Villa Pre-Match

August 17, 2013

At last. A chance to concentrate upon what matters – the 90+ minutes of pitch time. This has been a long and frustrating summer for many Arsenal fans but in the words of Mr Wenger “what is important is the quality of what you do on the pitch, so let’s not create a crisis from nothing,”

He is right. The three points on offer today are vitally important because I fear the wave of negativity should we not win and win handsomely.

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Trouble is Aston Villa will be no pushovers. They are a team in transition but with a lethal striker and a manager who is determined to become to succeed. So let’s have a little look at Aston Villa…..

Much has been stated about how they have signed 7 players through summer. Slightly misleading as the most expensive is the Nord Sjælland Danish star Okore who has cost all of €4m. Of more interest is the Aalborg striker Helenius who is a big young bruiser and could do very well in the PL.  However, it will be the players who gave us trouble last season who will threaten today; Benteke, Weimann and a rejuvenated (?) Agbonlahor are sure to be dangerous on the break.

I am not expecting a bus-parking exercise from AV but they will attempt to close of the supply lines to Theo and OG by stifling Wilshire and Cazorla. A packed and aggressive midfield battle will be the order of the day for Villa.

Hoping not to put a bok on the lads, I expect a win. We looked very good against City and have the weapons all over the pitch to damage Villa. Podolski and Theo will need to be aware of the free running and dangerous fullbacks – Lowton has justifiable confidence in his long distance shooting.

Arsenal: Concerns rest around Arteta’s long term(ish) absence and I have to agree. Although I believe the team will cope with his loss but miss his midfield leadership. Starting 2 babies, Mozart and Cazorla, who despite being a genius is not a leader; we lack someone to organise the shield in front of the back 4. That Arteta was the league’s leading passer tells a story – we must hope his absence isn’t too costly.

Conversely, this is a chance to see the future midfield of Arsenal. Wouldn’t it be great to see Ox, JW, Ramsey and Santi start – but the risk is too great. Could Ramsey play the Arteta role or would Wilshire who sits deep? However, Rosicky will start (if fit), if Rosicky, AR and JW can gain a deep understanding perhaps we will do away with the traditional DM .

Defensively we are sound. The same back 5 which did so well at the end of last season.

My team:

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The bench may be lacking experience but hopefully only the Ox will be required as Podolski never plays 90 minutes!

Should Villa score first we can expect the underlying frustrations to rain down upon the beautifully coiffured head of Mr. Wenger. How that helps the team is beyond me but I am an old fashioned fellow who doesn’t understand much of the attitudes of the modern generation! (e.g. what is the point  of graffiti??)

This is the space left for my non-football ramblings but a summer of sloth and excessive drinking has resulted in my musings achieving nothing …. I have no idea of the theme for the season. Any suggestions are welcome or perhaps we are better off without .

This fixture usually produces goals and I expect the same today. Benteke has proved he likes to score at The Emirates, nonetheless the Raddy gut-feeling is that after a few thrills and spills, we will pick up 3 points. Why? Because our lads play better in summer!

COYRRG

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

An End to the AW era?

August 16, 2013

So much angst has been expended and so many blogging hours have been spent fretting about the capability of AW to do some business on the Transfer Market, and yet what are we talking about?

After 8 fruitless years or so, Gazidis has told us the club are now in the happy position of being able to afford new, quality players. Yippee!

We have all become impatient watching the big spenders go out and buy all the goodies in the shop with a plethora of top quality players ending up with Real, Barca, Citeh, Chelsea etc, and all of them winning trophies while we end up holding the wooden spoon after buying Denilson, Santos, Arshavi, gervinho et al.

But, so far in this window what has changed? We have only one token freebie player in Sanogo to show for it. Although to be fair we have made promising noises about Suarez, Rooney and various others rumoured to be ‘eyed’ or ‘trialled’ by our illustrious manager.

This state of affairs has made even some of the longtime Wenger supporters, including me, get itchy under the collar, and others to become genuinely depressed.

There has been much understandable grumbling from fans about the cost of season tickets in an economically difficult climate, as well as the increased travel costs etc, whereas Arsenal we are told are coining it with TV deals, gimormous sponsorship deals and money flowing in from our Asian fanbase, blah, blah. We have dosh coming out of every orifice it would seem.

But where is the pay back? Why have we come to within one day of the start of the season and sod all has happened with regard to transfers?
As someone who might be called a Wenger loyalist, I have to agree that many of my fellow Gooners are on edge, and if the window closes without significant additions, there is likely to be an Arsenal fans summer revolution with boos sounding out around the ground at the first sign of a poor performance and goodness knows what will happen when we lose, heralding protest groups who will arrange marches at every turn.

