Where do I start with this one?

Gooner editor Layth knows that I hate writing about myself, but I hope that sharing my experience of being a part of the Gooner Fanzine can serve as a reminder of just how important it is that we all try to preserve this staple of Arsenal fan culture for years to come.

My first article for the Gooner was published online back in March 2021. Myself and Layth both reside in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and I had got to know him through my radio work at the local football club. It was after an interview with Layth for the radio that he gave me, a young aspiring journalist and commentator, to become involved with the Gooner,

I was familiar with the Fanzine itself having become familiarised with the cries of “Getcha Gooner” on Arsenal match days, but I was keen to try and differentiate with the existing content across the website and print editions, so after a few months of various previews and player ratings on the men’s side, I discussed with Layth about specialising on one particular area of the club. 

How about Arsenal Women?

At the time I could describe myself as a very casual viewer of the women’s game, I would enjoy any major international tournament and watch the WSL when it was occasionally on TV. Not much at all really, but enough knowledge to begin my work familiarising myself with the players and then effectively stepping into the huge shoes of Adam Millington as the Gooner’s Arsenal Women writer.

Up until the end of January this year though, all of my articles for the Gooner would be done from my sofa as I watched games on TV and put together content for the website as well as writing a column in each print edition. I would go to watch home games whenever possible, but all of a sudden things changed. Gaining accreditation for matches as a journalist is a complicated process, and lines can very much be blurred for fanzines, as clubs are keen to keep fan-led media away from the press box.

Privilege Covering Arsenal Women

However, the groundwork that myself and Layth had laid in covering the women’s team regularly was enough to persuade the good people on Arsenal’s media team that I would be able to cover games in the press box on behalf of the Gooner Fanzine, starting back in January as Arsenal turned over fourth tier Leeds in the FA Cup.

Since then I’ve covered most of Arsenal’s remaining WSL games, a highlight being a 2-1 comeback win against Manchester City that will ultimately help Arsenal to seal Champions League football for next season. Talking of comeback wins, I was gutted to miss Arsenal’s turnaround against Bayern Munich at the Emirates, but I was so glad to see the Gunners progress, as it meant that I would be able to cover a game at the Emirates Stadium before the end of the season.

Before that though, Layth brought up the prospect of travelling abroad for Arsenal’s first Champions League semi final since 2013. Having worked all year in between completing my A-Levels and heading off to university, I was happy to put some money towards a trip to either Paris or Wolfsburg, depending on who was victorious in the quarter final.

With two contrasting cities in prospect, one most famous for a Volkswagen Factory and the other being, well, Paris, I was rather hoping for PSG to progress, but it wasn’t to be. Having never been to Germany before however, flights were booked and my Arsenal-supporting dad joined me for the long weekend, and what a weekend it was.

Reporting on Arsenal Women at Wolfsburg

I loved talking to Jen Beattie and Jonas Eidevall at the press conference the day before the game, with Beattie proving engaging in her responses to my questions about Williamson’s injury and the support of the travelling Gooners, and Eidevall in his usual more reserved mood as the sun set over the Volkswagen Arena.

The next day we were invited by legendary supporter John Williamson to join up with the rest of the travelling supporters, who turned the Sausalitos cocktail bar in the city centre into a sea of red and white and after various beverages were consumed were belting out songs. 

I headed down to the game early as usual, and made sure to really take everything in, with it all really hitting home when I took my seat in the press box and spotted my dad amongst the Arsenal supporters on the opposite side of the Volkswagen Arena, having grabbed the very last ticket of Arsenal’s allocation.

Arsenal fell 2-0 down midway through the first half and just as we started to worry if the Gunners could bring anything back to London for the second leg, Jonas Eidevall’s side produced yet another remarkable comeback to leave Germany with a gutsy 2-2 draw. After hearing from Lia Walti in the mixed zone and then Eidevall himself, transcribing all of the post-match quotes was made a whole lot easier thanks to a complementary fridge full of pilsner in the press room. 

Wolfsburg was a world away from my regular media commitments in the third tier of non-league football, and an experience that has really motivated me to go onto university in September to study sports journalism, and hopefully one day make a career out of it.

Whatever happens, this trip to Germany will stay with me for a long time, and it was all thanks to the Gooner Fanzine.

Save The Gooner

There will be more people like myself who deserve opportunities like this thanks to the selfless work that has been done by the likes of Layth, and I would hate to even think about them being taken away by the loss of the Gooner.