It’s time to bring back terracing, the noise and the crowds.

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London or the Alps?

London or the Alps?

Terracing was banned from Britain as a result of the Taylor report following the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans died.

I watched that happen live on TV and it was truly horrific, many reasons have been put forward, firstly terracing as the blame, the Sun newspaper blamed drunk Liverpool fans (and since that day the Sun doesn’t sell in the Liverpool area) others blame the Police for opening the gates and letting the Liverpool fans in on mass, but I believe what caused the disaster was the cages that stopped the fans spilling onto the pitch.

And that was down to the FA, the same people who have allowed the ban to be enforced.

I remember that year, George Graham refused to play Wimbledon in midweek after the game as a mark of respect and the FA threatened to dock Arsenal 2 points, and boy we needed them, fortunately we ended up winning the league that year anyway and that was why our team took flowers onto the pitch, to say how sorry we all were.

So as a result the knee jerk reaction from the government was to ban terracing, not to sort out the real problem, ironically one of the few places where they still ignore the seating rule is the Kop at Liverpool and at Goodison park, where they all stand, what could be more dangeros than standing eh? Ask the stewards at Arsenal, it’s a heinous crime.

They still have terracing in Germany, they still have terracing in the lower leagues and they still have terracing at Rugby games, so why aren’t we allowed it in the Premier league??? If Arsenal allowed it in the North and South stands we could have a 90,000 capacity and a real atmosphere, we could have a section where you could buy tickets on the day and it would be safe, there is no evidence anywhere in world spectator sports that terracing is dangerous, so why on earth don’t the premier league clubs tell the government we want it re introduced?

I grew up on the terraces and never once saw anyone hurt on them, I’ve seen plenty of accidents in the seating sections though.

Maybe it’s because the stewards would all be unemployed as they would have nothing to do, save politely showing you to your standing area. It would cost nothing to convert and the benefits would be immense, I can’t see how legally you can have one law for the premier league, another rule for the Germans and another one for the lower leagues, it’s discrimination.

So let’s bring back terracing, at this time of the year at least we could all stay nice and warm.

Still no news on Arshavin but we have a few hours left and I still think it will happen, it’s no use saying we have no money as even if you take out the prize money and the transfer budget we had, we still got enough from the sell ons of Bentley, Diarra and Muamba, plus the transfers of Gilberto and Hoyte, and that doesn’t include the saved salaries of Hleb and Lehmann.

So please stop saying we are skint, if we can’t afford it from that little lot then we should never have moved in the first place, it was a disaster if we still have no money.

I watched the West Ham game again last night on Arsenal TV and there are positives we can take from the match, well two anyway, the first is we still have time to get rid of Eboue and the second is we still have time to buy the man of the match, Mathew Upson, and they were the only things we can take from that game.

5 points behind the Chavs and Villa and plenty of games left but we need to buy three players, a defender, a defensive midfielder and a creator, so for me we need Upson, Arshavin and we need to bring back the Flamster, all are affordable and all are acheivable, so stop telling us how much you believe in this team, because we don’t and you still have time. It’s time to say you believe in us and get your cheque book out.

There, no moans, just advice, we can still qualify and win some trophies, if we don’t buy, we will do none of the above and we’ll be going into the summer with Wenger saying his team are older and wiser and spend nothing in the summer as it’s too expensive.

We need PHW to stop saying it won’t be a disaster if we don’t qualify for ECL football, because it will, a horrible disaster, and DD needs to stop crowing about why he left Arsenal, because he didn’t quit, he was quitted, tin tacked and lobbed out.

Please, please buy now Arsene, this team are not good enough. Yes I believe that we can overtake Villa and the Chavs but we can’t rely on that.

Today is last chance saloon, don’t blow it.

Tomorrow I talk about Cardiff, if of course that game is not cancelled, if we sign no one today, I’ll bet he blames the snow!

Have a great day Grovers, I’m in my office and I’m the only one that made it, true grit!

2,254 Responses to “It’s time to bring back terracing, the noise and the crowds.”

