More than just a game - a tale of passionate hatred

Written by Mark Brus on Saturday, September 16, 2006

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
17 Sep	4:00 PM	P	Manchester United (A)	1	0	Win

Since even as soon as right after our win over Hamburg, I have found it difficult to stop thinking about Arsenal's game with Man Utd this weekend.

This is always the biggest game on the calendar for me. Most Arsenal fans will talk about the long-time local rivalry with Spurs, and rightly so, but as I'm not a Londoner I perhaps don't feel that quite as strongly...plus, who the f*ck are they anyway? The rivalry with Spurs would be described more as a rivalry between the fans, and bragging rights around North London, plus, until perhaps some points last season, Spurs have been nothing more than an annoying little brother in some ways, who are more for laughing at than anything else, kicking around in the lower half of the league, providing an easy three points in every derby game.

The same applies to Chelsea - c*nts that they are, they're new to the picture and have only emerged as rivals in the last couple of seasons, and that's only because of their money. The whole Ashley cole saga has fuelled up quite a hatred between the two clubs, but in my opinion neither of these rivalries are anything compared to the one with Man Utd. The rivalry with Chelsea not even so much a rivalry perhaps, but more Chelsea winding us up by being classless c*nts. Chelsea, although a complete joke of a club, are no laughing matter and don't deserve any of the attention they so longingly crave off the pitch because they're so damn boring on it.

The rivaly with United however has been between managers, players and fans alike.

Arsène Wenger and Alex Ferguson have been having their war of words for years now. The players (Vieira, Keane, Keown, van Nistelrooy - to name a few) have had their say (and more) as well. It's always a heated affair.

Some might argue it cooled down a bit last season with the departures of both hot-headed skippers Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane perhaps rubbing off on the rest of the players, some of which are new to the rivalry, making it a somewhat more mellow affair both at Highbury and at Old Trafford, and in a way - I see their point. For once, last season's games were about the football, and there was little to talk about following an uneventful 0-0 draw at Highbury and a weird 2-0 win for the mancs up North. Besides, for the first time in years, these games weren't going any way to deciding who would win the title.

But for me, the rivalry will never cool down. To be completely blunt, I absolutely loathe Man Utd, and after the years of seeing them kick us, provoke us, get players sent off, 'win' penalties, get into fights with our players, bitching about us before and after games, it's going to take a VERY long time for me to get over this sheer hatred.

So for me this remains a massively important game, and should still for fans of football in general, because, before Chelsea came along and ruined it, Arsenal and Man Utd have been the top two teams in the country, always battling it out to get one over the other for the Premiership title. The mind games between the managers would follow, it was a proper footballing rivalry that provoked insane passion between the two teams. Quite simply, they are two clubs who very much dislike each other, for all kinds of good reasons.

It would be foolish to say that this hatred is new, but for me it really started to grow almost exactly three years ago after our 0-0 draw at Old Trafford. Hurt after surrendering a five-point lead to lose out on the title to United last season, Arsenal went to Old Trafford on a sunny September afternoon with great grit and determination, frustrating their opponents, who were made to look rather ordinary due to Arsenal's sheer control of the game.

Frustrated, United's thuggish players slowly started resorting to more unprofessional techniques; unnecessarily hard tackles, kicks, dives. It all kicked off in about the 80th minute when the master of all nuisances, Ruud van Nistelrooy purposely fell into Patrick Vieira, knocking them both over. Vieira, sadly, gave van Nistelrooy the reaction he wanted and lashed out with an outstretched leg. No contact was made, but a meal was made of it by the Man Utd striker and Paddy received a second yellow and was dismissed.

As much as I know Vieira shouldn't have reacted the way he did, chasing van Nistelrooy and shouting at him, I appreciated the passion from captain, who clearly knew what a cheat van Nistelrooy was. He eventually made his way down the tunnel and we were in for a tough final ten minutes with only ten players.

