Love, Cesc, aur Dhoka? Tumhich Sang(n)a!

Players will come, players will go, but the club will stay forever! And so will my love for it!
Here's to the players!
The ones who come, the ones who stay, the ones who know, the ones who show, the ones who go, the ones who come back, the ones who don't...everyone!
Basically just me and my naive thoughts about how much I hate player transfers.

I heard you played for Arsenal once,

They tell me you were a die-hard Gunner

Until you gave in to egos, fears, resistance,

Pledged your loyalties to another

I will lie to you not, all I had was resentment

The betrayal stung hard, to say the least

A deafening shatter, to dreams of happy victories

In the fairytale of hope, a murky twist

Was it easy enough, seducing the rival?

Basking in adulation, you hoped would come your way?

Did they ever haunt you, our tales of survival?

When we held on, didn’t give up, still lived for a winning day

I would think so, but then I’m just a fan

My support isn’t valued in Dollars

Win titles, buy players; let rivals do all they can

I wouldn’t even care, much less bother

I guess that’s the difference between you and me

I swear by madness and passion, while you build a career

 I’m the obscure self, no one will ever see

And you’ll be forever judged for the worse or better

Ironical isn’t it, that I hold my ground

Raise my voice against serious fights and even banter

But you just walk away when better things come around

And we get nothing; it’s not even a fair barter

Yes! I can hear you, laughing down at me

Telling me life’s choices aren’t simple

Not that I deny, I agree, obviously,

But I just wished you would set a new example

My bad I guess, hopeless innocence if you must

I thought loyalty would transcend above all

Didn’t expect your leaving would feel like a breach of trust

But life’s not fair I guess; and neither is football

Go if you should it isn’t my space to stop

I hope your dreams find their way to you

May success be close, a jump, a skip a hop

Find the ones to whom you can be true

We’ll leave the door open as you leave with a smile

Showing us how we are not worth your time

And if you ever come back, saying you missed us all the while

We will love you back, root for you, but it might not even mean a dime!   

Priyanka

#COYG #GTID

Moment of Victory!

Time to revive this almost-dead expression of my ever-increasing love for Arsenal!

*Cheers self for completing first season as an Arsenal fan*

A journey that began so randomly, that it almost didn't happen did end up being a significant part of my life in the last few months. And on 11th of May, as the PL ended, I actually felt a little blaaaaaaaaaaah with no football to look forward to! And I seriously never expected to feel it. Didn't realize how much the relationship had grown! ;)

Ans yes, I knew the FA cup was there. But it was one thing I was consciously not thinking of. Because it was too much tension! One whole week of uncertainty was too much to take. And as far as the Champions Trophy went, I couldn't care less about who won between Real/Athletico Madrid. So it was just another game. So football season for me, ended on 10th May 2014. but little did I know that the best of the season was yet to be! :)

17th May 2014!
Woke up at 10:00 a.m. to find a brand new Arsenal phone cover gifted by brother dearest, near my pillow. Day made! :D

11:00 onwards - Tried reading, listening to music, watching TV, everything to stop me from going into full #COYG mode. I had done that, with watching videos and player chants and all before the first game we played against Manchester United this season. And we lost Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal. To make matters worse, RVP scored that godforsaken goal. So in a bid to not jinx anything, no doing any Arsenal stuff was my note to self.

Sometime in the afternoon - Logged on Facebook and saw everyone going on and on about She worr a yellow ribbon. I didn't know the chant! I had to! Rules had to be broken! So they were!

1:30 onwards - Listening to the She wore a Yellow Ribbon chant, and to many other player chants, and to the We love Arsenal song, and seeing some of their best goals of the season, and having conversations with friends about dressing in red and white for the screening!


4:00 p.m. - Tried to sleep for lack of anything else to do and inability to concentrate on other stuff

4:30 p.m. - Woke up after tossing, turning, and being too nervous to fall asleep

5:30 p.m. - Discussing what time to leave, making tea, getting ready to go, wearing Arsenal jersey and feeling AWESOME


5:45 p.m. - Wondering if wearing the jersey was a right thing to do and telling myself they've lost games and won games without me wearing the jersey, so me wearing it won't make a difference.


