As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
LDB wrote:Most people associate it with Rocky but then I remember being told by a few people that the quote was mythically attributed to him after his death.
Yeah same here. A bit of research has turned up some comedy gold though.
Serious stuff first - Tony Adams attributes it to coach Steve Burtenshaw.
Adams warning in Apr 2007 that selling key personnel etc indicates we're on the wrong track and he worries for Arsenal. Despite worries coming to fruition he's still peddling the same 'be careful what you wish for'. Also link at the top to 2007 new story "Hill-Wood's taunt stuns Kroenke". That lasted long.
An article on Pravda asking individuals to describe what Arsenal means to them. Keown mentions the quote as a general mentality drummed into players but doesn't attribute it to an individual. Other humorous contributions about how much Arsenal means from Alex Song, Abou Diaby, Robin van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and Yossi Benayoun amongst others
OK well hear is my take on it for what ever it is worth .
I believe the first manager in my lifetime to utter the words was Bertie Mee way back in the 60's ,and it might be where George Graham got it from when If I'm not wrong ,he included it in his speech prior to Anfield 1989 .
Nor surprising to hear that it was mentioned by Steve Burtenshaw as I'm sure it was and is a club thing .
For all I know it could go back further because there are similar quotes from Military men stretching way back !
One person who may have repeated but certainly never invented the phrase ,it was Good old Rocky, but as some have said it has been attributed to him and has stuck like Glue .
Goes to show that modern History is shaped by Google and Wiki pedia !
To be fair, although it is now associated with him, Rocky never claimed it was his saying originally and I'm certain I read something in the past where he acknowledged that it was something that was drummed into him when he was a young Arsenal player. Therefore it is likely that, as Herd suggests, it probably stemmed from the Bertie Mee Era (remembering that Mee was a former military man and may have picked it up from his time in the forces), which G.G. picked up on and used with his Arsenal squads.
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