Who will be 3rd and 4th has gotten very interesting. Outside shot at Liverpool making it interesting but I hope Newcastle does 2 things. Lose to us and nicks Tottenham and if not them Man Utd.

Dear Judith,

I never had the pleasure of meeting Steve, but through this forum I feel like I know a little of his personality.

Like others have said, this forum brings a lot of pleasure, interest, involvement of all things Arsenal (and other topics every now and then) to a lot of people.

It feels and looks like a fitting tribute to Steve, and I hope you and the family derive some comfort from that.

Best wishes to you and the family

Hi Judith

I sincerely hope that you and your family are all well.

I don't know if I was around at the very start of Steve's creation but I think I joined pretty early. I have no recollection of how I found the Forum. I had a few run-ins with the great man in those early days and got banned several times. It was all good banter though. Steve is much missed but of course to all of us, he lives on though this Forum.

As has been mentioned, a few of those early members have dropped off the perch and are also missed - not least Bernard whom I 'knew' for 20 years without ever actually meeting. Odd feeling, that.

All those years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting you and your husband at Bar 101. Sadly, as far as I'm aware, that gathering hasn't happened for while now. It was the brainchild of Exiled who no longer posts here.

Sadly, I'm away at the moment so I cant be there, but I hope that your grandson has a brilliant time at the Palace match.

I don't know exactly how long I've been on the forum but It must have been at least 20 years now. There are very few days I don't at least come on and read what everyone is talking about even if I don't post myself. In all those years I haven't once needed to go to any other Arsenal forum on the internet. The format, the people, the varied chat are all excellent. Steve deserves enormous credit for the legacy of the forum and also a huge thanks to those who keep it running.

This forum is wonderful with always interesting posts, arguments, information, Arsenal and otherwise. Thank you Judith, all appreciation to Steve.

Hi Judith,

I joined after Steve had passed but from what I've read he was a visionary, ahead of his time. I'm sure he would have been heavily involved with social media and the advent of Fan TV and podcasts etc, probably at the forefront of their evolution.

Such a big, big shame he is isn't around.

This forum is an amazing legacy but, sadly, just a tantalising glimpse of what he might have achieved.

Regards,

Soc

I joined at roughly the same time. The forum was a real laugh back then. Steve had banned a couple of people (Kiwi, and possibly Daz) but it was pretty good humoured. Bernard, EEG, Daz and Niall were very prominent and vivid characters. I can't remember what Bernard and Niall were arguing about pre-Wilford but I seem to remember neither was giving an inch. The lunatic Chocolate Gooner rose to prominence shortly after. There were also older posters who actually knew about football and had wonderful stories. The forum was a marvelously entertaining place.

The forum did change in character after Steve passed away. Steve ruled like a benevolent dictator and had very strong opinions (not initially a fan of Henry ) and was very firm about certain things (swearing) and very funny, whereas

I think the subsequent moderators have always tried to be scrupulously fair.

Great credit to Steve for creating this place, and for Warrior and the other mods for keeping it going. Its quite something!

I maybe wrong but I believe I joined around 96 Maybe 97 ish as I’m pretty sure I commented here when we signed overmars.

Feel free to correct me. If the dates don’t align.

My early use was probably sporadic and nonsense but probably evolved with age

Agree entirely with Socrates eloquent post earlier. Steve would likely have made a fortune these days with the foresight to enable and see the benefit in human communication and connection, decades before AFTV and arseblogger and gunnerblog all involved in journalism and media these days.

God bless

This comment sums it up for me. I joined many years ago and although I don't post as frequently as before, I look in everyday. Thanks and respect to Steve and best wishes to Judith and family.

Steve banned me a few times, no idea why, I've always been the most eloquent and respectful of posters. Like someone else mentioned, I don't frequent any other sites. Thanks for the forum, Steve, best wishes to Judith et al.

You implied it and said I was arguing about it. Apology needed

Thanks for your kind words, you can not imagine how much it means to me, I remember the names you are mentioning,Steve's life was Arsenal, this Forum and his family! He was very strict and had very high expectations of himself and others! At the start he was regularly approached to put adds on the forum, he was horrified, to make money out of Arsenal was un thinkable! We are very grateful to Warrior who has been just amazing in keeping this Forum going and the moderators. Thanks again.

Er he said "No-one on the forum thinks that anyone who says they “can’t take it anymore” after losing a midweek game when we're top of the league is a real fan, so I'm not sure who you think you're arguing with here." Not implied.

Funny that you demand apologies from people but never admit you are wrong or apologise yourself.

I think TG has a fair point that supporting the team in the stadium, especially away, is a special and quite different kind of relationship than spectating on TV or online. However, I don't think that defines how big a fan you are, as that would mean we have no more than about 60,000 true fans, and that is obviously not true. Those of us not there at the match still dance or cry at the result. There are many ways of being a fan.

I still get "goosebubbles" recalling matches I attended live. Of course not all stick in the memory, but being there never leaves you, in a way that watching from afar can't replicate. Those of us lucky enough, for instance, to have seen Henry against Liverpool, a venerable Dennis destroying Everton, Kanu unhinging Depo's keeper, Jose Antonio's bomb against Chelsea, or in prehistoric times, Big John Radford, Eddie Kelly and Jon Sammels against Anderlecht, will recall the crowd reaction in the ground as much as the football skills on show.