6:30 p.m. - Friend is already at the venue, me and the bestie are on the way, and I feel equal parts nervous and excited

7:15 p.m. - Right there, waiting to enter, indulging in useless conversation about the nervousness, chiding the bestie for saying we will win, assuring each other that the rest will take care lest anything happens due to too much nervousness/heartbreak of loss, meeting some people from Twitter in real life, getting cool FA Cup badges, STILL WAITING TO ENTER!


7:45 p.m. - Finally make it inside the venue, see that there's no place, shift a place or two, find one nice couch and a chair, plonk asses on it with standing instructions to each other to NEVER EVER let that place go!

8:00 p.m. onwards - Singing out loud every single chant. She wore a yellow ribbon, We love Arsenal, Santi Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Ramsey, Sagna, Super Jack (will do videos and upload later because with no football to watch, it will be my way of keeping in touch :D)

Absolutely dil se screaming away with chants featuring other 'esteemed' clubs and players - Who the f**k is Man United (to the tune of Glory Glory...) , Chu Chu***a Van Persie, Tottenham Hotspurs it's happened again! Fun times!

8:30 p.m. - That heartbreaking moment when you look at the watch and realize there is another hour for the game to begin! And the tennis match being aired doesn't really help at all!


8:45 p.m. onwards - Participate in a random football/pool game, get offended when they simplify the qualifier because you're a girl and ask you who the manager of the club is (LIKE SERIOUSLY???!!!), then make a fool of yourself at that game, feel embarrassed to death, but be the first one to score anyways, and then gloat when you get a Budweiser beer mug, and do a joy dance when you realize that the other chick who came SECOND to you is called Jaya (don't worry if you don't get the significance of this), and then still wait for the freakin game to begin!


9:30 p.m. - FINALLY!!!! And after all this endless wait, when the game starts off with someone's singing performance, what do you do? Well, you sing Hum Honge Kamiyaab in unison, and say your most sincere/desperate prayer ever hoping that your team is listening and will do just that! :)


9:45 p.m. - It has been 10 minutes since the game started. The score is Hull City 2 - 0 Arsenal and you are wishing you just stayed home. You kinda wish you could leave right then. And the bestie's wondering wtf is wrong! It's just a game she's probably thinking but she knows better than to say it! And the other Senior Gooner bestie who has been a fan way longer is probably in a worse place. But you dare not go there. So you just let things be. No words. No looks. No nothing.


And then I lose track of time. But in the 17th minute Santi Cazorla scores a goal and the venue erupts into a collective scream followed by sweaty hugs, blood-curdling yells and then desperate attempts to get dancers blocking our view to sit down! Because the game's still on!


11:00 p.m. - Half time. We need to score 2 goals and concede none if we have to win. And no one's sure if it's happening. So the half time is a blur of cordial conversations like do you want a drink to I need to use the washroom to I don't think I can eat.

And then in the second half, Koscielny scores the equaliser and we were back!!!!


Sometime in the middle we get news of Barcelona losing La Liga. And footie friend in Australia texts to tell me he is watching Arsenal's game. Feels like old times when he was in Mumbai. Thank God for Whatsapp! And as always, the conversation's a series of 'ooooooooooooh', 'dammmmmmnnnn', 'wwwwooooowww', depending on what the game is like at that point.

And then when Ramsey scores, I swear to God, I scream as if he has scored right there, with me, in a rather inappropriate way! :D :P We can win this after all! Arsenal will win a trophy after NINE LONG YEARS!!!!!!!!
Chocolate seems appropriate! So I open the Crackle I had carried along and hoped to eat. If we had lost, I had planned to go return it. But well... :)
Senior Gooner isn't too enthu because the final whistle hasn't been blown yet, but for the rest of us, we have won. And all that I do for the next few minutes is pray!!!!

Then the final whistle...

AND THEN THE MAD MAD MAD MAD MAD celebration!!!!!

