Opinion: Times When Arsenal fans went too far

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·15 de julho de 2025

Opinion: Times When Arsenal fans went too far

Rio Ferdinand believes a petition protesting against Noni Madueke being a Gunner is ‘vulgar’ and ‘utterly disgraceful’. At last count, nearly 5,000 signatures had been gathered. The pundit questioned, imagine if that was your son, brother or friend being harshly judged before even kicking a ball for the club.

My own opinion is it lacks class, but I respect it is a person’s right to express themselves as they wish. I do think it is a waste of time though, as no one in power at the Emirates is going to care. As long as you are not breaking the law, feel free to make yourself look silly.

Vídeos OneFootball

It was not always this way. While there have always been a few morons in any era, Arsenal once had a reputation as the club that acted with class. The team that, on and off the pitch, were known for doing things the right way… the Arsenal way.

Mr Wenger warned in his final year as manager that he was aware of behaviour from a section of the fan base that was jeopardising the proud principles he had helped maintain.

So as someone who likes a list, here are the times Gooners went too far, in my opinion…

Eboue

Perhaps the worst treatment any Arsenal player has ever received from their own fans at the Emirates was when Eboue got booed by his own supporters.

Xhaka would receive similar treatment years later, but that came while being subbed off. Eboue, on the other hand, was being jeered every time he gave the ball away. Unsurprisingly, that impacted his confidence, which led to even more mistakes.

Mr Wenger felt obliged to substitute the substitute, with the Ivorian clearly shocked by his treatment as he walked off. Even more bizarrely, the Gunners were leading for most of the

match.

Ticket touting

A classic example of how a few idiots ruin it for the rest of us.

Ticket touting has existed for decades but got completely out of control a few years ago when it looked like Arsenal might win the title on the final day of the season.

The red membership scheme used to allow you to pay approximately £30 per year, which gave you access to buy tickets, typically a month before a fixture. I have had two direct debits for nearly 15 years, allowing me to afford a home match every month (and I do not live in London).

I have sat in a Costa near the stadium and watched a man pull out 20 membership cards. These are essentially the keys to enter the Emirates.

The process is simple: the tout buys a ticket for, say, £55, then charges significantly more to lend out the membership card. In response, the club introduced a ballot system to better verify ticket allocation.

The result? I now pay once a year just to have my name placed in a hat.

Damaged murals

While the recent vandalism made headlines, it has actually been happening for a while.

In March, with Josh Kroenke in attendance, it was reported that his image outside the Emirates had been defaced.

Besides disrespecting the artist, what exactly is the point? Do these people think Mikel Arteta or the owners care what is scribbled on a wall?

Offensive fan chants

I have long argued that the UK has a problem where grown adults feel free to act however they want inside football grounds.

These are people who probably have respectable jobs and loving families, yet on weekends, chant things they would never say elsewhere.

I will never defend Adebayor’s celebration when he scored against us. As a professional, he endangered himself and the crowd. But let’s not pretend songs like “your dad washes elephants, his mum is a whore” are not racist and offensive.

Fans upset with Robin van Persie’s exit chanted “she said no, Robin, she said no”, referencing a serious allegation. Ashley Cole was serenaded with “ten men went to bed, went to bed with Ashley” after false tabloid allegations.

Mr Wenger even stepped in, pleading for the homophobic chants to stop.

I am passionate about my club, but I have never felt the need to take it to that level. But then, I am educated.

Rise of fan channels

I respect anyone who can earn money doing what they love. Some have made careers sitting in front of cameras talking football. Fair play.

But what happens when you realise most of your views come from negativity and conflict?

Originally, AFTV claimed no one on their fan cams was paid. But Robbie Lyle quickly saw which personalities got the most traction. So he gave them their own shows, essentially turning them into exaggerated characters and telling them to turn the volume up.

Now a generation believes a “real fan” is the one who shouts loudest and swears the most.

I know someone popular on YouTube who refused to stay behind and applaud Mr Wenger during his final game. Getting more subscribers took priority over showing respect.

That is the issue with a lot of content in 2025. There is no substance to the opinions. If your brand is built on negativity for clicks, how do we know when you are being genuine?

Wenger’s final years

I was invited to his film premiere and spoke with the great man.

It is clear he remains hurt by how some fans treated him. What is most painful is that he now regrets not leaving earlier.

If he had known his legacy would be judged on silverware alone, he could have walked away when Arsenal were financially crippled and gone on to lift trophies at PSG or Bayern Munich.

The Frenchman naively believed the loyalty he gave would be returned. Fans from other clubs still express shock at how we treated the most successful manager in our history, online abuse, banners, planes hired, insults in public.

He believes keeping Arsenal in the top four with a limited budget was his greatest achievement.

I wrote at the time that it would only be after he left that some fans would realise how difficult that was under the Kroenke regime.

You would think our regression would have humbled some people. But it is hard to admit when you are wrong.

Abuse outside the Emirates

Regular attendees know where to wait after a match if they want a chance to meet a player at the traffic lights near the stadium.

But players cannot win.

Keep the windows up and you are a millionaire who has lost touch with fans. Roll the window down and you risk verbal abuse, even with your loved ones in the car.

That is why Arsenal’s security advised the players to stop engaging. Xhaka and Özil were both targeted in this way.

Pundits attacked

There was a stretch in 2023 where Arsenal had to reassess their press box security.

Both Roy Keane and Samir Nasri were attacked while working as pundits at the Emirates.

Of course, neither are going to be particularly popular here, one is a former United captain, the other left for City, but that is no excuse for physical threats.

It is yet another example of how ex-footballers cannot win. If they do not interact, they are criticised. If they do, they are targeted.

Online abuse

Too many Gunners have spoken about the toll online criticism has taken on their mental health.

When Granit Xhaka cupped his ears and threw down the captain’s armband after being booed off, we learned what he had been enduring, not just as a player, but as a person.

He received messages wishing his baby would get cancer and his wife would die.

Instead of apologising, he stood firm, and many respected him for it.

Sadly, this is not a one-off. Too many players suffer in silence, while platforms like X and Facebook still fail to enforce proper verification.

Still no zero tolerance

As mentioned, football seems to offer some people a free pass to behave however they like.

These are the 2023-24 statistics for why 21 people were banned from the Emirates:

Assault – 10
Tragedy chanting – 5
Offensive gestures – 2
Racism – 2
Homophobia – 1
Sexual assault – 1

No stats have been released for last season, but both Arsenal and PSG confirmed civil action is being taken against fans who greeted the French club’s coach with monkey gestures.

We cannot educate every idiot, and it is not our job to.

What we can do is ensure that the next generation understands there will be consequences. Prison sentences. Public naming. Shame.

What do you think, Gooners? Has a section of the fanbase crossed too many lines?

Dan Smith

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