True 'Red Currant' Arsenal Fans

[bethie]

quality post by our resident exile in newcastle.

http://www.arsenal-mania.com/arsenal/pa ... le/476284/

just in case you guys missed it.

 

[jay-d]

Excellent article, with some very good points.

 

[clockwork orange]

Exiled in Newcastle in real Arsenal fan to me. Nice article by the way.

For me it's all about emotional commitment. How sick are you when things go wrong? That's why the only group of fans which I do not call real fans are people who change club (apart from those who supported -in their opinion- the wrong club by accident of birth: location, parents, or whatever reason).

No one can be blamed for being not old enough to have 'endured' the Nick Hornby years. So imo 'younger' Gunners should get the benefit of the doubt.

Fans living further away from London who regularly visit matches show more commitment than the ones living locally, not only money & time-wise, but also in what they have to put up with from the locals in their hometown.

Not everybody has the opportunity to visit matches. You can be in the queue for a seasonticket or just lack the money. I'm pretty sure there are a few people around, who used to have seasontickets, but can't afford it anymore.

There's one other thing:
What about (foreign) people who support their local club & Arsenal?

Speaking for myself, I'm just football mad, I'm a Feyenoord member since birth, but I do support Arsenal as well since the 70s (I always had to hope for good weather -before we had cable tv- so we could receive MOTD ). Feyenoord will always be my first club, so I guess that doesn't make me a real Gunner (though I care more about Arsenal than some people for who Arsenal is their first club). That's why I always have some second thoughts, when I buy a ticket for a homematch (always from touts, if there's 1 thing I hate it's those firms selling overpriced ticket-packages). Am I stealing a ticket of a truer Gunner? Going to an awaymatch (in Europe) gives me less of those thoughts, beacuse I buy a ticket at the local stadium and if they don't have seats available in the awayend, I'll sit among the homefans.

 

[agnishevchenko]

great article..
i have a confession myself-
i was a Man U fan until 1999!! my dad was a die hard Man U fan. we watch football together so i became a devil when i was very young.. and living in Asia, i dont have much of choice back then as only great clubs were supported here..
when Cantona left, i felt myself very distanced from the club but hey, we still had giggs(great FA cup goal!!), scholes, beck, keane, irwin, pete schumey! i was one of then who shouted 'Arsène' who??after the treble season, i knew i had achieved everything with this club..maybe its because everyone around me started supporting Man U!! i was frustrated as everyone wore a Man u jersey, everyone talks about Man u even when the know nuts! so wanted to support a different club, where i can be the only one who knows best.. i was young and stupid back then so dont scold me! i considered leeds, newcastle, Sp**s, chelsea and arsenal.. well we only had telecast for EPL matches so i cant go far.. i knew my dad will disown me if i started supporting leeds! but dont know why, i chose arsenal! well i guess i made the right decision.. ever since then i was more matured about football and i promised to myself that this will be my last ever EPL club! now i'm a second to none arsenal fan!

 

[Army of Me]

That was an awesome article! Loved it.

It's something that's always been at the back of my mind, what do the north-london Gooners really think of people like me? I was born in Dundee, live in Glasgow and very rarely go to matches (finding a ticket + air fare + hotel = tooooo much!), but I love this team, I've followed them through thick and thin for as long as I care to remember, and I shouldn't have to think that.

Whenever I tell people I'm an Arsenal fan they ask me "how long have you been an Arsenal fan" as if I'm going to say "since they started winning stuff!" - get a ****ing life sicko, how long have you been a cocksucker? I even used to joke that there are red and white blood cells flowing through my veins (I mean 'joke' in the loosest sense of the word).

It's good to read an article like that and know that I'm not thought of as an outsider watching my team through a window.

cheers!

 

[invisibleman18]

lol a man u fan originally aye. i believe my good friend, and former mod of this forum G-F was originally a manc aswell due to friends etc before he really started watching football.

