Arsenal pub The Tollington Arms has been saved

Arsenal fans continue to wait for some good news regarding the club’s transfer activity. As new rumors and speculation are served up on a daily basis, the relenting uncertainty can be excruciating. At this point, anything positive would be wholly welcomed.

So, while not player-related, there was some good news coming out of north London last week. Popular Arsenal pub, The Tollington Arms, was saved from permanent closure after the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST), Gooners near and far, and local residents of the community signed a petition to prevent its demise.

The result of this is that the Tollington is now listed by the local government of Islington as an “asset of community value” that “furthers the social well-being and social interests of the local community”. This falls under England’s Localism Act of 2011, which states: an asset of community value (ACV) is land or property of importance to a local community that is subject to additional protection from development.

I was first introduced to the Tollington by friends that would regularly gather at the pub both before and after matches. I return whenever I am lucky enough to be in London to see Arsenal at the Emirates. The atmosphere on game days is electric and the pub is just a short walk down the road from the stadium.

Arsenal pub The Tollington Arms has been saved by the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST), Arsenal supporters and local residents of the community

Due to COVID and the subsequent lockdown, Tollingon owner Martin Whelan suffered major economic losses. Instead of leniency, Whelan’s landlord, KRNS Properties, demanded he pay £128,000 in rent or face eviction.

With a lot of support in the local community, Whelan started a petition “Save the Tolly”. At the same time, the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST) approached the local government for its support of the Tollington. The decision to have the pub listed as an “asset of community” was accepted by the Islington council on June 17th.

Former leader of the Labour Party and long-time Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn supported the measure. He stated, “Well done the Tollington and Islington in supporting our community. Long may the Tollington thrive!” – who knew it, but Corbyn signed a motion back in 2004 saying Arsenal is the best football team in the world.

Whelan still has to pay his debt but should be able to do so in time as customers can once again come out to the pub.

A relieved Whelan stated:

"“The really heartbreaking thing is in the last 15 months, over 12,000 pubs have been lost that will never open again because of this pandemic. We are the only pub left on Hornsey Road.”"

With COVID-19 restrictions starting to be lifted, fans are excited to return to the Emirates. And there’s additional good news as well now the Tollington will once again be open for pre-and post-match gatherings. Cheers!