Kevin Whitcher
Ok, so the whole operation of The Gooner is dependent on our sales of the printed mag up at the stadium, by post or in e-edition format. Hence, the occasional need to plug our wares and inform our readership when there is a fresh issue to purchase.
Issue 248 comes out tomorrow. The special feature this issue sees a number of our contributors offer a memory of a particular Thierry Henry goal, to mark our record scorer’s announcement that he is hanging up his boots. There is also an article that suggests the reverence in which he is held might actually be more appropriate for a number of other players who are, perhaps, not lauded to such a degree. One for debate there.
There are a couple of articles on Calum Chambers. One asks whether it is a case of too much too soon in terms of what is being asked of the youngster in an injury-plagued campaign. Another waxes lyrical on a potential long term partnership on Arsenal’s right flank featuring Chambers and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
As if you can’t get enough defender content, there is also a piece on the merits of Mathieu Debuchy.
One rather natty page features the conversion of one of the old tin membership packs into a functioning guitar. A quality piece of recycling. The recent media storm over Ched Evans is discussed in an article asking whether or not footballers should be seen as role models, and recalls the jailing of Tony Adams back in 1990.
Arsenal enjoyed a good period in the years after World War Two and this period is recalled by a writer who inherited his father’s collection of programmes. There is a trip report from Galatasaray and a ‘Forgotten Games’ feature which revisits a friendly between Arsenal and a Michel Platini managed French side on Valentine’s Day in 1989.
One of our more popular regulars is ‘In the Away End’ which spies on opposition forums facing Arsenal and this issue, the focus is the West Ham chatrooms between Xmas and New Year. There is also a piece appealing for a bit of calm between the warring factions amognst the Arsenal support. There is no question things can get a bit heated when the team are performing below the level expected of them. Cartoon humour is provided by Rixy’s Believe It Or Not and our regular on players that missed out being one of the featured 32 on the outside of the stadium this issue profiles 1920s and ‘30s player Bob John.
All the regular columns are there – Talking Reds, The Spy, Anger Management and Mickey Cannon, and of course your views in the ‘Inbox’ pages.
So a cracking read for your £2.50. And as a fair number did not attend over the Christmas period, our sellers will also have a few copies of the previous issue with the fantastic ‘Art of Arsenal’ 2015 calendar for sale.
Support The Gooner by buying a copy tomorrow and help us survive to prevent Arsenal fanzines becoming a thing of the past.
Issue 248 of The Gooner will be available to buy from The Gooner Shop shortly if you cannot make the home matches against Stoke, Villa or Leicester to buy it in person.
DIGITAL ISSUES
The Gooner is also available in digital form, through The Gooner App on iPhones and iPads, the Exactly App for Android devices and now Kindle Fire owners can also get their fix by searching the Amazon App Store for The Gooner. Issue 248 will be available to buy in this format later today (Friday).
You can also subscribe at www.exacteditions.com and read it through your internet browser as well as receiving a code which will enable you to access issues on all the above devices.
All digital subscriptions include access to our digital back issue library which dates back to August 2010.
