Wednesday Cannon Fodder: gatekeeping

Don’t be an Arsenal fandom gatekeeper. Without naming names because I’m not trying to put anybody on blast and who has said what really doesn’t matter, there have been a few semi-prominent Arsenal Twitter accounts bemoaning “the state of Arsenal support” both with respect to the League Cup match and generally. Apparently if you’re not a 30-year season ticket holder who (drunkenly) sings the same songs and tries to get into a fistfight, you’re not a proper fan.

Miss me with that noise. There is no “right” way to support a club. And other than calling out discriminatory songs and crappy behavior, don’t tell other people how to fan.

Also, don’t whine about lower attendance at a late in the evening, midweek, League Cup match against a League One team in the middle of a COVID-19 surge the week before Christmas. Ya think there might be some other factors influencing how many people show up beyond whether you are proper loyal to the club?

What’s ironic about people lashing out at (usually) younger fans not acting “right” is that without new blood any club will wither and die on the vine. You should want those fans because more fans = more money for the club you claim to love. Making the tent as big and inclusive as possible is literally the best thing that could happen to Arsenal Football Club.

Sorry for the rant. But that kind of gatekeeping and narrow-minded behavior runs up against one of my core life beliefs - don’t be a dick.