Last Thursday: The Arsenal AGM, the first to be chaired by Sir Chips Keswick was held at The Emirates.
Stan Kroenke’s speech follows:-
“It is a pleasure to be here. This is my sixth AGM and it is great to be back. I appreciate people re-electing me to the board. Well, it was close to unanimous!
“Anyway, it is great to be here and I would tell you we are pleased with the progress of the Club and that is made up of a lot of things, most importantly on the pitch.
“None of us up here [on the board], fans, players, or Arsène [Wenger] are happy until we have won championships and trophies. We have said that over and over again and are committed to that.
“Also, when you try to build towards that, it is very important for the Club to be successful commercially, and we are very pleased with the progress we have made in that area.
“We have come a long way, with the debts of the Club being paid down, the commercial revenues are increasing in a nice way. Certainly you guys are aware of the Emirates deal.
“We have more [deals] coming and are confident. However, nothing works unless we have success on the pitch.
“The reason we got interested in Arsenal [after years of approaches from other teams] was… the tradition, the image and the success of the Club and that to me has been established by none other than our manager.
“In our opinion, with the values he stood for and the things that we value in sport they were evidenced through him and through this club. So we are very pleased to be here and I couldn’t be more honoured to introduce our manager Arsène Wenger.”
Mr. Kroenke’s speech is reproduced courtesy of Arsenal.com
Arsene Wenger followed with a speech which can be read in full at Arsenal.com
It was later reported that Alisher Usmanov has increased his holding in Arsenal to 30%. He still does not have a seat on the board.
All of our players who had been involved in the round of international matches returned without any major injuries.
Friday: In an interview Arsene Wenger said
“Vermaelen is my captain so I rate him but it’s difficult to change the current pair, unfortunately when you have 20 good players, nine good players don’t play“
Saturday: Proper football returned to The Emirates after a seemingly endless Interlull. An ultimately comfortable win over third from bottom Norwich City saw The Glorious Gunners return to the top of the league after Liverpool had crept above us with a lucky away draw at Newcastle in the lunch-time kick-off.
Jack Wilshere scored his first ever league goal at The Emirates and what a sumptuous goal it was, I’ll not try to describe it, I’m sure it is etched in the memories of all Arsenal fans. A headed goal from Mesut Ozil, a rarity indeed, an absolute stunner from Aaron Ramsey and a tap in, after an intricate build up, by Mesut completed a fine afternoon’s work.
Sunday: The papers were stuffed full of praise for Wenger’s wonders, after Saturday’s performance, the question was asked “was Wilshere’s goal the greatest ever”? On any other day the same question may well have been asked of Aaron Ramsey’s slalom through the City defence which ended with another stunner by our Welsh Wizard.
Among our main rivals, Chelsea and Man City won, Liverpool and the fast fading Man Utd drew. Whilst in the also-rans, Everton and Spurs both won. A flare was tossed onto the Villa Park pitch from the away supporter’s end, during a particularly dire passage of play, perhaps in an effort to spark some life into the game.
Monday: More praise for The Glorious Gunners in the press, aren’t we the tabloid’s darlings for once. Flamini was ruled out of contention for the Borussia Dortmund game suffering the effects of a concussion caused by his collision with Norwich’s Alexander Tettey.
Tuesday: It was Arsene Wenger’s 64th birthday The only gift he had on his mind was a Champions League victory against Borussia Dortmund. A win for Arsenal would take them to nine points and a giant step towards the knockout stages.
“I won’t do anything to celebrate my birthday,” said Wenger.
“A good game for me is the best present. I get cards, phone calls but, honestly, if nobody reminds me I forget. Even when I was 25 or 30, I never thought it as a special day.”
Wednesday: Oh well! Wednesday dawned and the overnight news kicked in, Arsenal 1 – 2 Borussia Dortmund. There’s no point in re-hashing the game, by now everything that could be said has been said.
