The Arsenal Supporters club and a son and father connection
Come next season it will be 75 years since the Arsenal supporters club opened only buildings away from Finsbury Park train station.
Since 1949 millions of Arsenal fans from around the world and ex-players of course, including the likes of 1971 League and Cup double winner Liam Brady and more have entered those famous red corrugated iron gates guarding the property.
Paul Weaver has been one of the many Gooner’s to have spent many match day’s in the club with his friends, as well as his son George.
Paul has been going to support Arsenal for the past 48 years since 1976 when Arsenal just about avoided relegation from the First Division under Terry Neill’s reign.
“I was about eight and was invited to Highbury by a neighbour in Basingstoke, he was a groundsman,I was allowed on the pitch, his family were Crystal Palace fans as they were where we were from, so Grandad was not best pleased!”
Paul’s parents moved down from South London to Basingstoke as part of the London overspill in the 1970s. Despite the Weavers being Palace Fans he chose to turn his back on Selhurst Park and once he experienced life on the Terraces of Highbury on the North Bank chanting his lungs out, he never looked back since!
After having seen Arsenal move round the corner from Highbury to the Emirates, watch The Gunners clinch the top-flight of English football five times, claim the League Cup twice, win the European Cup Winners Cup and throw the FA Cup up in the air ten times North London has made a massive imprint on him. He says as if he couldn’t be any more passionate about the club he loves and adores “Arsenal is apart of my DNA!!!”
Returning to the supporters club Paul has been going for just over the past two decades since his son George was born thanks to neighbourly connections once again.
“Around 2002, George was a baby and so was my new neighbour’s daughter. We made friends babysitting, and he invited me to the supporters club, I’m now a lifelong member!”
Since then he has travelled the hour and a half long journey to and from Basingstoke to Islington with now his fellow Gooner friends and 21 year old son George many times. Paul and his friends are part of “The Woods for Goods” Arsenal group, during Covid they had a flag across a few seats at the Emirates in tribute to the group throughout some of the games when fans couldn’t go to matches.
Arsenal season ticket holder Paul couldn’t be any prouder to be able to share the same love and joys of Arsenal and going to the supporters club with his son, he describes it as” Amazing to share same passion with George.”
The supporters club is a special place for Paul where he can turn off from the day to day stresses of life and mingle with his friends. He says we are “Brothers for life, just good banter and a place to forget about everything else that life throws at you. Its part of the gameday ritual.”
Recently Paul bumped into one former legend of distinction on the final day of the Premier League season before Arsenal lost the title, so far this is his greatest memory of going to the supporters club. “Last week I met Liam Brady in the club so that was special!” [see top image]
Paul remains committed and loyal as ever to carry on going to the supporters club with George and his friends as he renews his season ticket for next season, where he hopes he will see Arsenal win the Premiership after twenty years.
Liam Harding
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Nice article Liam, though I must pick you up on two points.
1) Liam Brady was not part of the ’71 League and Cup Double team.
2) Bertie Mee was the manager when we came close to relegation in the ’75/76 season.
HD, agree with the article and wondered if you might write an article mapping out your life as a Gooner.
Your knowledge of the club matches that of Phil (PAL) and the little anecdotes you come out with (such as the origin of the word Gooner) just gives a further insight into the club.
I know we disagree on certain matters, just as I do with SueP, but both of you are passionate about the club and, perhaps, SueP you could do the same?