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  4. Big Raddy

    How disappointing Pedro. Is it not possible to delete a comment ?

    No way Wrighty should have an LG record. Nice chap though he is.

    In fact you could delete enough comments so that Pedro or Geoff is the 2000th.

  5. goonerpress

    A Twat from Sky Sports has just contacted Pedro and has got the following information from him:

    ‘I believe that tomorrows post will break further records and we may be able to reach 3000 comments. The 3000th comment will be like a new signing. I also believe that the 2000th post will not make an immediate impact and we are not after any saviour of any sort’.

  7. Big Raddy

    Sorry Wrighty. I am sure you are a proud man tonight. Reminds me of that sunny afteroon when Wrighty 8 took off his shirt a goal early on his record breaking day

  8. goonerpress

    It is believed that the deal for the 2000th post has broken down. The 2000th post is understood to be on its way back on a flight to Wrighty.

  9. gnarleygeorge9

    …….although there appears to be a few grey clouds over Sky Sports now that it appears The Goons will get their man.

    “The media is washed up its absolute shit” – Paul Weller 1977

  14. Paulie

    Sorry im just in from work and havent a clue whats happening.Without having to read back through a mountain of posts as ive no time, Could someone please tell me briefly has Arshavin sighned, is he our player, whats the story

  15. goonerpress

    It has been confirmed, by another twat at Sky Sports, that talks between Wrighty and Pedro are still on-going. It is believed that a medical has taken place and contracts have been signed. It is entirely up to the two parties to agree a final fee.

  29. goonerpress

    All details have been confirmed. The 2000th comment should be unveiled tomorrow in Le-Grove colours. In the meantime, please drop me a text or call about any other issues.

  31. David

    I definately think we’re breaking 2500 comment…its still too early…and gnarley where the fack you run off to last night?

  36. goonerpress

    All jokes aside, it has been a fun day at the Grove. Pedro and Geoff have provided great entertainment in a day where there have been many ups and downs. Arshavin can become the new icon and hero for Le-Grove as a symbol.

    Long Live Le-Grove! LLLG!

  39. goonerpress

    Wrighty7 – No problems mate. Just let me know when you have other plans to fuck up one whole day for fans of Le-Grove FC. ;) :D

  41. goonerpress

    Darren – There is a possibility. Some people had suggested Flamini and some suggested Veloso. I personally contacted Veloso’s agent and he had one simple answer ‘No Comment’. He previously revealed that Sporting rejected two bids from Bolton and one from Newcastle and that Veloso had not turned up for training. He could have easily said ‘No’ to my question regarding Arsenal. That lead me to believe that maybe we have made a bid/move and it hasn’t been rejected.
    I reckon there is another player and that is why it took long to send the paper work off to the Premier League. Maybe it took a bit of time thrashing out deals for both players? Wenger smiled, when asked about the reason for the delay, and said it was for personal reasons.

    Still, its just hope for the moment.

  44. goonerpress

    Oh don’t say that Wrighty mate. A winner is a winner. Im sure Arsenal could learn a few things from your win lol.

  45. Darren

    Goonerpress I think you are being pretty hopeful… how do u have his agents number?!!Forget both mate… arsene would never get an ex player back in flamini and i saw veloso is staying at his club until the summer!!!

  46. jlp

    wtf happened today i had very little time to check the internet on this day of all days and all i kept getting is
    he is, no he isn’t, yes he is ,no he isn’t, wait he is but we will see tomorrow if it is or isn’t
    I sure don’t understand how you must have all gotten thru this today what a nightmare
    does anyone have an insight to where this leaves the transfer i have yet to read thru the 2100+ post (congrats pedro/geoff that has to be the record and the new standard) to see if anyone had a tidbit or 2

  47. alex

    arshavin had 15 goals and 25 assists in 07, oh how we need that kind of bost.

    I Hope i wake up to his face on the arsenal website tomorrow

  49. goonerpress

    Darren – I got the number from the FIFA Agents directory. I also saw that Veloso is staying until summer. That was until today, when he failed to show up at training and went AWOL.

