Mike Francis
The launch of our annual survey is always a key date in The Gooner’s calendar and this year is no exception, launching as it does on the 25th anniversary of the match which topped our very first “match of the season” poll back in 1989.
In that first poll we received fewer than 200 completed surveys, but the counting was all done manually whereas now we use an online system which thankfully saves us a lot of time because last year nearly 3000 Gooners from 66 different countries answered the 67 questions we posed. We’re hoping for an increase on that number this time round so make sure you spread the word far and wide.
This year we have enlarged the survey again so it now contains 80 questions, some of which have been suggested by our contributors and readers. This does mean that you’ll probably need to set aside 10-15 minutes to complete the survey, but we hope you will think it’s worth the effort to partake in what we think is the most comprehensive insight into the thoughts of the Gooner family.
You will almost certainly find that you’ve already debated many of the questions with your friends and colleagues in the pub, in the ground, in workplaces, on internet forums and anywhere else Gooners gather together. However, we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible by making as many questions as possible multiple choice which means I had to try to second guess what people would put, so I’ll apologise now if I’ve missed off any obvious choices.
This also required me to watch every Arsenal goal scored last season to come up with a shortlist of 12 for the goal of the season category. Fortunately for me, there’s a superb video online which has been put together by Slim Swaidy and contains the 99 goals we notched in all competitions. It’s the perfect antidote if you’re missing your Arsenal fix already and is well worth a watch if you’ve an hour to spare.
As well as making you relive the season just finished, from the lows of Anfield and Stamford Bridge to the highs of three victories over our North London neighbours and our first piece of silverware in nine years, we also have sections which ask your views on the squad and manager, the owner and the club’s business model, your experience of being an Arsenal supporter and your thoughts on The Gooner and Online Gooner.
This last section is particularly important to us as the answers we get will heavily influence how we try to run the fanzine and website going forwards. Even if you’re not a reader of the fanzine or a regular visitor to the website, your views are still important to us as we strive to provide the content which will make you want to buy the fanzine or return to the site again and again. As some of you will be aware, sales of the printed edition have been falling in recent seasons as we, along with the rest of the print industry, contemplate how best to survive alongside the ever increasing amount of digital material which is now available. However, we’ve been encouraged enough by the support we’ve had in recent months to keep going and hope fans will believe there is still a place for a printed fanzine in modern times.
It’s also worth highlighting again that we are very much an open church and regularly encourage fans to contribute articles and ideas for both the site and the fanzine. If you’ve ever thought about blogging, whether it’s on a regular or infrequent basis, why not get in touch with us and do it under the umbrella of The Gooner?
OK, so that’s the preliminaries over with. To get started click on this link to the 2014 Gooner Survey and vote away. Everyone who completes the survey has the opportunity to be entered into a draw to win next seasons replica shirt (home or away) and one of three digital Gooner subscriptions by adding their contact details at the end.
The closing date for entries is not until Tuesday 10th June so there is plenty of time to reflect on the last nine months and other aspects of our club.
The results will be published on this site at regular intervals throughout the close season and we’ll also be publicising them on Twitter so if you don’t already, please give us a follow.