Sweaty hugs, mad dancing, jumping like maniacs, screaming, clicking selfies, just generally being high on happiness, and another round of the remaining Crackle! Reminded me of the moment in Fever Pitch! :) I have given myself a wee bit of credit for the victory! Brough some beginner's luck along in my first season! And I'm looking forward to celebrating a PL title soon! Considering that we aren't exactly the winning-all-the-time team, I don't know when that will be. All I know is that when it does happen, it wil be AWESOME and will make the years of wait worth it!


A lot happened that day! Got a memory for life. Got a new fan to the club (or maybe two ;) ), and made note to self to keep my promise and make sure I celebrate the next PL title with Senior Gooner. Realized that there's something very special when you're united by a love for something! You feel everyone's happiness. And you don't care if you've never met them before, you probably know you will never see them again, but still, for that one moment, in that significant bit of happiness, you share your life with them. And nameless, faceless, in a crowded haze though they may be, each time you relive the moment, each time you talk about this memory, they're there, and will always be! Forever etched in phrases like 'we all', 'everyone', 'all the Gooners', etc. that you will use when you tell this story! Nice feeling ,that! :)


I didn't get over that victory for a week! And the post-winning madness calls for another blog post that will come soon. A lot of nicer things have happened since then. Arsene Wenger has confirmed his contract till 2017, some players have too. Arsenal Ladies have won the FA Cup today. (YAAAAAY!!!!)

 So well, clearly, I have a whole lot to talk about. Not to mention this is the beginning of my first tryst with the whole transfer rumours phase! :D Looking forward!!!


#COYG #GTID

 
 

 

Well-past the 7-notion barrier for the love of Arsenal...

Remember I mentioned certain notions that you develop when you become a fan, notions make no sense whatsoever, but they're just there...and you can't shake them off...


Well, here are some of mine, and the madness I've indulged in for them...


1. Never wear the jersey on the day of the match


So yeah...I hadn't bought an Arsenal jersey when the season began...was a little late to join that party ;) and since Arsenal had already won games without me wearing the jersey, I just felt that I shouldn't wear a jersey on the day they play their games. I have a strong feeling they will lose. Yes. I am conveniently ignoring the fact that I wasn't wearing the jersey and they still lost to Aston Villa...and also that if I ever go to watch the live screening of a game, I will totally wear that jersey and still expect them to win. Those are exceptions! Rule is...game days, no jersey. And the day after a game...jersey, whether they've won or lost! :) That's what they say right, the best sportsman is the one who walks off the field in such a way that you can't tell whether he has won or lost. My fan-ness is also like that! :D


2. When games are on HD, and you don't have HD, you still HAVE TO watch the game


Hell yeah! One simply does not miss an Arsenal game! When I can't watch games...I don't have HD :( ...I watch them on Twitter :)
The official club does a great job with updates, every 5 minutes. And with no exaggeration, my heart skips a beat with each refresh. :D
It's difficult though...especially when it's a 1:15 a.m. game...you have nothing exciting to keep you awake...but you can't sleep because the game's still on! Then you do stuff like painting the Arsenal crest to keep you occupied!
I remember a Saturday game, 6:15 p.m. For some reason I hadn't been able to leave office and was checking for updates on Twitter. I finished work, was getting ready to leave, and saw an update that we just scored a goal. That was it! Couldn't leave office! Sat  there doing random work will 8:00, made sure we had won the game and then left office! :D Was totally worth it! :)
As far as statistics go, to date, Arsenal has never lost a game I have seen on Twitter! We have always won or drawn.
And no...this logic just does not extent itself to all games. Logically, this should make me want to watch every game on Twitter, right? Doesn't work that way! Because notions aren't meant to have logic! :)


3. Never give the game priority over family


Learned this lesson a little hard way! It was the first Arsenal vs Manchester United game of the season. The Saturday had seen me watch videos of Arsenal's previous goals against Manchester United, Arsenal players' chants, the We love Arsenal song, and totally get into the mood for the game. So the game was on, and the doorbell rang. I felt that moving from my spot would jinx the game, so I told dad to open the door. Poor guy was lying down comfortably, but he still indulged my randomness, and got up to open the door. And then we lost the game :-/
The voice in my head told me, Arsenal is important, but not more important than dad! And I sort of agreed.
So ever since, I don't make any of my family members go out of their way for me, while watching the game.
In fact, a lot of the games we have won have seen me watch the game while chopping vegetables to help mom, make coffee for the kid brother, and other odd jobs!
What also lends credibility to this belief is the fact that whenever I've not seen a game (there have been 2-3) because of family commitments (random visits to random places that cannot be argued with), we have usually won or drawn! :)
Except the Arsenal vs. Liverpool that we lost Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal :(...but then that was an accident and should be treated as one...HOPEFULLY! :)