I suppose you could say i was born a Sp**s fan (even worse than a manc). my parents are lifelong Sp**s fans who used to attend matches regularly through the 60s and 70s when they lived near and could actually afford it, i believe someone in my mother's family had 2 season tickets, and she went based on a rotation policy with cousins (not her brother as he was a gooner) etc.

my dad had come from a lifelong arsenal fan father, who regularly attended matches at highbury from the 30s until the 90s when he could no longer really afford it, and was getting too old and sick to really cope with going to matches. so naturally my father tried to make me go the same way as himself, to Sp**s, i have early memories of my first bedroom being absolutely covered in gazza, linekar, and hoddle posters. i believe my dad went to submit my birth certificate without my mum, and was close to naming me Glenn Gary Paul ....... a few Sp**s names etc.

so i suppose i was a passive Sp**s fan. i never really watched a game cos i was not interested, i actually became interested through playing football on early video game consoles such as the sega mega drive. my first memories of actually watching football is euro 96 when i became enthralled in it, following england. i became obsessed with football and was all up for really starting to follow the premiership, and by pure accident i became an arsenal fan (much to my father's horror). there was a Sp**s game scheduled for tv, it was to be my first game that i was going to watch with my dad, and what comes on tv but an arsenal game! the schedule had mucked up, so we sat there watching that, and i cant remember much about it, but arsenal won and i just loved the way they played, and from that moment they were my team, i really didnt know anything about the Sp**s-arsenal rivalry etc, just that my dad hated arsenal cos his father supported them.

so from then on i have been an arsenal fan, and i would count myself as a real fan. im very passionate about the club, and when we lose it feels like the end of the world. i guess many of you will say you cant change from Sp**s to arsenal, but really it wasnt like that, i suppose i said i was a Sp**s fan to please my dad, but i never ever saw a game and when i finally started watching football i chose my team for myself from the first game i watched.

 

[Mark]

Fantastic article.

My support started a bit slow. I wasn't really that into football, but I'd say I supported Arsenal because my Dad and Grandad did. I'd watch the occasional big game and sometimes ask my Dad what the score was in certain games out of interest.

But in those big games I'd watch, we would often lose. I suppose the first big game I saw us win was the 3-2 win over Man Utd at Highbury in 97. To this day it's one of my favourite games ever. That's when I really started to fall in love with Arsenal and followed them a lot more...proved to be a good season to do so.

By most people's standards I haven't been supporting them that long, but I, like Exiled, enjoy reading about the club's rich history and I consider myself very passionate. I'm a nervous wreck during games, but I love every second of it.

 

[invisibleman18]

By most people's standards I haven't been supporting them that long, but I, like Exiled, enjoy reading about the club's rich history and I consider myself very passionate. I'm a nervous wreck during games, but I love every second of it.

that sums me up exactly too.

 

[GoonerSab]

Great article

 

[Spike]

Superb article Exiled.

I agree with all your points, and the fact that there is a common misconception of what a 'real fan' is nowadays.

Great article and keep up the writing

 

[el jefe]

Loved the article.
We shouldn't criticize new gooners....increasing our fan base can only help the club financially. So shouldn't we be happy that we are the fastest growing football brand in England? I agree that people who jump from club to club are annoying, but if they are buying merchandise and giving money to the club, hopefully we will see the benefits on the pitch.

 

[RockyRocastle]

I always think it is a bit odd when you hear a yorkshire or lancashire accent shouting for Arsenal at away games. It just doesnt sound right. I always think why they dont support Leeds or Blackburn?

Saying that though, I was talking to a guy from some backward Lancashire town in Amsterdam who has been to virtually every ground we have played on since the 70's which shows his commitment.

 

[Ratinho]

Quality as ever Exiled mate.

Coley ever get back to you? :wink:

 

[towelie]

great read

 

[qs]

I liked the article, Im Irish and everyone here supports the Premiership. Eeryone supports different teams which is good craic for slagging and bragging. Most people support ManUsa or Liverpool but theres a few of us gunners too. The town where I live has 3 main football pubs 1s a Celtic based pub, 1s a ManUre and ones an Arsenal pub. Most of the local Arsenal fans watch the games together there and its great craic.
I also try to get over to Highbury when I can, havent had too many chances in the past and it costs around 500 quid for the trip and the match tickets. However now that Ive finished college Im looking to travel over at least 4 or 5 times a year once Im working.

 

[Exiled In Newcastle]

Thanks. And no I'm still waiting for Cole and Zara to reply - kind of giving up hope really.

But...and here's an exclusive...wait 'til next week when you'll find out that at least one Arsenal legend will talk to me.