Steve Gleiber's Arsenal Supporters Forum

Gunfire
June 23, 2005

In terms of supporters it is Celtic , Arsenal and the Huns a distant 3rd. Recently on eof their won directors stated that they were primarily a West of Scotland team while celtic had a global audience.

Bernard
June 23, 2005

Must admit I'd be surprised if Rangers have more fans worldwide than Arsenal.

Västerås Gooner
June 23, 2005

Steve/o Coldiz//I can only speak for Scandinavia but I can assure You that Arsenal have far more supporters here than any of the old Firm. Celtic, of course, have quite a few fans because of Henrik Larsson but there can´t be to many supporting Rangers here. The same few that supports Chelsea he he. Blues brothers.I know that the Arsenal Sweden Supporters Club got over 2 000 members (I´m not one of them unfortunately) and I´ts fast growing.Well, this is the biggest holiday in Sweden, midsummer, and everybody gets pissed, i mean really pissed, and f**k in the woods so i´m of to get me my moonshine now.

kiwipete
June 23, 2005

Got to agree with you Harlow ..the ocassional blue is quite amusing but now Steve Gleiber's [ RIP big fella ] Arsenal forum bears more resemblance to Jerry Springer.

Västerås Gooner
June 23, 2005

Harlow, works fine.Is that Your own photos of AG?

Harlow Steve
June 23, 2005

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/steven.martin9/index.htm Try this lads for me, i'm trying to start a web page, just seeing if it's working

Stevec/o Coldiz
June 23, 2005

Well done American Gooner for keeping the site a semblance of what its meant for,almost shamefull that this task has befallen to a yank.SWP or Helb.no contest,Helb by a mile,but if AW decies that the role of DB cannot be replaced and we must change formation with wing play,then SWP nd owen would do nicely.Has anyone got the new stripe yet? and one last question.Who has the most suporters,in order sequence please,Arsenal,Celtic or Rangers.Was talking to a couple of Jocks last night and we all agreed on Celtic,Rangers Arsenal,but this morning I wondered if Arsenal might worldwide have more supporters than Rangers ?????

Nico
June 23, 2005

david.d, thank you for those nice comments; I'm sure, by the way, that Arsene will be doing something, but I was trying to make a joke out of the deathly silence enveloping our transfer movements at the mo. Daz, good luck with the babe and the wife, mate (I know a little about the things you're referring to - we nearly lost one or two, and the wife was seriously ill on one occasion). Must run, now, got a plane to catch.

Daz
June 23, 2005

Actually as insomnia seems to be kicking in I should say (and tried to yesterday) that I agree that this has become ridiculous. Sure I won't be around over next weeks so thanks for good wishes, sure everything will be fine and my final words to you, chocolate, are to apologise (again) if anything I said caused you any real offence or distress. I'm not really bothered if you see that as submission or whether you care or not as I would be sorry if I'd genuinely hurt anybody's feelings. It is - as we are so often reminded a football forum - and this current level of insult-swapping is degrading for all concerned as well as very boring so hopefully it will now settle down. Actually my very last comment is that sophism is philosophy.

Bernard
June 23, 2005

Mee, ok I'll try not to mention the hear/here thing so much. I hadn't appreciated that it caused so much offence - it was only meant lightheartedly.

Young Gunner
June 23, 2005

At last things are heating up on the Hleb/SWP front. Nobody is sure which signing is the suspected smokescreen. SWP is undoubtedly more costly but he's english and that will contribute to our english player quota. I hope AW wont stall too much on choosing between the two else he might even lose both...for all you know, we might even end up with both which would be great considering RP is declining so Hleb can slot on the left. How's the Baptista rumour..more news after the Confeds?

Pedro
June 23, 2005

The way I look at it is I would love SWP at Arsenal but the facts are when you compare him to someone like Hleb things just dont add up, both players are around the same age, play in roughly the same position, SWP scores more but creates less so I would say although different in some ways they should hold vaguley the same value. But where we should be able to get Hleb for £8-10m we are talking double that for SWP, I would rather we signed the likes of say Baptista and Hleb than just SWP on his own.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

I meant Mourinho thinks himself to be the mutts in that he can pick up and coming players.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

What do Chelsea do with Duff? From what I understand Mourinho likes Robben on the right so he can cut in on his preferred foot. Also, it would appear that Mourinho doesn't attribute Drogba's woes to a lack of service but to Drogba not being good enough. They also have Joe Cole who can play right attacking midfield if Robben is out and he's been playing better and better. Mourinho thinks he's the 'mutts' as you all say. All reports have suggested that Mourinho is concerned primarily about 2 positions. Left back and striker. If he can get another center mid, fine. Even a right midfielder but its not his biggest concern, he's sorted at those positions. Furthermore, Kenyon has been trying to upset any transfer targets that we seem to be after. SWP being at Highbury is an easy one to guess. Its not the first time Kenyon has shown an interest in a player that seems to be a target for us or ManYoo who they don't have a need for (Reyes...Robben...obi Mikel...Hleb...etc.). The reason I don't think they'll buy him is the price tag. They'll pay for a top notch striker because they have to. But they are trying to reign in the costs a bit to meet their 'stalin-esque' 5 year plan. Mourinho's ego wants to think that the can find diamonds in the rough like Wenger can as well. 20 million is too dear for Kenyon to spend just to put a fly in our ointment. They'll bid to make it interesting possibly, but my guess is they won't bother. We'd have heard much more. With the way the press is in England if they were serious about SWP we'd have heard much more.

Thanks Pat Rice
June 23, 2005

Damn, too many clues. Lets examine the evidence. AW is a fan (isn’t he always of opposing players), Bore Rhino wants a right footed right winger and Robben to play on the left (he hasn’t actually told me himself, I am giving him the benefit of my in depth tactical knowledge – well actually the next door neighbours cat can see that). There is not enough ammo coming into dreadful Drogba and all Sky people tell us he is very good in the air. I think he is better on the ground, normally rolling around. So sad to see a grown man scream when he kicked a little bit. SWP to Chelski because Citeh will accept the highest bid and SWP will want to help the club out of their financial crisis (same old verbal garbage, nothing to do with wages). I don’t especially rate him but am willing to see if AW can turn another rough diamond into - ahem – a world class player ### Anyway SWP is overrated at anything above £8M ish. For £15-£20M or so I’d rather take a chance on Robinho, its worth it just to poke RM in the eye with a sharp stick

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

I would think that if we made a move for SWP he'd come for far less money than Chelsea would offer him. I don't think Chelsea want him. I really don't. They have Duff and Robben on the wings and they are successful with that. Robben seems injury prone and that has to be a worry for them but I don't see them going for SWP if for any reason to stop us from getting him. We are his childhood club. As much as SWP tries to reassure 'citeh' fans that he's a loyal Citizen. The chance to play for your childhood club and for that club to be as good as we are, will win out in any bidding war with Chelsea. Citeh may want the money that Chelsea offers but SWP will want us. All Chelsea can offer him is money, he won't go poor playing for us that's for sure. He'll be too expensive I imagine. If he's in the 15-20 mil range. We'll have to offer players with the money and it will have to be in installments and incentives/appearances be made part of it like the Reyes deal. I don't see us offering more than 9 or 10 mil cash plus the rest over time. **** Word is Fergie going to the Glazers for more cash. For years he's enjoyed a fairly large transfer kitty, especially when compared to the rest of us in the league. It will be interesting to see if the Glazers hold the line. Even though they said they ate up their transfer budget buying Rooney, we all know the old ManYoo board would have succumbed to Fergie's pleas and given him what he wanted. Fergie seems to have found it hard to have to buy smart like we have been doing for 8 years. They don't know how. van der Sar is a good signing but Park? I am skeptical of that signing.

Bernard
June 23, 2005

TPR, you say: "No names but revolves around Pires/SWP and will please Niall". You're not saying Wright-Phillips is going to Chelsea and we're getting Duff to replace Pires are you?

Thanks Pat Rice
June 23, 2005

Dip in read a few posts, fall asleep. ### It’s the silly season, no transfers so stories made up – Guti £12M, I mean (but I do like the cut of his jib – at £2M). The best meals take a while to cook ### Judge Judy what are you doing here? “GET A LIFE”. The Forum is Real, the Arsenal are Real and Madrid well – there just liberty takers. ###Anyway talking of Real, I’m in mourning - Riquelme has signed for RealVilla, £4.5M. What a bargain. Better (much much) than Hleb with DB10 vision, half the price. Ah well one last sneaky feeling of a signing for me. No names but revolves around Pires/SWP and will please Niall ### We were on Sky sports tonight about the kit, stadium tour with every purchase. Then a very interesting potted history of the shirt. Thank you Sky Sports for that 10 second history lesson – invaluable. Perhaps the only history lesson that would be shorter is the Chelski trophy winning dynasty. ### Good luck tomorrow Daz

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

any of you guys look at goonernews.com? i check it every few hours recently in vain hope. maybe ill go live in a cave for a month so i can come back to hear the happy news that we have signed somebody. well actually im just going to go asleep for eight hours and wake up to that news anyway hopefully. not likely. well, goodnight.

Bored
June 23, 2005

Sorry to hear that Daz. I hope everything goes well for you all tomorrow.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

well i hope so anyway. he definately wants to come to us if we believe reports. i guess if he was keen on chelsea he would probably be there now as they have expressed their interest in the past. so i guess his strong desire to plays for us, if that indeed is the case, is a sticking point. i wonder if he is holding out for us to make a bid, if we dont i suppose he will be wearing blue soon enough. i cant recall but has any foreign club shown interest in him or is it just us and the chavs?

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Last post were not my words. I copied and pasted it as well. Sorry, once again no link. A friend e mailed it to me.

Mee
June 23, 2005

Dublin: Do you think SWP will be able to resist Chelsea quadrupling his wages? Of all the summer targets this is the one I hope becomes reality.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Arsenal will be among the eight top seeds when the draw is made for the Group Stage of the Champions League. UEFA have confirmed the club coefficients which are used to calculate each side's seeding in Europe's elite club competition, and Arsenal's record in the competition puts them among the elite.Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Bayern Munich are also among the top seeds. Liverpool, Manchester United and Internazionale will join that group if they qualify for the Group Stage.Chelsea and Everton - if the latter come through the qualifying round - are not among the top seeds. However, Arsenal cannot face another English club in the Group Stage of the competition.

Mee
June 23, 2005

There is a direct correlation between transfer activity or lack of it and the health of this forum. A few weeks back every new post delivered some fantastic and totally improbable news of players fighting amongst themselves to wear the shirt in front of the photographers at Colney. Following that, Rachel Unitt, Karen Carney and the women kept us occupied. We now have complete silence, so the petty squabbles begin anew. I shall restrict my posts in future to football related matters.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

not that those signings are news to anyone, just that compared to us... well, lets hope wenger is working on something. weird that the mancs are so uncompetitive in the transfer market now, those are not really the signings you would have expected from them in the past. once again, if only the chavs hadnt come along to spoil the party.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

american, too true, not my interpretation of events but from other arsenal sites, just drawing attention to the level of silliness brought about by the transfer period, it all gets too complicated. well, looks like chelsea have got del horno, utd have van der saar and park, the latter of which looked pretty exciting this year, very quick and energetic. as others have said, van der saar signing does not look so good for the mancs, seems desperate. such a pity that it is chelsea who are reaping the rewards of their demise and not us! would have been a golden era for us, starting with back to back titles, oh if only. btw, how many players have valencia signed this summer and how many are they trying to buy. already got edu, regueiro, david villa at least and want pires and sagnol. now what would be great would be if adriano stayed at inter, gilardino went to milan, jaoquin and robinho went to madrid and baptista and swp came to us. notice that all these are related to chelsea and me hoping they cant sign these players. they have truly become too big for their boots when they think they can sign any of these players, hopefully swp will refuse to move to chelsea at any price and city will be forced sell to us at a lower one. that would be so uplifting in these times.

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

I see that your talking to yourself again Gungunge ....ing pathetic really! And trying to disguise it with out using capital letters! Come on now ,you cant be serious! Basket case number one!

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

thanks for the recognition gunfire. agreed on both counts, we need baptista and the fact that american is an example to us all in terms of sticking to the football.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Dublin Gooner, Guti mentioned as a club he'd like to play for. I don't think that makes him a target. Half of Europe would like to play for us. I only take the transfer rumors that we seem to initiate as the only legit ones or ones that may have some teeth to them. The only transfer that seems legit and will probably happen is Hleb. We always lowball the first bid as we did with Reyes and if we want the guy bad enough we sweaten the pot a little. Until another club says we have made a formal bid, I wouldn't take any links too serious.

Mee
June 23, 2005

Chocolate: I apologise if you feel that some of my recent posts have insulted you. That was not my intention. In fact, quite the opposite. I was merely attempting to mediate in the argument. On re-reading my posts I have to acknowledge that in order to emphasise my point, I made assumptions about you that could not be substantiated and for this I apologise unreservedly. Bernard: Would it be possible for you to post without mentioning the fact that I once used the words ‘hear/hear’ incorrectly?

Gunfire
June 23, 2005

Daz I have 2 kids 3 and 11 months and if they had a s much a s cut finger the last place i'd be is onhere. Don't get me wrong any man who has an offspring is very very lucky but I've seen that kind of info used by twisted minds. dublin gooner, no mate keep the football coming that;s whatwe're here for. Big up to American. he sia real true follower of goonerdom. I'd still prefer Baptista over anyone else.

Judge JohnD
June 23, 2005

Is it just Al or me as well?

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

Gungunge,oh it's only 2005 now! Nah,really??? But er..still not answering the question i asked you squire are you????????? And i guess that you never will right??? So your just a waste of time and space right??? I am not bothering with your inane attention seeking antics anymore ( i expect that you will re-post this for some reason known only to your stupid self!) with some crazed added remark! Anyway Patrick O'Gungunge buzz off and enlighten someone else with your insightful knowledge okay? You are a very silly man! Bye. Oick!!!!!

Bernard
June 23, 2005

Daz, I hope I have never given the impression that Chcolate's posts about your sexuality etc were acceptable in any way shape or form. That was not my intention at all. And please accept my very best wishes for your partner and child's health.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

when anybody else posts here does it just feel like you are talking to yourselves? well, here is another note to self i guess.

Niall
June 23, 2005

Offending posts removed. I thought Rog had removed them all yesterday, it appears some were missed. Hope all goes well tomorrow with the baby and your partner Daz. Regards, Niall.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

all this transfer talk is gettin ridiculous, weve been linked with about fifty players. some great, robinho, baptista, even gilardino for a short while, others like asthon (worrying), and guti (for about 12million!!!, huh?). is guti a a move to force the hleb move, which in turn is a smokescreen for swp as some seem to be suggesting on various sites? that is way to complicated. lets just sit back watch the season review and relax. as someone said earlier, le boss said we had loads of cash, then we dont need to strengthen, now who nows, but that just before he signed reyes he said we werent in the market. yeah, it can be infuriating being linked with so many great players but with the feeling that we will end up with none of em. oh well, better than supporting most other clubs, especially the chavs despite all their recent success.

Darren
June 23, 2005

Daz - Best of luck with everything over the next few days for you and your partner. I can only imagine that this must be the most exciting, yet currently most worrying of times. I hope it all goes as it should.

dublin gooner
June 23, 2005

yesterday i stated my concern for the nature of some of the posting on here. still havent figured out all the alliances/emnities, who ignores who etc, but actually alot of the arguments are often pretty amusing. still cant tell if some people on here are just pissed off at work or are kids going through a particularly painful puberty or something, guess we'll never know---- Rob K, where did you get that info on RVP?----eskimo, that post on riquelme was great, very true and very humourous description of him at barcelona.

Daz
June 23, 2005

Thanks Bromley. And thanks earlier to those who had the common sense to call chocolate out. Here's a serious post. It is utterly true that I have had an unhealthy obsession with chocolate and his posts. So what? He has set himself up for that by the nature of his posts. I have at all times ridiculed what he said, or the way he said it or I have mocked a fantasy chocolate figure. That's the nature of an internet forum. Chocolate could go on attacking and misrepresenting my posts as much as he liked - I've opened myself up to that and not only could I take it, I would have relished it. I have, however, NEVER attacked something that I know or suspect to be really true about him. There are certain things that I know to be true about a number of posters - I know Niall is Irish and I would never say - I hope that the UDA firebomb your house and put a bullet in the head of your partner. I would never have laughed at anybodys genuine misfortune - quite the opposite. And make no mistake that is what chocolate has done. Taken jokey references to my divorce, or my forthcoming kid (he based it on the fact that I said I had put a cot up at the weekend for E*Gs sake) and made the nastiest comments possible. After what? A row about sophism for E*Gs sake when he himself had come in all guns blazing. So to those - and especially you, Bernard who was so pious about references to his own kids - who think that is somehow justifiable because I "bullied" him, I think you should take a long hard look at yourselves. It doesn't matter how much or how often I ridiculed his posts - that kind of response is utterly unacceptable. Frankly his homophobic posts should have been deleted and had they been repeated he should have been warned that the IP address had been noted as somebody who made a far less serious posting had done to them. I'm genuinely disgusted by the equivocal tone of people on this topic. As it is, I'm going into hospital tomorrow hopefully to see my son born well and healthy so in the end, none of this matters a toss.

AmericanGooner
Slavia Prague Slag LFC CL Inclusion
June 23, 2005

Once again, apologize for no link. I copied and pasted this.:Slavia Prague have complained to Uefa after Liverpool's late entry into next season's Champions League means the Czech side have lost their seeding. Holders Liverpool's participation could now see Slavia drawn against the likes of Manchester United in the third preliminary round. Uefa director of communications William Gaillard said: "We have had preliminary discussions and are seeking a solution. "We don't know what they want. They have only mentioned the seeding issue." He added: "They have not spoken about our decision allowing Liverpool back in to the competition." Gaillard also said a Slovakian team would lose their seeding because of Liverpool's entry. However, it is not yet known which side will be affected as their season has not finished. Slavia finished second in the Czech championship last season behind city rivals Sparta Prague. Liverpool finished outside the top four in the English Premiership and therefore were not automatically allowed to enter this year's competition despite winning the Champions League final. But a change in the rules meant they were given a place and all winners will now be allowed to defend their title.

bromley
June 23, 2005

Daz, I'm sorry to hear about your partner & baby - my partner is carrying a v.small gooner as well and I sincerely wish all of you all the best.

