England, World Cup ‘66 – the words just go together like Romeo and Juliette. Whilst Charlton, Moore and Hurst were at the forefront of Alf Ramsey’s team, Arsenal had a soon-to-be legend in their reserve team, making his way through the Gunners’ ranks.

Since that faithful day at Wembley when Bobby Moore lifted the illustrious trophy, football has changed an awful lot. Arsenal hero, Bob Wilson (OBE) has closely monitored the game’s progression over his 70 years, from player to coach, television presenter to pundit.




Bob said: “Football is a lot more technical in the modern day. It’s obviously faster and more scientific, but some of it is still the same. I remember speaking to Frank McClintock and we were saying that some of the scientific things in today’s game, we were doing 40 years ago.

“We were hard back then. We’d kick each other on purpose and it was rough. It was brutal. I still know many of the Tottenham lads who I used to play against and we have a good laugh about it now. Today, there is a lot more cheating in the game. The players dive, shirt pull and fake injury. It’s not nice but neither was what we were doing 40 years ago. Somewhere in between would be perfect.

“The stadiums are magnificent now. We’d take a trip to somewhere like Derby and the Baseball Ground, and it was like playing on a mud pit. We had a football that was just a football, and it didn’t do all this silly moving around.

“The likes of Best, Moore, Finney and Matthews could definitely play in today’s game. If you’ve got the talent, then given the science and the coaching of today, then they would have still been up there with the world’s best players.”

The Scotland international doesn’t buy into all of the science though, and he used Jack Wilshere’s recent U21 exclusion as an example saying: “I heard last week Jack talking about some GPS system that tells him that he is fatigued. I played 64 games in 70-71 when we won the double, and 75% of them were on boggy pitches. You get tired but your adrenaline and love of the game sees you through.”




Wilson worries for the “real fans” within the game given the vast increase in the cost of watching football. He said: “It’s not the corporate fans that I worry for. They will be fine, but it’s the man at the top of the stand, and the man at the bottom of it. I find it amazing how they do it, finding up to £150 every game to watch their team.

“You look at the likes of QPR increasing their ticket prices by 40% and it just becomes impossible for some fans to keep watching. Even Arsenal’s 6% increase will see fans not returning next season and that’s what I worry about.”

Wilson gave 28 years of his life to Arsenal without being paid a penny; why? He did it because of the love for the game and because of his love for Arsenal Football Club. As the years went by, he saw many fantastic goalkeepers follow him in filling the number one shirt, but he most fondly remembers two names in particular.

“Pat Jennings was the most natural goalkeeper I had the pleasure of working with. When he joined Arsenal, aged 31, I spent 10 years working with him and I taught him nothing. Jennings does credit me with keeping his desire going to keep playing, which he did until his 41st birthday, so I did have some impact on him.

“But the best goalkeeper I’ve seen is David Seaman. He won 9 major trophies at Arsenal and he was just phenomenal. With over 1000 appearances in the game, he is a real great. What I found amazing was that he could be talking to a ball boy or a man in the crowd only 10 seconds before kick-off, just having a laugh and giggling, but as soon as that whistle went he was ‘in the zone’ as they say. David was amazing.”

With Almunia, Fabianski and Szczęsny all being talked about in relation to the number one shirt at the Emirates, Wilson believes the latter is possibly the answer to Arsenal’s goalkeeping for the next decade.

“He’s brilliant,” said Wilson, “he is built like Edwin van der Sar, he plays like him and he can be as good as him. Arsenal need to just keep playing him and let him grow into the position. He could well be Arsenal’s goalkeeper for the next 10 years.”

After his playing days ended in 1974, he took up a media career working for the BBC. Wilson became the face of Match of the Day and Grandstand. Given his years in and around the game, Wilson oversaw many great tournaments but he remembers one in particular very fondly.

