Still getting my head around the Bernard news. He was such an individual and as infuriating as he could be, he was unfailingly stoic with his opinions. He really was a good guy even if he could be the most stubborn bloke on the internet. Will really miss him.

All good thanks. Hope same for you. The kids though. My son’s about to do A Levels. Total Brentford fan now and pretends he can’t remember crying so much at Mertesacker getting sent off against Chelsea the stewards had to intervene.

It is. That is a very apt way of looking at it.

Not too bad, apart from the pay and the management who are complete W*&R$#ers.

I trust you thriving? Amazing how the years pass.

I’m good thanks, divorce aside. A levels??? *%^@*** hell. Mind you, my lad is 15 next birthday and my youngest will be 11 in April. Good to hear from you.

Agree. Bernard will be at the match in spirit, cheering the Arsenal on. Cheers to you B.

Coincidentally I saw an ad featuring "former footballer" Neil Ruddock pop up on YouTube this afternoon. Not sure how well we'd get along but still thinking he might be quite good to hang out with. Next to him I haven't let myself go quite so tragically.

You too. Everyone should get divorced at least once. I did one of those DNA tests and GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!!

A small % admittedly but when you’re chosen you’re chosen. Mazeltov!

Thanks Soc, good to see you too and hope all is well with you too. Though unlike some others I never flounced, just been a little more frugal with my posts for 10 or 12 years.

And best wishes to all of you of course. Cock nosed monkey spanks the lot of you

Ordinary.

I'm really looking forward to tonight's game, and will raise a glass in B's memory.

Would it be too much to hope for chocolate gooner?

My bubullah

Hey Darren, hope you're alright too and thanks for that great invention of yours which I shamelessly borrowed a few minutes ago.

You're right too, he might actually have been the most stubborn bloke on the whole internet, which is an astonishing achievement in itself. I hardly ever agreed with him but he was always willing to keep the discussion going and there's no denying that he was a much better fan than I have ever been. It's touching to hear such warmth and fondness from those who really did know him and are already missing him, and I feel so sad for his poor family who must be absolutely devastated. Gone far too soon but not forgotten.

Please no Cannonballs?

Good seeing you Daz.
Not only Chocolate Gooner, but Lomekian, N5er, Eskimo maybe?

Just fixed that for you mate. Getting sloppy in your dotage.

What am I saying? You were always sloppy. Good to see you haven't changed too much

The Lane that time forgot .

Babu...possibly even? He was banned though.

Hi Soc. I'm well thanks. Hope things are also good on your side. Such a great little community this forum is, fab seeing some of the old names.
Another couple of movies that Bernard loved were The Wicker Man and Zulu. Lets win for him tonight COYG.

With Granit Xhaka in the middle of his redemption arc, I think it's time for chocolate to have his as well.

The truth is life moves pretty quickly. Nobody really tells you this during the earlier parts of your life.

One moment your holding your first born for the first time, next moment he’s 16 and you think where did that go.

If you have a demanding worklife there are very few moments of inward reflection that happen until something like this happens. I do kind of admire people who adopt something to break this stance, maybe Buddhism or forms of diverting your thoughts on what’s actually important. The rat race of paying a mortgage or acquiring wealth isn’t the meaning or purpose of life at all.

Once after a cup final defeat I left the ground berating the side swearing wound up then a bloke walking next to me who must have been quite old put his arm round me and said don’t worry son at least you’ll know you will get to see them try again. I quite rightly felt an idiot and every once in a while something happens to correct your outlook on things.

*%^@ me life is short, long, difficult, easy and precious all at the same time

Meanwhile, the football continues.
Ramsdale; White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Sambi; Nelson, Vieira, Nketiah; Jesus

Plenty on the bench in case of emergencies.

People don’t change, Ordinary Vince. There is no arc.

Well we are playing Zurich. Hopefully he's firing up a bong somewhere and checks in.

He was a very naughty boy but he made me laugh. Which counts for a lot.

Gosh there have been some colourful characters on the forum down the years.

Maybe not in the stuff you write but I believe character development is still a thing in successful drama. Could be wrong though, I don't watch much telly these days.

Looking forward to watching Nelson's continuing upward arc (hopefully).

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Elneny, Sambi Lokonga, Nelson, Vieira, Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus.

Subs: Partey, Saka, Ødegaard, Martinelli, Saliba, Soares, Tomiyasu, Alencar, Hein, Zinchenko, Smith, Hillson

Nice to see Elneny back and Zinchenko on the bench there

Hi Steve,

Good to see you back on the forum (along with many others I might add) and I noticed you mentioned Nico, unfortunately I lost his contact details about 15 years ago if I provided you with my email address could I ask for his please? I would really appreciate it. Strangely enough I was always going to ask Bernard the same question but just never got round to it.

Definitely. Bags of talent and seems to have a good attitude.

Nor me. But you won’t, of course, have forgotten that I always have one foot firmly in the formalist school and I hold firmly to the Schklovsky view that the plot is a method of character analysis.

I thought he was the messiah

It's like you've never been away Daz

If choco is lurking, that is exactly the sort of provocation that might draw him out. I'd love to see Kiwi having a swing that that too

Well that had slipped my mind I must admit, but it's an interesting point of view. Where may I ask is your other foot? And is it equally firmly entrenched or does it move about a bit?

Babu's comments were quite entertaining, even if out there at times.

Zurich was his second team.