The tom tom beats of disgruntled fans on the blogs should send out a wake-up call to AW and the Board that they must buy and buy now, but not just any old player, there must be at least one marquee signing!

Arsene has enjoyed considerable support from the fans over the years, but many of us will feel the urge to call for his head if this season peters out to being yet another massive disappointment as regards trophies or even at least fighting for the top 3 in the EPL.

Frankly it cannot be denied that the Board have given Arsene a huge amount of leeway in which to run the football part of the club, and if he does not deliver this season, sadly it might be time to call for an end to his era.”

written rapidly by Red Arse

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Youth Policy. A waste of Money?

June 23, 2013

What is happening at youth level? Why has Liam Brady who has been Head of our Youth programme decided to resign – and this after spending most of his life at Arsenal?

Is the Youth Policy a waste of Arsenal’s resources?

It must cost a great deal of money to coach all these kids from the age of 8 up to the reserve and first teams – are we getting value for money? Who have we managed to sell from this outlay in order to “balance the books”? Lansbury, Stokes, maybe a few more. And who in today’s first team has made it from the hundreds who have passed through the ranks? Wilshere, Frimpong and ……?

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Academy Team 2013

Gibbs, Ramsey, Cesc, Coquelin, Theo, etc all came to AFC from other team’s youth systems. Perhaps this is the better option – to cherry pick and if this is the new Arsenal way, then why bother with the  little kids?

There has been a cull in the Academy with almost half the squad shipped out. They will be replaced by other young men pursuing their dream. Who knows, one or two of these chaps may make the first team but statistically it is highly unlikely.

However, there is another viewpoint and that is Arsenal in the Community. It is essential that at a local level Arsenal continue to be the pinnacle of youth football in North London. We have a fantastic reputation as educators of good footballers and there are many of our “rejects” who make a decent living in the lower leagues. In these days of balance sheets and “value” it is laudable that the club continues it’s traditions.

Looking back through the Wenger Years I can only think of Ashley and Jack who have risen to the top, perhaps there are others but this is a 30 minute post and I have done little/No research (sorry).

So, the Youth Policy. Value for money …. No, Valuable ….. Yes.

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Direct from the Spurs Youth Policy and Just for Peaches 

written by Big Raddy

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Arsenal Obsessed? Memories from a ’60’s Childhood.

June 21, 2013

Have you ever been an “anorak”? I have – I was and probably remain an Arsenal anorak. In my youth I didn’t hang around train stations or sit by airports, flask of tea and a notebook in hand obsessively writing down times and numbers – No, my obsession took it’s material form in a Scrapbook.

To those younger readers who do not know what a scrapbook is; a scrapbook is a book of empty pages into which one can stick newspaper articles, pictures, tickets and other ephemera.

This was back in the days of Yore, the pre-digital world when men were men and women were grateful. There wasn’t daily access to The Arsenal, just reports of the game in the Sunday papers and a few stories about players. There was the Charlie Buchan Football Annual and monthly magazine; it wasn’t until the late 1960’s that football magazines became popular, but given the small amount of pocket-money the young BR had available, I didn’t want to spend a weeks money on a mag. Plenty did – The Charlie Buchan Football Magazine had a monthly circulation of over 250,000, which is more than all the current football mags added together!!

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So I started my own “magazine” which took the form of a scrapbook. It was an adjunct to my precious AFC programmes which were locked away in an air conditioned, humidity-controlled steel bunker outside London (in case of alien attack). I would cut out the reports from all the games, make tables of attendances,league position, player appearances, goal scorers, type of goal (head/foot). All manner of things related to The Arsenal.

I have to admit I became obsessive about my scrapbook. My family paper was The Daily Mail (he wrote in great shame) and I would cut any AFC related article or pictures out and add them to the scrapbook – though midweek there was very little. The main sources were the weekend papers. The Saturday night pink Sports edition and the Sundays. Having listened to the football scores on the radio I would be given newspaper money and sent to the local newsagent to wait for the arrival of the Evening Sports paper. There would be at least 10 men/boys eagerly awaiting it’s arrival – seems another world!

The family Sundays were the The Mirror and The Times ( 😦  ). Both to be cut to pieces on Sunday evening after a day spent playing coats for goalposts in the local park.