“I got my shot fronting all football for ITV and working the most memorable tournament for me was the 1998 World Cup in France. It was amazing. We achieved record viewing figures in the England v Argentina game, the Owen goal, with 26.5m people tuning in. Of course they weren’t there to see me, but I was part of it and it’s very special to me.”




Since leaving ITV, Wilson has dedicated large parts of his life, along with his wife Mags, to charity. The Willow Foundation was founded in 1999 in memory of their daughter Anna who tragically died in 1998 following a battle with a rare form of cancer.

“The charity was set up in her memory” said Bob.  “When we found out about Anna’s illness, Anna wanted to have ‘Anna’s day’ where we would do things as a family like going to the match or some retail shopping. Before her death she said to Mags and I that we need to ‘use what you’ve learnt, and don’t let it destroy you,’ and this inspired us.”

To date, The Willow Foundation has helped touch the lives of around 34’000 people and provided 1,500 special days for ill 16-40 year olds. With a remit of raising £3m per year to aid the cause, Bob and two friends recently set off on an extraordinary journey, cycling to every Premiership ground before finishing at Hamden Park.

Wilson said: “It was all my idea. I wanted to do something. It was all about doing something to celebrate my greatest year, 1970-71, with my latest year [turning 70-71] while raising money along the way.

“We got overwhelming support. Rochford’s built my bike for me, while Maddison’s supplied my lycra. Cycle Scheme helped out and we had masseurs along the way. We raised a total of £302,000 which is simply fantastic. Along with this we were also donated £48,000 in gifts of kindness such as my bike, meaning all donations could go direct to the charity.




“We loved it. It was a great achievement, but I wouldn’t rush to do it again.”

Bob Wilson was awarded his OBE in 2007 in relation to his charity work. But aside from his work off the field, Arsenal fans remember the great goalkeeper that played a major part in the double win of 1971, while every other football fan remembers Wilson as the smiley, enthusiastic and footballing face of broadcasting.

Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has told BBC Sport that Arsenal fans must give manager Arsene Wenger the respect he deserves or risk losing him.

The manager has come under increasing criticism from supporters after six seasons without a trophy and the departure of Cesc Fabregas.

When asked if Wenger could leave, Dein said: "That's always an option open to him because it could come to a stage when he will say, 'Well, I have had enough.'

"At least that's how I feel and I feel the fans should feel that. They should at least give him the respect that he deserves for what he's done."
Continue reading the main story

Dein, the driving force behind Wenger's appointment in 1996, told BBC Sport: "People talk about 'Has his time finished at the club?'

"That's a very dangerous thing to say because it's easy to get rid of people and then what? People talk about buying players. Well, you've got to get players who are better than the ones you've got at the moment."

Dein, who left Arsenal in 2007, is still good friends with Wenger, but did say that he sympathises with Arsenal's fans.

"I can understand their worry because the expectation level today is so high and Arsene has brought such success to the club," said Dein.

"In 15 years that he's been there every year we've been in the Champions League. So you can understand, perhaps, fans feeling a little bit frustrated that they haven't seen a trophy for a few years.

"Under Arsene Wenger's stewardship, they've had good times and very good times and there's no reason to expect why we shouldn't see them again."

The departure of Fabregas, and possibly Sami Nasri in the days to come, has left Wenger under pressure and Dein believes the Frenchman is enduring the toughest period of his 15 years with Arsenal.

"Undoubtedly, on several counts," said Dein.

"One, the game's got more competitive. Players are not as loyal as they used to be. Gone are the days where we'll see testimonials where players will stay at a club for 10 years - you know, with Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon, Ray Parlour, Dennis Bergkamp.

"You're not going to see that any more because players will be tempted to move and that is modern football. In a way, the players moving on is always a problem for a manager.

"And last season was particularly difficult because they were nearly there. At one stage, a few months before the end of the season, competing on four fronts and in the end coming away trophyless is difficult, perhaps, to accept."

Despite the current difficulties, Dein insists that the man he brought to English football retains a burning desire to win more trophies with Arsenal.

