Greetings Bored ..... Thanks for the enquiry , health reasonable although I must admit crawling around under the wife's car trying to do repairs to get the MOT , changing brakes , shock absorbers , sway bar links , welding the muffler is proving challenging .

Re .....Leaving grounds early . I did once Arsenal v Everton .... can't remember what year "74 maybe Everton were leading 2 -0 Bob Latchford and Martin Dobson were killing us
Five minutes go I thought B****& ger this , Arsenal underground into Victoria hung around waiting for the train to Croydon got the Evening News ...
we'd scored two late goals to draw 2 -2 .

Did a double post somehow ....

Unaware you have been having issues but hope all is well Big Guy .

G'Day TG

Yes I saw that. I didn't read it that way. They've changed the e-tickets on my iPhone so that the information is now communicated to the turnstile via a data connection, not by scanning a barcode as before. I never tried it myself but I think you could send a screen screen grab of the ST via message or WhatsApp and the bar code would work. You cant do that with the new passes. Either way, I think the cards will still work.

Realistically, they couldn't make access to the stadium entirely linked to a smart phone. There are still a lot of people who don't own such a device. Pretty sure the cards will still be an option.

The reason behind trying to draw everyone into the data route is to delve deeper onto their customer base. They want to know precisely who is sitting in each seat for each match. Either for marketing or for control, knowledge is power. At some point, they may choose to make a charge for passing on your ST to a friend or relative. They could also block such a transfer or exclude a known trouble-maker. As I recall, within the Ts and Cs, you have no absolute right to pass on your ST since each is personal to whoever is registered to that seat.

Sent you a PM

0-1.

I got there 'early' at about 3:30 only to find what seemed like mile-long queues all around the ground. Luckily, a nearby police horse started rearing up and scattered the queue who were all terrified. Me and my mates didn't miss the opportunity.

I still have a clump of SHL turf somewhere.

Apparently, Xhaka started the season 4kg lighter than last season. Certainly made a difference to his mobility. I'll be sad to see him go - wouldn't have said that last season.

Echo that, Rog. Tough year for you. Respect for carrying on.

Can't thank you enough.

If the world had piles, they wouldn't be far from SHL. It's one of the reasons they got permission for that (admittedly high-class) stadium which failed all the clear planning criteria for scale and transport links - to name but two transgressions. You could've built a mile-high turd there and it would've been an improvement.

Having said the, the owners and backers of the Totts have acted quite shrewdly by buying up much of the strategic land and property in the vicinity, often with the help of a compliant Local Authority by the use of Compulsory Purchase orders. The new stadium and some of the enabling developments have definitely improved the place - would've been difficult to make it worse. As such, there's been a lot of new public and private investment in the area and values have increased significantly. The new stadium development has dragged up the whole area. Smart ITK investors have made a lot of money.

Setting aside the rivalry, you'd have to say it's good for London.

I should have known about this game.

Interceptions:

1. Declan Rice: 92
2. Moisés Caicedo: 86
3. Idrissa Gueye: 56
4. Cheick Doucouré: 56
5. James Ward-Prowse: 55

Huge difference from the top two to the rest.

Ornstein tweeted that Arsenal have no intention of selling Emile Smith Rowe

EDIT - another reason for the digital pass is the entirely laudable attempt to cut down the options for selling tickets to touts. All gets a bit awkward for them if they can't transfer a screen grab with a barcode. Means the purchaser can only gain entrance with a smart phone or a card, which would need to be returned.

I was there....great night....Ray Kennedy nutting the winner.....I also remember Gilzean sliding in on Bob Wilson...very painful......great Monday night and then off to Wembley to face Liverpool on the Saturday.....I was 17 and loving life!

Great if it's true, Rich. Emile Smith Rowe is extremely popular with supporters - one of our own!

I posted this a while back - can't remember the source but it came to me via Twitter:

It's been reported Mikel Arteta is coaching Emile Smith Rowe the number eight position, where Granit Xhaka currently plays, ahead of next season.
We saw when Gabriel Martinelli picked up a long-term injury, Mikel Arteta took his time introducing him back into the side and it's expected the Arsenal boss is doing the same with Arsenal's number ten.
Smith Rowe is currently training to play in the central midfield area as Arteta aims to teach him a deeper role ahead of next season, when the player is expected to play a more crucial role in the side.
Arteta's previous success in transitioning David Silva at Manchester City could bode well for the England international.
He's expected to have a much more important role next season and it's extremely unlikely he'll be sold this summer.

I have to say that when Emile Smith Rowe came on as a direct replacement for Xhaka on Sunday, he gave no real impression that he understood much about the role. MA has his work cut out in the close season.

We were in the Park Lane, Andy - at the other end from the goal. Got on the pitch at the end for the first and only time. Walked home to Highbury after , calling in a few pubs on the way. Last one was the Manor House were guys were all on table tops and swinging from the light fittings. Detoured via the ground where we did a few 'salaams' in front of the Marble Halls. Loads of people wandering around smiling and swaying. Got home about 2:00 I think. Wrecked. Slept on the stair. Unfortunate incident in my parents wardrobe.

Happy daze.

The number of people outside the grounds is insane to me.
Must have been crazy. Didn't know it was one of those statistical dilemmas like '89.

It certainly was a night to remember.....I was in the Park Lane end too and also got on the pitch at the end.

