Four weeks away from cheating and diving players; Nasty managers with cynical tactics……

Well are you all excited about the return of the Premier League in 4 weeks?

I am sure we all are or are we? Recently I got back in touch with an old work colleague from the later 1980’s, actually through a comment on a blog of all things. Subsequently we exchanged and email or two and in one of them there was an extended paragraph which I enjoyed immensely. I think we could describe it as a rant against the Premier League and modern football. Dave Gorman style, ‘Modern Life is Goodish’ I have taken the liberty of turning said list or rant into a poem.

Or is it?

Before you read it however I should offer some context on my old friend. Whilst not a Gunner is a true supporter of a top third Premiership team. He is in his 45^th season as a regular attendee at his chosen place of worship and while he no longer goes away he has missed 3 home games in that time. Those missed were a 90^th Birthday and 2 weddings.

In short I think it would fair to say this individual is qualified to hold a strong opinion or two and I am fairly sure his thoughts, the poem may strike a chord or two, particular with, shall we say, more senior Gunners!

Four weeks away from cheating and diving players;

Nasty managers with cynical tactics;

Agents demanding millions for themselves from the clubs when they act for the players;

Average players earning £2m per year;

Players going on strike because they want to leave after signing a 5 year contract;

Foreign players strolling around; young English players not getting a chance;

Big clubs buying 16 year old foreigners so they can claim they brought them through;

FFP maintaining the status quo!

Rich owners circumventing FFP by setting up ridiculous sponsorship via another of their companies;

Sky pretending it’s the best league in the world and too many believing them;

Ridiculous ticket prices;

Referees taking bungs;

FIFA money laundering and taking bribes;

FA’s right and proper scheme for owners blah, blah, blah.

Thank goodness for cricket.

Four weeks away from cheating and diving players

Nasty managers with cynical tactics

Players going on strike because they want to leave after signing a 5 year contract;

I hope you enjoyed the rant/poem and smile ruefully as I did. So much there that it is hard to argue with.

Thanks to my anonymous friend and to you for reading.

Dave

Dave Seager

Passionate fifty-something Arsenal supporter who has been making the journey to N5 regularly since the early 1980s – although his first game was in 1976. Always passionate when talking about The Arsenal, Dave decided to send a guest blog to Gunnersphere in the summer of 2011 and has not stopped writing about the Gunners since.

He set up his own site – 1 Nil Down 2 One Up – in February 2012, which he moved on in 2016 to concentrate on freelance writing and building Gunners Town, which he launched with Paul in 2014.

The objective of GT was to be new and fresh and to give a platform for likeminded passionate Arsenal fans wishing to write about their team. Dave still of course, writes for the site himself and advises the ever-changing writing crew.