Arsenal F.C. supporters
Encyclopedia
London based Arsenal Football Club
have developed a strong following since their founding in 1886. Arsenal's fans are often referred to as "Gooners," the name derived from the team's nickname, the "Gunners."
Many fanzine
s, blog
s, podcast
s and fans websites
have been dedicated to the club and the fans have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur
, with whom they regularly contest the North London derby
.
The club and the fans have regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. Gooners come from far and wide, a 2005 report estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world.
's home matches have resulted in Arsenal having the second-highest average League attendance for an English club in 2007–08 (60,070, which was 99.5% of available capacity), and as of 2006, the fourth-highest all-time average attendance. Arsenal have the highest proportion (7.7%) of non-white attending supporters of any club in English football, according to a 2002 report.
There are supporters' clubs worldwide. A 2005 report by Granada Ventures, which at the time owned a 9.9% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world.
s, Arsenal's supporters sing "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "Go West
") and also regularly sing "Who's that team they call the Arsenal", "Good old Arsenal" (to the tune of "Rule Brittania") and "We're the North Bank/Clock End Highbury". The fans ironically chant "Boring, Boring Arsenal".
, with matches between the two being referred to as North London derbies
.
Matches against other London sides, such as Chelsea
and West Ham United
are also derbies, but the rivalry is not as intense as that between Arsenal and Tottenham. In addition, Arsenal and Manchester United
have had a strong on-pitch rivalry since the late 1980s, which has intensified in recent years when both clubs have been competing for the Premier League title.
A 2003 online survey found that Arsenal supporters most dislike Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Manchester United and Chelsea
, although both Chelsea and Spurs fans see Arsenal as their main rival.
although there are suggestions that it has existed since 2005. St. Totteringham's day 2010 was the first time the celebration was acknowledged by mainstream media, with mentions from the Sun
, Mirror, Mail
, Guardian
and the BBC
.
. The club and authorities work closely together to police fans, with both using their available powers where necessary.
However, Arsenal fans have had confrontations with the police, the most recent being over homophobic chants and materials directed at ex-Arsenal left-back
Ashley Cole
.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
have developed a strong following since their founding in 1886. Arsenal's fans are often referred to as "Gooners," the name derived from the team's nickname, the "Gunners."
Many fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
s, blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s, podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s and fans websites
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
have been dedicated to the club and the fans have long-standing rivalries with several other clubs; the most notable of these is with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, with whom they regularly contest the North London derby
North London derby
The North London derby is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.-History:...
.
The club and the fans have regularly featured in portrayals of football in British culture. Gooners come from far and wide, a 2005 report estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world.
Demographics
ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
's home matches have resulted in Arsenal having the second-highest average League attendance for an English club in 2007–08 (60,070, which was 99.5% of available capacity), and as of 2006, the fourth-highest all-time average attendance. Arsenal have the highest proportion (7.7%) of non-white attending supporters of any club in English football, according to a 2002 report.
There are supporters' clubs worldwide. A 2005 report by Granada Ventures, which at the time owned a 9.9% stake in the club, estimated Arsenal's global fanbase at 27 million, the third largest in the world.
Songs
In addition to the usual English football chantFootball chant
A football chant or terrace chant, is a song or chant sung at association football matches. They can be historic, dating back to the formation of the club, adaptations of popular songs, or spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch. They are one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk song...
s, Arsenal's supporters sing "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "Go West
Go West (song)
"Go West" is a song by the 1970s disco group Village People. The song eventually found greater success when it was covered in 1993 by the synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Village People version:...
") and also regularly sing "Who's that team they call the Arsenal", "Good old Arsenal" (to the tune of "Rule Brittania") and "We're the North Bank/Clock End Highbury". The fans ironically chant "Boring, Boring Arsenal".
Rivalries
Arsenal's longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their nearest major neighbours, Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, with matches between the two being referred to as North London derbies
North London derby
The North London derby is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.-History:...
.
Matches against other London sides, such as Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
are also derbies, but the rivalry is not as intense as that between Arsenal and Tottenham. In addition, Arsenal and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
have had a strong on-pitch rivalry since the late 1980s, which has intensified in recent years when both clubs have been competing for the Premier League title.
A 2003 online survey found that Arsenal supporters most dislike Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Manchester United and Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, although both Chelsea and Spurs fans see Arsenal as their main rival.
