Back then pretty much all English clubs were self-sustaining, in that they relied on gate money to exist. A few clubs had sizeable business backers - Everton for instance - or generous Directors, but basically the paying fans were the decisive factor. Unlike today, where broadcasting and laundered money are king.

Hi Jonathan - so pleased to read your post. On balance I probably prefer a Liverpool win because they were almost Premiership champions, and as such deserving of something this season. However, with so many upsets of late I fancy Spurs will do it - surely their trophy drought must end? Some old Arsenal-Liverpool links your Dad would have known - Joe Baker and Dennis Evans were born there; Geoff Strong and Ray Kennedy transferred from Highbury to Anfield, while Jim Furnell made the opposite journey; and Joe Mercer, when Arsenal captain, used to train during the week with Liverpool and commute to London for the weekend game, an arrangement made to suit his business obligations. Those were the days!

What about the rumours that Newcastle are to be sold to a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family? All aboard the gravy train as the wheel of fortune spins again. Football is becoming horrendous.

Story in the Sun that Koscielny will leave this summer because Arsenal are unwilling (words to that effect) to renew his contract, which expires in 2020. Makes sense that the club won't give him a new contract as he's way past his best through age, injury, and the loss of Mertesacker. So it could be true he'd like to move on.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news ... ike-ashley

Looks like the Newcastle story is for real, oh great more oil money in the pantomime of the premier league, no doubt they are soon to be sponsored by some mysterious middle eastern business at a rate 20x the market value, yet as usual UEFA, the FA etc. will just ignore it.

There is no reason why Arfa Daley (Kroenke) can’t pay the club 10 mil per season to advertise his baseball club plus 10 for each of his other clubs. Would help the transfer budget.

We're just an investment to him, nothing more, where as for the 'oil money' brigade it is a way of white-washing their image and probably a certain amount bordem and vanity, what do you do when you have trillions to spend?, basically unless the governing bodies start taking 'FFP' more seriously, and to date they have shown complete ambivalence towards it, then clubs who are owned by the likes of KSE are screwed, the self-sponsorship bs will continue to get around the rules and we will struggle to compete for the best players because of it, it all started with Abramovich and its got to the point now where even he is baulking at the idea of throwing money around because others have bigger wallets.

Only watched a handful of games (on TV) this season and will probably be watching even less next, I can't see Liverpool continuing to compete with City into next season, as far as I am concerned I hope City turn the PL into the SPL and win it year after year, because that is exactly what the PL deserves for allowing almost every club to be sold off to various scumbags of one type or another, we've just got the wrong type..

Bring back Peres Now.

https://www.facebook.com/dreamteamfc/vi ... 146559502/

That's pretty much it. I recall at the time, I kept saying on here, Kroenke will be a disaster. I knew what kind of owner he was in America. There are some owners who buy a team to win things. The NFL is a very, very exclusive group. America has a lot of billionaires but only 30 get to own a team so its sort of the most exclusive billionaires club in America it has been said. Forbes has 400 on its famous list. The NFL, America's biggest league and sport, has only 30. NBA and MLB (baseball) has 30 but its not seen as exclusive as American football for cultural reasons, the NFL is seen as the higher profile.

Anyway, Kroenke bought his team simply for investment. Because of its exclusivity, the value of teams often go up far more than most other large investments like stocks, hedge funds, commercial properties/high rises. I recall the arguments by some on here at the time like 'look at this team he has' or 'this team' and 'that team' he has as some harbinger of the future, without knowing what kind of owner he is seen as. Usmanov also had his negatives but at least he knew the sport and he would have spent. I'm not saying Usmanov is a savior but would he really have been worse than Kroenke? We'd have to hold our noses for him.

Kroenke's main project are the Rams. There is no doubt about it. It's where his energy....an alas his money is going. They got into the Super Bowl last year. Their best season for years. He turned around a team that couldn't win more than half their games into a final contender in a few short years. So, the notion he doesn't know how to build a winner is BS. He just lacks the desire with us. I've said this before, the reason he was granted the Los Angeles franchise to host a team was because it is the 2nd biggest media market in America, and the NFL wanted a winner there because a winner would reap big money in advertising, shirt sales, etc. The NFL shares merchandising revenue with all clubs, so the other owners wanted a winner there as well. Different than the EPL obviously where you keep your own merchandising revenue.

The only possible upside for the future is if Josh gives a damn about winning. We are stuck with the Kroenke's for decades, unless they decide to sell and right now I can't see where that is going to happen unless the family's fortune falls on hard times.

Basically we are f*cked.

PS:
..and I still blame Dein. He left the board with 2 bad choices. He brought the only 2 choices to the club. All for is own ego of running the club the way he wants it.

I'm feeling moderately optimistic, Jonathan, because frankly, dwelling on the alternative is something I would rather not do. Its quite unthinkable, as you suggest. The white walkers must be stopped.

Liverpool Arsenal would be a fitting Supercup. (*&&*&^ vs Chelsea would be a travesty and disgrace.

If it goes through then presumably in a couple of seasons they will be top four and probably title challengers within five years.

It will be even more difficult for us to make top four.

I doubt they will be the last PL outfit to be bought by Middle East consortiums either.

