Premier League club Arsenal fans proudly call themselves as a ‘Gooner’, find out the reason behind the term and more below
Over the years, the nickname has seemingly become an iconic term in football culture, tying supporters closely to the club’s long and unique history.
Why are Arsenal football fans called Gooners and The Gunners meaning explained as Gen Z gooner slang inspires viral meme
This is why Arsenal stopped using ‘Gooner’… 😅#Arsenal #Gunners #Gooners pic.twitter.com/ptulbR2CYQ
— TotalNinetyBall (@TotalNinetyBall) July 27, 2025
Absolutely blows my mind that these mfs WILLINGLY call themselves GOONERS.
Do they not know what this means 😭 https://t.co/5eRj0EHSRp
— The Butcher ⚔︎ (@UTD__Max) July 30, 2025
With the 2024/25 Premier League season all set to get underway, the term is once again back in the headlines.
Reason behind Arsenal fans being called The Gunners and ‘Gooners’ explained
The popular nickname ‘Gooners’ stems from Arsenal’s original identity as ‘The Gunners.’ While the term ‘Gunners’ referred to the club’s founding roots in a munitions factory, ‘Gooners’ later emerged as a fan-centric evolution of that same term. Over the years, ‘Gooners’ started to represent the passion, pride, and sometimes eccentricity of Arsenal supporters worldwide.
View this post on Instagram
‘Gooners’ origins
At present, there are several theories about where the term ‘Gooners’ originated. According to one theory, it was first linked to legendary manager Herbert Chapman, who led the club between 1925 and 1934. Herbert was known for his eccentric character and sense of humor, and he was reportedly dubbed a ‘Gooner’ by the fans, which marked a possible origin point for the term. Meanwhile, some argue the name simply evolved from how supporters pronounced ‘Gunners,’ similar to how Newcastle fans call themselves the ‘Toon Army.’
Another theory states how fans started singing the chant “Good Old Arsenal” during the 1960s, which included ‘Gooner’ in the lyrics. There are also some other theories that suggest how the term comes from the word “goons” due to the rowdy and passionate nature of the fanbase. Regardless of the exact origin, the term has seemingly gained popularity over the years and become a beloved part of Arsenal culture.
pornhub is age restricted like fr now, twitter needa to verify my age, jai is down. as a british citizen, have i not the right to goon? pic.twitter.com/lni5o48iMI
— ellie .ᐟ (@bingeonminge) July 26, 2025
‘Gooners’ meaning and usage
At present, the term ‘Gooners’ simply refers to die-hard Arsenal supporters, representing their spirit and loyalty. According to reports, the club first officially used the term in 1966 during a matchday program. The nickname eventually gained further traction in the 1980s and 1990s, after a hooligan firm also adopted the name. ‘Gooner’ then became mainstream and many genuine fans started claiming it as a badge of honor.
Why do Arsenal fans call themselves "gooners"
byu/BlueBlitzCFC insoccercirclejerk
An independent fan magazine called The Gooner started selling outside Highbury Stadium in 1987, and later the Emirates. The magazine is still active today, and it has even launched a digital edition dedicated to Arsenal Women in April 2024.
While “Gooner” is a term for a fan of Arsenal Football Club, the term has inspired a string of memes online with the gooner Gen Z slang also referring to someone who engages in excessive m*sturbation or consumption of s*xually explicit content with gooning being referred to as the act of m*sturbating. Gooning means acting completely uninhibited while you m*sturbate, or perform pleasure, seemingly losing yourself in the moment.
A gooner is simply a person who goons, someone who is completely and miserably addicted to p*rn but embraces and loves it.
The X dot com gooner trinity pic.twitter.com/f9Tri6rSwL
— Overfit Quantitative Strategies (@OverfitQuantit1) July 29, 2025