October 24, 2024 • 31 mins
Welcome to the London Club Council! The FAN's Brett Blakemore and Robbie Rosenhaus are opposing fans in England's biggest rivalry, and they host AFTV's Robbie Lyle talking all things Arsenal!
Robbie: @ItsRobbieLyle
The guys on Twitter: @BrettKFAN @robbierosenhaus
Robbie: @ItsRobbieLyle
The guys on Twitter: @BrettKFAN @robbierosenhaus
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
We're at it again.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to another meeting of the London Club Council. Now
representing Tottenham Hotspit. In this corner we do have Brett
Blakemore and repping Arsenal is Robbie Rosenhaus.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
So boys, let the banter begin.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Welcome in to a very special edition of the London
Club Council. My name is Robbi Rosenhaus, representing Arsenal here
with Brett Blake Moore representing Tottenham, and it gives me
a distinct pleasure to welcome in Robbie Lyle, the founder
of AFTV Media and DR Sports, a huge figure in
the football world from football fan to.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Now network owner.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Robbie, welcome in and thanks so much for joining us
today with a couple of words on my favorite football
club and yours as well.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
No, no, thank you very much for having me. I mean,
I was shocked at when I came on. I saw
that Topham shirt. I love this.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
You thought that there is a candid camera we you
were pranked. You were being pranked right or something?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah. I saw that top of the shirt and I
was like, well they've been pranked every week.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
Yeah, yeah, pretty, I've been getting pranked for years, it
turns out, how do.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
You end up supporting?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Yeah, go ahead, please please explain.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
I mean, how much time do we got long story stories?
I wanted a London club and I kind of just
liked the aura and I like kind of it's us
against the world mentality, and I liked there's a handful
of other things. But but yeah, that's the short version
of them.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
So I was in college and my college roommate was
a huge a fan of of the Invincibles and the
Henri Era. So I didn't get started until two thousand
and eight. And the first match I ever watched, I
know you could remember it because you have an encyclopedic memory,
is the walk caught to Atabayor goal at Liverpool that
we ended up losing the match in the Champions League,
(01:57):
But it was an iconic match, one of the great runs.
I mean, he ran basically the entire length of the
pitch and fed it to adabay Or, who scored. You
remember the goal at Anfield it was, It was legendary.
So again I go back to that. So about fifteen
years I've been following the club. Brett's been following Tottenham
for about five years now. Yeah, and again, our passion
(02:18):
is pretty unmatched here in the state of Minnesota, here
in the upper Midwest.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So again we appreciate you joining us today.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So before we kind of get into how the club
has been performing lately and just how you see them
this weekend at Liverpool, just kind of an overriding question
about Stan Kronki, because over here in America it's commonplace
for someone to own multiple franchises. Stan Kronki is no
stranger to this, owning the Avalanche and the Nuggets in
Colorado and obviously Arsenal football club. We've heard the calls
(02:49):
of silence Stan and his son Josh is more hands on.
How do you view the nearly two decade run that
the Kronky's family has kind of had over this over
the club and are the two biggest pivot pivot points
for you basically moving into the Emirates and also hanging
on to Wenger for perhaps maybe one year too long.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Yeah, I mean, how I view it probably is that,
like the first fifteen years, probably I wouldn't view them
very favorably if I'm being honest, you know, I mean
they you know, remember Arsenal was a club that were winning,
you know, leagues on a regular basis, winning FA Cups
on a regular basis, and then you know, we moved
(03:33):
into the Emirates Stadium and it was a real it's
been a real barren time. You know, we've not won
the league seems we've been in that stadium, and you
know a lot of the perceptions always been over the
years that you know, I have to have the kron
kids really gone all in, you know, I mean, have
they you know, because you know, for instance, when we
moved into the Emirates Stadium, we started selling all of
(03:55):
our best players, you know what I mean. So you
saw all of our best players go into your Chelsea
is and your Man Cities, and I felt that they
were a little bit slow to react to the rise
of Chelsea and to the rise of Man City. I know,
those club sort of came in with ridiculous money, but
I thought they were slow to react to that. But
what I would say is over the last sort of
(04:17):
five years or so ever, since they got full control
of the club, they've been a lot different, you know
what I mean. They've they've really invested heavily in players,
They've you know, really backed the manager, and I'd say
they've been looked on quite favorably at the moment, in
particular Josh who sort of seemed to have taken on
(04:38):
the reins more than stand because that that title of
silent stand I think it was a correct one because
you just never used to ever hear anything from him.
I remember going to a board meeting that he was
at and he said about three words and that was it.
But certainly I think in recent times, ever since they
(05:00):
got full ownership of the club, and it looks like
that seemed to have been a problem in the past
that you know, it was them and Usmanov, who's the
Russian guy who owned a massive percentage in the club.
They seem to have an issue with him, and they
and he had and they were both jostlying for full
ConTroll of the club. They ended up getting that. And
once they've got full controller of the club, I feel
(05:23):
that now they're doing things in the right way.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So to to that point, And and again, you you're
you're still a fan of the club, but you also
use a f t V. And and and and and
and obviously making living off of off of things like that,
but but in your heart you're still a fan and
going back to kind of the fan aspect of things.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I mean, I remember.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
During the the late the late years of of Younger
and it was Venger out, Wenger in, and then who
Nayamori came in and it was basically an abject disaster.
I mean, the the the Europa League Final was in
Baku was one of the worst matches I think I've
ever seen the club play.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So it was it was a time of despair.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
And now it seems like after going to the match
a couple of weeks ago against Southampton they go.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Down one nil.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I never had in my head that they were ever
going to lose that match. There was just a sense
of the fans getting behind them as as as crazy
as the Saints fans went in the corner to that
and I got to sit in the Asperton Army, so
it was it was fantastic for me and the clock
end and it was an experience I'll never forget. But
speak a little bit to kind of the fan kind
(06:32):
of rebirth and renaissance, because for a few years there
it was kind of it was kind of Banterclub FC.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Yeah, I mean, listen if that Southampton game and you're
right about that game was obviously I was at the game,
and if that game would have happened, say five six
years ago, I don't think you would have seen that
amongst the fans. I'm saying that right, you wouldn't been
sitting be being moans and groans and oh my god,
here we go. And but what has really changed that
(07:03):
Arsenal is there's a real confidence from the fans in
the team and also there's a real connection and I
think a lot of that I put that down to
Michael Arteta. I really do feel that, you know, he's
really helped to bring the fans and the club together,
which is one of the things when he first came
in he said he was going to do. He goes,
I want to bring back that connection because the connection
(07:24):
was kind of broken for a while, you know. I
mean it was almost like the fans didn't feel like
they were connected to the team on the pitch. But
I feel they do now and that's why when they
go down, you'll see the fans now trying to get
behind the team and encourage them to come back. So,
you know, I think that's been one of the real
(07:48):
good apart from obviously the performances on the pitch, have
improved a lot. That always helps, you know, But I
really don't think so. Michael Arteta has done some great
jobs in connecting the fans back with the players, and
the players back with the fans.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
I will say, at the Tottenham Bar here in Minneapolis,
there is a sign that hangs there for every game
saying Wenger in is what it says. We have that
just hung up there just because we enjoy that. Speaking
of Arteta, though.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Let me just stop you there, because you remember how
many titles, Yeah, exactly. Remember he did go a whole
season unbeaten, which has never ever been done since. And
h you say, Van Green, for you to do even
one of those.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Things, that's right, I don't. He doesn't.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
I don't. He doesn't know how popular Saint Totteringham's day
is in North London. But but he's he's getting a sense.
