Date: September 2004

Important Info From Your Compliance Officer

Sep 30, 2004 by

Deep in a shadowy alley lurk two figures, intent on scuppering ArsenalAmerica’s effort to become an officially recognized… Hey, wait a minute! I’m supposed to be writing this to you in “real life!”

Hi. I’m Charlie Kapp. You may know me better as “G. Rex,” the lovable enemy-fighting foe of such villains as the evil Yevgheny, Miss Prunella Face, and Paul “Gazzo” Gazzoween. But in real life, I’m a computer nerd, and an Arsenal fan since 1984. I am also, while you’ll still have me, Arsenal America’s Compliance Officer.

As Compliance Officer, it’s my job to make sure we’re obeying all the rules set out by AFC to obtain, and keep, status as an officially recognized supporters club. The rules are simple and usually obvious (we’re not official agents of the Club, we won’t make money doing this, we’ll have annual elections, etc.), but there are a lot of them. Perhaps most important, and what I’m working on now, is drawing up by-laws – which, of course, will incorporate many of the Club’s requirements. These will be presented to you for ratification in the coming weeks.

I’m excited to be involved in this effort for a number of reasons, foremost of which, I suppose, is simply the recognition itself. What you see here on this website is only a part of the tremendous work that Rick, Andrew, and others have put into Arsenal America. To have the Club’s recognition is kind of like when you’re in the away supporters’ section and the team members come over after the game and applaud back at you.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me – charlie “at” arsenalamerica.com. And I promise a new rollicking adventure of G. Rex, Miss Face, et al., will be up on the site in the near future. Just as soon as I get these pesky by-laws finished.

Your friend,
G. Rex

Ed. Note – And let me just add…

If you?re interested in helping us achieve greatness by becoming a due-paying, ?Premier? member, please visit www.arsenalamerica.com/members

Arrangements for the payment of dues have been made via a secure on-line process using PayPal.

Thierry + a little bit more workrate = A Great Arsenal Side

Sep 30, 2004 by

Ed. Note – At Arsenal America we pride ourselves on allowing members to have their say. It’s one of the things that sets us apart. I hope we can all respect each other even if we disagree. That being said, Andez has some thoughts about T. Henry…

I’m getting more and more frustrated watching Thierry Henry play lately. Thierry is one of my favourite current Arsenal players, I love watching his breath-taking skills, and love the joyful, bubbling side of his character. Nevertheless, his workrate has been awful.

So often, I saw we have 9 players bar the ‘keeper on the pitch full of running, yet with one player being stationary – Henry. I understand Henry’s game is based on explosiveness, that he needs to reserve the energy waiting for a moment’s burst of power to break through the opponents’ defence. Yet, with Cole, Reyes, Pires, Ljungberg charging forward, the least Thierry could do is to run into space, pull away his markers, and to create space for his teammates. Instead he is standing still [often on top of the penalty area]. How much would that would help on our attacking play? And the biggest issue here is – imagine if we were Henry’s teammates, how that would make you feel when you run your socks off for the team’s cause, yet your team’s main man just stands there and watches?

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“Stand Up for the Champions, Stand Up…”

Sep 29, 2004 by

Ed. Note – These are really my favorite kind of Arsenal America stories. Personal remembrances of special memories and new friends…

In April 2004, amidst planning a two-week vacation in Europe, I fired off an e-mail to a complete stranger asking for help with the most important part of my trip. That stranger, David Przybylinski, quickly responded and explained that he might be able to help me out. He introduced me to another complete stranger, a gentleman by the name of Rick Breese, and between the two of them I finally made it to Highbury ? twice.

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