St. Totteringham's Day
Saint Totteringham's Day (sometimes also known as Saint Totteridge's Day) is a concept created by Arsenal fans, first published in 2002 on arseweb.com. It is held on the day when Arsenal have gathered enough points to be mathematically assured to finish ahead of Tottenham in the league table. In 2007 the concept was first mentioned (as St. Totteridge) in a 2008 Arsenal-Aston Villa official match programmeFootball programme
The purchase of a football programme has long been part of the 'ritual' of attending a football match in Great Britain, along with a pint and/or a pie. Due to their initial expendible nature it took many decades for the format to gain respectability as a collectable...
although there are suggestions that it has existed since 2005. St. Totteringham's day 2010 was the first time the celebration was acknowledged by mainstream media, with mentions from the Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
, Mirror, Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
| Season | Date | No. Games (/Season) | Host Ground | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/2011 | 7 May 2011 | 35/(38) | ||
| 2009/2010 | 9 May 2010 | 38/(38) | ||
| 2008/2009 | 11 April 2009 | 32/(38) | ||
| 2007/2008 | 9 March 2008 | 29/(38) | Earliest date since reorganization of the Premier League and Spurs return to top-flight | |
| 2006/2007 | 21 April 2007 | 35/(38) | White Hart Lane White Hart Lane White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230.... |
Championship winning fixture, Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham |
| 2005/2006 | 7 May 2006 | 38/(38) | Celebrated following the final game at Highbury Highbury - Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now... |
|
| 2004/2005 | 2 April 2005 | 31/(38) | ||
| 2003/2004 | 13 March 2004 | 28/(38) | ||
| 2002/2003 | 24 March 2003 | 31/(38) | ||
| 2001/2002 | 18 March 2002 | 30/(38) | ||
| 2000/2001 | 17 April 2001 | 33/(38) | ||
| 1999/2000 | 16 April 2000 | 32/(38) | ||
| 1998/1999 | 6 April 1999 | 32/(38) | ||
| 1997/1998 | 28 March 1998 | 29/(38) | ||
| 1996/1997 | 5 April 1997 | 33/(38) | ||
| 1995/1996 | 5 May 1996 | 38/(38) | ||
| 1994/1995 | None | None | Arsenal manager George Graham George Graham (footballer) George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:... sacked in February 1995; Tottenham finished the season 7th, Arsenal 12th |
|
| 1993/1994 | 26 March 1994 | 34/(42) | ||
| 1992/1993 | None | |||
| 1991/1992 | 11 April 1992 | 38/(42) | ||
| 1990/1991 | 3 April 1991 | 31/(38) | ||
| 1989/1990 | None | On the final day of the season, an Arsenal draw and Tottenham win saw Spurs finish above the Gunners by a single point | ||
| 1988/1989 | 8 April 1989 | 32/(38) | ||
| 1987/1988 | 3 April 1988 | 33/(40) | ||
| 1986/1987 | None | |||
| 1985/1986 | 29 April 1986 | 40/(42) | ||
| 1984/1985 | None | |||
| 1983/1984 | 12 May 1984 | 40/(42) | ||
| 1982/1983 | None | |||
| 1981/1982 | None | |||
| 1980/1981 | 20 April 1981 | 40/(42) | ||
| 1979/1980 | 12 April 1980 | 36/(42) | ||
| 1978/1979 | 21 April 1979 | 38/(42) | ||
| 1977/1978 | N/A | "N/A" | "N/A" | Spurs' hiatus from the top-flight football means no St. Totteringham's Day in 1978 |
| 1976/1977 | 23 April 1977 | 37/(42) | Spurs relegated | |
| 1975/1976 | None | |||
| 1974/1975 | 26 April 1975 | 41/(42) | White Hart Lane | Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham |
| 1973/1974 | 11 May 1974 | 42/(42) | ||
| 1972/1973 | 7 April 1973 | 37/(42) | ||
| 1971/1972 | 8 May 1972 | 41/(42) | ||
| 1970/1971 | 17 April 1971 | 37/(42) | ||
Police and community relations
Arsenal supporters enjoy good relations with police forces around the country and especially the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
. The club and authorities work closely together to police fans, with both using their available powers where necessary.
However, Arsenal fans have had confrontations with the police, the most recent being over homophobic chants and materials directed at ex-Arsenal left-back
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
.
Actors and actresses
Music
Television & radio personalities
Athletes and sports
- Andy Murray