There was a bit of a lull there, but now
we're back on track.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Never let the truth get in the way of a
good joke, though, is what I said.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
So.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
But speaking of Arteta though, in kind of the style
of play, I know there's every club, is there doomers
and gloomers right that everything stinks and this is the
worst and sacked manager blah blah blah. And obviously, as
you mentioned, there's not as many Arsenals there has been
in the past, but the ones that are there are
basically saying we don't get a trophy this year. I mean,
how many years is this without a trophy? For Michel?
(09:07):
Even ten Hag is winning trophies and he stinks. So
do you feel like there's any justification to that thinking
at all, like we need to get a trophy now
or ted or what are we doing here?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
I think you've got to put contexts on everything, you know.
I mean, I was saying this to an Arsenal fan
the other day, me and him sort of having a
bit of back and forth on this. I'll go, well,
what do you want? Do you want to challenge for
the league because the last two seasons we've challenged, not
just like a little outside challenge. We have been the
(09:38):
team that have challenged push Man City all the way
for that league. Or do you want to win the
League Cup in January or February or whenever it is right?
What do you want? Because to me, for a club,
the size of Arsenal winning the League Cup is not
what we want is we want we multiple We want
the FA Cup more than any other team, right, the
(10:00):
League Cup for a team the size of Arsenal, we
want to be challenging to try and win the league,
and to win the league at this moment in time
is very, very difficult, you know what I mean. You've
seen teams they've thrown over a billionaire in Manchester United
and Chelsea and they still haven't got close to winning it.
So it's really really difficult. So I think you've got
(10:21):
to put a real context on it. He's he's taken
us from being we just used Arsenal fans. We've been
talking about trying to get in the top four. Now
no Arsenal fan mentions the top four. It's all about
we want to win the league now. Listen. Obviously, when
you manage a top Premier league football club, the pressure's
on you to win and to win trophies and to win,
(10:43):
whether it be the League, the Champions League, the FA Cup.
But the pressure's on you and to me if if
michaela remember he's won the FA Cup before, but if
he wins the FA Cup this season, there'll be still
fans moaning and saying, all right, fair enough, you won
the FA Cup. What about the league? That's kind of
like the holy Grail at the moment, and the reality
(11:04):
of it is there's a certain guy called Pep Guardiola
who is like the best manager that this league's ever seen,
and it's very, very difficult to get over the line.
I mean, we've got within two points last season, so
I think let's wait and see how this season pans out,
you know. I mean if the season finished off and
nikol Arteta won no trophies and he's absolutely miles off
(11:27):
challenging and stuff like, and then a conversation has to
be had. But to me, if he's challenging again to
win the league, which we are doing at the moment,
I think we've got to get behind him. Mark. I'm
not really one of these sort of fans that are
just jumping on this thing that it's right here and
supposing he pushes I don't know City or we discout
(11:52):
Liverpool out there, they're in it. So within one point,
do you turn around and say sacking. I think that
would be ridiculous. And what manage do you bring in
is not just you know, I think he's one of
the best managers around right now. So it's listen, it's football,
and we all want to win, and we all want
to win the league, and we want to win a
Champions League. But the reality of it is there's only
(12:14):
one team can win it. It's twenty teams in the
Privy League, you know, I mean, and it's very, very difficult.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And look how much success Bretts Club Tottenham has had
basically changing managers like I changed my socks, you know,
going through a marine and Conte and Martin Yoel and
Harry Redknapp and and just go Tim Sherwood and just
caretaker managers right and now they finally settled on you know,
they're loving Big Ange instead. And we'll get your thoughts
on quick thoughts on them in just a second. We're
(12:41):
talking with Robbie Lyle here from af TV. It's a
pleasure to have him. And you just mentioned Liverpool and
Liverpool home this week. They did beat them three to
one last year in this fixture. They currently set four
points behind the Reds and defeat could see them fall
seven points behind them and six points behind Cidy, who
are probably going to take care of Southampton this week.
(13:02):
So how important is it to get healthy and to
get the full three points this week and without oder Guard,
without CALIFIORI just kind of moving out of a big
picture into a small picture and going right in this
ninety minutes. I mean, this is the most important ninety
minutes of the season, considering the fact that we dropped
(13:22):
three points against Bournemouth a week ago.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yeah, and you know without Saliba as well, could be
without Sokka, without oder Guards. You know what I mean.
We've missing so many players that listen. We've coped with
it brilliantly so far because we've had an injury hits
start to the season. We've been going into games. I
remember we went to Tottenham. We went into that game
with that players like Oda Guard. We went into the
City game without Oda. God, we've been missing players. I
(13:47):
think now we're starting to miss too many, you know
what I mean, because we're really fit on the ground,
especially in the defensive area for this week with the
amount of injuries that we have. But we're playing at
home and I think we've got a great chance. I'm
still playing at home. Liverpool are playing well. Obviously their
top of the league. I remember this time last year
when we played Liverpool, we could have gone eight points
(14:10):
behind them at the time. They've beaten us in the
FA Cup to nil at the Emirates and their tails
are up and everybody was saying that, you know, they
felt that Liverpool were going to win that game and
we turned them over three one, like you said. So
we're going to have to be on our a game
this Sunday, you know. I mean, it's very disappointing last
week against Bournemouth arm and we're gonna have to be
(14:33):
on our a game and we've got to keep eleven
players on the pitch, you know, because that's been the
bigger Achilles heel of this Arsenal team so far this season,
and that every game that we've had a player sent
off which has been free, which is far too many,
we haven't won that game, you know what I mean.
