Ed. Note - Andez brings up a great point here and one that I feel is a major part of Arsenal’s success…
For the past two decades, I have noticed one thing which is quite interesting…
George Graham managed Arsenal for 8 seasons.
Arsene Wenger is heading into his 8th season in charge.
Our all time most first team appearance holder David O’Leary played more than 700 games for us.
Tony Adams spent his entire career with Arsenal for nearly 20 years.
Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Steve Bould, Martin Keown, David Seaman all had played for Arsenal more than 10 years.
Not just the defenders, Ray Parlour has been with Arsenal for more than 10 years now.
And not just the English players, Dennis Bergkamp will be with Arsenal for a decade comes next season.
Patrick Vieira is heading towards his 9th season at Highbury.
Henry, Pires, Ljungberg, Lauren all have been with us around half a decade.
And not just the managers and players, the backroom staffs as well. How long Pat Rice has been with us? Liam Brady? Bob Wilson (before he retired last season)?
Even the physio Gary Lewin, I seem to remember him as our physio for as long as it goes! (Gary was already our team physio when George was in charged).
Now that’s quite unique isn’t it?!
8 Responses to “Royal Arsenal”
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May 16th, 2004 at 3:39 pm
Perhaps this is why we have the “family atmosphere” amongst the team and players. We are “ONE”… they players enjoy being around each other, and playing for the same cause. We do seem to have a unique and fantastic chemistry that comes from a core group of players being together for more than a year or 2… again, long may the success continue.
May 16th, 2004 at 5:43 pm
CONSISTENCY (of the team) wins league championship, STABILITY (of the club) generates consistency.
The two are unseperatable.
May 17th, 2004 at 11:33 am
Hats off to you, Andez. Both for what you’ve said here, and for the fact that I know you, like me, were practically fit-to-be-tied at the end of the first half on Saturday.
Being a football fan of “another variety” here in the states, I’m often looked upon as having something wrong with me. Even when people hear that I recently returned from a vacation in London, the hightlight being my first trip to Highbury, I get a blank stare. One person even said, “That’s a lot of money to go to…there”. Sigh. I won’t even get into the things that were said when I told the it was goaless draw.
I just shook my head.
I’m not intending this comment to start caannon balls flying over the Atlantic, but to make a point about loyalty and, for me, the best thing about being a die-hard fan. I used to be an enormous baseball fan. As a kid, I couldn’t wait until the new yearly programs came out so that I could see how my favorite players looked this year, and what they said about their chances. Big money has all but destroyed that for me. Long-time tenures are a thing of the past in so many sports these days, from all over the world. The fact that I began to seriously follow The Gunners almost 10 years ago and that many of the players are still there, is astounding. Its got to be one of the main reasons that Paddy’s second goal on Saturday saw me chant “Stand up for the Champions” off my balcony to clueless passersby. Similar to something I did back when I was 14 years old, and The Phillies won the World Series. Boy, it was great to be 14 again.
And to all those “friends” of mine who criticized my choice of vacations, I kind of pity them. While many still support their teams fervently, few will experience that feeling of watching your team grow, work together, become a family, and achieve something legendary in the process. For me it was worth every minute on that plane, and every second in the rain.
Hail The Arsenal! May the world watch and learn the true beauty, and meaning, of what they have done
May 17th, 2004 at 11:36 am
Hats off to you, Andez. Both for what you’ve said here, and for the fact that I know that you, like me, were practically fit-to-be-tied at the end of the first half on Saturday.
Being a football fan of “another variety” here in the states, I’m often looked upon as having something wrong with me. Even when people hear that I recently returned from a vacation in London, the highlight being my first trip to Highbury, I get a blank stare. One person even said, “That’s a lot of money to go to…there”. Sigh. I won’t even get into the things that were said when I told them it was goaless draw.
I just shook my head.
I’m not intending this comment to start caannon balls flying over the Atlantic, but to make a point about loyalty and, for me, the best thing about being a die-hard fan. I used to be an enormous baseball fan. As a kid, I couldn’t wait until the new yearly programs came out so that I could see how my favorite players looked this year, and what they said about their chances. Big money had all but destroyed that for me. Long-time tenures are a thing of the past in so many sports these days, from all over the world. The fact that I began to seriously follow The Gunners almost 10 years ago and that many of the players are still there, is astounding. Its got to be one of the main reasons that Paddy’s second goal on Saturday saw me chant “Stand up for the Champions” off my balcony to clueless passersby. Similar to something I did back when I was 14 years old, and The Phillies won the World Series. Boy, it was great to be 14 again.
And to all those “friends” of mine who criticized my choice of vacations, I kind of pity them. While many still support their teams fervently, few will experience that feeling of watching your team grow, work together, become a family, and achieve something legendary in the process. For me it was worth every minute on that plane, and every second in the rain.
Hail The Arsenal! May the world watch and learn the true beauty, and meaning, of what they have done
May 17th, 2004 at 11:39 am
Oops.
May 17th, 2004 at 1:56 pm
I feel ya Scotty!
I know what you’re talking about… as I make the “pilgrimage” every year to see the Arsenal… and most of my friends think I am insane. But, they do realize that its very important to me… as I have often bowed out of activities because ” I am watching soccer ” !!
I feel similar passion for the Boston Red Sox, and to some degree the Philadelphia Flyers, having travelled to see them play. The only team thing that approaches the passion for British football teams that I have experienced is the Yankee/RedSox rivalry in baseball. I would rather see Arsenal win the title than any other of my favorite teams win in their respective sports. (bar the RedSox… my grandfather, and father and no I have been waiting our whole lives for the curse to be broken!)
I hope to go with the GROUP next year. Being at a bar with supporters isn’t bad…. but it pales in comparison to being “THERE”.
Amazing season. One that I will never forget. I was lucky enough to be at the 2-1 win v. Charlton. Glad I was part of it all.
May 17th, 2004 at 2:45 pm
Hey stag133, I was at that Charlton game also! My first (of several) trips across the pond to see the Gunners! I was in the North Bank, got to meet rickbreese and his friends. great time!
i hear what you’re saying about passion…the only similar passion I feel for Arsenal is for my alma mater, the University of Illinois. good in basketball, bad in gridiron football
watching the Fighting Illini and Arsenal require me to schedule my activities, even if it means waking up at 5am to see a game (like the Man U FA Cup Semi).
May 17th, 2004 at 2:54 pm
I was going to attempt to meet up with a few of the Arsenal America folks… but I ended up at the wrong bar! I was at the Highbury Barn…!
and… I was 4 rows from the pitch in the Clock End.
(my mates have season tickets there)…
Once you go…. you go back every year… there is just something hypnotic about it…
All activities revolve around the Arsenal! my wife has come to accept this fact!