I was the first one to call him “Frimmers”

"If we have to have something like national identity (nationalism) to help define ourselves, I would suggest its much more fluid than Frimmers is giving it credit.”

- Tim, from 7amkickoff

It’s with a faint swell of pride that I noticed Tim referring to Emmanuel Frimpong as “Frimmers”.

I first started calling him “Frimmers” about two years ago on gunnerbong. Back then, it was in context of finding nicknames for our (then) academy players. For the other players, I was pretty happy with Jackie-O, Benny Afobe, Chuckie, Iggy Miquel, Le Coq, (the sadly departed) WEJET and Gibbsy. But with Frimpong, I was torn between the conventional “Frimmers” or the more pungent “Pong”. Eventually, I decided on “Frimmers”.

I started calling him “Frimmers” every chance I could, which was difficult considering he hadn’t played a senior game for us yet, and was sitting out a year for an injury. People started taking it up this year, ever since Frimmers’ impressive debut and feisty off-field persona. Now it’s the nickname of choice for Frimpong.

I’m not sure how much credit I can take for this nickname. After all, it’s the obvious choice, and I’m sure Frimpong’s been hearing it since primary school. I remember reading once how common it is for identical patents to be lodged, and how it’s mainly just coincidence.... after all, are only so many ways you can vary an automated cat-skinning device before you start to repeat yourself.

Still, at least in the online world, I was ahead of the curve. For a glorious 6 months (?) I was giving an obscure English academy player a laddish nickname before anyone else in the gooner bloggersphere did. I was a trendsetter. And I was right.

Problem is, what now?

I shan’t rest on my laurels. Time to find another Arsenal academy lad and foist a nickname onto him. But a cursory look at this year’s reserves reveals slim pickings. Anyone fancy calling Nicholas Yennaris “Nicky Yaris”?

I don’t either.