This article is a submission for the Arsenal Latest writing competition; to participate, please read the details here.
Written by Richard Hall
It is not 1940, George Allison is not politely instructing Ted Drake from the side lines and the fate of the British Empire does not hang in the balance.
It is 2013 and the Empire is now the Emirates and the Germans are not across the channel, they are now in the squad. The threat is now a different one as agents in grey suits replace the grey uniforms of the Wermacht.
It may sound strange to hark back to a bye gone era, however, if we cast our minds back to 1996 that in itself seems like it is in the very distant past. Highbury is now a smart, city living area and a modern sports arena towers only yards away. Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Patrick Vieira and many more are etched into our memories as well as that season, The Invincibles. Even this, a more recent success, still now seems to many as distant as the memories of Cliff Bastin and Ted Drake.
Now there is a new mood in North London and it is dark, it is dank and it oozes pessimism. One could even argue, that even with the far greater horrors faced in 1940 there was much more togetherness. This maybe a lesson for today’s fans but it seems that this is a lecture they can easily do without. The camp is no longer split, in fact more and more of the faithful that swung the banners claiming ‘In Wenger we trust’ now heckle and boo from their plush new surroundings.
It is in moments like this that one draws on the past for examples and Winston Churchill in 1940 seems ever so apt. This man, even though from the old school was a visionary, even when all others thought him mad. He defended what he believed in with what he had and when his back was to the wall at Dunkirk or during that torrid summer of 1940 he prevailed against much stronger economic and aggressive foes. He then spent his time building something in his own mould and yes he made mistakes but in the end in that year ending in 4 and 5 he succeeded in total victory.
The main problem in all of this success was that it came at a huge cost and although his people had a brand new start it almost bankrupted the country. Just as he was about to put this right he was voted out and the rest as they say is history.
It is not for me to force my comparisons on any Arsenal fan and there is also no proof that had Churchill or if Wenger continues that either would have been or be a success. The purpose is to simply ask that when Arsenal are trailing at half or god forbid full time and you want to boo the stubborn and devastated Frenchman, just look around. Look around and realise that he built this, almost single-handedly.
The reason that Arsenal fans believe that we should be challenging at the top is because of history, Arsene Wenger has given you that. Arsene has said it before of Arsenal “Big club, big history, big tradition and big support’ Nobody can really say that they would be able to succeed at The Emirates better that this man. It is about trophies but is also about legacy.
So come the end of the window and if we are at bare bones, just believe and remember ‘Never was so much owed by so many to so few’
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