It wasn’t easy making a scrapbook, there were editorial decisions to be made which could affect the whole project.; layout, which glue, are there too many pics of the same player, do I write in print of joined-up?

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Living with a demented younger brother and a spiteful older sister (both top chaps now – well, one of them is!!) the value of the scrapbook meant that it could be used as ransom. No blood was spilled but many an argument was started by one of the swine hiding my third most valuable possession (after my bicycle and my Dansette transistor radio).

I gave up the scrapbook collecting in my mid-teens when I started to attend Highbury on a regular basis and then away games. Plus, the newly discovered attractions of the opposite sex altered my perspective of life – and I had discovered another typical male teenage obsession (thank you Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band). Strangely, the 3 obsessions I developed in those days still occupy most of my time today 😀

I need to point out to that I was not alone in my scrapbooking – most of my school did the same. Not only football but all sorts of subjects. My sister pressed flowers (what a pointless waste of time), my brother had a Dinosaur scrapbook, Robert over the road had a Red Indian scrapbook but mine was by far the best.

I guess I kept collecting for 6 or 7 seasons, goodness know what happened to those  oh-so-precious scrapbooks, probably thrown out in one of my house moves.

Wish I still had them.

n.b. Of course, Arsenal Arsenal is our modern digital scrapbook with all the previous info now on the righthand sidebars, and even better than my old version, this one is created by many hands.

Written by Big Raddy

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Posted by Erik the Red

Do we need Wanyama?

June 14, 2013

Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla,Ramsey, Rosicky, Frimpong, Coquelin, Oxlade – Chamberlain, Eisfeld. Everyone a midfield player whom I would be happy to see play in most games. Yet ask most fans what is missing and they would say a muscular defensive shield – someone we have lacked since Gilberto Silva.

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But do we really need this player?

The performance of Arteta last season was superb; he kept the team going forward, he worked tirelessly to cut out danger and in tandem with Ramsey proved we can hold onto a one goal lead. The final few games when the defence ensured our progress to 4th showed we can be effective with Ramsey and Mikel working in tandem.

Coquelin and Frimpong? Reports from the trenches are that Frimpong ‘s injuries will severely hamper his aggressive style of play and I expect him to move on following rehab. Coquelin is difficult because I see a quality player in this fellow. He has energy, an eye for a pass and technique. What he lacks is tactical awareness but that can be taught and Francis is still young. Sadly, I expect him to ask for a transfer, though perhaps he is not good enough to become a first choice DM.

The attacking possibilities are so good there is no need for an addition – probably a cull is in order!

Eisfeld is an interesting player who appears to have a big future ahead of him, but will he get any first team chances and if not will he say “Thanks but no thanks”, as he sees a future on the bench.

Who gets dropped if we do sign a quality DM? Ramsey? Arteta? Don’t talk to me about rotation because a settled team is an essential in my eyes and a big money DM will insist upon a first team place.

I have no idea what Mr Wenger will do in summer, nor how he will pick his midfield next season. I cannot tell you who would be my midfield 3 or 4 and would like to hear your opinions.

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Posted by Erik the Red

A Sad Day at The Arsenal

June 8, 2013

Yesterday was a tough old day for many Arsenal players and ex-players as they saw their contracts come to en end and were released from their clubs.

Some, like Kolo Toure, have the chance to go to a top team and continue their highly successful careers. Others like Connor Henderson are left wondering what happens next?

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Conor

We have released 14 players which compared to last season’s 5 is a huge reduction in staff. It calls into question the efficacy of the youth system and perhaps explains why Liam Brady is retiring.

How must it feel for those young aspirants who have been at Arsenal since they were children?

Imagine: You are thrilled to be asked to join the Arsenal as a child, all your mates are excited for you. Everywhere you go people know you as a future star, your parents are beyond ecstatic and help you in every way, your school hold you up as shining example and you wake up every day as a member of one of the biggest football clubs in the world. You are one of the elite.

You work hard and progress through the youth teams, and have articles written about you. You are top of the Google list for your name; it looks so great and you are planning how to spend your millions. You have an agent who tells you that you are the Dog’s B’s, and have a swarm of willing ladies who follow you. You have access to VIP areas in night clubs because You are Arsenal.

Then you are called in to see Mr Wenger. It can go one of two ways – either you are going to be offered an improved wage and a contract extension or you are out. Imagine the nerves. You sit and listen to what is said, the managers kind introduction and words of consolation, but all you hear is rejection. You walk out of the office in a stunned silence. You have to tell your parents and your friends that you are no longer an Arsenal player – imagine making those phone calls. At the age of just 18/19.

