Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Eoin. I am 28 and come from Newry. It is a town about 3 miles north of the border of Ireland on the east coast.
What’s Newry like?
It is known for being one of the trouble-hit areas between the IRA and the British. It was insane in the 70’s and 80’s. Right up until about 1998, there were paramilitary shootings, bombings, and punishment killings.
That sounds intense! What was it like growing up there?
I have a story from when I was about 5 or 6 that may be able to answer that. I remember there was a shootout about 500 yards from my house between the IRA and the British army. The next day, a friend and I were out playing, and I saw this piece of wood. We flipped the wood over and there was this balaclava and a pistol laying underneath. Several tough looking guys showed up all in balaclavas except one guy. He came up to us, a bunch of kids, and politely asked for his balaclava and gun back. It was a wild place to grow up.
What about the specific area you are from?
I grew up in a quite segregated place.
Segregated how?
Amongst the Protestants and Catholics. The two rarely mixed. If you were seen being friendly with a Protestant, you would be scrutinized by your friends. Football was an equalizer to an extend- though it did not take away the sectarian divide; it was an escape for a lot of younger people.
Tell us more about that.
I remember being around 9 or 10 years old and going to different parts of the country to play football. One memory that sticks out was that we were playing a team that was on the opposite side of the religious divide. The opposing parents were spitting on us while we were playing.
That sounds awful. Obviously, you are still a fan, but did that affect your interest in playing?
No. Most kids played football regardless. Well, they play either football or Gaelic football.
Gaelic football?
It is the Irish interpretation of football. It is basically Aussie Rules Football – like a hybrid of football and rugby. It is more physical, and you can carry the ball. Most kids would play one or the other since the schedule between both overlapped. I chose regular football.
So, tell us about your experience in the actual sport.
Well, I was a center-back. What I lacked in ability, I made up for in being commanding and vocal. I learned if you shout and make a lot of noise, it makes you look a lot better than you are. I was playing for a team called Mourne Athletic for a couple years before my fiancé got pregnant and I decided to take a step off the field and manage.
Manage?
Yeah. The league was extremely dangerous. Basically, it was like stepping into the 1960’s. There were frequent leg breaks and real extreme injuries and I was not ready to take the risk of being injured and not being able to work – especially with a kid on the way. They asked me to be the manager of the team. I originally came on as assistant manager and, within a month, they fired the manager and I took over.
What was that experience like?
It was a learning experience. The part I was not expecting was the man-managing aspect of it. People think you turn up, throw a few cones out and do some drills. No way. You go home with a squad of 30-something people messaging you with concerns and issues – playing time, etc. It has given me a lot of respect for what managers do at a top level.
Fascinating stuff. So clearly you have a background in football, why Arsenal though?
I am actually a 4th generation Arsenal fan. It has been passed down. Funnily enough, I have 3 brothers and I am the only Arsenal fan. One is an absolute Liverpool fanatic, one is Leeds, and the other does not follow football- I don’t know what happened to him.
So which family member made you a Gooner?
My dad. When you are a young guy, your dad is your hero. The brightest memories of my childhood were those where I watched Arsenal with my dad. We were blessed as the club was littered with silverware. There was no better feeling than winning a cup of the league or even a match and celebrating with my dad. Seeing him happy was incredible.
Was?
Sadly, we lost my father in 2007.
I am so sorry to hear that. If you do not mind me asking, what happened?
He had a massive heart attack. There was nothing else behind it. I was only 15 but it was hard to deal with. As a young guy that age, your father is such an important part of your life. The funeral was a week later. I remember because Arsenal played in the NLD. Bale scored a free kick. Adebayor equalized. Then Cesc scored a screamer from about 30 yards out. When the ball hit the back of the net for that goal, I went mental. Realizing that it was only my voice in the room, it hit me real hard- I realized I would never be able to celebrate with my dad again.
That is awful. How did you deal with that?
It was not easy. It took a while to dive back into football again. The passion was gone slightly, but around 6 months later my attitude completely changed.
What caused the change?
I do not know. It is like an idea. There is no answer. It is just a change of mindset sometimes. The only thing that can heal you is time. Sometimes, people just need time. Whether you fall more into the things you love or become a bit more recluse, you will always come back to the things you love. Now that I am older, it’s really been a case where I realize it’s my only way of connecting to him still. It is still something I have that he had that’s been passed down from him.
That is an incredibly powerful sentiment. In line with that, did your dad take you to your first Arsenal match?
Yes. Him and my uncle. I was about 8 at the time and it was at Highbury. I have vague flashes of it, but I do not really remember it vividly.
Fair enough, what about your favourite live match?
Actually, my favourite live game was from this season.
Really?
Haha! Yes, it was Aston Villa at home at the start of the season.
Is that the one where we came back from going a goal down?
Exactly, it was the fashion of the comeback that made it so great. We started the season not too great in terms of our run of form. I remember the negativity over Emery’s tenure was building. Immediately, we fell behind against Villa. Niles got sent off. I thought the game was done. The season was done. The negativity in the stands was toxic. This was the first game Xhaka had been booed off the pitch. But then, Chambers scored an uncharacteristically brilliant goal. He dribbled it around and flicked it in the top right of the net. The stadium when mental. Aubameyang scored a free kick.
So, what made it so special?
