Match Day Rituals: Andy and Olivia

My journey as an Arsenal fan began with my grandad buying my brother and I kits and then watching each match on TV with him until we were old enough to attend in person. I was lucky enough to grow up in the era of Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira so they're very cherished memories!

An Arsenal matchday is special to me as so many of my friends and socialising stems from The Arsenal, whether that be WhatsApp groups pinging off throughout the week, discussing transfer rumours you hear about online or the fact that members of the band that Olivia and I play in support the club too.

We all meet at a pub around Highbury and Islington, grab some food and drinks and have a catch up, whether that's discussing how our weeks have been or score predictions ahead of the game. There are people I know solely from watching The Arsenal that I now consider friends beyond football.

Considering I live outside London and sometimes have plans post-game which involve driving, it's always good to have some strong non-alcoholic options available, especially with the 12:30 kick-offs!

Naturally, when my friends and I meet up, the conversation almost always gears towards how Arsenal are playing and what we'd do if we were in charge. We're the classic armchair supporters in that regard! If Arsenal are winning it certainly makes our catch-ups more enjoyable...

I've played guitar for over 20 years and play in a band called @heavysundaysband, along with Olivia and our friends Liam and Tim. Barring Tim, who supports AC Milan, we're all obsessive Arsenal supporters and our practice sessions tend to be organised so matches aren't missed. We even covered the Saka and Emile-Smith Rowe Status Quo-inspired song at a gig a couple of years back!