How Arsenal became a home for Black players and fans

Arsenal’s Premier League trophy lift triggered celebrations at home and internationally, with supporters gathering in large numbers in London and beyond. The joy shown by players such as Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park, alongside the visible presence of Black players and supporters, reflects a long-standing connection between the club and the Black diaspora. Selhurst Park is framed as a meaningful venue because Eberechi Eze was signed there and Ian Wright attended the festivities. The proximity to Brockley and the legacy of David Rocastle are used to connect past and present. Images of west African and Caribbean descendants celebrating together emphasize the club’s diverse fanbase. Further crowds and a planned London parade are expected to exceed earlier celebrations.

"Arsenal have a storied history with Black players, and its fanbase reflects that. A cursory look at the joy on Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze's faces at Selhurst Park and the ensuing melee of supporters on the streets of London right through to Kampala is strong proof of that. I look at why a north London club has the love and dedication of so many in the Black diaspora a flame that has remained lit through the good, the bad and indifferent."

"In many ways, Selhurst Park, the home ground of Crystal Palace, was the perfect setting for Arsenal's Premier League trophy lift. It is where they signed Eberechi Eze and former player now national treasure Ian Wright, who was there to observe (and indulge in) the festivities. Only one Overground stop away from Brockley, where Wright grew up alongside the late great David Rocastle, a holder of the No 7 shirt that Bukayo Saka now wears with distinction."

"When the pictures of Eze alongside Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber all descendants from west Africa and the Caribbean surfaced cheesing in front of a raucous away support, it was a reminder of the club's rich tapestry. That image, though, was only part of the story. People in their thousands mixed outside Emirates Stadium after the league was confirmed, then the crowds returned a few days later flares and fireworks in hand in even greater numbers."

"This weekend's parade in London, meanwhile, is expected to dwarf both of those celebrations, making it clear something out of the ordinary is taking plac"

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