When Did You Fall In Love With Arsenal?

[14Henry]

1987. I'm old. My body feels old. In my mind I'm still 20 something though.

Growing up in Scotland I'd say a good majority of the country are Rangers or Celtic. Not for me, I had to be different.

Why Arsenal? Charlie Nicholas. Champagne Charlie with his flowing locks and ear ring. That's how it started for me. I'm 100% Scottish and have never supported a Scottish football team.

When I go to The Emirates I feel like I belong.

I'm from Northern Ireland but lived in Scotland for a few years at University. What was mad for me was Rangers and Celtic fans going to the bar together and watching the match.

This might not happen in Glasgow but in Stirling it did. Was nice to see especially coming from NI where we don't mix much in "football bars". Well in the past it didn't happen much.

Still have fond memories of Scotland. Can't wait to take the kids to Edinburgh at Christmas some year. The whole market thing is class

 

[dka1]

I'm from Northern Ireland but lived in Scotland for a few years at University. What was mad for me was Rangers and Celtic fans going to the bar together and watching the match.

This might not happen in Glasgow but in Stirling it did. Was nice to see especially coming from NI where we don't mix much in "football bars". Well in the past it didn't happen much.

Still have fond memories of Scotland. Can't wait to take the kids to Edinburgh at Christmas some year. The whole market thing is class

Edinburgh is a really beautiful city.

 

[14Henry]

Edinburgh is a really beautiful city.

It's class especially at Christmas. Would freeze the balls of you but nothing a warm coat and a few hot whiskeys wouldn't sort.

 

[RandomHero84]

When I was very young my Auntie, a season ticket holder took me to my first game. Arsenal vs Aston Villa. I think that it was a couple of days before "Nayim from the halfway line". We lost to Villa too, if memory serves. Dwight Yorke being a goalscorer.

My grandfather had always been a huge arsenal fan, and he took my mother and my two sisters as kids, standing at highbury in the 60s, so he would have been pretty proud to see that it got hold of me after my first game. Unfortunately he died 2 years too early to see it. That was the first time.

Last year I think I had a "renews vows" moment. I've held season tickets for about 15 years, and I was getting disillusioned with prices, coinciding with negativity surrounding the club. I then found out that my son who has down syndrome is able to attend with me, and that every effort would be made that if ever it gets too much for him, there's a sensory room that he is welcome inside (like a box).

Now, I think for a child like him, role models like Bukayo Saka make me very proud to he an Arsenal fan.

 

[Riou]

It's class especially at Christmas. Would freeze the balls of you but nothing a warm coat and a few hot whiskeys wouldn't sort.

Meanwhile Terney's winter outfit for Edinburgh...

 

[Legend14]

Started for me the year before Arsenal went unbeaten. Needed a change from American sports( I played baseball at a high level until steroids overtook it). Decided to get into soccer more. Chose EPL for some reason.

First 6 months I picked United to follow since they were popular. I even purchased a United jersey. Saw Arsenal play a match by accident. I was hooked. The speed of play, the effort, the grace, the confidence. Didn’t think soccer could be so exciting and so beautifully played.

Next season I purchased an Arsenal Jersey. Watched about half the matches. Didn’t think unbeaten was a big deal at the time because of all of the draws.

Been watching them ever since; I’m just obsessively hooked on this club. Can’t miss a match, no longer call it soccer.

Didn’t understand why there was a specific section for visiting fans in PL. Now I see it as a sound and safe idea. Don’t put me together with United fans at anytime.

 

[NZgunner]

Never had a choice, third generation - my grandmother used to bang on about Cliff Bastin, I sh!t you not.

I'm old enough to have watched 26 May 1989 live.

The Wenger glory years were absolutely delicious, but for raw emotion nothing beats that night at Anfield.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

The Netherlands '98 World Cup got me into them. I absolutely loved Bergkamp, Davids and Overmars. Two of the three played for a club named Arsenal. Back in the day, we couldn't really watch sports abroad much but every now and then Eurosports had some Premiership games that featured them.

It wasn't until 2005/2006 where I could watch the team more regularly. The Bergkamp testimonial is something I sometimes still look up, the likes of Cruijff and Van Basten on the pitch at the new Emirates, glorious. I was hooked.

