More than one million people lined the streets of North London to celebrate Arsenal’s Premier League win. They filled every corner of Blackstock Road, climbed onto the roof of Finsbury Park station and crowded onto balconies and stoops to catch sight of the Champions Parade and the convoy of buses that were carrying the victorious men’s team, the women’s team – and a special group of supporters who couldn’t quite believe their luck. 

All part of Arsenal In The Community – the charitable and social inclusion arm of the club – these fans had been handpicked thanks to their amazing work and contributions to the community. There was Louis Dunford, the singer responsible for “North London Forever” which you may have heard ringing through the streets of Islington for the past three weeks. There was Emmanuel Nmecha, a player and ambassador for North London United Down’s Syndrome team, who presented Martin Ødegaard with the trophy during the final match of the season. And Dazed’s photographer TJ Sawyerr, who was there to capture all the moments and crowds from the best view of the parade. 

Alongside his photographs, Dazed spoke to these fans about their community pride and the moments from the bus they will never forget. 

TANISHA APPLETON, NO MORE RED

Tanisha set up peer support group “Love and Loss” following the murder of her cousin Stefan in 2015. She has also been a huge supporter of No More Red, an initiative aimed at tackling the root causes of youth violence and knife crime in London.

I was walking down Holloway Road the moment we officially won the league. Within minutes there were hundreds of supporters gathering outside the Emirates. Complete strangers were hugging, singing, dancing and celebrating together. The atmosphere was unbelievable. It felt like the whole borough had spilled onto the streets. It wasn’t just about football; it felt like a community celebration.

Being on the parade bus was an incredibly surreal and emotional experience. Looking out and seeing thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds was unreal – a great representation of London. The moment that will stay with me forever was travelling through Essex Road. That’s where my cousin Stefan lived; he was an avid Arsenal fan and it’s an area filled with so many childhood memories for me. As we went through the crowds, I felt really emotional because I knew how much he would have loved to have been there. In that moment, I felt his presence with me. It genuinely felt like he was there in spirit, sharing in the celebrations.

Arsenal has supported me to support other families. Through Arsenal in the Community and the relationships we’ve built, they’ve helped create opportunities for families affected by grief and trauma to come together, connect and feel less alone. Whether it’s events, experiences or simply opening doors, the club understands the power of bringing people together.

VICTOR MACAULEY, FREEDOM FROM TORTURE 

Victor is a former participant on the Freedom From Torture programme and now works with the photographers on match days at Emirates Stadium. The club has been a safe space for Victor for the past 15 years since he arrived from Sierra Leone.

I’ve been supporting Arsenal since I was eight years old, growing up in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Back then, Thierry Henry was everything to me, my absolute hero, my favourite player and the main reason why I started supporting Arsenal. I loved him so much that I used to write his name on every single clothing I owned. That love never faded, and now I’ve carried it with me all these years, right up to today.

One of my favourite moments from this season was the Champions League second leg semi-final versus Atletico Madrid. I was at the technical area with the photographers and I was standing right in front of the players as they walked through the tunnel onto the pitch. I had with me two posters, one of them said: “WE WILL SACRIFICE THE LAST DROP OF OUR BLOOD FOR YOU GUYS. I WILL SACRIFICE BOTH OF MY KIDNEYS TO SEE US REACH THE PROMISED LAND. WE’RE DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH YOU GUYS”. I locked eyes with Eze before the Champions League anthem and he winked at me. That was when I knew we were all locked in.

The parade day was absolutely unforgettable. I saw young kids sitting on their parents’ shoulders, and I saw older fans with tears in their eyes. At that moment, I looked around and realised how far I’d come, from a boy in Sierra Leone writing Henry’s name on his shirt, to being right here, part of this huge celebration. It felt like my journey and my love for the club had come full circle. This club has been with me through every part of my life. It brings people together from every background, every country, and every walk of life – being an Arsenal fan means you belong to something bigger than yourself. That sense of belonging is priceless to me.

RILEY BUTLER, DOUBLE CLUB, EMPLOYABILITY, NCFE, CDP, CASUAL WORKER 

Riley took part in the Arsenal Double Club programme whilst at primary school. He was then referred to Arsenal for Employment Support in 2020 by Islington Council as he left school without many qualifications and was unsure of his next steps. Riley has now progressed onto becoming a sessional member of staff working on our estates and parks programmes across Islington.

I’ve been an Arsenal fan my entire life. Born in the area, my dad taught me pretty quick there was no other team for me but the Arsenal. I wasn’t born the last time we won a major honour but after seeing the scenes and celebrating after the last two weeks has shown me there’s no other team like us. I’ve been connected with Arsenal in the community for ten years now from participating in local sessions to half-term camps getting my first job and now being a sessional coach. Without the hard work of the community team I wouldn’t be where I am today with the skills I now possess.

