by Unknown
I’ve had the opportunity to work with all of them for either my first paper, the Islington Gazette, the club’s programme or magazine, and then later the Daily Mirror. My path did not cross so much with Rioch but I was fortunate enough to have seen all the others at close hand; from my days as a young reporter covering the youth team with Rice and then later with his brief stint as caretaker boss. Houston remains charming, still does scouting work for the club and I see him about from time to time. He’s a nice man, has a great football brain and yet his time in charge after stepping up from being Graham’s assistant took a massive toll on him. Then, of course, there’s Wenger who, in my opinion, is the greatest manager the club has ever had and, taking resources into account, is the best manager in Premier League history thanks to his vision, methods and style of football. Fortunately, in a book for Arsenal fans you don’t have to defend that accolade too much, but I sincerely hope supporters do remember it amid the leanest spell of his 15 years in charge. It has been a genuine pleasure to cover Wenger and his Arsenal team. He is charming, warm and brilliant with the press. And, even more importantly, his teams play great football and have had great success. Wenger’s era came after some highs and lows with George Graham who, for a young reporter, could be a very intimidating figure. But Graham was great for me and I will always be grateful to him.
I first started covering Arsenal when I was a teenager on the Islington Gazette – a dream job for someone who grew up on the North Bank. Graham was also a dream. Long before the days of the new super hi-tech training ground at London Colney and Arsenal having a press officer, everything media-wise was done through George or his secretary, Sheila. Arsenal’s state-of-the-art training base these days is a world away from what London Colney used to be like. A pokey little hallway next to the treatment area, with the changing rooms to the left. It also used to be home to youth games and some reserve games. But that environment made someone like me feel incredibly close to the heart of the matter.
The great thing about George was that no reporters were allowed to the training ground – apart from me as the local paper reporter; the guy from ClubCall (remember that?) and I would often double up to do the programme, too. The occasional foreign reporter was allowed in to pander to Graham’s ego. He enjoyed the thought of being well regarded overseas. Graham would often complain (like many managers) that English papers wouldn’t want to talk tactics like the Italians. But if you enquired as to whether Anders Limpar (a luxury player in his eyes) could fit into the system that would quickly end any conversation. Graham was a successful player for Arsenal, a member of the 1971 Double winning side and remembered the Gazette when he came back as manager. That’s why he offered us special privileges. If I wanted to speak to a youth team player then George would have to give the green light before Pat Rice would let me. Pat was incredibly strict and protective, while the reserve team manager, George Armstrong, was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in football. I would stand in the doorway of the little ramshackle training ground, next to the medical room – if you could call it that – and grab the players as they came past. It’s a million miles from that now, but it allowed you to build up close working relationships with players and staff, some of who are still there now like chief scout Steve Rowley, and others who have moved on such as Steve Burtenshaw.
There were characters, too. Martin Keown always enjoyed some banter, Tony Adams, David Hillier, Ray Parlour and Stephen Hughes also spring to mind as characters from that period. But, in reality, it is Graham who stands out in my mind. He could be great company but incredibly sensitive about articles – to the point of pinning some things up in the dressing room to motivate players. He also had an fierce temper. Fortunately, I didn’t upset him too often, although one such occasion still springs to mind. One Sunday newspaper had made allegations about him accepting a bung and yet he still found the time a couple of days later to ring and complain about a story I did – about the youth team. Graham was very protective about his young players. At the time, Stephen Hughes was seen as the next big thing. Comparisons to Liam Brady had been made and this really upset George. That is probably why he reacted badly and rang to tear a strip off me for reporting that he had been given an unprecedented long-term professional contract. Quite amazing when you consider that he was in the eye of the storm about bungs, and that it also came at a time when the team and the club had been rocked by various scandals, including Paul Merson’s booze and drugs confession. It was after revelations about Merson that Graham went into lock-down mode. For the first time ever, I was turned away from the training ground. Bung scandals could be blowing up and yet George’s first concern would be about his players.
