Its somewhat difficult for me to imagine having been introduced to anything so spectacular, or “craptacular”, in my youth like a hometown sports team, and watch as their hard-earned grandeur catches the hearts and minds of others far, far away. Much has been said about “Glory Hunters” , on this site and others, and that has made me take a hard look as to why I consider myself a die-hard American Gooner.
There are a lot of silly things, I guess, that drew me initially to The Arsenal, and most of them had everything to do with their successes. One just doesn’t get a whole lot of comprehensive press about the EPL over here, so you end up catching the names of the teams that are challenging for top spots. And those are the teams you’ll catch on TV if you’re lucky. Especially when you’re in a lonely LA hotel, waiting for a call about some miserable news, and you flick on the box to see The Arsenal drop a tough one and the crowd cheers them anyway and suddenly it all makes sense.
At first, when you bother to look into it, you take a look at the kits, their names, their logos, and read what is written about their style and the styles of individual players. As a kid, “Gunner” sounds cool. Sure beats a “Spur”, whatever the heck that is. The cannon looks cool, too. My favorite color is red. So why not ManU? Or Liverpool? All too populara the time. I don’t like dead on front-runners, preferring a tough underdog contender that fuels on guts rather than glamour. Besides, Arsenal are first in the alphabetical list. Its easy to kind of check in, and never look back.
Since I’ve come on, about the same time as AW, I’ve delved into the history, and enjoy every tidbit of information that I can get on their growth in the league. I’m traveling to Highbury next month to put my money where my mouth is, choosing the tie vs. Birmingham City because I happen to have caught them a few times on PPV and love Robbie Savage’s relationship to the game’s fans. His articles in 4-4-2 are good as well. They’ve been in good form lately as well. As an American, my fascination grows with the luxury of not having been in a pub brawl with opposing fans and had the bad taste of rivals mix with the blood and beer in my mouth. Kinda miss out on that, but there’s nothin’ I can do about it.
So, I’m curious America, U.K., Canada and “Elsewhere” alike. What brought you to The Arsenal? Was it a sister’s ex-boyfriend you happen to think was cool beofre she dumped him, or a long family legacy, or a program you found in the trash when you didn’t have a nickel to your name?
Or was it that one game, when all the planets were alligned in just such a way, that sealed the deal like it was for me.
17 Responses to “On Being a U.S. Gooner…”
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June 26th, 2004 at 3:02 pm
Family long legacy starting around when Herbert Chapman took over.Got some family still out there near North London,but most of us are in the Midwest or West Coast.No exceptions, i mean no one in the family supports ANY other club team.Besides, if they did, they would get disowned,lol!!!
June 26th, 2004 at 7:22 pm
Well Scotty… I had little or no interest in soccer, and knew only of the major teams… Liverpool, United, etc. I can vaugely remember ABC’s Wide World of Sports showing some of the FA Cup Finals every year. But no much interest in the sport, as “all the matches are 0-0″!!!
My Ex-Girlfriend’s, sisters, boyfriend… is ultimately to blame!! I made my first visit to London over 10 years ago, and he told me he was taking me to a football match. When in London, do as the Londoners do, right? It was Arsenal v. Inter Milan in a friendly at Highbury during the late Summer. I was swept away with the stadium, the proximity of the houses to the stadium, the atmosphere, the supporters, and ultimately Highbury itself. The stadium is magnificent. The atmosphere at the match was unlike anything I had ever experienced. From the fans singing ALL GAME LONG… to the intensity of the supporters. I was mesmerized. I was an Arsenal supporter IMMEDIATELY. I can remember seeing numerous Arsenal shirts with the number “8″ on the back and the name GOD. I asked … who the heck is number eight?!! I soon found out when the Arsenal trotted onto the pitch to rapturous applause and the fans sang “Ian Wright Wright Wright!!”. Oh yeah, the game. It WAS 0-0. In fact, so where the first 4 matches I ever saw… all nil-nil. No matter, I was hooked on footy… and immediately an Arsenal supporter.
