Ooh to be a Gooner: Miles

Another in our profiles of Gooners you’ll rub shoulders with, when you join us for an Arsenal match at Maggie McGarry’s.

Miles Thomson grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and moved to San Francisco in the summer of 2017.

He was first drawn to football by the 1998 World Cup, finding the star power of Roberto Carlos and (Brazilian) Ronaldo undeniable. But being French Canadian, he developed a soft spot for France and noticed the play of one Thierry Henry, who would fast become his favorite player.

While Miles didn’t commit to being an Arsenal supporter right away, he remembers, it was the arc of Henry’s career that made Arsenal the team I wanted to support for the rest of my life. Thierry Henry remains his all-time favorite Gunner, but it’s defender, William Saliba who’s become his current favorite player.

Of Arsenal’s manager, Miles says, Mikel is the man for the job and has my full support…my teams in other sports (Toronto Raptors, Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Steelers) all had stability in the front office and at head coach/manager, in common.

Arsene was iconic for two decades at Arsenal and we’ve finally found his successor…it’s imperative that we continue to support him for the next 5-10 years. He also recommends Revolution, The Rise of Arteta’s Arsenal by Charles Watt, which he’s currently reading.

Being a tall, blonde Arsenal supporter, friends back home labeled him Mertesacker. Miles says that’s where the similarities end, as he was far from the most composed man on the field. Despite frigid Canadian temperatures, he has fond memories of playing 7-a-side footy.

He definitely finds the weather in San Francisco preferable, but that’s not the only thing. Last summer, he finally made it to Maggie’s to watch with the Bay Area Gooners and is happy he did, I appreciate being around other knowledgeable football fans, interested in how we are playing as well as how we are doing in the table.

While some of Miles’ strongest friendships have been with other football supporters, they’ve mostly been Liverpool, Chelsea or Spurs fans, so he’s looking forward to remaining a regular at Maggie’s, cheering on the Gunners and making new friendships along the way. With Gooners.

We’ll continue to share stories of our Gooner family. If you’re a regular at Maggie’s and , want to be featured, talk to me at the pub.

Cheers, Mark