My sincere thanks to hundreds of people who have written this week. Here are a few emails with my replies.
From : Pete
Happy Birthday Myles!
You’re now officially a pensioner, but you sure don’t write like one. I check in every day, and like Patrick, although I don’t agree all the time, and sometimes take exception, I enjoy the freshness of your writing and the fact that it is challenging.
I’m from Northern Ireland and take a great interest in our politics and history. I would say I’m pretty used to reading challenging and sometimes deeply offensive articles about the situation here and how it developed. It’s what I’m used to – so reading your op eds on Arsenal I’m not going to take grave offence – because, like you said, it’s only football. More power to you – but I think you might be pleasantly surprised by how we do this season. And having read you for years, I know you’ll admit up front that you were wrong.
Well, fingers crossed anyway.
Thanks, Pete. Maybe Arsenal will win something. It’s about time. Many outcomes are possible. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. Almost every time I watched Adebarndoor, I was unpleasantly surprised. I’m so glad that Adebayor, the party animal who was born offside in Nigerian Togo, has been sold to Manchester City
As always, I want to see what squad Arsenal will have on September 2. And I want to see what squad Chelsea, Liverpool, and the Manchesters have on September 2 as well.Arsenal need a striker who can play with Arshavin and a big stopper centreback who is more experienced than Djourou. If Gallas or Vermaelen got injured, Arsenal could be in mid-table faster than you can say Joe Baker.
I’d like to go to Northern Ireland some time. I’ve met writers and other creative people from there that I loved. Van Morrison features prominently in the rock memoir I’m writing. I was a fan of Energy Orchard, a Belfast rock group, and had fun with them. I took Bap Kennedy to see Bob Dylan one night. Bap had never seen Bob, although he had recorded with Van.
From : Barney
This site has to be one of my favourites. I have been hooked on it for the last few months since I discovered it. What attracted me was the fact that you try to be honest in your judgement and don’t base it on media hype and hearsay and your typical fan response i.e in Arsene we trust, yet you are not scared to criticize or say what most Gooners think in their head but are afraid to admit. And also not ashamed to give praise when it’s due.
Great site, will check it regularly.
Barney, I can’t always be original. But I don’t want to duplicate what others write. As my dad used to say, “If two people are continually in agreement, one is redundant.”
From : Ben
Myles,
Happy Birthday!
You seem to be getting some criticism lately from bloggers, message boards etc and I just wanted to say don’t let the bastards get you down! Have a good day.
Myles says : Don’t worry, Ben. The bastards will never get me down. I never read message boards. I’ve had 200 abusive emails this week but I’m not bothered. Clearly, I’m no saint and I’ve made mistakes and written things I later regretted. But in the last five years I think I’ve mellowed and become a bit wiser. I now find that ANR intrudes too much into the time I want to spend on my book. But I’m loyal to the readers who are loyal to me. So I try to write for you as often as I can.
From : Declan Varley
Hi Myles,
Belated Happy Birthday from Galway in Ireland. Good letter but an even better reply which will be of immense use to those who did not know you before now. I’m a journalist myself. Last year I invented a fake Moldovan footballer for the laugh and he ended up in The Times Top 30. I should have sold the bastard in the summer. Hughes would have bought ‘im. Keep up the good work. I love your column, your honesty and your overall approach to life. Deighton may have his corner of WH Smith in Luton Airport, but is he as content as you so obviously are?
Thanks, Declan. I have contented days and also discontented days. I’m half-Irish myself. My dad was born in Dublin. He had three sons, of whom I’m the eldest. One day he looked at us and said, “You three are a fine pair if ever there was one.” He also said, “He who aims at nothing has a very good chance of hitting it.” A senior production engineer at British Aerospace, he was keen on westerns, crime novels, boxing, Frank Sinatra and DIY.
I’m sure Len Deighton enjoys life and is very contented. Good luck to him. He is a wonderful and prolific English novelist whose work will live on. He’s written some books that I haven’t read yet, so I’ve got those to look forward to.
Hope it was as sunny in Galway last week as it was in London. I flew to Galway once to interview the Saw Doctors for The Scotsman. Guitarist Leo picked me up and we were driving down this lovely country road towards Tuam, where the group live, and I realised that this was the road Leo had written the song about. A tune about driving down this delightfully scenic road in the west of Ireland and what he was thinking about as he was driving. It’s very real, very human, personal but also, somehow, universal
From : James O’Halloran
Myles,
I have read your website for I forget how many years. It is the first site I check each day.
THANK YOU for the thousands of articles I have enjoyed if not always agreed with. By the way, I never would have guessed you were as old as my dad! Enjoy the free bus pass! Best regards.
Thank you, young James. Way back in June 2003, when my daughter Caroline was doing her A-level exams, I was almost 59. We had a birthday party in the back garden with 40 teenagers and I realised that the kids, who were studying at home and only going in to school for exams, had really missed being with each other every day.
A little while after the party, Caroline said, “Most of my friends think you’re about fifty, fifty one.”
“Well, they’re not as bright as I thought they were,” I replied.
But I was quite pleased she’d said that. And, in fairness, her friends are some of the brightest kids in NW10.
A few days after the party I was joking, winding her up.
“You’ve always said I’m the hippest dad around,” I boasted.
Her reply was a bit waspish.
“I’ve never said that because if I did you’d be even more big-headed than you are now.”
From Dominic :
I am one of the moany Gooners but I enjoy reading as well, happy bday.
If you’re a moaning Gooner, Dominic, it’s good to admit it. You’re an adult if you can say : I know I’m whingeing, I know I shouldn’t do it because I’ve had many fantastic years as an Arsenal supporter since Arsene Wenger took over.
From : Austin
Fair enough points made by both of you. Didn’t realise you were 65. Had thought you were about the 40 mark. I too think you are slightly against Wenger and have lost a lot of time for Arsenal (from the posts I have read from you over last couple of years, it seems to be since Dein left). I don’t know what your connection was with Dein and maybe I’m way off there. However, I always read your articles cause at least you’re not like some of the others who just write what they think others will like. Also, although you don’t do it often, any time you have info it’s usually concrete (i.e. Arshavin not gone home, Sylvestre signing, Toure gone within a week etc) and I hope you were right the other day when you said there will be 3 purchases within a week. Anyway, best of luck and keep the good work (hobby) up!
Austin, I have no special connection with David Dein.
Only met him a few times. As many journalists have. And many Arsenal fans have. But if I ever wrote a football memoir, David Dein and George Graham would be in it. The trouble with being around a club for 25 years is that you know too much about the people who run it. That spoils your enjoyment a little bit.