We we drew against Brighton, we were winning one. We
(14:54):
drew against City where we were winning two to one,
and then we lost you know it, Neil neil, and
we lost to Bournemouth. It's not sustainable to keep getting
players sent off and then go down to ten men
and having to play fifty sixty minutes with a man
down in the Premier League when you're coming up and
gets so many good sites, so we've got this is
a great opportunity for Arsal to bounce back. And as
(15:15):
I said, we're very strong at home. We haven't lost
the game at home this season EVA, but we're coming
up against a very, very good side and it's going
to be a real test for arsen when you can see,
I mean, even if everybody's fit, it's a big test
with the players that are injured. The players that come
in are going to have to really stand up.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Now with speaking of those two players, one is probably
going to play, the other Soccer is an injury doubt.
I want to focus on those two players for a
second because because between my podcast partner and my good
friend Brett and I, Kai Hartz and Kayle Soaker have
been have been the kind of the just the crux
(15:57):
of a lot of our conversation here on the podcast,
just just how much they mean to the team. Brett,
for example, thinks, well as he would, he just thinks
that Socke is a quote one trick pony hold on
that's hard. So he thinks SOCCA is a bit overrated.
And I know that this is a big debate on
Talk Sport and within Arsenal circles, and I know it
(16:19):
was a debate in the last couple of weeks. Is
he world class? I saw it on all over social media.
Is he world class? Who cares as long as he
can he contributes goals and assists to uh hopefully a
title winning side. That's what I care about. But uh, Brett,
I'll let you chime in before Robbie takes over here.
But haverts And and Sokka, I don't think you're too
high on either one of them.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Well, and it's not like I just hate Arsenal players
and if they wear that crest and I think they're terrible.
Like I think Oda Gard is incredible, Like he's one
of my favorite players to watch period. I think Rice
is really good. It's just my thing. Well, Havertz is
just fun to banter. It's just that's just the fact
of the matter. It's just fun. But he's scoring so
much that that's becoming hard to do that with soccer.
(17:01):
It's it's not that I think he's bad. It's not
that I think he's not good. I think he is
good to very good. I just think he's just slightly
I know what's gonna happen. He's on the right side,
and if you force him to his right foot, it's
not it's going to be a cross that's probably kind
of soft or a little wafted that's gonna get mopped up.
(17:22):
He's on his left foot, it's lethal. Like whether it's
a shot, whether it's a cross in, whether it's the past,
absolutely lethal. But I just feel like it's a little
he's a little one footed.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
For my taste.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I think he's still good. But to me, that's that's
kind of how I read it.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
So you know what's gonna happen, but the things he
can't stop, and that's what I.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Keep telling him.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Yeah, that's what's frustrating, yelling at the TV.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
He's one of the best players in the Premier League easily,
you know. I mean, he's he's our best player at
the club. He's he's one of England's best players. He
deserves the he's to me, he's underrated. He is absolutely
brilliant player, so effective. He's a winger that always produces.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
You.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
You watch soccer playing a game sometimes and you'll be like, well,
he was okay today, and then you look at the
you look at the stats and he's had an assist
for a goal at the very least, you know what
I mean. He assists goals, he scores goals, he's a
leader on the pitch. He's lethal. Nobody wants to play
(18:26):
against soccer, you know what I mean. He was voted
England's Player of the Year two years straight. At international level.
He always produces whensoever he's and we forget how young
he still is. So to me, he's one of the
best young players in European football. He's one of the
best players. You you give me five wide players better
(18:48):
than him right now in the world. He's absolute the top,
top quality. And you know, I'm hoping that's why we're
all hoping that he's playing on Saturday, sorry, on Sunday,
because he's a you know, he is an absolutely brilliant player.
And as for Habits, he's been banging in the goals.
What more than he was playing as a striker. He's
(19:08):
scoring the goals. He's got more than Slanky. He's scoring
the goals, isn't he? So you know, you know, Habits,
Habits has proved a doubt is wrong. When he first
came in, there was a lot of arm you know,
not not not just fans of other clubs, so fans
of Arsenal me myself included, I was like, well, it's
a bit of a weird signing. Why do we need
habits for That's a lot of money, Chelsea player. He's
(19:32):
silenced everybody. He was excellent last season and he started
off this season very very well as well. He's a
lot more physical than I thought he was going to be,
you know what I mean. He holds the ball up
brilliantly and he's been scoring. So I've been very happy
with those two, you know what I mean. And as
I said, soccer is a key player for Arsenal, absolutely key.
I think we're going to win things this season. He
(19:54):
has to stay fit and that was why it was
so annoying to see him get injured, you know, not
from playing for Arshoal and international duty and we've been
missing him in the past couple of games.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Time for a couple more here with Robbie Lyle from AFTV.
You have traveled around Europe, you have traveled around the
UK with this club, so I have to ask just
what is your favorite away ground to go to and
what is your least favorite away ground that you've been at.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
It doesn't have to be for one match. It could be.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
It could be Tottenham, it could it could be as
at Alkmaar it could it could be it could be anything.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Yeah, you know what. Up until last week, my favorite
ground has always been Bournemouth because you know, it's a
really strange thing, right, because I mean, I've been to
so many stadiums around the country, around the world, but
Bournemouth is a real unique experience because it's a tiny
little ground. It's only about holds about eleven thousand. Bournemost's
a really nice city. They've got a beach there, everything
(20:51):
like that, and then when you when you go to
the game, you're so close to the action. You know,
you can almost reach out and touch the players. I mean,
it's really a really unique ground. You just don't see
those sort of grounds anymore. So I was kind of
enjoyed going there, although I didn't enjoy it last week.
But and the worst grounds this is going to sound
(21:12):
very strange to you guys, right, but the worst ground
I feel to visit as an away fan, right is Barcelona.
They put you up so high in the gods, you
know what I mean, you can barely see the game.
You're behind this sort of perspex and netting. It's really
an awful experience when you go there like it's and
(21:36):
there are a lot of teams in Europe that do that,
they just don't in on the Premier League, right. I
think the only ground that sort of comes close to
that is like Newcastle where they put you very high up.