  51. Lou

    I am still not totally sure that Arshavin has signed. But what a stupid thing this transfer window is and what an idiotic thing Sky Sports News has become. They reported every possible scenario as the truth today. He was here. The deal had broken down. He was having a medical. The deal was off. He was on his way back to an airport in London. Arsenal just could not afford him. It was on. Arshavin couldn’t agree personal terms. He could. Zenith were demanding part of some fee or other back. It was off. It was on.He would wear the 13 shirt. No, it was off. And so on. That Scottish bloke with the silver hair really looked like he was going to have a heart attack for most of the afternoon. He bought the whole thing to a screaming climax at 5pm. That was it. It was all over. But then, no, it wasn’t all over. Some transfers could go on ’til tomorrow. Can someone tell me if we have actually signed anyone or not?

  59. Lou

    Pat. Yes it is a mystery isn’t it? They have traditionally been bankrolled by Joe Lewis who lives in the Bahamas but my understanding was that he had been almost wiped out in the current financial climate. My feeling is that they are stretching themselves to the limit because going down would truly be a disaster. I guess this is money they had put aside for the new ground. But if you look at it objectively then I guess they are going backwards. Selling Keane at 29 for £20 million looked like pretty good business to me. Redknapp is obviously trying to resurrect the team that failed so miserably before. One relegation is no longer an issue their fans will realise that he is not the man to move them forward and they will call for him to be sacked and so the roundabout will start all over again. Let’s not forget how much money they have had to lay out in compensation to managers over the past couple of years too. I imagine the flurry of transfers also has yielded a few quid for ‘Onest “Arry too.

  61. gnarleygeorge9

    Not going down/going down whichever it is, this weekend could have a large bearing on it whether spuds leave through the relegation door…..& we hold one of the keys that can lock that door behind them.

    We must crush them :twisted:

  62. jlp

    i think the reverse of that is true as well GG9
    this game holds a key for our plight as well
    we get this revenge win it will go along way into restoring some confidence and help get us back our top 4 spot which ever spot that is
    then again i said that before the mancs and the chavs and pool games and we went into those fixtures smart just the coming out part was a little…. well you know

  65. ethangunner

    Franchise
    u need the beauty and the beast

    ade excelled when he played along rosicky, hleb

    oh shit your starting this again fran !
    he will be gone now we have the Asshaver…

    RVP – DUDU – ASH – NIKB – VELA –

    no room for ade thankyou ! not at double your wages and half your output ….. he can fuck right off track that cunt ! :)

  66. ethangunner

    patthegooner

    The Spuds have spent 47m in Jan!!!!!!!

    How the Fuck can they afford that?

    They dont have to buy half the land in north london to re-develop it like our board thats why pat !

  67. jlp

    the spuds obviously bought back keane to avoid his ‘relegation curse’ that can apparently last up to 3 years after the fact
    fucking dimwits don’t they know that kinda voodoo shit is irreversible and shouldn’t be messed with
    i guess the pool shall suffer that ugly fate as well
    shit the EPL will be running out of true fiendish douche bags if thats the curse has any weight to it

  69. goonermichael

    they have a sugar daddy as well. They did well (financially) from the keane deal. sold him for 20 got him back for 12. He’s still shit though

  75. Stu

    I know we have “supposedly signed” Arshavin but I’m still pissed that we haven’t bought any Cm’s. We needed more than 1 player and even that hasnt been guarenteed yet FFS. Why are we the only fans that havent found any-fucking-thing out yet???

  77. gnarleygeorge9

    jlp

    I hear you loud & clear, I just hope Le Boss does as well, coz this is a big game to win. Arswaxin to score the winner would be just the best.

  81. Stu

    Ya Metal, at least Dein had the best interests of the club at heart, even if he went behind peoples backs he still meant well.

