Hey Junior Gunners - how's it going?
You're probably all as excited as I am for the start of the new season. I've really missed going to games and can't wait for pre-season - luckily that starts soon!
I've been keeping myself really busy over the summer and have been up to loads.
On Thursday, May 23, I went down to the Sobell Sports Centre in Islington to attend a Premier League 4 Sport event. I was joined by participants from lots of Premier League teams, including West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, Sunderland, Fulham and Hull.
I had a great day out on Sunday, May 26. Arsenal Ladies took on Bristol Academy in the FA Women's Cup final so I went along to Doncaster Rovers, where the final was held, to cheer them on. I had some fun before the game and was delighted by the result - a 3-0 win for the Ladies which ensured their 13th FA Cup final win!
A week later and I made my way across London to Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea. Barclays were hosting a fun day for their staff so I kept everyone entertained along with Chelsea's mascot. Former Chelsea player Kerry Dixon hosted the event and there were special visits from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and our very own Aaron Ramsey!
I went along to Arsenal Ladies' last game before their summer break on Thursday, June 6. The team played really well and managed to secure an important 2-1 win in front of the ESPN cameras. Earlier in the day, I had attended a disabled supporters party, which was great fun!
Eight days later brought about one of my favourite days in the Arsenal calendar. Eighty Junior Gunners came to the training ground at London Colney to camp on the pitch. I was there to meet all the fans and had a big picture taken with them. I don't think many fans got much sleep as they were all so excited!
I was off to Parkwood Primary School soon after to hand out reading certificates to children. The kids were really excited to see me and I gave them lots of high fives.
Next up for me was a visit to Gillespie Primary School, where I helped out with stalls at their summer fair. There was lots to buy including hot food as well as toys, flowers, books and much more. The Arsenal community had their football coaches in attendance too.
The next day I visited Paradise Park in Broxbourne for a fun day, where I was joined by plenty of other mascots. There was lots of music and dancing and I visited some meercats, who kept following me wherever I went! After that, I rushed back to the stadium to attend a Bar Mitzvah where over 150 children were present - it was some day!
That's all for now but I'll be back soon with news of my latest adventures.
Big hugs,
Gunner
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.