Welcome To The Arsenal Arms
It’s my sixth season of self-enforced exile from my spiritual home at The Emirates and finally I’ve got my lazy arse in gear and joined Arsenal Australia.
This also coincided with the official opening of Arsenal Australia’s new Sydney base; ‘The Arsenal Arms’ at the Croydon Park Hotel. And I finally got to meet up with the other fanatical Sydneysider Gooners.
Manchester City being the first sensible Kick off of the season (9.45pm in a reasonable to us down here) meant that the New South Wales Gooners could all meet up for a game for the first time at The Arms and we did, in numbers.
If anyone, again, questions the validity of ‘Non-London based Gooners’ they should visit The Arsenal Arms. 100+ Gooners, whose passion for all things Arsenal is as strong as anyone’s in North London.
Gooners who are willing to watch The Arsenal at any time of day (next game 4.45am on Wednesday morning, we will be up and watching)
Gooners who are willing to travel extra ordinary distances to watch the games together. One guy (didn’t get his name) drove 8 hours from Melbourne for the game!
True commitment. True belief. True Gooners
On a personal note, I’d like to thank the AA NSW team;
Mike, Elias, Eve, Aneste and Dave (still playing in the FIFA comp). The Arsenal Arms is a top venue, the opening was a top night and I’m sure there will be many more to follow at The Arsenal new home from home in Sydney.
Please show your support for the guys on;
Twitter: @arsenal_NSW and Facebook: Arsenal Australia – NSW
The only thing missing was the perfect result but Jack Wilshere showed his doubters, Alexis Sanchez showed his worth and we all screamed and shouted until the small hours.
So, if you are ever down these part, come and meet The Australian Gooners at The Arsenal Arms and experience what it’s like to be a Gooner from 17,000 kms.
I’d like to leave you (as usual) with my 80’s musical? take on things (Lyrics-TSMG, Music-FGTH)
(The world is our oyster)
The enemy are winding me up
The Gooners call, the Gooners call
In Islington did Arsene Wenger The Emirates erect
Moving on keep moving on – yeah
Moving at one million miles an hour
Using our power, we make the rest look dour
We have it so we market it, you can’t afford to miss it – yeah
Can’t afford to miss it
Shooting stars never stop even when they reach the top
Shooting stars never stop even when they reach the top
There goes a supernova we’re gonna show ya-yeah
There goes a supernova we’re gonna show ya
We’re a long way from home
Welcome to The Arsenal Arms
A long way from home
Supporting from wherever we roam
A long way from home
Welcome to The Arsenal Arms
This is what it’s supposed to sound like…
TheSundayMorningGooner and his Far Side View
Steve Wellman
English by birth, Australian by choice. Traffic Engineer, Arsenal ST Holder, Sun DreamTeam Winner, Writer on @GunnersTown, Depeche Mode, Welcome to my world…
Oh dear. Sounds to me someone has brainwashed you. Pity considering you are a Gooner from ol’ blighty and should know better than too perpetuate others political agenda. Have been a reader of your blog so now find it a little off putting to be honest. And for the record mate I spent a season at The Armoury and couldn’t be happier with the tightest and most welcoming Arsenal community in town that’s been going for years. They attract the biggest crowds in Oz for match nights every match and plenty of ex pats including Clock Enders since Bertie’s days. But don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story hey. You may want to ask them lot why they’ve neglected to give back 8 years worth of member fees to supporters here. Instead they were flying themselves around the country with paid for flights, hotels and booze by members fees! And I thought moving here would get me away from all the political ego crap back home. I’m afraid not. I do hope AFC pull the plug on them. Very soon. I know the majority feel this way here and rightly so. Have a good day.
You seem to be the one who has been brainwashed. “The Armoury” doesn’t even have a proper venue anymore. You meet in the corner of a rugby league club with a bunch of confused RL fans running around with their burgers. Arsenal Australia has a proper venue. A pub. “Arsenal Sydney” got kicked out of the pub in Parramatta while having the balls to claim that cheering wasn’t allowed at The Star (Where AA NSW meet for some major games.), which is a complete lie. Arsenal Australia is an Australia wide group with smaller groups meeting in cities across Australia. This means there is a connectedness between Arsenal supporters across Australia. “The Armoury” isn’t even welcoming to all Sydneysiders. I got called “a stupid c**t” by some aggro WSW fan because I’m a Sydney FC member and the group did nothing about it. They didn’t care. They even encourage that sort of attitude. They claim they don’t care if they aren’t official, but then you say that you hope Arsenal will “Pull the plug” on AA. How pathetic. And how embarrassing that you ended up moving to a leagues club in a neighbouring suburb to Croydon Park. AA does spend the membership fees on the fans. They expand across Australia and provide Arsenal fans with proper venues to meet up, as well as organising priority tickets for those traveling to the UK for games. When Arsenal comes by in 2017, and it’s Arsenal Australia that is getting all the acknowledgment and not “The Armoury”, don’t go crying too much about it.