Guest Blogger's A Passionate Man - Allen

29 Oct 2007 11 plus – In deep sleep... Shiok arh...

Mobile goes du du, du du... Knn, who is the bugger.

"Bro, can be my guest blogger this week..." Something to that extend, too sleepy to really read the whole message. I vaguely remember thumbing something in reply.

30 Oct 07 8am – After doing up JY’s photo for the Bolton trip and load up to flickr and facebook, remembered what Mr. Blog told me last night about ESPN, and started to send sms arrow out... To my horror.. I saw my last typed sms... "Let me crack my brains cm out w smtg"... Sheesh... That means I have to do it when I really meant was "I will crack your brain if I receive your sms again."

I am beginning to wonder if this is his plot to get his Guest Bloggers when they are asleep and unknowingly replying something positive.

Well, here I am... Guest blogging for a blog which I read daily (stop smiling Mr. Blog, yeah, you have a faithful reader).

Don't know what to write or share... Anyway, so many misfortunate souls already done it, I guess its sooner or later that I have to appear to let Mr. Blog have his off night.

So, I will share my love for Arsenal with you guys.

I really can't remember the exact date/match of when I started to support Arsenal, only remember it was 1988 (yeah, I am older than Mr. Blog), when I was 16.

Remember I used to like Everton (blue jersey - a boy thing which we all think anything red is ku niangish) while watching the weekly Monday night's Road to Wembley.

But that was like when I was 7-8yrs old. Subsequently, I continued to watch and didn't really support any team in particular except my weekly dose of Malaysia Cup football, following Abbas, Edwards, Fandi and company.

Then came Secondary 4 - I remembered we have to bring newspapers to school to read during the 1st lesson... Yeah, that’s how our Ministers think will cultivate a reading habit in us.

Then came the bunch of boys were going through the football section...

Classmate: Wah... Liverpool win again arh.

Me: So you like Liverpool arh...

Classmate: Of cos, they always win and win... So which team you support?

Me: (glancing through the table, thinking to myself - since my name starts with an A, I should support the team that starts with an A too... Arsenal) Yah, I support Arsenal...

CM: But they hardly win...

Me: If you only want to support winners, go support PAP lah... They will never lose and are a bunch of bad losers...

You got it, from then on, I follow Arsenal week in and week out... Watching Alan Smith, Kevin Campbell and that time, GG sure look much younger...

I remember when I was studying Econs, there was this book "Alan Smith's Money World", which my teacher requested us to read it. But I only knew the footballer Alan Smith, and whenever I spoke about him with classmate, the teacher thought I was so hardworking...

That's my history... I don't particularly like any Arsenal players, I just enjoy the football (sometimes pek chek) and how the team performs, even off the field, I think Arsenal players behave better (ok, Tony’s case is kinda like one-off, but he is better than a certain Englishman called Paul whom the whole of England pinned their hopes on him).

Now, I watch football with a bunch of crazy fellows - shouting, screaming and cursing, but this season has been good, the cursing part has toned down cos we keep getting the results.

Being in the ex-co has got its good and bad moments... The staff at Modestos all know who I am, at times I can get seats easily. But it's getting more difficult. Which is a good thing too. It only means we have more members...

The bad thing is, those new sign ups just won't come earlier or during half time. They like to disturb me when I'm watching the game or asking me like some commercial joint - "what benefits do I get for paying you $50?". You won't want to see my face or hear how I answer them... I'm getting meaner and meaner with my replies every week... If you want benefits, go be an MP or splash your cash at some posh hotel/club... Football's only benefit is to be a footballer in Europe. If you are just an ordinary bugger like everyone else in the pub, it's about PASSION and LOVE for the club - even if we have to endure a 3-match losing streak (choy... it will never happened AGAIN).

Freaking benefits... The benefits are that you get a bunch of crazy enough people to set up the club, run it as it's supposed to be, organise events for you people by sacrificing our time just because we so love the club... Not because of the 20% discount, not because you can get to play at The Cage with Glenn for free (oops), not because can show others "I have Jamie’s contact in my mobile" etc... IT'S ABOUT THE CLUB. Think I better stop... Can go crazy whenever I go too deep into the Passion part.

Anyway, I will be going to Emirates this December... I'm not the first in our club to go, and I'm sure it will not be my last trip to the Emirates... Sp*rs/ West Ham/ Portsmouth/ Everton... These are the matches I'll be going, so if you are heading there too, maybe we can meet up.

Oh yeah, this is a pic of me and Irene... So you'd recognise me now. If you see Irene sitting alone with an empty seat beside her... Don't bother chatting her up and take the seat, it's mine... Waahaa.

Mr Blog: Enough boh? I am running out of stuff to write liao... Still have to get people to go for the ESPN, my work (month-end closing) leh... Very busy leh.