Arsenal are bottom of the class

Throughout my life, I have always prided myself on being a good sport.

Football, Boxing and Cricket are the three sports that I enjoy the most, in that order.

As a boy and adolescent youth I represented North Tyneside at football, I was also a member of St Edwards ABC in Whitley Bay.

I was stopped from playing school cricket after an altercation with one of the tutors.

This didn’t stop me looking forward to the Callers Pegasus two day bonanza at Jesmond once a year though.

I was always taught to be magnanimous in defeat by my father and because of his philosophy, rather than just accept being second best, it actually drove me on to be a good winner and gracious loser.

I was angry at first, with regards to the Mikel Arteta / Arsenal reaction to their defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on November 4th.

That anger has subsequently given way to sadness.

Sad that a once famous footballing institution like Arsenal have stooped to the level of their petulant and ignorant young manager.

I have listened to the referee / VAR audio conversation at the time of the Anthony Gordon winning goal against the Gunners.

It just gave me a firmer belief that there was nowt wrong with the goal, that this whole episode has just been one almighty bowl of sour grapes from start to finish.

We all recognise Arsenal as being one of the self-entitled Septic Six.

We just didn’t know how far they were really actually up their own jacksies.

I don’t go along with all this “mind games” nonsense that came to the Premiership fore under Sir Alex Ferguson in the nineties.

I call it intimidatory bullying and trying to coerce and influence future decisions. In other words, cheating.

Arsenal think that they are big-shots, but I really don’t think they are anything special, not in today’s pecking order.

Some media pundits and fans have a habit of going way over the top about certain teams’ chances.

Arsenal are one of those teams.

This is undoubtedly because they are from the South, so they want it to be real and true.

I am always a glass half full man.

For all their Rices, Sakas and Odegaards, I wouldn’t want to change anything that is going on at Gallowgate, to be like the Gunners.

We are heading for the very top and once we get there, the resources will be finally in place to make life there sustainable over many years.

It took Manchester City four years to win their first Premier League title but that was well before the current Financial Fair Play regulations were implemented.

Regardless of the restraints, I believe that Newcastle United will be Premier League Champions by 2027 at the latest.

Arsenal by that time, will be a couple of managers down the line and in our shadow.

I will be interested to hear the response of this once classy club to the released audio by the PGMOL.