The Boston Gooners
Meet the Boston Gooners
Our quest to meet more Arsenal supporters throughout the United States now takes us to Boston, MA. It may be one of the oldest cities in America, but the Boston Gooners are barely a year old. And yet, the group has already become one of Arsenal America's largest branches. According to founding member, Nick Lellenberg, the reason why is simple:
“At the core, being an Arsenal supporter is about living the up and downs with others who care just as much as you do and become life-long friends because of it."
Group Name: Boston Gooners
Location: Boston, MA
Year established: 2010
Number of active members: "Up to 150 have shown up for games."
Where we watch matches: Lir, 903 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116. (617) 778-0089
Normal match start time: 10am ET
Where our members hail from: "Ireland, England, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, students from all over the United States. We are truly a mixture of everything imaginable."
Group’s favorite Arsenal moment: "Bendtner knocking in the winner at Hull last March. It was by far the most charged The Blackthorn has been. It was pouring in Boston and that just seemed to make it even tenser while we were all packed in watching and hoping to pull it out. You could feel how much everyone wanted it, and once that goal went in the whole place went nuts."
Why we are Gooners: "There are always so many stories. Some grew up with it and had it passed along through their parents. Some were attracted by a specific player, notably Thierry Henry, but sometimes it is down to something as basic as Arsenal being their favorite team back in the old versions of FIFA video games. But at the core, being an Arsenal supporter is about living the up and downs with others who care just as much as you do and become life-long friends because of it. You discover how far a complete stranger will go for you just because you have the cannon on your shirt. For many, the people they go to matches or watches matches with become a kind of second family."
"We are still one of the newer branches of Arsenal America, but the growth of it in the past year has been noticeable. Every week more and more are coming and The Blackthorn has become a wonderful place for Arsenal supporters in the greater Boston area to call home."
Contact information: You can find us online at http://www.bostongooners.com or on Facebook. You can also email us at boston@arsenalamerica.com or follow us on Twitter.
