But when how and why did you become a Arsenal fan I know some on here might be to old to remember but if you can please try. Me I was born in 1977 and rise in West London both to West Indian parent pops won't really around so got brought up by my mummy yes mummy! As the first child I did not really have no one to influence me about football my mum use to say she likes Chelsea my dad when I saw him only spoke about music (ps my cousin is Frank Bruno on my mothers side) so growing up as the only boy (two sisters) in a house full of women football, World Cups European Championships was not the top of the agenda on TV in my house. But at school all my friends use to support Liverpool and Manchester united also Chelsea Spurs and QPR Then one day I was about 6 or 7 and I Heard the name Arsenal I had never seen them play never seen their kit or anything but the name Arsenal just sounded Arsenal I was hooked. By the time I was 9 I was a Gooner to tell you the truth I was a Gooner before I even knew I lived in London or England one day me and my friend who was also a Gooner and two years younger than me decided we will walk to Highbury (life was Different in the 80s) remember I live in West London The furthest i have been is to school and to the park next to where I live and we (i) decide to go on a big adventure well it wasn't a big adventure because I cannot remember much but we got there it was close and I got beats when I got back for taking some one son on a road trip without asking but I remember at the boxoffice the lady at the window gave me the address to write to Arsenal football club that night I wrote to George Graham and profess my love to Arsenal my mum sent it off four days later I got a reply from George Graham and Arsenal football club telling me that they liked my letter and also they let me became a junior Gunner so with me It wasn't about watching Arsenal playing cos i never really got to then it was just about well the Arsenal.
First football game i ever saw was the 97/98 FA Cup final (would have been 6 months after I moved to England) think it was Overmars and Anelka who scored against Newcastle. Been an Arsenal fan ever since.
Grew up in Lewisham and used to visit my Gran and Grandad in Charlton. A lad who also used to visit his Grandparents next door became a friend of mine and his parents lived on Hector street in Plumstead. He used to tell me that his house was built on Arsenal's old ground and I never believed him until I went down there and saw it for myself, from that point on I was in love with Arsenal. I was probably Ten years old at the time. My missus' mum still lives in Plumstead at the top of the common and a few hundred yards walk from the Royal Oak pub near the Barracks where Dial Sq were formed. I went to my first game in 1984 with my Dad, Arsenal v Leicester at Highbury. I used to stand in the Junior Gunners enclosure down at the front of the West Stand next to the North Bank, I'll never forget the first time I went through those turnstiles on Gillespie Rd, up the steps to the corner of the North Bank and West stand and saw the stadium and pitch for the first time. We won that game 2-1 and a young Paul Davis scored the winner. From around 86 I stood on the North Bank, middleside and soaked up the great atmosphere that used to be the old North Bank terrace. I stood on that Terrace until the sad day that they tore it down. Magic times. I also used to stand on the clock end now and again, this was back in the day where you could choose where you wanted to go. I remember trying to dodge filed down and sharpened up 2 pence pieces that were being lobbed over the fence by Chelsea fans. Another funny memory I have is falling down the iron steps at the back of the old North Bank Terrace after we scored against Spurs, twisting my ankle and having to be wheeled up Avnell Rd in a wheelchair to the old St John's ambulance room behind the old shop near the Clock end entrance. All the time giving ****er signs to the Spuds who were leaving the ground early - what a ****ing little hooligan
I was forced into being a gooner by my family, if i had my way i'd be supporting someone that isn't bad for your mental health and general wellbeing. Bloody grandparents.
Was about 7, so picked a London team from the table (closest city). We won the FA Cup and League Cup double a year later, so consider me a good luck charm! Then we won that Cup winner Cup thingy-majiggy, then Bergkamp arrived. Getting to watch us on the telly all the time really helped me become a fanatical supporter.
my uncle was a mate of Alan Skirton [they went to school together in Bath] and took me to see him play in 1965 [i was 5 years old]. after the game i was taken into the players lounge were i sat awestruck. i have loved Arsenal ever since. at the time all my school friends were west ham so had to stand my ground until 1971 and Charlies goal - then everyone at school copied his celebration and became arsenal fans. i have been watching them play since the 1960's, sometimes the games were shocking, sometimes i have seen utter brilliance, and i have seen some great players and many not so great. of all the managers we have had i think AW is by far the best. bigest regret - turning down the chance to go to Liverpool match in 1989 - i didnt want to go there and listen to the scousers celebrating if we didnt win 2-0 2nd regret - not taking season ticket when offered - i waited for 10 years for 2 season tickets for me and wife, and when they eventually were offered to me i was divorced, i tried to explain to AFC box office that i wanted one for me and one for my son, but they were adamant that i couldnt change ex-wifes to my sons name, they said i had to buy hers and keep it in her name and i remember saying to bloke on phone "what part of ex-wife dont you get"
I grew up in Buckinghamshire (where?) and could never understand my schoolfriends supporting Liverpool etc. when none of them knew where it was let alone ever went there. I moved to London to go to college and then my girlfriend got a house off Caledonian Road at the Holloway Road end and I got a job at Jones brothers (where Waitrose is now). Everyone there were mad gooners and I became a fan. As it turned out, it wasn't a bad year for it: 1989
This one's got more parts to it than I can properly sequence, but, bumping into David Rocastle in Woolworths ( Brixton ) & being totally star struck, played a big part in it! He was alot taller than I'd imagined & friendly, well he seemed amused at my suggestion of taking his picture as his was the outstanding sticker to complete the Arsenal page of my sticker album. He got me to question the merit of supporting Liverpool, living in London, by pointing out the fact I could take the tube to Arsenal lol! I also had cousins who lived in Arsenal & kept bumping into Arsenal players Michael Thomas, Kevin Campbell & Ian Wright.
I was born and raised in the U.S. and I never really gave football much thought growing up despite playing "soccer" as a kid. When I got to university I had a lot of free time and found myself watching football highlights on the only football channel available at the time, Fox Soccer Channel. I began to notice one particular player who I knew was something special and did a bit of research on him and checked out his highlights, etc. His name was Thierry Henry. After that I took a casual interest in Arsenal. Read Fever Pitch and watched a few games. Gradually I began caring about there results and agonizing over defeats and celebrating victories as if I had scored the winning goal. This was the 2005-2006 season so I missed seeing Highbury but have managed to make it to the Emirates for seven home matches and a handful of away matches over the last 7-8 years. There's more to the story but honestly it was Thierry Henry and the fact I've always liked the name Arsenal.
Im not a londoner but i have been hooked on Arsenal since the days of Charlie George . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm_KEbd4rEY First game was a night match at St Andrews snuck in with my mate who was a Villa fan ! , watching the great Malcolm Macdonald , what a player . http://www.arsenal.com/history/profiles/422/malcolm-macdonald
I was born N London and my brother was a plastic glory hunter Liverpool fan. In about 1975/6 I decided I wanted to support a team from where I was born and chose Arsenal as everything about them was better than Tottenham and Im glad I did as we have always been better than them ever since.