We coped pretty well, in fairness, but literally in the last seconds of stoppage time Diego Forlan went down easily after a Martin Keown challenge. I couldn't believe it. A penalty. Another f*cking penalty for Man Utd! As if they don't get enough! We'd come so close, played so well in a game that seemed to go on forever with struggle after struggle, and right now at the end of the game that cheating brute was going to win it for them. I held my hands over my head in disbelief and nearly had tears in my eyes.

It proved to be a turning point in the season as van Nistelrooy provided me with one of my fondest football memories - he smacked his penalty against the crossbar before it was cleared away to safety. I got off my seat in a pub full of United fans and screamed with joy, sticking my middle finger up at van Nistelrooy on the TV screen. What a moment, and the players shared my passion once again, surrounding the United striker, taunting him and pushing him. I know, I know! It was highly unprofessional, but they're human beings and I loved every second of it. I'm not ashamed to admit it. It was like they knew exactly how I, and every other gooner in the world, felt. There's a beauty in that.

Unsurprisingly the FA didn't see the beauty in it and gave four of our key players bans, but it didn't make that much of a difference in the end, unlike that penalty miss which proved to be a big step in our season in which we won the league unbeaten. The next time we were at Old Trafford, we were still unbeaten, for a record-breaking fourty-nine games, no less.

After losing 6-1 to United at Old Trafford a few years earlier, losing the FA Cup final to very two late Michael Owen goals that same season, losing the UEFA Cup final on penalties and even now after losing the Champions League final last season, that night at 'The Theatre of Dreams' remains a nightmare that haunts me to this day. I've been through a lot as an Arsenal fan, but that was the most horrible football game I've ever watched.

I'm not saying we deserved to win. We looked fairly comfortable, if a little unadventurous going forward. A draw would've been the right result, and it would've been an incredible 50th game unbeaten. Once again, we didn't deserve to win, but we were, quite frankly, cheated that night.

Numerous kicks on José Antonio Reyes by the Neville brothers were ignored by the referee, and Rio Ferdinand escaped what in any other stadium in the world would be a straight red card, after he clipped Freddie Ljungberg's feet from behind as the Swede bore down on goal. I've seen red cards given for challenges not quite so blatant as that about a billion times and my jaw dropped as big, dumb Rio not only escaped a deserved red card, but also a yellow. He didn't even get a warning from the ref. Nothing. As far as United's 12th man was concerned, nothing happened. Incredible.

Into the last 15 minutes, the game still balanced and not looking like really going anywhere, that little bastard Wayne Rooney, built like tough little thug, for which he is adored by England fans all over, took a dive in the penalty area and won his team YET ANOTHER penalty. Then again, there was no doubt, as it was United fan Mike Riley refereeing the game, with a very dubious penalty record at this particular stadium.

No doubt eager to put to rest the demons haunting him for his decisive miss last season, van Nistelrooy stepped up and put the penalty away to give his side an undeserved lead. It was killing me, but we started to attack more, so I firmly believed there was a way back into this game for us.

But it wasn't to be as United took advantage of the fact that we were chasing the lead and got us on the break to score a second in stoppage time, just to rub it in my face. It was over. The most successful unbeaten run in English football history brought to such a sad end, by the team I would want to end it the least. Seriously, why couldn't Villa just beat us the week before? Or Southampton the week after? Anyone but them. It was so unfair. I sat in the same pub as I had watched the encounter the year before, I sat for ages, hoping to wake up and find it was just a horrible dream. A football game had never made me so miserable. It's games like that make me so angry when people tell me that it is, infact, "just a game". What utter rubbish.

When you support a club, you follow them week in, week out all year round. If you're lucky enough, you get to go to matches and cheer them on. Friends and girlfriends may come and go, but your club is your club for life. Sometimes they're all you have.

