AST - Perks of the job

[OneBardGooner]

Where's Flash and the rosy garden...

rosey gardens need a lot of horse shyte....

[flash gunner]

This santipoldi fella's quite frank really isn't he.

Deffo

[Number 5]

Just saw on Twitter that LittleDutch (TIm Stillman of the AST) has been invited by Arsenal FC to sit in a box at tomorrrow's game. I see he is also followed by Mark Gonella (Arsenal's Communications Director). It proves to me that the AST are controlled by the Club. Look at this from Tim Payton (Spokesman for the AST) to our very own Gooner Twitter Account yesterday..

tim payton‏@timpayton

@GoonerFanzine yep, it's certainly a roller coaster, my tip is don't invest too much in players and accept our new status & all will be well.

So basically the AST have given up on challenging our Club to compete for titles. We should "accept our new status & all will be well."

Fucking hell, they're Blue Lanterns.

http://greenlantern.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Lantern_Corps

Bit obscure, but I liked it.

[REB]

which is why everyone who cares about the game should join the BSM , lets have a voice that can be heard.

[SantaPoldi]

On further investigation it seems that the Arsenal invited a whole box of AST members to a box for Sunderland at home. Including certain AST board members. It can no longer be in doubt that the Club have "brought them inside". The AST are a joke. Some of the tweets in the last few days from Phil Wall (Finance Man) and Tim Payton (Spokesman) are supporting us selling our best players for profit. The BSM must become the number one fan pressure group.

[Red Member]

looks like I will have to join the BSM then if they are going to be number 1.
when are they having protests?

[SantaPoldi]

looks like I will have to join the BSM then if they are going to be number 1.
when are they having protests?

Once the transfer window shuts apparently. Depends on what business we do or don't do.

[Red Member]

ok I will have to keep a look out then.
the BSM is possibly a glimmer of hope for the club.

[HashKads]

On further investigation it seems that the Arsenal invited a whole box of AST members to a box for Sunderland at home. Including certain AST board members. It can no longer be in doubt that the Club have "brought them inside". The AST are a joke. Some of the tweets in the last few days from Phil Wall (Finance Man) and Tim Payton (Spokesman) are supporting us selling our best players for profit. The BSM must become the number one fan pressure group.

Did they give a reason for why they were invited into the box?

[SantaPoldi]

On further investigation it seems that the Arsenal invited a whole box of AST members to a box for Sunderland at home. Including certain AST board members. It can no longer be in doubt that the Club have "brought them inside". The AST are a joke. Some of the tweets in the last few days from Phil Wall (Finance Man) and Tim Payton (Spokesman) are supporting us selling our best players for profit. The BSM must become the number one fan pressure group.

Did they give a reason for why they were invited into the box?

"Recognising our support on and off the pitch." In other words toeing the party line and encouraging others to do the same.

[flash gunner]

To be fair to AST they dont make a secret of their thoughts so its a case of join and support them or dont, i dont see the point of going on about it on here.... BSM seem to be more militant but they havent done much either yet barring the march at the end of the 2011 season.

[T.S]

Just saw on Twitter that LittleDutch (TIm Stillman of the AST) has been invited by Arsenal FC to sit in a box at tomorrrow's game. I see he is also followed by Mark Gonella (Arsenal's Communications Director). It proves to me that the AST are controlled by the Club. Look at this from Tim Payton (Spokesman for the AST) to our very own Gooner Twitter Account yesterday..

tim payton‏@timpayton

@GoonerFanzine yep, it's certainly a roller coaster, my tip is don't invest too much in players and accept our new status & all will be well.

So basically the AST have given up on challenging our Club to compete for titles. We should "accept our new status & all will be well."

What's your Twitter handle, mate?

[SantaPoldi]

Just saw on Twitter that LittleDutch (TIm Stillman of the AST) has been invited by Arsenal FC to sit in a box at tomorrrow's game. I see he is also followed by Mark Gonella (Arsenal's Communications Director). It proves to me that the AST are controlled by the Club. Look at this from Tim Payton (Spokesman for the AST) to our very own Gooner Twitter Account yesterday..

tim payton‏@timpayton

@GoonerFanzine yep, it's certainly a roller coaster, my tip is don't invest too much in players and accept our new status & all will be well.