Daz
June 23, 2005

But you can interperet any further silence as proof that your "tactics" or "strategy" have worked a treat. Just be careful of the smell that remains attached to you when you "go nuclear" you miserable little specimen.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Niall, I've long ignored posts like the one Decaf made in response to my RvP story. You tend to see a pattern regarding such types. They rarely put themselves out there with any kind of original footie analysis because they can't risk being wrong and having people do the same to them that they do to others. Wrong or right, some of us at least have the courage to share our views at the risk of riducule, while some of us watch the world go by and comment from the safety of the sidelines.

Daz
June 23, 2005

Just so you know, chocolate, I've kept quiet because I've been sitting in Homerton hopsital watching them monitor my baby's heartbeat which was too high for several hours. Tomorrow my partner's having major surgery. Any E*G who can't see the difference between "distorting" your ridiculous and infantile posts and making references like yours to a baby due to be born in a few days because they feel sorry for themselves about "bullying" on an internet is worth jackshit.

david.d
June 23, 2005

nico i just read your post and indeed it is a brilliant post. thats what makes this forum , great posters like yourself all devoted to the arsenal family.

AmericanGooner
sorry..wishful thinking it would be RvN
June 23, 2005

it should be RvP of course! Talk about Freudian slips.

david.d
June 23, 2005

so how true is this story on arsenal mania???----Arsenal bid for SWP holding up Hleb deal Jonathan Chong Wednesday, 22 June 2005 12:34 PMLONDON (ARSENAL-MANIA) - Arsenal-Mania has learned that an offer for Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips is currently holding up the Hleb deal.With both players playing in the same position [on the right of midfield], it seems that Arsenal want to wait to see if Manchester City are willing to sell.Whilst the bid from Arsenal is considerable, there has also been an offer from Chelsea, and Manchester City are considering both bids.For his part, Shaun Wright-Phillips has indicated to the City board that he wants a move to Arsenal.WE will update this as we learn more

babu
June 23, 2005

I see it, but a few days ago all my posts vanished. But I know why, and having read the last few days posts I see that non-footy related topics seem a little strange, and pointless.So only footy now.

Niall
June 23, 2005

Do you see one there Babu? You were never stopped as far as I know.

babu
June 23, 2005

Niall, just want to ask , can I post again ??

Niall
June 23, 2005

Decaf - very good but you will not rile me with cheap shots like that. Suffice to say, it didn't take you long to start crying when JamesLT let loose on you. Why not practice what you preach? Now goodnight mate.

TOP GUN
June 23, 2005

Dont need to nescaf your mum swallows every last drop.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Well keep the tissues handy there, Top Hat.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

And finally, Niall, you keep making obnoxious references to Chocolate having got the better of people, yet you give no specifics. Your admiration for the little runt seems to cun to imitating his methods now. No doubt will you now either a) ignore what you don't like or b) fail to exercise volume control or c) something else. No doubt Choc would love to have your power of deletion and looking up past identity indescretions. He can only dream.

babu
June 23, 2005

Baptista has just come on for Brazil, and seeing as we`re linked with him as well I am sure that the signings will come after the confederations cup. AW is supposedly in Germany, so it looks good for Hleb, and Baptista does look strong and powerful. He would be plan B, or plan C, as we already have plan B sorted. Edu is coming on, why did he have to go ?? So sad, but I guess he has a life outside of footy, so respect and good luck.

TOP GUN
THE NESCAFE GOLDEN HANDSHAKE
June 23, 2005

nice post nescaf im actually doing one of your golden handshakes as we speak

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Toppy? And your squabble with me is very mature? I am sure there must be a forum for Lazenby fans somewhere. Beat it.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Not that Judge Deju "do what I say not what I vu" O'Sophist isn't looking a bit silly. But he isn't the only one.

TOP GUN
June 23, 2005

PS your a big girl who wets the bed ha ha!

Niall
Hleb
June 23, 2005

Promising news from Trappatoni: New Stuttgart boss Giovanni Trapattoni says he is prepared to let Arsenal target Alexander Hleb leave the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion.The talented Belarus playmaker is reportedly looking to follow Germany international Kevin Kuranyi out of Stuttgart.Arsenal have reportedly had an opening offer of £5 million rejected by the Bundesliga side, while London rivals Chelsea are monitoring the situation.Stuttgart purportedly want €20 million (£13.3 million) for the player, who has been on Arsene Wenger's shopping list for some time.Wenger's Stuttgart counterpart Trapattoni has now admitted that he does not necessarily want to keep a player that is unhappy at the club."Basically it is not a good idea to keep a player who wants to leave," said Trapattoni."The group is more important than any individual player but I still think that Alex would fit in well in our team next season."It's my job to consolidate the team and integrate new youngsters."Trapattoni also expressed his belief that Stuttgart would find an adequate replacement for Kuranyi, who joined Schalke last week.He added: "We are on the lookout for a decent replacement and I'm sure we'll find one."

TOP GUN
June 23, 2005

actually nescaf i'd rather watch a james bond film with george lazenby in it than get involved in a child like squabble.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Gee, American, I guess we should believe all that VP and his lawyer say now. After all, the previously little bit of dishonesty was just a small boyish fib wasn't it? Naturally he would lie about cheating on his wife but he would NEVER lie if he committed a crime. Great lawyerly and American pshyc 101 stuff too. Keep it rolling.

Niall
June 23, 2005

Actually Decaf, I haven't got any. I did once post as Burp but was caught out and repented. Any others I made clear right away were me. That is all.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

I eagerly await a list of all of your aliases, Niall. Wonderful feeling exercising power, isn't it? Funny thing about all of John D's aliases--none of them is impersonation. All are jokes.

Niall
June 23, 2005

Whatever Decaf!!

TOP GUN
June 23, 2005

cant believe ive just read a football related post!! big up yourself American Gooner!!

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Seems like a DNA test will prove they had sex. RvP lied about having sex and that is a problem. But he's married and most married men would deny it as well. Even a USA President might..haha..."..I did not have sex with that woman Monica Lewinsky..." Anyway, one would imagine there would be bruising and the sort. My guess is she was upset that they treated her like used goods and the prank (hidden clothes) was the last straw. She cried rape to get even. End of. The sad thing is this takes away from the legitimate cases. I have a female friend who was raped in college and I told her the story and she clenches her fist in anger over women who do that to get even because each time its made public it taints her story a bit.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Top Gun, I for one find the off season rumour mongering (read preening and showing off 'connections) deadly, deadly dull after about two days. This forum is all about petty squabbles. If you really have read EEG's and Choco's exchanges, and really don't find it a bit entertaining, I feel a bit sorry for you. However, I suspect that the real reason is that you wish you could do it!

babu
June 23, 2005

Robinho has just set up ronaldinho for Nr. 2. I would say he`s not bad, but like bromley says, 16-20 million, hmmm !!!American...I think we all want signings but we have to wait until Robinho`s gone, then all the others will fall into place. I don`t think that TH14 and JAR and Robinho and RvP would work, so I`m hoping for Torres, and Niemi and Hleb. Come On You Gooners !!! Robin Is Innocent !!

Niall
June 23, 2005

Forgot the a John, I was laughing so much. That would be aliases.

Niall
June 23, 2005

Ok quick IP check revels "Judge" JohnD that you are the following people: Judge John D; Deja Vu; lex e cographer; Miss Lucy; Phil O'Sofa; Sean O'Phist; Sylvain De Lyon; Sylvain (boy your brave John) u.moron (apt); Al Murray; Albert Knox; dsl; - quite a collection of alises John. Well done.

Judge Judy
June 23, 2005

That should be the b next to the n. We just can't stop laughing.

AmericanGooner
Article About RvN
June 23, 2005

Sorry about the length. I copied and pasted from another site. I don't have a link. Maybe Rotterdam or others can find it: RAPE-CLAIM ARSENAL STAR: I WAS IN HOTEL ROOM WITH THAT GIRLBUT VAN PERSIE DENIES HE ATTACKED HERFrom Alexandra Williams In RotterdamPREMIERSHIP footballer Robin van Persie has admitted checking into a hotel room with the former stripper who claims he raped her.The Tulip Inn in Rotterdam is 200 yards from the 21-year-old Dutch star's penthouse flat, where his wife was sleeping at the time.As Arsenal's Van Persie stayed in custody in the city yesterday, his lawyer Abraham Moszkowicz said of his accuser's story: "He is not denying he was in the hotel room. He is denying he raped her."Van Persie, who earns £25,000 a week, picked up the woman, known as Sandra, in a raunchy nightclub, it is said. The pair, together with two of the footballer's pals, then went to the £70-a-night Tulip.The woman claims she was raped in a bathroom there. Lawyer Moszkowicz says she complained about the behaviour of van Persie and his pals to the night porter and chef as she left the hotel early last Sunday - but did not allege rape. She is said to have claimed that one of the three hid her clothes - believed to be a black mini-skirt and shirt. Mr Moszkowicz said: "What I can tell you is that she met two people after what she is calling the rape, but she did not tell them that my client raped her or even mentioned the name of my client. "She was only saying that someone had played a kind of joke on her and stole her clothes. She was upset and not amused. "If someone is raped and you talk immediately after with two persons, you would ask for the police to be called but she did not do this. "She was only upset because of the fact that someone took her clothes." On the sex allegation, Mr Moszkowicz added: "She stated she was raped and stated how it was done. I cannot tell you any details." Pressed on a previous statement that Van Persie had "no sexual contact" with the woman, Mr Moszkowicz said: "I cannot comment about whether he had sex or not." He refused to be drawn on whether it was the woman who removed her clothes or one of the men. He said the ex-stripper, in her early 20s and part Dutch, part Surinamese, did not receive a payment from the men. Asked why his client went to the hotel with the woman, Mr Moszkowicz said: "Maybe to play football." Van Persie's legal team has set out to discredit the girl, saying she has a dubious reputation. When asked to describe her, Mr Moszkowicz said: "She's not the Queen of England." Last Saturday Van Persie - signed by Arsenal from Feyenoord of Rotterdam - and his pals visited dance cafe Hyper Hyper and went on to the Baja Beach Club, whose waitresses wear bikinis. They met Sandra there, then checked in to the Tulip. Van Persie's Moroccan wife Bouchra, 22, a student, is said to be standing by him. They married a year ago. A judge ruled yesterday that Van Persie stay locked up for another week in Nord Singel jail - over-crowded and more than 100 years old - while DNA tests are processed.

Judge Judy
June 23, 2005

Leave me out of this Niall: but don't think I don't recognize a craven cop-out when I see one. JudgeJohnD is pissing himself and EEG is complaining about the unlawful behaviour in chamners.

Decaf
June 23, 2005

Firstly this 'bullying' thing is very strange. I never heard Choco surrender or cry out for mercy or even concede that he was anything less than about 4-0 to the good. Secondly, behold, Choc, THEY are doing it now. This 'we' thing. Incontinence is catching. Rob K says: "We try to moderate the forum with a lenient eye ... "--but to err is human right? Like my post that was deleted for including the word 'work'? 9(albeit with asterisks). Niall, you are quite right in thinking that my games with choccy are for laughs and letting off steam. And despite my 'official position' choccy does score some great hits and has me in stitches almost continually. You should ask yourself whether you are applying the same attitude. Everyone who says anything against you is 'ridiculous' or worse. And its your loss if you close yourself off from funny exchanges like the sophistry one, or not to see the funny side with Cannon. Not so long ago you were a pretty dab hand at parodies too.

TOP GUN
tiredof readingnonsense.co.uk
June 23, 2005

Never read so much rubbish on a forum in my life, Chocolate Gooner & east end gooner should both be ashamed of themselves for their squabling. To be honest guys i dont think anybody actually reads your comments they just skip past and read the arsenal related posts. In the meantime the arse have been linked with swp for the first time this summer. i personally would sacrifice our entire summer transfer budget to get this player, he would add a whole different dimension to our play. Come on you reeeeeedss

Judge JohnD
June 23, 2005

Ah, FishBar - You must have missed my post on Dennis Compton and Arthur Milton. Too busy posting definitions on sophism I'll be bound - how come you got away scot-free with the reintroduction of sophism, a bit of help from Bernard admittedly? Since those days of the laced up, orange ball, leather studs with three nails that you hammered into ankle high boots and Reader's Digest used as shin pads I've sort of lost it somewhere along the way. As I'm sure you must have gathered from chocolate's mates……..Bernard: for the first time you had me concerned there. I've always thought you must be a bit of an expert on weird - see a lot of it at your conferences? Then I realised you were talking about something completely different, although, as usual, I'm not sure what it is.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

Rob K, I do want signings. I'd love to see SWP and Hleb looks good as well. I'm just saying that the worry over signing seems like its the excuse why we didn't win the title. As if we lacked certain types of players. We went a couple months this past spring conceding 1 goal, and no Henry and almost all wins. That is the quality I'm talking about. **** Bromley, that player is Borgetti, plays for Pachuca in the Mexican league I believe. Good player. On the downside of his career. I think he's about 32. He's a handful though, very tough. **** Anyone know if Henry is still injured? Also, when does France play next and if Henry is scheduled to be on the side? **** I doubt we get Guti. The link is from him wanting to leave Real Madrid and saying he likes the way we play. As far as I can tell, we have made no inquiries. There are tons of players, even good ones that would like to play for us or admire our style. Their publicly saying so, doesn't mean we'll buy them. So I doubt very seriously we buy him. He's an admirer of us and that's it.

Niall
June 23, 2005

No offence Judge Judy (would that be ok with you) but I'm not getting drawn into your clear obsessional behaviour any further. If you didn't like my opinion that's fair enough, (I wasn't really expectingt you to anyway) but I think enough people have expressed "concern" (to continue to be polite and restrained) over your fondness for saving down posts to the old hard drive for future harassment purposes - for you to take it on board. I think the pin pricked pretty accurately on this occasion John. But you are right in one aspect. Chocolate was right about you on quite a few occasions. Now I'll leave you to it.

Irish Brian
toomeybr@gofree.indigo.ie
June 23, 2005

hi fellow gunner fans whats happening? is this forum turning into a mud slinging contest?not what steve would have wanted!lets talk facts not fiction,and Wenger knows what he's doing!we ain't signed nobody yet!but Arsene is a genius,and why doubt him?anyone out there like someone else in charge?I don't think so!the man has turned us round.

bromley
June 23, 2005

American, thanks for Guti info. Basically agree with you re transfers, lets hope some of the young breakthrough players don't suffer from difficult second season syndrome. Big hopes for Quincy like lots of others - he's got to be Bob's replacement should he go to Valencia.

bromley
June 23, 2005

babu, I've watched the Brazilians and am pleased to see our Gilberto getting a rest on the bench. Robinho didn't look all that to me. Good, but 16-20 mill? Liked the Mexicans though - their big cf looked like a Blackburn-type of signing.

Rob K
June 23, 2005

American - good scouting I imagine AW will sign of few unknowns like that. However, I dont agree we dont need strenghtening. It is precisely our lack of quality depth that means we are vulnerable when we do have injuries. But you are well into the RTS brigade to think we are really top 3-4 in Europe. We may like to think we are but we are not. What evidence is there that we are better than Barca, Chelsea, Milan, or even Juve, Inter, Real? (I'll give you Bayern, PSV & Man U).

babu
June 23, 2005

Good grief, call this an Arse forum ?? Cheer yourselves up, please...http://www.upthearse.net//contents/kpp/punch.asp? Now my take on Guti...smokescreen for Hleb. I read that Hleb has a 22 million euro buy-out clause in his contract, so I see a sticking point, but we will get him, and as soon as Robinho signs for real then the other pieces will fit into place, meaning owen off somewhere, and then the rest fitting into the adjustments that the other teams have to make. Talking about footy (strange, I know), who has been following the confederations cup ?? No-one...great. Well that`s that topic finished. I see Clive Woodward (lions coach) is going to Southampton F C, and wants to become manager some day. The mind boggles !! No forward passes, only "up and unders", rucking and mauling, scrums , maybe he should go to blackburn. Now I`m going to watch Brazil v. Japan, hope that Nippon win. 3rd min. Nippon "goal" disallowed for off-side, quite clearly NOT. I am sick of football !!!!!!!!! Now you can see this one...http://www.upthearse.net//contents/kpp/punch.asp?target=cole. Bugger it, I`m going to play FIFA 2005 on my PS2, more "real" than the crap we`re force-fed these days. Just a quick point, a mate told me that according to dutch law you can`t get bail for a rape charge, so I think it really was set up, as whatever the outcome it will disturb Robins pre-season. Don`t underestimate the hatred that Ajax fans still have for him, and all that goes on in that scene. Robinho has just scored a nice goal, set up by Ronaldinho, shit, I`m off to my PS2.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

I'm not worried about transfers. We'll get a couple players and chances are they will be quality. We didn't lose the title last season because of a lack of quality at any particular position. We had injuries (Silva, Edu for example) and a loss of confidence (at OT). Yes, Chelsea will strengthen their squad and we need to tweak ours as well. The emergence of Fabregas and Senderos is tantamount to strengthening the squad during the season and their emergence will pay huge dividends this coming season. The present side we have, when healthy, are still one of the top 3 or 4 clubs in Europe. Whether Hleb, SWP or whomever comes or not, we're still the class of the league. **** Eskimo, could he learn to play in the PL? Pires and a host of others changed their game to adapt. Reyes is learning to change his game as well. Alonso and the spaniards at LFC have changed their game as well. The PL is Darwinian. Adapt or die. **** bromley, Guti plays right attacking midfielder and I've also seen him subbed on as a striker as well.

AmericanGooner
June 23, 2005

I saw the Italy v. USA U20 game. We lost 3-1..looked uninterested but resuming my role as unofficial Arsenal scout (if anyone sees Steve Rowley tell him to call me please :) Italy has this big striker named Pelle. Yes, it sounds like the Brazilian by a similar name. He's big like Rooney. I think only the keeper was taller than him on the pitch. We had a lot of trouble with him. He scored one of the goals. Can dribble well in close quarters. Good ball control for a guy his size but could work on his finishing. With some work he could be pretty good. Plays for a serie B team I think. Their keeper, don't have his name was very good. Our goal was scored on a PK that was twice taken. He guessed right both times and got a hand on the ball that scored. Very quick.

Gunfire
June 23, 2005

"Actually Mr Pat O'Gungunge i do not dredge uo posts from last year,what i said about you was that i had been receiving posts from you since Euro 04" Now Can of Mickey Duff's Balls I may be wrong but this year is 2005 which makes Euro 04 last year. Do try to keep up.

