The Arsenal vs Newcastle United Pre-During-Post Matchday Thread [R]

When: Saturday December 29th, 2012
Where: Ashburton Grove
Time: 5:30 local (12:20 Eastern)
TV: ESPN (UK) Fox Soccer (USA)

Let the good times roll! Get a look at our new striker (who could swap dressing rooms after this weekend).

Lets go!!! Top-tier clock-end seats!!!!!

I'll be at this one, so you can all blame me if things go bad.

Also, ******** whatever TfL union does this every year on Boxing Day. Actually, just ******** every transport union in the entire world.

Well, we should thank them then.

KILL!!!!

can't say I really understand postponing games because the "transport union" might go on strike. The players can't get to the stadium??? I bet they can just fine. Play the damn game, broadcast it and ******** the transport union!!!!

You have never lived in the city before have you. Driving in London is a nightmare as there is almost no parking. Yes there are buses, but they won't be able to cope with 60,000 people. Add to the fact the tube is what 90% of fans traveling to the game use(including away fans).

Don't bitch when any of game(doesn't matter the league) you go to gets postponed.

Oh and this is a bit mild compared to what a few others will say to you.

Yeah, that would be an absolute nightmare. There really was no option but to delay.

AMEN! Funny how fans complain about TV Rights dictating the schedule, and clubs not caring about fans...and then suddenly, somebody says to go ahead and play the game, and just show the thing on TV.

I live in Seoul, and if the subway were to ever stop working, myself and just about the entire city would be fcuked.

about a week ago that idiot adrian durham on talksport radio branded the club "pathetic" and a "disgrace" and "wanting a winter break" for postponing this match, but if buses, which are running a sunday service today, can't carry 60,000 extra on certain selected routes (especially since they've used extra buses in central london instead) where exactly were people to park? there's no parking on a matchday within half to 3/4ers of a mile of the ground unless you live there (and that's not the club's fault. that was a stipulation in the planning for the ground).
here's a map of restricted areas: http://www.islington.gov.uk/publicr...Maps/2011-2012/(2012-03-03)-Match-Day-Map.pdf

Agree. I tried parking once around two years ago. Never again..... I had to park closer to White Hart Lane practically!

In a selfish way, I'm glad there's no match today; I have three days of training starting right about now and I wouldn't be able to keep up anyway. Still, it sucks for the home fans much worse, obviously. Fuck Bob Crow.

why? for trying to get the same pensions and benefits other transport for london employees get?

Should be a cracker of a game and a good test for us. I think Verm and Per are pairing up nicely over the last couple of games. Our captain needs a cool head next to him to keep him grounded. If they ply with two strikers then we will give them fits. Hope we can get three points out of this one.

After a crushing defeat at United (as much as I despise Ferguson and United, generally, I don't know how you can't love Chicharito), Newcastle is ripe for another letdown at our place.

2-1 to the good guys.

This is just the tube line right? Not Britrail or whatever? So people can still get into Central London with no problme?

Anyway, they did us a favor, but man I'm missing my Boxing day footy. Honestly, I find the whole thing amusing. "Hey, we're are being treated unfairly, let's strike on a holiday...that'll teach 'em!" Jesus, have some balls and strike during rush hour every day for a week if you want to be heard. As for getting to the game, I know it would be a royal pain in the ass but surely a combination of walking, biking, driving/parking and bus would do the trick for the dedicated fans...maybe take an extra hr or two. I used to walk 3-4 miles home from the pubs when the trains had shut down and I couldn't find a cab or didn't want to pay $30 for one.

All that said, I hope we just take advantage of the rest, get the full 3 points and the reschedule doesn't hurt us.

there were no overground trains and some very limited tube trains afaik.
and it's all very well saying "sure just take longer, walk/cycle or take a bus, but 1) it was pissing down all day where i am and i guess it was similar in london. 2) imagine a 55yo man taking a couple of sub 10yo grandkids, or someone with some health difficulties 3) buses were on a sunday timetable, so less of them than normal 4)some january sales started today, so combined with everything else there would be more extra traffic/more passengers in and out of central london.

i love that we delayed the game.
1) it pisses Durham off
2) gives our boys added rest
3) gives the fans an ample opportunity to actually get to the game (in January)

Now lets get this Ba deal done so he will have the odd stat of scoring against a team he signs for 1 week later.

Fair enough, I'd just be really annoyed if I had planned to go to London in the winter to watch footy only to have it canceled for some BS like a transit strike. Fulham and QPR played at home today without a problem and if this report is to be believed, foot traffic in the shops was up 30% over last year so a stupid tube strike didn't keep people away from the shops, don't see why it would have done for our stadium.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8e56b528-4f5a-11e2-a744-00144feab49a.html#axzz2GCpidJF7

how is a strike bs? are u a train driver in london? sometimes strikes are the only answer, just a shame it has impacted on our game but these people are doing it for a reason! this conservative government is enjoying taking peoples pensions and money off them

I meant canceling footy b/c of a strike is BS, not that workers shouldn't be striking...that's between them and their employer. I didn't mean for it to sound political and I hope my comment doesn't start any political arguments--a real possibility since we have no footy and no xfer news to fuss about

Too late. This is all your fault.

btw, i'm a big fan of boxing day football (bring back derby matches over the xmas hols!), but, if anyone missed it, the qpr v wba game was delayed by 15 mins yesterday. why? the wba bus got stuck in the sales traffic, and there's no way they left it to the last minute.

Newcastle start climbing the table as soon as Ba leaves.

Pardew's been playing Cisse, a no.9, as a winger. When he's back in center, they should do better.