Arsenal players did not attempt to hide from the result, various of them commented, Ramsey “A draw would have been a fair result after the way we played in the second half, I felt like we were in control of the game but then we switched off for 30 seconds, we were in their box and 30 seconds later the ball is in the back of our net.
“I was disappointed as well with the way they scored their first goal, I got caught on the ball and that was disappointing. We were a bit slow to start but I thought after about 25 minutes we got into the game, we got our goal and then we took that into the second half.
“We were in control of the game, we didn’t look like we were going to concede, but then we did. That’s what happens [when you switch off].
“We showed good character getting back into game… and we created a few chances in the second half and hit the bar. On another night we may have taken the lead but we have to learn from the way we defended for the second goal.”
Wilshere
“They’ve got a good team shape and it’s hard to play through the lines. We wanted to get Mesut on the ball and play through to Giroud but they made it difficult for us. Fair play to them”. “There are three games left, and nine points to play for, so it’s still in our hands. We know what we have to do. We’ve got a difficult game away to Dortmund next. It will be a hostile atmosphere but we’ve been there before and I thought we were unlucky not to win there. We’ve got the players to do it, we have to regroup and show our spirit now.”
Arteta
“I think we deserved better,” said Arteta. “We did the hardest bit, to score the goal just before half-time. It was when we had control of the game and created the best chances when we just got caught on the counter-attack. That was disappointing.
I don’t think we chased the game too much, we just gave the ball away at the edge of the box. We know that they are a very good side on the counter-attack and I think we had kept them really quiet, but we conceded the chance and they scored.
It’s going to be tough [to qualify], we knew it was probably the toughest group in the Champions League. We don’t think any differently now.
We’re still capable of going through but we’re really disappointed with the way we lost the game.”
Some pre-publication snippets from Old Red Nose’s book, titled oh so originally and incorrectly, My Autobiography (Telegraph sports writer Paul Hayward was the actual author so strictly speaking it is a biography not an autobiography) appeared in print, notably “Pizza-gate” got a mention, while according to Ferguson United’s victory that brought about the end of Arsenal’s 49 game winning run “scrambled Wenger’s brain”.
If you really want to read a mass of self-serving guff the tome is available from bookshops at the eye watering price of £25. I would recommend waiting until after Christmas when it will be available for 25 pence from all good charity shops.
Thursday: Some Portuguese bloke from the wrong end of Seven Sisters Road has been mouthing off about Arsenal. He reckons that we have had it easy so far this season. “We will see the big fixtures coming now for Arsenal. They have only played us so far and they have both Chelsea and Manchester City to come, and Liverpool”. He quite forgot to mention that we had beaten his sorry Spurs, but that would have spoiled the effect of his comment. I wonder what bad news he was trying to deflect attention away from.
The BFG acknowledged our defensive frailties “We know we are on a good run, but we know it needs more than just playing with full freedom and vision — we need to defend first and the we can switch the rest on. You have seen what can happen after that.” He had this to say about our record signing “Mesut does not need to adapt to our style because he is a natural talent. You could see that against Norwich, when we played such good football.”
Oliver Giroud insisted Arsenal will not let their defeat to Borussia Dortmund disrupt their superb start to the season. He went on to say
“We did well in the first half and came back into the game after a bad start. After the first half Dortmund were not as good, maybe tired, and we were really close to scoring a second one. But they kept going and scored on the counter-attack. It’s a shame because we could have done much better.”
Written by Norfolk Gooner
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Good morning, everyone. NG, you have really converted Friday mornings to something I (and I think all of us) look forward to. What a breath of fresh air. In London again, and savouring your fantastic post at the moment, back later!!!!!
Great roundup Norfolk.
Doesn’t Usmanov’s 30% mean he gets a place on the BoD?
“No team has used more different
players in the Premier League this
season than both Arsenal and Crystal
Palace (24)”
So much for our paper-thin squad
Cracking stuff Norfolk.