But all the other all the other teams are you know,
they're told by the Premier League that the away fans
have to be near where the action is. So, for instance,
(21:56):
you go to Tottenham, you know, I mean, that's a
that's a that's a good ground to go to. You
now you're involved, you're involved in the action. But when
you go to those grounds where they put you right
up in the gods, miles away from what's going on,
they're trying to remove your atmosphere. You know you spoke
about when you came to the game the other day
and seeing the Southampton fans. I love that. I even
(22:19):
though I want to see my fan, I love that
they're part of the game and you can see their
fans and hear their fans and that. But when you
go to games like say a Barcelona, like I said,
you're so high up it's almost like you're not part
of the game, you're not involved in it because you'd
be removed completely from the atmosphere. So for me, Barcelona
are way awful, absolutely awful. For a home fan is
(22:43):
probably good, but for a way fan, terrible.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I remember there was a match at Barcelona when one
of our players, I think it was Van Person got
sent off for kicking the ball, but for not hearing
the whistle, right he got a second yellow card and
that was and that was the end of that. So yeah,
I do not have fun memories.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
Yeah, if you're away fan watching that, or you would
have seen that, you're so you just see some dots
on the It's it's the game where you just think
to yourself, you're there and you think I may as
well stayed at home.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Right, yeah, I'm at the camp right yeah yeah, wow,
camp new.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
You know. I know they're improving it. Let's hope that
that's one of the improvements they make, because it's terrible.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
I think the burn about your way up too, aren't you?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Are you? Are you up there?
Speaker 4 (23:31):
It's really funny. But as I said, in Europe, the
priorities not really on the away fans because I think
they get less I mean the only in in the
Premier League and in the Bundesliga, you know, I mean
you get lots of traveling fans. I think in a
lot of like Spain and that they don't get lots
of traveling fans. You see like El Classico and they'll
be like like they've got one this week, and there'll
be like one hundreds, you know, Barcelona fans in a
(23:55):
little corner. Whereas you know, if you know Arson versus
top them, you could sell out the aid him with
away fans if you wanted to, you know. So that's
that's the difference between the two leagues. But I just
think that in Europe sometimes the away the away fan experience,
I mean, Napoli is another one that's not great, you know.
I mean you you go to watch the game, you
(24:17):
have to go down to the middle of the city
and board these coaches that they will I call them
coaches a bit like when you're watching prison Break or
something like that, those sort of coaches, right, and they
may they drive you in from the center of town
into the into the stadium and as he getting near
(24:39):
to the stadium, you see loads of their fans go
like that, and it's I mean it's a very very
hostile place to go to. But again you know you're
far away from the action. You're you're high up. I
mean they've got this big running track around the pitch.
Not a great you know experience for an away fan. Again,
as I said, for your home fans, they probably up
(25:01):
for an away fan. And then after the game your
bust back out against if you've not really been able
to take you know, because of all the trouble and
that they have there, you're not really able to take
in the proper atmosphere is what you should be able
to on a game like that, you know. So I
certainly feel that in the Premier League they do it right,
you know. I mean, the away experience is good. The
(25:23):
only one I don't like, as I said, is the
Newcastle one because they put you to a great atmosphere
at Newcastle where they put you too high up.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
One more before we go, this is a familiar voice.
Time to go, so legendary. So may he rest in peace.
I was.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
I have been there since since the early days. I
actually hung out with the with Arsenal NYC, so my
video went viral. But before I asked this last question
here my video went viral on Valentine's Day twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
You know what game?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
It was the well back when against Leicester when we
thought we were gonna win the league. I was at
the Blonde Pig Pub in New York City and it
actually NBC Sports played the video worldwide and I was
getting so many followers and retweets it. In fact, the
photographer Stuart McFarlane retweeted it from Arsenal.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
He loved it so much, so that was fantastic.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
But just kind of a crossover question here before I'll
let you go Robbie in the news in the past
couple of days, La Liga has kind of floated the
idea of that El Classical being played in Miami too
much to the delight of a lot of American football
fans here. So it's already been kind of debunked and
(26:39):
shot down that the Premier League in the future would
dare play games here in the States or maybe outside
of the borders of the UK. So how do you feel,
as somebody who's traveled all over Europe? I mean, would
you would it excite you to come here? I assume
you're gonna be here for the twenty six World Cup.
That's going to be an enormal It's going to be
(27:01):
an enormous, enormous deal here. It's it's ours, It's it's
our two hundred and fifty year anniversary as a country.
So they're going to be really doing it up obviously
the biggest World Cup ever. So how do you feel
about Premier League games being played outside of the UK,
especially maybe here in the States for commercial value? As
you see Bowley coming out with all these hair brained
(27:23):
ideas of all Star games and things like that.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Yeah, you know what, right. I was having this debate
last on Sunday because I went to a NFL game
over it. So I went to watch the It was
a Patriots versus the Jaguars, So I went to that game.
Is really good the way at Wembley and we were like,
we were talking and we was like meet me and
(27:46):
my friend Julie and was like these fans, like look
at it. The stadium's packed. Should this happen? When will
this happen? That a Premier League game? He's played in
America and listen, I've been to America. I was there
in the summer with Arsenal packed out stadium in La
packed out in Philadelphia. Every time I've been to America
(28:06):
since I've been doing this panel, it's always brilliant atmosphere.
Americans know how to do their sports. But I'm telling you,
I don't think the fans over here would have it.
Any game being played from the Premier League, played in
(28:27):
America or anywhere else is going to be It's going
to go down very, very badly. I think in the
league listen, I think they're obviously they're trying to float that.
I think they did a game in Saudi as well,
didn't they the World a Cup game? And you know
they're obviously on a mission to try and make money.
I think the owners of a load of these clubs
(28:47):
in England would love to do it as well. But
the fans are very very anti any game at all
being played outside of the Premier League. Now, I do
personally think that one day is going to happen. It
just is not going to happen now, no chance, especially
after what happened with the Super League stuff. That lost
(29:08):
all trust of any owners or anything with any fans
over here, and the government were ready to step in
on that, you know what I mean, and you know
put blocks on certain things happening. So you know what
I think could happen though maybe in the future, maybe
something like the League Cup, the Caribo Cup, you know,
maybe something like that being you know, the final being
(29:30):
played in America or something like that happening. But for now,
and I say for now because I you know, I
don't think you can discount it completely. But I think
for now, I can't see any Premier League game being
played in America. That you even mentioned that to a
fan over here, Yeah, no chance.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It's kind of the same way here with with us
and Roger Goodell, who every time he gets up there
and is going to attack. He's thee FEL commissioner, he's
in charge of the NFL. He wants to move the
Super Bowl overseas, which we don't think is a very
good idea whatsoever, just like you don't think and it's
a good idea to move the Premier League games overseas. Robbie,
(30:12):
we couldn't thank you enough for your time today.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
You can follow him at It's Robbie Lyle or at
AFTV on Twitter, on x or at Robbie Lyle Official
on Instagram. Robbie, thank you so much again. And come
on you gunners, and and yeah we'll talk to you
down the line.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Again, appreciate right away the playing tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
A Z.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
That's who we got at home.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Hey, come on.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
There we go, let's go, let's go.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
Listens up this edition on the London Club Council. Thank
you to Robbi Lyle for coming in and joining our
Robbie and for our Robbie and for me Brett has
been a lot of Club Council. We'll be back next
week to preview and review all the action
We're at it again.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Welcome to another meeting of the London Club Council. Now
representing Tottenham Hotspit. In this corner we do have Brett
Blakemore and repping Arsenal is Robbie Rosenhaus.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
So boys, let the banter begin.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Welcome in to a very special edition of the London
Club Council. My name is Robbi Rosenhaus, representing Arsenal here
with Brett Blake Moore representing Tottenham, and it gives me
a distinct pleasure to welcome in Robbie Lyle, the founder
of AFTV Media and DR Sports, a huge figure in
the football world from football fan to.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Now network owner.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Robbie, welcome in and thanks so much for joining us
today with a couple of words on my favorite football
club and yours as well.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
No, no, thank you very much for having me. I mean,
I was shocked at when I came on. I saw
that Topham shirt. I love this.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
You thought that there is a candid camera we you
were pranked. You were being pranked right or something?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah. I saw that top of the shirt and I
was like, well they've been pranked every week.