I don’t date the girl any more! But I am still good friends with the mate that introduced me to the Arsenal. I have made the trip to London and Highbury every year since, sometimes more than once. I have gone on the road with the travelling Gooners… to Liverpool, to Southampton… and I have met many great people in my experiences with the Arsenal Football Club. I’d have it no other way… with no other team… it was meant to be!
Arsenal are my favorite Sports team. More important than any American sports, with the only team coming close being The Boston RedSox.
June 27th, 2004 at 9:18 am
What: Became a Gooner
Where: North Vancouver B.C.
When: October, 1959
Who:John Reddy, my first soccer coach
Why: Mr. Reddy played in the Arsenal reseves 1946-48, and the word’s “The Arsenal” or “Gunners” were used at least once in every sentence.
June 27th, 2004 at 8:08 pm
A Red Sox fan!?!? Blasphemy!
I became a Gooner late, as in my 44th year. Where I live, in central Ohio, I grew up with soccer being “what those stupid Europeans did because they did not know REAL football!”. We had no exposure to the game.
My children started to play, and we went to every game they had, and I became hooked. I even started to play after a few years. Then came MLS and the Columbus Crew, whom I follow closely. A few years ago, I decided to learn more about what was being played in England. (We finally got the internet!) I found a website about the EPL one day before the season started, and chose Arsenal because my son had played a few times in a Cincinnati tournament whose host club was Sycamore Arsenal. The tournament was well-run, and my son’s team was runner-up each time.
I decided, what the heck, go with Arsenal, and have stayed with them since. Thank goodness for the web!
June 28th, 2004 at 9:14 am
Yours is probably the first post I’ve heard mention the MLS. I support the Metrostars, and have really enjoyed the improvement in the quality of play of all the teams over the years (with little to play for in comparision to the EPL). I’ve seen the Crew on TV and I think I saw them come back and beat DC United (or the Galaxy?) when everyone thought they were going the way of The Burn last year.
I also saw Freddie Adu’s first professional goal at Giant’s stadium this year. It was an exciting tie, one that NY/NJ eventually won 3-2. He needs to play overseas when he hits 16!
Of course, the MLS is probably a subject for another site, but the fact that the US treats “soccer” as a sissysport has irked me. I only wish I could email everyone nay-bob in this country some of the pictures of the Euro’s that have been posted on soccernet.com.
June 28th, 2004 at 9:30 am
I was born in 1934.My dad had been a supporter for many years before then. Yes I was born a Gooner I had to wait until 1946 to see my First Highbury game due to WW2. Next to GOD & MY Family & country There is ARSENAL. I came to the USA in 1959 I desperately missed my Gunners my Dad sent programmes sometimes I got news via short wave.But thank GOD for tv & internet I can follow much easier these days. My Sister in law lives in Highbury quad when alive my brother in law was a Arsenal groundsman how I used to envy them. THERE is NO room for any other team in our family & extended family.GOD BLESS our GUNNERS & all that support them> US & Worldwide.
June 28th, 2004 at 9:59 am
It?s interesting to read your comments on how and why you became a Gooner. The one important factor is not why but that you made the chose out of passion. Manure supporters have often been accused of being glory hunters and in some cases it?s true but like most big teams they have a world wide following because when you are successful your media exposure is heightened and so is the interest in that club. In happened to us in the 1930?s, all be it with far less media coverage, as it did with Liverpool in the late 70?s, early 80?s and Manure in the 90?s. There are a number of reasons why someone would support a club, the two main ones being proximity and family influence. Most people will support their local team or because one of their family members supports a team and is willing to take the time to influence their chose. In my case both these were why I started to support Arsenal. I was born in North London and it was a chose between Arsenal and the Scum up the road. The question is why did I choose Arsenal over the Scum, after all they were the more successful side in the 60?s, I was lucky to have a cousin who took me to THOF when I was 10 and that was it for me. I have been a supporter thru the success of our first double in 1971, to the lean times of the mid-70?s were we almost got relegated and at no time during that period did my love for the club wane. I married, had kids and I have made sure all my family are Gooner?s.