To be honest, I look around at some of the big clubs outside of the PL (with massive fan bases) and think they would be ideal for some wealthy Arabs to pick up cheaply and bankroll into the topflight. Leeds for example. The Sheffield clubs.

Liverpool are the lesser of two evils. Plus they have won it numerous time before so it would not catapult them onto a new global level as it would the Spuds.

I can't really call tomorrows game. Two flawed sides with soft underbellies but who have proven matchwinners.

If Hazard decides to turn it on he can be unplayable, whilst Aubameyang and Lacazette have been in blistering form of late.

It could be decided by which team is less crap.

At present he may well see Arsenal as more or less doing OK chugging over.

However, if we beat Chelsea (touch wood) and have the prospect of a Champions league run, don't you think that Kroenke might think that having a genuine tilt at the competition might be a good investment? After all, Emery has an excellent record in knockout competitions.

I can understand why a rational investor/owner might actually be on the fence on this one. Arsenal as a perfectly good cash cow returning a decent percentage coming 4th or 6th in the league, winning the odd cup, and occasionally getting into the ECL, vs. Arsenal with stratospheric potential but a big downside.

Lucky we have a really solid defensive line who will not crumple under intense pressure from Hazard. Game set and match to us.

You keep saying that but surely the primary blame has to rest with Fiszman. It was him that took the decision, on his deathbed, to make Kroenke the majority shareholder, thus giving him control of the club.

To me your blame of Dein sounds conceptually similar to not blaming Mustafi for Palace's second goal at the Emirates, but laying the prime blame on whichever Arsenal player gave the ball away to Palace up the other end of the pitch.

I have seen a report that SBS will show our final live starting 4.15am - for those in Oz

Hey Bernard - are you in Baku yet or what are your travel plans? Any accomodation?

I think I read that BT sport will be showing both European finals on their YouTube channel for free.....not sure of this is true

I'm still in the UK. I've booked a cab for 3.30 am tomorrow morning to take me to Stansted Airport. Should get me there around 4.15 am to 4.30 am.

I looked at the first train of the day to Stansted Airport but that only gets to Stansted Airport station at 5.39 am, just 21 minutes before the check-in desk closes (it's open from 3.00 am to 6.00 am, as the plane departs at 7.00 am).

Even if the train leaves and gets there on time, I have to find and get from the station to the check-in desk. Just too tight. Also, the way trains run late or even get cancelled, I just didn't see going by train as a realistic option.

No accomodation as the Thomas Cook charter flights arranged with the club gets to the airport in Baku 1.00 pm English time (4.00 pm local time). The return flight leaves Thursday at 7.00 am local time and 4.00 am English time.

The match kicks off 11.00 pm local time (8.00 pm English time). The coaches taking you from the stadium to the airport leave shortly after the game, so booking a hotel room somewhere wasn't really on.

I'm taking my phone fully charged but turned off as using it expires the battery. Hence I have no intention of using it unless there's some sort of emergency, which hopefully there won't be. So no posts from me until I'm back.

Wow. Amazing effort, Bernard. Us Aussies have to get up at 4am or so for the match, but at least we'll be watching from home, from the comfort of electric blankets and silken sheets, with cocoa at hand and a soothing slice of Vegemite on toast to see us through the pre-dawn, so you've totally put us to shame...

Good Luck and God Speed, Bernard and all other Arsenal Supporters making the trip.

#BernExit !

All the best Bernard.

Chapeau bas, Bern.

Thanks to everyone who has sent me good wishes. Much appreciated.

Good luck Bernard.

Bring us back the cup and I might just be ready to admit that Mertesacker was a half decent player.

On that topic, Mertesacker's organisational skills were very underestimated, apparently he organised the player's Christmas parties and they were great.

I am in awe of Bernard’s efforts to get to the final. Dedication above and beyond.

If only our owner cared half as much.

All the very best to you Bernard.

I wonder if Stan will go, or Josh? Apparently Abramovich is.

Thanks to you and socates.

Apparently a devoted Chelsea fan is traveling 33 hours from Melbourne via Dubai then to Baku for the EL final. Maybe some OZ Arsenal fans have done same.

Nice. Guessing any extra time has been factored in if coaches leaving awhile after the match. You could bring a portable phone charger Bern.

Yeah they will factor in extra time and penalties Zed. Must admit, I don't have a portable phone charger.

By the way B I hear there is a street near the stadium in Baku called Bryantwood Roadski - might be worth a visit? Enjoy!

Replying a bit late but safe travel Bernard and bring the cup home. Say hello to Stan & Josh from us all.

Seems some fans are protesting about Mkhitaryan by wearing his shirt and are getting stopped by pollice.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... final.html

Not particular excited about the game. I'm expecting the worst. Bracing myself for disappointment this week. Could be my worst week as a fan since April of 2004. We could see ourselves out of the CL and Tottenham lift the CL. Perish the thought but it could happen.

2-1 to us and Liverpool to flog Spurs with a 5-0 scoreline would be okay for me.

The rumors of Mbappe to Newcastle are now getting into silly mode.

Čech to play according to a few reports. I usually support us keeping the player who was given the cup duties if we make a final. But not in this case where future employment with the opposition is on the table.