So basically the AST have given up on challenging our Club to compete for titles. We should "accept our new status & all will be well."

What's your Twitter handle, mate?

@iagunner

[franksav63]

I also don't believe their survey results either..

[Little Dutch]

Howdy. I thought there were some things I should clear up about the old box invitation via the club for the Sunderland game. I wasn't invited because of my membership of the AST. I was invited in my capacity as a blogger, hence the e mail that came to me from the club also went to other bloggers. And that's dandy with me, I'm not a politician and I'm not looking to be one either. I'm unclear on what position it is some of you think I "hold" with the AST, I'm a member. I turn up at the meetings and that's about it.

I've explained many times and I'll repeat it here, my membership is borne of my own curiosity mainly. Finding out a bit more about what goes on at the club, particularly with the financials. In turn, that helps me out with the blogging, gives me a bit more material, helps me to be a bit better informed and broaden my thinking about what goes on with the club. Being exposed to lots of different opinions and ways of thinking. Football writing means 1,000,000 times more to me than being thought of as any kind of politician or activist. I'm not and I never said I wanted to be. I'm sure that will draw an opening slew of insults in response, but sh*t the bed, you know sometimes some people in life think a bit differently to you. Shocking I know.

So I'm a bit confused as to why so many of you want to criticise me for not carrying out your work? If you want to take the club down from the inside or whatever else, cool, do it. Why do you rage at me for not doing it for you? Why just sit on computers behind anonymous aliases, tossing insults at people? Why not join up and get what you want on the agenda, or else just carry out the work you want to see done yourself? I really don't get it. It's a bit like raging at the Green Party for not getting tough on immigration.

Some points of correction in closing too in response to this and other threads. I've no intention of speaking for Tim Payton because he can do that for himself, but he's been a season ticket holder since 1983. If you actually talk to the guy, he's not exactly Arsene Wenger's number 1 fan. This is my 21st year as a season ticket holder. That's 3/4 of my life. I've been going to every away game for over ten years, that's over a third of my life. And I do very much remember Copenhagen 94 thank you. I was there. I'm not as old as many of you, it's true. But I don't have to answer to anyone about my "credentials." Arsenal has been in my family since before the first world war.

You also don't all have to assume that everyone's opinions fit rigidly into "Arsene Knows" or "Arsene Out." Some people are capable of being nuanced and flexible in their thinking. Not necessarily wanting him shot in Dial Square doesn't mean I regard him as an infallible deity. Far from it. At this stage, I don't really think he should be sacked (yet), but I'm not convinced I'd give him another contract after this one either. With Gazidis, personally I think the 2014 is the ultimate judgement point for him, but I haven't really made my mind up on him yet. Just my personal viewpoint, I hold no beef with anyone that thinks differently. I don't and have never deigned to speak for anyone other than myself. Dividing people's opinions so rigidly across certain lines does any discussion a disservice, it does you a disservice too because it prevents you from digesting any kind of point. Basically, there's some shit the club does well, there's some shit the club does not so well. Not everyone is an extremist.

The bottom line is that if there is one thing I really am sick and tired of, it's Arsenal fans trying to fight each other and cause divisions. I know most of you are as hardcore as they come and love the club dearly and want what's best for it. That's what I want too. We might disagree on how that should happen (though probably not as radically as some of you have allowed yourselves to believe based on this caricature you've built up of me). But fuck it, you're entitled to think whatever you want and I'm entitled to the same. That's life, like I said, people have different opinions sometimes. Hopefully they can express them without being misquoted or insulted.

You don't have to like me, I don't give much of a shit whether you do or not. If you think I'm a prick, cool, that's up to you. I would appreciate it if, as happened on another thread, my missus wasn't insulted. I'm not sure how that's constructive but it is bang out of order because she's never said or done a thing to any of you. I totally recognise, having read it back, that I came off as a bit of a knob on the "ArsenalFCnotPlc" thread on Vital Arsenal. I stand by the questions and criticisms I raised, but see in retrospect I could have raised them in a much more cordial manner. So you have my apologies, not for what I said, but certainly how I said it. But balls to it, if you want to keep coating me off from this point, be my guest. I've said my piece now. I recognise I put my opinions out there and taking the flack is all part of it, which I accept. But do leave my loved ones out of it if you would be so kind and hopefully I've been able to correct some of your misconceptions. UTA.