As far as I could see it was all Arsenal.....some of the lads had managed to get in the Directors Box to celebrate!

I was on my tod because my friend who I went with didn't like the look of the crowds trying to get in....honestly it was extremely tightly packed shoulder to shoulder...but I managed to get through to the turnstiles and am well pleased I did. An historic victory.

I still have some great photos of that night...Bob Wilson jumping for joy at the end and a really nice one of a very gracious Billy Nicholson presenting Bertie Mee with champagne.

Happy Daze is spot on.

I really hope this is true but I still have a sneaky feeling he won’t be with us in august even despite hearing this.

It seems a classic Arteta behaviour to say something pointing in one direction when your behaviour and decisions say the total opposite. I mean honestly if he was killing it in training then start him againest wolves. Seems similar to saying he values KT.

He’s a player we aren’t compelled to move on really so you maybe saying to a prospective buyer you are aware of “look we ain’t going to let him go cheaply our fans will give us a kicking if we did that”

Ah you found my gaff! Interested? I’m thinking if moving into Chequers. Do you think the stag and digital fire was a bit much for the bathroom? I was going for “so rich you don’t even understand what I’m doing”

I’d quite happily have a human skull on the wall of my bathroom in that gaff.

I wonder if it’s owned by somebody famous in a through the keyhole type way.

Maybe Guendouzi had it before moving back to France

I went school at St Joan of Arc round the corner.

I wonder what the place would have been worth back then.

great area to grow up in. Couldn’t be too many Liverpool fans in your class

I was at Pooles Park and we used to play St Joan of Arc I became good friends with a lad from St J of A, Dino Maestri, when we played for Islington together

Other schools I remember playing against were Hungerford, Laycock Street,Pakeman Street, Highbury Quadrant

Ahhh ha not if you follow the Mrs Kiwi train of thought ..... it is all an evil plot by Klaus Schwab and his henchman to keep track of where you are , what you are doing and an attempt to control the world .

Me .... I've got far bigger problems the &^&^%%$$ mechanic has said because I've put a 30mm weld at the end of the chassis I need to get an engineers / panelbeaters report saying it is OK

BUT it is okay if I grind it off . Trouble is it is a sh*t to get at !!!%%$&**(()(&^%^

Replied

Not expecting him to sign. I’d say 120 does seem light to be fair

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22527011 ... -transfer/

It was the school that Tony & Cherie Blair sent their kids. Apparently, if your house was in the catchment area, it put £20k on its value back in the '90s.

EDIT - according to my sister, the premium wasn't £20k, it was £100k!!

Saliba holds all the cards. Offering £120k as a raise on his current £40k per week is a commitment of an extra £20m over a 5 year contract (peanuts) - offering him £200k per week to bring him in line with the top earners is £40m extra over a 5 year contract, it is absolutely nothing compared to what you'd have to spend to replace him. Any young defender at Saliba's level would cost over £60m in transfer fee and would want £150k a week because quite simply if you pay £60m for someone they don't accept £40k a week wages.

Above everything else his signing of a new contract this summer is the most important piece of business we need to do

Unless of course there is a suspicion from the medical experts that his bad back could turn out to be a chronic, long term issue. That said, they could probably insure against that possibility?

.
Any of you Northern Hemisphere hill billies looking to expand your sporting appreciation dial up the Aussie Rugby league's premier event

State of Origin ...... NSW v Queensland

Due to start in about twenty minutes ; one of the most full blooded sporting event in the world .

If PSG comes a calling, very unlikely we stand a chance
Won't be able to match the wages they will give him
PSG has a few world class stars and Saliba will relish playing with them
PSG is currently in a better position than us to win the Uefa Champions League
Importantly, PSG is in France

Hope I am wrong on this

Apparently the price for Caicedo is £75m. I'd pay it, we supposedly offered close to £70m in January. He'll still be 21 when the new season starts, he's well adjusted to the premier league, plays in a system very similar to ours and he pretty much tops the league charts for interceptions, tackles and is very secure on the ball.

He'd bring a dynamism, athleticism, pace and power that we need in central midfield to take us to the next level.

I want Rice as well but I think he'll be harder to get both financially and with the competition

This boy is 22 and has been excellent this season.
As Rich says we have to offer him 200k if that's going to keep him.
Going out on the market to replace is 60 million plus and wages on top so we have to be smart here.
He is going to be world class for years to come and he has to be comparable with the likes of Martinelli , Saka and Ødegaard.
120 isn't going to cut it.
We have to keep him at all costs.

We’re confirmed in champions league pot 2 for the draw by all accounts. You can still get a stinker of a draw but being in that pot means you avoid the likes of Real Madrid and Dortmund

Tell me about it. My then girlfriend (now my wife) and I put our names on Southwark Council's housing waiting list in 1971 - still haven't heard anything!

I thought I'd mellowed towards Mourinho....you know....out of sight out of mind....nope he's still a loathsome p...k

Arsenal’s property developing arm has gained planning permission for a 12 storey, 284 room student accommodation building in what looks like a location opposite the armoury very close to the stadium.

Small image I’m afraid

Sevilla win the Europa league for the 7th time in the last 17 years. Incredible record

I'll take him as well. I think he is keen too, given that he apologised to Martinelli for his needless tackle.