Bernard
June 23, 2005

EEG, I was surprised you mentioned me sayingtrading of insults, maybe because someone else said I said that yesterday. I didn't think I had though. In fact I've made the point that Chocolate's comments about Daz's sexuality and unborn child were not nice (however I worded it) and I think that's been accepted by just about everyone here (hear, Mee). But Daz's obsession I do think is unhealthy. Do you think it is healthy then? I also think you're wrong about Niall's thoughtful comments about Judge. If he is deja vu, he is wierd. How else would you describe copying one person's posts in a separate file to bring up years after they were posted. And even if deja vu isn't the Judge, then whoever it is I still think is wierd as to me, that very firmly represents wierd behaviour.

chocolate gooner
June 23, 2005

EEG … please for heaven’s sake, just shut it. I pretended to ignore Daz… oh yeah? And how do you “actually” ignore someone then you prat? Care to give me a lesson in actually ignoring someone on the Internet? Weren’t you the one who was telling me to speak to him, at the time, because it was rude to ignore people and how it wasn’t in the right spirit to ignore people on the forum? So how does what you said then square with your customary bombastic pile of manure now? If I ignore him … I’m only pretending to ignore him… if I don’t ignore him I am seeking attention… Care to explain? Logic has never been a strong point of yours, has it? Weren’t you the first person to pipe up when I first told Daz that he was a bully all those moons ago. You can’t have it both ways… if I have to deal with an idiot who has no scruples and whom I have made it clear that I have no wish to deal with then I should be allowed to deal with him in my own way and on any topic that I feel comfortable with… you can’t draw any lines when you ask for a war. I don’t like Daz… I never have and only an idiot could have failed to spot it. So for me to have to deal with the incessant unwanted and quite frankly creepy attention of a particular individual is okay if you want me to but you can’t then legislate for how I deal with it. And there is no reason why I’d have to have my posts distorted by an obsessive bully who seems to post for no other reason but to have a go at “chocolate” and who not only wouldn’t face me on his own but who corrals a whole bunch of misfits and numbskulls into his posse and who litter the forum with nonsense. I didn’t ask for your help and I see no reason to…. I’ve dealt with it. You may not like the way I chose to deal with it but I have no reason to accept your morality or your quite limited insights… and please stop misquoting what I said… I said that I WASN’T going to stop posting on account of an idiot’s twisting what I might have said but I would welcome being banned if that was what it took to get the freak off my back. That’s it…. psychological insight? you’re too thick mate. And why do you feel the need to defend him always any way? The last time you told me that he’d made a mistake but that it was only technical… only technical?? When has anything on here been anything but “technical”. You piped up on the religion thing with a stupid intervention, and on and on it goes… You are too confused to start moralising so please… BELT UP. Cheers.

bromley
June 23, 2005

Having seen very little of Guti (once or twice on the telly), can anybody tell me what his usual position is, and whether he's good enough to spend a large wad on - the prices mentioned seem a tad extravagant to me. Couldn't see us spending more than about 5 mill on a squad player. Personally, I'd love to see SWP arrive and also think we could do with another experienced GK & defender as Pascal & Almunia clearly aren't up to it.

Dadubliner
June 23, 2005

the thing is there's very few things to comment so far(apart from van persie, which i'd rather not discuss) ... quite a very boring summer indeed.

Arsenal Fish Bar
June 23, 2005

JJD - Although not always agreeing with your sentiments I tend to find your posts witty, and enlightening, shafts of light in a sometimes muddy pool. However, scrolling back through your numerous recent daily missives I can’t seem to see when you last said something at all about Arsenal Football Club – or football related issues in general. This observation of course can be directed to several forumites, but your views and thoughts would be a welcome sight to ole fish eyes >O

Hong Kong Gooner
June 23, 2005

Could someone please have a quiet word with Arsene and tell him that a big name signing brings a lot of cheer to at least a few of the supporters, me included, in the close season.

Judge JohnD
June 23, 2005

Niall: it was just to show that he didn't always get things wrong. But you on the other hand. I guess I know all the replies before I start - just like Bernard you like to post attractive sounding put-downs when cornered, that are water off a duck's back, but you are not too impressive with the accuracy of your pin pricks - maybe you need an archive to help you out? Check back the recent postings and you will see that I did not engage chocolate, he has, to be fair mostly ignored me, but his was the first challenge, as is usual. Nothing I said suggested you were a huge supporter of an archive, or implied that - just tell me if you are, or are not, involved in the new site and if, or not, an archive has been mentioned as a benefit. When was your first posting on W/L/G - when was the last? 'Judge' is not a self-imposed sobriquet - it was handed down by guess who? I've always assumed it was a reference to the similar sounding TV character - do you get anything right? I've never understood the vexation with the Mr Vu issue. You and chocolate have your theories, I only ever post from the same SP and the same PC, it's all easy really. Neither of us have ever posted slimeball comments, resented confrontation or those less than withering put-downs, or failed to explain ourselves without resorting to misrepresentation, plagiarising and yes, all right, a bit of piss-taking. If that's "haughty and cowardly", and chocolate has just posted comments that are " pretty low calibre" then I think you have a big problem with your moral radar. So what's the point - and I don't mean the cinema in MK. Did you take the malevolent comment to be addressed to you? It, unambiguously, was linked to the village idiot - but I can understand your mistake. I see a clear picture unfolding here of sympathy for the sad loser - which I mentioned earlier. Well, you can remain restrained in your views on his vile posts and feel self-satisfied at describing them in slightly less critical terms than my own - and then blame it on me because it is the old semantic Judge. I'd rather be a Daz lickspittle any old day than what you are.

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

Aah! Bisto is back now to join in the fun, you must have got out of the KFC early today it must be hot in this weather all of that smelly frying! Hows things down the 'lane that time forgot' another season when the only sight the supporters get of playing in Europe is playing football on the beach on their holidays !

Nico
June 23, 2005

EEG, hear, hear, I love being known for all sorts of things on here, but what beats everything is Judge JohnD referring to me as a latter day 5th century B.C beardscratcher. Love it, and it show's he's got a great sense of humour (why are people on his back, by the way?), because there are times when I've got as much socratic (or should it be S-ocratic?) wisdom as a mosquito! Or a mollusc! Or even an amoeba! The trick is to try to maintain a lighthearted spirit on here. The banter, the apparent abuse, the ribaldry - it should all be taken with ease, so long as it remains tasteful and doesn't go below the belt. Also I agree about Daz, he's preeeetty open about himself on here, which, for a person posting on an internet forum (scripta manent and what have you), is quite a gutsy thing to aspire to.

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

Actually Mr Pat O'Gungunge i do not dredge uo posts from last year,what i said about you was that i had been receiving posts from you since Euro 04 in your own semi-illiterate and inimitable style. So i will ask you again Patrick,Sean or who ever you are what handle were you using on here prior to last December when you popped up calling yourself Gunfire,and not forgetting Gun-Gun???. Woot! talk about seperated at birth!!!!

East End Gooner
June 23, 2005

Sorry Niall but Chocolate put himself in the position for all of this. He WANTED it whatever he might now say. That he cant HANDLE it is his own problem. He wanted to be a central character on here and adopted a persona and style that made that likely. He absolutely LOVED being spoken of in his absence. And do you know what, he is not alone. I like being known on this forum. Simple things like the shortening of my chosen name and the use of it in a form of swearing censorship all pander to my admitted ego. That probably makes me sad but in that I am joined by others. My views expressed on here are often more forthright than necessary but that is what I am recognised for on here and it creates a reaction. But I set myself up for it and have to accept what happens. I know Daz well enough to know that if at ANY time Chocolate had said "you know, I cant take this. I am not up to the game and this is affecting me" he would have stopped. He pulled out VERY quickly yesterday when he realised the bloke had gone postal. Not because of what was said but because of what IT said about Chocolate and his state of mind. But Chocolate never asked for it to stop (even if he pretends ignoring Daz was part of that - what a bunch of arse) and he aint doing it now. You talk about cowardice but he hasn't the b*ll*cks to say "ok, I was very much a part of it but have decided I cant take it" so he goes on a nasty and self-destructive streak. HE cant back out so he changes the rules to suit him and you ARE pandering to it by giving it an understanding and justification it doesn't deserve. I mean earlier he said he didn't want to post but would never voluntarily stop so he welcomed me getting him banned. That aint normal. Maybe now at least people realise that.

Bernie
June 23, 2005

All the arguements on this forum seem to revolve around cannonballs.I wonder why ?

Gunfire
June 23, 2005

"But i find your recolections of such trivial minuter over a long period of time to be obsessional and er..frankly rather odd." This from the guy who dredges up last years posts to justify his own rantings. Mr. Kettle have you met Mr. Pot?

Niall
June 23, 2005

EEG: Clearly nobody is defending Chocolate's personal postings to Daz over the past two days. I don't think anyone is pandering to him, but I think it's clear that some people have the feeling that the forum is almost becoming "Chocolate Coated." Even when he's away for a few weeks there are many many references still made to him (not all abusive I may add but enough to keep him in the spotlight) and that there are more than a few people whose main purpose seems to be to get stuck into Chocolate as soon as he makes an appearance, not caring whether they hide behind alias' or not. Some of those same people are rarely spotted when there is no chocolate pudding to be had for desert!! I've already indicated to Chocolate that I felt many of the postings I read addressed to him were an attempt to "question and scrutinise" and that in many ways his posting style is responsible for much of the reaction he gets. Actually, if Chocolate lightened up and opened up, I think he'd have it much easier but anyway. I think that is a pretty fair summation to be honest. I think the Deja Vu postings are a clear attempt at humilation and ridicule and it's happened so frequently to be considered cowardly. At least some stick to their own handle, which makes a big difference to "the game."

East End Gooner
June 23, 2005

And I should add to that, that I have always felt what came from Chocolate before to be part of the game too. People like Daz, JohnD, Cannonballs, you Niall, myself and many others have put themselves up for it with many different people and on that basis have to accept what comes their way - within reason. Chocolate strayed outside most people's sense of reason and is being ****ing pandered to like some victim of schoolboy bullying when all the while he has been running around the playground slapping people on the back of the head.

East End Gooner
June 23, 2005

Oh stop being so ****ing pious about the Judge and Deja Vu? It is humourous. Especially as Deja Vu came to the fore not of his own accord but in response to Chocolate denying he has said certain things or slightly altering the phrasing when "recollecting" it. This debate is annoying to me because it is making this all seem tit for tat. It isn't. The rest has been fair game whether it is to your personal taste or not. Chocolate's outburts were not and this lily-livered portrayal of him as some kind of victim is ****ing pathetic. Nico had some fair points but the big problem is that at all times Chocolate has been seen to be a fully willing participant and more often than not instigator in all of this. Then he lost it and went over the edge. Simple as that.

Rob K
June 23, 2005

My rough translation of dutch press on RVP matter. THe case against it is being reported that the stripper in the RVP case isan Ajax fan and apparently her boyfriend was sentenced as part of the mob that attacked RVP. Further RVP's lawyer apparently has evidence that she has changed her story twice. According to RVP's mates RVP wasn't paying her any attention at all. Meanwhile the stripper gave a frontpage interview with the leading newspaper and almost as if they were launching a PR campaign her mother explains that she is a lovely girl and had just gone to the hotel room because she thought they were going to have a party. She says she's a young girl and surely I cant forbid her from going out the house. The case against - her family are asking why he had to hire the country's best laywer Moszkowicz if he is innocent. The mother says 'the police saw with their own eyes what happened. The boys left he behind in the hotel. Without clothes.' Also the club owner denies she is that kind of girl.

Niall
June 23, 2005

I don't see the point of you repeating a quote from Chocolate Gooner to me from February in 2004 John. If you can't see just how ridiculous that appears given that those type of knock about insults have been thrown about ad nauseum on this forum for quite some time, then I'm beginning to understand some of the reasons why you appear to have lost your sanity in an attempt to chase someone over a forum cos he's hit a raw nerve with some of his barbs. Secondly, your comment was not valid as you clearly suggested that I was a huge supporter of users having the ability to look up archived postings on the new forum when I am not. As for your comments on Wiltord/Ljungberg and Grimandi, I think there is a clear case of the fact that they were A: relevant to Arsenal at the time and B: involved a lot more people than just myself. Considering JohnD, that Deja Vu's postings and your postings hiding behind aliases or taking the haughty and rather laughable self imposed title of "judge" - have no relevance to Arsenal, are plainly an attempt to ridicule and humiliate through the cowards favoured highway, often have no relevant context but an obvious dislike for an individual and considering they are rolled out almost as soon as Chocolate posts - distinguishes those comments as far more malevolent than any of mine on the virtues or lack of, Arsenal's number eight don't you think!! I am not here to defend Chocolate's postings and it's obvious you have an issue with him. However, I stand by my opinion stated earlier on both Deja Vu and also the fact that you taking issue with the word "tragically" is a semantic gesture. The fact is I was clear both were pathetic in my opinion and it's not something I particularly want to continue to debate, thanks.

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

Recollections,i will be glad when we get the spell checker back i have had enough of having to keep doing this! But it saves someone the trouble of posting to point it out.

Cannon Balls
June 23, 2005

Judge,what you so graphically describe in such detail what it was that Chocolate said may well be true. But i find your recolections of such trivial minuter over a long period of time to be obsessional and er..frankly rather odd .

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 23, 2005

New Redcurrant kit just arrived and hidden for my son's birthday. Will check it tonight and let you know its qualities. Checkout the arsenal.com site for team photo in old/new kit and save it as wallpaper... looks brilliant. Especially look for FABREGAS in his flat cap!

Judge JohnD
June 23, 2005

"It’s always the same… you log on to find some twerp having a go at a post they don’t understand and when caught they start twisting… this time it’s Niall. How stupid is this question from Niall?… chocolate gooner/Feb09 2004"……Niall my first point did not say that you were the mover of that feature; that, obviously, was not the issue and perhaps you can inform us if this has, or has not been, highlighted in reviews of the proposed format? I.e. my comment is valid. As with Mr Balls' observations, I get a little light headed at getting lectures on when a subject has passed its sell-by date from one who could start a fracas in an empty room at the mention of Wiltord or Grimandi or Ljungberg………Any suggestion that chocolate is some innocent who is being bullied is such a ludicrous notion it can only come from commentators who don't know the genesis of the relationships, have forgotten, are just lazy and take the line of least resistance or have their own agenda. chocolate's abuse initiated any sparring that has ensued, has been far more wide-ranging than any thrown in his direction, far more spiteful, far more random, far less humorous and on many occasions based on fraudulent postings. Because what he gets back is more thoughtful and tends to call his absurdities to account, he likes to play the persecuted fool for effect and to resort to that good old standby of blaming the messenger. Clearly this has its adherents, it's so much nicer to feel sorry for the village idiot and forget the malevolence, when the alternative is some smart arse you have been crossing swords with down the years. Hence we get, the description Mr Vu's postings - and I admit to knowing the identity but in true choco fashion reserve my right to protect that from any further disclosure - as "tragically pathetic" and chocolate's seemingly vile comments as "pretty pathetic" in the space of a couple of lines. When this is remarked on as exhibiting a strange moral priority from the self-styled peacemaker, it is excused as semantics on my part. Well, I do think that is tragically pathetic and a lot more that I will restrain from posting..

RichardE
June 22, 2005

If the SWP story is true it makes sense on a couple of levels. Firstly it explains some of the noises coming from Hleb and his club, as they could be worried it's going to fall through. Second, Arsenal would be a much better fit for SWP as he can look at our team and know he's going to play as many games as he's fit for. That's the greatest part of Arsene's recruiting, he rarely seems to buy players he doesn't need unless they're development projects which are another of his trademarks. Compare that to Chelski and their player collecting ways and it's easy to see which is more attractive to a prospective player. Of course the tie to his dad helps too.

JamesLT
June 22, 2005

Has anyone got the new kit yet? Is it as good as it looks online? Normally I'm Mr Toffs with the old retro shirts, but I might make an exception this time. I reckon this could be our all-time best-selling home shirt...

Dadubliner
June 22, 2005

inri2000, i only saw the second half actually... it is true we have a few good players coming from lyon (malouda, abidal),but overall we're really average. what i've seen is france-israel 0-0, france-eire 0-0, france-poland 0-0, france-sweden 0-0, france-switzerland 0-0 and israel-france 1-1, wow 7 draws and 1 goal in 7 games against average teams(sorry niall), that means we're average to say the least...

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 22, 2005

OK...add DIARRA (Lyon) to the list!

inri2000
June 22, 2005

Dadubliner, did you see the game against Hungary? I thought the first half was one of the most technically excellent and athletic displays I've ever seen with the young Lyon players impressing especially. Do you disagree?

Niall
June 22, 2005

Thanks for that description James, though I would suggest that Toto Schillaci isn't a name to aspire to (one world cup excepted - and one against the Irish the ****)!!

Dadubliner
June 22, 2005

funny how the german are rebuilding a very efficient young team while we french are doing so bad. domenech even said astrology can help him picking the right team...yeah he's right we'll need a f...ing miracle to qualify with him in charge...

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 22, 2005

So after reading through the cat-fight (please get each other’s email addresses and go offline!!!) we are going to replace EDU with HOBBS (£100 cash), HLEB (£8m), SWP (£18m), PODOLSKI (£4m), BAPTISTA (£6m), RAMOS (£8m) and any keeper. That should cover our £50m budget for Summer 2005 & JANUARY 2006…… PHEW, SORTED! James: let us know when they all arrive off the bus for the medicals!

harlow steve
June 22, 2005

Never be afraid of change, welcome the new all singing all dancing forum and the chance to see me with the prem trophy... Also, think of the lads warrior, niall, robK etc, giving their time to set it up and police it, so the rest of us can discuss Arsenal... Like I truct Wenegr with all things Arsenal, I'm sure the boys who run this site know best, though I would suspect Juliano on board would make sense....

JamesLT
WARNING: FOOTY-RELATED POST
June 22, 2005

DADUBLINER: Yes, you're absolutely right. Bayern will almost certainly get the first chance to buy Podolski. Maybe the only exception would be if he had a great World Cup and someone like Chelsea offered a ridiculous fee to Cologne to get him. The player himself though is a huge Cologne fan and they have a tradition of one-club players (similar to Arsenal) with major names like Wolfgang Overath spending their entire career there. Podolski is also a very good friend of Bayern's Bastian Schweinsteiger - another reason to join Bayern unless Herr Pig-climber joins Chelsea as has been rumoured...

