A footballing tragedy seems to moving into its most dramatic act. I grew up in the era of the "Invincibles" and what a privilege it was to watch them; winners, characters and consummate professionals to a man, and who was at the helm of all this? One man: Arsene Wenger.
But now, 13 years later, we are faced with the controlled implosion of a great London football club. I know I shouldn't care being from the East Midlands and, nominally at least, being a Forest fan, but I see Arsenal as part of the sporting fabric of what constitutes the recent greatness of England's sporting past; and the fact that the same man who achieved such greatness is continuing to lead it all makes the suffering more palpable, more intensely human somehow.
In life you have to know when to walk away, stay too long and see yourself become the villain and all that (credit goes to the Nolan brothers) and this is a real case of a sporting hero's legacy dissolving and re-coagulating into something ugly, twisted, bitter and miserable.
"It's only a game", say those who understand nothing of football. It's not just a game, not to many, it's life, it's passion, it's identity, it's purpose. What makes it so meaningful are the heights you can reach, locally, nationally, globally. What makes it so brutal are the crashing lows that might follow. Teams go through these cycles all the time but rarely does one man embody the full intensity of both this sport's highs and lows.
There's probably only one man who could make such a claim, were he to still be alive, a man much closer to my place of birth and nominal team: Sir Brian. League and European Cup winner one decade, resigning manager of a second-tier team 13 years later. Clough will always be seen as a hero by us though, Forest were little to nothing before he came so we were just glad for the memories, but Arsenal have always been a big club and they're now being diminished (possibly historically so) by the man who was once able to take them so far.
For the sake of legacy, nostalgia, and pity, just let the final act commence.
A footballing tragedy
posted on 21/3/17
comment by The Gin Palace (U21084)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
We want you to stay, We want you to stay, Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So that genuinely made you laugh out loud? Where have you been for the past 6 months? It's hardly original
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's a brown-noser mate.
posted on 21/3/17
comment by The Gin Palace (U21084)
posted 30 minutes ago
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
We want you to stay, We want you to stay, Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So that genuinely made you laugh out loud? Where have you been for the past 6 months? It's hardly original
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's funny because if he does stay we get to keep watching Arsenal fan Tv fam
posted on 21/3/17
comment by ♤WengersNearlyMen♤ (U5041)
posted 21 minutes ago
comment by The Gin Palace (U21084)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
We want you to stay, We want you to stay, Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So that genuinely made you laugh out loud? Where have you been for the past 6 months? It's hardly original
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's a brown-noser mate.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You are a racist
posted on 21/3/17
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 31 minutes ago
comment by ♤WengersNearlyMen♤ (U5041)
posted 21 minutes ago
comment by The Gin Palace (U21084)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 16 hours, 48 minutes ago
We want you to stay, We want you to stay, Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So that genuinely made you laugh out loud? Where have you been for the past 6 months? It's hardly original
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's a brown-noser mate.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You are a racist
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Libellous words mate. I hope you can back this up otherwise you are out of order
posted on 21/3/17
http://www.ja606.co.uk/comments/viewAllComments/339015/3
All there, nothing libellous his own words from his own Twitter.
I deal in fact and this coward lies but can't hide.
I don't like racists.
posted on 21/3/17
comment by LQ (U6305)
posted 2 hours, 26 minutes ago
http://www.ja606.co.uk/comments/viewAllComments/339015/3
All there, nothing libellous his own words from his own Twitter.
I deal in fact and this coward lies but can't hide.
I don't like racists.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, how is this lowlife still on the streets
posted on 21/3/17
He isn't he's in his bedroom safe an sound
No terrorist is going to get him
posted on 21/3/17
Ridiculous clown article. WNM shown up again.
Sums up this thread.
posted on 22/3/17
Not difficult showing wnm up, he does it himself.
Total cretin that one.
posted on 22/3/17
This article