Waiting in marble halls for Rice and Armstrong was also an education. Pat Rice is deservedly an Arsenal legend, and his link between past glory, the history of the club, and the present is, in my opinion, priceless. Wenger has embraced Rice as a touch of British grit in a multi-cultural environment. Don’t knock it until you remember that he was at the heart of unique glory at the club; The Invincibles season, glorious football and trophy after trophy in the first part of Wenger’s reign. Rice has always had a drive and determination that made him get the most out of his talent as a player. You will also get very few niceties out of Rice. He’s a straight up and down football man whose first thought is football rather than PR. I often stood in those marble halls for an hour, an hour and a half, waiting for a couple of minutes to talk to Pat for the programme. You do it as a reporter. Forget press conferences. That happens at Premier League level. But those times spent in the marble halls meant you got talking to people. Youth team players, reserve players, directors, scouts and players who were to go on to become agents, pundits and writers when their playing careers did not work out. They were great times. There was a buzz when you saw a player develop. You formed little relationships and understandings. Now there’s a wave of former Arsenal players in the media like Ray Parlour, Paul Davis, David Hillier and Stewart Robson who I remember from 20 years ago. These days it’s so different. And it’s a shame that those relationships have been ebbed away.
It’s hard to imagine that there will be characters like George Armstrong at Arsenal again. After reserve games, he’d come out to the marble halls, summon me into the coaching room, talk football, introduce me to football people and make me feel comfortable with the likes of Steve Burtenshaw or Steve Rowley. People would come in from scouting missions while I was there. Not a word was ever spoken or written by me about the players. It was all about trust and they were terrific times. Then after being made to feel truly at home in the coach’s room, Geordie (as Armstrong was affectionately known) might offer me a lift home if I wasn’t driving. There are some nice people in the game. Funnily enough, I think of Sammy Lee in that way. I did a PR stunt with Umbro in 2004 ahead of the Euros. Lee took the session. Afterwards in the dressing room, he noticed a whacking great scar up my back from an operation. It was something of a conversation starter. Now, I’ll see him about on the circuit and he’s so genuine, a real character, a truly nice guy. That’s what George Armstrong was. If there’s anyone with a bad word about the late great Geordie then I’ve yet to meet them. That was the old Arsenal.
There was a brief period in between that and the Arsenal of today. Stewart Houston was unlucky enough to fill in for a brief stint with the first team. Houston’s spell came after George’s sad demise for the bungs scandal. Stewart oversaw a European campaign, a difficult end to a season and all the time maintained a great dignity. After all, George had been his boss. He took his programme notes far more seriously than any other manager at any level. I often did the programme notes with him. He wanted to think about his message to the fans, the message he wanted to get across and cared what they thought of him. Stewart is a man who deserves a lot of credit for the way he conducted himself at Arsenal.
Rice and Rioch had brief spells in charge. One of the great little known stories about Wenger is that he nearly got the job a year before
he arrived in 1996. David Dein championed Wenger, the board were reluctant to appoint a relative unknown Frenchman (‘Arsene Who?’ was the headline when he finally took over) and a year passed before he came in 1996. This happened during a spell I worked with an evening paper in Swindon to further my career as a journalist. It was good trying to get a back page lead every day out of a 30 second phone call to Steve McMahon. I like Steve and we have a laugh about those times now. He can’t believe I’ve gone from Swindon Evening Advertiser to Daily Mirror: I struggle to believe he’s not in the English game anymore. His passion was unquestionable and, despite some ups and downs, I like him and still run into him and some of his old players and staff. That’s the thing as a journalist; it can be chance meetings or contacts along the way that really help. Back in those early days I got to know David Dein. He was a fantastic servant for the club; I still admire him, and still regard him as a master fixer. From players to manager, he made some great deals for Arsenal. So it was a very happy coincidence that, back in 1998, as a freelance in some European outpost, I turned up again to cover an Arsenal pre-season friendly. Thankfully, David was there to make an introduction to me with Arsene Wenger. Not that it mattered or probably registered with Wenger, but it did with me.
