Arsenal: The story of how I became a fan

We all have our own story of how we became fans of the great Arsenal Football Club. I am now going to share my distinctive story.

I believe I have told parts of this story before, however, as we quickly approach another season which will undoubtedly be full of trials, tribulations, and triumphs, I thought that it would be a good time to remind myself of where it all began, and why I am such an avid Arsenal fan. The majority of you will not care about how I became a fan. I am not special, but like you, I am emotionally attached to the Gunners, and I like the idea of documenting my story.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Big Season Review

I will not forget the day I became an Arsenal fan for a long time. Saturday 21st February 2004. I was only six years old. Stamford Bridge. Chelsea vs Arsenal in the Premier League. While Arsenal emerged 2-1 victors thanks to first-half goals from Patrick Vieira and new Technical Director Edu, I do not remember the game itself. Instead, I remember one specific camera shot which showed the back of the magnificent Thierry Henry #14 jersey in all its glory. He was wearing long sleeves, gloves and Nike Mercurial Vapor II Team Red boots. I would later learn that Henry meant business in this attire.

In reminiscing with my dad about this story, he tells me that I originally claimed loyalty to Chelsea because of their blue kit. The only explanation I have for this catastrophe is that I was a big Thomas the Tank Engine fan as a toddler. Nevertheless, my dad soon made me aware that the team in red had a player called Henry on their team and that he was one of the world’s best players. That I remember quite vividly. I cannot quite remember what I said in response, but as if by magic, the rear of the revered #14 jersey soon appeared centre focus on our television screen.

Everything else is a bit of a blur, nonetheless, I have found myself rooting for the Arsenal Football Club ever since. I begged for a Thierry Henry jersey for my next birthday, I cried myself to sleep following our Champions League final defeat in 2006, I could barely watch as Vieira scored the winning penalty in the 2005 FA Cup final at the Millenium Stadium, I witnessed the famous botched penalty against Manchester City during my only visit to Highbury, and I felt lost when Arsène Wenger announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the 2017/2018 season. There are so many more moments that I remember and that I owe to Arsenal Football Club. Not all of them are positive, but that is part and parcel of being a football fan.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

My love of football opened avenues and encouraged relationships, and this is something that I had not thought about in detail until now. Later that year (8th October 2004) my dad would take myself and a good friend to my first live game; Swansea vs Mansfield Town at the Vetch Field – way down by the sea. We have been a Swansea City household ever since. I am now a final-year student at Swansea University, and I am glad to say that I have been a Swansea City season-ticket holder (alongside my dad and my younger brother) ever since I arrived on campus in September 2016.

I owe my love of Arsenal and football to Thierry Henry. While I may be biased, I still maintain that he is the best player to have ever graced the Premier League. I have always been told that life is all about little moments, and I consider the beginning of my Arsenal fandom to be one of the very best. Here is to more moments, football-related or otherwise.

Please feel free to share the story of how you became an Arsenal fan in the comments below, or you could tell us on Twitter.