If you live in one of these cities, or are planning on visiting, it might be worth checking in with our Arsenal America Branch Office Managers. They can tell you if there are any viewing parties going on in the area or suggest a good place to hang out.
If you live in a city or region that’s not listed and would like to establish a branch of Arsenal America, please contact our Branch Liaison Officer, John Hayes at Johnny@arsenalamerica.com.
To learn more about each Branch, please click on one!
Ann Arbor, MI
Arsenal really is a massive club with supporters everywhere, and we got direct evidence of this fact with the way the Southeast Michigan Arsenal America (SMAA) chapter started. Two individuals, Trevor McManamon and Shareef Amer, independently and concurrently noticed that Arsenal supporters in this area needed a way to gather for matches and each tried to start the local branch. After finding out about each other’s efforts, they decided to team up to make SMAA a special group for fellow Gooners.
In the same way that Trevor and Shareef met through their love of Arsenal, SMAA can allow similar opportunities for others. Whether you are a student at one of the local universities or a professional out in the West suburbs, whether you’re a diehard Arsenal fan or just new to the game, you should come and meet new people who are all out to support Arsene Wenger’s red and white army. Just don’t bring any of your Tottenham friends.
You can find the Southeast Michigan Gooners at:
Connor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub and Restaurant
318 S. Main St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 665-2968
http://www.conoroneills.com/
Follow them at:
https://twitter.com/SMGooners
And on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/272423332868119/
Branch Managers:
Shareef Amer
Trevor McManamon
smgooners@gmail.com
Baltimore, MD
The Abbey Burger Bistro
1041 Marshall Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
443-453-9698
If you are in town and want to meet up, feel free to drop us a line at baltimore@arsenalamerica.com. You can follow them on Facebook or Twitter. See you at The Abbey!
Boston, MA
Boston-area Arsenal supporters catch matches at The Lir in Boston. For more info on catching matches in Boston contact the Boston Gooners at boston@arsenalamerica.com.
The Lir
903 Boylston ST.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 778-0089
Charleston, SC
excitement from all the Arsenal supporters will never be forgotten.After attending a match at the Grove and experiencing the overwhelming feeling of belonging Travis had the idea to start a local supporters group. Charsenal was the answer. Charsenal seeks to unite supporters in the Charleston area so that Gooners cancollectively view matches, talk strategy, and laugh at Spurs. Together we’ll live, breathe, and dream everything Arsenal. The Future Is Bright…The Future Is Red And White.Madra Rua http://madraruapub.com/1034 East Montague AvenueNorth Charleston, SC 294054917(843) 554-2522Branch Manager:Travis Poolecharleston@arsenalamerica.comFacebook: Charsenalhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Charsenal/217982858216574?sk=info
Charlotte, NC
The Arsenal obsession started pretty much when Henry joined in 1999. Michael Petko followed him during the 1998 world cup after a buddy of his had a t-shirt with Henry’s name on it. At first he thought it was strange, a French national team jersey with that name on it! When Henry moved to Arsenal and Michael saw the style of football they played, it was over. So attractive to watch! They would make those passes that looked like they were to nobody, because even the camera man couldn’t keep track! Like all of us it was sad to see him go, but the obsession with the team had already taken over.Michael had been thinking of the idea of starting a supporters group for a while. It was only just recently when he just decided to give it a go! He had been on soccer forums for years and knew there were supporters here, but it never occurred to him to try and organize them. He also know about 5 or 6 Gooners just through the Sunday league that he plays in. Michael knew Arsenal America was the only way to go, as Arsenal America had helped out when he and his dad went to their first match at the Emirates in 2007. He’s hoping the Charlotte chapter gets to the level as some of the other big chapters! If not, they’ll have fun regardless!
