Have You Forgiven George Graham?

Kazza · Post by **Kazza** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:33 pm

For Anfield '89 alone, the man will always be a legend.

storrmin571 · Post by **storrmin571** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:42 pm

Forgiven not forgotten

Post by **flash gunner** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:03 pm

I can NEVER forgive GG.

He gave me my best moments following Arsenal in the days when i had just started work (1987) and had my own cash so followed us all over the country and then Europe but to then turn round and manage those bunch of cunts down the road is unforgivable even more so as he was a hero in my eyes. This is the managerial equivilent of Cashley who also gave us everything and loads of memories during his time with us but fucked us over....

I dont care about the bungs side of things as someone else said everyone was at it at the time but to be a legend as player and then manager and stab us in the back by joining and winning a trophy with those cunts is unforgiable. He was at Leeds and doing well and i wished him all the lcu kthere even though im not a fan of Leeds but had no grudge against GG there but at sp*rs

augie · Post by **augie** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:42 pm

GG is and always will be a legend and the best manager we have had in my lifetime

I will always believe that he got shafted purely cos he had assembled a shite team playing dire football and were sliding down the table and the bung was just a convenient excuse cos I do not for 1 minute believe that we would have sacked him if it all blew up in the 91/92 season after winning his 2nd league in 3 years

Just to echo what has already been said, it wasnt just the success that he brought to the club but it was the way he did it - the outside world hated us and the players and fans just fed off it and there was a real unity and bond between the players and fans. He never stopped drumming it into the players minds about how privileged they were to be playing for The Arsenal and they were made to dress accordingly and this tracksuits and headphones bullshit that we see now wouldnt have lasted a minute in his regime

Almunia is a clown · Post by **Almunia is a clown** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:41 pm

TeeCee wrote:No

Scammed the club and then almost got us relegated with the worst football in 30 years.

Think we have had many scammers at The Arsenal who have lined their pockets over the years

GG at least won trophies to justify his wads!!! Unlike the others

Herd · Post by **Herd** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:55 am

TeeCee wrote:No

Scammed the club and then almost got us relegated with the worst football in 30 years.

Tee Cee he wqas the fall guy for the club with the bungs ,Dein and Friar panicked,and Gerorge very nobely carried the can for what was a club effort.

It also didn't cost the club a penny as we were making loads of dosh at the time and if he hadn't taken it back in bribes the taxman would have got it !

Dein continued overpaying for players long after George had left ,Platt and Berkamp are fine examples !

TeeCee · Post by **TeeCee** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:27 am

Yeah I'm not bothered about the bungs to be honest but I can't forgive the shit he served up in the last couple of years or the fact he totally neglected youth football at the club. If he'd stayed another year there was a genuine chance he would have taken us down. A classic case of a manager being well past his sell by date........not much different to the current incumbent really.
He's a legend for what he did achieve....I was at Anfield on 'that' night, still the greatest moment ever!

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:52 am

Herd wrote:
DB10GOONER wrote:

I was drunk for a solid week in 89. Rang my old man, got an advance on wages and went on the piss with a couple Gooner mates. One of the greatest times of my life.

I never saw him take public joy in Arsenal losing the way O'Leary did either.
Did you go drinking with your gendarme mates from Paris then DB ???

Agree on the Oleary Leeds match entirely !

Ha. No, but I do have a mate that was one of the cops that beat the fuck out of the hooligan Combat 18 scum at Lansdowne in 1995. Probably the only time I ever wished I was a cop.

kiwomya · Post by **kiwomya** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:40 am

He was made a fool of by Spurs when they sacked him.

Article from back in 2001: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/art ... -coward.do

I don't really hold it against him anymore.

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:45 am

kiwomya wrote:He was made a fool of by Spurs when they sacked him.

Article from back in 2001: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/art ... -coward.do

I don't really hold it against him anymore.

Sugar...? Haha. Is there even one semi-intelligent person on this planet that would take seriously anything that 2nd rate arsehole says?

