Arsenal Boss Right to Slam Disgraceful Birmingham City Fans
by Alan Smith's Forehead on October 19th, 2009 361 words | 28 commentsVery sad individuals indeed.
Join Our Facebook Fan Page for the Latest News/Rumours/Forums/Videos/WAGS/Funny Stuff/Features!
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has slammed Birmingham’s fans for chants which he describes as ‘atrocious’.
Blues fans sang ‘There is only one Martin Taylor’ after Liam Ridgewell had slid in hard on Theo Walcott during Saturday’s game at Emirates Stadium.
The chants were in reference to Taylor’s infamous challenge on Eduardo some 20 months ago, which broke the Croat’s leg.
And Wenger was left seething with the reaction of the Birmingham fans.
“I was disappointed with the chants, it was frankly atrocious,” said.
“They will not be remembered for the quality of their taste with that kind of remark.
“I didn’t say a word, I just thought ‘That’s low’.
“Eduardo was here. I don’t know how he felt about the chants. I just put that in the ranks of stupidity – you want to forget it because there’s not a lot to say.”
Blues boss Alex McLeish insisted he did not hear the chanting.
“I never heard it,” stated McLeish. “I’m not going to discuss it.
“We don’t condone that kind of thing. Our fans gave us great away support but I wasn’t aware of the songs.” (Sky Sports)
I can well understand Arsene’s annoyance and the idea that Alex McLeish ‘never heard it’ is very hard to believe, I was at the game and I certainly heard it. Eduardo was pretty much assaulted by Martin Taylor, a player who has literally no ability as a footballer whatsoever, and I have to admit I found it laughable that he then tried to claim there was no malicious intent in the tackle he committed.
As for those sad cases who sang the song, well I guess there will always sick individuals out there and there is little that can be done, clearly our lads did the talking on the field and had the last laugh as we eased past their fairly pedestrian back four.
I do not want to tar the entire Birmingham City support with the same brush and would just like to single out anyone who decided that singing such a song was anything but offensive and then just label them as scum.
Related Posts:
Controversial Birmingham defender may return against Manchester City
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Thanks caughtoffside you are the best! and have rewarded my lpyalty to you all summer! Whats wrong with brimingham?
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
They are scum though. Look at the place they choose to live.. They are literally scum.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Well, seeing as you continue to drag this up yet again from two seasons ago – how tired and weary is this now for lazy journalism? – I will respond out of some acknowledgement to your misinterpretation of Saturday’s events. I know you will not allow me to refer to another website so I therefore offer the following:
For the record the support for Martin Taylor was not aimed at making light of Eduardo’s unfortunate injuries. The Blues fans who witnessed the accident at St Andrew’s were highly respectful of Eduardo’s misfortune and acted accordingly. Many Birmingham City Blogs and Forums have repeatedly passed on their good wishes and were pleased to see him return fully fit.
“The Theo Walcott injury is a mystery. What kind of insult to Eduardo was his performance when legally tackled by Liam Ridgewell who has just returned from suffering a broken leg himself? Rolling around prostate, limping off like a survivor of the Battle of the Somme was inexcusable. If he was trying to get Ridgewell booked he should be punished by his own manager. If he was trying to hide his indignity of being dumped on his ass by a great tackle then he failed. His dignity disappeared as he returned to the field and displayed Olympic standard speed leaving Blues defenders for dead.
Wenger became party to the subterfuge by removing Walcott a full twenty minutes later. If you have Arshavin to take his place then it’s easy to protect your young protégé. Whatever Walcott’s reason for leaving the pitch it had nothing to do with Liam Ridgewell’s tackle.”
You do yourselves a disservice by continually pointing a finger where it should never have been pointed in the first place. If only Eduardo had reacted two seasons ago by jumping and diving as he did in the recent match against Celtic then this page would now be blank!
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Only one problem, eduardo was incapable of diving as his leg was snapped in two!
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
To the commenter above, you lost all respectability when you chose to state the following.
