Legend. A term perhaps bandied about too much. When it comes to Arsenal, certain players instantly to mind. For me, it’s these two and I’m not alone. Gooners picked them to occupy the number 1 and 2 spots on the “Gunners Greatest 50 Players” list. And while we’ve had some truly great players since, few have achieved this legendary status.
Image: Arsenal FC
As for our supporters group, there is of course, Patrick Dunphy, our dearly departed Gooner bartender. He was and always will be, a Bay Area Gooners legend. If you were not lucky enough to know him during his tenure, you can read about him on our About page. A small part of his legend was his willingness to open the pub for us, regardless of start time.
This weekend, we play Chelsea, in another vital match towards our title hopes. There is the underlying drama of former Gunner Aubameyang facing his old club, but for West Coast Gooners, it is the 4am start time, causing the most consternation.
But view it as a step toward cementing your “legend” status amongst our Gooner family and join us on Sunday. Anyone can turn up for a late kickoff, but it is the staunchest of supporters that turns up for a predawn match at Maggie’s.
Bound to happen, wasn’t it. We’ve been so caught up in winning and singing “We are top of the league” after every match, we maybe forgot how young this side is, the monumental nature of the task ahead, or that we won’t effortlessly swat every side aside.
Southampton has been a bit of a bogey team in recent years and Sunday was one of the stauncher challenges the Gunners have faced. Sure, the ref was abysmal and continued this season’s tradition of letting teams kick the crap out of our squad. But after the first 30 minutes or so, we looked listless and without imagination. While disappointing, the draw was deserved.
Another good group of Gooners at the pub, though turnouts have waned a little recently. A 6am kickoff will do that, but it’s always been inconvenient for West Coast Gooners to show support, so I hope we’ll see more of you soon.
Speaking of which, here’s our next 4 matches. You’ll note we have a 4am against Chelsea in early November. Maggie’s has confirmed they will open, so plan accordingly. We managed over 125 Gooners for the recent North London Derby which kicked off at 4:30am, so let’s rally the troops in similar fashion.
But first, a few Europa League matches and the (not so) small matter of Nottingham this Sunday. Another problematic side for Arsenal, they’ve bumped us out of 2 FA Cup competitions in recent seasons.
Here’s hoping Arsenal have a bounce back game against The Tricky Trees (yes, that really is one of their nicknames) Sunday, and we can continue singing our familiar refrain at the end.
Always a little worrisome during the buildup to the weekend match, when various people assure you Arsenal will batter the club they’re facing. I always ignore that sort of hubris because it rarely works out the way people predict.
Following a 30+ minute technical delay, Arsenal and Leeds battled it out in fast-paced scrappy fashion, with the Gunners eking out a 1-nil win on the back of a glorious Saka goal. This in a match that included not one but three critical VAR decisions, the first ruling out a Leeds goal, the second garnering the home side a penalty, before the third denied then another. Nerve-wracking to say the least.
This Arsenal season continues to defy expectations. The string of victories is one thing, but it also feels like our luck has changed. Season pasts, we don’t get that penalty against Liverpool, and in this match, Bamford’s penalty kick likely finds the back of the net.
To answer Dirty Harry’s iconic question, why yes, this punk feels very lucky indeed. Lucky enough to get to watch the Gunners Thursday in Europa League action and then again at Southampton on Sunday.
The raucous crowd of Gooners who turned up last Sunday at Maggie’s were rewarded for their dedication, with sublime football, some defensive hiccups, a few nervy moments, and finally, a softer penalty than Arsenal are used to getting. But a win is a win is a win and when Saka calmly dispatched the match winner, the pub exploded.
On a personal non-Arsenal note, my wife Loryn (aka She Who Must Be Obeyed), is performing Friday night in North Beach with her duo, Gutter Swan, at The Lost Church. The newly relocated venue is located at Columbus and Chestnut. Links to their music and tickets to the show can be found here. Would be great to see some familiar faces there!
I won’t make it Thursday, but will see you at the pub on Sunday! And hopefully, Friday!
Wow, a joy to watch Arsenal dispatch their biggest rival and much more so, with 100+ Gooners packed in Maggie’s for a 4:30am kickoff. Talk about dedication.
With that win, Arsenal have played 8, won 7, lost 1, and sit atop the table. Still, many of the narratives about this side we’re seeing, talk about an overachieving squad or that we haven’t played clubs of any substance yet.
No one seems to question City’s performances against some of the same sides and by most accounts, they are expected to finish the season top of the league. Look, I get it’s early days, and results against the likes of City or Chelsea will add immensely to the Gunners’ credibility. But it’s hard not to feel like we’re the Rodney Dangerfield of the league right now.
Two chances this week to see Arsenal in action at Maggie’s. Thursday, we’re back with Europa League action and then Sunday, Liverpool comes to the Emirates. Despite sitting in 9th, the Scousers represent a significant challenge. Perhaps if we win, someone will suggest we’re a good side after all.
Definitely been a minute. With the Queen’s passing and the subsequent match-postponements, seeing Arsenal play feels like a distant memory. But we’re back at it Saturday with a North London Derby.
