january 15th
11.55 – It’s funny. When Dennis Bergkamp was sent off last season against Liverpool, Arsenal could not appeal because you’re not allowed to appeal when a player is sent off for ‘violent conduct’. However, not only were Chelsea allowed appeal Carlo Cuducini’s sending off, but having reviewed video evidence (which the FA say they only do when the referee has not seen an incident, and Mark Halsey most definitely saw this incident), the Italian’s 3 match ban was quashed but the red card was not rescinded. Not only that, the dismissal will not count against Cudicini if he is sent off again, meaning he would not face an additional one-match ban for a second red card of the season. Work that one out.
Now, having received no booking or caution from referee Paul Durkin, having committed no act of ‘violent conduct’, Ashley Cole received a 2 match ban for swearing. He now misses the FA Cup game against Farnborough and the West Ham game. Quite how they can still justify banning a player, a grown man, for swearing is just ridiculous. We’re not living in Victorian times. People swear all the time. I fuckin well swear like a cunt all the time. And in work too. I don’t get suspended. Quite frankly it’s a load of shit.
Chris over on Arsenal-World makes the same point, and has handily included the section from the FA rulebook which shows exactly why the FA are making complete twats of themselves. Also, have a look at this message board thread (thanks to Tom).
Now, back in September, Thierry Henry was warned by the FA not to display messages on his T-shirt after he scored a goal. With his 100th goal coming up for Arsenal, he asked for and was refused permission by the FA to display a message on his T-shirt to celebrate this milestone. He said “I would have loved to have raised my shirt to show ‘100 goals’. I have done this before and it is a nice way of celebrating. It would have been nice to go over with the fans, with Dennis Bergkamp who has also scored 100 goals, and both raise our shirts.”
So, I was just wondering why the FA didn’t do anything about James Beattie revealing a T-shirt with a message on it last week? I think it’s quite possible that the FA are a bunch of making it up as they go along, one rule for one club, one rule for another, inconsisent, crack whore loving wankers. I could be wrong though.
Alex Manninger has joined Torino, and he faces another relegation scrap with the Turin side 2nd from bottom in Serie A. Last season, despite good performances from Alex, Fiorentina were relegated. He then went to Espanyol who let him go without paying Arsenal and he’s been in limbo ever since. I hope it goes well for him out there. Good luck you floppy haired Austrian.
Finally for today, two things. Firstly, check out the Drunken Rant. It’s by an Irish man, so you can be sure he’ll get a drunk a lot and do embarassing things all the time. And he’s a Gooner too. Secondly, if you could all just click on this link to Laugh FC – they do a league table of referrers every week and Arseblog is languishing behind Fans FC (you know that site where they have monkeys at typewriters making up transfer rumours) and some other no mark sites like the Observer and Rivals.net . So, like a South American presidential election, let’s rig the vote. Cheers folks….
