ARSENAL MEDIAWATCH: Is Hornby's love affair going off the rails?
ARSENAL MEDIAWATCH:
Is Nick Hornby falling out of love with Arsenal?
The famed author, whose acclaimed 1992 semi-autobiographical best seller Fever Pitch remains the benchmark for football books, has shown signs in the past week his devotion to the cause is, perhaps, on the wane.
First, on BBC RADIO LONDON 94.9FM'S ROBERT ELMS SHOW, he described Emirates Stadium as ''better than Highbury, but not as good, if you know what I mean.'' adding it has been an ''unhappy place. We really need to win a trophy."
It may have been merely a sign of frustration at Arsenal's lack of silverware in recent seasons, but on THE SOUTH BANK SHOW, when asked by fellow Gooner Melvyn Bragg if he still feels an ''umbilical cord attachment'' to he club, Hornby replied: "No, I feel that has been cut. A lot has changed in the game since I wrote Fever Pitch - probably more than in the previous 100 years.
"We sit in a stadium that does not feel like home surrounded by corporate sponsorship... it feels more like going to the cinema, although the film is pretty good.
"And there is still a distance between me and the players that I certainly didn't feel 20 years ago."
Meanwhile, COED MAGAZINE has two Arsenal 'ladies' in its list of the top 50 WAGs.
Theo Walcott's squeeze Melanie Slade - who, despite distancing herself from the WAG culture, still poses for a rather raunchy picture - is 45th, while Tomas Rosicky's better half, the sensational Radka Kocurova, glides in at No31.
And the winner, for anyone who is interested, is (drum roll) ... Abigail Clancy, significant other of Spurs beanpole striker Peter Crouch.
Speaking of Rosicky, he is smiling after clinching a new deal with a new multi-year deal with Puma to wear the German sports manufacturer's boots.
SPORTSPROMEDIA.COM confirms the deal, which will see him join forces with fellow Puma 'ambassadors' Samuel Eto'o and Nicolas Anelka.
"We are thrilled to add a global star like Tomas Rosicky to our endorsement roster," harrumphed Puma's Filip Trulsson.
"Rosicky is a first class player and a great Puma personality on and off the pitch."
It follows a highly publicised split from his previous boot provider, Nike, which is so full of legal issues it's best to end it here....
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