You are right Norfolk about not coming back to Dortmund too often. The defeat wasn’t a disaster (in terms of being massively outplayed e.t.c) and It was a blip in an otherwise very encouraging period. A difficult 2-3 weeks is on the horizon and we want the boys to enter it with great confidence.
I actually have more to say about Utd today. Old Sir Red Hooter makes me laugh with his hypocrisy. He spent a lifetime in football harping on about certain values, about keeping things in house and not airing your dirty laundry in public, about how no-one is bigger than the club, and then pulls this off doing just that and portraying himself like he is bigger than the club, just for a few extra pounds.
It would maybe be ok if he had severed ties completely with the club, but he is still very actively involved as a major figure-head. He also hypocritically talks about control and no-one being bigger than the manager in reference to Beckham, while it seems that he has promoted his image over and above everything about and associated with Utd now. The egotistical undertones are staggering.
He has also portrayed himself as friend and confidant to Moyes while completely inflaming the Rooney situation and giving Moyes an extra major problem to deal with in what was always likely to be a difficult start to his tenure. Even before the book, he called Rooney out knowing it wouldn’t be him who had to deal with any of the fallout. Would he have gone so public if he was still going to be the manager this year?
I actually feel a little sorry for Moyes (only a little). He has to toe the line of talking up Fergie and being respectful but must be thinking, why are you creating all these extra problems for me? I thought your were there to help me in this transition not to create more issues to deal with.
Roy keane, whatever his other faults, got his assessment of this one bang on. It may weirdly sound like I am actually outraged, but obviously as a gooner, far from it. Any extra disruption to them is only good for us in this wide open EPL year. I am more incredulous that Utd gave him the position they did then allowed themselves to be bent prostrate and so royally rogered.
I know some Utd fans will say Ferguson has done nothing wrong and defend him to the nth degree but I bet there are quite a few who have always idolised him that are uncomfortable with this, and how it plays with their emotional view of a man who had seemingly always put the clubs interest first before any personal gain, and that they were supposed to be able to idolise unconditionally for ever.
I would love to directly hear some thoughts from Utd fans on this, and how they feel about it, rather than just looking at it from a rival fans perspective.
NG. Like Arnie I look forward to your weekly reviews, especially as I have what is known in the upper echelons of psychiatry as “goldfish memory.”
GB. Couldn’t agree more about SAF. You can take the man out of Govan but not Govan out of the man. Or in other words (rhyming slang) “you can’t polish a Richard” Good manager though.
This is a good read ….
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/24/cesc-fabregas-arsenal-barcelona
Great stuff, NG.
“self-serving guff” made me chortle.
Mention of that pizzagate game still makes me angry.
Riley refusing to send Ferdinand off, giving Rooney a penalty when he wasn’t touched and failing to deal with the Nevilles’ butchery of Reyes all led to him being given the job of head of the PGMO.
Where is the justice in the world?
It’s been an eventful week. Even more eventful weeks coming up now. I didn’t know AVB had been talking about Arsenal again. I thought he’d have learnt after his spiral of negativity comment. But I suppose the Tottenham manager’s job comes with some sort of contractual clause to talk about Arsenal, so can’t really blame him.
As for Ferguson, GoonerB, I have to disagree with you about Ferguson. Not what you say about his book and what it shows about him, but that this was ever in doubt. He’s made ManU pay fines for his refusal to talk to the BBC over a personal issue. The issue in question was BBC airing the facts (he never took them to court) about how his son (who runs an agency) was given preferential access to the locker room and training ground, where no agents are allowed. I think it likely that he pressured ManU players to sign with his son’s agency. And there was some hanky-panky with at least the Jaap Stam transfer. His ego has also demanded that his players kow tow to him leading to at least Heinze and Beckham, apart from Keane. Then there was the row with the previous owners (Mcmanus?) of ManU. Everyone seems to forget how close Ferguson was to getting fired in 2005. He only stayed because (under duress of his wrongdoings being exposed through the ’99 questions’) he settled out of court with the Irish racehorse owners and they ended up selling to the Glazers, who as we know, have put loads of debt of the club and paid themselves handsomely to do it. I fail to see how the club’s interests were his primary concern. Ferguson always looked out for himself first, through fair means or foul.
