Arsenal America

Recently, I had a chance to speak with Jon Spurling, author of ?Rebels For The Cause ? The Alternative History Of Arsenal Football Club?. For the many of us who are relatively new to Arsenal, this is a terrific book that provides a fascinating insight into the history of the club and how we are perceived by others (opposing fans, the FA, the media, etc).

Jon does a terrific job of balancing his obvious affection for Arsenal with not being afraid to uncover some of the more seemly aspects of our dear club. Because so many Arsenal America members didn?t grow up steeped in the myths and legends, I wanted to go a bit deeper and Jon was kind enough to answer some questions:

ArseAm: It certainly seems like Arsenal have had their share of rogues and scoundrels, are these ?colorful characters? just the result of a long club history, or does the Arsenal seem to breed, or attract, such individuals?

Jon Spurling: That?s a tricky question. I?ll try and answer it in two parts. On the one hand, Arsenal?s distant past has created the ?them and us? sub-culture. Arsenal have always been regarded as very much an outsiders? club. This is partly to do with geographical reasons. Woolwich Arsenal, as they were once known back in the 1890s, played in Kent, and established London clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham looked down their noses at us, but also feared us at the same time. Arsenal became the first Southern club to turn professional, and our London cousins opted to throw us out of the local leagues. Add the fact that Arsenal sides even then had a reputation for stepping over the line at times, and the image was born of a club who were never going to win many friends outside of their own fan base!

The perception of Arsenal as a club populated by rogues came about when Sir Henry Norris bribed the football league to promote Arsenal in 1918, and relegate Tottenham. That was some stunt to pull, and it?s very much my opinion that without Norris and Arsenal?s revolutionary founding fathers ? David Danskin and Jack Humble ? Arsenal wouldn?t even exist.

As to whether Arsenal attracts rebels ? I don?t necessarily agree. I think a lot of it is simply down to coincidence, and the fact that as a big club, the media know that ?Arsenal in crisis? stories sell newspapers. You can see the way the will to win rubs off on incoming players like, say, Patrick Vieira, though.

There is another point to make. Having spoken to a number of players over the years who have graduated from the youth team, it?s clear that Arsenal youngsters are brought up to believe they are different from those at other clubs. Such players can repeat ? almost parrot fashion ? what they are told as kids. They have it drummed into them that finishing second isn?t good enough for a team like Arsenal, and that if a team mate is in trouble, you are duty bound to protect your ?blood brother?. If you looked at what happened at Old Trafford a few weeks ago, who was at the forefront of what happened? Martin Keown ? a product of Arsenal?s youth academy ? back in the 1980s. So, in answer to your question, the club?s ?them against us? spirit does breed such incidents. I?m not saying it?s right, I?m saying that?s how it is!

ArseAm: Could a similar book have been written about Bolton and Southampton for example?

Jon Spurling: No. I think there are only two other English clubs you could write this kind of book about, and they are Manchester United, and at a push, Liverpool. That in itself tells a tale, because those two and Arsenal are the most successful English sides. I think it?s to do with the fact that back in the nineteenth century, you had to be involved in some serious rule bending and revolutionary activities, if you were going to establish yourself, and avoid folding like so many other factory or church based teams ? which are what United and Liverpool once were. And as I said, a lot is to do with the fact that Arsenal is a massive club, so the media are far more interested in reporting the misdemeanours of drunken or scrapping Arsenal players, than they would be of investigating players at Bolton and Southampton.
If, say, Charlie George or Charlie Nicholas had played for either of those two clubs, I doubt that they would have become nationally famous rogues.

ArseAm: True or False ? are the media really out to get the Arsenal?

