The Ferguson-Wenger love in continues, with Fergie getting on the back of our supporters who give Arsene a hard time whenever the clubs meet.
Wenger is an dislikeable character who has brought relative success to a team that challenged us to the title for a while. Whenever a decision wrongly goes in favour for his side he doesn’t see it, when the opposite happens he is livid. Even though Arsenal don’t pose the biggest threat to our title chase, I enjoy watching Match of the Day when the Gunners have lost because I like to see Wenger’s chewing a wasp impression. Great coach, lovely style of play, but generally, a bit of a wanker.
Arsenal fans could say the same about Ferguson. Whilst some prattle on about the money spent, there’s no denying that Sir Alex is a fabulous coach, but they’ll think he’s a wanker, fair play, they’re going to aren’t they.
But does the feelings on opposition managers entitle the fans to sing insulting songs?
Yes.
Wenger isn’t a paedophile. He knows that, we know that, Arsenal fans know that. There is no serious accusation of paedophilia floating around. Are the songs about him amusing? In my mind, yes. Would I find them funny if they were sung about Ferguson? Certainly not. That’s how it goes, isn’t it? Fans can dish it out, but we’re not so good and taking it back. We can sing songs which insult other players or managers or teams, but when someone does the same back, we lose our shit over it.
So Arsenal fans go off on one about the Wenger chants, yet find it totally acceptable to sing anti-Semitic chants week in week out. What about the songs sung by Arsenal that talk of gassing the yids? What about the hissing noises they made in imitation of the gas entering the chambers in the Holocaust?
“I never felt more like gassing the Jews when Tottenham win and Arsenal lose.”
“We’ve got Cesc Fabregas, you Yids are scared of gas” which was sung September 2007.
Is there a line that can be drawn between acceptable chants and those that aren’t? Probably not. The line is fairly fuzzy and what offends people is personal. I’d say there are degrees of unacceptable chants, with some songs picking up more points than others in the poor taste charts.
My personal opinion is that singing about Wenger being a paedophile, which we all know not to be true, doesn’t come close to making fun of a fucking tragedy that saw six million people lose their lives. To a lesser extent, I’d still put Wenger’s songs lower on the list than the songs City, Liverpool, Leeds and the like sing about Munich, where 23 innocent people lost their lives. Maybe that’s just me. Or maybe it really is time for Arsenal fans to get off their fucking high horse.
Regardless, Ferguson has opted to liken our chants about Wenger to the scum’s chants about Munich. Nice one, Sir.
“It should stop,” he said. “There’s been a focus on fans’ behaviour and the chants towards Arsene Wenger and other managers. It’s ridiculous and I think the police should be doing more. They should be stepping in. Manchester United and their supporters should know very well the chants that have been levelled at us over the years — ie Munich — and understand the sensitivity, and the criticism directed at members of the club itself. I don’t agree with it at all and hopefully our fans appreciate it comes to me too. I hope other clubs share the same views I do. There is enough to admire in our game without having to denigrate people.”
I understand the sentiment. Yes, for the public image it would be lovely if we could all play nice. It would be nice if Adebayor’s elephant washing father and whore mother weren’t sung about, it would be nice if poor ol Michael Shields’ sore arsehole didn’t get a mention in football grounds, it would be nice if Sol Campbell wasn’t described as hanging from a tree, it would be nice if Gerrard’s illegitimate children weren’t sung about, it would be nice if we weren’t told about all the fucking noise the United players were making as they were dying in the snow, and it goes on and on. I understand this point of view.
But fans sing horrible songs to wind other fans up. No fans have the moral highground here. What goes around comes around, so when morons chant “Ninety six wasn’t enough!” there isn’t room for them to get enraged when they hear “Who’s that lying on the runway?”. If you’re going to sing about Hillsborough then they will sing about Munich, like it or lump it. Unfortunately, all the fans who choose not to sing the sick Hillsborough songs pay the price when seeing the away end do their best aeroplane impressions and sing about our dead legends.
These chants aren’t going to go away because there will forever be fans who want to get under the skin of their opposition, no matter how low they have to sink to do so. This does mean then before fans start to point the finger at other teams, they should probably consider the songs their fans sing.
Less than a year ago Arsenal fans were suing the club because of the anti-Semitic chanting going on at the Emirates. Yet in an article I wrote yesterday about Ferguson wanting protection from the Arsenal fans, following poor behaviour the London club acknowledged themselves, I have Arsenal fans coming on here asking why is it acceptable for Wenger’s paedophile songs to be sung. I dunno. I’ll get back to you once you’ve told me why it’s acceptable to sing about the Holocaust.
Roll on 12.45, the Wenger bus is coming!
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im a gooner, yes there are the odd anti semetic chants sung, but only by a minority and when i say minority i mean 20 people.
as a supporters who goes home and away with my club, and agree that these songs are far worse then the wenger being a paedo, i think what isnt highlighted in your article is the fact that when we went to old trafford (0-1 ade) 2 years ago it was clearly heard by wenger and our supporters unlike the spurs songs. this was clear to all around as in your program last year (2-1 hargreaves) it stated that abuse towards wenger by any fan would see them ejected.
