How an Indian became an Arsenal fan in a cricket-mad nation
India is known in the Western world as a cricket-mad nation. The sport is a religion in India, and the players are bestowed with demi-god status. Even the narrowest streets are turned into a cricket pitch by kids desperate to showcase their talents. In such a cultural setting, I was among the minority who followed soccer with equal enthusiasm. This is the story of how I became an Indian Arsenal diehard fan.
Love at first sight
A cricket fan to begin with, though I am still one, a clash between the Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Manchester United made me fall in love with soccer and the Gunners in particular. The two clubs are no strangers to producing edge-of-the-seat thrillers and the 2-2 draw of November 2007 was one such classic.
United visited the high-flying Arsenal hoping to put a dent in their rivals’ title charge. As the match progressed I found everything about the Premier League fascinating. The aura it had, the energy generated by the fans, watching the ball travel up and down the pitch, the crunching tackles, eye-of-needle passes, players squaring up to each other, and even the commentary. It was quite the spectacle.
Playing soccer the Arsenal Way
Arsenal snatched a draw courtesy of a William Gallas equalizer in the dying moments, providing a huge relief to the Emirates crowd. But it was their style of play that caught my eye. Under the watchful gaze of Arsene Wenger, his boys were playing in a swashbuckling manner, focusing on one-touch passing and intelligent movements. The gaffer was known for giving players the freedom to express themselves on the pitch, leading to unique and innovative patterns of play.
Gradually I started moving away from cricket, instead following Arsenal. I spent my weekends watching them play while all my friends were busy discussing how Sachin Tendulkar dismantled the opponent bowlers on the cricket pitch. As a 16-year-old, it was hard not to be in awe of how Wenger’s teams progressed the ball into the final third of the pitch and walked it into the net repeatedly. The more I watched them the more I fell in love. With each passing game, the bond strengthened.
Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Robin Van Persie, Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla. The number of players who enthralled the fans at the Emirates with their talent is endless. But Cazorla was the one that stunned me the most. The Spaniard’s boundless enthusiasm and nimble footwork were a sight for sore eyes. Pulling the strings from midfield, the little magician was the heartbeat of the Arsenal teams of 2010s.
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Heartbreaks and hope for an Indian Arsenal diehard fan
Every season, players arrived and left, some in a more controversial manner. But my passion for the club remained constant. It was this passion that made me stay awake till 4 AM local time so that I could watch them play in the European competitions.
But like any other relationship, this one had its lows. Going trophyless for nine years was hard to digest. But not winning the league title for two decades is probably the lowest point. In that time, numerous false dawns were experienced. In some seasons our unending bad luck with injuries played spoilsport. While in other campaigns we were just not good enough to go anywhere near that trophy.
The league title needs to come to the Emirates soon. The fans have been waiting for a long time like a parched land waiting anxiously for the skies to bless it with a good downpour. With Mikel Arteta at the helm, the title will hopefully be won this season, bringing joy to all concerned souls.
Photo: IMAGO / Visionhaus