"Obviously I know him very well, he's a neighbour of mine," said Dein. "I've never seen a man in football more focused, more determined, with more drive than him."

The London Evening Standard are reporting that Arsenal have accepted a bid of £22m from Manchester City for Samir Nasri.

It is commonly known that the move is nigh for Nasri, and the only issue left to resolve was how much the Frenchman would cost City.

Nasri looks set to sign a deal worth nearly £70m without signing on fees included, given his £22m fee plus a reported salary of £180,000 per week.

Reports have also arisn today that Nasri’s preferred destination would be Old Trafford and Manchester City’s rivals, Manchester United. ESPN report that the Frenchman has ‘confided in friends’ in realtion to his desire.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confessed that former captain Cesc Fabregas left too early as he joined Barcelona, this week, at the age of 24.

Speaking to Arsenal Player, the Frenchman hinted at a possible return of the Spain International adding that the reason why the midfielder left had absolutely nothing to do with money as the player simply wanted to return to his home city and the Club opted not to be an obstacle in his desire to join the Spanish giants.

Asked about Samir Nasri, the Arsenal boss simply said that the situation is stable, just as it was last week with the manager again insisting that his team is on the lookout for new players but keeping in mind that he already has a top quality squad at his disposal.

And on Emmanuel Eboue, who left the Gunners this week, Wenger concluded by praising the Ivory Coast International who unfortunately left with the conceded Liverpool penalty from last season as one of the last things Arsenal fans will remember him for.

On players who left and players who may join, Wenger said:

Quote:

[Cesc Fabregas?] We are thankful for the joy he has brought to us for eight years, it was a pleasure for the Club to work with him, maybe it will happen again because he unfortunately left at a very young age [and] we didn’t want to do it. I repeat that it was not a question of money because any price, if he wanted to stay, we would have said no but it happened because we gave in on his desire to join his home city and it’s difficult to resist as well. [Samir Nasri?] No news at all, stable, exactly the same [as last week]. [New signings?] Well, I think we try to look, let’s not forget that we brought players in. People speak always like we brought nobody in [but] the players we brought in are quality and we have to trust them. We are still on the market, we work very hard on it and if we find, believe me, we will do, but at the moment I can only repeat [that] if all the other big clubs want to get our players they looked everywhere else as well so it’s not as easy, it’s not just go out and spend. Yes, but we want top quality because we have already top quality here and we want to improve our level. [Emmanuel Eboue?] He was a player and a character, he IS a player and a character, he’s a lively boy with a very positive extroverted attitude and of course we wish him well, Manu, and hopefully it will all go well for him. [The penalty he conceded at Liverpool?] It was the third big blow for the team after Birmingham and Barcelona. Liverpool ended our hopes to win the League and it was massive, yes. You cannot reduce the season to one mistake but it was maybe the final stroke.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was visibly happy with his side’s narrow win over Udinese on Tuesday as he praised the attitude and fighting spirit of his players.

Speaking to Arsenal Player, the Frenchman explained that the Gunners will be ready for another battle when the two teams meet in Italy next week as he confessed that there is a small regret over Theo Walcott’s chance in the second half that goalkeeper Samir Handanović bravely saved to deny the Englishman.

Asked about his decision to confirm Wojciech Szczesny as the team’s regular goalkeeper, the Arsenal boss explained that he has three goalkeepers available who are ready to play in the Premier League as he omitted Spain’s Manuel Almunia from the list as a clear indication that the 34-year old is indeed close to leaving the Gunners.

The manager concluded by giving a full update on Arsenal’s injured players as he revealed that Kieran Gibbs will be out for 10-12 days, Johan Djourou could be available for tomorrow’s game against Liverpool but Jack Wilshere will not be available as he’s yet recovering from an ankle injury.

