Arsenal News » 2009 » November » 28

This article deals a little bit about Arsenal/Chelsea (well it gives the score), with the arrogance and re-writing of history by at least one man in Liverpool, with the latest on Notts C and Sven, and any other bits and pieces I think about on the way.

In short, it is a saturday morning and we are not playing til tomorrow.

As we all know Amazon.co.uk sold a disgraceful and utterly disgusting recording of Manchester U chants.   Spotting this, Arsenal supporters world-wide complained, and Amazon ignored their complaints, citing freedom of speech as the reason for continuing to sell the product.   So, in a sense I am using their argument: here’s my bit of freedom of speech.

UNTOLD joined in the debate – I would not claim any credit here, I read about the issue on other sites, added an article on this site, and, sent Amazon 20 emails (none of which they replied to) and stopped my company trading with them.

Eventually Amazon backed down, and we started dealing with Amazon again.    But now Amazon seem to be taking revenge.  My book, MAKING THE ARSENAL is supposed on sale at Amazon.   Amazon claim to sell all books available in the UK but in reality the question of what they stock depends on how much the publisher is willing to pay them.   We are paying them the highest possible rate to have MAKING IN THE ARSENAL in stock and avaialable for next day delivery on Amazon Prime.

Now it seems people who have been ordering the book via Amazon have had emails saying “we won’t get any more copies before Xmas”. Meanwhile my firm receive orders from Amazon, pack them up and ship the out the next day.

Amazon are doing this to us presumably either because they are incompetent cretins or because they are anti-Arsenal.   Or I suppose because they know we joined in the attack on the Manchester CD, and are getting their own back.

All I can say is that we are protesting furiously to Amazon, and that the book remains avaialble for immediate despatch to anywhere in the world – by visiting www.emiratesstadium.info Follow the link – and if you get a problem email Tony@hamilton-house.com or call me on my direct line at 01536 399 013 during UK office hours.  I didn’t spend a year writing the book just so a bunch of nerds at Amazon could screw up the orders.

Meanwhile, in the city of Liverpool…

I wrote about the arrogance and anti-democratic nature of many in the area yesterday.   Even as I was publishing this one of the officers in Liverpool, when asked about their applying to be part of the England bid to run the world cup, said, “The idea of staging a World Cup in England and not having any matches in Liverpool, with the football heritage we have, is unthinkable.”

One might say instead, “The idea of holding an international match of any description in the city which in 2010 will (hopefully) remember the way fans behaved at the Heisel Stadium 25 years ago, is so utterly appalling that even if the suggestion was made that a world cup match be played in Liverpool, we would in all decency, turn the offer down.”

But that would be human, and humane.

So what else is new?

Dara O Briain (a jolly comic fellow of Irish origin who is a season ticket holder at the Ems) is also an UNTOLD reader.  Either that or he thinks just like Billy the Dog McGraw (landlord of the Toppled Bollard, just up St Thomas St).  In today’s Guardian he says, and I quote word for literal word,  “Therefore, I predict Arsenal will win tomorrow by 15 goals to 2. You may place your bets.”

Now you can’t get more UNTOLD ARSENAL than that, can you?

And in yet other news there is Notts County. I appreciate (again) that this is an Arsenal column, but remember we have a tradition of debating issues of a broader football nature, and so I have regularly commented on Notts C.   Oldest club in the league, run by a Supporters Trust who then, amazingly, gave (YES GAVE) all their shares to a foreign buyer without even knowing who he/she/it/they/ is/are.  They also failed to repay any money to the long standing County supporter who had previously rescued the club.

Supposedly a week ago the football authorities (I use the term in the same sense as I use the terms con-artists and crooks) said that they had give Notts the all-clear to continue playing, and that it was a club full of fit and proper personages.

Since that moment the news has been pouring out.  Direct links between club associates and North Korea.  Jersey bankrupts.  Guarantees that look like they can only be called up if the owners feel like paying up.  Court cases over unpaid debts (I was criticised by one reader after I focused on Customs and Revenue’s debt – which was paid just before the court case opened, but it turns out there are at least two more which are heading for court) and a labyrinth of companies that makes the England manager look like a truly legit businessman who has never put a foot wrong (just check with the Italian financial police – or read back issues of this blog).

Today it looks like even Sven has had enough and has asked for the many millions he says he is owed within the deal.   This payment has a lot to do with a company flotation, but the papers are now saying that Notts C say there was never any plans to float SCH – one of the ten or so companies involved in Notts C, all of whom have presumably now been investigated by the League and the FA.    The Daily Telegraph claims representatives from SCH went to Cazenove and Rothschild to discuss a listing.

So there we have it.  Amazon can’t handle my book, Notts C are all ok but the League is “looking into the club” again, Liverpool deserve the absolute right to hold the world cup, as if their history were nothing, and at least one Guardian columnist reads this column.

It’s a saturday morning and we don’t play until tomorrow.  But wait until Billy the Dog files his advance report on the meeting with Mr A Cole tomorrow.

Final rambling PS: two other sites.   Arsenal 100 years ago is dealt with on an (almost) day by day basis on www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk and if by any chance you are involved in the world of education you might like to take a peek at the new venture between the owner of GoonerNews and Untold Arsenal at www.UKEducationNews.co.uk (And of course if you don’t read Goonernews – why not????   There’s a permanent link in the side bar.  They are really nice people.

(c) Tony Attwood 2009.

PS Just looked at the clock, and its still saturday.  How boring is that!  And yes I do know the news about Robin, but what more is there to say.  Day after day I complain about international matches, and everyone else is covering the story.  It’s just too much.