Word has got round since the beginning of this week that the supporter known best as ‘Knowledge’ passed away over the summer. There was concern amongst the away regulars that one of the usual characters was not at any of the pre-season matches. His sister apparently phoned Arsenal to relay news of his death over the summer and word has since spread.

He was something of a man of mystery, but those that watched Arsenal away games regularly, as well as reserve and youth matches, knew him, although it seems that no-one really knew him that well away from Arsenal. I believe he got the name ‘Knowledge’ due to his encyclopedic knowledge of the club and liked to be referred to by this name. He was definitely an Arsenal character.

From a mixture of emails and forum posts, here is what others have said about him…

I bumped into 'Knowledge' many times on European away trips and as you say he was a character all on his own. He was often scurrying around looking very hot and bothered trying to get programmes, team sheets or press passes so he could sit in the press area. I'm sure he wrote match reports for a 'zine or a blog and would use this as a way to get into games as a member of the press. Every time I met him he would always be laden down with carrier bags and a big heavy electronic typewriter. The reason for this was that he had had his laptop stolen on a train, travelling across some backend European country when he fell asleep, therefore the electronic typewriter travelled to Europe instead!

Used to see Knowledge at every home game and had many chats as I am in the Family Enclosure with my son and he also used to collect teamsheets and hang around near the press. At the Rushden friendly last year, Knowledge was in the glass fronted press box on his own and was very pleased with himself!

RIP the Knowledge. He used to keep detailed notes of all the matches and god forbid if you ever tried to sneak a look at what he was writing. He could quote details from any match that he had attended, score, scorers, times of goals, and attendance etc off the top of his head.

He is clearly a man who goes back a long way. I used to attend a lot of the away games in the '70s and '80s - very infrequently now - but his picture kind of rings a bell. It's great that our club - and frankly others too - but especially ours attracts people like that. Individuals who seek nothing for themselves but come rain or shine, come hell or high water, they are always there. It's their life and they give nothing less than everything they have and all they can to it. The sad thing is that they are often not seen until they are gone, if you follow me. But it’s all part of our great club's noble tradition. And all the greater for enduring, through the seasons, out of the limelight. Let's hope we can do him proud by putting ourselves back at the top, where we belong, come next May.

An unusual character indeed, but part of the Arsenal family none the less. Knowledge looked like that caricature of him that the Gooner did, it was spot on. (Ed’s note – In the early 1990s the fanzine ran a quiz which I believe was partially inspired by the man himself, although it was before my time as editor.) He used to carry around all these plastic bags full of paper and Rothmans football yearbooks. He had not what you call any friends but plenty of acquaintances, nobody had his phone number and he was most upset if you did not address him as Knowledge. I knew his real name, but he hated people knowing it. He went to EVERY first, reserve and youth team game. On Arsenal TV you used to see him in the background in those youth games at the training ground. He used to write notes during games but nobody knew what for and he never used to let you see them. Knowledge was well known but not liked at the club as he used to apply for press passes for all games and was rude to the head of the press office, so she used to throw him off the European press lists much to his annoyance. I went to the Maidenhead game last week and Andrew Miller asked me if I had seen him at the game as nobody had seen him all pre-season, Andrew said "He must be dead as he would never miss these games", unfortunately he was proved right and apparently he died in July but nobody knows the exact causes as his sister just rang the club to let them know. So he died in mystery, just the way he lived his life so a fitting ending. He was a nutter, sometimes rude but he was a character who loved Arsenal and I will miss him bumping into him and chatting to him.

(Ed’s Note – After I posted this, the following email arrived. As the sender obviously knew Knowledge well, I have no issue with adding his words to the above…)

Dear Mr Whitcher,

I have been asked to send you an article re: Daniel “Knowledge” Feinstein

The most fitting tribute in “The Gooner” to Knowledge would be the following:

An apology from “The Gooner” to Mr Daniel Feinstein!

Re: The “Cartoon” series that ran several years ago “Mr Logik”!! The article directly aimed at Mr Feinstein caused him great personal offence! Anyone who knew Daniel personally is well aware of this!

If you were to publish words to the effect we will have up-most respect for you! I realise this is before your time as editor, but I am sure you remember it!