On Udinese, injuries and his goalkeepers, Wenger said:

Quote:

Ideally we wanted to win without conceding goals [and] overall our attitude was good, the desire to fight was great, we played against a very good team and we will be ready for another fight for 90 minutes. A little regret is the save of the goalkeeper on the second chance from Theo [Walcott] but overall we had a good positive game, we gave a lot at Newcastle, we had to give a lot again. To me, it looks the team knows they have lost great players and they know we have to fight but they have the mental strength to do it and they give a positive response in the games and that’s very encouraging for the future of the season. [Why I opted for Wojciech Szczesny?] I think he had an encouraging start last season, he has started well. Lukasz is coming back in a good form and he’s doing very well as well. I have confidence in both, I think we have three good goalkeepers who are ready to play in the Premier League with Vito Mannone and the two not chosen can feel unjustly down but at the end of the day you need to choose one and Wojciech is doing very well. Kieran Gibbs has a small hamstring strain and will miss the match on Saturday. Johan Djourou has a chance to be fit for Saturday. Johan had a test today which looked quite positive, so we are hopeful. Johan has a minor hamstring strain. Kieran should be out for 10-12 days. Jack [Wilshere] is getting better by the day. He will not be ready for Saturday, but we have had good signs with him and that is very important. Both Tomas [Rosicky] and Armand [Traore] are doubtful for the match on Saturday. We will make a late decision on both of them. Rosicky has a slight thigh problem and Traore has a slight groin problem.

Арсена Венгер скептически высказался о справедливости правил УЕФА.

Матч против «Удинезе» француз смотрел с трибун, и во время первого тайма периодически отдавал указания по телефону, а в перерыве официальный представитель матча заявил ему о том, что это противоречит правилам.

«Все это сложно для понимания, так как правила не всегда очевидны», - сказал Венгер.

«Сначала нам сказали, что я могу общаться с моим ассистентом по телефону, а в перерыве правила изменились. Это просто стыд».

«На самом деле меня беспокоит вопрос, на что готовы люди, чтобы помешать другим делать свою работу»?

«Не думаю, что сделал что-то серьезное. Мы старались с уважением отнестись к дисквалификации со стороны УЕФА, но сейчас сложно сказать, как можно повлиять на этих людей, пользующихся таким влиянием».

«Правила запрещают заходить в раздевалку, но я и этого не делал».

Перед субботним матчем против «Ливерпуля» Арсен Венгер ответил на несколько вопросов официальному сайту клуба.

- о Киране Гиббсе и Йоанне Джуру…

«У Кирана Гиббса небольшое растяжение подколенного сухожилия, и в субботнем матче он не сыграет. У Джуру есть шанс успеть восстановиться к субботе. Сегодня он прошел тест, и все выглядит достаточно позитивно, так что мы рассчитываем на него. У него также легкое растяжение подколенного сухожилия. А Киран пропустит 10-12 дней».

- о Джеке Уилшире…

«Джек поправляется день ото дня. Он не готов играть в субботу, но есть признаки восстановления, и это очень важно».

- о Томаше Росицки и Армане Траоре…

«И Томас, и Арман вряд ли сыграют в субботу. Решение по ним мы примем в последний момент. У Росицки есть небольшое повреждение мышц бедра, а Траоре беспокоит пах».

- о том, полностью ли восстановился Тео Уолкотт…

«Он смотрится очень неплохо, мы много работали над тем, чтобы дать ему возможность набрать форму к матчу против «Удинезе», и я думаю, решение выпустить его в стартовом составе было правильным. Мы не хотели задействовать его слишком рано, и он пропустил целых 3 недели. Но он провел хороший матч во вторник, и мы им довольны».

- о состоянии Томасе Вермалене…

«Томас чувствует себя просто отлично, и мы этому очень рады. Мы проделали большую работу с Томасом, и он успешно восстановился. Фактически он пропустил целый год, и очень радует тот факт, что он вернулся и отыграл 2 таких интенсивных матча за 4 дня».