4. Listen to the heart


On the day of the first game between Arsenal and Manchester United, I had done all the mad stuff of watching videos, downloading songs, and all of that; and we lost the game. So I decided never to do any pro-Arsenal stuff on the day of the game. When Arsenal was set to play Liverpool, I really wanted to write this particular blog post, but I didn't, I wanted to update my cover image on Facebook, but I didn't...and we lost! So I guess it's important to do what you feel like. Don't force yourself to go all crazy-supporter-frenzy if you don't feel like it...but if you do, don't hold yourself back! :)
I'm writing this blog post today, when we play Liverpool for the FA cup...even more dangerous because this is a knock-out match...
*stops right there and give it no more thought*


5. Never predict outcomes...and never bet on a game...EVER!


Pride comes before a fall...always! No matter which team we are playing against, no matter how weak the opposition seems...I never say things like, "It's an easy game" or "Oh! We're totally winning this one." And to be very honest, I don't feel it also. The one time I bet that we would win a game, we lost. And I just feel it's best to never bet. Never say Arsenal will win but never say Arsenal will lose. The truest, safest, and best response is, "Anything can happen."
Because seriously...that's exactly how it is...it's the beauty of the game!
Unlike other sports where you can be reasonably confident of the outcome, football is a game where you can more often than not be surprised and left with a 'what the hell just happened' feeling.


6. Be nice to fans of other clubs...even Manchester United brat fans


This is an extension of the pride comes before a fall. A lot of times, I end up thinking of cool status updates that I could put out after we win...like after the Arsenal - Manchester United game at Old Trafford, I had decided that if Arsenal wins...my status update will read like this:

"#GGMU tumchya gharat...oops sorry...tumchya gharat pan #COYG"

Was such an epic status...but never got a chance to use it! :P

This was almost like the Universe telling me, "jyaada udd mat!" :D

So after the second game, the one played at Emirates, I thought of a post-victory status update and in a desperate bid to appease the Universe, took a conscious promise that I will not update it, even if we win. I promised to be nice. Guess the Universe believed me just partially! Because we didn't win, but thankfully we didn't lose. Was bad, but not terrible.

P.S. - That never-to-be-used status was:
"Emirates la awaaz kunacha? Awaaz fakt #COYG cha!"


7. Love the club, flaunt the love...


Yeah! I totally believe that once you've crossed the initial stage of testing the waters, when you are at a point that you strongly feel you will support a club even when your favourite player leaves it, it's time to spread the love! Show it off a bit!

So currently Arsenal features on my desktop wall-paper, Facebook cover, mobile cover, keychain, reading list, Twitter bio, and clothes once in a while...and if I had my way, and had a room to myself, it would totally feature on the cupboard, walls, and bed too! :)

Took this love to another level when I refused to go with Manchester United cafe because I wasn't wearing an Arsenal jersey. And ever since I bought the jersey, the only major aim was to walk into Manchester United cafe wearing it...#LikeABoss
I took my love to another level when I actually did it!
Was coming home from work and hadn't worn the jersey because we had a game that day. The same one I mentioned that I sat in office for! So I left around 8, and Manchester United cafe is half way between my office and my house. But I went all the way home, changed into the jersey and traveled back half-way, amid excruciatingly, painfully, slow traffic...just to strike "Survive Manchester United Cafe in an Arsenal jersey" off my bucket-list! ;)
Cold stares, incredulous glances, stern peace signs, and the scary thought that the waiter could have possible spit in the food/drinks...all in all it was more than well worth the while! Started off brilliantly because Arsenal had already won, Stoke City was screwing Manchester United...just 20 minutes left...I was almost sure I would watch United lose, sitting in Man U cafe!!!!!! But alas! Life isn't too perfect! They won...with a goal in the injury time...and I had to bear the agony of the 'Glory Glory' song...three worst minutes ever! :P But still, worth it nevertheless! Had a fabulous time!