Niall
June 22, 2005

JohnD - On your first point - you don't know the entire story behind the "new forum" so I would suggest it is unwise to entangle yourself with me on a moot point such as that you just raised. However, to give you some sort of a reply, I have never felt the ability of the new forum to archive posts was one of it's biggest selling features. If you have any of my quotes saved down to drive C there (I do have a vague recollection of some Eskimo nonsense so there has to be a chance given your reference at the end there), I'd suggest you would struggle to put my name to any posting that talked up the potential in that aspect of the new design. Secondly, given that the manner in which you post "recollections" of Chocolate's previous postings in an attempt to ridicule long after the debate has finished (when surely you had your chance to point score?) under an alias of Deja Vu (plus the numerous other ones you have used in an attempt to humiliate Chocolate) - I think the description is perfectly apt. That is of course, if you are Deja Vu which I note Bernard asked you sincerely and you have as yet to respond to. As for your second question - I have to ask and your point is? I think I was pretty clear that my opinion was that both the recent actions of Chocolate, plus the Deja Vu efforts were pathetic - so splitting hairs over a word (especially when coming from what could be termed a "repeat offender") is dealing in semantics I would say. But then maybe that's where you get off.

Rob K
rob@instantmi.com
June 22, 2005

Niall is absolutely correct. We try to moderate the forum with a lenient eye but will intervene if there is abuse (racial, sexuality, religious etc) or unacceptably offensive language (if you dont sail close to the wind you wont have to find out where the dividing line is). Thats it. If your issue is something other than that take the advice Steve gave to the whingers either ignore it or go elsewhere. If you do have a a genuine issue by all means email me but not if its just finger pointing. Otherwise, lets get on with the time-consuming task of creating gossip to fill the void of the summer break.

Judge JohnD
June 22, 2005

Niall: two points, a] how come you are involved with other webmasters around here at selling the benefits of a new site design where one of the biggest opportunities being highlighted is the virtual archiving of every contribution that has ever been posted in order that they can be recalled for subsequent review yet, when I do it, free of charge, it is " tragically pathetic"? b] here are just three of chocolate's requests from early 2004; " show me a distortion, you liar… " show me a quote where I said.." " show me where I said what you claim I said.. " What's wrong with acceding to his requests pointing out his lies or his contradictions, or trying to understand his nuances? Nice to see, that like Bernard, you have your priorities in order. Whilst chocolate's latest actions are making him look pathetic, or pretty pathetic, JohnD's posts on the forum are tragically pathetic. I suppose those Innuits in Belfast make it difficult for you to retain a sense of proportion.

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

Fair enough Niall. I really have nothing more to add. Cheers. … … … … … Nico, let me say a very heartfelt thank you… to you. The issue is one of fairness, if someone is fair and reasonable then you can have a fair and reasonable discussion but if they are not, then you either up sticks or you fight back. I have tussled with a fair few people on this forum including you and even Bernard … and at the end of it all people move on. I don’t mind being insulted (it would be truly silly to mind that) … Mee has had a fair go and I’ve held my peace because I had no wish to widen the nonsense. I can see the point of a joke as much as the next person and inevitably on a forum like this where we only use words and have no other contact… there are misunderstandings. You made me an offer of tickets, which I couldn’t accept because I had another engagement, tempted though I was to accept, and the fact that you then used this offer of tickets, which I politely declined as a running gag at my expense, brought a response. That is my recollection. I was never rude to you when you offered me tickets and I also remember that there was some ‘saying’ that you inserted into the offer which made me suspicious of your intent but I genuinely had no option but to reject your offer. I even think that I asked you to remember me next time around or some such. I’m not exactly flush and going to matches often costs me a lot but I’m not complaining because I’m very satisfied with my lot in life …. But this thing with this guy was always different. You may well like him but I don’t and any way it doesn’t matter now. Let’s hope there’s peace, although I have my doubts. Cheers. … … … … … … … … Cannon Balls, you are entitled to your opinion and I have to respect it but humbly disagree. No offence. Cheers. I have a lot of work to do so …Me gone. Cheers all.

Chippy's Chisler
June 22, 2005

Jake, there is plenty of time. The transfer season is like a line of dominoes the first one needs to fall before the rest follow on (God I sound like Myles). AW has a number of options and will not move until he has the right player at the right price. Personally I feel it is more important to extend those contracts entering into the last 2 years like PV4, TH14, Gilberto and Cole. Stability of our spine is vital. One or two class signings a bonus.

Dadubliner
June 22, 2005

Jameslt, i read a few days ago that bayern are after podolski, so there's few doubts he will sign for them this year or the next one, right?

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Oh dear Gungunge the expression it sounds Orish to me is not a racist remark!did you ever receive a formal education on any sort? Or perhaps a sense of humour is absent and a strong with instead a very strong nationlistic fervour in place of it? It's a shame that you don't practice what you preach squire about other races, especially the ones that get a result against your boys in green and live near the med eh?! Those crafty foreign French had bettter watch their step eh? we can't have Henry throwing a spanner in the works can we now!!! it could be la chanson des rues time in Paris when they play you! Just thought i would cheer you up a little. Oick!

JamesLT
WARNING: FOOTY-RELATED POST
June 22, 2005

NICO: That was a monumental post, determind, gritty and a true feat of endurance. It brought back memories of Dixon, Bould, Adams and Winterburn grinding out clean-sheets in the face of all adversity. I think you've summed up the situation perfectly though. A lot of fans (myself included) get carried away with the idea of who we might or, even worse , who we should buy - we're all armchair or terrace managers after all. You're probably totally right though that Wenger has a much calmer, more relaxed overview and is more focused on keeping what he has and maintaining the stead progress of the youngsters. OK, if a good player becomes available at the right price he'll think about it, but nothing more. (Having said all that, maybe we'll call a press conference tomorrow to unveil Hleb, Batista and SWP!)... ... ... NIALL: "Gaelic Buddha" is a cool title, that one might stick. Just think, we could also have Dalai Daz - wise, serene, universally-loved and never getting embroiled in petty arguments, Cardinal Chocolate - taking a hard, but reasoned line on misdemeanours Spanish Inquisition style, and maybe Ayatollah John D, issuing a fatwah against innocent writers simply exercising their right to free speech, such as Cardinal Chocolate... ... ... NIALL: Podolski is starting to look a real talent. He had some brilliant moments in the Bundesliga the season before last, although his team Cologne were relegated. Then this season he has been tremendously prolific in the second division, but there were still question marks as to how good he really was and if he could do it at the top level. His recent games for Germany have been very good though. His arrival at the top level is similar to Michael Owen's before his first World Cup. Podolski is quick - although not so freakishly quick as the young Owen - and, unlike Owen, he has quite good awareness and can play others in if he doesn't have a sight on goal. Germany 2006 will be a big test, but Podolski seems almost nerveless and thrives on pressure. Klinsmann has had a lot of criticism in Germany, but his decisions are starting to make sense. Germany have a very young team, but they could still surprise a lot of people next summer. And in Podolski (with a lot of luck) they may find they have a Paolo Rossi or Toto Schillacci-like figure who suddenly starts scoring left, right and centre.

Vicky Crescit
June 22, 2005

Arsenal Mania is reporting that they have reliable information that the Hleb deal is being held up, while the Board wait for an answer from Man City on whether they will let SWP join us. Apparently, we have made a considerable offer (judged by normal standards) but Chelsea have also made an offer (which is likely to be huge compared to ours)but SWP favours joining Arsenal - of course! It looks like it will be Hleb or SWP but probably not both, if that is true.

Dadubliner
June 22, 2005

i do remember the good old days when most if not all your posts were about arsenal, wenger, footbal and tactics, and it was not only interesting but also quite funny... i do miss it big time... :-/

Jake Parker
June 22, 2005

Seeing as how we cant even negociate a deal for Jack Hobbs of Lincoln City. I'm not to confident about us getting anyone. I think we went for Hleb and ran after being quoted £12 milion. I reckon we have also been chasing Owen but Man Utd on that one. In about two weeks with no new signings, Wenger will come out and say that prices for certain players were far to high, have a right old moan about how Chelsea have inflated the market and then say something like "It's not new signings but the players we already have that are the most important". Sound about right?

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

I have to say Judge JohnD's posts seem restrained and thoughtful. I can't see why he is being dragged into the arguement. I like the plankism though. I wonder who will fill the father of role in this new philosophy.

Judge JohnD
June 22, 2005

Bernard: you might guess from my response to Mr Balls that I don't have censorious concerns with others views of me posted here and I find it very odd that you should express yours, then apologise for them or say they the opposite might just as well be the case - administratortalk? You can construe all you like and imply I'm a liar but the post in question started " Missed all that today whilst trying to fix a dodgy battery and a melted-down alternator." That might have given you a clue. And your mealy mouthed correspondence doesn't alter the fact that when I came on, the offending posts, I am still guessing here, had been removed - I have now seen this morning's effort and have it even clearer - but Niall's remarks were there, although their significance had not dawned on me. Daz realized I had not seen them and subsequently posted a run down, but I have to say that initially I just thought 'mad, bad, choco', didn't realise the true extent of his implosion and that a further trawl of the site would reveal all. Because I was running around with my own car and my son's at the time I was off here for a long period and I did not see them, or have their poisonous nature click in, until other posters started expressing their concern. chocolate seems to have a clear agenda to pollute the forum, apologise for his frustrated behaviour, solicit the support of those who sympathise with losers and have his detractors tarred and feathered as far as this Forum is concerned. He probably even suspected he might get an Exiled style, Ashley Cole open letter from you on the subject. And by the way, Daz wasn't the first to express disgust at PtG, he was the second, I was the first. It was impressive to see your restrained and measured reaction to this offensive outburst. Perhaps I should have realised that when I introduced the notion of Plankism and asked you to retain a sense of humour, I was making a futile request? By the way, it's been troubling me - how does he know what is being said about him if he is not around here? And what exactly has been said in his absence that excuses this response?

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

"to me it is a contridiction in terms or if you like 'Orish'" Yep, bigot to the core.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Chocolate,i posted that i was not taking sides on who was wrong between you and Daz on the Sophist debate,though i agreed with you on the Judges nasty posts which to me are unfortunately being reciprocated by the tone of your recent ones to Daz. I myself have had a few unpleasent posts from him myself but there is a limit to everything and i feel that you have crossed it. Perhaps it's time to draw a line through the matter and start afresh the debates - having made your points?

Nico
June 22, 2005

Chocco, would it help you to know that there are quite a number of people who sympathise here with you? I have myself been a culprit in terms of wanting to tease you and at times it's gone over the top and strayed into bullying territory and I confess that this was partly to play to a gallery, where I imagined Daz sat in pride of place (a role assignment which has perhaps been a little unfair to him as well). I apologise wholeheartedly for that (though not to phantoms like Abba Abud about whom I'm totally unrepentant). I hadn't, in the earlier days of attending this site (which has been the first, last and only one I've visited apart from Steve's Rumour Mill), realised how hurtful the written word on a forum can be, particularly when, as in most cases, you don't know the person you are addressing, yet one somehow assumes a big familiarity with him/her. I guess that's the power and the weakness of the internet all in one. Similarly, I don't believe that you could ever be accused of having bullied me, even when you amusingly called me a 'monomaniacal kook', to which I reacted badly at the time. Good for you, I say, for putting me in my place, as Daz did on the rape case (which turned out not to be so) many moons ago (when you kindly tried to support me). On the other hand, I do not feel your comments/allegations about Daz's sexuality or unborn child are in good taste, and I feel I should stick my neck out and say this now, agreeing with those who think they bear a distinct resemblance to PTG's remarks directed at Bernard. Let's keep things in good taste, if we can, and I see no reason why we can't. I have no allegiance to Daz. I don't know him but what I know of him I happen to like, because I enjoy his humour, many of his human observations and his use of language. I do not like it when it's deployed to hammer innocent folk like Juliano, but I take it that such things may happen when his mood turns foul, and I hope Juliano (who has been missing for some time, I hope not for that reason) has taken it the same way. I would counsel people to go with the flow on it and not feel hampered from posting because of his presence, which should also be welcome here for the same reason - he supports Arsenal (a lot). He has occasionally turned me over as well, but he has also shown me support, for example, in terms of correctly valuing what it means to me to have my offers of tickets at face value accepte. He has occasionally turned me over as well, but he has also shown me support, for example, in terms of correctly valuing what it means to me to have my offers of tickets at face value accepted or rejected graciously by people, something I feel you did not do those many months ago. Everyone else has been very gracious in accepting my offers (something I find easy), and it has given me tremendous pleasure to help Gooners go to games which at the best of times can be hard to get access to - you know how hard it is from all the stories you keep hearing - people buying houses near AG to get a season ticket, I mean I ask you! - never mind the massive season ticket waiting list. Anyway, what the heck, I can take most people's foibles and I hope most people can take mine as well. I just find it a pity that a poster and a warm hearted Arsenal fan (like the rest of us) who some of us find amusing, interesting and often perceptive could feel so defenceless as to need to resort to the type of stuff that you recently levelled at Daz. His obsession is/was unhealthy (and quite naked), but that's been accepted all round, including by him. Why on Earth should it stop you posting? Stick around and enjoy yourself; you should feel free and relaxed to do so on here. It's, after all, a common support for Arsenal which brings us all together here, as engineered so successfully by the late founder of the site.

Niall
June 22, 2005

Chocolate, two quick points. Firstly, I have no wish to be seen as "Chief knob twiddler" so to speak. The reason I volunteered to help out is purely because I enjoy the forum and wanted to help with it continuing on after the unfortunate early departure of Steve. I prefer not to be seen as that nor also do I think that it was my "intervention" that made Daz "shut up." Perhaps he is just being smart and not responding to insults that are seen by the majority of the forum as pretty low calibre? As for your issue with posts being questioned and scrutinised, I have to be fair and say that on most occasions I felt that is what was happening - though I hold my hands up and admit I never read any of the sophist stuff, nor the favela's in Brazil discussion you guys had so I'm not in a position to judge on all the issues of the day. I agree with you re: the daja vu stuff entirely and basically if you feel posts are abusive or being twisted then why not email: Rob or I to take a look at them, rather than making yourself look bad and diluting your position. I don't think there is a need to "gratuitously offend anyone" - on their personal life. I have no issues, nor do I expect do many, with the knock about insults dished out over football and other subjects that arise. Nobody can sort out your issue with Daz but the two of you to be brutally frank, but as I said earlier, take a step back before taking it too seriously.

East End Gooner
June 22, 2005

That is my problem Niall - Chocolate thinks it has worked when actually everyone is just edging away from the weirdo shuffling his hands in his trousers, partly out of embarassment and partly out of fear they might get hit with something. Your problem now is that who is to stop him doing it again or to stop someone else adopting the same "tactic"? Its a joke really. In the real world it would get you kicked in but Chocolate is a master at exploiting the anonymity of this format. Pathetic.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Summations!

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Well Gungunge i did not try to pull you up over your ludicrous post on the boring Judges musings, which you described to be 'erudite summantions' on your spelling, my own typing and spelling is often pooron here so it would be rather like the pot calling the kettle black. But it was rather the fact that the use of that phrase that you used bore no corelation to the reality of what the Judges posts are. I made a joke asking what does it mean is it Gaelic because to me it is a contridiction in terms or if you like 'Orish'. A summanation being a review of and coming to a final conclusion on an argument. Hardly something the the learned judges 'erudite' summimg ups produce, but rather that of an hung jury and a retrial. So ouch! you have caught your todger in the zip of your fly again squire! Also i will repeat it again i did not post the Mick Duff post,okay, if i did i would not have done one that so obviously could have come from me. My use of the word Duff being well known would give the game away. So what would be the purpose??? i could have posted something like that under my own handle it's obviously a wind up - but not one of mine. Again i advice you squire to grow up,and for Christs sake shut up!!!!!

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

Niall… if Daz continues to remain stum as you put it… that suits me fine. I have absolutely no interest in the guys personal life but I have a reasonable expectation to be allowed to post and have the actual content of my posts questioned and scrutinised. What is utterly unacceptable is to have what I say distorted relentlessly by the same idiot. And whatever you may feel about my “tactics” they have worked. You’ve intervened and he’s shut up. Long may it continue. As for the rest like I said before, that you are now chief knob twiddler doesn’t change the fact that during our run-ins you were mistaken to say the least. I have never ascribed an opinion to you that you didn’t hold. I have never done it. I know that you won’t agree but I have never ever done it. Any way I have to humbly admit that your post is fair and a lot fairer than I would have expected in the circumstances. I have no wish to gratuitously offend anyone but like I said… needs must. Let there be peace. Cheers.

tom c
June 22, 2005

Careful Chippy's, your don't want your post about Arsenal to interrupt all the bitching now do ya??

East End Gooner
June 22, 2005

Ah poor old Chocolate - are you feeling victimised? As I said before I have only once before intervened in any debate because only once before has the level descended so ****ing low that it impacts on those just looking in. So when should I have intervened with Daz? When has he stooped so low? In his "obsession"? And how did you want me to protect you on that? Other than that, I recall him suggesting you might stick a hamster up your arse from time to time. Now I dont know how near to the "knuckle" that actually was but I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that it wasn't based on any special level of insight. He has told the forum of my liasons with a thai waiter at the Bailey on a number of occassions but I am not unhappy that you didn't jump to my defence then. This is my point. You dont understand the difference in what you are saying. But you probably never will until you get out more. Your comments about Steve wash straight over me. You are the one who used to post your sycophantic nonsense so I thought I might remind you of your own statements. Nothing to do with Steve's memory. And telling me to "shut up" and calling me a "muppet" is similar. Seriously why would I care? Over a network connection? Its the self-awareness thing. Maybe ask Mandela how he dealt with the issues that confront you both.