To those young players who today must scramble around and find new clubs and rebuild your careers, please remain strong and resolute. Just getting as far as you have shows there is a future for you. Perhaps not at the top level, as statistically few who are released come back to the Premiership, but a decent living nonetheless.

My heart goes out to you

written by Big Raddy

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Gervinho: Gooner or Goner?

June 2, 2013

There are persistent rumours in the media that Gervinho is close to the exit door at The Emirates. Should he be sold?

Can you remember a more infuriating player than our spindly Ivorian? Here we have a player with truly consummate skills – he has great pace, can beat 3 players with a shrug, can create space for himself in seemingly impossible situations, can play on both wings and given chances, he scores. So why isn’t The Mekon a first choice player, and why hasn’t he flourished in a team where his talents appear to fit?

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Seems like a Nice Boy

I should start with this statement. I really like Gervinho, he has a wonderful smile, he makes me laugh and he appears proud to wear the shirt. There was excitement when he signed for us at what seemed a reasonable price of £11m; he had just gone through a fine season with Lille, scoring 18 goals in a season where Lille surprisingly won Ligue 1. Gervinho , who scored  28 goals in 68 appearances for Lille was much in demand with Athletico Madrid , PSG and others seeking his talents, but he chose Arsenal – probably thanks to the Mr Wenger attraction in France (and PL money!)

Sent off in his first game for trying to take  a swipe at the hideous Joey Barton (you should have decked him).  His first season was interrupted by a trip to the African CoN but a return of just 4 goals from 26 starts and 11 subs apps was sub-standard. It appeared that if you put Gervinho 3 yards from goal and asked him to shoot he would either miss the ball or miss the target -…… cow’s arse/banjo.

2012/13 was better. His confidence was raised by getting some lucky strikes but the ACoN once again deprived Arsenal of his services. At season’s end Gerv had made 18 starts (+8 subs) scoring 7 goals. An improvement but still unsatisfactory.

Onto the negatives. We are not as solid defensively when Gervinho plays. He does work hard to track back but tackles like a wet paper bag; his crossing is poor – actually worse than poor, his passing is fine at close quarters but not so dusty over distance and his finishing is as clinical as a blind dentist. Mr Wenger seems to have decided that his attacking left sided player is Podolski.

Mr Wenger has tried to play Gervinho on the right, on the left, given him the centre forward role, played him as shadow striker, tried to teach him to defend, tried to teach him to cross – nothing has really succeeded. Gervinho remains an anomaly – good at many trades, master of none.

However, Gervinho has improved; as a substitute remains a positive force giving defenders problems whenever he comes on but is that enough to keep him at Arsenal? In the likely event of Mr Wenger buying a striker what happens to Gerv? Would Arsenal be better off selling him and giving opportunities to O-C, Gnabry,  Myachi etc

For me a Goner and not a Gooner.

Big Raddy

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Wemberley ……

May 25, 2013

“Wemberly, Wemberley,  We’re the Famous Arsenal and we’re going to Wemberly” . We should be singing this song as we walk down Empire way to watch our heroes take on the mighty (but beatable) Borussia Dortmund.

Can you remember back to that Emirates night in February? ….. the manly Oliver Giroud strikes a sweet shot which is heading into the net but cruelly and very unfortunately hits Neuer’s leg, 3 minutes later Bayern Munich break, Mandzukic’s shot hits Sagna and bounces over Szczesny …. 1-3, when it should have been 2-2 and with Arsenal pushing for a winner.  Yes, we got trounced in the first half but were coming strong in the second, which became an Arsenal trait throughout the season.

Second leg, we gave them a lesson – yes, the finest team in the history of football were hammered in front of their own fans by a team which apparently was in terrible shape and about to disintegrate under their “hapless”manager who was clearly too long in the tooth to motivate his team. Had we scored one more we would have won the tie – and we could have. Then we would certainly have beaten a poor and dispirited RM in the semis.

Such are the vagaries of football. (Biased? Delusional? Moi?  😀  )

Instead we have an all German Final, and thank goodness for that. Both teams have been playing the best football in the CL this season, both play with a genuine passion without resort to theatrics, and both managers believe in the beautiful game. We have enjoyed the Spanish domination (well, some of us have) but their blatant cheating has finally received it’s due reward.  We are in the Audi era. Beautifully built, efficient, powerful and desirable.

BD have had over 500,000 ticket applications! The support of both teams is astonishing and they SING.