It would certainly be unusal for accusations of hypocrisy to be leveled against officals or supporters of Manchester United (maybe not) however that is what I am doing. So you are advocating the use of a chant that accuses a father of committing the most henious crime known on earth? Many will agree that the use of gassing chants in regards to the Yids are at the very least lacking in taste however these are only sung by a small minority only and the club have done their upmost to stamp them out. In fact you would not hear them being sung in the ground anymore so to use them as a comparision is nothing short of pathetic. You will note that Arsenal fans do not sing about Munich we have more class than that (although there is always the odd idiot) so maybe you can take a leaf out of our book.
there’s the childish songs about people being wankers and i bet other clubs are fine with that, because its just taking the piss out of them. but singing songs about munich and the holocaust just isnt right. its alright if they want to take the piss out of ronaldo, rooney and co, but songs about munich and the rest should just stay out of it. the sooner fans realise this, the sooner it can be abolished from the game we love.
As 2 human beings/managers….you cant even start to compare them.
Ferguson is a good manager who has been blessed with time…(went 5 years before doing nowt)…and then money…(spent more than any other club over the last 3 years except Chelsea….every player you have bought has cost over 15million…..
WOW WEE.
Yes Fergie is a winner but he has been lucky.
Wenger hasnt been as successful but ask any player or manager who they would rather work with and the answer is the Frenchman.
With a 60th of what Manure have spent he has won 2 doubles, 4 FACUPS,etc,etc
Wenger/s problem is he has too big an ego to spend…..
As for Fergie……..He had to change from being a big bully to a childish drunk..
Wenger is class and stands for everything that is good for the game…and deep deep down Fergie knows it which is why he has had to spend UNTOLD MILLIONS to keep up with Arsenal and Chelsea over the last 3 years…
Yes you have won more trophies but we have won alot more praise and have alot more class.
Bit like the 2 Managers.
Good luck 2day against our 2nd team.
LOL
Pez
hold on here. united, chelsea, spurs and villa, sang a horrible song about how funny it was that eduardo broke his leg. Now thats fucking disgusting, and you dont even mention that. i wouldnt sing a song about one of your players if they broke their leg. Stop trying to make man utd sound like the victims here.
Spurious reasoning. Firstly, the anti-semitic chants have been stamped out pretty much. Secondly, West Ham fans have always been the chief culprits – class acts that they are. You will certainly not hear them week-in week-out like you will the Arsene paedo songs. The home fans at the emirates are quite strongly monitored, and I can’t remember the last time I heard and reference to holocaust etc. I’m afraid it’s a card that’s hugely overplayed. The chief rabbi is an Arsenal fan – something that would never happen if anti-semitism was a problem with us.
Actually don’t know why I’m bothering. The fact that you find the Arsene songs funny means there’s no getting through to you.
I think it is pretty obvious for any normal person to realise that singing about Munich or Hillsborough or even the Holocaust is far more offensive than calling Wenger a Paedophile.
Obviously, they all lack taste but the 3 before are all based on fact with the teasing Wenger gets being a piss take not a real accusation.
However, fans of clubs will be upset, angry and generally defensive about anything a rival clubs fans have chanted. You could sing “Arsene has a big nose” and the Arsenal faithful would be angry. Of course there are so many levels of decency and some are more easily offended than others.
Singing about the dead is where I’d draw the line.
There is nothing wrong with a bit of banter between the fans, although some sections go over the top!
What can be done to stop it? The Manager asking goes along way!
Im a united Fan and am pleased that Fergie has taken a stance and came out and asked! I do however think that Wenger would do the same!
Was a fantastic game today! Your second goal was about one of the best i have seen against us!
I do although mis Keane and Veira!!! Not the same without them to be honest!
how can you call arsene wenger a paedophile?? how can you rank him against a devil possesed human? be serious its not funny im a blackman an id rather be racially abused than called a paedo
The Holocaust, eh? Funny you didn’t mention the gestures and chants directed at Jens Lehmann at Old Trafford (Nazi salutes, zonderkommando references etc etc). For someone trying to show the ‘fuzzly moral lines’ in football, you sure are selective.
Pezzer SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU PRICK…
Fergie had loads of money when he won countless trophies at aberdeen????? didnt he
Fergie had loads of money the first decade at utd…where he built a dynasty…and created 2 teams..including the team of keane, butt, nevilles, scholes and beckham.
He created success, created a mega monster of a club and he deserved to spend what he created and reward.
Success = brought more success = more success = money
NOT THE THE OTHER WAY AROUND LIKE THE RBOYS.
PRICK….not our fuckin fault your mangers a fuckin scrooge…..anyway whenever he does spend big he inevitably gets it wrong..reyes,jeffers, wiltord etc.
knob