Firstly, big up all Arsenal supporters around the world. Secondly, big up to Arsenal and Adidas for producing a kit to represent yard man dem. Football is played on every corner on any type of surface in Jamaica. The game is played by males and females alike. During the 90’s and early 2000’s most people followed Manchester United and Liverpool, the rest of us supported The Arsenal. Jamaicans love winners so it was natural for most of them to follow the more successful clubs. I just loved Arsenal’s style of play. It was silky, smooth, flowing, slick; very pleasing to the eye. We grew up playing football on narrow streets or small spaces in people’s backyard. We excelled at short, snappy passes and trickery. One touch football came naturally. It just so happened that The Arsenal played in a similar way. I have been a fan from then on.

It is every fan’s dream to visit their club’s stadium and attend a home game. This July I got to experience the reality of the stadium visit. I have delayed this for almost three years. Over the years I have been watching games on this ground from a TV. But I finally came up close. This was a very memorable day for me.

My mind had made the pilgrimage to the Emirates and now my body was finally making the journey. The Legend tour gives a guided tour by a former Arsenal player who knows the 411 about this sacred space. So much about what he shared resonated with me. The philosophy and ethos of this club is really second to none.

For more than a decade we have been on the subject of weekly banter. Many a weekends you have to hide from the guys. After our weekly kick about, you make sure not to mention the team’s name. Meme’s have been endless. Our name even became an adjective. “Arsenal: (adj) when you play pretty football and fail to score.” These were some rough days. I remember how we would fanatically watch the Transfer window. We rarely made the news, such was the lack of activity.

AFTV became what it is because of The Arsenal’s poor performance. Those rants got thousands of views because you can’t fake passion. Honestly, it was embarrassing at certain points. Many of us eventually culled all expectations at the start of each new season. We blamed Wenger. He left and things didn’t get any better. Unai barely said “good ebening” before he was sent packing. As a fan, it was hurtful to see the club struggle so much. But Arteta has got us believing again. This group has inspired hope and confidence in the future. The buzz is back in the atmosphere.

My next visit will be a home game. This is a special club and I am very proud to support them. Over the years, I have not always been happy with how we performed but there’s no other club for me. As I watched the All or Nothing series on Amazon Prime recently, it left me with chills. We are on the cusps of something great and I am most definitely here for the ride. Win, lose or draw, we are The Arsenal!