Shout out to Karishma and Ashvini; doctor friends who indulged my madness and promised to save my life in case of emergency, the victim of a certain booty call from a drunk doctor, Manchester fans (some real, mostly plastic) who didn't create an trouble, Rishi for the game updates while I was getting there, Hector and Nishanth for being there in spirit and sharing the excitement over Whatsapp!

#COYG #GTID

Hope, Love, and a touch of Walcott Magic!

The first time I went looking for an Arsenal jersey, I found one with Theo Walcott's name on it...and owing to ignorance, refused to buy it! Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, once Walcott was back in action, I couldn't help but fall for his magic! I had understood what people meant when they said he was a reliable player when it came to the big games, when most others had a tendency to falter.

 In a fit of crazy fan-girlieness, I decided that buying that Walcott jersey was my way of saying sorry! :)

And I kept my word! Saturday, 4th January 2014, Arsenal was set to play Tottenham Hotspurs; and I was totally looking forward to some Walcott magic, considering he had won us the 2-3 games we played before this one. So 2:00 p.m. I asked my friend to come with me to buy my Walcott jersey. He refused. I wondered why, but not for long; no one was obliged to be party to my randomness after all. So I said f**k the world, I want that jersey, and I am getting it. A 10 minute walk in the sweltering October heat, with a serious doubt on whether I was about to jinx everything for the forthcoming game, I still made my way to that store. I won't wear the jersey today, I decided. Because I don't wear the jersey on the days of a match. It's one of my notions and it won't go (the notions deserve a separate blog post and it'll come!). So moving on...I found the jersey...liked it...and calmly waited for the voice inside my head to tell me I shouldn't buy it! I heard nothing. And I decided that if we lost the game, I would go and return the jersey. So I went back to office, happy as a lark, swinging away the bag that held my share of Walcott magic!

And then it happened...that game! We won it, no doubt...Arsenal 2 - 0 Tottenham Hotspurs...but we lost Walcott magic. He got injured...it didn't seem too bad...and when he mocked the Spurs fans...I totally went, 'Now thaaaaaaaaaaaaaat's like our Walcott' on him...

But the next day I was distraught. I read news that his injury was really bad and that he wouldn't play for at least six months. Now I didn't know what to do...so did the usual...SOS messages to Arsenal fan friends...and conversations ending with..."jaane de...hope and pray...aur kya." I didn't return the jersey because we had won the game and I cursed myself a little for buying it. But in the games that followed, we still won...without Walcott magic...and my guilt was assuaged.

It was like Walcott was telling me, "No sweat, silly fan girl...my injury had nothing to do with you...and my magic will work as long as you believe in it!" So well...I'm going to paint 'I LOVE' above the 'WALCOTT' on my jersey, and keep it...to be worn when he plays his first game next season!

P.S. - This whole Walcott magic thing also gave me one of those goals that you remember and keep watching over and over again (more on those goals in another post), and mention in football conversations...my first as a Goonerette!

Was Walcott Vs. Manchester City...we lost the game...Arsenal 3 - 6 Manchester City...but Walcott scored and did the cutest baby rocking celebration ever!

 #COYG #GTID

The Strange Ways of Manchester United Fans

I guess this one was long overdue!

An explanation on why I am not a big fan of Manchester United fans and why I can say without a doubt that even if Arsenal never happened to me, I could never have ended up as a Manchester United supporter.


Here's why...


Instance 1

So a friend talks to me on Facebook after almost a year of not being in touch. He needs a survey to be filled, which I duly do. And this is a friend from my non-football craze phase; when football for me began and ended with Christiano Ronaldo (because he was really hot). This friend was a Manchester United fan and had very not-so-discreetly shared pictures of an almost clothes-less Christiano Ronaldo with me! So I happened to mention to him that while Ronaldo was probably still hot, I was now a Goonerette and had surrendered to the hotness of Olivier Giroud and cuteness of Aaron Ramsey!

