Football Legends

Arsenal Football Club celebrates it's 125th birthday today, and as a gooner I cannot express enough how lucky I am to be around to experience this special occasion. Who would have thought that in 1886 a small group of Scottish factory workers formed a football team named Dial Square, and that 125 years later, that same team went on to achieve the feats to be ranked as one of the best in the world.

Formed in Woolwich, the men who worked at the Royal Arsenal went for many years as a club for the workers to entertain themselves. Over the following years however, the team progressed sufficiently, but struggled financially. The club were at a status of bankrupt, and it was then that businessmen by the names of Henry Norris and William Hall constructed the proposal of moving from South-East London, to North London, near the already situated Tottenham Hotspur F.C., in order to save the struggling club - a gamble that worked a treat. Once they had moved to the Highbury area, it was decided that the club could no longer possess the title Woolwich Arsenal, thus the club became Arsenal instead. Years later, Herbert Chapman took the reigns at the club and guided the team to their first FA Cup and League Championships, and through players such as Cliff Bastin, the club dominated 1930s English football.

Back to 2011 and in terms of the day itself, Arsenal faced Everton in the Barclays Premier League, but the day was somewhat overshadowed by the birthday celebrations that preceded the game, with such legends as Tony Adams, Thierry Henry and Herbert Chapman being immortalised to the club. Dare I say it, nostalgia is something big in modern football. Many a club bask in their club's history, or simply like to shape their club around it - something that simply cannot be said about the 'money-bags' of the PL, Chelsea, Manchester City. Will Chelsea fans be able to honestly look back at the Noughties and think they earned that success? Or City? Will the mega signings sweeten the sensation of success? But obviously I wouldn't know much in the way of success, my life as a football fan has been empty of success in recent years, but the passion and emotional satisfaction is still there, and that's all that counts at the end for me.

Patience, in my view, is important when it comes to staying loyal to your chosen club. I believe you can support any club you want - so long as you support them. I won't lie, I find it peculiar when I find Manchester United fans who are Londoners born and bred, but in truth it's not up to me or anyone else to decide what team they support!

For me, the locality of football clubs is the most crucial factor. It makes it that much more special. That's why non-league football needs to be boosted. Although Arsenal is my first allegiance, I do take pleasure in watching my local non-league club play from time to time, where the action is purer and the passion is genuine. The only legends on the pitches of the Ryman Premier are locals. They are semi-pros, and many play for recreation and believe that football isn't a job as such. In contrast, many of the PL footballers you see today are soulless, money-craving vultures who don't care about fans - or even understand the passion of British fans for that matter - and thus the bond between club and fans is eroded substantially. My earlier example of Man City could be taken into account, but I can't generalise, especially about a team I do not even support or show any interest in.

So, what am I trying to say after this essay-like blog? Simple - support your club, but actually support them. Fake fans rant about their club's failures on Facebook, twitter and the likes, but real fans let the team do the talking, allow the team a chance to explain themselves but more importantly try again - before everyone writes them off. Fake fans proclaim their support and devotion after fleeting victories, real fans proclaim their support and devotion before and after fleeting victories or painful defeats. Of course one may experience disappointment, as an Arsenal fan I can say that's only human, but there's a fine line between disappointment and ranting for the sake of ranting, taking your personal issues out on a game of football. Support your team, but don't let it control your life, forgive me for sounding like your mother, enjoy the game for what it's worth, and if your team suffers defeat, be disappointed but grateful at the same time - if you know what I mean. And by the way, I do not consider the behaviour of hooligans to be that of real fans - those ruffians are just out for a bit of fun at the expense of football's reputation, all of which possess a deep obsession of anarchy and seek attention.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, hopefully it wasn't too much of a chore.