Born and bred in North (West) London, I was always in the firing line from boys around the area.
They either supported Spurs or Arsenal while I was pretty much out there on my own as a Chelsea fan, well, apart from my brothers.
So when I’m asked why I enjoy watching Arsenal Fan TV when the Gunners lose, you need to understand the history.
They were always a better side than Chelsea and now the tables have spun around decades on, it’s my turn to stick it in a bit.
When the Blues weren’t playing, I used to go to White Hart Lane and Highbury.
I was lucky enough to watch the likes of Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa when they arrived at Tottenham and youngsters like David Rocastle and Paul Merson breaking into the Arsenal side.
Football was great in those days and I have fond memories, but it was also violent times and Chelsea was always the enemy.
LOVING THE BAD TIMES: Arsenal Fan TV complain
So the other night when I was watching these spoilt w***ers ranting to “Big Rob” following another crushing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, I felt a pleasurable throbbing at the base of my nutbag.
These kids, who have only ever known the flashing lights of the modern big bucks game, have no idea what supporting a team through thick and thin means.
The irony is, the worse your team is doing, the stronger you should back them.
But in today’s instant pouring of emotion on social media by “fans”, it’s quite easy for the sheep to get swept up in the crowd, adding words, memes and vlogs, in turn creating bigger problems for the teams they’re supposed to support.
Does “fan power” help?
Well, Arsenal still haven’t changed their coach, Hector Bellerin is speaking out publicly against Fan TV and Laurent Koscielny was apparently in tears in the dressing room haha, happy days!
Wenger in or Wenger out, most of my old mates can’t stand the embarrassment of fans kicking their own club when they’re down.
Wigan knocking Man City out of the FA Cup recently was an example of what football should be about.
Might be a k** season, but a big result out the blue makes it all worthwhile.
Some of my best times following Chelsea around the country was when we were in the (old) second division.
Obscure towns, long road trips to beaten-up tiny stadiums, ferocious support in their numbers, 90 minutes of noise.
Oh how times have changed.
Watching the Gunners getting smacked at the Emirates on Thursday, I was disgusted to see the stadium half empty.
What an absolute disgrace, epitomising the nature of the new breed of fans.
Saying all that, Chelsea’s loss at City on Sunday was humiliating.
I totally get Antonio Conte’s game plan, two lines of blue in front of the box, sit tight and wait for a chance to break. At 0-0 with 15 or 20 to go, bring on a striker.
But FFS, that wasn’t parking a bus, that was lining up two brigades of tanks.
Whatever happened to the famed Chelsea press? We deserved to lose that game and with it a mountain to climb for a top-four finish.
LINED UP TWO BRIGADES OF TANKS: Antonio Conte
Surely, Conte should have changed the game plan at 1-0 down?
Anyway, we’ll probably win the Champions League, so nothing to worry about.
Well, maybe a player like Eden Hazard feeling like he’s wasting his career at the club?
As for my beloved Gooners, I’ve always backed Arsene Wenger, but can anyone explain how he still has a job this week?