Niall
June 22, 2005

Ok since this row seems to be tumbling into a second day then us well known peacemakers over in Belfast must step into the breach once again and sort out a mess created by a couple of Englishmen. Ok, now that I have successfully lightened the mood of my post here's my tuppence worth. Firstly, Chocolate your latest "tactic" of attacking Daz's personal life is seriously not on and is definitely not what the forum is about. It is also making you look pathetic and is taking away from the points that you feel you have in your favour - such as your claim to be being bullied and the object of an obsessed lunatic!!While the forum often thrives on little tete a tetes between differing characters (love you Mr Balls!!), rarely have I ever seen it's quality reduced to pathetic insinuations about people's personal lives - even more so when you think your attacks make absolutely no sense at all. Ok, Daz is divorced and has a new partner and is expecting to be a father soon. What is shameful about that? Absolutely nothing. Some marriages don't work out and the birth of a new life is only something to bring happiness and joy. To make an unborn baby the article of attack is sinking really low dude. To attack Daz's partner who doesn't post here - is also pretty pathetic. To accuse Daz of being "homosexual" when the evidence suggests very much the opposite just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. You may think this new tactic is smart Chocolate but I can assure you that it is far from that and with Daz remaining stum at the minute you are grabbing all the headlines for the wrong reasons. Also, I think many people like the fact that Daz is open about himself and his interests and enjoy his postings. When you give so little away about yourself, it makes it pretty underhand in my opinion to use that sort of stuff against him.However, I have got some sympathy for your case that Daz is obsessed with you and I think Daz would probably accept that himself. And I certainly support you in your case that the likes of JohnD with his saved posts of your statements, rushing to the forum every time you post is tragically pathetic. I have always got the impression that your ramblings with Decaf are light hearted in a way and anyway I think you have handled him with ease (no offence Decaf!!). I've also thought that you handled yourself quite well in some of your dealings with the aforementioned and certainly you got JohnD's back up which I would take as a compliment!! However Chocolate, you can't escape the fact that your posting style of abusing everyone's opinion most of the time, running away from debates when cornered and a penchant for builiding up arguments for people that they don't hold then attempting to knock them down doesn't help your cause. Anyway, in short, and I hope I don't receive a torrent of abuse now for trying to be even handed,I I think you are a good contributor to the forum for the simple reason that you are one of the few with the ability to spark off debates, I like being described as the Gaelic Buddah and maybe its time to stop taking it all so seriously. It's knockabout stuff and has no relevance to your life really, though I accept it is easy to get annoyed. Anyway, thats me...I'm off to duck for cover before the WOOSH!!

Gunfire
WARNING NON_FOOTY POST
June 22, 2005

Can of Balls (or Mickey Duff)I'll give you a small bit of advice (again!) because I feel a bit sorry for you. Never pull someone up on spelling and punctuation on the net for 2 reasons 1)It is an informal medium and does not have the strcitures of say academic writing. Therefore people who have lives, friends, jobs etc (I am taking a leap of faith in assuming you have at least one of these) don't have the time or willingness to check spelling and punctuation. You tried to pick me up on the spelling "summanations" when it was obvious I meant "summations" but you shot yourself in the foot by asking someone from a region in south west france to hit me over the head when what you meant (Again benefit of doubt) was a french waiter and 2) People who highlight spelling and punctuation errors are usually planks who can't find anything else to add to a topic and are trying feebly to get a dig in at someone. Anyone who drones on about arty-farty-pseudo-intellectual stuff is usually someone who is made to feel inferior by the topic being discussed. The best thing to do can of Mickey Balls Duffer is ignore said posts and work on your insults. I do detect a marginal improvement in that dept.

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

EEG… give it a rest. When was the last time you intervened in a spat involving myself and Daz and told Daz to tone it down… NEVER that’s when the last time was, and yet you choose to make a self-serving, biased and typically daft intervention and base it on SteveG’s memory. And you talk of low rent? I have never given a damn for your opinions on anything much and I certainly don’t give a rat’s arse for them now so please shut it, you muppet. For your information getting me banned is no skin off my nose… because Daz has made posting utterly impossible for me. I spend my time dealing with nothing but his idiocy… if not his then idiocy inspired by him. I don’t need your sympathy and I definitely don’t need your stupid advice… So please get me banned because what isn’t going to happen is for me to voluntarily stop posting. Geddit? Cheers.

East End Gooner
June 22, 2005

Chocolate - if you had just a tenth of the insight you think you possess, you would have realised the "put a sock in it" is a ****ing futile statement that means absolutely **** all to me. If I think you are a ****, I will say it and I will do so as many times as I fancy. So what are my vested interests then? That I prefer Daz as a character to you? Probably true but so what? What is the interest and how is it served by my comments to you? Think about it if you can. What do you think is my goal? To have you banned? As I said that wouldn't be good for me because the knockabout nature of this forum is its strength and you have never crossed the line in my debates with you and whats more I enjoy taking the piss out of you and seeing you make an arse of yourself for my viewing pleasure. So what else could be my goal? Who is going to serve my interest? I just think what you are saying is pathetic and disrespectful, not to Daz, but to everyone else and to the forum itself. Keep kidding yourself though. What surprises me most is that so many here are accepting of it. But I suppose that is the level of social-awareness you should expect from people who do most of their interraction via a modem.

Chippy's Chisler
June 22, 2005

Looking at the co-efficients used to determine Champions League seedings, it is important that we get a good run this year as we are very close to dropping out of the top 8 (we are currently 8th), down to 9th or even 10th. Being in the top 8 means we avoid the big guns though we could draw Juve, PSV or Lyon. Full list of coefficients at the end of this article....http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,1766_535432,00.html

East End Gooner
June 22, 2005

Bernard - I have to say I think it is piss poor that you are sticking to your misdirected comments about "unhealty obsessions" or a "trading of insults". When I think back to the outrage you showed when Phil The Gooner made comments directed at your family it is strange that you are trying to play the "above it all" role here. It doesn't matter what Daz did or said (except to the extent it exposed Chocolate's weaknesses). What has been posted by Chocolate over the last couple of days is at least as deserving of condemnation as the comments from PTG that had you spluttering all over the shop.

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

EEG … put a sock in it. You are not a disinterested party making an objective comment, are you? You are a forumite with vested interest, no? So please, please, please leave the advice scam alone. I’m not interested in your advice and quite frankly given that you have all the psychological insight of a mosquito, why should I? Good day. I have to keep coming back to deal with nonsense.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

There are some restrictions on Wenger meeting players on the M25: it doesn't have many service stations. There's one at junction 23 (the one for Barnet), but I'm struggling to think of many others. The M1 looks more sensible to me; lots of lovely service stations.

Chippy's Chisler
June 22, 2005

Or maybe its just a work of fiction but at least its a transfer related rumour.

Chippys Chisler
June 22, 2005

After all AW said about Chelsea meeting Cole in a hotel, maybe he should of met him on the M25, or maybe he has permission to meet him from Juve.

Niall
June 22, 2005

Hmm, would Wenger (reportedly in Germany) risk meeting Trezeguet in a London Hotel? Doubt it.

Chippy's Chisler
June 22, 2005

Sky Sports rumour mill reporting David Trezeguet was in London for 3 days last week and that AW met him twice. No sure about having another moody Frenchman but if TH14 wants him then go for it. http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=178319&CPID=&clid=&channel=football_home

East End Gooner
June 22, 2005

Chocolate - still raising the quality bar I see. Problem is you think you have stumbled on a tactic that works because no-one is stooping to the same level. Truth is your "insults" are laughably pathetic - a sort of playground bitch slap addressed at adults. My wife (go on have a go at her) had to deal with much worse from 7-year olds - though I have a feeling they might have had more understanding of what they were talking about. But the point is no-one else wants to demean themselves in response so its a "game" you are deluded into thinking you are winning. But that is by the by. You are a **** with not an ounce of self-awareness (which I suppose might be the only thing that sets you apart from Mandela) so none of that affects you. What is more interesting to me is the way you are prepared to soil the forum of someone you claimed to have great respect for. I dont want you banned because I am a rubber-necker and I am happy to watch you spread all over the hard shoulder but you know full well that Steve would not have accepted those comments. You are pissing on his forum and it is seriously unpleasant. I couldn't give a **** that the comments are aimed at Daz. He is big enough and no doubt ugly enough to handle them. What I care about are the comments themselves. As I say, only once before has this site descended to insults of a vile nature that offend not only those they are aimed at but the rest of the forum. Your protestations that your comments on gay people and AIDS and your insults directed not at the person you have issue with but at their partner are only relevant to that person betray either your stupidity or your low rent nature. Something tells me it is more the former (though you would love to pretend it is the latter). You just haven't the brains nor the social skills to understand where the lines are and what is different about your conduct. Please clean up the drool and other bodily fluids and do your best to return to at least your former level of "normality".

Bernard
June 22, 2005

Daz, I just think your obsession with Chocolate is unhealthy, however much Decaf may want to legitimise it. I'd be surprised if in reality you can't see it yourself. I can't see how it's good for you, or him. Decaf, I just think people should drink the wine they like and eat the food they like. And if someone likes fish and red wine, I don't see any problem in having them together. Judge, are you the person who posts under the deja vu handle (I'd imagine it's a common impression that you might be)? Because if you are and you seem to copy most of Chocolate's posts in a separate file to call up later, I find it very hard to believe that you had not seen what you refer to as Chocolate's particularly nasty comments (though that didn't stop you from getting the "gist of their content"), or that when you made your "comment about the SPs to Niall" you had "no idea of chocolate's poisonous allegations" (quotes in speechmarks are all your phrases). The fact is that I can construe your post as a comment on what chocolate had said and therefore I still believe my claim was legitimate (I accept I may be mistaken, but it is a 'fact' that I can construe your post in that way). However, if "no you can't" was a response to my request not to be asked any questions, I'm afraid I'll just have to disappoint you and respond less than you may want. I'm afraid I find you insufferably dull, tedious, pretentious and boring; and thus simply not worth communicating with. It wouldn't surprise me if you feel a similar way about me, so there's no great loss on either side as far as I can see. Hence I won't keep them coming as you asked, as I don't think you're worth the time or effort. Apologies for telling you what I feel like that, but as I said, I don't think it's a loss for either of us.

Eskimo
June 22, 2005

Charlie - not sure if Riquelme is a Premiership player, not because of ability but because of his style of play. He needs time on the ball, so would slow our game down and needs to be the biggest or one of the biggest players in the team to florish. That's one of the main things I noticed when he playing for Barcelona, he would be robbed of the ball or forced into a making a crap pass while thinking about his next move, or would make an excellent pass...but his team mate would have already left where he was standing. It made him look rubbish and dumb (the expression on his face didn't help either). However, if the oppo' make the mistake of giving him time, he will destroy them. I dunno what changed when he played for Villareal because he was still playing in Spain, I didn't pay enough attention, but I assume his team mates made sure that the other team's players were kept away from him, that they made the runs to match his passes and gave the ball to him whenever possible. That wouldn't happen at Barcelona (not when he's the 23 year old new kid anyway - maybe it would now), and I'm not sure it would/should happen with us either. Every ball has to go through him otherwise he won't be doing anything. I don't think he has much pace, however he has skill, a good shot on him and a good range of passes. I don't know what kind of person he is, he seems quiet, I've never seen him shout, but that could mean anything, he could be planning a murder for all I know. Also he must have a lot of personal worries 'cos he's looked like an old man to me ever since I started watching him play when he was around 20, but obviously Arsenal don't take looks into account otherwise we would never have signed Keown back when he left. He will be a great player for a team out there someday and I think he is more likely to drag a mediocre team into good times (must be why Spurs are trying to buy him) than visible improve an already great team at the moment, but obviously I could be wrong. I'd be surprised if he joined us and even after saying he wouldn't fit into our team, I'd be happy if we bought him (but would prefer Aimar) because he is very talented. *** PTBAG.

kiwipete
June 22, 2005

BogdanK .. contrary to what Richard E [ and apologies to Richard don't want another gunfight at the OK Corral ]says ..if you haven't seen a game of Aussie Rules you might be hard pressed to fathom what is going on...something like World War 3 without rules would be a fitting description and of the two league games Bulldogs [ always play attractive league ] v Tigers would be the better option. The Roosters are under performing this season and the Rabbitohs are awful. Gunfire ...maybe this percieved arrogance is part of the psyching up process which pervades modern sport humility and graciousness is thin on the ground these days. Who knows we will see if it was misplaced come Saturday.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

American, i am not sure about Owen going to Manure,it would stir up a lot of hatred among the fanatical lovable scally car-thieves supporters. Owens family and his own house are located in car-thieves territory and things could turn nasty when the inevitable defeats start happening next season and the euphoria of the Champions League victory wears off.I would not rule out Ferguson going in for him though,he went hard after Gerrard, but the scouser toldthe drunken oaf to buzz off,not quite in those words however! So Owen will be either a brave man to go and join the DJ's fading outfit at OT or a desperate one needing to stake a claim for Germany next year.That might persuade him if no regular first team football is guaranteed at RM and no one else puts in an acceptable offer for him.It looks like Mourinho will not be doing so and may start with Drogba again up front,i reckon that Motormouth lacks the bottle or know-how to change his pragmatic tactics and we will get deja-vu or whatever that is in Portoguese again from the blue-bores.Woot! that will sell the Sky Season tickets! I am not convinced that the drunken jocks problems of a lack of goals is down entirely to the Horsefaced nerds demise. Indeed part of his demise is down to not receiving the same sort of sevice, a'la Becks, that he did when first galloping out at OT a few moons ago. The DJ's got through a few bottles of Whisky since then and it's showing! It looks to me that the side that he's cobbled together are like ships passing in the night - all going in different directions!. Rooney and Fake Ron are not natural goal scorers firing in speculative long range efforts in the main and ignoring the runs that Horsehead makes., which is adding to his obvious frustrations and contributing to his lack of goals. It's a known fact that he wants away,bigtime. So does Rio,and if the truth were known a few others too.Keane is well not so sharp these days or the ginger dwarf either,though at least he will look at home on the team photo with Malcom and sons posing with their English Soccer team. In fact he looks like one of Malcoms sons,and who knows he might be! I reckon that the DJ will be on his bike and away if by Christmas it's all going pearshaped at OT leaving a right old mess behind him that could take decades to put right. It could not happen to a nicer club! Bring it on..

Niall
June 22, 2005

Not yet Darren, but I'll check for you later this evening.

Steve c/o Coldiz
June 22, 2005

James LT,a birdy told me a while back that if Denis was´nt offered a new contract,del piero was on his way,and the man himself mumble Arsenals praises.Like Nico said we have good talent coming through.The only positions I have problems with is RM so Helb would´nt really fit,I guess SWP would be a good move but is he really gonna break down a packed Italian defence???I doubt it,no speed is okay but it has to be the quick thinking and technical interchanging football which will do this.Goalkeeper,what if Jens starts to faulter,we need a back up.Guti had some marverlous performances a couple of years back,but has always stayed in the shaddows of the Brazilian imports and Raul.Get him to loose a couple of Tonnes and I could see him do what Morrientes done for Monaco.6-7 mil tops.Apart from that all seems to be good,Stokes will play a little more as will the other Swiss lad,can´t remember his name Djo....or something,too lazy to look it up,Johan,something,plays well for the yopung swiss team.I hope Pires stays,at least for T14 morale,but in europe he sometimes goes AWOL if things are´nt to good-bad weather,a mean looking opponant,etc.What we do need is a revampt PR media overhaul,our PR stinks.

Darren
June 22, 2005

There seems to be mumblings of possible movement re: Hleb in some of the papers today. Maybe we've decided to up our bid. Niall - any news on who was posting as me?

Niall
June 22, 2005

JamesLT - what do you think of Lucas Podolski?

Mee
June 22, 2005

Decaf: The rungs on the ladder to which you refer are infinite in number. Presumably there are others clinging to rungs above your own? All I ask is that someone who feels, however inappropriately, to be intellectually threatened, should not be damned by the group of people he aspires to join. All this is very demeaning to Chocolate, and I’m aware that my judgements and appraisal of him have not the slightest basis in fact .

Nico
June 22, 2005

James LT, apologies in advance for an extremely boring and lengthy post in answer to your question about transfers, but I had a bit of time, so here goes with a little caricature of what our Arsene might be thinking these long and hot sunny summer days. 'No need to panic. We don't need to strengthen much anywhere; we are already getting stronger day by day. We did ok-to-very-well last season. After all, how many teams have finished the Premiership season with 83 points and 'only' come second? And we won another major trophy in style making me the most successful coach in the Club's history. The team wobbled a bit after the 'special circumstances' match at Old Trafford, but something like that was understandable after a 49 match unbeaten sequence, and it was only because of that unique occasion that we lost our title. And it won't happen again as we know how to fix it more quickly next time. We recovered well in the end and our defensive stability has been restored to its former excellent state. In addition some of our youngsters have much more match experience now and will be even more solid next season, whilst others are coming through, and we are working to keep all our players at the Club, which has to be our priority. No-one except Edu is definitely going, not even Cygan, who seems happy enough playing reserve team football and helping the youth along with his experience and professional example. Or Almunia, who did so well to keep us in the FA Cup at Sheffield United. We are more confident than ever before that Cole will stay, particularly if, as expected, his agent is banned some time soon-ish within the next few years (so maybe no need for Cole to pluck up the enormous courage needed to sack him before dealing with us, if the Bozzie doesn't come up first, that is - gosh, the Club really do seem far too bothered about these Bozzies, money-minded bunch of E*G's - they've never had it so good).The RVP situation will resolve itself but if it doesn't Aliadiere and Reyes will soon be on new deals and Quincy is showing such huge potential, I might just think about putting him out on loan for the season so Arsenal fans can go elsewhere to watch him, whilst Lupoli, Stokes and Bendtner will soon be coming through over the next 5 years. Of course if a player becomes available who just miiiight strengthen the existing set-up, then we could, if we feel like it and have nothing better to do with our time (unusual), show some interest, but why panic? Let's make sure we don't block off the youngsters' progress first. Van Bommel on a free, for example, was a daft idea; whoever thought of that needs to look closely at himself. Barcelona need players; we don't, and aside from Bosmans or loopholes in European contract law for 14 year olds, why go around proactively looking for expensive players, inducing them to break contracts (like United, Chelsea and all the other big clubs except us), and then finding ourselves in competition with others, or being asked to negotiate against ourselves by the selling clubs? Why bother at all? The summer is for rest, recuperation, some light training and a few low key games or a little bit of dabbling with a few expensive contract extensions (too darned right, expensive - people say I'm stingy but they forget how contract extensions eat into transfer kitties like piranha fish), which seem easy enough to manage. Senderos, for example, would love to stay, I am told, so that one's a doddle, surely, which I can look at in a year or three - he's already on an excellent (for someone his age) contract for five years, so why hurry? And anyway what positions really need addressing? The keeper will be playing out of his skin with his eyes firmly on selection for the World Cup next summer (as will all the others). The central defensive situation is excellent with the emergence of Senderos. If Cole stays, great; if he goes (which won't be for two years - giving us excellent value on his current rate of pay, so who cares about the loss of transfer value?), we have Clichy to step in at left back. At rb Lauren may be slowing down but we have great belief in Eboue or Hoyte. Central midfield is intact apart from the loss of Edu who wasn't playing much first team football anyway. The striker situation looks fine even if Van Persie may never kick a ball for us again. Mayyyybe, maybe, maybe we could add a player who could play more as a target man for those sunny days at home to stubborn Bolton, but who knows? We'll see who wants to join, and whether we can nab him without Chelsea noticing. As for the wide midfield positions, because of our over 30's rule, we may lose Pires who wants a cheeky 2-year deal when he knows full well we CAN'T give even our best and most loyal players more than one year (but extremely generous, though decreasing financially) rolling contracts, so here we may need to look for a replacement but will do so only when we know whether he's staying or going (which may be in August when it might be too late to do anything about it, but what the heck, I can still play Reyes there), whilst I'm really not a big believer in the Dowling theory of fielding too many wide men who can stretch defences and make goals from a variety of angles... so Ljungberg is fine for now on the right whilst I remain unconvinced with Bentley. You know, all in all, I'd far rather keep my hands in my pockets, and let the Club spend my transfer fund on debt management. That way we can plead poverty when the complaints start coming, which is obviously not quite yet, as reflected by booming season ticket sales. Let them all complain when it's too late, after the season has started...the ungrateful little E*G's - I'm still giving them caviar on taramosalata money, and they dare to moan!?'......I'm beginning to have my doubts about big name signings, James LT, but there's still time, I suppose, isn't there Harlow? Phew!

