The problem is they could both be relegated by the time we play them so will have nothing to lose, although as a boyhood Birmingham fan, I'm sure TD will want to get a hat-trick against Villa.
I saw the strangest sight at yesterday's match. A group of about eight Arsenal fans playing rock, sissors, paper...while the match was going on. That's why there's no atmosphere...tourists on a day out.
The real Arsenal fans do still exist but there is a large contingent from places like Muswell Hill, Highgate, now posher parts of Highbury, who are new to football and couldn't really give that much of a f*** about Arsenal other than how losing might affect the kudos they perceive when telling people they are Arsenal STHs. They couldn't tell you the name of the old stadium, that lot. But the real Arsenal fans do exist, do go to the games, it's just they are diluted in the bigger stadium with the new Muswell Hill brigade.
I know a few old school Arsenal fans who have had ST's from the days at Highbury, but their enthusiasm lessons by the year. What I noticed was the number of people leaving early when they were 3-0 up, I moan about our fans leaving early when we are losing, but leaving when you are well ahead is absurd.
Agreed - although I have been guilty of it once myself. Went to a midweek match at Hereford by train - in the days of 19:30 kick-offs. The last train out of Hereford left at 21:20 & the station is about a 15 minute walk from the ground, so I had no choice but to miss the last 5 minutes. Fortunately we held on to our lead.
My first visit to the Emirates and I thought the whole atmosphere was strange, not least no real singing when 3-0 up and the numbers leaving early when 3-0 up. One of the best moments about being a fan is clapping the team at the end when you've won, isn't it?
If they were to our left I think that's the 'Young Guns' enclosure so they may have been fairly young. I sit in the Family Stand and a few weeks ago a supporter of about 15 was in front of me playing a game on his phone during the match - didn't get that one either.
Doesn't matter where you are, kids and even adults can't put their phones down, I get really hacked off when it interferes with me.
When we take our kids swimming there are about 15-20 parents 'watching' their offspring. Apart from my wife and I , everyone is attached to an iPhone , iPad or Kindle.
That's technology for you. Years ago in Oz, my ten year old son was heavily into cricket & used to play club matches that lasted for around six hours on Saturdays - a long time for even the most doting of parents. I got glared at by all around me for having the temerity to sneak in & peruse my copy of British Soccer Week...
i can finally find words! This was a weird one...never have i felt so disassociated. So much so that i didn't even see the 4th goal and wasn't bothered that it had gone in. That was the weirdest feeling. Usually i'd be gutted. Maybe because i had expected nothing, maybe because the players didn't seem to care. Maybe because from the minute i saw the team sheet i knew we'd be hammered, and had expected it anyway. Maybe because from the 4th minute i knew it was all over, we can never come back from being 1-0 down, maybe because the Arsenal fans weren't up for it, maybe because Arsenal decided to give an amazing performance (because we allowed them to), who knows, maybe all or any of the above. All i know is it was massively disappointing, and we desperately need to start turning this around because otherwise, as someone wisely said to me, next season we are really going to struggle. Teams that end with a whimper, usually begin the next season with a whimper. If we can finish strongly i will feel more confident about next season, but right now i cannot see where our next points are coming from. The only saving grace on Saturday (as well as the fab breakfast in the Junction Cafe!) was the bloke next to me, who despite driving me bonkers with his constant negativity, also had me in stitches with his attempts at our players names...not sure he got one right, and by the time 'Adrienne Garibaldi' came on i was struggling to keep it together! lol Bless him, a true fan who obviously knew his football and cared passionately.
