Vince's good things about London (1): Arsenal

Good things about (North) London : The football Arsène Wenger and Arsenal.

I was living in Paris during the golden years of the ‘French’ Arsenal, with Wenger and his dream team of Henry-Pires-Viera-Bergkamp. It became the favourite team of many French, and certainly mine. In a European tie against Paris or Marseille (which I despise equally) I would have supported Arsenal without hesitation. The best French players, a beautiful game, it was easy to love Arsenal; even non-French and neutral football lovers recognized it was playing one of the most beautiful football ever. And they were not only stylish: the ‘unbeaten’ season 2003-2004 (38 games, no defeat) remains a feat that no other team has ever made in Europe’s major leagues in a century. Fever Pitch, the funny and lovable book by Nick Hornby, our local Holloway writer, and a self-confessed pathological Arsenal supporter, had made me realise what an institution Arsenal is in North London, long before the coming of Arsenal. Then, long before reaching his 10th year as a coach (1996-2006), Arsene Wenger had already become the greatest manager in more than a century of Arsenal history.

Living in Islington, was clearly a good option I moved to London to work in Camden Town, but surely the perspective of being at the heart of Arsenal’s borough played a role. I now live less than a mile away from the Stadium - and Jean-Christophe less than half a mile.

Of course, sadly, Arsenal has gone through bitter seasons since I have come to Islington: all the great players of the golden years have gone and no trophies were won during the 2005-2006 and the 2006-2007 seasons. One could blame Wenger and the club to have somehow sacrificed these two seasons, focusing on developing young talents without enough experienced players to claim silverware in the short term (we have become magnificent losers these days); but one thing I admire a lot is the respect and loyalty of English fans, of Arsenal fans, and that of neutral football analysts towards a man like Wenger. Paris and Marseille, to pick the most obvious French failures, have always been pathetically managed, and when they happened to put their fingers on good men they could never recognize them and keep them ; Paris and Marseille supporters are disgustingly prone to burn their idols and shout at yesterday’s hero. Not the English supporter, certainly not the Arsenal supporter. Arsenal and David Dein consistently put faith in Wenger. The respect for Wenger and Arsenal, even when we do not win, makes me proud to be French and Islingtonian; when I was living in Paris, PSG made me ashamed of being Parisian. Mick the man-with-a-van, of Cypriot ascent, born in Islington, always call him Mister Wenger. It is amazing and emotional to see the respect that Wenger has created in merely ten years in this city.

One thing I like with Arsenal and English football in general, is the public. I have been to some PSG games, everybody knows it is not a pretty sight neither on the pitch nor in the stadium or outside the stadium (god, even the stadium itself is ugly too). The Arsenal public by contrast consist of couples, families, ordinary folks. PSG: a bunch a fashion-media-business VIPs, a lot of racist resentful male lumpenproletariat who come not to support their team but to assault the ‘others’ ; Arsenal supporters going up Upper Street on match days? groups of middle-aged couples in red and white shirt, grandfather-father-and-son, two twenty-something-girls, husbbands and wives. Going to the historic Highbury stadium (1904-2006) alongwith Teun Draiasma during their last season there felt like a pilgrimmage and an immense emotion for me.

Finally, it’s not only Arsenal, it’s English football; it’s the genuine passion for football in this country ; it’s the other big teams with their century-long traditions and highly charismatic coaches (sir Alex, the villain José) ; it’s the fact that nearly everybody loves football and supports a team.

Take my small company based in Camden, North London. We have three Arsenal supporters, two Tottenham supporters, two Liverpool supporters (including a 22-years-old pretty young woman), one Charlton supporter (our Chief Analyst), one QPR supporter, one Newcastle supporter. Oh and one Manchester City supporter. Thank god no Chelsea or ManU fans (unless they are hiding in the closet). Sometimes it’s too much. I find myself reading all papers starting by the end – the last 20 pages of every paper are dedicated to sports, of which at least ten to football, every single day. Sometimes I am fed up with the tenth article on Wayne Rooney’s latest injury, but generally – and Clément is very right to point that out – football commentators in the press or on TV are ways better than their French colleagues. In England the aristocracy of journalists dedicate to the beautiful game, they are stars, they earn plenty. And football on television? You remember how pathetic was the late 'Telefoot'? How our generation had to bear Thierry Roland and his nerdy git colleagues to have glimpses of the championnat, every Sunday morning? Well, here we have 'Match of the Day', one of many monuments of the BBC. Every saturday and sunday nights, after a kitsch jingle, we have the classy Gary Lineker and his analysts Alan Hansen, Lee Dixon, Alan Shearer, delivering excellent and entertaining comments. That is a good transition with the next topic on my list: television.