I have a lot of respect for Robbie Lyle. I admire anyone who has a vision and has the bravery to turn their dream into a reality.
Yet he continues to want the best of both worlds. He continues to fight for fan channels to be viewed as media, and believes the only reason YouTubers are not held in the same regard as a Sky Sports, BBC, Talk Sport, Daily Mirror, etc is the status quo feeling threatened and looking down on content creators.
In reality though, he benefits from being able to work without restrictions that a broadcaster, radio show or Newspaper have to adhere to.
Early views were built on who shouted the loudest and how many swear words they could manage. If Gary Neville swore, he would be sacked or at the very least suspended.
That’s who the host of AFTV wants to be compared to, but when it suits him, he counts subscribers based on a criterion he knows other pundits and presenters can’t entertain.
It was only when his channel attracted sponsors that he felt pressured to have standards and practices. Those on Fan Cams were no longer his friends who he could just apologise for. Not when advertisers were threatening to end their business relationships. It would be financially irresponsible to his family if the 51-year-old didn’t listen to companies paying him.
So, over the years, those who made racial comments, promoted their political beliefs or had any dealings with the law were asked to no longer participate.
AFTV was also rebranded with a younger team working on the channel, less character based, all able to construct a debate without the need of inappropriate language.
As many readers know, I take anything relevant daily regarding Arsenal and give my opinion. This includes a company who claim to represent Gooners. After all, if their business model is to stand outside someone else’s headquarters [Arsenal’s] and tell the world what they are doing is wrong, then they can’t complain if the same is done to them.
Imagine watching Super Sunday and Jamie Carragher shoves a guest because they dared to disagree with him. It would be spoken about, wouldn’t it?
Again, if Mr Lyle wants to be viewed in the same light as these stations, then he should be held to similar account.
On Saturday I watched TY push a younger fan for simply having a point of view.
I contacted AFTV to say I had just witnessed something that unsettled me during their upload and to be fair they have responded.
This after all is a channel who’s ethos is giving fans a voice. Well, here’s a young man with the courage to speak in front of a group and be filmed and he’s getting physically man handled.
You could see he was in shock not knowing how to respond, he couldn’t exactly retaliate.
Long term viewers might be aware of Taiwo as being a regular on the Channel, and this unfortunately was someone who’s celebrity on social media has led to him looking down on his peers, dismissing them with a shove while laughing at those in the crowd who tried to point out how inappropriate his actions were.
If your aware of his character you will know how he would have reacted had anyone touched him.
This is a man who gets offended if sworn at.
Robbie was recording with TY on Monday and failed to point out the contradiction of Emma Hayes (rightly) being condemned for pushing another manager, or the irony of TY saying that any banter shouldn’t resort to violence.
TY gets some of the highest amount of clicks so of course Robbie will let this go. Only if a sponsor speaks up will we get an apology.
Let me stress this isn’t an opinion.
It’s against the law to just go up to someone in the street and shove them.
It’s an assault, no one has any right to put their hands on you.
A security guard or policeman can’t just grab you without good reason.
Certainly not as something as trivial as a discussion over sport.
Say that out loud. A man in his fifties is pushing someone because he doesn’t like what he said over …….football?
Surely at that age you can express your thoughts in a sentence.
You wouldn’t let someone push you in a shop, in a club, on the bus, etc. Especially not by a stranger. Outside a stadium is no different.
Again, look how he reacts when Emma Hayes does the same or someone verbally abuses him.
AFTV emailed me asking for more details and know I am covering this.
Football is a beautiful game but it’s just that…. a game.
Dan
As stated by the players on a few occasions, AFTV are not supporters of the club. They are a toxic social media group desperate for attention, who relish Arsenal imperfections. The only people who enjoy their segments are plastic fans and our opponents. AFTV is the enemy and has been for years.
Robbie does seem like a decent guy, though.
I am not particularly a fan, but to say they are the enemy is ridiculous!
In fact, for a period of time, I would argue they were our only allies. As our club continued to regress, AFTV were basically the only media outlet that dared to speak the truth about Arsenal, Wenger, Gazidis, etc.
We were the pits, and had been for years, yet Sky Sports, journalists, pundits and other media outlets, would consistently defend Wenger and the club. Going as far as saying the fans shouldn’t want for anything better other than scraping into the top 4 every season, and getting battered by all our rivals.
