Written by Ilch Saturday, 20 March 2010 14:54

GunnerTalk Blog

By Ilch

Arsenal v West Ham – kick off 5.30 – we need 3 points – end of the season is approaching and we have to win ALL our games and hope that somewhere along the line Man U and Chelsea cock up!! Why do I know all this ….. Just like thousands of women around the world I am a Football Widow!!

This is a typical Arsenal day – the day starts with excitement and debate …. Lots of heated debate amongst the male species in my family – namely a husband and 2 sons!! Sometimes these heated debates/discussions/theories/concerns spills over to friends of sons/family and even neighbours!! Let us not forget that they also have to watch all the live games today and listen to results of games not aired on TV today! Well come on now that adds to the excitement and intensity does it not?

If you are still in any doubt of the magnitude of their devotion and love for football then I will let you into a little secret ….. The only reason why we have 42 inch plasma on our living room wall is because of the last world cup! How could I possibly ever think that my boys could watch the world cup on a normal size TV – Impossible! Unthinkable!

When it comes to Arsenal our lives are actually put on hold – My living room becomes the sports haven – many a time I have purposely positioned the coffee table (which is usually in the middle of the room) away from the seating area – just in case! All it takes is a goal from Arsenal to have my boys (bless them) jumping up and down – hugging – high fives flying all over the place – they have even been known to run round the living room – No! I do not live in a mansion – it is in fact a terraced house with not much space to “run around” but they still manage to do it!!!

Then of course we have the Referees decisions – From what I can gather and this is solely from what I hear from my boys - is that some of these referees actually:

1. Don’t want Arsenal to win
2. Need to wear glasses
3. Are Morons
4. Can’t communicate with the linesmen

Oh we can actually on a bad day dedicate the list above to Linesmen too!!!

My daughter and I have on occasions sat in the sports haven, namely my living room, to watch Arsenal and support our men!! However, recently we have been less inclined to participate in their passion! When you get accused of jinxing the game because you have swapped seats – or not wearing the “lucky” Arsenal Socks – you finish off the game blaming yourself if the right result was not achieved!!!

Needless to say we got rather pissed off at being the reason why Arsenal lose or draw!! We now find other ways of amusing ourselves – we don’t actually have to be in the same room to know what the result is!! Just from sound effects coming from all three men – all at the same time – in unification - like a little chorus we usually know whether it is safe to come down or not!!!

I have to say we enjoy Sunday games the most – we have purchased many items on an Arsenal Sunday game day – retail therapy!!!!

Oh and if is a mid week game – usually my daughter does my nails – don’t tell the boys but on the few nights we have “done my nails” Arsenal have won – maybe that is it – I just need to change my nail colour on every mid week game!!!!

Oh my God!!! I am doing it with no provocation from the men – I am actually making myself believe that my actions or rather changing the colour of my nail varnish will change the course of the game!!!!!!!