Is there a Future in Arsenal’s Past?*

Posted on 30 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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By ‘ABW Guest Blogger’ Les Crang (@plasticspam)

Control the Past

‘Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.’   – George Orwell, 1984

I was recently asked to do a guest blog post for A Bergkamp Wonderland by Geoff Hollefreund and Danny. I usually write for Tim over on 7amkickoff and look predominantly at historic matches and players for the past. On agreeing, I brainstormed with Geoff and we decided I would try something different for this Bergkamp Wonderland post.

This post will therefore take a look at ‘Can Arsenal have a future with its past?’. By this I mean, will fans be able to interact with the club in the future, either via tours of the stadium, by meeting players or will we just be consumers of what the club may decide to give us. So I asked myself this:

  • Are fans that interested in The Arsenal’s past?
  • Do they care about meeting players (past or present)?
  • Do they want to interact with the club?
  • In fact do fans care about any of this?

To me it is a resounding yes. Why? Well, let’s look at the evidence.

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101 – Newcastle Win & Mr Giroud (26th March 2015)

Posted on 26 March, 2015 by A Bergkamp Wonderland

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Kris (@AFCfreddie8) has kidnapped poor Gimli, stuck him in an old shoe box (Nike Air Max Classics size 9) and posted him to a small island off the coast of Wales and he is joined by :

Geoff (@GeoffArsenal).

Jason (@jasondavies71).

John Welsh (@jwelsh84).

Danny (@The_GFP).

Problems using either of the two media players, try these :

Click here to listen to in a new window
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Click here to listen via iTunes
Or
Click here to listen via our YouTube channel
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Right Click Here then “Save link as” for .mp3

Ive had a poorly botty for the 2nd time in 3 podcasts, i am lucky to be alive to be fair.

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Decision Time for Theo

Posted on 25 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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Two years ago I can remember sitting frustrated, worried, even slight angry, over whether Arsenal were going to cough up and give Theo Walcott a new contract.

The forward was in arguably the form of his career, typified by a hat-trick against Newcastle just days before his contract went into its final six months. He ended the season with 21 goals in 43 appearances.

At the time, Walcott was demanding £100,000-a-week. An amount that seemed justified when a glance over the Arsenal squad suggested a worrying lack of fire power. Robin van Persie had headed up north to Manchester United, while new boys Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski were still finding their feet.

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Stick or Twist Interlull Edition

Posted on 24 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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Welcome back to Stick or Twist – a new regular Tuesday blog from #ABW Chief Blogger, the Other Geoff.  The concept is simple – OG will pick a few topics each week and give his thoughts followed by a verdict using the terms STICK or TWIST.  Then you get the chance to vote and let us know if you agree.

stick (stĭk): stand; hold the course. The state or condition of adhering.

twist (twist): hit; make a change. A variation in approach.

On Player Salary Demands:

There’s been a lot of talk over contract renewals as is often the case at this point in the season. For those players with contracts expiring in the summer of 2016, this likely represents one of the last big pushes to re-sign with their current club before either being sold on for a reduced fee in the summer or eventually moving on a free in the subsequent summer transfer window.

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100 – Our 100th Podcast LIVE! (19th March 2015)

Posted on 20 March, 2015 by A Bergkamp Wonderland

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Gimli (@GoonerGimli) is wearing a sparkly crown and is happy as a bear in honey for this very special occasion and he is joined by :

Kate (@GoonerGirlKate).

Jason (@jasondavies71).

Kris (@AFCfreddie8).

Danny (@The_GFP).

This is the live YouTube broadcast from the start.

The extras which are not on the YouTube version start at 2 hours 27 mins if you listened live.

In the rush to download the live YouTube show, add the start & end music, add the 15 mins of extras i forgot to add the extra bits that Dom, Other Geoff, Raj & Other Jason did so here they are, give it a listen to make them feel loved.

Problems using either of the two media players, try these :

Click here to listen to in a new window
Or
Click here to listen via iTunes
Or
Click here to listen via our YouTube channel
Or
Right Click Here then “Save link as” for .mp3

It is our 100th podcast, yes, so what, one day we will all be dead.

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It’s Time to Change the Narrative

Posted on 19 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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I’d like to begin proceedings this time around with two quotes (the second being a response to the first) from fellow Gooners in the wake of our crashing out of the Champions League in the round of 16…again.

“If we had gone through, then yes you applaud, but to go out and say you are proud is ridiculous”

– “It’s what Gooners have become under AW. We’re always proud of these one-off’s in which we play well and it doesn’t matter a damn”

Now, I’ve got to be honest – it sure would be nice if Jake (@JakeArsenal1) and I could consider ourselves the modern day unthinkably awesome tandem of Gandalf and Dumbledore, where we just happen to know everything before it comes to pass. The unfortunate reality is that we do not have elongated grey beards of sheer badassery…but we do know a thing or two.

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Stick or Twist v.2

Posted on 17 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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Welcome back to Stick or Twist – a new semi-regular Tuesday blog from #ABW Chief Blogger, the Other Geoff.  The concept is simple – OG will pick a few topics each week and give his thoughts followed by a verdict using the terms STICK or TWIST.  New in this edition – you get your chance to vote after the verdict and tell us what you think. 

stick (stĭk): stand; hold the course. The state or condition of adhering.

twist (twist): hit; make a change. A variation in approach.

On Mad Frankie & a Defensive Mid:

The emergence of “Mad Frankie” Coquelin this season has been the sort of pleasant surprise usually reserved for finding spare change in the couch.  In our hour of need, the defensively styled midfielder has been a revelation – and is no doubt a big part of our strong second half of the season.

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The Future of the British Core

Posted on 16 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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Jack Wilshere, Alex, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, and I’m going to add Theo Walcott and Calum Chambers to this article. What does the future hold for Arsenal’s most well known British contingent?

For some it’s time to start showing they are at the Arsenal level, and others still have time on their side. Let me dissect it a little from a personal point of view. I don’t expect to be right about all of it, or indeed even a little bit.  But from what is going at present with these lads, this is what I can see happening in future – or what needs to happen should they all stay at Arsenal.

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099 – We Got 99 Problems But United Ain’t One (12th March 2015)

Posted on 12 March, 2015 by A Bergkamp Wonderland

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Gimli (@GoonerGimli) is back after a 3 week voyage of self discovery whilst knee deep in puppy shit and he is joined by :

Kate (@GoonerGirlKate).

GC (@SheWore).

Andrew (@PR_WhoRu).

Problems using either of the two media players, try these :

Click here to listen to in a new window
Or
Click here to listen via iTunes
Or
Click here to listen via our YouTube channel
Or
Right Click Here then “Save link as” for .mp3

I had a poorly botty, i kept being sick.

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The Arsenal Captaincy, A Poisoned Chalice?

Posted on 12 March, 2015 by Blog Admin

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By ‘ABW Guest Blogger’ Peter Kennelly (@kennellypeter)

William Gallas, Cesc Fàbregas, Robin Van Persie, Thomas Vermaelen, Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker.

The list of Arsenal captains since 2007 reads like a “most wanted” list for most Arsenal fans.

Ok, a bit harsh on current players Arteta and BFG, but the players previous to that are names that cause our bums to tighten up just that little bit.

It’s an indictment on the club that our captaincy has become a merry go round. Especially for a club with such a rich history of strong and commanding leaders – Adams, Vieira, Rice, O’Leary and McLintock to name a few.

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