Michael Petko,
charlotte@arsenalamerica.com
Big Ben British Pub & Restaurant,
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queen-City-Gooners/245044975517267
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/QueenCityGooner
Website: queencitygooners.weebly.com
Dallas, TX
Harrisburg, PA
The Central Pennsylvania (CEPA) Gooners were founded in early 2011 when a group of Arsenal supporters from the area wanted to watch matches together. Since then, the CEPA Gooners have grown, found a home base bar and had many a good debate over good beer. Whether you live in the area or just find yourself passing through all are welcome to join us in watching the Arsenal.
If you’re in the Harrisburg area, come join us at MoMo’s BBQ and Grill at 307 Market Street, Harrisburg on match days (www.momosbbqandgrill.com). For more event details and some epic banter, like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CEPAGooners.
Kristen Ortiz
Jackson, MS
Jacksonville, FL
Culhane’s Irish Pub
967 Atlantic Boulevard
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Jacksonvillegooners.com
Branch Manager: Adam Guillettejacksonville@arsenalamerica.com
Madison, Wi
The renowned college town of Madison, WI, has quickly become a multinational melting pot. With that comes football supporters of every club, and thankfully there’s a group of level-headed individuals who have latched on quite correctly to the red-and-white kings of north London. Madison’s Arsenal Supporters Club branch manager Andrew Schmidt has been a supporter since seeing the 2002 France World Cup squad quickly exit the tournament but not before glimpsing the brilliant combination of Henry, Wiltord, and Vieira. Only Arsene Wenger could bring them all to the same club, and not two years later we’d see them go on to Invincibles glory. And the boys from the Arsenal knocked one down!
Join our social media groups to stay “in the know”.ASC Madison Facebook Group
ASC Madison Facebook Page
ASC Madison Twitter
ascmadison.comThe Madison supporters can be found on match day at the Claddagh Irish Pub in Middleton; a stone’s throw from Madison’s west side in Greenway Station. It’s a small midwest chain and the local management have been nothing but good to us. There are other club supporters who gather here and the atmosphere is superb (that’s not to mention the pints are extra cold and the food’s not shabby either.) Join us singing, shouting and cursing our way through the season; trying to understand Chamakh’s haircut and positing the possibly unanswerable question: “What is the Europa League and why do they let pub teams like Sp*rs play in it?”
1611 Aspen Commons
Middleton, WI 53562
Memphis, TN
The Memphis Gooners were incorporated in 2009 after several members decided it was time to move from the living room to the local pub. Branch manager Chris Lareau has been a fan since 1999 and enjoys the Gunners attacking football. Recently, Chris has fond memories of Andre Arshavin’s four goals against Liverpool and the Champions League first leg victory over Barcelona.Branch co-manager Dayton O’Brien, who played professionally in the MLS, recently made the pilgrimage to the Emirates for an Everton game. Dayton and his fiance enjoyed the famous Tollington Pub for a few pints before heading to the stadium. Dayton remembers the Gunners being down one nil and then Wenger brought on Arshavin who scored the equalizer followed by a Koscielny header for the victory. Pure class.The Memphis Gooners are about 25 strong for the big matches and love meeting new fans. Please join us at the Celtic Crossing in Midtown Memphis. If the Gunners are playing, weekday or weekend, the match will be on at the Celtic and the Memphis Gooners will be cheering the boys to victory.
The Brass Door
152 Madison Ave., downtown,
Memphis, TN, 901-572-1813
thebrassdoor.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Brass-Door/237456846287102
Branch Managers:
Chris Lareau
Dayton O’Brien
memphis@arsenalamerica.com
Facebook: Memphis Gooners http://www.facebook.com/pages/Memphis-Gooners/186690488034955?ref=ts
New Haven, CT
Christy’s Irish Pub
261 Orange Street
New Haven CT 06511
Teague Dwyer
newhavengooners@yahoo.com
New York City, NY
The Blind Pig
233 E 14th St.
New York, NY 10003The NYC Arsenal Supporters can also be found on Facebook. Make sure to check them out!nyc@arsenalamerica.com
Orange County, CA
The Olde Ship British Pub & Restaurant 1120 West 17th St. Santa Ana, CA 92706 714-550-6700 http://www.theoldeship.com/index.html Here is a little bit of background on Nick and the OC Gooners: How long have you been an Arsenal America member? “I didn’t find out about them till around 2006 and immediately joined. They’ve been a great resource for American Gooners! They’ve also grown quite a bit over the years and it’s great to see such a solid supporters group here in the states. Some supporters of bigger clubs are not as fortunate as we are.”