Good afternoon folks, and thank you for the nice comments.
I’ve just got back from an abbreviated walk, we went out late because of the threatened rain but had a dry and very pleasant three miles around the Heydon Hall estate. Topped off with lunch in the Earle Arms. Wild boar sausages and mash, best bangers I’ve eaten in years.
Jamie, 30% of Arsenal shares doesn’t get you a seat on the board, Stan has complete control.
It actually makes me feel a bit queasy when I read the sort of things that Old Red Nose has allowed to be published, he’s been honoured by Her Majesty for services to football yet now feels it incumbent on him to stir the s**t in a way that destroys what little respect I had for him. The number of people in the queue behind Keane and Bosnich waiting their turn to punch him on his protruberant proboscis is growing by the hour.
A bit of good news, Mathieu Flamini is available after concussion but a bit of not so good news, Jack Wilshere faces a late fitness test on his ankle injury. Wenger revealed Mesut Ozil had a virus and was sick prior to playing against Borussia Dortmund in midweek but is expected to play at Selhurst Park.
For those in the UK.
http://sport.bt.com/watchnow/programmes/Open-October-S11363841724478
Shard, I actually actually agree with you and feel that he has always been self centred and in it for himself even if I didn’t put across my point about it in this way.
I was probably more looking at it as a Utd fan would, where they would likely never have seen him as a self-centred egotist while he was bringing them the footballing success he was. They will see things through rose tinted glasses as much as we do sometimes, and what they haven’t seen before may be more apparant to them now and may conjure up new and confusing feelings.
Those Utd fans that may have been more aware of it probably didn’t really care while silverware was being served up regularly. He won a lot for them, and that can’t be argued, but has he left a legacy that provides a great platform for the future. Some would say yes but I feel he left at a time when the squad was always going to require a fair bit of surgery and redeveloping, and the available funds for this may not be at a level they have been in the past, difficult to say.
If he was concerned about the continued future of the club why the book, (for a few extra pounds in the pocket of an already very financially affluent man), which comes with huge amounts of controversy that is bound to have some negative influence on the club. As mentioned I think particularly some of the revelations will have a direct impact on the current team and that will only make the new managers job more difficult. Are these the actions of someone whose first priority is that of the ongoing future of the club and football team or those of someone whose first priority is themself?
I currently feel that Arsene will leave us eventually with a great legacy and a great platform for the future, so despite the differences in silverware I wouldn’t rewind the clock and change anything, and I would still take Arsene over him no matter what.
Chas, is that actually the case that those with Sky but not yet subscribed to BT can actually see the full game live tomorrow?
It won’t be one of these you get 5 minutes to whet your appetite before the screen goes blue with a message to call 0800 777666 to subscribe?
Whoops sorry, I just realised that is Scary Mary’s number, from the Black Bull pub. I would recommend that none of you call it. Well not unless you have some very peculiar tastes and specific needs. Come to think of it Terry Mancini might be tempted….
It’s kosher, GoonerB.
Have a look tonight at 6pm to make sure.
Hi Guys.
Some very interesting stuff today.
I know that we, like fans from every other club, tend to be a bit blinkered by those things that directly affect us, but the news that turned my stomach this week did not directly affect Arsenal, but did affect all of us as human beings.
The racist abuse directed at Yaya Toure during the CL in Russia was utterly appalling and left me with a dreadful feeling of despair.
What is the matter with people who treat other human beings in such a dreadful way?
The perpetrators need to be found and dealt with by the Russian judicial system, and their club should be thrown out of the competition. End of!
It infuriates me that this still goes on and the ‘authorities’ are so spineless when dealing with outrages like this.