This was so much more than just a game. It was a place in history that the club I love richly deserved, and was cruelly cheated out of by a club that, despite past success, was in a state whereby it could only ever dream of achieving such a feat. They had little talent and played boring, aggressive football in a team that set out to do nothing but rough us up that night, because they knew if they just played football we would outclass them. They did it the wrong way, but what hurt the most was that no one would ever remember it that way. The record books will show that Manchester United were the team to finally end the mighty Arsenal's incredible unbeaten run, but I know the truth, and it hurts me to this day.

This is genuinely the only fixture all year in which I ignore whatever points are at stake. Any other team and I'll be thinking about how a win will affect our position in the league, or take us into the next round of a cup, when it's United I just want to see us hammer them so I can see the look on all their players' faces, and that c*nt manager of theirs. There would be no greater pleasure.

Thankfully, I actually got that revenge later that season when we met our old foes in the FA Cup final. This was almost a reverse of the game at Old Trafford, in which, disappointingly, Arsenal played very defensively and were distinctly second best to Man Utd, who for some reason just could not score that day. They had chance after chance in normal time, and eventually extra time, but Arsenal somehow survived and held on for 0-0, taking the final to a penalty shootout for the first time in the cup's illustrious history.

I was a wreck as the shootout began. I had just witnessed one of the worst Arsenal performances ever, and had to sit through another few minutes of the torture, as we would surely be beaten on penalties.

But I didn't realise that Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehman had the edge over his United counterpart here in Roy Caroll. Unlike Lehmann, who was magneficent, Caroll hadn't had a thing to do all game, with Arsenal registering just one shot on target from a Robin van Persie free-kick in extra time. Lehmann was well-prepared to save some shots, whereas Caroll was rusty from standing around for over two hours.

And so it began...van Nistelrooy scored, Lauren equalised for Arsenal, and then, crucially, Paul Scholes had his penalty saved by Lehmann. Arsenal took the lead through Ljungberg. Ronaldo scored for United, van Persie put Arsenal back in front, Rooney scored, Cole scored, Roy Keane didn't lose the final for his side as he scored, but if Gunners captain Patrick Vieira scored the final penalty that would be the win for Arsenal.

This moment again illustrates quite how far football is from being "just a game". Two hours of nervousness, panic and misery like I have never felt before was all forgotten in a split second as Vieira slammed the penalty into the corner of the goal to turn that utter misery into incredible ecstasy and to absolutely steal the cup from United, and I knew it. Everyone knew it. Did I care? No, if anything it made it all the sweeter knowing we shouldn't have won that game. If it was any other team, sure I would be ecstatic for a while, but upon reflection I would probably feel a little bit sorry for our opponents, but as I described earlier, the feeling of seeing the looks of misery on all the United's players was absolutely incredible. I think I have problems, but I don't care.

So there you go, an insight into my twisted and hate-filled mind. I just hope you now all have a better idea of what tomorrow's game will be like for me - the nastiest, yet most enjoyable rollercoaster ride of emotions I'm likely to feel all season...well, until we play them at the Emirates.

User Comments

32

Salas

Posted on 20 Sep, 2006 at 03:08 PM - Reply

Fantastic!
I haven't seen good article like this for ages!
Thx!

31

clockend69

Posted on 19 Sep, 2006 at 08:03 PM - Reply

good article,i completely agree,i fcuking hate them soooo much,and was there on sunday to see our boys ramming their bile right back down their repugnant throats.70,000 muppets,shite stadium and even worse area...wakeywakey! you bunch of cunts

30

gooner_atheart

Posted on 19 Sep, 2006 at 05:17 AM - Reply

bloody fantastic article. Straight from the heart.

