Why do you support Arsenal?

[Juan Matas Beard]

My school mates used to divide themselves up into Arsenal and Manchester Utd while playing football, those were the biggest teams then. I always used to land in Arsenal, for some reason. Started supporting them for no other reason.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2008/Jun/Ramsey-fee-agreed.aspx

Your stories are basically synonymous.

 

[Notorious Big]

Beacuse i am masochist.Didn't have any problems in my life and then i wanted to have some little problem.And you see what happend at the end.

 

[Trilly]

First match I ever watched on TV was an Arsenal one, and pretty much every man in my family was a gooner.

I hate them all for trapping me in this nightmare.

 

[US_Gooner]

When Arsenal are on, it's some of the sexiest football on the planet.

 

[MutableEarth]

I started supporting Arsenal for one reason:

Ian Wright, Wright, Wright

I loved goals as a kid, and nobody scored more than Wrighty - he was phenomenal. I pretty much followed the team back then because of Ian Wright. The year I became a true, proper Arsenal fan was 1998 - and I can remember the specific game. It was against Man United, I was about 9 years old. Man U were the team who always ****ing winning everything so when Overmars headed the ball down and smacked it past Schmeichel I was gassed. Loved that.

Since then, some of my favorite lifetime moments have been watching Arsenal - the 98 FA Cup win, Kanu's hattrick v Chelsea, and almost everything between 2001-04. I never knew I how spoilt I was as an Arsenal fan until about 2009 when I looked back and realized just how good we were and how we could have been even better.

What I also loved was watching players grow at Arsenal. I remember when Ray Parlour was a rotation player, and he just grew into such an important squad member. Watching Pires slowly become one of the best players in the team by mid-late 2001. What started my interest in youth players developing at the club was us signing Pennant and Aliadiere. I was intrigued and then seeing them play saw what kind of potential they had. It never worked out for them at Arsenal, but that never stopped my interest in seeing players go from rookie to superstar at Arsenal. That was definitely a large part of my support from 2004 onwards.

I still support Arsenal simply because they are my team and they'll always be my team. I feel like they represent a part of who I am as a person, especially given my complete obsession with football overall. I'm a musician, but if I had any kind of skill whatsoever, I'd have definitely chosen football - and not just for money either.

Also - and this may seem controversial to some but - I loved seeing how many black players they fielded at Arsenal, that was also very nice. At one point we had a virtually all black team in 2004 - my dad was in near tears, I tell you . He thinks we should sign more black players! #MakeArsenalBlackAgain

 

[BobP]

I started supporting Arsenal for one reason:

Ian Wright, Wright, Wright

I loved goals as a kid, and nobody scored more than Wrighty - he was phenomenal. I pretty much followed the team back then because of Ian Wright. The year I became a true, proper Arsenal fan was 1998 - and I can remember the specific game. It was against Man United, I was about 9 years old. Man U were the team who always ****ing winning everything so when Overmars headed the ball down and smacked it past Schmeichel I was gassed. Loved that.

Since then, some of my favorite lifetime moments have been watching Arsenal - the 98 FA Cup win, Kanu's hattrick v Chelsea, and almost everything between 2001-04. I never knew I how spoilt I was as an Arsenal fan until about 2009 when I looked back and realized just how good we were and how we could have been even better.

What I also loved was watching players grow at Arsenal. I remember when Ray Parlour was a rotation player, and he just grew into such an important squad member. Watching Pires slowly become one of the best players in the team by mid-late 2001. What started my interest in youth players developing at the club was us signing Pennant and Aliadiere. I was intrigued and then seeing them play saw what kind of potential they had. It never worked out for them at Arsenal, but that never stopped my interest in seeing players go from rookie to superstar at Arsenal. That was definitely a large part of my support from 2004 onwards.

I still support Arsenal simply because they are my team and they'll always be my team. I feel like they represent a part of who I am as a person, especially given my complete obsession with football overall. I'm a musician, but if I had any kind of skill whatsoever, I'd have definitely chosen football - and not just for money either.

Also - and this may seem controversial to some but - I loved seeing how many black players they fielded at Arsenal, that was also very nice. At one point we had a virtually all black team in 2004 - my dad was in near tears, I tell you . He thinks we should sign more black players! #MakeArsenalBlackAgain

You just won this thread.

 

[celestis]

I started supporting Arsenal for one reason:

Ian Wright, Wright, Wright

I loved goals as a kid, and nobody scored more than Wrighty - he was phenomenal. I pretty much followed the team back then because of Ian Wright. The year I became a true, proper Arsenal fan was 1998 - and I can remember the specific game. It was against Man United, I was about 9 years old. Man U were the team who always ****ing winning everything so when Overmars headed the ball down and smacked it past Schmeichel I was gassed. Loved that.

Since then, some of my favorite lifetime moments have been watching Arsenal - the 98 FA Cup win, Kanu's hattrick v Chelsea, and almost everything between 2001-04. I never knew I how spoilt I was as an Arsenal fan until about 2009 when I looked back and realized just how good we were and how we could have been even better.

What I also loved was watching players grow at Arsenal. I remember when Ray Parlour was a rotation player, and he just grew into such an important squad member. Watching Pires slowly become one of the best players in the team by mid-late 2001. What started my interest in youth players developing at the club was us signing Pennant and Aliadiere. I was intrigued and then seeing them play saw what kind of potential they had. It never worked out for them at Arsenal, but that never stopped my interest in seeing players go from rookie to superstar at Arsenal. That was definitely a large part of my support from 2004 onwards.

