When Did You Fall In Love With Arsenal?

[Zazu]

IMO we should have won two more PL titles and at least a CL during that golden era from 2000-04. This isn't a knock on Wenger, just a reflection of how outrageously good our team was at the time.

First season I obsessively started watching Arsenal was 05/06, and only watched the odd game in 04/05 so I missed the invincibles era team at their peak.

I remember looking at the champions league results from 02/03 and 01/02 a while ago and thinking they looked pretty disappointing for how good we were at the time - dropping points to teams like Roma, deportivo, ajax in the 2nd group stage to not even reach the knock out rounds.

I know these teams were comparatively stronger back then, but I'd still consider them a tier below that Arsenal side, who should have been able to go toe to toe with the great AC Milan and Real Madrid sides of the time.

So what happened? was it dodgy reffing decisions - or European refs not liking the physicality of that team? just some off nights due to fatigue?

 

[Tnegs]

Exactly 2004 & 2006 were are best chances for Ol big ears.

04 was our best chance imo. Losing to a poor Chelsea side when the remaining games would have been Porto and Monaco if we had won. Awful awful result that team deserved at least one CL.

 

[Oxeki]

Started supported Arsenal May 2005 from that FA Cup final vs united when we got battered but won in the end.

Something drew me to the team for some reason. I was 12 at the time. Although most of family supported Bolton because of JJ

 

[Tir Na Nog]

This is a weird tangent but I may as well join in. I can't remember the exact time but I reckon it was about 2002 or 2003. I had only gotten into football properly from the 2002 world cup. I remember all my family hated Man United for some reason and at the time Arsenal were the alternative so before I started supporting them they were the team I rooted for. I can remember also picking them in FIFA and they were always one of the top teams so I kept picking them. I can't remember the exact moment when I became a supporter tho.

I was probably supporting them throughout the invincible season, but at the time football still wasn't number 1 for me. I was into wrestling, played Gaelic football mostly I think it wasn't until a year or two after I become a real fan.

 

[Rex Stone]

Apparently I was watching games back in the late 90s but way too young to remember. Even went to some matches apparently

First conscious season was 2002/03. That title race was absolutely horrible in the end.

Leeds game ripped my young heart out.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Apparently I was watching games back in the late 90s but way too young to remember. Even went to some matches apparently

First conscious season was 2002/03. That title race was absolutely horrible in the end.

Leeds game ripped my young heart out.

What crushed your young heart more? That Leeds match or being told to F off by Willy Gallas?

 

[albakos]

98 for me. A certain Dutchman can be held responsible… and I was just thinking exactly the same re so many fans here never having seen us win the premier league. It’s a sobering thought really. A) coz I’m old and B) it’s been a. Really. Fkn long time…

Damn bro, are you a long lost brother !??

Because that is pretty much right when I started following us. It was through Dennis that I got to know about Arsenal and then Arsenal introduced me to the genius of Arsène.

 

[Rex Stone]

What crushed your young heart more? That Leeds match or being told to F off by Willy Gallas?

1. Anfield 2008 (All my mates were Pool fans)
2. Gallas f*ck off
3. Paris 2006
4. Wayne Bridge

That’s my Mount Rushmore of pain.

 

[MauveGunner]

Remember watching a lot of premier league matches with my grandfather in the end of the 90's (On Canal +, god what a time) and quite liking Manchester United as a kid (just because they won a lot of stuff)

But then one day, we were watching Arsenal and I saw The King himself in action for the first time and I was sold. Don't remember against who it was though.

 

[Bloodbather]

2003. I was a 7-year old kid. Was my first year of watching the Premier League on TV, instantly fell in love with the way Arsenal played and their visual aesthetics on the pitch, especially Henry and Vieira, watched pretty much every match on the way to the title that season. Bought my first Arsenal kit the next season, it was the blue one with Henry written on the back.

 

[Dodero]

It's the lack of European trophies especially in that Highbury Wenger era, that annoys me the most.

Should have at least one Champions League and UEFA cup from that time, plus a few European super cups possibly.

Still think as a combo of pace and skill, the football we played in the late 90s and early 00s is best this country has seen.

I wanted so bad that Europa league in the last Wenger season at Arsenal, I started to hate Atlético Madrid since that draw, they literally defended the whole 90 minutes at the Emirates and got the win. And let's not talked the Europa final against Chelsea...

 

[Tnegs]

Started in 96 when Wenger turned up and became hardcore during the 97-98 season. What a magical season that was Wright and Bergkamp up front with the Graham back 5 shielded by Vieira/Petit and Overmars world class that season. Wright got injured and the 17/18 year old Anelka came in and defenders couldn’t live with his pace and skill.

 

[db10_therza]

Damn bro, are you a long lost brother !??

Because that is pretty much right when I started following us. It was through Dennis that I got to know about Arsenal and then Arsenal introduced me to the genius of Arsène.