SPARKSY · Post by **SPARKSY** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:04 am

Forgive him for what??? The man is an Arsenal legend. Brought the club out of the doldrums with a very successful period for us. Not only the greatest night ive ever had supporting the Arsenal and one that will never be beaten ( i was one of the lucky ones sitting right behind that goal at Anfield) but he also managed the team to only one defeat all season when winning the league in 91 and a European trophy when we had no chance of winning it.
Was stitched up by the Arsenal board and probably went to Spurs to stick two fingers up to them.

Don't think he gets the recognition he deserves ( and lets not forget he was also part of the 71 double winning team) but nice to hear him get a good cheer Staurday.

SteveO 35 · Post by **SteveO 35** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:07 am

I'll always forgive GG because of what he achieved for the club. Having missed the first double, I grew up supporting Arsenal in an era when Liverpool mostly dominated, and where our football was mostly dire under Neill and Howe and where the top six and a cup final here and there was a decent season.

Anfield '89 and the 'one defeat' season of '91 were an amazing achievement, and in the early years the football we produced was fantastic to watch. It was a great time to be a Gooner.

The whole 'bung' episode capped off a truly miserable last couple of years under GG though but funny how time is a healer. The football from '94 onwards was as miserable as anything I'd seen that gone before but thankfully the famous back-line and Wrighty stopped it from being a complete disaster.

To be honest, I'll never understand how GG allowed himself to become such a stubborn bugger in those past couple of years. Who'd have thought it eh.....an Arsenal manager too stubborn to address the weaknesses of a side apparent to everyone else.

Anyway, yep, I've forgiven GG. I just wish that all the other 'bung' merchants like Ron Atkinson, Venables, Clough etc had been found out too

StuartL · Post by **StuartL** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:52 pm

SteveO 35 wrote:I'll always forgive GG because of what he achieved for the club. Having missed the first double, I grew up supporting Arsenal in an era when Liverpool mostly dominated, and where our football was mostly dire under Neill and Howe and where the top six and a cup final here and there was a decent season.

Anfield '89 and the 'one defeat' season of '91 were an amazing achievement, and in the early years the football we produced was fantastic to watch. It was a great time to be a Gooner.

The whole 'bung' episode capped off a truly miserable last couple of years under GG though but funny how time is a healer. The football from '94 onwards was as miserable as anything I'd seen that gone before but thankfully the famous back-line and Wrighty stopped it from being a complete disaster.

To be honest, I'll never understand how GG allowed himself to become such a stubborn bugger in those past couple of years. Who'd have thought it eh.....an Arsenal manager too stubborn to address the weaknesses of a side apparent to everyone else.

Anyway, yep, I've forgiven GG. I just wish that all the other 'bung' merchants like Ron Atkinson, Venables, Clough etc had been found out too

Steve has pretty much summed up my feelings too.

The George Graham era at Arsenal coincided with me being able to watch my team virtually every match as I had left school, got a job and what better than to spend my money on the Arsenal ?

Graham transformed us from a nearly team into a bunch of winners - and ones that never got the credit from a Liverpool loving press for achieving what they did (playing some great football and scoring loads of goals - we won the league on goals scored in 89)

the latter years were a bit dire but due to that it tarnished what he had achieved beforehand.

Met George a couple of times and shook his hand and thanked him for what he had done for us (once pre tott job, once post tott job) he is and always will be I believe an Arsenal man - he just fell out with the board for not backing him.

olgitgooner · Post by **olgitgooner** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:33 pm

I have no problem with him taking a bung. We all would.

He did, however, take bungs for signing substandard players. That's the bit that hurts.

On balance, there is not a lot to forgive.

As a player, our "Stroller" did his bit for Arsenal.

As a manager, he gave us our pride back.

He will always be an Arsenal man. Even though he came from chelsea and managed sp*rs.

Herd · Post by **Herd** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:51 am

![/quote]
Ha. No, but I do have a mate that was one of the cops that beat the fuck out of the hooligan Combat 18 scum at Lansdowne in 1995. Probably the only time I ever wished I was a cop.

[/quote]

Dont need to be a cop to smash the fuck out of C18 DB 10

Have You Forgiven George Graham?

STROLLER