I still support Arsenal simply because they are my team and they'll always be my team. I feel like they represent a part of who I am as a person, especially given my complete obsession with football overall. I'm a musician, but if I had any kind of skill whatsoever, I'd have definitely chosen football - and not just for money either.

Also - and this may seem controversial to some but - I loved seeing how many black players they fielded at Arsenal, that was also very nice. At one point we had a virtually all black team in 2004 - my dad was in near tears, I tell you . He thinks we should sign more black players! #MakeArsenalBlackAgain

Ian Wright is the same reason I started supporting Arsenal . As a kid I supported Ian Wright , it was some goal he scored when he was with Palace where he dribbled past half the team that got me and I followed him to Arsenal .

Not controversial at all you would be surprised mate ,how many people supported Arsenal because of the high black ratio , including my mates dad that said exactly the same thing .

 

[SomGooner]

I think I'm the only one in here whose entire family including my wife and her family are all Gooners.

It all started with my maternal grandfather who came to settle in Finsbury Park after retiring from the British navy in the late 60's.

The latest one to join us is my son who was born on the day we won the FA cup against Aston Villa in 2015.

 

[krackpot]

Not controversial at all you would be surprised mate ,how many people supported Arsenal because of the high black ratio , including my mates dad that said exactly the same thing .

Also - and this may seem controversial to some but - I loved seeing how many black players they fielded at Arsenal, that was also very nice. At one point we had a virtually all black team in 2004 - my dad was in near tears, I tell you . He thinks we should sign more black players! #MakeArsenalBlackAgain

same here, but with muslims. It really warms my heart to see any muslim playing for AFC. I feel proud, and get a deep sense of belonging. Doesn't really matter if the player does well or not.

One of the best, endearing and enduring things about AFC is that it is multi-cultural. Everyone, the club, manager, fans, supporters, and the players themselves are so relaxed about it that AFC becomes an easy club to pick up and support

 

[cannel]

I watched that CL semi-final 2nd leg against ManU in 2009. The one where Gibbs slipped, Ronaldo put in that free kick and United were up 0-2 after 10 minutes. I felt so sorry for Arsenal. Supported them ever since.

 

[fabo]

Living in Hackney. Uncle was a gooner, brother then became a gooner and naturally it passed on to me aswell. Brought us to the title parade in Islington in 1991. They still talk about being at the uncle's house watching us win at Anfield in 89 but I was too young to remember.

Lucky one as the mother liked Sp**s and the father liked United but neither would really follow it. And I think the brother would have always been the one you'd tend to follow.

 

[Makingtrax]

My Dad was an Arsenal supporter and I'll never forget the first time he took me to the match walking towards the ground on his shoulders. We stood in the North Bank and when we scored the roar scared me ****less. When my Dad was ill we used to watch the matches on TV together until he died in 2007. I'm emotionally tied to Arsenal and to some extent Wenger who my dad loved. I'll never say anything bad about the club, players or manager, on here or anywhere else and will support them always, no matter what.

 

[North5]

Grew up in highbury, grandad worked at the stadium back in the day.

 

[Jasard]

Grew up in highbury, grandad worked at the stadium back in the day.

Mine too, same reason I started supporting. I didn't get to go very often myself though. He passed when I was still little.

 

[zhaggy]

When i found out they we're called the gunners, about 22 years ago.

 

[kopzilla]

I started watching around the time the Invincibles were running the show.

I loved watching the likes of Henry, Pires, Gilberto,Keown, Campbell and Lehmann.

One major reason I supported Arsenal was that I could not stand the dominance of United and Ferguson. Arsenal at the time were the only team to stand up to them...and I hated the fact that we were dominated by United in the decade that followed FA cup win in 2005.

However I am still very proud about the fact that we are so well run financially and the club is so involved in charitable work.Major credit does go to Wenger. He has been instrumental in our change of playing style and philosophy after the departure of Graham. He has annoyed us many a time with his lack of ambition but the fact remains that when he leaves, he would have left an enduring legacy and a great foundation for the next manager to work with.

However when it comes to club loyalties...we can never rationalize it especially for overseas supporters. Its a bit like the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter...when you watch a team play and you like it ..you automatically have feelings for it.

 

[kopzilla]

I think I'm the only one in here whose entire family including my wife and her family are all Gooners.

It all started with my maternal grandfather who came to settle in Finsbury Park after retiring from the British navy in the late 60's.

The latest one to join us is my son who was born on the day we won the FA cup against Aston Villa in 2015.

You are originally of Somalian descent right?

 

[SomGooner]

You are originally of Somali descent right?

Yes indeed.

 

[kopzilla]

Also - and this may seem controversial to some but - I loved seeing how many black players they fielded at Arsenal, that was also very nice. At one point we had a virtually all black team in 2004 - my dad was in near tears, I tell you . He thinks we should sign more black players! #MakeArsenalBlackAgain

I noticed it too when I started watching Arsenal...I just thought that this club and its fans cannot be racist...the whole team appealed to everyone globally because of the diversity in nationalities.

 

[Box2Box]

1971 Cup Final. I lived in London and Charlie George was The Man.

First match I went to was January 1973, my Chelsea fan godfather took me to Stamford Bridge for my 8th birthday where we won 0-1.