Have you ever heard of him?
I had not until this morning when I read in the Blackburn home programme about him being a Polish goalkeeper who has just broken into the Arsenal under - 18 team.
My son Liam, a registered junior gooner - no guesses after whom he was named - is aged 13, is half Polish, speaks Polish fluently (he is probably one of the few gooners who can pronounce the name properly) and loves playing in goal - it his favourite position.
So, i think to myself would it not be fun for him to meet a Polish goalkeeper playing for the mighty Arsenal. My wife, his mother is Polish and we visit Poland several times a year and I think would not that be something to tell his Polish cousins - football fanatics - all about.
So I write about this to Junior Gunners and get a prompt response that the club is inundated with such requests and would be impossible to arrange.
I pointed out that Iwas talking about a player that ,with all due respect to him,nobody has heard of,not Thierry Henry.
To arrange a meeting is surely not beyond the wit of mankind or even arsenal football club.
Am I right to feel pissed off at what appears to be yet another example of an arrogant all too rich football club demonstrating its contempt for its supporters so long as the money is rolling in or am I being too harsh?
WOJCIECH SZCZESNY
I understand what you mean about being pissed off, but what I think the club is probably getting at is that they have so many requests for so many players, regardless of their stature within the club, so they have to deal with all of the same in the same way.
We are not a small club and shouldnt think like a small club. You wouldnt imagine this happen at Manure or Madrid etc and we should consider ourselves on a par with them. It is the downside of being successful that you become more in demand and have to say no eventually.
There are numerous examples of this I am sure but I would rather we were successful and unfortunately a little aloof as opposed to being small, not successful and have the ability to deal with all fans requests as we have so few.
It's a shame for your boy but lets hope he becomes a future Arsenal keeper and has so many of these requests that he cant fulfil them too!!
We are not a small club and shouldnt think like a small club. You wouldnt imagine this happen at Manure or Madrid etc and we should consider ourselves on a par with them. It is the downside of being successful that you become more in demand and have to say no eventually.
There are numerous examples of this I am sure but I would rather we were successful and unfortunately a little aloof as opposed to being small, not successful and have the ability to deal with all fans requests as we have so few.
It's a shame for your boy but lets hope he becomes a future Arsenal keeper and has so many of these requests that he cant fulfil them too!!
You make good points but I take you up about your comment that Arsenal is not a small club.Certainly until recent times they have had a small club mentality lagging behind the likes of Manure in so far as developing sources of revenue.
But even with my son the club is missing a small trick. There are about 1,000,000 Poles living/working in UK. there is a growing interest in the Premiership in Poland with one channel seemingly showing delayed transmission of every Arsenal league game.
I doubt many Poles are aware we have Polish goalkeeper on our books but they would do if meeting I proposed was arranged because its the kind of little story that would attract the attention of the Polish media both in this country and in Poland. Publicity leads to heightened club awareness which leads to enhanced chances of increasing support in another nation. Irepeat there are 1 million Poles in this country alone and Ican tell you the majority of the men love football and if they follow an English club it would almost certainly be one with a Polish player.
Poles admire our football and would think good of a club that arranged for a kid who is half Polish to meet their Polish goalkeeper. Free publicity at no cost and a potential huge untapped market to exploit - now that is big club mentality.
But even with my son the club is missing a small trick. There are about 1,000,000 Poles living/working in UK. there is a growing interest in the Premiership in Poland with one channel seemingly showing delayed transmission of every Arsenal league game.
I doubt many Poles are aware we have Polish goalkeeper on our books but they would do if meeting I proposed was arranged because its the kind of little story that would attract the attention of the Polish media both in this country and in Poland. Publicity leads to heightened club awareness which leads to enhanced chances of increasing support in another nation. Irepeat there are 1 million Poles in this country alone and Ican tell you the majority of the men love football and if they follow an English club it would almost certainly be one with a Polish player.
Poles admire our football and would think good of a club that arranged for a kid who is half Polish to meet their Polish goalkeeper. Free publicity at no cost and a potential huge untapped market to exploit - now that is big club mentality.
To say the truth the only reason I know of that player is because he is in football Manager 2007 -the video game- i understand your disappontiment but maybe asking for a direct meeting was a bit much , for reasons already exposed earlier, Had your son writtent a letter in polish directly adressed to that player, he might have gotten a different answer...that is my point of view anyway.
I know the club have had a small club mentality previously and i understand about the huge untapped market in Poland and with Polish people in the UK, but one meeting with your son wouldnt necessarily put us on the map in Poland. If people in Poland havent heard of us already then where have they been?
We are a big club now, perhaps when we were at THOF we couldnt be as big as we would have liked but now at The Grove the world is our lobster.