His responses, "The process or an instance of supporting arsenal is called brainwashing ...priyankaaaaaa noooooo"

"since u already a goon i'll just say ek do match jeetne se koi dabang nahi ban jata hai ...still 35 matches to go..farcenal wont keep up with the big boys..take me home united."

"i am not sure if u'll be able to see..u'll be traumatized by the end of this month ..haha totally always been fun chatting with you"

Instance 2

I put up a picture in my new Arsenal jersey on Whatsapp...and some bits of the attention it garnered went thus:


Friend who hadn't spoken to me in a year. Didn't ask me what was up, how I was, or what I was doing...but had this to say:

"Priyankaaaaaa...what is wrong with you...since when did you become a gooner? What have you done to yourself?"


Instance 3

This was a childhood friend who is in London now and was going to watch a Chelsea home game, live.
And since I realized what a great moment it was for him, our conversation went like this:

Me: Hey! While we are rivals when it comes to football clubs we support, I am still you friend. So I hope you have a really really good time watching today's game.

(And I swear to God, I really, genuinely meant it)

Friend: Hey! Hi! Thanks! And btw...Gooners are playing really well too. Cheers!

I was so happy, I really wished that Chelsea won the game, just because he was so nice about me supporting Arsenal! Didn't happen though! Chelsea lost at home :(


See the difference?

Supporters from other clubs will just accept it with a yeah whatever, or ok then, peace, or too bad then, when they find out you support a club other than their own. But they will leave you and your decision alone.

Tell a Manchester United fan you support any other club, and they will most certainly start talking like jilted lovers! They'll do whatever it takes to make you feel like you are making the biggest mistake of your life by not supporting Manchester United. And I am not kidding when I say they take it very very personally if you don't support their club!

 You lose an important game, they'll have a field day making fun of you. You make fun of them when they lose a game, and they'll come back with a video/picture of an older game that they have won against you. Because, well, f**k logic!

If they win the game, it's a really important game they won; but when they lose the game, then what really matters is a game they won last week, or the week before, or the week before!

If they are on top of the table, like they were, when the Premier League began, "On the top baby, right how it's meant to be"; and now when they are not, "We'll talk in May. That is when we judge."
 Ok then! :D

Your club has a bad day. You comment on how terribly they played. And that's the only time Manchester United fans will acknowledge your thoughts and opinions on the game, and agree with you. I have my doubts if the same kind of agreement will be forthcoming when you talk about a terrible performance by them or mock one of their players. Because Hello! They can do no wrong, OK!  :D

And to be very honest, inspite of the irritation, I don't hate Manchester United. It's not like I am against the club or anything. I know they're one of the biggies, I know they've probably won more games and titles than Arsenal, but I cannot tolerate that the fans can't be mature or respectful about someone's choice of supporting another football club!

That, and I hate the general attitude of, "Not arrogant, just better." Seriously? As current standings go, they are clearly not better (in playing fair and playing classy, we win hands down; and as of today, we are better even in terms of being ahead in the League!) but they are very very arrogant!

 Obviously, not all of them are like that. I'm not saying there are no Manchester United fans who are respectful of other clubs and their fans without being patronizing or sly or condemning. I'm just saying I haven't met any. :)

As far as me and my football craze go, Manchester United fan friends are more than happy to ignore it (not without making their displeasure felt), or ridicule and mock me for supporting a supposedly 'loser' club, or make me feel like a fool for not understanding the game (and this is the only criticism I don't hold against them because they're right).

The Arsenal fans I know may not be thrilled about fans and supporters of other clubs, but don't make a big deal of it. I have never heard an Arsenal fan giving someone grief for not being an Arsenal supporter. Not to say that we won't mock other clubs, or won't have a field day celebrating our wins; we just won't be sore losers or jilted lovers when we don't!

* hopes to share some laughs but also silently prepares for hate comments, popcorn-worthy arguments, and scoreboards/videos/images of every match Arsenal has ever lost to Manchester United *

P.S. - No posts on fans of other clubs because none have annoyed me as much!

Dealing with losses...who's doing it right?