 

[avenellroad]

The Netherlands '98 World Cup got me into them. I absolutely loved Bergkamp, Davids and Overmars. Two of the three played for a club named Arsenal. Back in the day, we couldn't really watch sports abroad much but every now and then Eurosports had some Premiership games that featured them.

It wasn't until 2005/2006 where I could watch the team more regularly. The Bergkamp testimonial is something I sometimes still look up, the likes of Cruijff and Van Basten on the pitch at the new Emirates, glorious. I was hooked.

I still remember Bergkamp testimonial. Seeing Cruyff and Van Basten rock up and play in his testimonial just shows the esteem this man was held in. Absolute legend.

Also remember Van Basten nearly recreating his famous goal in the Euro’s if memory serves me correctly!

 

[MartiSaka]

93 for me.

Part of the reason I really want Arsenal to win the PL is so younger / more recent Arsenal fans get to experience what it's like to see Arsenal win the title. It's awesome. FA Cup is great and all but it's really not comparable.

Feels weird to me that some Arsenal fans never saw the real glory days of Wenger's reign but I guess it was quite a long time ago now. So much more fun as a fan than what we've had to endure the past decade or so.

'89 where i said I was an arsenal fan, George Graham era baby. But I was young at the time and it was very difficult to follow closely from Australia ( as a kid especially) so only got into Arsenal more intensely in the mid 90's.

Yeah crazy to think there are so many fans out there never to see a PL title. I try not to imagine winning it at this stage, and the celebrations and emotions it would evoke.

 

[Gillaroo]

8th May 1971. I was six. Made a Blue Peter pipe cleaner footballer and coloured it in yellow and blue. Thank **** the red felt pen had dried up!!

 

[balthazar]

Starting supporting Arsenal around 1995.
A friend had a football computer game and we each had to choose a team. One chose Tottenham, another Leeds. I had no clue. One said that Arsenal was a good team, and thus Arsenal became my team forever.

 

[berric]

I started taking an interest in Arsenal during 2004 and then followed the 04/05 more closely, only to have the first heartbreak during 06 CL final.

Loved that team 06 team a mix of old guard in good form (Pires, Henry, Freddie, Gilberto) and upcoming talents in Cesc, Hleb, Reyes, RvP, etc. The kits were lovely as well.
From that time I've started irrationally connecting the time I started loving the club with the bad times that were happening to it... Then the 07/08 season was magical, at least until the Eduardo incident, too. Maybe that season was when I actually really "fell in love".

Henry left, we were the underdogs, and everyone predicted we'll fall apart but we killed it. The football that year was one of the best I've ever seen a team play 'till this day.

 

[dashsnow17]

Arsenal were cooler than Utd.

 

[Sanchez11]

93 for me damn i miss the JVC shirts. Seen the late Graham era, Bruce signing Dennis, The whole Arsène era and now the modern Arsenal. Would love us to win a title for the young uns!!

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Weird thing apart from pivotal moments I can't remember too much about my childhood, memories just merge together.

Yet I can still remember clear as day being in the bath as an 8 year old after my first match and thinking ''Huh, I'm an Arsenal fan now'' weird how these things stick in your memory even after nearly 30 years.

Even now if I meet someone I don't know and I find out they're an Arsenal fan I'm much more likely to really go out of my way to strike up a conversation.

Probably true for most on here, being an Arsenal fan feels like part of my identity. Like I'd fundamentally be a different person if I supported someone else or didn't like football.

 

[albakos]

That is one of the best videos made. I often rewatch this one. The pure artistry, the flair and those excellent passes to a goal are what made our football an art as Arsène used to describe it.

Fellow Wengerites in @Makingtrax @Heskey and more, probably have this video saved too

 

[Sanchez11]

The 08 team was the best technically i have seen, Probably one of the best teams not to win the league.

 

[MartiSaka]

Arsenal were cooler than Utd.

100% agree with this if referring to late 90s onwards. The kit, the players, the manager, the style of football were all far cooler than utd.

 

[Gunner D]

When I was 3/4 years old. Around 96/97. Thanks to Dennis Bergkamp. My favourite player of all time.