Jon Spurling: If you speak to most Arsenal fans, they would answer, ?yes? to that question. The interesting thing is that most Arsenal players I?ve spoken to reckon it?s true too. The issue with the media is that labels stick. Back in the 1930s, newspapers began to affix various nicknames to Arsenal, which we?ve never got rid of. First, we were labelled ?boring Arsenal? because our manager Herbert Chapman, was the first to begin playing the ?stopper? centre half in defence. Then, we were called ?lucky Arsenal? because we?d hit teams on the break, after soaking up the pressure, and allowing them to have most of the possession.

Then, it was ?arrogant Arsenal?, because at a time when Britain was reeling from the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash, Arsenal actually became stronger and wealthier.

Admittedly, Arsenal teams haven?t always done themselves favours over the years, but it?s often lazy journalism that sees these labels stick. And let?s be honest ? if the vast majority of fans hate Arsenal, then a large proportion of journalists will too! What I would say is that George Graham and Arsene Wenger have been happy to say in public that Arsenal are victimised. They know that a persecution complex will result from this, and spur the team on.

For instance, Wenger sort of apologized after the incident at Old Trafford, but he didn?t really mean it. Arsenal managers have become very adept at using negative comments to galvanise the team. It often suits them to foster the ?persecution complex?. It gives Arsenal teams their edge.

ArseAm: Manchester United are often compared to the New York Yankees (successful both on the field and commercially). After reading ?Rebels For The Cause? I began to think of the Arsenal as the Oakland Raiders of English football. Quite successful at times, but always doing things their way and with an ?us against the world? mentality. Is that a fair comparison?

Jon Spurling: It?s interesting you ask that. Because last week, I saw a documentary on John McEnroe, who was talking about how he can identify with the Oakland Raiders, and their ?persecution complex?.

That?s certainly something Arsenal fans have become all too familiar with. From the little I know about American football, I would say that the parallels are there, definitely. When Manchester United were on their pre season summer tour of America, much was made in the English media of a meeting between Alex Ferguson, and the New York Yankees? coach. The two clubs have shared commercial interests, and two high profile coaches.

The fact is that Arsenal, commercially, aren?t in the same league as United or Chelsea, and we won?t be until the stadium issue is resolved. But if we can?t compete in the transfer market, we can compete on the pitch. In recent years, we?ve punched above our weight. We haven?t finished outside the top two in the Premiership since 1997.

That?s amazing, considering eight clubs now have bigger capacities than Highbury ? and therefore have more money ? coming into their coffers. But Arsenal teams have won the League title in every decade apart from the 1950s. No other team can claim to have done that, not even United. We?re always on the scene, even if, as you say, we don?t dominate like United have.

ArseAm: Much was made of the recent events at Old Trafford. I thought it was pretty poor sportsmanship, yet every year we have several ?bench clearing brawls? in baseball, a sport with far less contact than soccer. Why do incidents like the Keown ? van Nistelrooy affair get such over the top reactions in the UK? The idea that a team would be penalised by a deduction of points like what happened in 1991 would be laughable in the States.

Jon Spurling: There are a few reasons why that may be the case. In the UK, football is massive and is becoming even bigger ? if that?s possible. It is far and away the biggest, and most talked about sport here. It puts rugby, tennis and cricket into the shade. Whenever I?ve visited the States, it seems that there are a number of sports vying for main billing. Baseball, American Football, Basketball, Tennis, Ice Hockey.

The UK is a football-obsessed country, and the media loves fanning the flames of a ?crisis? in order to sell newspapers. On the national news the other day, the headlines weren?t about the situation in post war Iraq, or the pensions crisis we have in the UK, it was that an England player ? Rio Ferdinand ? had missed his drugs test!

We?re also very self righteous in England. We expect our footballers ? wrongly in my opinion - to be role models for kids, and with the huge amounts of money washing around in the game, the media is keen to jump in and say: ?Look at how much he earns ? isn?t it a disgrace that he behaves in this way?? It could also be to do with the media vendetta against Arsenal, but don?t get me started on that again!

Jon, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I encourage people to check out the book. You can get it direct from the publisher at www.mainstreampublishing.com