Time To Stand Tall

If Arsenal beat Stoke City on Saturday, they will win the Premier League. Defeat, however, rules Arsenal out, while a draw only gives slim hope.

Stoke City away is a horrible fixture. It’s average footballers using thug tactics, long throws, long balls, aerial bombardment and defensive discipline to the max. If Arsenal are to win, they have stand tall, be hard, play ugly and prepare for war. Winning doesn’t have to be pretty.
There’s two misnomers about Stoke City. The first is that they play football. They don’t. Not when you have Rory Delap taking five minutes to take a 25 yard throw in – after he has wiped it with a towel – and not when you have thugs like Danny Higginbotham kicking, elbowing, and stamping anything in his way. If Stoke play football, then my penis plays the violin.

The second misnomer is that Stoke is an actual city. It’s not. It’s just six shit towns full of white trash or Chavs who hate the smaller Indian/Pakistani community. It’s the reason why the fascist British National Party held a rally last month in Stoke, protesting against the rising Muslim community.

So what does Stoke have to offer other than a wide selection of sports shops and pound stores? It has the low grade shopping mall in the cesspit town of Hanley called “The Potteries Center.” This where most of the Stoke Chavs hang out in a show of defiance against authorities and the growing asylum seeker population. They lurk around menacingly, with their white Reebok Classics and hooded tops like a verminous disease, creating a shopping experience of loathing.

Hanley at night is another story though. It turns into an STD fest with teenage Chavs lingering around dimly lit bus shelters dropping cigarette butts on the floor and drinking cheap strong cans of Special Brew or Thunderbirds. There are some bars, just like there’s corners in Skid Row that people seek for entertainment. Outside the most popular bar/nightclubs are lines of pasty white Chav’s, with women wearing next to nothing because they can’t afford to put their coat into a cloakroom. Some wear nothing more than a skirt in sub zero temperatures because they feel that flashing a bit of tit and thigh is their way gaining entry with the bouncers. These are bars that seem to be blissfully unaware of things like age restrictions or fire regulations.

Inside the bars is more scary. You will find, loud shite R&B disguised as techno with drunk Chavs practicing their moves for their wishful audition on American Idol or Britain’s Got Talent. And the female talent on show is just like Stoke’s football – it’s horrible – consisting Susan Boyle’s in their early 20’s with peroxide blonde hair.

On game day, the Britannia Stadium is just as bad. It consists of white men of all ages drinking as much Stella as possible and then singing the Stoke national anthem of the Tom Jones hit “Why, Why, Delilah?” at the top of their voices. Before the game most of these white drunk scum then abuse one of the following: a) away fans especially southern fans; b) non-white people; c) the police; d) the referee and his officials.

After the game, most Stoke fans continue their drinking in the pubs near to the stadium. They continue singing their rendition of “Delilah” but some are by now puking up in the street or the bathrooms. Others are hitting on the pasty white, overweight tarts who love to wear big cheap gold rings with their initials on them as well as big hoop earrings that look like curtain holders.

Stoke is hole and needs to go. The same goes for it’s horrible football team.

Keep It Arsenal

No Regrets

“Whoever plays must give it everything they’ve got in these remaining games, and see where it takes us.” Sol Campbell

I imagine that when a player looks back on his career, the last thing he wants to battle is regret. Times passes quickly. A professional career should be filled with as many memories of success as possible. Sol Campbell knows what it takes to be successful.

He has stated the need for the players to make sacrifices in order to win the league. He has hinted that belief is not enough. It’s going to take more effort than perhaps the team are aware of. Say what you want about him, he’s won things and he’s made sacrifices along the way. I’m hoping that the younger players especially are listening to him.

The Invincibles Era has come and gone. In the same way, this team will have played and moved on before long. The likes of Clichy, Diaby, Nasri, Cesc, and Song will be in their prime in a few years. It is absolutely vital that they win a trophy this season. It could be the stepping stone to many more.

The ultimate shame will be if this lot leave Arsenal without having raised a few pots. Sol is part of the group now. It’s his role to be fit when called upon but more importantly, his part is also to make sure the players understand what is required in order to win.

I heard a great man say once to a group of West Ham fans who were desperate to beat us that “it’s the hope that kills you.” The pain of regret must surely be on a par with despair. I need to know that every Arsenal player understands that he must give his all in every minute of every match. There can be no other approach. Else they risk looking back on an empty period filled with promise and frustration.

It would be criminal if we were to miss out on winning something this season for lack of effort. And how ironic would it be that the inspiration comes from a man who once turned his back on us. Wenger must see more than a convenient, cheap signing in Sol Campbell.

Keep the Faith.