Speaker 5 (01:08):
Yeah, yeah, pretty, I've been getting pranked for years, it
turns out, how do.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
You end up supporting?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Yeah, go ahead, please please explain.
Speaker 5 (01:20):
I mean, how much time do we got long story stories?
I wanted a London club and I kind of just
liked the aura and I like kind of it's us
against the world mentality, and I liked there's a handful
of other things. But but yeah, that's the short version
of them.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
So I was in college and my college roommate was
a huge a fan of of the Invincibles and the
Henri Era. So I didn't get started until two thousand
and eight. And the first match I ever watched, I
know you could remember it because you have an encyclopedic memory,
is the walk caught to Atabayor goal at Liverpool that
we ended up losing the match in the Champions League,
(01:57):
But it was an iconic match, one of the great runs.
I mean, he ran basically the entire length of the
pitch and fed it to adabay Or, who scored. You
remember the goal at Anfield it was, It was legendary.
So again I go back to that. So about fifteen
years I've been following the club. Brett's been following Tottenham
for about five years now. Yeah, and again, our passion
(02:18):
is pretty unmatched here in the state of Minnesota, here
in the upper Midwest.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So again we appreciate you joining us today.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
So before we kind of get into how the club
has been performing lately and just how you see them
this weekend at Liverpool, just kind of an overriding question
about Stan Kronki, because over here in America it's commonplace
for someone to own multiple franchises. Stan Kronki is no
stranger to this, owning the Avalanche and the Nuggets in
Colorado and obviously Arsenal football club. We've heard the calls
(02:49):
of silence Stan and his son Josh is more hands on.
How do you view the nearly two decade run that
the Kronky's family has kind of had over this over
the club and are the two biggest pivot pivot points
for you basically moving into the Emirates and also hanging
on to Wenger for perhaps maybe one year too long.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Yeah, I mean, how I view it probably is that,
like the first fifteen years, probably I wouldn't view them
very favorably if I'm being honest, you know, I mean
they you know, remember Arsenal was a club that were winning,
you know, leagues on a regular basis, winning FA Cups
on a regular basis, and then you know, we moved
(03:33):
into the Emirates Stadium and it was a real it's
been a real barren time. You know, we've not won
the league seems we've been in that stadium, and you
know a lot of the perceptions always been over the
years that you know, I have to have the kron
kids really gone all in, you know, I mean, have
they you know, because you know, for instance, when we
moved into the Emirates Stadium, we started selling all of
(03:55):
our best players, you know what I mean. So you
saw all of our best players go into your Chelsea
is and your Man Cities, and I felt that they
were a little bit slow to react to the rise
of Chelsea and to the rise of Man City. I know,
those club sort of came in with ridiculous money, but
I thought they were slow to react to that. But
what I would say is over the last sort of
(04:17):
five years or so ever, since they got full control
of the club, they've been a lot different, you know
what I mean. They've they've really invested heavily in players,
They've you know, really backed the manager, and I'd say
they've been looked on quite favorably at the moment, in
particular Josh who sort of seemed to have taken on
(04:38):
the reins more than stand because that that title of
silent stand I think it was a correct one because
you just never used to ever hear anything from him.
I remember going to a board meeting that he was
at and he said about three words and that was it.
But certainly I think in recent times, ever since they
(05:00):
got full ownership of the club, and it looks like
that seemed to have been a problem in the past
that you know, it was them and Usmanov, who's the
Russian guy who owned a massive percentage in the club.
They seem to have an issue with him, and they
and he had and they were both jostlying for full
ConTroll of the club. They ended up getting that. And
once they've got full controller of the club, I feel
(05:23):
that now they're doing things in the right way.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
So to to that point, And and again, you you're
you're still a fan of the club, but you also
use a f t V. And and and and and
and obviously making living off of off of things like that,
but but in your heart you're still a fan and
going back to kind of the fan aspect of things.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I mean, I remember.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
During the the late the late years of of Younger
and it was Venger out, Wenger in, and then who
Nayamori came in and it was basically an abject disaster.
I mean, the the the Europa League Final was in
Baku was one of the worst matches I think I've
ever seen the club play.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
So it was it was a time of despair.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
And now it seems like after going to the match
a couple of weeks ago against Southampton they go.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Down one nil.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I never had in my head that they were ever
going to lose that match. There was just a sense
of the fans getting behind them as as as crazy
as the Saints fans went in the corner to that
and I got to sit in the Asperton Army, so
it was it was fantastic for me and the clock
end and it was an experience I'll never forget. But
speak a little bit to kind of the fan kind
(06:32):
of rebirth and renaissance, because for a few years there
it was kind of it was kind of Banterclub FC.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Yeah, I mean, listen if that Southampton game and you're
right about that game was obviously I was at the game,
and if that game would have happened, say five six
years ago, I don't think you would have seen that
amongst the fans. I'm saying that right, you wouldn't been
sitting be being moans and groans and oh my god,
here we go. And but what has really changed that
(07:03):
Arsenal is there's a real confidence from the fans in
the team and also there's a real connection and I
think a lot of that I put that down to
Michael Arteta. I really do feel that, you know, he's
really helped to bring the fans and the club together,
which is one of the things when he first came
in he said he was going to do. He goes,
I want to bring back that connection because the connection
(07:24):
was kind of broken for a while, you know. I
mean it was almost like the fans didn't feel like
they were connected to the team on the pitch. But
I feel they do now and that's why when they
go down, you'll see the fans now trying to get
behind the team and encourage them to come back. So,
you know, I think that's been one of the real
(07:48):
good apart from obviously the performances on the pitch, have
improved a lot. That always helps, you know, But I
really don't think so. Michael Arteta has done some great
jobs in connecting the fans back with the players, and
the players back with the fans.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
I will say, at the Tottenham Bar here in Minneapolis,
there is a sign that hangs there for every game
saying Wenger in is what it says. We have that
just hung up there just because we enjoy that. Speaking
of Arteta, though.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Let me just stop you there, because you remember how
many titles, Yeah, exactly. Remember he did go a whole
season unbeaten, which has never ever been done since. And
h you say, Van Green, for you to do even
one of those.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Things, that's right, I don't. He doesn't.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
I don't. He doesn't know how popular Saint Totteringham's day
is in North London. But but he's he's getting a sense.