29

Matthew Moore

Posted on 18 Sep, 2006 at 04:09 PM - Reply

Wow what a speech, Im not a londoner either and i have never read an article that describes what im feeling when we play the scum (scumchester) until i read this article today! You have explained every feeling that goes on in my head when we play those set of cheating, hateful, arrogant set of twats who just expect to walk all over any team!!!f*ck off Man Utd with your shit players and you hateful manager who should get a sponsorship deal with wrigleys the chewing old piss head! Argh its great to let all these emotions out in writing and i would only consider expressing them about Scumchester utd as they are the only team that gets right under my skin!!!
I love everything you have put in your article and im soooooooooooooooooo happy we have outclassed them again but this time won, its made my season already!!!!
Matt Moore (GOONER - FROM HULL)

28

arse1

Posted on 18 Sep, 2006 at 09:22 AM - Reply

although I hate both man u and chelsea, I must impress upon you that the real enemy is still sp*rs. although not as glamourous a meeting as with those other two, we must all focus on the true odious swine, and make sure we put as much passion, heart and sheer strength that we showed yesterday into beating sp*rs away and especially at home this year.

27

steve ong

Posted on 18 Sep, 2006 at 07:38 AM - Reply

Dear Mark,
I can relate to ur feeling, Mark. but, pls don't bring hatredness to this game of beauty. Always be calm. Sometimes even ur rivals can teach u a thing or two about passions and belief which we utterly lacked for the last 2 seasons. We are a solid team at Arsenal. It's just that we didn't know it yet as most of our 11 team players are quite young and lacked experience.

But, now that they picked up a few lessons about being humble, believed in their teamates and themselves. We are slowly but surely emerging as one of the title challengers. The future is very interesting with so many improved teams out there competing for a slot in the top four this season. We should be witnessing a revived Arsenal with absolute no fear and absolute belief in themselves that they are indeed Champion in waiting not the also-ran that we have been for the past 2 seasons.

But, this is a beautiful games that teaches us to love one another. not racism. not hatredness. not selfish ambition. So, please, respect this game. respect Arsenal. Arsenal is all about loving one another, sticking with each other, believing in each other, be there for each other. Not hating their rivals but to learn a thing or two from their respected rivals and that includes MU, Mark. Peace be with you.

26

adam

Posted on 18 Sep, 2006 at 06:41 AM - Reply

great article, i wish keown was still playing for us, we could put him on at the end with instructions to get red carded by causing serious injury. i would have been even happier that night if it had descended into a mass brawl with van nistelroy unconscious and spat on. would have screwed up our season but at the time i just wanted every united player to die screaming in agony...in fact i still do...great article, not quite as vicious as i would have written.

25

ArsenalAllTheWay

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 07:24 PM - Reply

there was this other ref who refereed the aston villa match i think...it was a black guy...he didnt even call foul when henry and fabregas was caught and they could play on the counter...

24

alain

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 01:29 PM - Reply

absof*ckinlutely amzing... i live for football and im sure that there are thousands, millions that do the same, football is more than a sport, its a belief, a faith a religion that is followed more than christianity or any other... it brings out the best of some of us and sadly the worst in few others but i can not agree more with this article. there is a healthy rivalry between Arsenal and other clubs but none match that of Arsenal and man utd... i remember cheerin man utd in the '99 CL final cause they were an english team, but after the match of 2003... i hate, despise, loathe (and any other word u can imagine) man utd... my love for Arsenal will never die, i remember sittin in a pub with my friend watchin last seasons match, i was the only arsenal supporter cheering in a sea of man utd fans(apart from this other 1 who was 2 scared 2 say a word) and i was proud 2 be an ambasador for Arsenal.

23

Roufentag

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 01:13 PM - Reply

One of the reasons I hate Man U is because I perceive them as such a Chav club (along with Chelsea) - look at the crowd and you can tell straight away that most who follow them are a complete load of tw*ts.

