For Man U, Spurs and Chelsea fans the experience is different, that's because two of them are not ambulances but competitive armoured vehicles. The third is a figure of fun.

 

Arsenal fans expect to beat teams like Bolton or Hull as a matter of right, yes it's arrogant and wrong, but that is why they don't expect to have to shout. If they do shout it will be directed at Spurs, Ashley Cole, or the new Bête Noir Adebayor. Somebody landing from Mars would be puzzled as to why the fans do not address, or abuse, the team they are actually playing but keep on singing about a team that is not their rival anymore.

So for the first 7 minutes the fans gently dozed as they waited for their inheritance to arrive. Then the ambulance scored, so the reaction was one of "Come on Arsenal", in that reproachful way a father tries to encourage his timid child to jump into the pool. Of course this is sprinkled with the usual invective you hear at an under elevens match. "Sort it out Wenger! Almunia you are f$%%$% useless, Clichy you pillock" The usual abuse that the great English fan keeps in his locker, and it is a he, for the crowd is mainly male.

Perhaps the quality of abuse has gone down since Nick Hornby wrote Fever Pitch, for no one yelled "£60,000 a week? You should pay me that to watch this rubbish".

What's the point of this? Be patient for there is an important point, for on 28 minutes the misery got even worse. A suicidal tackle by Denilson put the ambulance 2-0 up. Now this was not right we had all turned up to go top of the league not take part in a farce. Mind you the score was fair enough, it reflected the balance of play, but the fans were getting ready to wallow in self pity, and an increased orgy of abuse.

Lighting the Fuse

So here is the point Bolton had completely miscalculated; they celebrated the penalty as if they had won the World Cup Adebayor style directly in front of the Singing Section, which immediately turned in the cursing section. The whole crowd joined in, and now they got behind the team, pushing and urging them on. Rosicky scored a wonder goal, isn't time he tried centre forward?

Watering time

The team went off to applause, and the crowd increasingly fed up the eccentric refereeing of Wiley and his refusal to curb Bolton's time wasting. Bolton had united the crowd behind the team and increased the volume. As soon as the teams went off Wenger put the water sprinklers on, it made me feel confident, Arsene was going to up the tempo.

The fans now expected to equalise, and instead of moaning began to say generous things like "I don't mind if we don't win by two clear goals as long as we get three points". On 51 minutes M. Davies went down, but the crowd screamed for the team to play on.

Apart from Gallas most of the team were in front of the injured player and had no reason to stop. Fabregas nutmegged Jaaskelainen for the equaliser. Now Arsenal fans celebrated, and then interpreted the Keepers actions over the injury as more time wasting.

Foul Play

Most of the jeering was at Jaaskelainen, and some who assumed Davies was play acting wanted him to get up, or be taken off. It certainly doesn't make sense as to why it took so long to get him treated. I didn't see the Gallas tackle I was following the ball; from the replays I have seen it was a foul, but it was not an assault.

I am sure that the Friends of Tiny Taylor will be rallying to the traumatised Gallas's aid any moment.

Lucky? Certainly, but we are told what goes around comes around, and at Bolton we were worth at least one penalty, if not two. The incident also brought up deep feelings of the amount of thuggery Arsenal have suffered over the years. Bolton were no longer an ambulance but a hated foe.

The atmosphere became the best in quite a while, and at a corner on 65 minutes the crowd sucked the ball in with a little help from Tommy Gun. Suddenly the crowd realised that top of the league was possible. Now they roared the team on, Arshavin heeded the call and forced his way through a crowded penalty area to score with a delightful chip over the keeper. We are top of the league crowed the crowd. Some wanted five, some ole'd, which I hate, and some groaned at the 6 minutes injury time.

Live by the sword

It had been a marvelous game, the Arsenal goals were four gems and we all left very happy. Indeed the crowd carried on singing and chanting as it left. It was a complete surprise, on returning home to discover that the real issue was not how Wenger got his team to the top of the league, but how plucky little Bolton had been bullied by nasty Arsenal.

Arsenal had returned from Bolton with Merida injured, and Diaby carrying a calf injury, over the two games the Trotters handed out more they got.

If Wenger moans

Just imagine if Wenger had complained after the match like Coyle, just imagine the reaction if Arsene accused Matt Taylor of assault - heaven forbid. Wenger would be called a bad loser, a whiner, over emotional, cracking up and so on. He would be told he is delusional. But hey who cares, we won and we are top of the league.

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Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Arsenal Times (IP Logged)

Date: 21/01/2010 21:34

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:01:23:13:16:36 by Padre Pio.

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)

Date: 21/01/2010 22:12

wish all our bogey teams were like Bolton, Arsenal have come from behind to win four times in three years, never lost at home to them and yet muppet jounos spout this bull about bogey team,

its also funny to see these same journos jump on the Gallas tackle as if nothing else happened in the game, its the talking point of the week that seen
nevill give a one finger salute to Tevez(sky finally got footage of it)
Tevez gave an interview where he called neville an ass licker and a few other choice insults,
plus in the same game Evra gets hit by an object thrown by the city fans(yes the same city fans who were so outraged at Arsenal fans throwing things onto the pitch)
and of course manu fans not to be outdone set off flares and also extra fans bluffed their way into the stadium,

but hey Arsenal not involved in that, oh almost forgot spuds flopped at pool and now have gone 66 away games since they beat a top four side,

Gallas should be getting thank you messages from city, utd, neville and twitchy

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)

Date: 21/01/2010 22:39

They probably bunged journos to make Gallas the big story

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The game is about Glory. It is about doing things in style with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom".
Danny Blanchflower

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Merlion96 (IP Logged)

Date: 22/01/2010 00:40

RETURN OF:

"DIRTY! DIRTY! ARSENAL!!!"....

Now, let's get oen better:

"ONE NIL TO ARSENAL!!" for the next 4 months!!!...

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)

Date: 22/01/2010 21:21

return of 2 nil down, four two up

---

The game is about Glory. It is about doing things in style with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom".
Danny Blanchflower

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Merlion96 (IP Logged)

Date: 23/01/2010 00:24

No...no....

Return of the Emirates' Gift.

Must remind the players that X'mas in England is over in December.

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Re: Arsenal Fans Shoot at Ambulance as Coyle Moans

Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)

Date: 23/01/2010 00:44

Indeed two games running Emrirates present

---

The game is about Glory. It is about doing things in style with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom".
Danny Blanchflower

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