There was a bit of a lull there, but now
we're back on track.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
Never let the truth get in the way of a
good joke, though, is what I said.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
So.
Speaker 5 (08:46):
But speaking of Arteta though, in kind of the style
of play, I know there's every club, is there doomers
and gloomers right that everything stinks and this is the
worst and sacked manager blah blah blah. And obviously, as
you mentioned, there's not as many Arsenals there has been
in the past, but the ones that are there are
basically saying we don't get a trophy this year. I mean,
how many years is this without a trophy? For Michel?
(09:07):
Even ten Hag is winning trophies and he stinks. So
do you feel like there's any justification to that thinking
at all, like we need to get a trophy now
or ted or what are we doing here?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
I think you've got to put contexts on everything, you know.
I mean, I was saying this to an Arsenal fan
the other day, me and him sort of having a
bit of back and forth on this. I'll go, well,
what do you want? Do you want to challenge for
the league because the last two seasons we've challenged, not
just like a little outside challenge. We have been the
(09:38):
team that have challenged push Man City all the way
for that league. Or do you want to win the
League Cup in January or February or whenever it is right?
What do you want? Because to me, for a club,
the size of Arsenal winning the League Cup is not
what we want is we want we multiple We want
the FA Cup more than any other team, right, the
(10:00):
League Cup for a team the size of Arsenal, we
want to be challenging to try and win the league,
and to win the league at this moment in time
is very, very difficult, you know what I mean. You've
seen teams they've thrown over a billionaire in Manchester United
and Chelsea and they still haven't got close to winning it.
So it's really really difficult. So I think you've got
(10:21):
to put a real context on it. He's he's taken
us from being we just used Arsenal fans. We've been
talking about trying to get in the top four. Now
no Arsenal fan mentions the top four. It's all about
we want to win the league now. Listen. Obviously, when
you manage a top Premier league football club, the pressure's
on you to win and to win trophies and to win,
(10:43):
whether it be the League, the Champions League, the FA Cup.
But the pressure's on you and to me if if
michaela remember he's won the FA Cup before, but if
he wins the FA Cup this season, there'll be still
fans moaning and saying, all right, fair enough, you won
the FA Cup. What about the league? That's kind of
like the holy Grail at the moment, and the reality
(11:04):
of it is there's a certain guy called Pep Guardiola
who is like the best manager that this league's ever seen,
and it's very, very difficult to get over the line.
I mean, we've got within two points last season, so
I think let's wait and see how this season pans out,
you know. I mean if the season finished off and
nikol Arteta won no trophies and he's absolutely miles off
(11:27):
challenging and stuff like, and then a conversation has to
be had. But to me, if he's challenging again to
win the league, which we are doing at the moment,
I think we've got to get behind him. Mark. I'm
not really one of these sort of fans that are
just jumping on this thing that it's right here and
supposing he pushes I don't know City or we discout
(11:52):
Liverpool out there, they're in it. So within one point,
do you turn around and say sacking. I think that
would be ridiculous. And what manage do you bring in
is not just you know, I think he's one of
the best managers around right now. So it's listen, it's football,
and we all want to win, and we all want
to win the league, and we want to win a
Champions League. But the reality of it is there's only
(12:14):
one team can win it. It's twenty teams in the
Privy League, you know, I mean, and it's very, very difficult.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
And look how much success Bretts Club Tottenham has had
basically changing managers like I changed my socks, you know,
going through a marine and Conte and Martin Yoel and
Harry Redknapp and and just go Tim Sherwood and just
caretaker managers right and now they finally settled on you know,
they're loving Big Ange instead. And we'll get your thoughts
on quick thoughts on them in just a second. We're
(12:41):
talking with Robbie Lyle here from af TV. It's a
pleasure to have him. And you just mentioned Liverpool and
Liverpool home this week. They did beat them three to
one last year in this fixture. They currently set four
points behind the Reds and defeat could see them fall
seven points behind them and six points behind Cidy, who
are probably going to take care of Southampton this week.
(13:02):
So how important is it to get healthy and to
get the full three points this week and without oder Guard,
without CALIFIORI just kind of moving out of a big
picture into a small picture and going right in this
ninety minutes. I mean, this is the most important ninety
minutes of the season, considering the fact that we dropped
(13:22):
three points against Bournemouth a week ago.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yeah, and you know without Saliba as well, could be
without Sokka, without oder Guards. You know what I mean.
We've missing so many players that listen. We've coped with
it brilliantly so far because we've had an injury hits
start to the season. We've been going into games. I
remember we went to Tottenham. We went into that game
with that players like Oda Guard. We went into the
City game without Oda. God, we've been missing players. I
(13:47):
think now we're starting to miss too many, you know
what I mean, because we're really fit on the ground,
especially in the defensive area for this week with the
amount of injuries that we have. But we're playing at
home and I think we've got a great chance. I'm
still playing at home. Liverpool are playing well. Obviously their
top of the league. I remember this time last year
when we played Liverpool, we could have gone eight points
(14:10):
behind them at the time. They've beaten us in the
FA Cup to nil at the Emirates and their tails
are up and everybody was saying that, you know, they
felt that Liverpool were going to win that game and
we turned them over three one, like you said. So
we're going to have to be on our a game
this Sunday, you know. I mean, it's very disappointing last
week against Bournemouth arm and we're gonna have to be
(14:33):
on our a game and we've got to keep eleven
players on the pitch, you know, because that's been the
bigger Achilles heel of this Arsenal team so far this season,
and that every game that we've had a player sent
off which has been free, which is far too many,
we haven't won that game, you know what I mean.