Saturday’s match is a 4:30AM PT kickoff, but Maggie’s will be open and we will be there! We’re also giving away posters commemorating a North London Derby from The Invincibles season. First come, first serve, while supplies last. If ever there was a match to cement your Bay Area Gooner status, this is it!
What to say about the Gunners’ 100+ year old rivalry with Tottenham. In trying to find a comparable Bay Area sports rivalry to contextualize it, only the Giants-Dodgers might be as fierce.
Personally, I find Chelsea and United along with their supporters more loathsome, but for most who grew up supporting Arsenal, there is no more bitter rival. The success of any Arsenal season depends in large part, on how we do against Spurs.
In the early days of our group, a British exchange student turned up regularly at Maggie’s. Rachel’s family were Tottenham supporters for generations, until in a fit of youthful rebellion, her father switched to Arsenal. She would eventually follow his lead, and the family rift was like a wound that never fully healed.
Once, a British couple watched a NLD with us whilst on honeymoon. The groom, white, supporting Spurs, the bride, black, and a die-hard Gooner. I only mention race, because they told me football allegiances caused far more consternation amongst their families than any racial aspect. Arsenal won that day and the groom steadfastly refused to have his picture taken in front of the BAG banner. I often wonder if they are still married.
I have a friend, born and raised supporting Spurs with whom I’ve bonded over music, literature, and football. However, it can be very challenging to discuss our respective clubs. A physical transformation (think Jekyll to Hyde) comes over him, whenever Arsenal is mentioned, so ingrained is his enmity, that I often avoid the topic.
I worry my disdain for Spurs is not sufficient enough for a proper Gooner. My animosity towards the aforementioned United and Chelsea, along with Stoke (some years back) might be more pronounced. I want to beat Tottenham every time we play them and am forever aggravated by the praise the British media lavishes on them despite a total lack of recent silverware, but is my hatred strong enough? I wonder.
A couple of Brits traveling the world stopped in to the pub once, one a Gooner, the other a Spurs supporter. When asked why they chose to travel with one another, the response was, We never lack for anything to banter about.
That’s probably where sports rivalries should reside. In pointed but civil banter. Still, when we sing, We hate Totteham, we hate Tottenham this weekend, I will be amongst the Tottenham haters.
We were just talking about fixture congestion and it’s likely to get worse in the future. The FA has opted to cancel this weekend’s fixtures, out of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died this week.
So obviously no Everton match-viewing this Sunday at Maggie’s and we’ll be back on Thursday for Arsenal’s Europa League match.
Can’t really talk to much about Sunday’s result. A demoralizing loss made more annoying by a smattering of United supporters at our pub. 99% of whom, I’d never seen before. But I suppose our rocket ship had to plummet earthward at some point, and we can now dispense with all the “new Invincibles” chatter.
With the addition of Europa League group stage matches, Arsenal’s fixture list is becoming congested. The Gunners have 4 matches in 10 days of September and following the dreaded international break, October is more of the same. With 9 matches next month, the Gunners are playing an average of every 3 days.
Save the dates!
Some notable dates, Bay Are Gooners will want to put on their calendar. Saturday, October 1st is the first North London Derby of the season and our first 4:30am PT kickoff. Not for the faint of heart.
Then there’s Man City on Wednesday, October 19th. A match of this magnitude on a weekday is beyond annoying, but make arrangements to take the day off, long lunch, whatever, to be at Maggie’s for this one. A framed dollar bill hangs in the balance, but more on that closer to the match.
This week’s matches
Arsenal kick off their Europa League group stage with a trip to Switzerland to face FC Zürich on Thursday, before returning to London to face Everton. Maggie’s will have both matches on and we’ll see if the less favorable start times hamper our attendance.
Heady times for Gooners as Arsenal travel to Old Trafford this Sunday with a 5-0 record to face Man United. The current rivalry may lack Wenger-Ferguson era intensity, but it presents the Gunners with their sternest test so far this season.
After a 4-0 thrashing at Brentford, their second defeat to open the season, United supporters took to the streets, calling for the ouster of their owners (again). At the pub, one supposedly lifelong fan, had already written off their whole season. After 2 losses? Gooners experienced moments of despair last season, but I don’t recall anyone jumping ship.
United rallied to defeat arch-rivals Liverpool, Southampton, and face Leicester later today. I am not expecting Sunday to be an easy match.
While it’s not a luxurious late Saturday kickoff, 8:30am Sunday is still very doable and I expect a good turnout at Maggie’s. But with the holiday weekend and people headed to the Nevada desert, who knows for sure.
New Bay Area Gooners scarves turned out to be very popular, selling out before the Fulham match ended. Fear not, a reorder is on its way! Next up, t-shirts!
Getting to Maggie’s can sometimes be difficult for Gooners living outside The City. BART schedules don’t always align for those hoping to take public transit. Challenges coming from the South Bay, inspired the formation of the Silicon Valley Gooners some years back.
More recently, East Bay Gooners have attempted to establish a foothold in Oakland. Jordan Weibe, the man behind Gunner Club has taken a keen interest in rallying those folks, and at present, The Athletic Club Oakland appears to be the spot. Look for him at the matches!
Jordan, back row, second from left.
Here’s hoping we can continue our winning ways Sunday!
Bay Area Gooners 