Dr Ruth
June 22, 2005

Blimey Chocolate I can't believe you're still w**king on about Daz, why can't you see that it's boring and silly? You really should get out more.By the way I have no need to cross dress darling.

Decaf
June 22, 2005

Choc, you miss the point (or choose to avoid it) as usual. Its a question of standards. You don't have any and Daz does. We are not attacking you we are attacking what you represent. That is a constant (sadly). Its so simple. Also, is it 'cowardly' to pay someone a compliment these days? Quite the opposite I would have thought. And please don't start on HIV.

JamesLT
June 22, 2005

For anyone that can understand a little German, Alexander Hleb has today updated his webpage and talks for the first time about interest from Arsenal. He seems to eb hedging his bets still, admitting he's flattered by Arsenal's interest, but that he'd also be willing to stay at Stuttgart if he has to and that he's impressed they've appointed Il Trap as their new trainer. He's obviously far from certain that Arsenal will up their bid and doesn't want to burn all his bridges with his current club.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Thank's Decaf,i prefer it when you use easily understood everyday straficational grammar rather than his Lordship Judge Dreadful's rather rudish 'erudite summanations' which unfortunately only a genius like Gungunge can understand on here.So his Lordship is casting his pearls before swine. It makes a pleasant change to read a post that us 'slower ones' and 'old farts' can make sense of with out having to resort to having to go out and buy a bigger dictionary. Not that Gungunge of course needs to do that with his encyclopedic mind to fall back on for instantaneous reference on any subject. Obviously a candidate for Mastermind this guy! His subject - well perhaps someone that he can identify with like Don Quixote? Gungunges favourite song is 'The Windmills Of My Mind' and after downing a milk-churn full like amount of Arthurs of a night time he is said to be able to sing a passable rendidition of it. Well sing it while passing out that is!

Decaf
June 22, 2005

Bernard: red and fish???!!! No wonder you don’t have any problem with CG level standards. “Those who occupy higher ground, should have due regard for those on the lower slopes struggling to gain a foothold. I don’t have your photographic recall of chocolates earlier quotes ..." If you did, Mee, you would know that Chocolate's entire career here has been a Pecksniffian attempt to scramble up that social slope by progressively attacking or sucking up to each person who (by his reckoning) is a rung above him in the pecking order. Choc has almost always been the aggressor, and as I recall, he had to goad Daz for quite a while before he got a response. He has also (as we have seen with his plagarising and identity tricks) eschewed no tactic (neat phrase, hey Choc), despite maintaining a holier than thou façade. Now we know (to quote Jack London) the “warp and woof” of him. So “s’no’ fair” that the windy little E*Ger reaped the wirlwind? He wanted to play.

socrates
June 22, 2005

JamesLT......if Guti is the kind of big name, big money signing Wenger is looking at then I am not at all convinced.Wenger's speciality is the unknown, low priced, "unpolished diamond" if you like.......if Guti is an example of who he would buy when he does have some decent money to spend then I would rather he stuck to the bargain basement signings. I may be being unfair on Guti but he is 28 and has hardly set the world alight in an ageing/declining RM team.

Decaf
June 22, 2005

Bernard, let me try to explain to you why Daz is "unhealthily" obsessed with Choc (apologies to Daz for presuming, and to everyone else-do I sense Leviathon stirring down there in Bavaria?-if this comes across as that oh-so-un-post-Thatcherite thing, a compliment). Choco is a miserable, self-regarding, little eel with (as Daz neatly put it) no volume control and the honesty of an Argentinian centre-half who has just knee-capped an opposing player. A lot of people seem to have accepted him on the same basis as they accept all other signs of falling standards--they have become used to it, and have started making allowances. So which position is unhealthy? Why do people like choc? Is it because they find the rarefied air of real debate makes them light-headed? You need to distinguish "earthy" and "E*G". Use your nose.

Decaf
June 22, 2005

"Sophistry is exactly the type of nonsense that Decaf would indulge himself in! Arty-farty -psedo-intellectual claptrap!" Almost right, Cannonballs. Firstly, a free lecture which I did not plagarise from spandex.org. The value of Sophists is that they show that people who think they are not "Arty ... " are claptrapping-flatulent in some other way. For exhibits a/ b/ and c/ see your last three posts. Secondly, I particularly like the 'psedo'. Amazing wot u can do. Apart from the loss in gravitas caused by the ludicrous suggestion of 'speedo' (invokes mental image of Chocolate-Gonzales of underdeveloped spandex-clad loins girding himself to do a tripple belly-flop) it seems to me a clever play on pedo (child-a racy suggestion there from the staight-laced one?) and pseudo. Like SOCCER, hey? Childish rather than Childlike, what? Artful rather than arty, hey? Cheers. ZOOM ...

AFC
June 22, 2005

Anynews of any medicals james ??

JamesLT
Ready to spend?
June 22, 2005

Everything seems very quiet on the transfer front at the moment with le boss supposedly in Germany on a working holiday to comment on the Confederations Cup for French TV. Presumably when that's over (or before) the club will finally make a move for the two or three major signings they promised the fans - and remember these could be players we've heard and will be established experienced players according to Arsene... Is everyone confident though that Wenger will spend well? We know he is the worldwide King of Bargain-Hunting. David Dickinson has nothing on Wenger. However, how successful are when we actually have serious money to spend. Our most expensive signings under Wenger have been Reyes, Wiltord, Henry, Jeffers and Van Bronckhorst (unless I've missed someone out). Wiltord had his moments and Reyes has tremendous potential, but probably only Henry has been an outright success and the likes of Jeffers and Van Bronckhorst were major (and expensive) disappointments. Are we going to buy two or threee new Henrys or two or three new Jeffers? How confident is everyone???

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

bromley, gunfire, if you're old enough to remember back then, after the '91 and '92 seasons did you think the LFC era was definitely over? They didn't win a title for 2 years as well. At one point did you realize that LFC were done? At what point will we say Man Yoo are done? What place in the table? 4th? 5th?

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

Thanks CB. I think the Japanese adopted the term from us anyway. After WWII, they adopted a few things (baseball for one). **** I am not so sure that Man Yoo will hang on to 3rd. If LFC had stayed out of the CL they could challenge for 3rd if Morientes comes good and Cisse gets settled. But I think all those early CL games will kill off their domestic league season. Too many big games too early in the season and by March they won't have any legs. The best thing for them is to go out early. Bolton may have a shot as well. Its their away form against midlevel and lower level sides that do them in. They play the big clubs great at home and give them a good run for the money away. A good signing or two this summer and fat Sam may have a shout at it. I am very optimistic about us. The run of games when in March and April said a whole lot. Tighten up the defense and we'll have at least 94 or 95 points next season. No way we'll drop points to the bottom dwellers like we did last season. The main thing is every one knows they can't afford a slip like you did in the past. I've maintained for a while that since Chelsea came in the league that no more than 2 or 3 losses and a half a dozen draws or less will do and that comes out to 90 + points. If the rumors are true about Owen to Man Yoo it would be interesting. Fergie needs a finisher. RVN was his finisher but he's not doing it for them. But would Owen go to the enemy?

AmericanGooner
lets all laugh at spurs
June 22, 2005

http://www.pabs.co.uk/footy/index.php?c=Tottenham&fid=58

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

American,yes your right the Japanese do call football Soccer,but this is like in the case of America a colloquial use of the word. Soccer is an etrymology a shortening and alteration with a 'C' being added to make it Soccer from the full name of Association Football which the pro-league game was called in England after it's inception to differentiate it from the amatuer sport of football. SOC (from ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL) + CER = SOCCER.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Er,excuse me Gungunge but the paronoid-schizophrenia is showing squire, the Mick Duff post was not me.You seem to believe that everyone who posts some thing about you that you do not agree with on here is me. You will be saying that i posted the Dabdubliner one next asking you not to imitate him! Ask your pal Niall to check the IPS on my posts i did not send the Duffer one. I do some spoof posts now and then but they are obviously that - and easily recognized as being mine - and under my IPS, so stop making allegations that are not true about me again you paranoid twat. Other people on here have expressed their dislike of you because your an obvious phoney,your problem is your so transparent and unintelligent - but unfortunately can not see it! Grow up for Christs sake you pathetic moron.

Niall
June 22, 2005

Just to clear it up - there were 6 IP addresses under the name Chocolate Gooner. I originally thought it was him as the IP was similar to chocolate's IP from previous postings. However, knowing that some people like to post under people's handles to annoy/wind up, I was suspicious of there being six, when most people who post at the times Chocolate does (day & night) would most likely have a computer they use at home and one at work, making 2 IP addresses. Therefore, I checked the ISP against other users on that ISP and found 3 results. So either they were impersonating Chocolate or it was indeed Chocolate himself. When I ssaw who the people were on the ISP, I knew that it was highly unlikely to have been them. Anyway, I was later able to access the new forum and confirm it was Chocolate and he owned up to it anyway, making it all rather redundant.

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

We'll need a keeper for the first couple CL games at least while Lehmann is serving a suspension. Do we trust Almunia? Should Taylor get a chance? Chances are its going to be a new signing.

Pete
June 22, 2005

So XXX, What will Torres, Hleb and Kirkland be singing exactly? I'd love to know. Some Jazz,Folk music? Will they be forming a band?

Judge JohnD
June 22, 2005

Bernard: "no you can't" was a response to your request not to be asked any questions. Your assumptions are based on a totally false premise. As this day progressed I realised that chocolate has posted some particularly nasty comments which have been removed from the Forum. I had not seen them but now sort of get the gist of their content. When I made my comment about the SPs to Niall I had no idea of chocolate's poisonous allegations. Therefore, my post cannot be construed as any comment on what chocolate had said, or someone else might have said, and that led to its removal. The insistence that your claim was legitimate and that I was strongly implying chocolate's guilt in an unfair manner, is a rush to judgement that is mindless on all three levels. Niall's point was, if I understand it right, that if a post, say from yourself, has a particular IP address, then one purporting to be from you that had an unattributable IP address could be regarded as suspect. Likewise one from your IP address that, say, purported to be from chocolate, could likewise be considered suspect. I say again, if chocolate did have six SPs on a single computer, how would he be deceiving anyone by posting from each in turn under his own alias? Unless, that is, he planned to subsequently deny it was himself and that someone was imitating - but that's too barmy even for this Forum. The trickery would be to post under another's alias from one of the other SPs. That of course is not an accusation, just trying to explain the bleeding obvious, given my previous remarks. So, if someone did have six SPs, it follows, if I have got this aspect of the technology right and I claim to be no authority, that they could reserve one for their authorised alias and post under others from the same PC without leaving an audit trail - which is the point I was making and had absolutely nothing to do with what was suspected; which was that someone else from a different computer had traduced chocolate. But now we know it was all his own work anyway. Keep them coming.

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

American Smith is reported to be on his way he deosn't get many starts anyway when everyone is fit, Fletcher is mince and won't be there for long. Talk is Van nIppleboy is past and injury has kicked in and whisper it softly but he wants out. Keane is the talisman and they can't replace him and Scholes looks disinterested. After that the ones you mentioned won't hold a team togehter and they are in decline. They'll finish in the top becuase there is no-one out there who take up the baton and step up a level to us and the chavs.

bromley
June 22, 2005

American, much as I would like to see them in terminal decline, and despite the scousers unbelievable CL win, I still think the same 3 clubs will dominate next season and to write off the mancs is tempting fate. In fact I'd be delighted to see them back in the top 2 next season, edging out the Chavs while we romp it!

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

The Mickey Duff thing Can of Balls. Pathetic.

AmericanGooner
ManYoo2003=Liverpool1990???
June 22, 2005

Question to the forum. Try to be objective. Man Yoo won the title in 2003. So what? Well, even without Glazer, they were on a decline. No one can dispute that. They finished 3rd 3 of the last 4 years. First time ever in the PL they have finished below 2nd. Not only below but far far below. They have been about 15-20 points off the top teams at times by the end of the season. Liverpool ruled football from the late '70s through the '80s and their last title was 1990. A last hurrah that came sandwiched between Arsenal titles. They haven't gotten a sniff of the title since then. Glazer seems to have sped up the pace of the decline. Is 2003 going to be their last title for some time other than the odd FA cup win here or there like their scouser cousins 30 miles from Manchester? Or will they reload and develop another team that will challenge? Fergie says that they have a great corp of youth: Ronaldo, Rooney, Smith, Rio, Fletcher, are all under 25. 2 of them teenagers. Is Fergie right or grasping at straws?

Charlie
June 22, 2005

No doubt who tops my transfer wishes after watching Riquelme in two games at the confederations cup. Absolutely outstanding. He has also been superb for villa real al season, now wonder why barca paid so much for him in the first place. Reyes should play left, and Riquelme, although best in a free role, could be exellent on the right, with two such different widemen we would also have the perfect balance in midtfield, the winger and the playmaker and two musclemen in the middle. Pires and fabregas would be great covers. Not so sure what sriker we should by, Thomason would be a joke, Baptista maybe, if that big time charlie cockyhead van Persie is guilty, we should go for Aimar, but i still think we need real striker.

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

babu, Spuds fans go on about that. I'm distanced from it and its old history. Does it make it right? No. **** Does anyone else have any Man Yoo friends or family members? The few I know are totally focused on the Glazer thing and have written off the season already. They don't expect to be in the running for the title and they are cautiously optimistic about finishing 3rd...again. **** "..what song?" hahaha...

babu
June 22, 2005

Just a thought about liverpool "only" finishing 5th and still getting in to the CL... after the 1st world war there was a team that finished 5th in the 2nd division and was then promoted to the 1st... at the expense of the spuds !!! Discuss !

Irish Briant
toomeybr@gofree.indigo.ie
June 22, 2005

Thanks for the prompt reply Bromley,the young guy Graham Stack on loan at Millwall is very highly rated amongst us Irish,though we're bound to be biased!maybe Arsene is awaiting the outcome of his case too,unfortunately somewhat similar to Robin Van Persies.I would not be surprised if Arsene goes for Ructus Recber as he nearly signed him before and at one stage was considered the best keeper in the world about 2yrs ago.Incidentenly Almunia was getting great reviews in Spain before we got him!I suppose Wenger can't get them all right!

bromley
June 22, 2005

Irish Brian, AW obviously doesn't rate Taylor or he wouldn't have been behind that clown Almunia all season. However, got to say Jens looked the business after he got back into the side. Don't think we'll be signing anybody to replace him, but maybe some backup.

david.d
June 22, 2005

if van persie as we all hope is found innocent then his sexual activity is nothing to do with us or more importantly the club's. if he wishes to be unfaithful that is between his wife and himself. no one from the club should be taking the moral ground UNLESS he is convicted of rape. as much as i like the guy it will be impossible for the club to stand by a rapist and the media coverage would be overbearing and critical if we stood by him. i hope the boy is proven innocent i really do. his career is only just beginning.

Irish Brian
toomeybr@gofree.indigo.ie
June 22, 2005

Hi,Arsenal fan in Ireland wanting to know what became of this guy Alan,who said he had it from a first team player that Michael Owen was joining Arsenal last week!?not heard anything from him since have we?or maybe the deal went through its just the papers in Ireland are so far behind over here!I would also like to know why Stuart Taylor never got a chance this season,he always impressed me!anyone out there share my opinion?

bromley
June 22, 2005

It looks like we're going to find out whether Aliadiere is good enough or not, since Dennis is nearly done and I don't think we're going to see RVP anytime soon. But, if AW rates him, maybe he'll make it as long as he can stay fit. I've a feeling he'll get 20-30 games next season and fancy him to stick 10-15 in the onion bag. PS music lovers check out the new Kraftwerk live album.

Eskimo
June 22, 2005

What song?

XXX
June 22, 2005

Torres,Hleb,Kirkland to sing tomorrow

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

Can of Balls why are requesting that someone from Gascony hit me over the head with a tray?

Mickey Duff
June 22, 2005

First time poster on here so excuse me if i am a little nervous.I am a Glasgow Rangers supporter.But Arsenal are my other team.I read all of the forums and like this one best but i have to say that Gunfire is spoiling it.The man is a fool and an embarrassment to Ireland. Come on you Blue noses come on Arsenal.

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

kiwipete...i wouldn't mind finding out if other kiwi ladies share the same 'qualities'. Thanks Andy in Singapore and Cannon Balls. Interesting, that classism is involved. Our 'football' was based on Rugby and we didn't even have the forward pass till well into the previous century. Japan calls it soccer as well even though they don't play rugby or american gridiron.

AmericanGooner
June 22, 2005

Rotterdam Gooner can you confirm this? I read this on another forum "Yes she is an Ajax fan, I have been working in Holland for the past few weeks and the papers say her boyfriend was sentenced as part of the mob that attacked RVP and RVP's lawyer also has further concrete evidence on how unreliable the alleged victims story is - aparently it has changed twice...." The story is becoming a soap opera. **** Mee, I understand your concern for the reputation of the club but I can't see where an affair is bringing shame on the club. I would imagine there isn't a club that doesn't have a married player that has had an affair. I also wouldn't be shocked if a board member or two have not had a fling once or twice. Its a moral issue, specifically adultery and I would think a club would want to distance itself from those types of issues. Is there a 'morals clause' in today's contracts? I don't think it meets the 'bringing the game in disrepute' rule that the FA and UEFA has either. If he is exonerated then I expect the club to do nothing. Wenger and the club would be more concerned about his state of mind and if the whole matter has unsettled him enough to distract him and affect his form.

