When was the last time a team were criticised for celebrating winning a penalty shoot in a major

[Ashberto]

cup semi-final?

Had the players not celebrated would it not be disrespecting the opponents and the tournament?

[Jake]

More that we shouldn't have celebrated *SO* wildly.

:rolleyes:

It's not worth getting wound up over what's written over us, honestly.

[Bergkamp's Brain]

It may compensate for a lack of inches in other departments...

[Nicosia Gooner]

http://www.arsenal.*************.co.uk/article.asp?a=542415


Why Aren`t Arsenal Allowed To Celebrate?

Despite the lacklustre performance in yesterday`s FA Cup semi final, Arsenal were utterly dominant and more than deserving of their spot in the cup final (despite what John Cross might have you believe), and of course after Cazorla`s penalty slammed into the back of the net both players and fans celebrated like it was 1989.

The Gunners were subsequently criticised from all angles for celebrating after "only" beating Wigan in the semi final (completely forgetting that we were the first team to beat "only Wigan" in two seasons of FA Cup football).

I usually try not to be ruffled by any opinions of my club coming from people who shouldn`t really matter, but this time I struggled to be anything other than utterly annoyed. Especially when you consider how unanimous this opinion has been, even coming from some Arsenal fans.

"It`s a sign of the times" muttered many people, suggesting that Arsenal`s struggles to win a trophy over the last 8 years have somehow lead to this most heinous of crimes of celebrating a victory. Also hinting that The Gunners have no right to have a bit of a bundle simply because Wigan are in a lower division.

I challenge anyone to provide footage of a team stood ashen-faced on the halfway line as their team progressed to the next round of the cup on penalties in any round of a competition let alone a semi final.

It simply doesn`t happen. Were Liverpool supposed to politely contain themselves after beating Cardiff on penalties in the League Cup final a couple of seasons ago simply because at the time Cardiff were a lower league side?

This isn`t the first time Arsenal have been chastised for daring to be happy with an accomplishment, at the end of last season our players were told they should have been embarrassed after celebrating with the fans after over-turning a 13 point deficit against their fierce North London rivals on the final day of the season to secure yet another season of Champions League football and another year of keeping Spurs in our shadows. We just weren't supposed to be happy.

This despite the fact when Spurs finally managed to finish in 4th spot their players and manager acted like pissed-up teenagers live on national television, yet no-one batted an eyelid.

You get the feeling that after years of suffering at the pens and laptops of the media about how impotent we have been in the trophy stakes that we shall even be criticised for lifting the famous old trophy in May (should we win) simply because we`re not facing any of the top sides on the day.

It`s all too convenient for anyone to remember that The Arsenal dispatched Spurs (who were definitely going to finish above us this year), media darlings and "wouldn`t it be great if they won the league because Gerrard deserves a medal", Liverpool and Everton (I don`t really have anything bad to say about them).

Just why aren`t Arsenal allowed to celebrate? Someone let me know in the comments section below.