The Long Hard Summer is Nearing Its End
Champions
By BlueBlood
July 26 2005
The start of the season is almost upon us. The work banter and mickey taking is slowly buiilding up to the big kick off which for the BIG three (Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man Utd - the latter two in no particular order) is in just over two and half weeks time.
Of course before that there is a small matter of the Community Shield at Cardiff - Chelsea v Arsenal in case you didn't know. Amongst the clubs represented where I work are, Chelsea (me and dont call me a pothunter LOL) Man Utd (1), Arsenal (1) and the rest of those who follow football which isn't an awful lot (which I found surprising) are Crystal Palace, Charlton, Millwall and I believe there is a Newcastle fan too. The company I work for must employ in excess of fifty people, and I reckon less than 40% follow or like football in any shape or form. For the majority of my working life (erhem 30 years plus) I haven't worked anyway where football hasn't been the dominant subject of chat, talk, discussion, merriment and abuse. I can't quite work out whether this atmosphere or lack of atmosphere will be a good thing or a bad thing. 'Cos it seems at the moment there is only going to be me and two others ripping the **** out of each other on most matchdays of the season. And of course it will be Chelsea v Arsenal twice in the space of two weeks, Community Shield first and the Premier League game at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's last game against Arsenal at Cardiff was in the FA Cup final where Sky Sports' Tim Lovejoy famous phase was born. 'Don't Worry It's Only Ray Parlour.' Laugh now, but it was no laughing matter at the time and as every diehard Chelsea fan knows (not the plastic ones of course) beating Arsenal in the league has become more difficult to achieve as it's become easy to beat their North London neighbours Tottenham, anywhere - however with Tottenham's triumph in the Peace Cup recently they have suddenly become a dominant force LOL. I welcome any banter, any p***take at anytime - as long as it is kept in the context as it is meant - Come to the message board and post your views, but keep it clean. Whoever you support, whoever you follow may your team not suffer the fate of relegation. Have a great 2005/06.