Now you may be wondering what gives me the authority to talk about supporting from afar, well the fact is I may have been born in London but my family origins are from Cyprus and I have made it my duty to make as many of my family other there Gooner?s. This is something every Arsenal supporter worldwide should try and do. If we all influenced two other people to support the Gooner?s who then influence another two, within a couple of years?.well you do the math.
Supporting Arsenal is all about passion and as long as you have that passion you can live in America, Africa or Tibet as far as I am concerned, because I know that if we loose their will be a fellow Gooner felling the pain somewhere in the world, but also when we win we all win together.
Keep the dream alive my brother Gooner.
Teabag (Chris)
Finchley, London
June 28th, 2004 at 11:07 am
I lived in England from 1973 to 1976 when my dad was in the service, and I’d already played soccer before I got there. My first coach there, though, had arrived in England in 1971 amidst all the hoopla over the Double. And there was a lot of hoopla because the Double was much rarer then, but anyway, my coach became an Arsenal fan and named his soccer teams Arsenal. I played for him for two years, and of course became a gunner.
It was hard then, we were pretty bad, always just 2-4 spots ahead of relegation. My first visit to Highbury I saw Charlie George in a Derby stripe, the second time I saw Ray Kennedy wearing Liverpool’s colors. My final year in England, QPR won the 1st Division, captained by Frank McLintock. Bah.
Then when I had come back stateside for just two months, we bought Malcolm McDonald, then the 1st Division’s most prolific scorer (think RVN with real heading ability) for the then record of 333,333 pounds, the next year we purchased Pat Jennings, and relegation was never really a consideration.
I never saw us good, until the advent of the internet and Fox Sports World, so while I’ve been a fan for decades, it has only been the past two years that I’ve followed the team with the passion I’ve followed my other teams. Just two - three months ago I finally found a clip of Charlie George’s winner in the 71 FA Cup final — I’d seen photos, worn the grooves off a record — and work just stopped for me for a day. Pretty darn near to a religous experience…
Val
June 28th, 2004 at 11:28 am
Tony Adams plain and simple! Being a defender he was everything I wanted to be as a player. First game was the cup winners cup 93′. Hooked ever since although I had to find a new hero. Luckily for me the man from spurs came along.
June 28th, 2004 at 3:06 pm
By way of Mexico:
I lived in Mexico in the early 80’s and they would broadcast games from England, one time they broadcast from Highbury…I saw the red and white, the fans singing, the stadium, it was at that point I knew the gunners were my team. They lost by the way, but my life has not been the same since.
I feel very lucky as if Arsenal chose me! WEIRD!
June 28th, 2004 at 3:21 pm
I listened in thru Five Live to many of the Euro 04 matches, and the atmosphere is incredible, especially the England v Portugal match. Unbelievable.
The biggest problem the Crew have is wasting young talent because the coaching staff is clueless. Chris Leitch went to the same high school my children did. My son played for the school 4 years. How is Leitch doing this year?
I think Freddy will do very well IF he has a coach who knows what he’s doing with someone that young and talented.
June 28th, 2004 at 4:04 pm
I have attempted to get into MLS… I have attended about 6 matches in the last few years.
(NE Revs.)
But the level of play is sometimes so bad, that I can’t take watching the match. At other times, the level of play is probably on par with Division 1 in England. There is a real lack of consistent good play. When the Champions World Tour was at Foxboro last year, Juventus v. Barca, and the Revolution match followed… it was painfully apparent that the level of play was drastically lacking. Most fans didn’t stay to watch the entire Revs game. Not sure how to improve the play without bringing in foreign talent…. but its hard to watch the MLS at times.