As a side point, watching the highlights of the Manure game, during the post match analysis I looked behind Richard 'wolf man' Keys to the emptystadium in the background and you could almost be looking at the post match analysis of an FA Cup Final or a World Cup Final. When I am there I am always overwhelmed but on sunday I got a perspective from fans sitting at home and it is just great to imagine the likes of Chelski and Spuds fans looking on TV at the stadium and thinking 'if only' . And the beauty of it all, IT'S FUCKING OURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are a big club now, perhaps when we were at THOF we couldnt be as big as we would have liked but now at The Grove the world is our lobster.
As a side point, watching the highlights of the Manure game, during the post match analysis I looked behind Richard 'wolf man' Keys to the emptystadium in the background and you could almost be looking at the post match analysis of an FA Cup Final or a World Cup Final. When I am there I am always overwhelmed but on sunday I got a perspective from fans sitting at home and it is just great to imagine the likes of Chelski and Spuds fans looking on TV at the stadium and thinking 'if only' . And the beauty of it all, IT'S FUCKING OURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOTREK - Thank you. I was going to send moaning letter to Messrs. Dein & Edelman - sometimes works - eg Charlton ticket fiasco - but you are right. Iwill send the letter but accompanied by nice letter in Polish by Liam.If that does not work nothing will.
What grates as much as anything is the abrubt negative reply by some could not care a toss jobsworth identifying herself as Elaine as if I or anyone else should know who the bloody hell is she.
And Iam not suggesting one meeting is going to trigger off mass support in Poland but from little acorns etcetc. besides small club, big club what Iwas asking takes no real effort.
Anyway soon be time to head of to the toilet called white shite lane.
What grates as much as anything is the abrubt negative reply by some could not care a toss jobsworth identifying herself as Elaine as if I or anyone else should know who the bloody hell is she.
And Iam not suggesting one meeting is going to trigger off mass support in Poland but from little acorns etcetc. besides small club, big club what Iwas asking takes no real effort.
Anyway soon be time to head of to the toilet called white shite lane.
Out of experience, I work for a very big company, if you write directly to the top man, Human ressources director and the like, in a way you know only he will get it directly you are sure to get a direct answer. It is true when applying for a job and it is also true when trying to get in touch with a particular person.
Bywriting in Polish, you will do something special, touching and be sure to get an ansxwer from that young gunner rather than some assistant.
Give it a try , I have apporached the emirates staff on a query myself and got a positive answer ...I'll tell you more about it when I get solid proof it was answered positively.
UIn case you wonder no, I didn't ask to meet Thierry Henry or Le Boss.. it is something much less ambitious, yet pleasing. But I'll give you a report on it as soon as I receive it.
Bywriting in Polish, you will do something special, touching and be sure to get an ansxwer from that young gunner rather than some assistant.
Give it a try , I have apporached the emirates staff on a query myself and got a positive answer ...I'll tell you more about it when I get solid proof it was answered positively.
UIn case you wonder no, I didn't ask to meet Thierry Henry or Le Boss.. it is something much less ambitious, yet pleasing. But I'll give you a report on it as soon as I receive it.
-
lisa_gooner
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 12:44 pm
- Location: ex-pat in Sydney, Australia
i quote fom email today from Sue Campbell- membership and travel manager
" regarding your messages on the online gooner,we believe that these are inappropriate,unwarranted and insulting. If we here of any further similar messages we will have no alternative to take further action".
fantastic isn`t it. been going 40 years ,even had wedding reception at highbury and now being threatened because of mild pop at member of staff. am starting seperate thread headed big brother or should it be big mother is watching over you.
" regarding your messages on the online gooner,we believe that these are inappropriate,unwarranted and insulting. If we here of any further similar messages we will have no alternative to take further action".
fantastic isn`t it. been going 40 years ,even had wedding reception at highbury and now being threatened because of mild pop at member of staff. am starting seperate thread headed big brother or should it be big mother is watching over you.
My two pence
I can understand your frustration and perhaps a standard reposnse was a bit harsh but from Arsenal's poitn of view you have to ask the question of where do they draw the line? When is a player too famous, talented or popular to no longer do one on one meetings? when they play the first reserve game? 10 under 18 caps? you get the idea. Yes it is sad and yes its what we have to put up with supporting such a great and successful team but i guess its fairer to say no to everyone if they don't have the resources to answer letters more individually. Now whether they should have those resources considering how much money is floating around and how the club wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for the fans is another matter.
My personal suggestion would be go to a reserve game around the time of the carling cup final as mr poom and mr almunia will be there playing and mr lehmann will be sat in the stands and so our Polish friend could be playing or should be on the bench at least and its pertty easy talking to the players at Barnet especially as you'll be the only one asking him something in Polish
My personal suggestion would be go to a reserve game around the time of the carling cup final as mr poom and mr almunia will be there playing and mr lehmann will be sat in the stands and so our Polish friend could be playing or should be on the bench at least and its pertty easy talking to the players at Barnet especially as you'll be the only one asking him something in Polish