How did you become a Gooner? “It’s quite interesting I would have to say. I remember playing the old FIFA games on Super Nintendo and SEGA Genesis’ back in the mid 1990′s. I was in my early teens at the time and didn’t really know much about the international level of the sport but the game featured several Premier League clubs and Arsenal was one of them. I loved the name and the colors and always picked them. As the years went by (and I continued playing the games), I became more and more familiar with the players and what the Premier League was all about and it’s structure. Eventually we got the Internet in my home, which then made it easier for me to learn the true history of the club and the league. As digital cable television also took off, you saw networks like Fox Sports World start airing Premier League matches here in the states. Eventually the EPL became what is it today and I was able to watch pretty much every match through the seasons. So really, from my teenage years I was introduced to the club in a very 90′s way but over those 15 or so years that passion grew into what it is today, and that’s a Gooner till I die!”
Favorite Gunner? “This is always a tough question but I’d have to go with Dennis Bergkamp. He was full of class and a top shelf player. You never heard about his wild nights out in the town, or how much he would love to play for another club, or any of that nonsense. He was also the last player for us to get a Testimonial and those are always very special, not only for the player but for the supporters. He’s one of those players that any club would have been proud to have represented them. Hopefully he returns to the club to coach or manage one day.”
What inspired you to start OC Gooners? “It’s something I had been thinking about doing for a few years. I knew Arsenal America had an LA branch but contrary to what many believe, LA is not just a drive across the road from Orange County, it can take an hour for most people (add an extra hour to those early west coast kick offs!). We really wanted and needed starting something closer to home. We then met a lot of local Gooners at the Champions League Trophy Tour that came through Orange County in 2009 and thought “We have to get something going down here”. So over the last 6 months or so, I started doing some research and we’ve now got the branch up and running. I do want to thank Daniel Zarate and Keith Hall, it would not have been possible without their help. It is still a brand new branch but we are extremely excited to get things going and we look forward to cheering on the Arsenal with all of our fellow OC Gooners!”
Feel free to drop Nick an e-mail at orangecounty@arsenalamerica.com if you are looking for directions, or if you just want to discuss all things Arsenal. Don’t forget to join the OC Facebook page. See you at The Ship!
Philadelphia, PA
Fado Irish Pub
1500 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-893-9700
Georgesedgwick@comcast.net (branch manager)
When thinking of Philadelphia fans, most people would associate us with the Eagles, Phillies, or Flyers. This is true in some ways, but the truly passionate fans are the Arsenal supporters, better known as the Philly Gooners.
With the backing of England’s most creative team, we have a reason to look forward to every match day. After starting out as a tiny group of Arsenal supporters who happened to run into each other in 2002, we are now over 250 members strong! Thanks to Mike Kavanagh, the original branch manager, and George Sedgwick, our current fearless manager, Philadelphia has become a great place to be an Arsenal fan.
The Philly Gooners headquarters is at Fado, where we regularly outnumber and outclass the opposition.
Recently, we have been able to create home and away shirts, and we’ve planned road trips to Baltimore and NYC. Our members are very dedicated to supporting Arsenal. All of them have been nothing but great in support of the club as well as for one another. Our Facebook page is constantly buzzing with news that relates to the club or even a funny video about our competitors. It is fun to watch and be part of the heated debates on the page, but at the end of the day, we all support the same great club. So, join us on Facebook, on Twitter, or better yet, in person!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/phillygooners/
Twitter: Philly Gooners@ArsenalPhilly
Pittsburgh, PA
It was the summer of 2004, Fox Soccer World was showing replays of the previous EPL season and a team with slick passing and scoring goals easily became my team, the Arsenal. From the moment on, I have religiously followed Arsenal. It is a passion not only for the way they play the beautiful game, but also because of its history and the supporters that engross their lives in the club each season. I love being an Arsenal Supporter and it is my club for life!!.