June 29th, 2004 at 7:30 am
MLS was designed to bring up the level of play for US players, achieved somewhat by limiting the number of foreign players. The overall talent level is improving, but, since most of us here only see occasional overseas matches, we have little to compare it to. The good news is a number of US players are making moves overseas and playing regularly. If the league stays viable for several more years, I think the talent pool will increase sufficiently to “naturally” bring the level of play up. Of course, you must have coaches who know what the heck they are doing. One of the nicknames (on the Crew forums) for coach Greg Andrulis is Coach Clueless.
June 29th, 2004 at 9:17 am
Yes, we’re more or less building our national team for international competition by sending our best and brightest to better leagues. With that philosophy seemingly working well, it may have surprised some to see Demarcus Beasley turn down a “substantial” offer from Southhampton. Apparently, the MLS has a stipulation on all their contracts that keeps young players in country for a time for marketing purposes, loyalty building, fan identification, etc.
Also, it looks like Chivas “America” will be coming to LA. Being a UNAM Pumas fan (yes, I had a good year), I find this to be interesting news. The Mexican League, while plagued with violence, has a loyal following that may jumpstart more serious football support in the US.
By the way, did anyone see the second leg Granada qualifier in the slosh? CrAzY!
July 6th, 2004 at 7:14 am
I have one of the most unique circumstances which ultimately prompted me to become a Gooner.
I am from Hong Kong & grew up there in the 70’s. At the time I knew nothing of English football or any of the teams. I, like the majority of local footbal fans, was supporting a local club by the name of South China Athletic Association (SCAA), which still exists today.
As a supporter you love everything about a team, including the uniform. They wore (and still do) red shirt w/ white sleeves, white shorts & red socks.
Later on I started to come across shows on English Division 1 football games, with commentary dubbed in Cantonese! They were shown once a week (actually one week after the games were played, but we knew shit at the time). I was informed by my older brother that there was an English version of SCAA playing in English Division 1 because they played in almost identical uniform. Of course the rest is history and I started to notice matches involving Arsenal or “Ah Sin Lo” as we knew it. But I was far from a fan due to lack of resources (information on the team) The Arsenal to me at the time was just the English version of SCAA, and were incomparable in stature to the ‘original’.
I only became a Gooner when I attended boarding school in London in 1979. Up until that point, I never knew that football teams meant life & death to some people, and did not understand where the profound passion a person had towards his team came about.
At the time it was trendy in our school to support West Ham. To me the teams one supported helped me pre-determined danger or safety and my ultimate survival. I identified West Ham supporters to primarily be skinheads/Mods who were to have some kind of actual or self proclaimed affiliation to the National Front (extreme right wing party). Whereas Arsenal supporters were to me normal people. Chelsea were for pooftahs. Some people supported Liverpool but no one took them seriously. I was attracted to normality. After all, Arsenal had the same uniform as SCAA.
More than 20 years on I have since become a Canadian citizen and am now working & residing in Malaysia, where almost every Gooner game is shown live on ESPN Asia from local Astro network.
Never dared to miss a single game the past couple of years.
As for SCAA, can’t name a single player from their current team.
July 6th, 2004 at 10:39 am
Very interesting post, ivanmwpoon. Talk about taking the longway to Goonerville!
Your post also more or less echoed some of my reasons in the sense that it can be the smallest, most loosely relevant coincidence that can lead one to their team. Especially one that is from another country.
For some, what drove us there was the love of the beautiful game. What kept us there was the essence of The Arsenal.
Thanks for sharing.
July 6th, 2004 at 10:45 am
Before this post leaves the page, I just want to thank those who took the time to respond. Rick had told me that the topic is one that resurfaces here from time to time, and I always thought it was a real testament to the team to realize the many ways they can touch their fans.
One thing seems to remain constant: whether through family, friends, happenstance or coincidence, all Gooners appreciate the fighting spirit of the club and the class by which they’ve achieved their immortal status.
Love being a Gooner. Bring it on, Everton!