Yup - use to follow a few PL teams from Bangladesh at that point but hadn’t committed to one. Then Bergkamp vs Argentina happened and I just knew in my heart that Arsenal was the one.

Funnily enough Zola was one of my other faves from back then. I could have ended up a Chelsea fan… so I basically owe Bergkamp A LOT.

 

[db10_therza]

Should add @albakos i actually hated United before I started supporting Arsenal. All of my friends were United fans and it used to sicken me.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Still haunted by the Wayne Bridge goal in the CL.

I remember at the time watching it and it completely broke my heart to pieces as I thought we had a great chance of winning the CL that season. That game + Paris is probably why I’m numb to anything Arsenal related to this day.

Arsenal winning the CL is all I want to witness.

 

[14Henry]

Father is a fan so was natural I was one.

Remember football from around 1996, however have a real clear memory from our first double 97/98. Loved Anelka and thought he was going to be amazing for us. Even got his name on my shirt. Only to watch him leave about 2 weeks later.

Went to the soccer schools they used to run at Highbury too in summer as I've family in London.

Since then I have watched probably 95% of matches in the league and when we were in the CL. Early Europa league ones conflict with work these days so can only catch the second half.

Been to watch Arsenal home and away probably 14-15 times including in the EL.

Been a long 10-15 years or so watching us. The first 10 years being a fan were great but we didn't win enough nor anything in Europe which has always been a gripe of mine considering the team we had.

Arsenal is the only team I support with any passion. Apart from Northern Ireland winning the World Cup there's no other football event I care about unless it involves us. A lot of people have 2 or 3 teams. Not me.

Really wondered if I'd see Arsenal win another league anytime in the next 20 years. We have a real chance but as things stand that's all it is, a chance. Which is more than I expected.

 

[Bucephalus]

I fell in love with Arsenal in May, 1980. I was six. My dad played rugby, at a reasonably high level, but even that long ago, my parents didn't like the idea of young kids getting head injuries, so they put me in soccer instead (seemed like a safer option at the time!). So I'm in Tea Gardens, New South Wales, with my grandparents, because that was where my grandfather liked a fishing vacation. And we didn't get much football on TV in Australia back then. And so it was great that while we're checking out of the motel, the FA Cup final was playing.

1. I don't know if six year old me just liked the red jerseys better, or if I thought it was funny that they could say "arse" on TV. But I picked Arsenal that day, and I've never stopped.

2. Of course West Ham won. Hell, given time zones, and broadcasts being on tape delay back then, it's highly likely that Arsenal had lost before I chose them forever.

3. We moved to America, and it got even harder to follow Arsenal. Anfield '89 trickled in like war correspondence. There was a morning newspaper where I saw the score in fine print at the back of the sports section, the same fine print that you'd see Scottish Lowland League results in a British paper. A day later, there was a minor story. And on a weekend sports wrap-up show, I finally got to see five minutes of highlights.

4. American TV coverage slowly got better, and I got to reconnect with Arsenal at the peak of Bergkamp's powers. And peak Wenger-ball.

5. TV coverage is now fantastic. For the last five years, I might have missed half a dozen games, and the majority of those were because I was on a plane.

6. I know some of you are a bit skeptical of "foreign" fans. I know I'm not from North London. I still can't properly hate Sp**s, mainly because I didn't meet an actual Sp**s fan in the flesh until about five years ago. United will always be the enemy for me. But I'm Arsenal through and through, and there is no hangover that will prevent me from getting up at 7 in the morning to throw on the jersey and scarf, and scream at the TV to a degree that might startle my cat. But I'd still like to see it in North London once, if anyone would like to be my tour guide and give me the Anthony Bourdain experience.

PS. That Champions League final was a glorious failure. So close. I resist getting angry at PL refereeing, because there will never be a worse call than the RVP red at Camp Nou. And the game that will always break my heart is when Ox just went off, and we nearly overturned 0-4 against Milan. I simply walked out of work that day to watch the second half.

 

[Erlis]

I have heard of Arsenal but never cared what they are doing, I never thought they were a team to be mentioned. Then in 2016 because Xhaka went to Arsenal, I by accident watched 1st match, then 2nd, then 3rd..and that is how it began. I first fell in love with Arsène Wenger then Arsenal. Now I think I am a true Arsenal fan, and I will always support them regardless if Arsène of Xhaka are there. However, I do not think I will be writing on English pages.

 

[lamby22]

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.

 

[dka1]

This thread had been a glorious read, thank you guys so much for the stories.

As for my Arsenal "origin" story I hear you ask? Well viewer, you may not know this but I'm actually Nwankwo Kanu in disguise, that's right, the tall asf brother with a deft touch himself. Therefore I think no explanation is needed.

I know that the burning, buuuuurning question you've got is: am I 10 years older than my "official" age?

You bet.