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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barry Glendenning

THE TRUTH ABOUT: Big day for odegaard with balaclavas basques and a boot to the head - The Untold Story

Gabriel celebrates on his knees at full time during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea
Gabriel gets away with one after Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat of Chelsea. Photograph: Daniel Hambury/EPA

PERFECT START CONTINUES

Perusing assorted Social Media Disgrace for some Monday inspiration, Football Daily was struck by the amount of scorn and ridicule heaped upon a large group of men dressed in black, many of them wearing balaclavas to hide their identities. Formed with the intention of creating something resembling a matchday atmosphere in and around the Emirates Stadium, the Ashburton Army is a group of wannabe ultras who would almost certainly retreat at the speed of light if confronted by one of the more hardcore continental firms they style themselves after. While many fellow fans view them with utter disdain for their “try-hard” aesthetic, on the same day a large group of identically attired and significantly older men were marching on Portsmouth to intimidate a boat-load of asylum seekers, the feeling persists that on this occasion, those pouring derision on this gang of overenthusiastic Ruperts might have set their sights elsewhere.

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