What is going on with our club?! I meet my mate Rob (before the Portsmouth game) proceed to discuss all things Arsenal, (as you do) and he informs me that on the official website he has read that with 'immediate effect' all national flags are now banned from the stadium!!!

HA HA HA HA! 'You are having a laugh mate,' I say. A quick word with a steward confirms this. What the hell is going on? It would seem that some Greek Cypriots have taken offence to a fan with a Turkish Republic of Cyprus flag in the ground and as a result all flags including St George and Union flags are now banned.

I am recently home from a six month tour of Iraq and I find it extremely offensive that we are now banned from flying our national flag because of the petty squabbles of fans descended from another country. Before you paint me as a boneheaded racist I am all for having any flags in the ground. I believe Gilberto must love seeing a Brazil flag waved, my dad loves the Scottish Gooners one too (he's from Glasgow) and how many French Tricolours have we seen?

The point is flags have always been a part of football crowd identity and colour, look at countless cup finals! It is just typical of the way this club are going and it is making us the laughing stock of the football world. We are in danger of becoming so sanitised to the point where going to see The Arsenal is akin to a night at the opera!! Sure the new ground’s architecture is impressive but without real fans, real passion, colour and noise the ground is an empty shell!!

I am half expecting the board to ban the cannon because someone finds it offensive as it promotes war and to hand out sheets of 'approved non offensive songs' to be sung quietly so as to not offend fellow opera, sorry, Arsenal fans. Damn now I have given them an idea!! I despair!!!