22

U.A.E

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 12:38 PM - Reply

this article is absolutely breathtaking!! it just expresses how i feel about them. ive never hated any team in the world with an exception to Man u, not just because of losing a game, but cause of their arrogance! they always think they are the better side and have the best players in the country, yet they aint the best, look at the kinda players they buy apart from Ronaldo they all cud be good boxers, at the end imma say fuck man u and good luck the gunners!! ARSENAL4LIFE

21

Joe

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 09:30 AM - Reply

Good article, i live in New Zealand and got up at 2:30 am to watch that match. I just wanted to punch something (or maybe someone...maybe rooney) when that penalty was given. In the replay Campbell actually didn't even touch him. I think it was Campbell from memory. Getting angry just thinking about it. Anyway looking forward to the next round. cheers.

20

emofest

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 09:07 AM - Reply

nice one...winning at old trafford must be wonderful moment for arsenal...hope that will be today...cmon gunners...

19

Kass

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 08:53 AM - Reply

Wel said mate. I hate those dammned reds from deep, deep inside. Getting a win will drive me crazy. Be a gooner and hate Manure

18

Danish , Karachi Pakistan

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 07:48 AM - Reply

i wont mind AW Knocking Out Alex TomatoFace with a most brutal punch in his whole life :x

17

Exiled Gunner

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 05:28 AM - Reply

Thank you for the article. Older Gooners may disagree with me but I, too, feel that our main rivals -- and the team I want to beat most -- is not Spurs but the Moaners of Manchester. As for that game which brougt our unbeaten run to a close: I often think that if Reyes hadn't been kicked so much that day (and the Neville brothers had been penalised for their thuggery), Jose would have learnt to adapt to England and become one of the greatest Gunners of all time...Damn it!

16

wednesdayware

Posted on 17 Sep, 2006 at 03:42 AM - Reply

I too feel that the Man Utd rivalry is the most important one we have, Spurs hasn't been worth the time or energy until recently.

However, the most ashamed I have ever been of Arsenal was right after the Van Nistlerooy penalty. It was glorious that he missed, karma in action.

The way the Arsenal players then surrounded him and taunted him and even shoved and smacked at his was disgraceful, and beneath us.

15

Marce07

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 11:55 PM - Reply

Thank you Mark, good article.
I still remembered THAT GAME every time I see Man U, or Ferguson, and almost every single Man U player that was part of that theft. May be is just THAT GAME what make me hate Rooney.
It should be 50, it should be more than 50.
Reading your article I refresh my memories on that FA Cup final, how we scream on that last penalty, how we bless Lehmann, our hero that day. Wonderful moment!

Now is just a few hours ahead. I have had bad dreams on this… going there without Henry, without Van Persie… is not what should be… but is Man U / ARSENAL again, and winning will be sooooo wonderful…

May be indeed you “have problems”, so do I.

14

kingsley

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 11:49 PM - Reply

the devils will always behave like the devil.

13

ken_75

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 09:55 PM - Reply

Great piece of reading which i share! For me the hatred kicked off in the mclair - winterburn incident which someone else mentioned as well, when it turned into a riot by 21 players, we were deducted points and still won the league! Nice! (Twisted Evil lol)
COME ON THE ARSENAL!!!

12

bunkr

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 09:39 PM - Reply

Exactly my thoughts. I remember being taunted by my best mate (who happens to be a Moan Utd supporter) and I had a massive massive fight with him. Didnt speak to him for next 4 months.
I dont are if we lose to anyone, hell even the Campions League final, just in order to see the look on the face of those Mancs when we beat them.

11

Liam

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 09:08 PM - Reply

Couldnt have put it better myself
thank you for explaining it is never 'just a game'

10

myhamismad

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 08:47 PM - Reply

Yeah, you know it really is thenew manU bandwagon jumpers that get me the most steamed. You know who they are, these are the same people who's favourite team in spain was real madrid, then suddenly whoops, barcelona is their new favourite team. As a Canadian, it just grinds my gears to see every other Indian I know a ManU fan. Some ass had the audacity to call RVP a rapist, for christ sake you have your own rapist, the most hated man in Britain, C.Ronaldo. I hope we win tomorrow, and I hope ManU doesn't get out of the Champion's league group stage... again.