POD
June 22, 2005

If Wenger ever did really ring up to ask why you were not buying a season ticket, you should tell him you wont come until he signs SWP from Man City. Still it's step up from Spurs where apparently if you cancel your ticket David Pleat comes round for tea and cakes and a nice chat. But anything is better than Chelsea where failure to renew is greeted by a late night visit from Roman's pals Sergei and Viktor followed by a one way summer trip to Siberia!

Darren
June 22, 2005

Niall, Rog, Rob K - I do tend to post fom different locations from time to time. This is prob a new ip address as I changed providers. Generally my posts will either come from here or a BT internet account. That post about AW phoning me was garbage from someone professing to be me. I'd love an opportunity to speak to AW and you'd all be the first to know about it if I did. Alas, it appears to be from what can only be described as a ghost in the machine.

Daz
June 22, 2005

Actually, Bernard, I find your idea that there is simply mutual insult-swapping going on here to be bizarre in the extreme. I don't give a flying E*G if chocolate wants to act like a Class A turd - he is one and see his post to Darren below as to how repellent he is in general. Yeah, I've attcked him relentlessly - he's given as good as he's got and not just to me. But given that I was one of the first to remonstrate with PtG for his comments about your kids I would have thought you might understand the qualitative difference. And gay = AIDS isn't a jibe just directed at me.

Darren
June 22, 2005

Choccy - funny you should say that - doing some warbling tonight actually. Well , bass playing!

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Anyway Gungunge i am sure that his Lordship needs your erudite summanational assistance like he needs a hole in the head!. Watch out now Gungunge for window cleaners ladders,whoops,put your bigfoot in it again! and try to avoid running over any black cats when driving home from the pig-farm, screech!! oh no not another one! How about mirrors,crash - clink - tinkle! Blimey another seven years bad luck to add on to all the rest! And watch out for that zip on your flies that you keep catching yourself on !Ouch!!! Just a thought for yourself Tony Soprano once observed, hey, it's not always a crime to shoot a man some of them actually deserve it!

Darren
June 22, 2005

That post about the season ticket being cancelled was not from me. Someone is defo playing games on here. Niall or Rog can you please sort it out??

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Hey, Gungunge who the heck anyway is Can O'Balls that you sent that "erudite summanation" post? Is it B Murphs real name? "Gascon hit that fella on the head with yer tray and be fast about it now." "Wee Mr O'Balls" "No you gobshite a big one! Jeez these foreigners the closer that you get to the med... "

Nico
June 22, 2005

Another interesting striker link...http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=286699&cpid=21&CLID=3&lid=&title=PREM+DUO+EYE+TOMASSON&channel=premiership

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 22, 2005

HKG: The timing was right for EDU. He is married and I suggest his mind was made up for him and his worth was at its highest since he arrived. It appeared nothing to do with money and Mr Wenger appeared to ease his exit to avoid any stress on all parties. It is clear Arsenal need to replace both DB10 and EDU and we hope that HLEB is that person. A ball carrier has not been seen at Highbury for years and only PIRES can be accused of running long distances with the ball from deep defensive positions with the ball in tow. EDU always looked for the early pass and our attacks would generally peter out. I wish EDU well at Valencia.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Summanation of course,what does Erudite Summanations actually mean then Gungunge are they Gaelic or something?

Hong Kong Gooner
June 22, 2005

Sabir - agree totally with your post about how difficult it is to understand why Edu was allowed to leave in the manner that he did.Once again I have to say that as supporters, we are not really aware of all that actually goes on.Perhaps Edu was fed up at the thought of playing second fiddle to Gilberto, although I thought I read a few weeks ago he said that if we'd made him the contract offer at the beginning of the negotiations that we made at the end he'd have stayed.Injury prone and inclined to the odd error, but in my view the guy was class and seemed to love the club.The question now is whether we are going to sign another central midfield player to replace him or go with Cesc and Flamini if Pat or Gilberto are out, which they are bound to be at some stage in the season and possibly at the same time.I'd be inclined to buy a relatively experienced central midfielder, which brings me back to where I started:the sale of Edu seems to make little sense, either from a financial or a team point of view.

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Well,i settle down to watch some cricket and on later on checking in on here i find that Gungunge is catching his dick in the zip of his fly again! JudgeD's 'erudite summanatios!,yeah right Gunge ,only you! The crazed Gungunge then rants,don't mess with him ! Alright donkey-brain, Hey,i thought that you were finished with all this nonsense,just another porkie eh Gungunge? When are you going to explain then what Sophisim means in your own 'erudite summanation'way of course,i can't wait! It will be funnier than Robbie Keanes goal celeb!!!!

Nico
June 22, 2005

Darren, that was surely an opportunity to ask him if he needed your money for his next transfer (or something like that)! So what did you say to him and what did he say back?

Dadubliner
June 22, 2005

hope you're right about aliadiere Sabir and that he will finally make it... this is his very last chance at the club, let's hope he will stay fit... dublin gooner could you please change your nickname to avoid any confusion, thanks in advance...

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

Darren … why is it shocking? The club need to sell the seats, Arsene Wenger is undoubtedly an asset and the club used him to call you… so what’s the problem? You’d have preferred it if the call was from Miss Thing from accounts, would you? I’m rather heartened to hear that they doing the marketing quite hard. Who knows maybe your connection with Highbury Royalty flashed up on the computer thingy and the decided to give you the full Arsenal spiel from the master’s mouth… I can’t see what your problem is to be honest. Must be all that bad music going to your head Cheers.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

Damn, I did that last post, clicked on to read it and noticed judge asking me yet again to be courteous by answering him before getting away. Right, point (1) I don't understand your comment: No I can't - no idea what you're talking about. (2) I explained why I said what I said about you implying Chocolate made that post, and why I used the word trickery. (3) Where have I reasserted my opinion that you made unfounded remarks about chocolate's behaviour? I've said numerous times that he since admitted it was him. I've tried to explain my intial views on your post, that's all. (4) Whatever you suspect my underlying motive in that Daz/chocolate post is to try and make them ignore each other and stop insulting each other. If you like by trying to point out that I don't think they're behaving very admirably towards each other - and that goes for both of them. And (5) - I really am off now.

Västerås Gooner
June 22, 2005

Indian//Try this link. You may find something there.http://www.hqfl.dk/

Truegooner
June 22, 2005

It depends on which way you look at it Darren.l I am assuming a club level season ticket is rather costly...There's nowt like personal service!It shows the gaffer cares!

Rob K
June 22, 2005

Darren - that is amazing - are you sure it was a pre-recorded message that was phoned through?

Darren
June 22, 2005

I had an appointment to see a rep about a season ticket on club level but i cancelled due to work commitments.The following day i got a call from AW asking why i had cancelled.Is that desperate or what ? I couldnt believe AW called me to find out my reasons for not making the appointment.Shocking

IndianGooner(Manoj)
Request....
June 22, 2005

I have an urgent request. Can anyone help me by mailing me a nice enlarged and high res pic of the Arsenal 1971 Cannon crest. Just the cannon would be ok too. PLEASE PRETY PLEASE try and get this for me quick. Mail it to me tingudu at gmail.com please. THANKS A BUNCH GUYS!! VVPTBAG.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

Gunfire, must be honest I'm going now so even if I wanted to I'm not going to have the opportunity to do so.

Judge JohnD
June 22, 2005

No, you can't Bernard; because I suspected in the first place that you did not know what you were talking about and quite gently explained to you what it meant. Despite that clarification you, of course have reasserted your opinion that I made unfounded remarks about chocolate's behaviour. Explain yourself.. And, of course, there wouldn't be any underlying motive in that Daz/chocolate post would there? No, we can't see where you are coming from, again.

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

LOL Bernard. You are to be commended for such restraint.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

Gunfire, 'erudite summations'? Blimey ... no I won't get involved.

Gunfire
June 22, 2005

Can of Balls a wee word of advice. Don't try to engage in verbal jousting with Judge JohnD because the stark differences between his erudite summations and your boorish rants shows you up for being a badly educated plank with an inferiority complex not to mention your bigoted little asides about people's nationality. Get back to trying to insult me. You were starting to improve slightly on that one.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

Ok Judge, you really have bored me into submission, so well done. But as I'm so courteous I'll do as you ask. It was your comment "by the way Niall, down the years I have collected some half dozen providers on my one Home PC. What you suspect is not too difficult to achieve despite some of the protestations on here". This came after some people were discussing whether an offensive post by Chocolate was really by him, and Niall had initially said it was but then seemed to change his mind and became much less sure. In other words, I took it as though you were implying (and rather strongly) that Chocolate could have collecting various providers on his computer - hence my use of the term 'trickery' (legitimate on the basis of my definition of the term in this case). I was unable to conceive that it wasn't Chocolate you were implying was responsible for the post, which it turned out he admitted anyway. Can I please not be asked yet another question by you, because I'm finding this utterly tedious - and as I said earlier, you've bored me into submission.

'Dr Ruth'
June 22, 2005

Yes thank you Chocolate, I got the message. You are a twat.

Darren
June 22, 2005

Choccy - I genuinely think you are being a bit too tasteless to be honest. Our relative opinions mean nothing to each other, but I can't honestly remember Daz becoming overly personal with his insults other than mock your cyber personality. It seems strange that when my sisters father-in-law was being hung drawn and quatered by one or two on this forum you were very quick to assume the politically correct moral high ground with that particular argument. However you seem equally quick to start posting insults of an dubious kind yourself. This is merely further proof that puberty still hasn't occured. Daz- EEG's right, let it lie.

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 22, 2005

Sabir: Transfer monies presumably come from an annual transfer pot and perhaps EDU’s reported £6m fee was paid from that particular year’s budget. If HLEB was the only target in this financial year for Mr Wenger I suggest Arsenal would have offered a higher bid by now. However, it does appear there are several targets within our limited budget and the selling clubs all want top dollar. Hopefully we wont blink first and miss out on the player(s) who will make a real difference to our final season at Highbury.

chocolate gooner
June 22, 2005

Bernard… I hear what you say and believe me when I say that I’m not particularly proud of the tactics that I’ve had to resort to using but I really feel that I had no other option. Everyone has his or her limit and I’ve come to mine. This isn’t my finest hour but in my mind I know that I had to go down this route to stop something that was getting totally out of hand. I have no wish to offend anyone, least of all you but this guy isn’t normal and I doubt that even this nuclear option, as it were, will make him stop. This is a guy who bangs on about ‘chocolate’ even when I’m not here. The whole thing just got too stupid. Any ways I hear what you say and even I will have to accept that it is sensible … but what would you have me do?. … let’s hope 'Dr Ruth' got the message. Cheers. Good day all

Judge JohnD
June 22, 2005

Bernard: even the well worn tactics of boring your correspondents into submission with administratortalk is going a bit far here - I think I'll leave your immaculate conception of what to reintroduce means where it belongs. However, perhaps you can scroll down to my previous postings and paste on here my comments that justify you saying "You suggested that it could still have been him, regardless of Niall not seeming to be so sure it was.."……….Mr Balls: so interesting to be critically assessed by one whose contributions on here are a byword for decorum. I, usually, don't mind the opposition supporters coming on here and confirming their lack of class relative to us - LeedsFan excused of course - but there are always exceptions with them as with ourselves. The robust debate, I believe, adds to the enjoyment; even the phantom posters, who are usually not too difficult to spot, confirm the notion that they are not all locked up yet or it must be their afternoon to be let out. However, I must admit to a touch of whimsy at your squeamishness, at being described as irritating, a bully boy and to be lectured on what is unpleasant and edifying by one so steeped in the social graces, so dignified, so chivalrous and temperate. A right tosser in fact. So kind of you to let me know what cudgels I am entitled to take up and that I can have my opinions, it truly concerned me that you might disapprove. And, by the way, it's been mentioned a few times now, and not slyly, and has nothing to do with ps or £s, "it’s a few coffee creams short of the full box."

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 22, 2005

An earlier posting suggested that transfers are delayed to avoid paying unearned wages in the first Summer. Although this could be an issue for most clubs, why is Chelsea appearing to be failing to get their chosen targets? Whereas £11m for HLEB may leave Arsenal a little short in a limited budget and requires some Poker-style bluffing to bring the fee down to more manageable levels, Chelski are not under any such restrictions and they appear to be showing a little irritation at always paying over the odds. Could it be that Peter Kenuseothersmoney has finally been given a limited budget by the mafia boss and is finding it a tad harder to win through? We are all still awaiting that World Superstar to arrive at the Bridge of Bank Notes….. seems so far that money only tempts the lower quality models.

Sabir
June 22, 2005

I still have a problem with the way Arsenal let Edu leave on a free. We haggle for every penny when it comes to buying a player yet we let a valuable asset just run down his contract because we weren't willing to give him an excellent contract. Now the thousands we tried to save on the wages on Edu will be replaced by having to spend millions on a replacement. And it's not as if the new guy wont get wages is it?! I said last season that we should sign Van Bommel on a free, and whoever said that Barca 'stole' him, is right. He would have been ideal. I just read that Aliadiere might renew his contract. Great if he does. I rate the guy. Injuries aside he's got the the talent but if he stays he must realise his potential immediately. I know there's a world of difference between the second string and first team, but some of his goals in the reserves last season after injury were fantastic. And he's bulked up so he could be ready.

Dr Ruth
June 22, 2005

I'm bored now. Going to do some work instead, more fun and less annoying.

Bernard
June 22, 2005

The thing is Chocolate I think you gave a better account of yourself in your duel with Daz before the gay and unborn child stuff. To be honest I think Daz appears unhealthily obsessed with you, and I can't work out why he is either. We all disagree with what others say, some people find others boring, their opinions stupid, and some may reveal enough of their characters to make others even be confident they'd dislike them as people if they were to ever meet. I have some sympathy with you as regardless of all that, I think Daz has gone way over the top with you for a very long time. I don't know how many posts you've done that he hasn't responded by attacking either your opinions or indeed you as a person, but I wouldn't think it could be that many. Now he's clearly a bright guy, which makes it even stranger to me how he has allowed himself to get so wrapped up in his computerised fight with you. I've said before here (or hear, Mee) that he's almost single-handedly made you the forum's central figure. Many others have also rowed with you on various occasions, but he's taken this obsession to a far higher level and I could even understand you mentioning it as bullying yesterday - because it's something that I don't think Daz should feel very proud about himself. But regardless of all that, I don't think you should have come out with what you said over the last day because, also as I've already said, I think you've always (excluding the period you ignored him) pretty well given as good as you've got from him in the past (and I accept that it's often struck me that he's the aggressor), without having to resort to questioning his sexuality and making comments about his unborn child (not that I can remember what it was you said about the latter).

Cannon Balls
June 22, 2005

Well Vince i have heard that a GK is supposed to be close to being signed - because AW sees that to be a priority.But i understand that i t will be cover for Lehmann who will be wearing the No 1 jersey at Highbury next season.I have no idea who the GK may be though.

Vince Ordinaire
June 22, 2005

Well it's an improvement. I was having trouble following the thread of a lot of the earlier posts, but everything seems a bit clearer with the recent ones. If only Nelson Mandela had asked the South African President if he was gay, he might have saved a lot of time and bother. This soap opera is all very well, but doesn't anyone have some transfer speculation? I don't care if it's made up, as long as I don't have to make it up myself I'm quite happy to ponder. Thanks in advance.

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

Ralph,it's mainly financial, and with the optimistic hope thrown in to the mix that they will wake up one bright and sunny morning down at the 'lane tht time forgot' to find that they have the next Rooney on their books! Levy is interested only in making money out of Spuds,that's why he tried to sell the outfit to Abramovich. The situation with the Spuds 'director of football' is now becoming a farce with Levy being only offered £1million after originally £2million was on the table. Levy wanted 10! or Parker and some cash, but the revelation that the EPL would not take any action over the tapping up scuppered that plan. Parker went though to the Bar-Codes having no desire to go to Spuds and have to listen to moronsliving in a time-warp prattling on about Glen and Ozzy,and hey, who could blame him????

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 21, 2005

Now, now guys and gals! We are all Mr Wenger's children, so mere family spats should be forgotten at the end of each day. I have failed miserably to bring you back to discussing tabloid speculation and opinions on players and managers etc. Please take a moment to breathe deeply and smile then make this forum beautiful once again.

East End Gooner
June 21, 2005

Excellent - no sooner have I posted about Chocolate's self-awareness and he makes a ****ing top class David Brent-style post comparing his 3 years of "torture" at the hands of Daz to the struggles of Nelson Mandela. That is ****ing brilliant Chocolate although a bit of a rip off of Brent's line about Jesus not being popular either in his day. I salute you though. You are back!!!

Dr Ruth
June 21, 2005

Now I am seriously worried - you are comparing your plight to Nelson Mandelas. Er being locked up for the majority of one's life in a small prison cell on Robben Island hardly compares to being insulted by Daz!

chocolate gooner
June 21, 2005

True gooner… I totally respect your view and if I’m honest I’m not exactly proud of myself right now, but needs must. I’ve tried everything… an appeal to the guy’s better nature (he doesn’t have one), ignoring him, answering his questions… nothing works. Even Mandela resorted to sabotage in the face of an intransigent Apartheid regime. I think that 3 years of taking it on the chin is enough… Cheers.

East End Gooner
June 21, 2005

As your second sentance had a question mark at the end, can I assume you asked for my opinion? If so, its not just Daz I haven't told to tone it down. I have only once objected to anything said on here and that was by Phil The Gooner about Bernard's kids. Its not really outrage either. I just think some things are cheap and dirty. The stuff you have been coming out with has been low rent and frankly I dont give a **** whether you ask for my opinion. You will get it anyway. You have got over-excited and like a lot of unhinged people you dont know where the lines are. You have started to dribble and grin at those around you, while at the same time failing to recognise the open mouths. You carry on though. Self awareness has never been one of your strengths.

Dr Ruth
June 21, 2005

Chocolate, I would take a guess and say that you are a tad homophobic. You are using Daz as an excuse to air your rather poisonous and nasty opinions, ones that you are entitled to hold but nevertheless are still offensive.

chocolate gooner
June 21, 2005

Dear Dr Ruth… fear not. The game, the rules, bad light or good.. I’m past caring to be honest. Like I said, the moderators can ban me if they feel that I’m transgressing.. I don’t feel I am but what do I know? All I want is to get to the bottom (geddit? He, he) of Daz’s obsession with my posts. That all. C’est tout. Cheers.

