Arseblog turns 23

Hey folks, just another quick post today to note the occasion of Arseblog’s 23rd birthday.

This day, all those years ago, I sat in my house in a seaside town not far outside Barcelona, and uploaded the very first post to arseblog.com

The first post on arseblog.com – Feb 27th 2002

It’s fair to say it was an inauspicious start to life, but here we are 23 years later still doing stuff. Back then, the idea that it could be anything other than just a hobby was unthinkable. There was no such thing as a full-time blogger, podcasts hadn’t even been invented yet, and there was no social media.

And yet, a community developed, a community grew, and when all those other aspects became part of the media/Internet landscape, they also became part of Arseblog as a whole. Times change, people change, websites change, but what I can say is that from the start I have had one core principle at the heart of what we do here, and that was always to be honest about what I thought about what was going on at Arsenal on and off the pitch.

Have I got everything right? Far from it. Have I learned a lot along the way? You bet. And the bottom line is this: I am just a fan like anyone else. Some Irish bloke who was born in England at a time when the Gunners had a host of Irishmen in the team, who set up a website about Arsenal while living in Spain, and it has become more than I ever thought it could have.

I’m very lucky to work with great, talented people who help keep everything going. Tom, who makes sure there is a website for people to visit; Andrew Allen, who brings style, impeccable grooming, and his quick wit to Arseblog News and beyond; my podcast partner James who said ok to another one of my off-the-cuff ideas over 11 years ago, and who has helped the Arsecast Extra become such a popular show; Tim Stillman whose Arseblog ‘career’ began as a columnist in 2010, but whose coverage of Arsenal Women is now beyond compare; Jason who works with Tim in producing quality video content for Arsenal Women, and to Jamie and Aidan for reporting and podcasting with him as well; Lewis Ambrose and Phil Costa who have become an integral part of what we do, especially on Patreon; Hatta, Jon, Billy; the many and varied Arsecast guests; and there have been so many others along the way – too many to mention, but sincere apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone (the old memory is not what it was)!

Arseblog has been a blessing, and given me incredible opportunities over the years. Whether that’s interviewing Arsenal legends, meeting fellow Arsenal fans from all over the world, whether at games in London or abroad on our travels, or even just sitting down every day to write about football, it has been an immense privilege to do this. And it’s not one we take lightly.

I can honestly say that I have done worse jobs in my time (cleaning out the marshmallow machines in Jacob’s biscuit factory for one; DJing weddings – oh God, so many terrible weddings), but while it’s not like that kind of grind, it is still work. Seven days a week, weekends, evenings, so while I feel very fortunate that this is my job, it is a job.

Over the years we’ve tried to give Arseblog readers and listeners the best possible experience they can possibly have. We no longer carry any advertising on the site, and when we did we never did the pop-ups or auto-playing videos. The websites are clean, the new apps (coming soon, I promise!!), will remove the last vestiges of advertising from our written content, but everybody still has to get paid.

That is why Patreon has been such great addition. Arseblog is almost entirely member-funded, it goes to pay all our writers/podcasters, helps us expand our coverage of the club in every aspect, and means we’re not beholden to any outside editorial influence or any kind of click-bait/rage-bait content. So, if you’re not already a member, please consider supporting what we do at patreon.com/arseblog. It’s just $6 per month (+ VAT where applicable), and to find out what you get and what your support means, you can see our membership page here.

I strongly believe that when you have a platform like this one, and when you are in a position to give something back, it’s incumbent on you to do so. Since 2022, Arseblog has donated more than €150,000 to good causes, and we will continue to do going forward. I would urge anyone else – whether it’s on a personal level or through your own business – to do the same if you can. Billionaires won’t save us, so it’s up the rest of us to at least try to make an impact. To help those less fortunate, and who really need whatever it is we can give.

Finally, I ran a little competition on last week’s Arsecast, asking people to let me know where in the world they come from as they try and win a voucher for the Arsenal online store. The responses have come from every corner of the globe. There are Arsenal fans in every country, of all races and religions and backgrounds and cultures, and they are part of what makes this club great.

In a world which is increasingly polarised and driven by angry rhetoric by those who would willingly do harm to people they don’t know and don’t care about, my pledge is that Arseblog will always be a welcoming, inclusive space for Arsenal fans and beyond. It’s not always easy to maintain those standards in the online world, but we will do everything we can in that regard. Football might frustrate us, drive us mad, break our hearts, but we’re all here for the love of the game and the love of this club.

A bit more love will go a long way, on and off the pitch.

Thank you for being here.

Andrew : 27.02.2025

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