“The Blues fans who witnessed the accident at St Andrew’s were highly respectful of Eduardo’s misfortune and acted accordingly”
You idiot, how can you say it was an accident? And you final points are just laughable. Who is continually pointing a finger? It was the Birmingham fans who wished to bring the whole issue up again, by singing the song in the first place. To show support for a shit centre half who assaulted an opponent, as simple as that.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
This is a joke. For over half a year Birmingham City fans have had to put up with Arsenal putting our magnificent club down. I am 100% behind the fans that chose to sing this song.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Arsenal FC and the guy that wrote this article these are the people that are scum. Birmingham fans had every right to support Martin Taylor Arsenal would have done the same FFS!! I’d like to point out to Mr. Wenger that it was his comments in the first place that caused the trouble. Ridgewell’s tackle was legal and fantastic. Walcott has been shown for the ponce that he is. Now move on.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Seriously lets not all forget that it was also man u fans a;pmg with others who sang abuse about eduardo, but at the end of the day the whole thing was a cheap and outrageous method to prevent arsenal winning the trophies they deserve! So yeh we cant just blame brimingham, but the fact tyhey sung about taylor as a hero is disgusting, maybe we cant talk because of our support for viera; but no birmingham fan has mentioned him; so their defense of taylor andv ridgewell is outrageous!
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
birmingham should learn to play the ball than kicking players that will help them stay up in the EPL.
Thank you.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
birmingham should learn to play the ball than kicking players that will help them stay up in the EPL.
Thank you.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
And you should learn to only make one comment, muppet
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
pissy moaning gooners again.
there is no equal in this world to the holier than thou spiel that comes out of gooners mouth
they piss and moan like nobody else and refuse to see the scum element in their own support, just like thier manager.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
The birmingham fans true belief comes out, and puts their claims about birmingham fans being sad about eduardos injury to ridicule!
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Though I do not think the chants were very appropiate or considered, I believe that these chants were probably aimed against Wenger’s appalling reaction in calling for Taylor’s banishment & then giving a reluctant & half-hearted change of words. He now is suggesting that Ridgewell’s tackle was worthy of a reprimand (it wasn’t), but goes on to say that he wants to keep “the English game”. His comments seem to conceal his real feelings & he has cleverly put the thought out that Ridgewell was badly at fault. In these instances I think the term “weasel words” is a suitable description of what he said. Sometimes his own players have gone over the top & he has described it as a “defensive tackle”, whatever that is. Wenger’s teams play the most beautiful football, but he would be appreciated much more by fans & professionals if he wasn’t so snide & sly.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Ridgewell might have got the ball but came through the back of walcott which as far as I was aware is a yellow card? It’s such a shame that after all the players we have loaned to birmingham they still can’t play football I really hope you get relegated back to the championship where you belong
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
what a freak u r ,maye someone should break your legs and call it an accident ,goodness have a freaking cheek to speak out ,damn you english are literally freaks
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
‘the english game’ – is in danger of becoming inferior to spain because s**t players are getting away with fouling! wouldn’t it be nice if referees punished poor tackles in the same way as spanish and italian refs do otherwise all the good players will move abroad again because they don’t like getting injured by half-wits
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
I was amongst the Blues fans on Saturday and was disappointed with the chanting.It certainly doesn’t reflect the mainstream views amongst most of us bluenoses.
I would say that when a number started the chant,it provoked an understandable reaction from the Arsenal fans.This in turn, fuelled the fire so to speak and the response that came back was louder,almost purely in a tribal way.Not for a moment that I am defending it.
As for Ridgewell’s challenge,it was fair and no different to tackles we see every week in the EPL.he took the ball and unfortunately,caught Walcott on the way past.Get over it.
As for the immature brain donor who wrote ‘They are scum though. Look at the place they choose to live.. They are literally scum.’….Really,please,how childish and ill thought out is that remark. Let’s be honest,a gentle stroll down the Holloway,Kilburn or Caledonian Road is hardly a trip through Disneyland,but that’s just how it is.
Yes,we are sh*te,but we know it.We’ve won f*** all and we don’t need to be told it yet again…yawn.
Finally,I have to say that I was squirming when I heard your announcer announcing the teams by only their christian names.The most pretentious b*llocks I’ve ever heard at a football ground.No wonder fans think Arsenal are arrogant,you should get rid of that tw*t.
