We scrapped our family holiday to go to Arsenal’s parade and saw London at its joyful best | OneFootball

Missing a family holiday was worth it to see real London at its joyful best, writes Andrea Thompson

As the open-top bus pulled into north London’s Seven Sisters Road and we got our first glimpse of a triumphant Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta, the crowd erupted with cheers and the air became thick with red flares. An elderly woman in an Arsenal hat on a deck chair, who, like us, had arrived three hours earlier to claim a front-row space on the parade route, blinked in disbelief as if struggling to take it all in. A Turkish man next to us who had set up camp with his three daughters (one in a pram) all dressed in Arsenal kits screamed: “We love you Arteta.” Then the crowd broke into the club’s anthem, North London Forever. I’m not one to get emotional over sport, but it was a moment I’ll never forget.

It was possibly one of the best days I’ve had out in the capital — ever (and I’m London born and bred)

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Arteta

Getty

“Being here today is 10 times more important than a holiday,” my 11-year-old son said afterwards. And he was right. We had been due to go abroad for half-term last week but our plans were scrapped by unanimous family vote when news emerged that a parade would be taking place a mile from our home.

The day did not disappoint. Life-long Arsenal supporters from north London who live within sight of the Emirates stadium, we woke up early on Sunday morning to join the 1.5 million people who flooded the streets as the club celebrated its first Premier League title in 22 years. The parade, which transformed my borough of Islington into a sea of red and white, was one the largest ever held in London and possibly one of the best days I’ve had out in the capital — ever (and I’m London born and bred).

The Arsenal team in open-topped buses arrive at the Emirates Stadium

PA

There are myriad reasons why this day felt momentous. The collective euphoria, the shared kinship, the pure joy (and relief) after two decades of near misses, the diversity of the crowd. At a time when so many gatherings on our streets reflect the deep divisions at the heart of our society and when many of the images we see in the media about our city focus on crime and poverty, this day was about something far bigger than football — unity, community, belonging and joy. Real London at its best.

Lime bikes on the street next to the Arsenal victory parade route

PA

Arsenal’s fan base has always reflected the multicultural character of north London

This could be seen in the joyful faces of everyone we encountered that day. The family from Essex who parked up in two cars outside our house in full Arsenal kits, with flags, cool bags and granny and granddad in tow. The couples embracing in the sunshine, dressed head to toe in red and white. The Jamaican couple we passed as we made our way through the backstreets of Holloway who had assembled a sound system and giant stove outside their front door to roast jerk chicken at 11am. The three African men in full-length Arsenal robes posing for photographers. The family of Middle Eastern shopkeepers on Holloway Road handing out free Arsenal cakes to children. The sausage dogs (there were several) wearing mini Arsenal tops in their owners’ arms. The man in the window who drew cheers from the ecstatic crowd each time he lifted up his baby, going viral in the process. Everyone was welcome and everyone belonged.

Fans at the Arsenal Premier League Winners Parade

Getty

Arsenal’s fan base has always reflected the multicultural character of north London, but Sunday’s celebrations brought that into sharp relief. During the six hours I spent at the parade, I witnessed supporters of every background, age and community coming together. I also bumped into many old friends and one of my favourite designers, Foday Dumbuya, founder of fashion brand Labrum London. His sell-out Sierra Leonean-inspired Arsenal shirts have been proudly sported by fans of every nationality.

The club’s commitment to inclusion is at the heart of its DNA. No surprise, then, that Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams shared the spotlight during the parade, with the women’s side being cheered loudly by fans alongside the men.

Players of Arsenal women celebrate on the open top bus

Getty

For a generation that has grown up in north London and lived through so many almost-wins and so much ridicule at the hands of rival fans, Sunday was glory day — and a long overdue reward for loyalty. Haters on social media who mocked the “new fickle fans” who went out and bought Arsenal tops for the first time for parade day miss the point. This is a club where everyone is welcome. As the buses completed their journey back to the Emirates, we weaved through the backstreets and waited another two hours for a 20-second glimpse of the bus’s final few metres up to the stadium. By now it was early evening and the atmosphere was electric, with a float featuring DJs, nearby sound systems on full blast and the players dancing along in jubilant mood — much to my sons’ delight.

Arsenal fans celebrating anywhere they can

Getty

It was crowded, hot and excitable, yet it never felt anything but safe. Groups of men cleared pathways for pregnant women, while families with small children were given priority to pass. With so many people celebrating in close proximity for up to 10 hours, there was surprisingly little trouble — 24 arrests is extraordinarily low for the attendance and in stark contrast to the scenes in Paris, where PSG fans looted shops and vandalised property after their Champions League win.

This was a family day that millions of fans will never forget. A reminder of sport’s unique ability not only to entertain, but to unite people like nothing else.