Wenger remains a genius in my eyes. He treats everyone the same. He very rarely calls any journalist by their first name, although, I am assured, he knows who exactly the regulars are. Occasionally, very occasionally, he’s called me the magic word: John. Most notably at the Football Writers’ Association tribute night held in his honour (and people say that the media is on his back! We love him). I went up to the top table, congratulated him and asked him to sign my brochure for my wife. Sadly, she piped up it was for me which he found hilarious. For the past few years, I’ve covered Arsenal regularly. There have been ups and downs but the respect remains the same. If you see him in a lift or a car park at an international tournament, he will always stop, talk and make small talk. It’s never about who Arsenal should sign or so on. It’s about having a chat, him being a nice, down to earth man with charm and humour. While Arsenal’s Colney base was being refurbished a hotel near St Albans was his second home or office. On a couple of occasions, I ran into him there. He’d always engage, stop, chat and even share a drink. He’s warm, humorous and great company. For years, after his press conferences, we would have a separate chat with him in a private room. He’d talk French politics, holidays and life. Sadly, while us newspapers do get a separate chat with him, the room has gone. So has that intimacy. In my view, it’s a mistake. If you like someone, on whatever level, it’s harder to criticise. We still respect Wenger, but clever managers keep the press onside. We support him. Even to the point of The Times having a page two leader-column supporting Wenger recently. I still believe he’s the right man for the job. But Wenger does not like criticism even though he’s happy to debate. He cracks jokes; we crack jokes with him. I think he enjoys good repartee with us.
When he turned 60, I presented him with (what I thought anyway) an expensive bottle of wine from the regular Arsenal press troops. He was grateful, respectful and thankful. The sadness is to see him struggling. These have been difficult times. Sadly, he sees it as a problem driven by the media. I will always maintain that it’s not the media who are chanting on the terraces to spend some money. The good thing about Wenger is that you can have a chat about things. When he got upset about a headline last year, I spoke him after a press conference, tried to thrash out the problem. There’s no doubt that he’s trying to scale back on his press stuff. That’s a shame; Arsenal, for many years now, have been an example to most as to how to operate in the media; for player access, interviews and the manager. Not only did they get good coverage for their success, the media liked covering them. It shows. Honestly, every fan thinks the media has it in for their club. They remember the bad headlines, forget the good headlines and say the papers have it in for their team or manager. For every bad result and bad headline, under Wenger, there have been ten glowing write-ups and countless pull-outs and specials after title wins and successes. Try topping the Daily Mirror’s ‘Arsenal Win The World Cup’ in 1998! Wenger rarely gets upset, really upset anyway. One occasion springs to mind. Jose Mourinho accused Wenger of being a voyeur, having a telescope and looking over the fence in jealousy at Chelsea. One of my broadsheet colleagues pushed it and pushed it. “Do you have a telescope, Arsene?” “No, really do you?” Many have never seen him so angry.
The great thing about Wenger is that he will take any question. We don’t duck questions and he doesn’t duck answers. Anyone who stands on the steps of his new club to deny unfounded Internet rumours is clearly someone who will not shy away from an issue. From that day forward, Wenger made a point of limiting one-on-one interviews. He rarely gives them. But he will often joke that we have his number we can call him if necessary. Again, he’s always polite, respectful and friendly. The man oozes class, respect and manners. But things do upset him. Like the time a back page had him dressed as a tramp, when he said he wouldn’t go to Real Madrid even if he was on the street. But, again, I was happy to have a chat and he ended up laughing about it and we all moved on. He can have a furious temper. You see that in press conferences and behind the scenes sometimes.