  82. Seb

    If we get to see a Fabregas-Rosicky-Arshavin holy trinity before the end of this season, then I will be satisfied. I don’t care whether we finish fourth or fifth, frankly on the basis of the season so far, Villa are way more deserving of the CL than we are and would probably do better than us right now anyway. I just want to see some creativity and penetration again, and I believe those three together can give it to us.

    Of course the dream scenario is Chelsea finish fifth… I can see it happening as well actually, they look like a team in disarray right now. Pray that it comes true…

  83. gnarleygeorge9

    Seb, IMHO villa are playing as well as they can with no significant injury problems, let alone long term ones, whereas, The Arsenal have plenty of improving to do to be playing @ the optimum. A bloke like Arswaxin, plus injured players returning will make villa look like spuds in comparison :D

  84. gnarleygeorge9

    …..ofcourse I must factor in the Wenger love for song & the pass master. They are not in my equation when the “boys are back in town”.

  85. ethangunner

    sorry seb
    i cannot condone to losing 4th spot !

    if we finish 5th and out of the C.L can you imagine what effect it will have on our top players ?
    they will just leave in July ..

    it is imperative that we stop the rott now !

    Also the chev’s have got way to much experience to
    be out of the top 4 once time gets a bit closer and there football players realize the equasion needed to push for the title birth they will exude the experience accordlying ..

    they did it last season .. whilst we fell away this time last season and with a better squad than we have now..

    i think we had better hope arshavin is our saviour !
    even if arsene dont believe in 1 !

  86. gnarleygeorge9

    Gee I wonder if my total disregard for tottenham hotshit is obvious ;) coz I do love to take the piss @ their expense a lot :lol:

    We must crush them for 90minutes plus added time. We must not take our “hand from their throats” till the final whistle. We must not give them a single second of respite. Pull your finger out this week Ade.

  87. ethangunner

    i still think man u will claim the title AGAIN ..

    but my pick is

    1. man U
    2.chev’s
    3.pool

    4th hopefully us :)

    i think time will work the logical order out based on squad depth ..

  89. iceman

    Reports just in Spuds maybe have sealed comeback transfers for former greats Anderton & Rebrov……….With Anderton even accepting to come out of retirement…..A combined fee of GBP 30m for them is being touted yet this maybe be undisclosed. ;)

  92. gnarleygeorge9

    If Arswaxin clicks @ THOF, Cesc might stay longer.

    David include Nasri & that midfield is as good as it gets.

  96. GMR

    I still won’t join in the celebration of this signing until it’s official. Clearly Arshavin has signed but it’s now dependant on whether the FA are going to allow it.

    Even Andrei’s agent has said the deal was completed in ‘Extra Time’ meaning after the deadline, so there is a big possibility that unless Arsenal & Zenit had a genuine reason for going over 5pm this deal could still be off. Only delays caused by the weather were being allowed & Arsenal couldn’t use that as a reason.

  97. benno

    Rob, i pulled an all nighter to get told at 5:00am by BBC that the transfer would be confirmed in the morning :@ fucking time difference, work was killer today, and i get home to find there’s still no definite yes :@

  98. benno

    struggling on the 2,500 comments, might take some early news on the Arshavin, and a delayed new post due to the snow, if theres any left??

  101. finestcuts

    GMR says:

    Clearly Arshavin has signed but it’s now dependant on whether the FA are going to allow it.

    Even Andrei’s agent has said the deal was completed in ‘Extra Time’ meaning after the deadline, so there is a big possibility that unless Arsenal & Zenit had a genuine reason for going over 5pm this deal could still be off.

    ——————————————

    The transfer window was extended for all Premier League clubs which is why Arsenal continued negotiating, no excuses necessary………..

    Arshavin is a gooner.

  104. ethangunner

    10 million dollar man !!

    fuck we are tight wads !

    Arsene Wenger last night completed a last-gasp £10million deal for Andrei Arshavin – despite an 11th hour drama.

    Russia playmaker Arshavin (left at his London hotel yesterday), 27, chartered a private jet to fly to London, paid his club Zenit St Petersburg half of his £2m signingon fee and took a £20,000-a-week pay cut to join Arsenal and finally end the longrunning transfer saga. But Zenit threatened to pull the plug at the last minute in frustration at Arsenal because the Gunners had won the game of brinkmanship and got Arshavin for half the original asking price.