I admit I’m wrong more than most on here probably everyone however I wasn’t arguing anything just having a conversation with a Friendly LTG about something that you, soc and mcquicklie are having a strop about now.

In my opinion the problem arose because in your original post you implied that fans who attend matches are superior in commitment/passion etc than those who don’t.

I queried that because I would take huge exception to anyone claiming to be a ‘better’ fan on that basis. It looks like others agree.

I never claimed to be “better” sorry I never said that once at all. Also as I flagged myself I am in the same category towards the end of wengers rein where I stopped going at that point also.

Btw fans who attend week in week out and pay a fortune to do so are probably in a different category. I know some people probably struggle with this but it’s the truth

No, it is what you think, and you are suggesting that fans who go to home games and/or spend tons of money on Arsenal are better. Fans who can't afford it or live too far away are by implication inferior.

Furthermore we don't 'struggle' with what you are claiming, nor are we 'having a strop' about it. We simply disagree with it.

Your point about seeing Ramsdale's heroics is puzzling. He is shown on TV, you know.

Walcot just scored against the Spuds. Good chap!

And Ainsley Maitland-Niles ‘wins’ a penalty.

Walcot just scored against the Spuds. Good chap!

Huge blow for spurs top 4 hopes. 3-1 up and threw it away late on thanks to goals and assists from Arsenal lads past and present

I never claimed to be “better” sorry I never said that once at all. Also as I flagged myself I am in the same category towards the end of wengers rein where I stopped going at that point also.

Btw fans who attend week in week out and pay a fortune to do so are probably in a different category. I know some people probably struggle with this but it’s the truth

I must have misunderstood what you meant by this then

The truth is if you aren’t attending the games you have less commitment and compassion to the cause and progression of this young team.

I think the word I used later in the posts empathy is a better one than those. However it seems to have upset a few people which I think is *%^@*** brilliant at this point. Cry more saddos

So what happened to Dele Alli? I recall him being very good for Sperz. I didn't follow him after all that, I recall a drop in form and now I'm reading he's banished to watch from the stands at Besiktas. He's only 26.

From my point of view simply substituting the word empathy for commitment and compassion changes nothing.

Just because I haven’t been able to get to recent games does not diminish my empathy one jot.

There are some rubbish ‘supporters’ online. There are also some rubbish ‘supporters’ at games - I’ve seen them. Calling people saddos is quite abhorrent really and unduly ‘superior’, especially our forumites.

Then don’t slag him off forcing him off instagram or whatever because he joined the club. Our match going fans are right behind him.

I haven’t said once fans abroad are inferior. Not once. I have Arsenal support in relatives in this category. I’ve talked about the mindset of supporters and their behaviour. If you struggle with this it frankly says more about you than anything else.

When have I slagged Ramsdale off? I don't even do instagram or whatever.

If you disagree with this you are clueless .

I don’t really care to be honest. It’s hardly abhorrent at all and I’m not talking about you because you can attend fewer games these days or even anyone here in particular however if you are butthurt about something like this and want to make it all about yourself you need to take a look inside.

This is my following point I said clarifying my feeling on this …

You have many reasons why fans can’t attend matches including finances and geography. I have friends on the other side of the world who are die hard Arsenal fans but the truth is the understanding, empathy and forgiveness built from spending a fortune travelling home and away watching a young group of men develop together doesn’t really exist as much if you aren’t doing that hence you read some disproportionate absurd things that don’t correlate to the feeling at Arsenal every week.

If you disagree with this you are clueless really. This shouldn’t be offensive to anyone and if you are offended then you are a total saddo. Congrats.

You haven’t and I never said you have. You are making it all about yourself.

Do you even read your own posts?

You said, to me,
"Then don’t slag him off forcing him off instagram or whatever because he joined the club. Our match going fans are right behind him."

Then "If you struggle with this it frankly says more about you than anything else."

How the &(%^ am I supposed to read that? Is the first sentence general, and the second directed to me (or is the 'you' meant to be impersonal there too)?

If you are not accusing me of this, what exactly are you accusing me of, apart from not agreeing with you?

I don’t really care to be honest. It’s hardly abhorrent at all and I’m not talking about you because you can attend fewer games these days or even anyone here in particular however if you are butthurt about something like this and want to make it all about yourself you need to take a look inside.

This is my following point I said clarifying my feeling on this …

You have many reasons why fans can’t attend matches including finances and geography. I have friends on the other side of the world who are die hard Arsenal fans but the truth is the understanding, empathy and forgiveness built from spending a fortune travelling home and away watching a young group of men develop together doesn’t really exist as much if you aren’t doing that hence you read some disproportionate absurd things that don’t correlate to the feeling at Arsenal every week.

If you disagree with this you are clueless really. This shouldn’t be offensive to anyone and if you are offended then you are a total saddo. Congrats.

Not at any time has this conversation been about any people on this forum. It’s about the general behaviour of our fans as a whole not individuals here.

Ramsdale left instagram or whatever because of our fans. Not you. You are making it all about yourself. It isn’t.

Saliba injured for a month or so. Serious

We now need to play holding for some time as Tommy is injured too so you can’t move White central

This is how it starts