Life As An Overseas Gooner

Today I am delighted to welcome TheHighBuryKing as a guest blogger to North London Is Red. THK enjoyed my post about overseas gooners and he’s here to share what his life as an overseas gooner is like. Take it away…

Firstly, a huge thanks to Daniel for giving me the chance to write for NLIR. It’s a huge privilege.

It’s tough being a Gooner, but it’s impossible not to love the team. Growing up in the multitudes of Man United fans, I was on the verge on making the biggest mistake of my life. Thankfully, my dad was a Gooner and I started to love the team. It was a decision I never regretted.

At the age of 15 in Singapore, I am a year away from facing my second biggest examination in my life. At this crucial time, I have to get my priorities right. I have; Arsenal are my first priority.

I’m proud to say I have never missed an Arsenal game on television, but often with repercussions. Like any other student in Singapore, school starts at 7.20am and I have to be out of bed by 6am. Most cup games start at 3.45am and last till 5.45am, then I’ll start preparing for school. Sometimes, the mountain of homework forces me to stay to past midnight making it impossible to get any sleep at all. Some Premier League matches start late at night so sacrificing sleep for Arsenal became a part of my life.

The late nights and no sleep is hard at the best of times but sometimes it’s even harder when the team aren’t playing well. The cruel fact about our modern Arsenal team, is that we don’t seem to play as well or as for as long as we did before. Despite us often being as inconsistent as 11 Gervinho(s) on the pitch and often being disappointed I wouldn’t miss a single match, no matter how hard things got. Like many Gooners around the world, I simply must watch my beloved team play, no matter the sacrifice.

Every Gooner’s dream is to be at the Emirates Stadium, almost like “Mecca” to Muslims around the world. I’m 15, and I’m really blessed to have finally been there to watch a game. Arsenal vs Fulham was the match, a match which sums up Arsenal’s frustrating past few seasons. 2-0 up, 3-2 down and ended the match at 3-3, with a penalty miss by Arteta in the last minute. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the match and it was a real dream come true.

Emirates Stadium: Where dreams become reality

“I’m not sure if this obsession with the football club is good for me or bad for me, but I wouldn’t change it for anyone or anything” @Morphjin

Indeed, it’s hard distancing yourself from the club you love, no matter what happens. I hope I’ve convinced the doubters that Oversea Gooners are no less passionate supporters of the club, just living away from our home – Emirates Stadium.

Follow me @TheHighburyKing and huge thanks to Daniel once again for allowing me to write this article.

Thanks THK. I don’t know what you can call a Gooner who at aged 15 gets up at 3am in the morning to watch Arsenal play and often goes without sleep if you can’t call them passionate. We’re a global brand and it’s supporters like you that help make this club great.

Thanks for reading guys and helping me support my fellow Gooner bloggers. Please do leave your comments and don’t forget to click that follow button!