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Kickstart Me! A TSF Writer, Out On The Road This Summer

"Your contributions will make me as happy as Gunnersaurus with an FA Cup." - Paul Gilham

Greetings! You've come to know me over the past year as a prolific Short Fuse writer, one of the people who brought Spendy McWarchester into your lives, and one of a subset of TSF writers who doesn't mind getting up at 6 am on a weekend to get a match thread fired up.

This summer, I'm working on a project that will have reach to our sister site, Stars and Stripes FC, and quite possibly beyond. The ultimate aim is for a book (currently being shopped to publishers by an agent), looking at American soccer fandom in 2014 -- there's more about that here.

So: here's the plan -- I'm starting in Vegas, going around the country, visiting a different city every day, attempting to watch all 63 World Cup games, meet fans, and tell their stories. You can help at my just-launched Kickstarter.

It includes a really funny little video from halftime at the FA Cup at The Tavern in Austin, where I get Gooners to chant "U-S-A." I'd love your help, and I'd love to meet you while I'm around the country, but yes, you're going to have to use your screen names, so I can say things like, "Nice to meet you, SteakBaller," or "It's PowderedDonutPancakeSurprise, right?" or "Awww, three-year contract, does RedTurtle need a hug?"

I'd love your help. Gas costs money, even when you're driving a Honda Insight.

Thanks, my fellow Gooners,

Phil West (Screen Name: Phil West)