We we drew against Brighton, we were winning one. We
(14:54):
drew against City where we were winning two to one,
and then we lost you know it, Neil neil, and
we lost to Bournemouth. It's not sustainable to keep getting
players sent off and then go down to ten men
and having to play fifty sixty minutes with a man
down in the Premier League when you're coming up and
gets so many good sites, so we've got this is
a great opportunity for Arsal to bounce back. And as
(15:15):
I said, we're very strong at home. We haven't lost
the game at home this season EVA, but we're coming
up against a very, very good side and it's going
to be a real test for arsen when you can see,
I mean, even if everybody's fit, it's a big test
with the players that are injured. The players that come
in are going to have to really stand up.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Now with speaking of those two players, one is probably
going to play, the other Soccer is an injury doubt.
I want to focus on those two players for a
second because because between my podcast partner and my good
friend Brett and I, Kai Hartz and Kayle Soaker have
been have been the kind of the just the crux
(15:57):
of a lot of our conversation here on the podcast,
just just how much they mean to the team. Brett,
for example, thinks, well as he would, he just thinks
that Socke is a quote one trick pony hold on
that's hard. So he thinks SOCCA is a bit overrated.
And I know that this is a big debate on
Talk Sport and within Arsenal circles, and I know it
(16:19):
was a debate in the last couple of weeks. Is
he world class? I saw it on all over social media.
Is he world class? Who cares as long as he
can he contributes goals and assists to uh hopefully a
title winning side. That's what I care about. But uh, Brett,
I'll let you chime in before Robbie takes over here.
But haverts And and Sokka, I don't think you're too
high on either one of them.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
Well, and it's not like I just hate Arsenal players
and if they wear that crest and I think they're terrible.
Like I think Oda Gard is incredible, Like he's one
of my favorite players to watch period. I think Rice
is really good. It's just my thing. Well, Havertz is
just fun to banter. It's just that's just the fact
of the matter. It's just fun. But he's scoring so
much that that's becoming hard to do that with soccer.
(17:01):
It's it's not that I think he's bad. It's not
that I think he's not good. I think he is
good to very good. I just think he's just slightly
I know what's gonna happen. He's on the right side,
and if you force him to his right foot, it's
not it's going to be a cross that's probably kind
of soft or a little wafted that's gonna get mopped up.
(17:22):
He's on his left foot, it's lethal. Like whether it's
a shot, whether it's a cross in, whether it's the past,
absolutely lethal. But I just feel like it's a little
he's a little one footed.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
For my taste.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I think he's still good. But to me, that's that's
kind of how I read it.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
So you know what's gonna happen, but the things he
can't stop, and that's what I.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Keep telling him.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Yeah, that's what's frustrating, yelling at the TV.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
He's one of the best players in the Premier League easily,
you know. I mean, he's he's our best player at
the club. He's he's one of England's best players. He
deserves the he's to me, he's underrated. He is absolutely
brilliant player, so effective. He's a winger that always produces.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
You.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
You watch soccer playing a game sometimes and you'll be like, well,
he was okay today, and then you look at the
you look at the stats and he's had an assist
for a goal at the very least, you know what
I mean. He assists goals, he scores goals, he's a
leader on the pitch. He's lethal. Nobody wants to play
(18:26):
against soccer, you know what I mean. He was voted
England's Player of the Year two years straight. At international level.
He always produces whensoever he's and we forget how young
he still is. So to me, he's one of the
best young players in European football. He's one of the
best players. You you give me five wide players better
(18:48):
than him right now in the world. He's absolute the top,
top quality. And you know, I'm hoping that's why we're
all hoping that he's playing on Saturday, sorry, on Sunday,
because he's a you know, he is an absolutely brilliant player.
And as for Habits, he's been banging in the goals.
What more than he was playing as a striker. He's
(19:08):
scoring the goals. He's got more than Slanky. He's scoring
the goals, isn't he? So you know, you know, Habits,
Habits has proved a doubt is wrong. When he first
came in, there was a lot of arm you know,
not not not just fans of other clubs, so fans
of Arsenal me myself included, I was like, well, it's
a bit of a weird signing. Why do we need
habits for That's a lot of money, Chelsea player. He's
(19:32):
silenced everybody. He was excellent last season and he started
off this season very very well as well. He's a
lot more physical than I thought he was going to be,
you know what I mean. He holds the ball up
brilliantly and he's been scoring. So I've been very happy
with those two, you know what I mean. And as
I said, soccer is a key player for Arsenal, absolutely key.
I think we're going to win things this season. He
(19:54):
has to stay fit and that was why it was
so annoying to see him get injured, you know, not
from playing for Arshoal and international duty and we've been
missing him in the past couple of games.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Time for a couple more here with Robbie Lyle from AFTV.
You have traveled around Europe, you have traveled around the
UK with this club, so I have to ask just
what is your favorite away ground to go to and
what is your least favorite away ground that you've been at.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
It doesn't have to be for one match. It could be.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
It could be Tottenham, it could it could be as
at Alkmaar it could it could be it could be anything.
Speaker 4 (20:30):
Yeah, you know what. Up until last week, my favorite
ground has always been Bournemouth because you know, it's a
really strange thing, right, because I mean, I've been to
so many stadiums around the country, around the world, but
Bournemouth is a real unique experience because it's a tiny
little ground. It's only about holds about eleven thousand. Bournemost's
a really nice city. They've got a beach there, everything
(20:51):
like that, and then when you when you go to
the game, you're so close to the action. You know,
you can almost reach out and touch the players. I mean,
it's really a really unique ground. You just don't see
those sort of grounds anymore. So I was kind of
enjoyed going there, although I didn't enjoy it last week.
But and the worst grounds this is going to sound
(21:12):
very strange to you guys, right, but the worst ground
I feel to visit as an away fan, right is Barcelona.
They put you up so high in the gods, you
know what I mean, you can barely see the game.
You're behind this sort of perspex and netting. It's really
an awful experience when you go there like it's and
(21:36):
there are a lot of teams in Europe that do that,
they just don't in on the Premier League, right. I
think the only ground that sort of comes close to
that is like Newcastle where they put you very high up.
But all the other all the other teams are you know,
they're told by the Premier League that the away fans
have to be near where the action is. So, for instance,
(21:56):
you go to Tottenham, you know, I mean, that's a
that's a that's a good ground to go to. You
now you're involved, you're involved in the action. But when
you go to those grounds where they put you right
up in the gods, miles away from what's going on,
they're trying to remove your atmosphere. You know you spoke
about when you came to the game the other day
and seeing the Southampton fans. I love that. I even
(22:19):
though I want to see my fan, I love that
they're part of the game and you can see their
fans and hear their fans and that. But when you
go to games like say a Barcelona, like I said,
you're so high up it's almost like you're not part
of the game, you're not involved in it because you'd
be removed completely from the atmosphere. So for me, Barcelona
are way awful, absolutely awful. For a home fan is
(22:43):
probably good, but for a way fan, terrible.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
I remember there was a match at Barcelona when one
of our players, I think it was Van Person got
sent off for kicking the ball, but for not hearing
the whistle, right he got a second yellow card and
that was and that was the end of that. So yeah,
I do not have fun memories.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
Yeah, if you're away fan watching that, or you would
have seen that, you're so you just see some dots
on the It's it's the game where you just think
to yourself, you're there and you think I may as
well stayed at home.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Right, yeah, I'm at the camp right yeah yeah, wow,
camp new.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
You know. I know they're improving it. Let's hope that
that's one of the improvements they make, because it's terrible.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
I think the burn about your way up too, aren't you?