The Guvna.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Arsenal fans like myself get annoyed with fans of sh!t teams who rather than beat arsenal by playing football believe the only way is to throw in some rough tackles. The problem is, is that because these teams lack any skill whatsoever the tackles thrown are likely to damage the opposition as proved twice against Birmingham. Don’t pretend that mentioning Martin taylor at the Emirates is anything other than to rile the home fans, I imagine this needs to be done because whats there to cheer about Birminghams football?
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Arsenal fans like myself get annoyed with fans of sh!t teams who rather than beat arsenal by playing football believe the only way is to throw in some rough tackles. The problem is, is that because these teams lack any skill whatsoever the tackles thrown are likely to damage the opposition as proved twice against Birmingham. Don’t pretend that mentioning Martin taylor at the Emirates is anything other than to rile the home fans, I imagine this needs to be done because whats there to cheer about Birmingham’s football?
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
hey im a blues fan and id like to say that the chants were innapropriate there was no need for it. As for the eduardo leg break,the way i see it was eduardo was to quick for taylor hes gone in for the ball and eduardo’s whipped it away and unfortunately got his leg broke in the process.And as for these gooners who think there players are saints look at players from the past adams,viera etc great players but dirty players.think mr wenger needs to sort his own side out before he starts on other teams.KEEP RIGHT ON.
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I am a Birmingham fan.
Lets cut the crap here and cheap shots at each other.
Martin Taylors tackle on Eduardo was late and deserved a red card.
The chants on Saturday…. were a dissgrace.
The tackle on Theo Walcott was good. He won the ball.
We look foward to having you at St. Andrews………….don’t forget you shin pads.
And Wenger was left seething
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Blues fan, Well Thats why the English game is so passionate and the best in the world, Because of the way the english play it, Do you think there would be the same passion in the game if it turned into a none contact sport, I think not, Its a shame and not nice when a player gets seriously injured, but thats part of the game and harrendous injuries like eduardo’s dont happen that often. Now if mr Wenger wants to play none contact football manage a team in a country that plays its football in a none contact way”Quite boring to watch and very passionless” Or stop buying girly players simple.
Keep Right On
anonymous - October 19th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
fuckin hell….arsenal fans r quite the hypocrits…..no problem with the songs ur fans sing about adebayor?
mcleish dint hear the songs and u lot take offence to that….this comin from a team that backs arsene ‘i didnt see it’ wenger
your team needs to nut up or shut up…footy is a mans sport…your team n managers ridiculous response to strong tackles is turnin it in2 a non contact sport
anonymous - October 20th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
“footy is a mans sport”
Yeah thats why women got their own league and world cup, kids got there own tournaments too and i think there is even disabled football competitions.
England last won the world cup in 66 but attitudes, views, tactics and training are still from 66 and these outdated views are still being spouted out by managers, ex-players, coaches and fans. When they banned 2 footed tackes and tackles from behind there were still dipsticks shouting “but its a mans game”.
worlds changed since 66 and uk are only just cathing up!
anonymous - October 20th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
the fans that chanted martin taylors name during the game on saturday disgust me! … the guy almost lost the ability to walk, thats as bad as throwing abuse at a harmless person in a wheelchair in my view… fuckin disgrace to the game
anonymous - October 22nd, 2009 at 11:08 am
How can Arsenal fans call Martin Taylor’s tackle an “assault”? I’ve never seen such a soft tackle result in a broken leg. This was just very unlucky with how the the leg was placed and the studs were stuck in the ground so the foot couldn’t move. Blues fans singing Taylor’s name was a direct resonse to Wenger saying he wanted him banned for life.
Now lets come onto the subject of disgraceful singing Mr Wenger! You seem to go very deaf when Arsenal fans sing about a certain player’s mother being a whore and his father an elephant cleaner. “I did not hear it” or “I did not see it”. Wenger, you are a hypocrite.
To you Wenger, “There’s only one Matin Taylor”. Your reaction to the tackle was a disgrace. Accept that this was an accident.
I think the rest of the country forget how soft these people are in the South. Bunch of hypocrites, the lot of you.
anonymous - October 24th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
It’s a fuckin’ football game, you bunch of faggots from London need to realise that tackles and chants are all part of the game.
We look forward to giving you more of the same when you come to St Andrews.