Longtime Arsenal fan quits the club after fight between pro & anti
Arsene Wenger supporters leaves him bloodied & bruised
After 40 years as a fan of Arsenal, Frank Graham is turning his back on
the north London team, as he fears for the safety of 7-year-old Liam who
used to accompany him to games after he was left with Bruises and blood
stains for raising up an anti-Wenger banner in last weekend's game
against Man City.
Those who want Wenger out, and express their opinion with flags and
banners, are getting attacked by those who remain loyal to Wenger
according to Graham.
Graham unfurled an inoffensive flag that a female Wenger admirer took
umbrage with, sparking a row that he says led to stewards and police
bundling him down to the ground, handcuffing him and slamming his face
against a wall which left him bloodied.
Graham,52, has now told The Sun UK that he will stop supporting the club.
“I got the banner out at the end of the game and a girl started trying
to pull it down. I was trying to fend her off and get the banner back up
but the police and stewards came piling in to me and apparently they
got a bit heavy handed.
“I have witnesses who say they slammed me into a wall on the concourse. I
work in an office so it’s unsightly. There was blood spurting out and
in the end they had to let me go because they wouldn’t have had a leg to
stand on. I still might pursue it.The woman who was dragging it down
was saying she didn’t want to be associated with it.
“It all happened at the end of the game. We always wait until the end of
the game because we want to support the team.We try to show our point
of view at the end. That’s how we do it, that’s being respectful to the
club and the team.
In Spain they wave the white hankies and in South America I think you
get all sorts thrown onto the pitch. All we are trying to do is get our
point across – that we are not happy – to Wenger and the club and we
need a change.
“I have been going since 1976 and I am just going to turn my back on
them now. We are fighting a losing battle.The whole divide between the
fan base is ridiculous. You would not believe how hostile Wenger fans
are.
I put on my flag ‘judgement in May’ because that is what he always says
when he is criticised during the season. I am judging him in May and I
think he should go. It has got tired too quickly"
“The police got me on the ground for showing my banner – I thought we had free speech in this country. Then they handcuffed me.
“I am in my 50s and I don’t need this hassle. I got slammed against a
wall, I got blood all down my face and shirt. And then they chucked me
out the ground and after they checked I had nothing outstanding against
my name – which I don’t as I have never been in trouble before – and
that was it.I didn’t take my boy up there just in case there was
trouble. It is not unheard of for them to attack children.
"The 14-year-old son of my friend was attacked on Sunday.It is just
getting too much, I am not having my boy attacked. My boy is eight in
June, I am not putting up with it, I am just not going over there
anymore. My face is worst today now the swelling is coming up, I took my
boy to school and I was ashamed.
Recalling the 1-0 home draw with Norwich in April when a limp protest flopped, he said:
“I think the club put people in the empty seat because there would have
been 8,000 empty seats and I am sure they put planted people in there to
start the ‘there’s only one Arsene Wenger’ chant
“It’s the beginning of the end. I put a placard up and so did my
seven-year-old boy and he was told to put it down. This is what we are
fighting against.It can get really violent over there and it shouldn’t
because we are fans of the same team but that is how divisive it is over
there.
“When they do the lap of dishonour or shame, as we call it, our plan was
for a flag reveal as Wenger walks round but I think they will either
cancel it or Wenger won’t be there. I have already given my ticket for
Sunday away. I won’t ever go there again. I will end up at Charlton for
an easy life.”