Oh yes! Losses happen! And a loooooooooooooooooot of times!
Even to a once-Invincible team. Because even though the team in invincible in your head and heart, life couldn't care less about either!

And that's not a very nice or easy thing to deal with. Because as a fan you love your team. You want to see your team win no matter what. Even when they play like this:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=585476861507765&set=vb.217066871682101&type=2&theater

Post by Goalie Times.

You want to believe that they played well even if it clearly didn't look like it. You want to be able to blame the referee for wrong decisions. You want to go out and proudly wear that Arsenal jersey and give sly, smug looks to supporters of other clubs. You want to be able to say Arsenal is the best football club in the world (it obviously is) and not be laughed off. But awesomeness doesn't happen always!

Didn't happen for a few matches until Arsenal's game yesterday. And as far as winning silverware is concerned, awesomeness hasn't happened for 8 years now; and there is no saying when it will! Till then, and even after winning, losses will still happen and they will need to be dealt with!

 My personal opinion is that in the current situation, Arsenal's new fans (like yours truly :D) are much better equipped to deal with losses than more veteran fans. The simple reason being that we have only heard of the angst of losing for eight years. We have not truly felt it. We have not seen the repeated cycles of losing focus mid-season...getting THIS close but not winning. Our stint with Arsenal has only seen them play reasonably well, as a result of which we don't really give that much importance to losing one odd game. Of course that's not to say that we are fine with losing. We feel terrible. We hate it. But we just don't end up thinking it's THAT bad. We are blessed with the inherent optimism and hope of victory that comes with not having had to live through a series of losses. And I think that makes us a very very very important link in the collective chain of Arsenal supporters. It's the only thing that can, if at all anyhing can, balance out the cynicism that a lot of veteran fans end up feeling after a loss.

They say, "Damnit, it has always been this way. This is always the time we lose focus." We say, "This year is going to be different." They say, "There are arguments among team members. The unrest won't do us good." We say, "This is the worst of the unrest. Our team will be back soon." They say, "This is bad. And it could get worse." We say, "This is bad. But it could get better!"

And I'm not making these up. These are real conversations I've had. The more I have them, the more I am convinced that new fans are less disturbed by a loss. And it's not because they care less. It's because their eyes are more full of dreams than experience! Which by the way is not a bad thing at all!

The world has always worked that way. There are dreamers and then there are realists. You would expect dreamers to stick with dreamers and realists to stick with the realists. But more often that not, the opposite is true. Because dreamers need realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun and without the dreamers, well, the realists might never get off the ground.

It's us new fans who are the dreamers and veteran fans turned cynics at times, our realists! We need them to keep our feet on the ground and they need us for their hopes to soar a little higher than what seems rational!

When conversations begin with us asking, "So, this Group of Death that Arsenal needs to face in the Champions League, on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is it?" and end with them answering "9.5 if we are lucky and worst case we might not even make it"; we know they are doing their bit very well!

And when conversations begin with them saying, "I am really worried about team morale. We need more than faith now. We need goals and wins." and end us saying, "I will pray for wins and goals. And 3 goals against City is not bad at all. Hi-5!"; or begin with them saying, "We got 2 out of a maximum 9 points. 2nd does not make you champions." and end with us saying "My sweethearts, Giroud and Ramsey, losing their magic, is just to make way for your sweetheart Podolski to come show some magic"; we know we are doing our bit well too!

That's how it will always be! Some of us might not be as dreamy eyed next season, or some of them might get deliriously optimistic and dreamy, depending on how this season goes forth; but there will always exist a perfect balance of love for Arsenal between those who abandon all care in the world, plunge into proclaiming Arsenal Invincible Forever; and those who think, worry, and gently push open a parachute of real statistics and facts, so we land safely on the ground!

Once a Goonerette, always a Goonerette!

If you've read previous blog posts you know how and why the love affair with football came about; and if you were one of the few who read carefully enough to figure out I had said nothing about why I picked Arsenal over all the others, this one's for you!