I started the local branch at the beginning of the 2011/12 season because of my love for Arsenal. We have our own Facebook Page: Arsenal FC Supporters of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh sports fans are passionate about the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, and now our Gunners. We are a small, but growing group that meet on match day at
Piper’s Pub
1828 East Carson St.
Pittsburgh PA 15203
http://piperspub.com/
Branch Manager:
Daniel Speegle
statman25@gmail.com
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Branch Managers:
Christopher Skelly
Brett Stein
London Bridge Pub
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/
KYCK.com:
http://kyck.com/#/
Richmond, VA
The Richmond Gooners group was started in the summer of 2011 when Tom Rosenhammer discovered he had two fellow Arsenal supporters on his street. One of the boys spotted his Tony Adams shirt and soon the hours of discussing that Bergkamp turn in Newcastle or the time Henry dribbled past the entire Liverpool squad evolved into a mission: find other Arsenal supporters who want to watch live games and talk about all things Arsenal. We figured that if there were two Gooners on one street in the Fan, there had to be many more who wanted to watch games together, down a few bevvies and sing “We Hate Tottenham.”
Richmond’s Red and White Army follow the Arsenal for so many reasons: the Gunners are from the greatest city in the Old World, red and white is the tidiest color combination for a football club, the Paris Cup Final in 2006, that iconic cannon badge, Ian Wright Wright Wright, how David Gilmour and Roger Waters used to watch games at Highbury together, how Arsenal have always been the most racially inclusive club in England, the beautiful passing game introduced by Arsene Wenger, the 2002 Double, the Famous Four of Dixon, Adams, Bould and Winterburn, Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch, going undefeated in 49 games, the list goes on.
The group has grown a bit and now The Richmond Gooners gather on match days at Gus’ Bar and Grill. If you’re in Richmond, join at Gus’ for a bit of banter, a few beers and singing Arsenal chants. There might be more fans of those other American owned English football clubs in town, but no one in RVA out sings the Richmond Gooners.
Find us on the web at https://www.facebook.com/groups/richmondgooners/ Twitter: @richmondgooners
Gus’ Bar and Grill 2701 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23220 http://www.gusbarandgrill.com/
Branch Manager: Tom Rosenhammer tomrosenhammer@yahoo.com
SAN Diego, CA
The San Diego Gooners began a couple of seasons ago as just a few friends who enjoyed watching Arsenal together at a pub. Having gotten tired of watching the games alone and discussing the team with people who had little interest in them, Jose Lira decided to go out and find people who shared in his love of Arsenal. After conversations with other Arsenal supporters they eventually became really good friends and really enjoyed watching matches together. Research of Arsenal supporters groups lead him to Arsenal America and upon noticing there was no official branch in San Diego, Jose and company decided to fill the void and make the San Diego Gooners official.Anyone in the San Diego area who loves the Arsenal as much as these Gooners is encouraged to come out and join them.Shakespeare Pub & Grille,
3701 India Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 299-0230
http://www.shakespearepub.com/Website: www.Sdgooners.comFacebook page: listed as “San Diego Gooners”
http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Diego-Gooners/157588204298688Facebook group: Listed as “San Diego Gooners” http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74829458138Branch Head: Jose Lira
sandiego@arsenalamerica.com
San Francisco, CA
Tucson, AZ
Sam Hughes’ Place Championship Dining
446 North Campbell #150
Tucson, AZ 85719
520.747.5223Lunch-time Matches
Frog & Firkin
874 East University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719
520.623.7507Branch Head: Malena Barajas tuscon@arsenalamerica.com
Facebook Group: Southern Arizona Armoury
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Arizona-Armoury/167496933304812Twitter: @soazarmoury