The thing that made it most special was slipping into that feeling of negativity only for Arsenal to do that thing they always do- come back. They always find a way. The game was not overly entertaining, but the positivity in the stadium and the pubs after was unbelievable. In hindsight, it was probably a bit stupid, but the outlook is really about how we should feel about the future. The fact that we’re constantly negative is kind of stupid at times because we should know full well what this club has done in the past and can do in the future. I attribute some of the decline recently to the atmosphere of the fanbase.
How do you feel the fan-base contributes to the decline?
Well, if you work in a negative environment, you will get negative results. If there were fans in the FA Cup Final, I honestly believe we may lose that game. When Pulisic scores, from the stands to the pitch, I do not think the team has that bounce or reaction yet. I know that sounds condescending to our fan base, but I’m just as guilty. I do it too.
Is it fixable? If so, how?
Everything is fixable, it is just not everything is instant. Things take time. It took people a long long time to lose faith in Wenger. It is going to take a bit of time for everybody to buy into Arteta. There is a lot of ingredients in the pot. For example, finance and recruitment over the next couple transfer windows. These two things are vital to the future of the club in many ways. Who knows?
Back to your experiences, we talked about your favourite live match, what about your favourite Arsenal moment in general?
There is a few. The Henry goal against Leeds. I struggle to remember feeling as happy. In terms of an actual story, it must be the 2005 FA Cup Final against United. I remember because I was about 13 on a family holiday in Lanzarote, Spain. I am not sure whether you get these in the States, but when you go to holiday destinations in mainland Europe, they have these stands and stores that sell these cheap, tacky, fake jerseys.
I will never forget, I was ‘full-kit-w*****’ with Reyes on the back and a big Arsenal hat. My family and I were all crowded around the TV to watch the final. We were under the cosh the entire time. When Viera scored the winning penalty, I jumped up and ran out into the pool and dived in wearing my full kit. One of the pool boys was screaming at me in Spanish. I had no idea what he was saying, but I did not really care. I had to walk back in my soaking, cheap, full Arsenal kit.
That is incredible.
It gets better. I did not realize that I had not put any underwear on.
Oh, no.
Oh yes, and my shorts were white and see-through, which means, I now had to walk about 300 meters back to the hotel in see-through white shorts.
That is amazing, one of the benefits of this series is that you get to hear these real stories. Stuff you cannot make up. And because of social media and technology, you can share those stories instantly. With this story, I’m not sure how you would feel about that. Either way, how do you feel social media has impacted the sport?
As a youngster I recall the god-like status that footballers held, Henry, Zidane, Gerrard, all more than men in the eyes of fans. But social media has very much changed that. Apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have allowed the general public to pull back the curtain and see into the personal lives of some of the games most renowned names. In many ways it has humanized today’s players into mere mortals.
In addition, social media has allowed fans to connect, but has also given them a direct line of communication with their idols. Most engagements are positive, allowing fans to interact with their heroes. But, in the words of Sir Isaac Newton – Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
The truth is, you are likely to encounter both good and bad in every walk of life. Ying and Yang. Right and wrong. Social media is no exception. The burden of responsibility is on the user, and it is important that we understand the ramifications our actions and words. Also, we must be wary of impact it can have on the sport, and the possible damage it could do to its future.
Do you think the anonymity of the internet contributes to some of the negative aspects of social media?
I do. I think they should install online identification while opening a social media account. It would eliminate the anonymity the internet provides and believe a lot of the cyber-attacks we see so often. I have written about it before.
Tell us more about your writing background.
Haha, I started writing very recently. I appeared on The Gooner Talk in January when my daughter was born. I appeared with Drew and had never been on Twitter. After, they recommended I start using it. I posted a tactical insight into something I saw with respect to how we were using Torreira to retain possession. Drew reached out to me and recommended that I start writing.
So, this has been a recent development? What has been the biggest difficulty you have faced so far as a new writer?
In 2005, I was diagnosed with severe Dyslexia, a reading disorder which affects areas of the brain that process language. The whole way through should I was told I was just lazy and stupid. At that time, Dyslexia was only on the fringes of being accepted by schools here. I grew up almost believing that I was just stupid. As I got older, advancements in word processors helped me a lot and I started writing more. At first it was mostly observational stuff on social media: politics, sports, etc. I really must shout out Drew here and the help he gives me. He is the Obi-Wan Kenobi to my Luke Skywalker. I could not have done it without him. The insight, the constructive criticism, and the ideas for future pieces.
It sounds like you had to overcome a lot to be here. If you could give one message to the Arsenal fans reading this, what would it be?
Be patient! Our demise from the days of glory did not happen overnight, and our rise wont either. After years of suffering, I genuinely believe were on the right path, I think Arteta is perfect to lead us forward and I have been so impressed with him. I honestly cannot remember the last time I bought into someone so much. I think that, as a fan-base, we can be quite impulsive, I’m no different in that sense. Honestly, I am probably worse than most, but now is not the time for knee-jerk reactions. This will take time and there will undoubtedly be bumps in the road. My dad once told me that it’s easy to support a club when things are going well, but when you hit turbulence it tends to shake off any loose bits and the true fans prevail. Throughout our times of hardship, I always go back that. So, stay strong and never forget the reason you fell in love with this club because to me Arsenal are not just a football team. They’re family and we never give up on family.
We would like to thank Eoin for speaking so honestly with us. If you think you have an Arsenal story worth telling, send myself (@TheGoonerTalktv) or Jon (@305cast) a DM.