So well, football happened. And I could give you a great story about how I went all crazy, watched reruns of football games day in and day out, read about the clubs and their achievements, compared players' records, and came to a logical conclusion that Arsenal was the best team to support. But I will spare you all that ball talk; I mean why talk when you can play with it, no?! ;)

Truth of the matter is that I did none of the above. In fact, even after I declared undying support for Arsenal (yes...undying...because contrary to what one might expect from a non-serious fan...I never even considered the option of changing the club I support); I didn't know who the players were or what their achievements were. All I knew was the 8-year spell of no titles.

Two main reasons I ended up supporting Arsenal. One being the sly comment about no Arsenal fan tweeting about winning a trophy and the other being the fact that some of my best guy friends were Arsenal supporters!

Both so random, that they could have almost not even happened! And my life would have been very very different! I could have very easily not been around to hear that comment. I could very well have been absent the day my b-school friends won a bet against Arsenal fans. My best guy friends could have been Chelsea or Manchester City or Manchester United supporters; and maybe I would have ended up disinterested in football or a supporter of some other club. Becoming a Goonerette was more a matter of chance than anything else!

And I was quite happy taking it. Never gave it too much thought. Until life gave me a dose of poetic justice! And proved to me waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond doubt that The Universe does have a plan...always. And it ensures that it brings you to the right decision at the right time!

Was 4th of October 2013. Like any other day, my friend and I went for a walk after lunch. But unlike other days, today he decided to stop by and ask the price of an Arsenal jersey. And at that very instant I decided I wanted one! We did ask in a couple of shops, found a not-so-same looking jersey with Walcott on its back. Having had seen just 2-3 games and having known just Ramsey, Giroud, and Ozil; I wasn't too enthused about the Walcott jersey (things have changed now though). Never ended up buying that, but couldn't stay without buying a perfect replica of the original home jersey of the latest season (no away jersey because I'm not a big fan of Yellow and no original because my relationship with Arsenal was too new). One phone call to my sweetheart of a brother was all it took for the jersey to be waiting for me when I got home from office that day!

Now trust me...wearing the jersey for the first time is an EPICALLY MOMENTOUS occasion! To you for sure, and in varying degrees to others depending on the number of f***ks they give to you and your love for football (this is usually negligible).

So well, bad-hair notwithstanding, jersey was bought, picture duly taken and shared, and it was some happy gloating in the attention! Big shout out to Rishi, Nishanth, Hector, Naasir, Sheldon, Melroy, and Karishma! :)

But this was not it. My moment of truth came three days later.

7th October 2013, my Ajoba's birthday, and just a day after I watched Rahul Dravid play his last ever cricket match (was against Mumbai Indians and they won).

It was one of those moments that matter a lot because they define the end of something hugely important. Rahul Dravid has been everything right from my first innocent crush in standard seven to my reason for watching cricket, to my inspiration forever considering the human being par excellence that he is. And his last game got me in the emo/philosophical mode; owing to which I put up this Facebook status:

One of the response comments to that status was this:

That was it! The ecstasy I felt just CANNOT be put into words! My friend thought I had lost my mind. Even I think I really had, for the next 10 minutes. To find out that my most favourite sportsperson ever was a Gooner for reasons vaguely similar to my own, on a day when I was all emo about his last cricket match, which also happened to be the first day I wore my Arsenal jersey was just too WOW! And it was in that moment that I knew; no matter what, I'll be a Goonerette forever!

Even if I am not able to actively follow the season, even if I have lost interest in football, even if my favourite players move to other clubs (hopefully they won't), even if Arsenal sees tough times, I don't think I'll ever support another club!

Well, quite a memorable day that was! My friend and I went to KFC for a brownie sundae that day; him in Arsenal's original away jersey and me in my brand new not-so-original home jersey! And we both spilled chocolate on our jerseys. So the people at KFC must've got something to talk about! Two crazy people in animated conversation, both wearing Arsenal jerseys, both eating brownie and ice-cream, and both wiping chocolate stains off their jerseys while walking away!

Here's to Senior Gooner and Junior Goonerette!

Adios...till I return with  the must-have friend types for a newbie football fan-girl, insights on the species called Manchester United fans, and reasons why newbies are best equipped to deal with team losses! :)