9

Andy

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 08:33 PM - Reply

Lol, you muppets really make me laugh. OK we have had a few moments where things have boiled over, but we really don't care enough about you to consider hatred. Man Utd have two rivalrie: Man City and Liverpool. Man CIty is a local rivalry, and Liverpool is generally because both cluns have been so successful and the battle between the two clubs is to become the most successful club in England (one that they are currently winning). You muppets from London are guilty of delusions of grandeur, and it will be a long time before you replace Liverpool as our fiercest rivals, Arsenal will continue to be like every other team in England that are more motivated against United. Tomorrows game will prove that point when your players lose their heads over the manner of the beating that they receive.

I do respect Arsenal as an English football club, and your manager, like ours, is a genius, But this talk of hatred is really funny because myself and many other Man Utd fans don't care enough to waste our energy on you muppets from London. Come back when you've won the real European cup, not just reached the final. I will reply to all comers with an intelligent argument.

8

doughham

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 06:45 PM - Reply

you cant have put it any better, no other piece would best describe my utter disgust for them

7

regele

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 06:18 PM - Reply

They should have this article posted at the entry gates when the mancs will come to visit us at Ashburton Grove, excellent piece!

6

johnny

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 06:12 PM - Reply

well you hit the nail on the head with this one
i just fucking hate them mancs basterds
and i truely belive we will take the 3 points tomorrow and i will be shouting my head when
we do,,,,come on the gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5

potter

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 05:58 PM - Reply

Nice to see your recent conversion but believe me it goes back much further, maclair- Winterburn, and before that Lawrie Brown Dennis Law Joe Baker

4

Milan

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 05:54 PM - Reply

That Article was Exactly how i felt over these years, it just put my thoughts an feelings into Words, Thanks A Lot, like Ryan said, i thought it was me being an Obsessive. Cheers and Thanks. Arsenal 4 Life

3

Slippery When Wet

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 05:38 PM - Reply

Good article.

I still feel hard done by from the way the press, the FA and Mancs went to town on the Arsenal for RVN's cheating with Vieira.

The only person who did anything nasty, spiteful and career threatening was The Horse Faced Cheat who ran shoulder first into PV4 not even bothering to look for the ball, then as PV4 recoiled background stamped his landing leg intp PV4. That must of hurt and PV4 fell for the bait.

Three things I hate about Man Utd:

- That Cheating Horse Faced Cnut who got away with nasty stuff again and again (even winning 'Goal of the Month' from a 45 run than began with a forarm smash into Andy Todd's face) with complete impunity when the Arse' were getting trial by TV jury week in week out. PV4 wqs stupid. RVN deserved a straight red - but the Man Utd Patronisation Association (sorry aka the FA) let the only guilty person off 'scot free'. That rankles. RVN is one of the few people I would try and run over if I saw them walking down a street!

- SAF - the puce nosed tosser and his attempts to win at all cost - trying to get Arsenal players banned, his scheeming with Fat Sam etc

- All those glory seeking boasting big headed know alls from Surrey that jumped on the bandwagon after Man Utd won their third league title in the 90's to be joined by more after the 1999 season. Then all their tossers trying to accuse Arsenal fans of being 'glory seekers'. To top it all a chinese guy from Beijing wearing an Wank Utd top accosted me in a bar and accused me, supporter since 1978 and born in Kent, of being a band wagon jumper.

In short it is real hatred

2

Justin

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 05:37 PM - Reply

Said like a true fan.

1

Ryan

Posted on 16 Sep, 2006 at 05:26 PM - Reply

God this article was a relief! I must admit I'm a Man United fan but this is not the point. The point is I feel about this fixture int exactly the same way you had described and I hate Arsenal just as passionately as you hate Man United. So it was wonderful to read that I'm not alone with it and being so obsessive about this particular fixture is not some strange disease. Thanks a lot!

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