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 21, 2005

Spuds are buying up every young Englishman that looks available, rather than bring kids through its academy. Do you think it is to bolster the team in hope it provides for future Premiership success or is it financial speculation to merely raise future revenues on the assumption that an English player is always more expensive than a foreign one?

Truegooner
June 21, 2005

Nothing personal Chocolate.You want to ask "legitimate questions" of any forum user you go right ahead.If you (or anybody else on here )persists with such stereotypical usage , ie "Is it your sexual orientation that means that you want to scratch my eyes out just because I dared to contradict you? Why do you post on here, eh Queenie?" Please understand that you ARE being offensive and I do feel you are being disingenuous to say that you are not,simply because your ire in this instance is directed at Daz.

Ralph (3/- Clock Ender)
June 21, 2005

Contracts: We all know that the agent earns his fee across the term of any contract and starts to feel itchy when the term gets past half way. To ensure a player is not unsettled by the greed of an agent the contracts should either automatically increase with loyalty or be renegotiated EVERY YEAR. If the player ever decides NOT to take an example £5k increase per week for an extra year on the end of the original contract term, it would signal the start of any trouble early and therefore give management sufficient time to retain some control over future staffing plans.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Judge, because although it was mentioned by me, then a joke by Decaf, then a mention by Fish Bar - all the while up to that point Daz had ignored it (from memory, and he confirmed he'd initially been avoiding it a while ago) and Chocolate was away. Something else got them (Chocolate and Daz) started on it again, and I find it conceivable that it was you. If it wasn't fine - and I've already said that - but I can conceive it was you after your post on the subject. On the second point, Niall had already said it might not be Chocolate who did that post (after initially saying it was), so clearly there was something unusual about it's source. You suggested that it could still have been him, regardless of Niall not seeming to be so sure it was - which suggested that you felt Chocolate may have been up to some form of trickery to raise doubts over whether it was from him. In that case, I'd even term using a different computer in my wide definition of trickery. Now I really hope that satisfies your curiosity over what I said, as I don't wish to be responsible for turning you into an obsessive on these matters.

Dr Ruth
June 21, 2005

But Chocolate the questions you are asking are really silly and only show you in a bad light. You are trying to play a game the rules of which you do not understand. I am reassured, however, to read that you are at peace with your sexuality because I was beginning to fear the worse.

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Ok Bernard, the answerphone on down at the electrical engineers, I get it; you initiate a topic by making mention of what Sophism is not and Fishbar posts a couple of incomplete dictionary definitions, then you ascribe it's reintroduction to one that points out a contradictory reference and a complete definition. Shame, really, that although you can see that without my observations it might not have started again, you fail to conceive that without your comment my observations would never have been made. I wonder why? You then criticize my sad actions, the pejorative sense of course, in relation to choco - when you have, in fact, made an embarrassing cods of what I said - in fact attributing the opposite meaning - sorry Mee, couldn't keep it up. I've made it clear what I meant regarding multiple SP capability, why don't you make it clear what - "But didn't judge even try to divert the blame back to Chocolate by saying he might have done some kind of technilogical trickery?" - followed up with "Oh well, it was Chocolate after all. Still quite sad that judge should make that kind of comment though." - means? Because defining 'trickery' does not seem to be what it is about.

Dr Ruth
June 21, 2005

Chocolate, why are you so concerned about Daz's sexuality? In my professional capacity I would say that your obsession with this betrays a deep rooted problem - have you not quite come to terms with your own sexuality?

chocolate gooner
June 21, 2005

EEG… the day I need your opinion I’d ask for it. When have you ever told Daz to tone it down? Save your lectures and your outrage for someone that cares. Daz, I’m still waiting for my answers. He said I was ignoring him… not anymore I'm not. Cheers.

Dr Ruth
June 21, 2005

Chocolate, are you actually mentally ill? You seem to have totally lost your grip on reality. I find it quite worrying that you aren't receiving any sort of professional help.

Truegooner
June 21, 2005

Chocolate, just because your trying to insult Daz does not make your last post any less homophobic and therefore generally offensive.Please stop.

Chippy's Chisler
June 21, 2005

Surely not Guti? Why leave Edu go on a free and then spend 8-12m on an older bench warmer. Cannot see it.

Bogdan K
June 21, 2005

RichardE, Ozgoon: Thanks, Swans it is then.

East End Gooner
June 21, 2005

Daz - I would leave it well alone. The man is making a complete and utter **** of himself. Chocolate - the funny thing is that you think this is "playing the same game - only better when its because you were so ****ing trounced at the old game that you have gone doolally and resorted to something a million miles away. And you dont even realise it. I guess its about "nuance"!

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

Your Lordship may i make a few observations on your summing up to the jury? I did not suggest that you were not entitled to take up the cudgel of rightious self-indignation ( i can actually think of no one on here better suited to the role) against Chocolate, but rather that i found your persistent reminding Daz of Chocolates past statements and your alleged indiscretions on various subjects irratating. And to me smacked of bullyboy type tactics. Do you recall Daz when Chocolate said that the world could be square if you stand upside down on top of a mountain in Brazil? Followed by some sly insinuation that Chocolate was a 10 pence short of a pound type of jibe. This type of refering to Chocolate in this second person idiot type of syndrome was not in my view very edifying and appeared to have a rather gloating unpleasentness about it to me. I have already stated that i am not disputing your opinions only the way that i see them coming across, and to be honest i do not really care about Sophism, or sophism, nor about acquiring a bigger dictionary to learn. Gunfire though claims to understand it and i am expecting him to settle the argument with one of his well thought out and insightful posts ,but hey Judge i will hazard a guess your honour that it will only start of another endless argument.Bernards rubbing his hsands in gleeful anticipation! Unless that is of course that Gunfire is telling porkies again and in fact does not know anything about the subject at all??? Nah surely not!

NICK
June 21, 2005

Guti? Washed up player well past his best, a poor mans Pires if you will. Great players dont sit on the Real bench for years happily taking their wages and hardly ever playing. If Guti was that good he'd have quit Madrid long ago and proved himself elsewhere. Why do we want another creative midfielder who cant tackle, wont track back and wont enjoy the physical nature of the prem? Guti is way to similar to Pires and Fabregas. If we are buying an attacking midfielder it should be SWP. He's got pace aggression, real hunger and is prem proven. If not we should be looking at another powerful all round midfielder to compete with Vieira and Gilberto and really beef up the sqaud. We were out muscled to many times last season. We should have gone for Van Bommel on a free. He was the steal of the summer for Barca.

Daz
June 21, 2005

Don't think I've ever slipped as low as you, you nasty little fool, chocolate.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Judge, I'm not convinced that saying - or implying - it was you who started it off again was a factual error. I certainly think without your obsevations it is conceivable (to me anyway) it wouldn't have started again. And as far as I'm aware, neither of us have defined trickery in this instance, so we might be using the word in different contexts so again I'm not sure we or you should be saying that was a factual error either. I'm very glad you won't be calling me as a witness though.

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Bernard: that last one from me was to the one before from you and I really must get going. However, time, just, to say that there was little implication or misuse - just factual errors that seemed surprisingly careless to this old snob. And I think 'responding' is absolutely the correct word. I have doubts about ever letting you perform before me as an expert witness.

Maurice
June 21, 2005

Guti wants to come to Arsenal, and I'll say to get him as soon as we can.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Or indeed courtesy.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Judge, I thought I said I've had the couresy to reply to you.

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Bernard: try being a bit more gracious - air-conditioning not working?

Nico
June 21, 2005

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.asp?hlid=286610&cpid=8&CLID=3&lid=&title=Aliadiere+in+deal+talks&channel=Premiership....Aliadiere to stay? The kids bumped into him in North London the other day strolling around with a rather 'fit' or was it 'buff' girl friend. He seemed quite relaxed and happy and not looking like someone off to another club in France.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Judge, in what way have I been ganging up on you? I've had the courtesy to respond when you address me, that's all. Even the last time when it seems I misused the word 'trickery' and perhaps implied it was you who started the sophist thing up again, even though you couldn't bear to let Fish Bar's post go without bringing the subject up again - whoops, sorry; make that: responding to Fish Bar about it.

Darren
June 21, 2005

There was a very good article in one of the papers last week about how fashionable it is to knock every footballer who gets into trouble by wheeling out the tired old headline of " xxx brings shame onto the tarnised image of football" etc, whilst dismissing any other sportsmans misdemeanors as simply a case of them being young men doing what young men do. The case given was of two first class cricketers who had been caught racing each other at over 110 mph on one of the motorways. The article went on to say that barely any copy space had been given to this act whereas, had it been footballers it would have been another case of the game being dragged through the gutter. I actually think the press have gone easy on us regarding RvP, probably more through the threat of libel than any symapthy. Rob K adn I don;t agree on much when it comes to footie but he's right in so much as RvP, if proven not guilty, should have every right to stay at AFC and carry on playing for us. Obviously if found guilty it's fait accompli I'm afraid adn the club are doing the right thing by remaining schtum publicly. I'm sure they are in daily contact with RvP's representatives adn at this stage that's all that matters. Now Rob, about this Lehmann fella......

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Well Mee, it seems an outside lavvy, a front room, leaving school at sixteen - grammar school I admit - with no further education or PhD have made me all too obnoxious and intellectually reprehensible for Mr Balls' liking. I'm devastated…. Mr Balls: your bully reference indicates a lack of self-awareness that is mind-boggling. I don't give a toss if you, chocolate and Bernard want to gang up on me and I'm pretty sure that most around here will recognize choco's delight in provoking responses from his targets. But you keep watching out for him - he likes to rely on the odd aside to credit his false premises, because there is never much more. The fact that you don't seem to understand what a Sophist is but do understand the common noun sophist, whilst I understand both and am prepared to debate it, does not I assure you, make me intellectually pretentious. It just means that I contribute a valid point to the proceedings and that choco and your goodself need to consult a bigger dictionary and to throw your shovels away….. Daz: I'll be back - even if Mr Balls sends the head teacher around - but now I must get a new battery. Agree, though, the chocolate character always threatened to implode.

Ozgoon
antbotak@yahoo.com.au
June 21, 2005

I would go for the Swans game against te Kangeroo.....great stadium and a fast furious and physical game full of excitement.....but thats just my opinion.having grown up in North London and ventured to Oz 10 odd years ago I found rugby league rather 2 dimensional after the scintilating skills of woodcock through to Henry. Fit and tough the Rugby league players are...true....but it seems to be all physical and not much skill....there are exceptions.The Swans are also Red and White and you can where your Home shirt without anyone batting an eyelid......"COME ON YOU RIPRRROARING RRRRREDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSS" PTBAG

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Well Judge it wasn't trickery then, fine. And you didn't address your views on sophism to Chocolate, fine also.

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

Does RVP play for Chelsea now?

Gunfire
June 21, 2005

"Not unless you have some kind of inferiority complex, perhaps" Spot on JJD. So Mee "Nobody can dispute the fact that his behaviour has brought shame to himself and the club" I for one doubt it. You have contradicted yourself. If in our daily duties we are aroused by good looking we (men)also in many instances stray. Why should football players be different? If a man strays does ti bring shame on his company, hospital, bridge club? I for one do not think our club is shamed by players sleeping with women other than their wives. No matter what RVP does the James Lawton's of this world wil use it as an excuse to attack our club and football players in general. The thing is we never here about journalists piccadiloes.

Mr. Balls
10 Downing st Westminsister London
June 21, 2005

Well your Lordship i did refer to that post that you mention in regard to the intellectual snobbery,or was it robbery? But the play-ground-bully input was gleaned from many of your rantings over a period of time in which you kept nudging Daz, who let's face it needs little encouragement, to recall past observations or statements that Chocolate had posted on here. I just felt that your approach was one of ganging up on Chocolate, who i have had a few altercations with myself, but however with out resorting to trying to use others to help me to attack him.I posted to him that i agreed with his remarks about your post about him and how your 'lecture' on Sophism came over to me personally, i posted on what the word meant to me to Daz, which is; an argument apparently correct but actually factually invalid. And i noted that you dismissed this meaning and went into a somewhat convulated discourse about Stoics and beard stroking robed and sandle wearing muses in a rather condesdending manner. Which i perceived your honour to be intellectual snobbery. That was my opinion and having reread the posts i reiterate it. I make no observation on whether you are right or wrong in your premise on Sophism or Philosophy - only on the manner in which you conduct your courtroom proceedings. I am happy to leave it to the jury to decide who is right or wrong on that. Must go now though judge to change into my Superman outfit and go and fight for truth and justice in the world -why is it that you can never find a phone booth when you need one...

Mee
June 21, 2005

Judge: The front room may well be posh, although I doubt Victoria Beckham has one. I grew up in a house with both a toilet and a lounge, so my dropped ‘aitches’ condemned me to a life attempting to avoid Cyril Connolly’s ‘pram in the hall’ - I failed and ended up here.

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Bernard: did you think you had recognized a bandwagon rolling by then. I'll try to bear in mind Mee's wise words here as you have mentioned your technological challenges previously. Now, if someone had several SPs they would not be attempting trickery to post as themselves from one or any of them. The trickery would be to post as you from one and represent yourself as another poster or posters from any of the others. So my reference had no relevance to chocolate gooner posting, but to someone who might have been traducing him. How sad is that? See how easy it is to get things wrong when the old mist descends? Also, I find your position on the second debate plain silly; you reintroduced it and I pointed you in the direction of the BBC vote which included the founding Sophist and a whole load of pre-Socratic philosophers who seem to be ineligible according to chocolate and the lecturer you rely on; Fishbar posted an incomplete dictionary definition which I enlarged on. At no stage did I address chocolate, but of course he elected to join in, which is fine by me. Now whilst I acknowledge participation in the debate, to suggest I reintroduced it is incorrect. OK, Mee? Front Room = posh?

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Parkerknoll, fair point. Fully agree with RobK and Cannon Balls about the 'morality' of the issue.

RichardE
June 21, 2005

For Bogdan K. Of those the Swans game is probably the best spectacle particularly if you haven't seen aussie rules before. It has the added bonus of being at the SCG which has a lot of tradition and atmosphere. The other two you mention are both rugby league games, both with a strong team against a weaker one. I'd probably lean towards the Roosters v Rabbits and if you haven't seen Australian rugby league it's worth a look as it's on a different level to the UK game.

Rob K
June 21, 2005

Dont know where this moral high ground grandstanding is coming from. If RVP is not charged he should have no blemish on his record.

Parkerknoll Gooner
June 21, 2005

Bernard - from what I've read the alledged "rape" took place in the hotel room after trawling around several clubs, if she was "raped" at the club I would suggest she would never have joined them at the hotel. I noticed that one of the sundays printed her version of events at the weekend, I wonder if she was payed for the story, either way it reflects poorly on her and I don't think the judge will be overly impressed.

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

Mee,if RVP is found to have not raped that girl and released then there is nothing to stop him from returning and playing for Arsenal. His wife is saying that she is sticking by him and is obviously aware of the circumstances concerning the allegations involved ,so any sexual or unfaithful to her matters are for them to sort out,and not AW. Moral viewpoints on sexual behavior between consenting adults are not a matter for anyone other than the participants to concern themselves with. If found guilty then that is a different matter,it then means that RVP would be a convicted criminal,playing in the game at present, and not a transgressor of someone elses moral beliefs, which are not of any concern really in a football related sense. Come on now where do you start with that malarkey trying to fit it into football???

Off the Mark
Gynae James
June 21, 2005

Anything to report - you are our best and most reliable source in recet times (that's if you're still employed at the same place and AFC still use that place too)

Judge JohnD
June 21, 2005

Mr Balls: not too difficult to work out the pod you came from, is it? Mind you, I did not mind the description at all, kindled an image of a C5th BC Nico. Now, the post you referred to mentioned videoing ones kids as they grow up, sort of concluded a debate with Bernard on who reignited a topic and addressed Fishbar, and indirectly Bernard, on an incomplete dictionary definition that Fishbar tossed into the conversation. None of that was addressed to chocolate or seems to be pretentious claptrap or intellectual snobbery. Not unless you have some kind of inferiority complex, perhaps. Of course, there could be a reason for that. Anyway, I ask you again to confirm that all those subjects are the cause of your consternation - just so that I understand you correctly. As regards school playground bullies, you, of all people, should recollect that chocolate's first stumblings on here were calculated to create a reputation by harassing and ridiculing this feeble, geriatric pensioner. Not at all as you mendaciously care to portray it. The genesis of our relationship owes all to his youthful disrespect for his elders and, no, I better leave the next bit out - no point in giving you the obvious ammo is there. I guess he did not anticipate the perseverance and boredom threshold he was up against - and on the whole, I thought that our relationship was one both fully understood. He, subsequently, widened his repertoire by identifying other posters to harangue. But, I don't need to explain all that to you, do I? Your transparent efforts to reinvent yourself up as the Caped Crusader of the Forum are based on a miscalculation as to the facts and your own credibility - a familiar theme around here. Why don't you try to elucidate why it is arguable to understand cynicism as philosophy but not sophism?

Bogdan K
June 21, 2005

I wonder if any of our antipodean posters could offer me some tourist advice. I will be in Oz for the first time in August and fancy catching some sport while in Sydney (along with the wife and kids). It looks like the options are Rabbitohs v Roosters at the Aussie Stadium, Wests Tigers v Bulldogs at the Telstra Stadium or Swans v Kangaroos at the SCG. Which would offer the best spectacle?

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

That last post from me was for Andy in Singapore.

Cannon Balls
June 21, 2005

Actually Soccer is an alteration and shortening of 'Association Football' and Rugby is nothing to do with it. Rugby was in England always called rugby . However the Americans call their hands on the ball game 'football' and use Soccer to differentiate between that sport and their own more popular,in the States, Gridiron 'foootball'. Soccer may have been a term used in England to describe the pro-game at the time that you refer, to seperate the sport from amatuer football.

Bernard
June 21, 2005

Mee, I've said before that I don't think the club or Wenger have any right to demand that Arsenal players remain faithful to their wives. If he didn't rape the girl, that's all he's done. Very stupid that he did it in a public place (the club, I presume) but I'd bet my mortgage that he's not the first Arsenal player to have sex with someone other than his current wife (anyhow Merson admitted doing so, and our resident historian Exiled probably has a full list somewhere); and he most definitely won't be the last to do so either. I don't think the club should take any action against him if he's found not guilty of rape (if he is, his career could well be finished anyway due to the length of the prison sentence that's possible - I think I read somewhere 12 years). It's his wife who has far more to be angry about than Arsenal if he's not guilty of rape but had sex with whoever it was.