SAF has always been a self-centred p**k and a scum, and has behaved like one. Can the people make a plea to HM to withdraw the honour she, in her illadvised lunacy bestowed upon him?
But, Raddy, this is not fair: “You can take the man out of Govan but not Govan out of the man”. Whistle, red card!!!!!
Having said that, a lot of people from “Glesga”, or those that say “Acumfaegovan” have traditionally supported ManUre in the EPL claiming that they were really supporting Sir Alex, their hero. I have started going around to these individuals challenging them to come clean on their true allegiances now. Great fun!!!! 😀 😀
NG- that’s an epic and a half! Has all of these really happen in just 1 week? Incredible. We win a game, we lose a game, boss’s birthday, Fergie’s book, Usmanov with more shares and Kroenke with more to say, players talking, press loving it, Scum undermining us….my head is spinning! What next? Oh yeah, another game
I listened to Wenger commenting on the pizzagate. He started by saying that it was a long time ago and he does not remember much and then telling about Rio’s tackle, referee not having a good game and making a few wrong and costly mistakes, about our unbeaten run…. Selective memory or what?
Thank you Norfolk, it is great to have someone like to keep track of what is important to us. I am beginning to rely on you 🙂
GoonerB
Glad to see we agree. I just needed an excuse to get that stuff about Ferguson out there 🙂
As for how ManU fans see it. I wouldn’t know, because their mindset is completely different to mine. But you are right in that it would be interesting to hear an answer.
By the way, apropos of nothing. I just came across a strange fact on 7amkickoff yesterday. In 1999, Deloitte rated us as the 20th most valuable football club in the world while Tottenham were 16th!!
RA
The problem with throwing clubs out is that it might attract rival fans to disguise themselves as supporters of a club and indulge in racist chanting/behaviour to get them thrown out. Also, another problem with that is that it punishes the innocent along with the guilty.
I fully back catching the ones doing it and punishing them. But racism isn’t just a legal problem and can’t be washed away just through the force of law (though that would be a big help) Isolating a country/club/region because a few of their members indulge in reprehensible acts, might actually make the problem worse by allowing an us vs them sort of feeling to take hold, especially if the innocent are frustrated at being treated the same as the guilty in a situation over which they have no control.
Shard. This is a difficult problem. By punishing the club as a whole it encourages the innocent fans to report and humiliate the miscreants.
I had a season ticket in the Clock End at Highbury and was sat close to two Nazi skinheads. They were not only threatening but also very violent, My multi-cultural group of mates would mutter but were quite frankly too scared to do anything about them though we did write to the club.
Eventually it took the bravery of a woman to confront them and when she did the entire area around her joined in the reproach. The skinheads got angry and eventually the police intervened. Their season tickets were revoked.
I love that today Arsenal has the most multi-ethnic support of any PL club.
I came across this the other day and it made me smile.
Real shame we didn’t end up with Yaya at The Arsenal.
BR
I absolutely agree that it is a difficult problem to solve. I also feel it is essential that both the people who are the target of these elements, and the innocents around, feel safe and protected. That is why it is important to identify and punish the individuals behind it. That should help other people find courage, others to learn its wrong, and reinforce trust in the law. I just feel that banning/punishing the collective is unfair and might even be counterproductive to the real aim of unifying people. Doing nothing is not an option obviously, but what to do isn’t such an easy decision. I have no love for Uefa or Fifa, and I think they can be more proactive and certainly be more humble in dealing with these problems, but I also have some level of sympathy with them because I think it is a problematic issue to deal with purely on an administrative level. Provided they even want to of course.
RA: You make a good point and in this day and age there should not be an issue with racism but sadly it is the case. However, I do not concur that you kick the club out of the competition that is not really fair as in all honesty you cannot blame the club and where do you draw the line? The course of action should be that once verified the incidents were valid then the offending club should receive a set game ban were no spectators are allowed in. This hurts the club financially and the ban should be increased for additional games for further incidents. This would then force the offending club to take action, investigate via appropriate authorities the offending fans (not that they should be called fans) and then in turn give them life time bans from the stadium.
