Christmas Day message from the Gooner Fanzine 

Hello, and welcome to issue 309 of the Gooner Fanzine. 

It’s coming up to two years since my beloved dad died, and, as anyone who has lost someone dear to them will tell you, you think about them every single day. 

Time does ease the rawness, but the hurt remains. What has helped me through such a sad time, has been the love and support of friends and family, whose kindness and understanding has helped beyond measure. 

What also helped at the time, and still helps now, is the support from our wider Gooner Fanzine 'family.' Whether it’s a kind word here and there on a matchday, or even just a football chat, a smile and a joke on a cold winter’s afternoon while I’m flogging the Gooner outside The Arsenal in all weathers. Such small things helped - and still help - make a big thing just that little bit easier, through your kindness. 

We’ve all lost someone, and I make no particular claim on heartache, I only mention this to say that one of the things that makes the Gooner Fanzine so special is our humble community of likeminded souls who rally around others when times are tough 

Get well soon Steve 

In light of the above, on behalf of every single person associated with the Gooner Fanzine I would like to send our very best wishes to a Gooner Fanzine legend, namely The Highbury Spy, aka the wonderful Steve Ashford. 

Popular team player Steve messaged me – I’d say bravely, while modest Steve would say matter-of-factly - a short while ago to apologise, but would it be ok if he missed penning a few of his columns. Why, I asked? Because he was fighting leukaemia, and would be facing a stint of chemotherapy, came the answer. 

Such news stopped me in my tracks. I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear, more in shock than anything. 

However, inspirational, courageous Steve was full of positivity and his usual good humour, testament to the wonderful bloke he is. He added that he needs to take two or three months off for treatment, but hopes to be back, and I quote from the horse's mouth: “better than ever later in the season.”

I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Steve for a while now and he’s such a lovely human being, and an unstintingly loyal Gooner to boot, and I know he’ll be back fit and firing, and writing for us very soon. 

In the meantime, please join me as part of our Gooner Fanzine community to send our all best wishes to Steve and his wonderful partner Mitra in his journey to regain tip-top health once again.

If you’d like to send a message of support to Steve and his family, please email the Gooner Fanzine @[email protected] and we’ll send them onto Steve. Please feel free to thank him for his incredible efforts over the last 30 years and more in sharing such unmissable writing with our humble publication and loyal readership. 

It was typical Steve when he mentioned that because of his treatment, he missed his first Saturday 3pm Arsenal game since 1968, the other week when we beat Forest 3–0. That was, bar a game during a family holiday with his parents back in 1982 - which he tells me he still hasn’t forgiven them for! 

All the best Steve, look forward to buying you a pint of ale very soon down The Arsenal.  

In the same vein, again, on behalf of everyone associated with the Gooner Fanzine, I would like to offer our best wishes, love and positivity to John Williamson.

Please also join me in sending our condolences to our genius IT expert, Rob Burne (without whose hard work and deep expertise we simply wouldn’t be able to run our website) after Rob lost his father recently. All the best to Rob and his family. 

The new year is always a time for reflection, so why not do what I’m going to do, and decide to hug your loved ones just that little more in 2025, and seize every moment, and seize every day.  

Wishing everyone associated with our humble labour of love that is the Gooner Fanzine a happy and healthy 2025. 

Take care. Carpe Diem

Come on you Gunners

Layth