Arsenal Community On Orkut

Vacas Areph is 25 years old and is a banker in Lahore, Pakistan and has been supporting Premier League club Arsenal for almost a decade. He owns an Arsenal community on Orkut and now explains his love and dedication towards his club and his community…..

Goal.com: Tell us something about yourself.

Vacas: My name is Vacas Areph and I’m from Lahore, Pakistan. I’m employed in a bank. I’ve been supporting Arsenal for almost 10 years. For most people it’s the players or the clubs’ history that attracts them but for me it was different. My first introduction to club football was through FIFA 99. I started taking interest in club football after that. But when I started watching club football, I had no knowledge about clubs. It was Arsenal’s attractive style of play that inspired me to follow them. Since then I’ve been a Gooner through and through.

Goal.com: When and how did the community start?

Vacas: This community was originally created by Jud on January 31, 2004. Incidentally it was the same year I joined Orkut. This commnuity had seen five owners already…..it sounds like managerial changes at Chelsea, doesn’t it? But it is different. Whenever the owner felt that he or she could no longer dedicate time towards the community due to priorities in personal life, he or she passed on the community to the deserving member. I started as a member and was then appointed a moderator by the owner. Eventually I was passed on the ownership.

Goal.com: How did the community develop?

Vacas: When I joined this community, it had very few members. But with the passage of time the number has risen up to 85,000 members. The growth rate has been staggering. Interestingly, the discussion level in the community has also improved with more members joining in.

Goal.com: What is the aim of your community?

Vacas: The aim of our community is to discuss every matter related to the club we love, interact with fellow Gooners in a healthy environment, increase our knowledge of the club and help one another become a better person in the world of internet as well as in actual life.We have also started an Arsenal blog with the name 'The Gooner World'. The money received from the Blog clicks goes to Charity.

Goal.com: Has your community fulfilled that aim?

Vacas: We have established Community Etiquettes and Rules for the betterment of the community. The members are very cooperative and humble and along with the moderators and previous owners, they have helped the community gain popularity and touch new heights.

Goal.com: What type of discussions do you hold here?

Vacas: Every topic related to Arsenal is discussed in our community. From matchday events to live scores to financial aspects, transfer rumours, strategies, history…..every topic under the sun even remotely related to the club! Oh, we have also created a separate thread for members where they can interact with one another and talk all things other than football.

Goal.com: From which nations do your members come from?

Vacas: We have members from India, Pakistan, Brazil, France, Iran, USA, UK and Germany. Our community member Felipe goes to every Arsenal match and gives us match reports and news.

Goal.com: Is it tough to maintain your community?

Vacas: I wouldn’t call it tough because I love my community. But managing every community (on Orkut) requires a certain level of dedication and we’re lucky to have excellent moderators to look after our Arsenal FC community. Heated debates and disagreements are a part of discussions but the members are educated and are aware of the significance of Community Etiquettes and Rules.

And here is what the members, who are obviously Arsenal fans, have to say about the community as well as about the club that they support.

Chinmay Tadwalkar from Aurangabad: This community has played a vital role in shaping me as a proud Gooner. The members are more than just my fellow members.

Vinay from India: Arsenal Football Club is my life. This community is the way I can express my feelings and my passion towards my beloved club.

Vijay Saibola from Dortmund, Germany: Since coming to Germany for my education, watching the Premier League has not been easy. Only the Bundesliga matches are shown in pubs and I cannot yet afford myself a TV with Premier Cable package for Premier League matches. The only solution is livestream on the internet. Even while watching the match, I never miss out on the 'live-text' thread in the community. It’s really nice to get the the views and be in tune with the emotions of hundreds of other Arsenal fans while the game is on.

Paul, India: Hostile arguments happen all the time. But at the end of the day, most members listen to reason and are generally not afraid to admit it when they are wrong.

Moiz from Karachi, Pakistan: This community provides a very good opportunity to know people who share the same passion.

Eric from Mumbai, India: I have been an ardent Arsenal fan since 2001 and the television and newspapers were the only source of football related stuff. It was ‘all take and no give’. I wanted to express my opinions about Arsenal and this community surely has taken care of that desire. This is more like a “soccer family”. Thank you Arsenal FC Community (Codename 4553).

Akshay Jha from Guwahati, India: The only reason that I am still on orkut is because of this community and the club.

Mamoon Ghaffar from Peshawar,Pakistan: I don't remember when I started supporting Arsenal; it seems to me that I was born an Arsenal fan! Long live Arsenal! Love live the sacred " 4553 " and its beloved members.

Felipe Hassin, from London: Since moving to London when I was only a 16-year-old boy, I found Orkut to be a bridge that linked me with my friends and family in Brazil. Two years after joining Orkut I finally joined my very first community (Arsenal community). Since then I have never spent a single week away from here.

Asjad from Lahore,Pakistan: I have an Orkut account only because of this community.

Sumanth Anchan from Thane, India: Usually we have had healthy debates. Everyone is allowed to make a point. Yes, sometimes the situation does go out of hand, but since each member is so passionate about Arsenal, that is understandable.

Sandeep from India: My Love for Arsenal will remain till the very last breath of my life. Proud to be a Gooner, Gooner till I die. And one more thing: "Be a Gooner, Be a giver."

Amoy Ghoshal and Subhankar Mondal