper in our academy. He has since been loaned out to Canvey Island until the end of the season. It is unlikely that the club would let go a 17 year old goal keeper go out on loan if they had faith he would make it. Its more likely he will remain at Canvey Island on a permanent deal, with the younger Ryan Huddart overtaking him.

Ryan Huddart is the youngest of Arsenal 5 young goal keepers. Signed from Charlton in 2012 at 15 after a brilliant performance against Arsenal, he could be the one to push Szczesny in the future. Again, it confuses matters with the signing of Matt Macey. Why sign an 18 year old who effectively ‘kills’ the career of the 16 year old? Huddart certainly has a bit more time on his hand, and could well be breaking through ready to compete for the first team just as Szczesny reaches 30.

What is unclear is who will be Arsenal number 2 next season. With Fabianski out the door, will Arsenal stick with Viviano and make his deal permanent? Or will the seek a senior goal keeper elsewhere, who will know his job and future career will be Szczesny’s number 2? The only one in the current set up who might have taken the step up is Martinez, but he has fallen out of favour.

Out of the group, the 2 to get excited about are Macey and Huddart. They may well have a future at the club as Szczesny’s number 2.

The future will be reminiscent to when David Seaman was at the club, with youth goal keepers being trained to be his number 2, rather than having the ability to be 1st choice. Huddart and Macey attempting to break through could be similar to that of Stuart Taylor and Graham Stack attempting to become 1st choice in the early 00s.

It is unclear what Arsenal are currently doing with their young keepers. They seem to be simply buying anyone who has a decent game throughout youth levels. With Szczesny’s new long term contract, what is clear is that no one in the current Arsenal set up is likely to become Arsenal number 1 over the coming years.

Keenos

Premier League the most competitive in Europe

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On Whatsapp I have a group chat which includes me, my step dad and my brother. We talk a lot of Arsenal before and after games and general football. Different European subjects that come up and also domestic issues in the press at that time. We all have different opinions and I enjoy it.

The other day my step dad posted a BBC link about the new gigantic BT European football deal and the basis of it was saying that the richest clubs in the game are only going to get richer. Obviously this is true but the article reads like the English Premier League is over for the foreseeable future, the top 5 or 6 will be separated from the rest and we will never again see a team challenge for the top 4, a team like Everton or Villa for example. I’m not sure I agree with this sentiment and my reasoning for thinking this way is the results we have in the Premier League every single week.

So far this season off the top of my head we have seen City beaten by Sunderland and Cardiff and Villa, United have been beaten by West Brom, Everton beat Chelsea, Southampton beat Liverpool at Anfield and of course one of the funniest results so far, West Ham beating Spurs 3-0 at Shite Hart Lane. We were even beaten by Villa on the first day of the season but we all know the ref was to blame……that’s my story and im sticking to it.

Our league is so incredibly competitive that I cannot believe someone would write off a team challenging to fight their way into the top. Football is so much more than money, I know it is a big part of the game and in most cases you could decide the final league table on their total wage bills and probably end up being not fair off correct, but its wrong just to write off all competition because the top clubs are going to be earning more money from this deal. Football is about coaching, tactics, surprise subs made by good managers and fans roaring on their teams in home stadiums. There are some teams in our league who have fantastic managers who put great teams together on shoe string budgets. They play wonderful football and create problems for all the big sides. I cant see our league suffering as a result of this money, and in fact it could even filter through our league to make the so called smaller clubs more financially better off.

It shows BT are big players and will challenge Sky for the Premier League rights, this could mean a bigger deal and more cash for the clubs the next time renewal date comes around. Our league does things correct when it comes to domestic TV deals as we spread the money throughout the league in as fair way as we possible can. The below graphic shows that every clubs has an equal share of domestic TV income and also an equal amount from overseas TV income, this is what clubs in the league earned last season.

This graphic proves that our league is the fairest in Europe when it comes to the earnings each club receives, the ratio from the top teams United earnings and the bottom teams QPR is 1.53/1. In La Liga the ratio is 14/1 and Serie A it is 10/1, Germanys Bundesliga is our closest rival at 2/1.
The clubs at the bottom are still getting parachute payments from the Premier League.
Credit to SportingIntelligence.com for the graphic and info.

The worst team in the league this season will bank £60m in TV money, with the best claiming £95m. That is just the domestic deal. The Premier League will earn £2.5bn from foreign broadcasters over the next three years, and that is without really breaking China and India. Our league will only get stronger and be more competitive, You have teams like Cardiff spending £27 million and Norwich spending £30 million.

I know a lot of fans from England have become obsessed with the German league because of how they do things, they treat the fan with respect, they stand in stadiums and have cheap tickets, but they lack competition. Bayern Munich won the league last year by 25 points and lead the way this. They are the only side in Germany who have money, and are simply buying up the best players in Germany.

You cannot find the level of commitment and competition anywhere else in Europe that we find on our pitches every week. I wouldn’t swap our league for any other in the world because of the excitement and shocks we see. Im not saying we have a lot to learn from around the other European leagues, we clearly do, but we are the powerhouse and at the moment our football is second to none.

Norby