I haven’t really followed the discussion on racism but my thoughts are very simple. It is the clubs responsibility to cut out any form of racism that takes place on their grounds. Clubs should have adequate CCTV coverage to enable them to detect the perpetrators and they should then take action to have them interviewed and then act accordingly based on the evidence,
If clubs are not self policing then the appropriate authorities should apply the level of discipline necessary to eradicate the problem, which includes the club having to play in an empty stadium if it’s proven to be their own fans that are responsible for the abuse. If the abuse continues the bans are lengthened until it stops.
You have to hit the club and the good fans where it hurts the most – the fans cannot watch their team play and the club loses vital revenue. They will learn really quickly.
In all cases it is vital that the home fans are proven to be responsible before a penalty is applied.
It seems so simple but I doubt that it will never happen………………
GN5. Sounds as though you agree with what I just posted 🙂
Wow I was writing my post when yours went up – I could have saved myself the time and just said ditto to JanMan.
Well Uefa can certainly make it mandatory for clubs entering their competition to have cameras ( of required specifications) covering all parts of the ground, although this has proved to be a problem area where clubs don’t own their own stadium, like, I believe, in Italy. However, that isn’t the problem.
The problem is that the use of that footage to prosecute can only be done by the police. Uefa can ban the club, or fine them, or force them to play behind closed doors. But I think it’s difficult to pin responsibility for an act of omission, unless it is a large enough error. If someone commits a crime in your place of business, it seems unfair that you’ll be held responsible for damages. So how can we legitimately blame the clubs. Besides, say Uefa bans the club while the police continue their investigation and subsequently decide it has no case. Are Uefa then open to being taken to court? They might well be. On the other hand, if Uefa leave it to the police and courts of the country to decide, they have no real power in the matter.
I am against a closed door policy because I think it means that a few idiots with perhaps no real purpose in mind except mischief, can spoil the game for everyone. It is also, in my opinion, counterproductive to isolate people, and especially innocent people. It might help solve the immediate or visible problem, but I think it has the potential to do harm long term. I understand the difficulty in doing it any other way, but the sledgehammer approach rarely works to fix anything.
Anyway, enough about racism for today from me. Sorry to stray so far off topic.
I have to disagree with you Shard, I would far sooner be hit with a pencil than I would a sledge hammer – it has to hurt or nothing will be achieved. UEFA are pussy footing around with the problem and are just talking heads without any brains.
The CCTV rule would be simple to apply, make it a rule that clubs can only play oin grounds that have adequate CCTV coverage.
Excellant stuff Norfolk. I Really appreciate your Friday round up, thank you.
Since hitting rock bottom Norfolk you have become an essential ingredient to my Friday nights.
After dining on my ready made and heating myself up by jogging on the spot, i relax on my three legged chair and read your report. Life does not get better than this, great stuff.
On this rascism stuff, what stupid fool discriminates against someone because of colour, religion etc? Any one who singles others out should be punnished.
I bet you any money these rascist types get turned over more than other people, and why? Because the stupid mugs discriminate against certain groups and trust others and when there not looking there fellow rascist is nicking there money.
Just because some one is called Stavros Papadopolous, i dont instantly tell them “Oi Stav, my money box is under the third floorboard and the key is hidden inside my Arsenal slipper”
Yeah right. You would have to get up pretty early in the morning to catch me out.
Norfolk and GB,
Thanks both for two great reads. Thoroughly enjoyed both while on manoeuvres. Me and mobile keyboards only get together in a real emergency as a fight usually ensues, so hence lack of comments.
Loved the AVB line “they have both Chelsea and Manchester City to come, and Liverpool”. Er, Utd? ROLF
Chas
You are a legend. Dortmund tickets arrived while I was away. Can’t wait to tell Raddy. Do you think he’s awake yet? Probably not, what with being a drinker and a lounge lizard sort. I’ll shout:
“Oi Daddy, yer lazy sod, gerrup, I have some great news. Crack open one of your favourite breakfast beers, and gather round”
Good stuff, Micky.
