I remember some distinct replay of an FA Cup match of Arsenal vs another dogged English opposition on our old television sometime back when i was in my teens. (Yes folks, that was some 18-20 years back)
Details are sketchy in my mind but i will always remember the lousy run-down pitch, many long-balls from both teams and the determination shown form the team in Red and White (Didn't even know they were called Arsenal then) to tackle, come from behind and i think the result was a draw.
It was probably a few weeks later that i found out that Arsenal FC was the club that i was fond of slightly for their fighting spirit. Later did i find out that Arsenal back then weren't consistent Top 4 material in an era where the Top 4 tag hadn't been phrased yet. Unfortunately, the history showed that Arsenal FC were a BIG club on the decline. I wasn't fazed, radio commentary from BBC kept me company along with Shoot magazines and the Match of the Day and Goals of the Week allowed me to buy into what was a great club to be.
One season Arsenal FC could be 3rd and the next 8th. I remembered those times well. The disgusting feeling to have lost to teams like Crystal Palace, Tottenham (Often above us in many seasons then) really tested my resolve. But for me, David Seaman, Alan Smith, Paul Merson (My Fav), Anders Limpar, Adams and Bould, Ray Parlour (Mr. Determination), Stephen Hughes, Paul Davies, David Hillier, Jan Jensen, Paul Dickov, Ian Wright and the super-young Kevin Campbell just pleased me no end. they were my first heroes. These were the lads who had guided the Booring, Booring Arsenal Chants made famous by the then-manager George Graham. Sure he was successful to some extent but his loss in the Cup Winners Cup on one occasion and other notable inconsistencies made life supporting Arsenal a living hell.
On came David Dein and his revelations. Enter P. Vieira first, then Le Prof Arsene Wenger from Nagoya Grampus in J-League. He quickly inherited a promising team with some raw potential and fading stars. Bruce Rioch the caretaker before him buying my all-time Fav Dennis Bergkamp (Fallen Star due to his career slump), Marc Overmars, Petite, Sylvnho, Ljungberg, Anelka, Henry, Pires, Grimandi. The rest is of course history.
Today i read that Arsenal had re-signed the new shirt sponsor deal with Emirates again and guess what, it is mind-blowing. All along, i had complained when 5 years ago, in a desperate bid to fund our stadium debt, Commerce Department of Arsenal allowed a 5-year deal for 30m with 20m paid upfront. Now the deal is a whopping 30m pounds a year! For the next 6 years. Ivan Gazidis wasn't bluffing when he said what will happen over the next few years will see Arsenal compete with the top 5-10 clubs financially. Indeed!
Now of course, Gazidis is clever and "taichi-ed" away the responsibility of using these funds to Wenger. Saying that it is Wenger who has full control to spend or not. And this is where Wenger's yardstick should lie. But hold your horses before you ask him to splurge 30-40m every season. We have to be practical. We have the basic squad and it is decent, just needs some sprinkling of super-super talent here and there and it will be ready.
Chants of "You dont know what'ya doing!" were chorused by some away "fans". "Bring back the old Arsenal!". Really? Have they even felt the same pain i went through in the early years of supporting Arsenal then. Yeah we were great one year and bad the next two years. Or having the last-minute ditch tackling from Dixon, Bouldy, Adams and Keown to save the match and 1-0 win it. Really? Should we crave for that back? Or how about the lack of money in those years as compared to now when we truly have the dough.
I say these "fans" are crazy! Mind you Arsenal are a BIG club and winning trophies is important but it should never be everything. Having a consistent board management, quality team who deliver results regularly and if they dont at least perform consistently are important factors. Have a good manager and also non-stop fans base which we have. At the end of the day, still some of the fans will hound us to go the "Mourinho" way. Spend and bust it! Win it for my CV and i'm outta here. Be warned to the likes of many "BIG" clubs gone south over the many years. Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Southampton and of course Leeds amongst others.
To sum it up, Arsenal are a BIG Club. Winning trophies is important but it isn't everything! My message to these "fans": If winning trophies is everything, feel free to fly northward to the Mancs. No real Arsenal FAN would care less for your new fancy to these more "popular" trophy-winning teams of late. It would prove your blood to be of the same colour of some of our players who went that route.
To all Gooners out there! Once a Gooner, Always a Gooner for life! COYG! Let's show them why Arsenal FC are a BIG club starting with tonight's match against Toffees. In Arsene we trust! Le Prof gave us everything we had to be able to stand proud to be a Gooner in the modern days so lets cut him some slack and watch his legacy unfold!
A distant Gooner in Sunny Singapore
COYG!
DB10 - The legend lives on. I hope Jack wears the mantle well.
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