Often on European trips you see each other at close quarters, in hotels or on the plane. But, in more than 20 years of covering the club, Wenger has provided more great times, highs and success than you could ever imagine. The Bank of England has become a very different place; Silent Stan, a chief executive with a background in the MLS, but more than anything else, a French manager. That is a departure from the Graham era and beyond. However, these have been great times and people will miss him when he eventually goes. Wenger has brought a touch of tradition, class and style to Arsenal that has only strengthened the club’s standing within the game. This achievement, together with great football and success, should never be forgotten.
***
John Cross is a football writer for the Daily Mirror. My Dad brought me up to be an Arsenal fan. Now I just get told: ‘I thought you were supposed to be an Arsenal fan’ whenever I have to report when they’ve lost. You can’t be both.
24 – A NEW ARSENAL: BUILT ON A BELL LANE DYNASTY - Nigel Brown
“What does this Frenchman know about football? He wears glasses and looks more like a schoolteacher. He’s not going to be as good as George Graham...can he even speak English properly?” said Tony Adams upon a certain Frenchman’s arrival, in his autobiography, ‘Addicted’.
There is a piece of video that perfectly depicts ‘The Arsenal’ ethos pre-Arsene Wenger. It is a bleak Monday morning on the 12th November 1990, and we have just been deducted two points following a mass brawl at Old Trafford, mainly thanks to nutty Nigel’s fisticuffs with Brian McClair and Dennis Irwin. Despite the handbags, we won the game 1-0 in what proved to be a defining moment in a season that culminated with the League title returning to Highbury.
Outside London Colney, the training ground Arsenal shared with University College London, the players gathered, summoned by George Graham following the news of the tribunal hearing. The backdrop is a tired old-people’s home of a training facility, a threadbare squad, the shortest Adidas shorts that would make even Kylie blush; topped off with a rousing speech from the Scot that centred on getting the fans on-side, creating a siege mentality, and proving the ‘Arsenal hating media’ wrong. This methodology was very much the Arsenal way. We worked hard, we were together; it was Arsenal against the world. While professional on the pitch; off the pitch there was a good old-fashioned British football culture that required George’s disciplined approach. From the Tuesday Club, eating competitions on the bus home (Merse was the king), and the staple pre-match fry up, it was a mix that created a unique team spirit, forging an ideology for the club’s players and fans alike.
The training ground actually belonged to UCL (University College of London), with Arsenal paying for the privilege of its backward facilit
ies since 1961. But we were not alone; the likes of Tony Adams, Perry Groves, Terry Neil, and Liam Brady trained alongside the students themselves. My sister, who attended the University during the early nineties, recalls the Arsenal boys, led by Merse, watching a university lacrosse match, chanting from the sidelines, egging on the young ladies.
The original site is now used by Watford FC, and has not changed a great deal. There is still a lack of security, with cars able to drive up to the training ground car park, while back when Arsenal were tenants it was even used as a venue for some inappropriate behaviour – though this time it had nothing to do with the players. Terry Neil recalls a car park tale from his autobiography. “I remember a large builder’s van parked in this curved entrance, then a small car (badly) parked just beyond it. Veering around both vehicles, I noticed the builder sat in his van, with a woman on his lap, their arms wrapped around each other, locked in an embrace. I mentioned it to the staff when I parked up, and apparently the driveway was sometimes used as a meeting place by locals needing some privacy with nowhere else they could safely meet.”
The facilities themselves left much to be desired for a club with a rich heritage like Arsenal. The dressing rooms were too cramped to fit the whole squad, with players having to spread to other changing rooms across the complex. The main pitch, exclusively used by Arsenal for ‘closed door’ friendlies, and the South East Counties youth team, was adjacent to some farmland, (which is now Watford’s main first team training pitch). Arsenal’s pitches, used by UCL during the week were clay-based, and a constant victim of poor drainage. Training was regularly moved to the indoor plastic pitch and gym behind the Clock End at Highbury when they had fallen foul of the English weather. Essentially the clay-based soil meant Arsenal’s training ground was more suitable for grazing sheep than a Championship winning side, so it isn’t surprising we adopted the long ball on occasion.