Also, lets not forget that AFTV wasn’t perpetuating a singular message of misery, during a time news media outlets were renowned for creating their own narratives, rather they allowed many fans to simply express their opinions free of any consequences. Meaning we also saw many positives messages from fans.
However, overall we saw far more unhappy fans, because what was there to be happy about?
I am just glad AFTV finally gave some fans a voice, and along with the protests, help push the club into the right direction.
I still find it strange how so many within the football media world seemed perfectly content with Arsenal’s demise. Maybe that tells us something?
Who ever consumes AFTV content needs help.
I used to subscribe to AFTV when it was just Robbie & a camera guy travelling up & down the country to all of Arsenal games, but he started to get quite a few muppets getting their faces on TV and eventually he seemed to have completely lost control. I didn’t see this incident, and I’m sorry it happened and hope Robbie can deal with it appropriately.
He’s a decent bloke and deserves the success he’s made from the effort he put in.
Another good one Dan.
@Jax
👍🏾
I regularly visit AFTV to download their video contents after every Arsenal’s matches have been played.
And replay them to watch and listen later properly to their recorded video contents.
And to be honest I do enjoy listening and watching AFTV videos a lot. This is because I see the AFTV as a true Arsenal fans forum. Where divergent opinions for or against by very knowledgeable Arsenal fans are aired.
Comments and opinions made by the AFTV presenter Robbie, Jullian, Walter, Turkish, James, Kelechi and a host of stalwart Aesenal fans are for a delight to listen to and watch.
Is the TY who is being talked of in the article, not a regular opinion making participant on AFTV? But not one of the officials of the AFTV company.
A lot of laughs shaking, giggles and even shoving by the AFTV fans during interviews and presentations do happen a times on the AFTV.
I think AFTV SHOULD be embraced and hailed by all Arsenal fans for their being very objective and truthful about Arsenal. But not be hated, jealous or envious of them for the remarkable success they have achieved in the media.
I suggest the journey that AFTV has undertaken from being an amateur rabble , but whose hearts were passionate about our club, is no real surprise .
Given the fact that money is now involved in sponsoring AFTV, it was always inevitable that Robbie would do his best to evolve into sou8nding like a proper businessman.
HE IS NOT SHORT OF CUNNING AND WITS.
But he always lacked the necessary polish and media skills that real professional presenters- such as Dave Jones on Sky Sports – have in abundance .
So,rather sadly, his vehicle of AFTV has become tarnished, and TBH, brought down FROM WITHIN by the likes of Ty(and other now gone roughnecks), who made Robbies task a forlorn one.
As a then fresh vehicle for important change in fans opportunities to have their voices heard, AFTV was in one respect a ground breaking venture.
But very sadly it has become a widely discredited and self defeating failure. I believe JA has stepped into that place and is far more succesful.
ALTHOUGH it badly needs far less bland, say nothing pieces from one inhouse writer in particular and URGENTLY NEEDS to give those with something important to say,freedom and the opportunity to do so, without unwise censorship and engaging itself in woke attitudes.
What a lot of nonsense. AFT gives a diversity of opinion from the inarticulate Ty ruled by his one eyed passion to someone like James who can take a deep breath and articulate the positives and negatives. In between there are the likes of Turkish, Lee Judges, Kelechi who once he has done his witch doctor impressions provides very calm and rational commentary. Then there is the rosy eyed Julian who never has a bad word to say about Arteta or his players and sees the positives in every Arsenal defeat. Not too different from this sight but a lot more successful because the post game interviews are instantaneous and show real emotions. Personally if I had to rely only on Just Arsenal I would feel that I am pretty much isolated in my opinions whereas with sights such as arseblog and aftv , it’s good to know that there are others on a similar wavelength as myself .
I would like to retract and apologize for what I wrote above about Kelechi’s “witch doctor impressions”, it was totally inappropriate and just goes to show how easy it is to fall into brainless foot in mouth traps even when typing on a smart phone keyboard, let alone faced with a mic after 90+ minutes of adrenaline. I know Kelechi is partly playing to the crowd but I also respect his cultural identity.
Wow
It’s a bit of banter and occasionally not everything is perfect
Get a grip there’s people being killed all over the world and I bet you havnt complained o
About that
🤷🏻♂️
@John0711. On JustArsenal we tend to stick to football related issues, as this isn’t really the ideal forum to complain of world wide death.