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The loss of Gotze is a massive blow, both to BD and the Final. He is a wonderful player and will be missed, but what delights we have in store – there is hardly a player who is not top quality. From BD’s Lewandowski to BM’s flying Austrian baby FB, Alaba, every player is worth watching. BM’s midfield is just awesome – Schweinsteigger and Martinez – but so too is BD’s, who may have less famous names but nonetheless are hugely competitive.

This is Heynkes final game before the arrival of Pep, and Klopp is everyone’s favourite manager; that alone is interesting. Both will want to impress the billions of viewers. Both have teams with potent forward lines and players who can express the imaginative tactics of their respective managers. I think we are in for one of the best CL Finals ever.

Now for a German Explorer. Although the English discovered 95% of the World it did leave a few places for Johnny Foreigner to plant his flag, and Alexander Von Humboldt (1769 – 1859) did so with remarkable regularity. Take the places named after him – they are in all over the West Coast of USA USA, Venezuela, New Zealand, Greenland, Mexico, +++. There are National Parks named after him in Cuba and Peru. Simon Bolivar referred to Von Humboldt as “The real discover of South America”. Not only was this fellow an explorer he was also a hugely eminent scientist and wrote books (in particular The Cosmos) which are still referred to today.

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During his lifetime Humboldt became one of the most famous men in Europe and was feted wherever he went. He eventually became a diplomat and was a huge favourite of European royalty. Von Humboldt died at the age of 89 in Berlin.

Back to the football. Wembley is about to be occupied by the Germans tonight (no joke, please Raddy).  Thankfully we will not be treated to another appalling display of negative football that both Chelsea and Mourinho’s Inter Milan brought to the world’s biggest club game of the season – No, what we will hopefully see is the two best teams in Europe serving up a feast of attacking football.

My allegiance tonight is purely based on the fairytale of Dortmund’s rise in the face of the juggernaut of German football’s biggest club.

“Los gehts BVB, kampfen og siegen”

Written by Big Raddy

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Raddy’s Review of the Season.

May 23, 2013

Every Tom, Dick and Harry has had a go, so why can’t Big Raddy?

However, this post is not just about the pitch and boardroom – No, this review will go elsewhere… For example, what did we think about the team kit this season? I thought the home kit was excellent but was disappointed by our away colours. The team played well in both, so I guess it doesn’t matter to them. With the arrival of a Puma kit we can look forward to something radical – Borussia Dortmund play in Puma and they are doing OK.

And what of Mr.Wenger’s touchline attire? The man is looking a bit scrawny and must be a tailor’s nightmare. Do you think he buys off the peg at M & S or has them made by some bloke in Islington? Then there was the disaster with the “sleeping bag”; the merchandising chaps must have given a royal rollicking to the sweatshops in Vietnam questioning the quality of the zips. Given the harsh and long winter there was ample opportunity to improve the quality of the garment or give Mr. Wenger some instruction as to the use of a zip.

I have to admit to being disappointed by Steve Bould’s lack of sartorial elegance. Nothing in the Big Man’s wardrobe apart from freebies from the Arsenal shop, and he wore long tracksuit bottoms in winter despite spending 20+ seasons watching Pat Rice. Shabby work, Steve – better expected next season.

Did the substitutes bench look interested in events on the pitch? Were they Song-like in their total disinterest (or should it be Adebayor-esque) or kicking every ball like Jenks? I enjoyed seeing Arshavin looking like an extra from The Hobbit.

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The subs were brilliant at the final whistle at St .James. Proof that a real team spirit exists amongst our squad.

A disappointing season as regards ball-boys. No-one got a kicking, no-one handed out towels. Poor work. Nor were the mascots memorable – OK, we had a couple who had spent too long at the pie-shop but generally they were dull. I wonder if any of them will play for the mighty Gunners like Yennaris has.

And what of the team’s tatt’s? Coming from an older generation I am not a fan of the tattoo but accept that in order to be en vogue, a tattoo is a necessary evil. And what of ours? No-one can get near the Beckham or Agger though almost every player has some. I notice that Theo has extended his down one arm, as has JW, and Giroud has taken the needle of late (though he arrived with some). Do you think that there are cliques within the club that are tattoo related?

Hair: No-one can touch Arteta.- not even GoonerMichael can explain his immaculate locks; I have not seen the like since Scott Tracy from Thunderbirds.

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Mikels’s Dad?

Sagna’s beads have become passé and sadly it appears we have returned to the days of short back and sides. No dreadlocks, no silly shaven bits, no Song-like dyes – another poor showing from the lads.