    Arsenal will pay an initial £10m rising to £12m depending on success and appearances after calling Zenit’s bluff as the deal was finally pushed through at the last minute.

    Zenit furiously rang Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea yesterday to try and sell Arshavin for a higher price. They also threatened to pull the plug at the last minute as they haggled over a £2.5m contract dispute.

    But Arsenal finally registered the deal – as first revealed in Mirror Sport on December 23 – with the Premier League with only minutes to spare before last night’s 5pm deadline.

    Zenit later even claimed the deal was off as they resorted to dirty tricks but, having registered the deal with the Premier League, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (above) has finally got his man.

  105. gooner-pak

    gnarleygeorge9 u attributes…player transfer id not possible right!!! i tried to find zenit but it wast there..in other words u created him right

  107. gnarleygeorge9

    pak

    got to go to player profile, copy all arswaxins attributes, then create a player. I tried to style his looks but he looks more like a boxer’s face than a footballer. Still its arswaxin :)

    icey

    Has gomes been dropped? Cudicini it is then :lol:

  111. benno

    Fuck, Ethan if thats true surely Arsenal should ge a Le Champ for getting him so true, and a Le Chump for messing all us fans about…is it possible to get Le Champ and Le Chump at the same time??

  112. iceman

    Being injured is the new dropped ;)

    So yeah Gomes is “injured”

    I think Bentley’s suspended for this one….what a shame….wanted to see his sorry face after 94 mins……..

  115. gnarleygeorge9

    Just watching Football Matters on Setanta. Tim Sherwood described Spuds as a huge club & himself as an advisor to them.

    You’d sack him for shit advice, and have him certified for being so deluded wouldn’t you.

  117. Evo in Oz

    morning all.

    so did we get him for 10 mil, 12, 14, 15 or 17 mil?

    fuck the press and zenit, they are all a pack of lying cunts!

  120. thanks god

    Breaking neck news !! Spurs to announce the imminent arrival of Junade Ramos in thair bid to a berth in the relegation zone

  121. Evo in Oz

    they must be too snowed in to write the article

    fuck that blonde bird on football matters is ugly as a hat full

  131. Geoff

    I’m here guys, but some of you don’t seem to believe the Arshavin story, perhaps you are waiting for a personal email from Wenger?

    You may have to wait until Arsenal.com publish the story, maybe by the weekend, good luck because I’m celebrating now!

  132. Duke

    23, 13 is unlucky and will remind us of Hleb and of Gallas chelski days.
    Arshavin posted the most in the record breaker.
    Who posted THE record breaker? The 1 that tipped over the record?

  138. benno

    13 for me too and then 10 ijn the summer.

    Gnarley, nah i don’t think so coz i didnt start posting that early on this thread yesterday

  139. iceman

    Yeah 23…….

    I read somewhere he thinks 13 is not very lucky….then again we’ve been reading all sorts of crap.

    One thing I don’t get though….what’s all the suspense about…if it’s done announce it….is it too cold to take photos at the Emirates??

  141. benno

    i’m celebrating to Geoff, wearing my dirty arsenal shirt that was supposed to get washed earlier today to training tonight, this seasons home shirt with no name on the back….yet. To wait for Arshavin to get 10 in the summer or to get it now…hmmmm

  143. gnarleygeorge9

    Geoff

    We’re back. Rosicky Nasri Fabregas Arswaxin, & throw in Theo, etc. We just have to get them starting together on the park.

  147. kelsey

    Morning Geoff,

    I am sure you are right and the signing is done and dusted and just needs the FA to rubber stamp it.However,it is obvious that it hasn’t been easy dealing with the russians,but why didn’t someone at our club(the new C.O. for example) act is a more ruthless way,so that it didn’t drag on for 33 days.It was clear from the outset that no other club were interested,yet the whole affair has been shambolic.