Emirates Stadium: Page 4 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Emirates Stadium

Dom

We didn't have anything as good as Horrible Histories back in the '90s, though.

Tam

We had the Cadbury’s Spira though. The world started turning to shit when they discontinued that.

Gurgen

daredevil I watched part of it. It was in fucking Qatar. I guess it was amazing if you enjoy coffins going back to Nepal for air conditioned stadiums that will never be used again.

daredevil

Gurgen

I suspected your issue was with the host and not the football on show. I didn't see any of what you described.

My comment was solely on the football - not the external factors off the pitch.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

lorddulaarsenal so many proper superstar strikers and AMs.

Gurgen

That's exactly the point of sportswashing - to turn away the attention from the 'external factors off the pitch' (which are far more important). I personally find it hard to enjoy a spectacle while knowing that atrocities have been committed to make it happen, but I guess I'm in the minority. Would you for example enjoy a meal in a 3-star restaurant if the food was prepared by child workers?

daredevil

Gurgen

We live in world where crimes and atrocities are committed by all states and actors. This is the world we live in. You can call it out for what it is, but if you're going to limit your enjoyment because it comes at the expense of something or some other - which for the most part is everything - then you will resign yourself to a life of misery. But I'm guessing for people who choose to - they will keep themselves sane from selective outrage. Do you use a smartphone or drive an electric car? Where do you think the cobalt for the battery comes from?

I live in a country that supports a genocide and built its history and amassed its wealth from the exploitation of countless countries worldwide, including the country of my parents. Am I about to limit my life enjoyment because everything can be traced back to some form of exploitation or atrocity? I don't fucking think so. If you want to live your life that - it's a choice I guess.

Burnwinter

daredevil We live in world where crimes and atrocities are committed by all states and actors.

As Cain presumably said to Abel by way of apology: "Brother, it turns out we men are all sinners".

I hope there's a massive protest when Israel visits Italy in a few days. But if there isn't the match will still be politicised.

Gurgen

daredevil very convenient reasoning. There is quite a bit of difference between football and the other things you describe. How direct links between what you consume and how it's produced are also matters. Someone who doesn't want to sit in a stadium built by slaves isn't obliged not to buy all petroleum derived products because drilling for oil is killing the planet. If you reason this way, you don't have to care about anything. But the main thing is that sportswashing of this type can easily be prevented. If people cared even a little bit, it wouldn't work. Rearranging global supply chains and geopolitical power structures is a bit more difficult.

FEBravo

Burnwinter They expect more people outside the stadium protesting than inside:

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/security-concerns-overshadow-israels-world-cup-qualifiers-norway-italy-2025-10-07/

QuincyAbeyie

FEBravo Reuters seems to have mistranslated some news they got from Norway. Capacity will be reduced by 3000, not to 3000. The capacity is ordinarily 27 000 or so, and the match is sold out.

I have mixed feelings about boycotting vs not - I'll be going to the game to support Norway. I think Israel should be disqualified just like Russia were, but I'm not boycotting their away match to Norway. At the very least, the supporter club, including me, will bring a huge banner with names of Palestinian kids in cooperation with Amnesty's Let Children Live campaign.

daredevil

Gurgen

So selective outrage then.

I didn't spend a penny sitting in a Qatari stadium or contributing to their WC and I have zero influence over easily preventing it.

Mirth

daredevil in fairness, Qatar wasn’t looking for your money to begin with. It’s your attention that they wanted.

I completely understand your point of view on the World Cup. I watched it and the final was the best game of football I’ve seen in a long time.

But I wouldn’t dismiss Gurgen’s point - it’s the ability to keep some boundaries that make the world just a little bit better. After all, if everyone that preceded you thought the same way, the world you inherited would look very different.

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