Arsenal Football Club may have many shortcomings, but its supporters do not.
Despite my apparent partiality, the Gunners have among England’s most fervent followers, a nation both renowned and reviled for its collection of passionate supporters.
However, suppose one genuinely wants to call themselves an Arsenal supporter or is unsure whether to take the leap and commit their mental health to the team’s fate. In that case, there are several guidelines that every Gooner—new or old—should be aware of and adhere to.
The unwritten rules of Goonerdom are listed below.
You Must Understand the Club’s Past
Any Arsenal supporter should know the significant events in the club’s history, especially those that occurred during the Arsene Wenger era, even though you don’t have to know how many points Arsenal scored in 1912.
For instance, be aware that we, more than anybody else in history, were promoted to the top flight in 1919 under really dubious conditions and that we have remained there ever since.
Be aware that we won our first double in 1971, 10 years after Tottenham did so, while Frank McLintock served as our captain. Know all the greatest club legends, including Thierry Henry and Cliff Bastin.
The most important thing is to learn everything you can about each season in the Arsene Wenger era, the most prosperous in Arsenal’s history.
You will despise Tottenham as much as your worst enemy.
The following is the one rule of being an Arsenal supporter that you, indeed, cannot breach and that unites you with your comrades 10,000 miles away:
Tottenham offends you.
More than anything else, you detest Tottenham. They support the Spurs. The aggravation from North London, which has spent decades pursuing the Gunners while continually pretending to be on their level, dwarfs all other annoyances.
As an Arsenal supporter, you must adhere to this firmly and unwaveringly.
Like your father, you will come to adore Arsene Wenger.
While we’re on the topic of Arsene Wenger, it’s important to note that you should regard the fantastic Frenchman as if he were a beloved relative.
At the club’s lowest point at the start of this season, I was among the many who had lost respect for the manager of nearly 16 years. No one, but Wenger, could have turned the squad around and lifted it into third place, qualifying Arsenal for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive season.
Since Wenger arrived in 1996, the club has had remarkable success while being financially stable because of his revolutionary footballing and training theories and his unequaled eye for hidden gems and bargains.
Learn to Embrace Disappointment
Being an Arsenal supporter is not kind to your heart or nails.
Every season, you are unavoidably taken on an emotional rollercoaster as the Gunners raise your hopes to incredible heights when they demonstrate their potential, only to let you down miserably later.
Arsenal supporters have just gotten used to the team’s cyclical decline from championship contender to the depressing choker that everyone sympathizes with because, hey, they played excellent football during the previous seven trophy-less years.
The one benefit of enduring annual agony is that it inspires a fan following unlike anything else.
Conclusion
In the end, with Arsenal being no exception, it is the most crucial rule of fandom. Sorry, but you lose the right to call yourself a supporter if you switch to Manchester United, Chelsea, or NetBet Sport for a taste because they’re doing better this month.
But despite appearance, you are a real Gooner if you maintain allegiance to the cannon.