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Are you? Are you up there?
Speaker 4 (23:31):
It's really funny. But as I said, in Europe, the
priorities not really on the away fans because I think
they get less I mean the only in in the
Premier League and in the Bundesliga, you know, I mean
you get lots of traveling fans. I think in a
lot of like Spain and that they don't get lots
of traveling fans. You see like El Classico and they'll
be like like they've got one this week, and there'll
be like one hundreds, you know, Barcelona fans in a
(23:55):
little corner. Whereas you know, if you know Arson versus
top them, you could sell out the aid him with
away fans if you wanted to, you know. So that's
that's the difference between the two leagues. But I just
think that in Europe sometimes the away the away fan experience,
I mean, Napoli is another one that's not great, you know.
I mean you you go to watch the game, you
(24:17):
have to go down to the middle of the city
and board these coaches that they will I call them
coaches a bit like when you're watching prison Break or
something like that, those sort of coaches, right, and they
may they drive you in from the center of town
into the into the stadium and as he getting near
(24:39):
to the stadium, you see loads of their fans go
like that, and it's I mean it's a very very
hostile place to go to. But again you know you're
far away from the action. You're you're high up. I
mean they've got this big running track around the pitch.
Not a great you know experience for an away fan. Again,
as I said, for your home fans, they probably up
(25:01):
for an away fan. And then after the game your
bust back out against if you've not really been able
to take you know, because of all the trouble and
that they have there, you're not really able to take
in the proper atmosphere is what you should be able
to on a game like that, you know. So I
certainly feel that in the Premier League they do it right,
you know. I mean, the away experience is good. The
(25:23):
only one I don't like, as I said, is the
Newcastle one because they put you to a great atmosphere
at Newcastle where they put you too high up.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
One more before we go, this is a familiar voice.
Time to go, so legendary. So may he rest in peace.
I was.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
I have been there since since the early days. I
actually hung out with the with Arsenal NYC, so my
video went viral. But before I asked this last question
here my video went viral on Valentine's Day twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1 (25:57):
You know what game?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
It was the well back when against Leicester when we
thought we were gonna win the league. I was at
the Blonde Pig Pub in New York City and it
actually NBC Sports played the video worldwide and I was
getting so many followers and retweets it. In fact, the
photographer Stuart McFarlane retweeted it from Arsenal.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
He loved it so much, so that was fantastic.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
But just kind of a crossover question here before I'll
let you go Robbie in the news in the past
couple of days, La Liga has kind of floated the
idea of that El Classical being played in Miami too
much to the delight of a lot of American football
fans here. So it's already been kind of debunked and
(26:39):
shot down that the Premier League in the future would
dare play games here in the States or maybe outside
of the borders of the UK. So how do you feel,
as somebody who's traveled all over Europe? I mean, would
you would it excite you to come here? I assume
you're gonna be here for the twenty six World Cup.
That's going to be an enormal It's going to be
(27:01):
an enormous, enormous deal here. It's it's ours, It's it's
our two hundred and fifty year anniversary as a country.
So they're going to be really doing it up obviously
the biggest World Cup ever. So how do you feel
about Premier League games being played outside of the UK,
especially maybe here in the States for commercial value? As
you see Bowley coming out with all these hair brained
(27:23):
ideas of all Star games and things like that.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Yeah, you know what, right. I was having this debate
last on Sunday because I went to a NFL game
over it. So I went to watch the It was
a Patriots versus the Jaguars, So I went to that game.
Is really good the way at Wembley and we were like,
we were talking and we was like meet me and
(27:46):
my friend Julie and was like these fans, like look
at it. The stadium's packed. Should this happen? When will
this happen? That a Premier League game? He's played in
America and listen, I've been to America. I was there
in the summer with Arsenal packed out stadium in La
packed out in Philadelphia. Every time I've been to America
(28:06):
since I've been doing this panel, it's always brilliant atmosphere.
Americans know how to do their sports. But I'm telling you,
I don't think the fans over here would have it.
Any game being played from the Premier League, played in
(28:27):
America or anywhere else is going to be It's going
to go down very, very badly. I think in the
league listen, I think they're obviously they're trying to float that.
I think they did a game in Saudi as well,
didn't they the World a Cup game? And you know
they're obviously on a mission to try and make money.
I think the owners of a load of these clubs
(28:47):
in England would love to do it as well. But
the fans are very very anti any game at all
being played outside of the Premier League. Now, I do
personally think that one day is going to happen. It
just is not going to happen now, no chance, especially
after what happened with the Super League stuff. That lost
(29:08):
all trust of any owners or anything with any fans
over here, and the government were ready to step in
on that, you know what I mean, and you know
put blocks on certain things happening. So you know what
I think could happen though maybe in the future, maybe
something like the League Cup, the Caribo Cup, you know,
maybe something like that being you know, the final being
(29:30):
played in America or something like that happening. But for now,
and I say for now because I you know, I
don't think you can discount it completely. But I think
for now, I can't see any Premier League game being
played in America. That you even mentioned that to a
fan over here, Yeah, no chance.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It's kind of the same way here with with us
and Roger Goodell, who every time he gets up there
and is going to attack. He's thee FEL commissioner, he's
in charge of the NFL. He wants to move the
Super Bowl overseas, which we don't think is a very
good idea whatsoever, just like you don't think and it's
a good idea to move the Premier League games overseas. Robbie,
(30:12):
we couldn't thank you enough for your time today.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
You can follow him at It's Robbie Lyle or at
AFTV on Twitter, on x or at Robbie Lyle Official
on Instagram. Robbie, thank you so much again. And come
on you gunners, and and yeah we'll talk to you
down the line.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Again, appreciate right away the playing tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
A Z.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
That's who we got at home.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
Hey, come on.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
There we go, let's go, let's go.
Speaker 5 (30:43):
Listens up this edition on the London Club Council. Thank
you to Robbi Lyle for coming in and joining our
Robbie and for our Robbie and for me Brett has
been a lot of Club Council. We'll be back next
week to preview and review all the action
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