O’Hanlon’s New York is the best Arsenal bar: A Gooner’s home across the pond

The Arsenal fanbase is a global entity. If you go to the Emirates, banners are hung down from every section representing a different country’s fandom. The United States is not a footballing country – at least not predominantly. Instead, folks love baseball, basketball and the other football. But if you know where to look, New York Arsenal fans might be just as dedicated as North Londoners themselves.

Located in Manhattan at 349 E 14th Street, O’Hanlon’s Bar is the home of New York Gooners. Every weekend fans pour into the pub to support, cheer, chant, and spur the team on from across the pond. If you didn’t know any better you might think you were at the Famous Cock on Highbury corner.

But it’s not just because there is an Arsenal flag outside or the fact they have an excess of televisions that make for easy viewing, or even that it is popular. The special part of O’Hanlon’s is the community. People flood in from miles away to meet their friends hours before kick-off. It is necessary to arrive early because O’Hanlon’s hits maximum capacity quickly.

In an interview with bartender and Arsenal fan Cristiano, he said: “ I moved here [New York] without speaking a word of English and I saw the beauty of the fans”. He also spoke of the irony of being an Arsenal supporter who cannot watch the games because he is serving drinks to other fans but said that is precisely why he gravitates towards the Gooners. He can feed off and/or contribute to the energy regardless.

“It’s a really strong community,” Cristiano added. “What I like to tell the regulars is don’t become cliquey. I want the regulars to welcome the new generation of Arsenal fans”.

Speaking of, the regulars are approachable. They are dedicated, energetic, hardcore, passionate, and all the adjectives a Highbury resident would expect from one of their own. A good way to get on immediate good terms, as with any Arsenal fan, is to sing the words “We won the league…”

You know the rest.

Common are songs you expect to hear around the Emirates; the obvious favourite consists of an opinionated chorus projected at our fiercest rivals. However, they also have their own songs, exclusive to O’Hanlon’s. “When the stache is pouring pints, I want to be at O’Hanlon’s,” is often bellowed out, as is: “Cristiano pour my pint, he’s American”.

Stereotypes exist of American football fans. For example, they do not understand the sport, or they chant “let’s go soccer” at games… this exists. However, I can personally shatter many preconceived notions of the American fanbase. I discovered that one could get intoxicated dermatologically. No, I was not conducting an experiment where one bathes in a vat of vodka or something, waiting to get woozy. Instead, I was at O’Hanlon’s when Eddie Nketiah scored the 90th-minute winner against Man Utd and was met with a tsunami of flying beer.

The home of the New York Gooners on E 14th Street holds a special place in my heart. It is an artefact of both the fanbase, the sport, and the global community that Arsenal has contributed to creating. If any Gooners reading this ever find themselves in New York City on a matchday, this is the place to go.