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Don Roper Fan Club

• Years Supporting Arsenal: 49 years
• Where do I sit when watching Arsenal: 51-52 season East stand(south end just over the entrance) 52-53 clock end front rows for nippers. On vacation in UK 93 and 95 (from California)East Stand. At home in Southern California, either at home on pay perview via cable I find a British Pub (usually owned by a Brit)and watch it on the giant TVscreen.
• Other teams I support: I secretly wish Blackpool,Wolves, Burnley, Huddersfield, PNE,WBA could have a go again in the top flight. They were all so good years ago. used to like the Wolves' and Blackpool's uniform. Northampton too since I was born there. Though as much chance of that lot being in the Premier as "5/26/89" getting shagged by Pamela Anderson.
• Reason for supporting: Arsenal and football was my overwhelming passion as a child. Lived in Stoke Newington, a mile or so from Highbury. Could here the cheers from house on Carysfort Rd.
• Favourite Current players: Vivas - nah just kidding. Kanu,Bergkamp,Vierra,Winterburn, Adams,Keown, Seaman, Maninger.
• Favourite all time players: Jack Kelsey, Don Roper, Doug Lishman, Ray Daniel, Jimmy Logie, Liam Brady, Charlie George, Brian Talbot, Merson, Wright, Jennings
• Favourite Mgr: Chapman, Graham, and Wenger.
• 1st game I remember: Arsenal losing the 51-52 Cup Final to Newcastle 1-0
• 1st game I attended: 1952-53 season v Man Utd @ Highbury, they lost..
• How long on AFCI: Since May 99.
• 1st person met on AFCI: My brother - ssr obviously. Other than him 1st person I wound up /spoke to was North Bank Bird. I told her all she went to the games for was to watch and say "Oooh, dont they 'arf 'ave nice bums" She replied that she went for the thighs, I then wound up MM ,and some others about supporting Man U v Bayern Munich, since Man U were Brits, especially Schmeichel who to me was as Brit as Churchill. I have never been called a f-cking idiot by so many people at one time. Of course I wound my brother,ssr, up before I told him I had joined the chat site. I met "5/26/89" in person at a Santa Monica Pub to watch the game on 1/24/00 against Manure. What a thrill meeting him - simple words can't describe - you just can't imagine the sheer magnificence of the moment-almost like meeting the Pope or Nelson Vivas. I will never forget his first and only utterence: " Oy me China. "
• Best Arsenal Memory: As a 10 yr old with my brother ,"ssr", watching Arsenal, at Highbury, beat Burnley 3-2. It was on an intermittent drizzly Friday night on the last game of the 52-53 season. They had to win this last game of 52-53 to win the old 1st Div title by better goal average (before goal difference) than second place Preston N E. They couldnt even afford to draw. After Burnley scored their second, we had to hang on at 3-2 for 17 agonizing minutes. Talk about jubilation at the final whistle. Being a kid made the memory of that victory more poignant.
• Worst Arsenal Memory: The next season, 53-54, the Gunners got off to a dreadful start didn't win a game from August to about October. To top it off, they lost 1-7 away to Sunderland (got into a fight with my Spurs supporting mate over his teasing about it) and at home to Burnley 2-5. During the Burnley horror, I felt so miserable watching them losing, that at 1-4 by 60 or so mins I walked out of the game, Burnley even scored number 5 as I was still exiting. When they went out of the cup to then 3rd Div Norwich at home, we were in the midst of emmigrating to the USA. I was actually relieved we were leaving so I wouldn't have to endure anymore.
• If I managed Arsenal, the first thing I would do is: Hire Sexy Gunner as my biographer and have her take a bath with me. Second I would try to buy some proven Premier League Brit and Irish talent like Noel Whelen, Robbie Keane, Carl Cort, Fowler, Guppey,Izzet, Ball of Everton when he returns to fitness, and then scout the Nationwide League. Would like to stay in Islington at Ashburton Grove and keep Highbury intact but use it for training, reserves, rent it out to non leaguers, and for semi finals - anything to keep it as is. It is such an important part of Arsenal history.