I wondered if the postman had managed to run the gauntlet of pigs safely.
Because I like the term Lounge Lizard, I just googled it. Found this:
“A ladies-man that frequents night spots where drinks are served. May be part of the live music set, but usually the lizard is at the bar chatting up rich women. Most often seen in a suit that was a fashion statement in the 80s.
I was a venture capitalist by day and a lounge lizard by night, before I settled down with one of my conquests.
Leisure Suit Larry is a computer game lounge lizard”
Change the 80’s to 70’s, and we have our Terry Transplant 🙂
Ha ha, brilliant 🙂
Chas,
Happily, our postie loves the pigs, despite the fact that sometimes he encounters one of the pigs asleep in the middle of the track, and they simply won’t budge even if hooted at, so he has to stop and walk
Ah, just seen it’s a 12:45 KO. Have to re-jig my day.
Are Ant ‘n Duck away daying it?
Graft Gecko
Commode-O Dragon
Tittivating to do.
Micky,
Did you see BT Sport with Palace v Arse is free this weekend? http://sport.bt.com/watchnow/programmes/Open-October-S11363841724478
No away day. It sold out to 20 plus away points, I think.
Sorry, got a little side tracked watching my favourite Leisure Suit Man
What do you need for BT Sport?
I have no sky and no bt broadband. Have satellite broadband and a black box with lots of channels.
Wife and children away, so no technical dept at hand.
Morning All,
Brilliant news about the tickets. I am all a-quiver.
Sir Les. Reminds me of Rasp.
Ah, Motning Raddy.
When you are “a-quiver” does Mrs R dive for cover?
Micky. Most of my quivering is done in Mrs R’s company.
Better get the PM written before the authorities get shirty.
Raddy,
When is Pod back in action? Would like to see him start up top against Chavs, or am I being over optimistic?
Here’s a thought, when you’ve done the PM, can you push the publish button. It’s an early KO and we could get some serious pre-match chat in before everyone zooms out to get the beer and crisps in.
Morning all, another top top Newsround from NG.
Like others I am unsurprised Fergie has come across as a bit of a git in his book. Because I have always assumed he is a bit of a git.
Garth Crooks has jumped all over Mourinho and Wenger for apparently disregarding the chanting towards Toure, headline reads something like Wenger asks for evidence, Mourinho does not promote boycott.
Whilst truth is Wenger’s quote was related to a question about being ejected from the competition, where he then says we must have evidence before we can throw teams out, they have to be found guilty first by the authorities…..no harm in that.
Whilst I haven’t seen/heard footage of the game the thing that should mean the club is ejected their official response to the accusations. If they are found to be guilty (if racist chanting can be proven) then they should be ejected based on their statement which tried to give alternative reasons for the behaviour of their fans. Whereas the best response would have been….we don’t condone this behaviour, we will be asking all those to witness it to report it etc etc. maybe empty platitudes but far better than making excuses.
And secondly Football is able to cure Society’s ills but a major change in accepted behaviours thoughout Russia is not the responsibility of football.
I personally find it just as shocking that a country with Russia’s attitude to homosexuality is being allowed to host an Olympic Games and a World Cup, but then again a country with a similar attitude (Qatar) is also about to host a World Cup.
British fans like to think of themselves as inclusive when it comes to races but not so much when it comes to sexuality, we still have our own issues.
Morning Exile
Problem with your last point is which country on Earth would you allow to host a major event, as if it’s not one political or cultural issue, then it’ll be another.
Morning all, Sir Les Patterson here 😛
…… New post ……….
The likes of these oppressive countries only get the Games because of the dodgy dealing backhanders, Russia and FIFA are as bent as a nine bob note. When we invented the game, we should have patentd it !. I would be put in jail if I lived in Russia for being a Cookieist !.