A review by lewis_fishman
Black Arsenal by Matthew Harle, Clive Chijioke Nwonka

5.0

My word, I genuinely cannot remember the last time a book gave me chills - and this gave it to me multiple times. It is simply a fantastic book. The stories and essays contained within are incomparable, and demonstrate just how we are as a club, how far we've come, and how far we've still to go.

There's part of me that doesn't want to talk about so much of what's within, because it is such a personal book. As someone who's father is Anglo-Burmese, and faced racial discrimination when he moved to Australia (whereas as I am white passing thanks to a ginger mother), obviously there's that level of connection with BAME and Arsenal. There's the fact that Arsenal is all I've ever known, and that I wear 14 for my sunday league team for Theo Walcott. I'm too young to notice Black and other BAME players begin to be integrated within the team, it was just a mainstay of Arsenal sides that there was players of all different ethnicities and backgrounds. The Arsenal, the only club known for having that participle beforehand, is so much more than a football club, and has represented so much to so many people. Please go out and read this book. Make The Arsenal for everyone. Call out your mates for not making the club, or any club, or anything else, not inclusive for all. Remember who you are, what you are, and who you represent - from fan to player.