We did much better on the message on the underwear front. Young Bendtner let us down at the World Cup with his green pants but he paid a heavy price for his stupidity (a years holiday in Italy). Since then we haven’t resorted to any silliness that I can recall; no “I belong to Jesus”, no “Happy Birthday, Mum” …. nothing.  I like the new found discipline. Ever since IW8 ruined his record breaking goal tally celebration by taking his shirt off a goal early, the whole vest message has upset me. What is it apart from another display of massive ego?

The only  acceptable message was Robbie Fowler’s support of the dockers.

Goal celebrations: Another good year. A few silly golf swings and a couple of thumb sucks apart our celebrations were quality. Almost always all the players celebrated together and in some style. I always like the knee slide to the corner flag and the around the back of the goal towards the fans, Theo was particularly good in this regard. Note to Gervinho – copy OG.

Part One ends on a high note. I was very impressed with the speed at which the medical staff reached an injured player.  Those sprint training routines under the watchful eye of Linford Christie are paying off. Well done.

Written by Big Raddy

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I Say a Little Prayer …

May 19, 2013

This time last year BR was up a mountain in Italy getting SMS’s from Peaches. It was in the middle of a huge thunderstorm when I received her final celebratory text. Today I will be watching from a joyous and hung-over Denmark.

I have stated often my belief that luck and referees will decide our fate – whether it be a dodgy penalty given to Spurs or a vicious deflected goal for Sunderland (I cannot put a bok on our team).  It is in this regard that I have been pondering these last few days …. How is it that the normally clueless miscreants have been consistently picking up points instead of  falling apart as per normal? Well, BR has reached his conclusion ……. I blame the new Pope.

It is well known to the right-minded supporters of all football teams that in previous times The ***** Tottenham Hotspur went to Rome to see the Pope – and this is what he said etc etc.  One can only conclude that this new fellow (Francis) hasn’t read the Vatican Rulebook (sorry if that is blasphemous 😀 ). May I recommend to the Arsenal Secretary that he  get an email off to St. Peter’s, sharpish.

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If we had to choose a final game for this season’s fate to be decided it would not be away and it would not be at St James Park ….or would it? Our away record is almost as good as our home and Newcastle have only drawn once at St James – W9 L8.

We have had a week to prepare for this afternoon, there is nothing we haven’t discussed. We know the permutations, the choices available to Mr. Wenger etc etc so there is no need to repeat them here. We can share our nervous tension on the blog.

Tim Krul is out and Newcastle will give a final game to Steve Harper – let us wish him “a Fulop”. With Taylor, M’bia and Tiote in the side we can expect a midfield battle and I hope we don’t get sucked into a physical battle with cards aplenty.

Much depends upon the fitness of Arteta, he is so important to the tempo of our play and we do not know how the team will function should JW replace him.

My Team:

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I am looking to The Little Mozart for a goal today. A hard working display with no players hiding during what will be a nervous game. 100% endeavour is all we can ask – after that it is the hands of the Gods

Today’s British Explorer. There just hasn’t been enough games for me to do justice to the hundreds of remarkable chaps who have traipsed around the globe under the Union Jack. I have just taken some random fellows to give a picture of the  amazing impact a tiny nation like England has had upon the world.

This being the last in the series (perhaps) I would like to write once more about one of England’s Superheroes, a man who helped make Great Britain Great – Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922).

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Shackleton is in the same echelon of Britons as Churchill, Nelson and Tommy Cooper. His story belies belief and BR can only recommend you investigate further to be inspired by his remarkable life. Ernie was the Tony Adams of explorers – nothing could conquer his indomitable spirit. Lose your ship on the ice? Winter under the upturned lifeboats. Thousands of miles from safety? Take a small open boat across freezing seas seeking help. Land upon an island with no-one around? Cross a mountain range never attempted before. Worried about your men left behind on the ice? Go back and save them.

Shackleton died on his way back to Antarctica from a heart attack, he is buried on South Georgia, there followed a memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral which was attended by the entire Royal Family.

Today I will be burning incense and floating lotus leaves at my TA6 altar and praying to the Deity of DB10. I will be avoiding ladders, looking for 4 leaf clovers, using my lucky toothbrush, wearing lucky socks, shirt, pants, eating the lucky cake and drinking the lucky beverage.

If we don’t win today don’t blame me ….. Blame it on Eboue.

We beat the odds at Anfield 24 years ago, Let’s do it again today!

COYRRG

written by Big Raddy

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