Being a part of the parade is something that I’ll never forget, but the moment of the day that stood out was going down Essex road where I’ve lived all my life, seeing all the faces I’ve seen over the years and getting to see my mum brought a tear to my eye, so that was the moment that really made the day for me.

I have a few favourite moments from the season – the first being the Wolves game at home. Getting to welcome the players on the field was an unreal experience and getting the emotions of conceding late then scoring up the other end and winning at the death. Another moment that sticks out is Spurs at home when Eze scored a hat trick and the fan base broke out into song for him.

SAKINAAH BOATENG, PL GIRLS KICKS

Sakinaah developed an interest in Sports Broadcasting through the Girls Only PL Kicks programme. During her studies, she gained experience with the club by presenting content on No More Red and Community activity.  She now represents AITC on the Fan Advisory Board.

I’ve been an Arsenal supporter for my whole life! It’s the only club I’ve ever known, especially as my family supports them too, so the experience on the bus is something that has me lost for words. It was such an emotional moment for me. To think that Arsenal in the Community chose me to be one of the people on the bus, I feel so honoured. A memory that sticks out to me from that day would be spotting my family and friends in the crowd. They all understand what this club means to me, so to see me on one of the parade buses was a very proud moment for them. 

My favourite Arsenal moment from this season has to be the day we won the league. I was at home watching the Bournemouth vs City game, and the moment that full time whistle went and it was confirmed that Arsenal had won the league, my neighbourhood went crazy! I ran out the house and hopped on a lime bike straight to the Emirates. I’ve never seen Holloway Road the way I saw it that night. From cars beeping to fans celebrating, it was absolute scenes. The atmosphere created around the stadium that night was nothing but pure passion and joy. That’s what this club does to us. It makes us come together, creating friendships and memories that last a lifetime.

JOHN CRITCHLEY 

John Critchley joined the Shape Up Programme in 2023 at 64 years of age. He started his weight loss journey with us at 105kg and now weighs 80kg. Through his efforts he was able to avoid emergency abdominal surgery, have a successful gall bladder procedure and completely reverse his type two diabetes.

The first time I literally prayed for Arsenal to win was during extra time in the 1971 FA Cup Final, and Charlie George obliged with his iconic winner. Alan Smith and Michael Thomas also answered my prayers on 26 May 1989 at Anfield. But I suppose that from 1996 onwards the golden Wenger years really captured my heart, especially that first double in 1997-1998, when I was at Wembley to see the team seal the deal. I was sitting in the North Bank on 15 May 2004 to witness the Invincibles finish off the season by beating Leicester City 2-1. 

There used to be an advertisement for a credit card with the punchline “literally priceless” and that is how I feel about the wonderful, unrepeatable day on the bus which provided a thousand beautiful memories to last a lifetime. No amount of money could have bought me a ticket on that bus, and the experience was both moving and fun beyond measure.  

Before the parade started, on the privacy of the podium in front of the Emirates Stadium, beneath huge golden letters proclaiming us CHAMPIONS, the buses loaded up. The players emerged from the heart of the stadium and marched together in a dignified, tight formation. Quietly and in solemn procession, Martin Ødegaard alone at the head of the group, carrying the Premier League trophy in front of his chest. It was quite a breath-taking moment. Almost sacred. They were about to enjoy a wild celebration of their title win with a million ecstatic fans but there was no wildness here, no boastfulness, no complacency at all: the overwhelming impression I had was of serious-minded athletes, true warriors, thinking ahead to future challenges and fresh mountains to climb.

ALEX LEWIS, TOGETHER AGAINST SUICIDE

Alex is a supporter who has engaged in the Together Against Suicide matchday drop-in service delivered at the Arsenal Hub by the North London Foundation Trust. Alex engaged with the senior mental health nurse at the Hub and was referred to local suicide prevention charity James' Place, who are now supporting Alex with a support plan.

The connection I have with the club is through my mum, which is how I started supporting them and I have just been very hooked since I was young. I’ve made long lasting friendships through Arsenal, from speaking over social media then meeting up, or randomly starting talking to people in a pub during games. What I love about Arsenal is the fans, culture, community, history, players and the colour of it all! As for this team it’s the never give up mentality and all the players’ personalities – I don’t think I have a favourite player, I love them all!

The experience on the bus was unreal. From seeing the players and trophy up so close to seeing all the thousands of fans all across North London, it was was something I’ve never experienced before – just seeing fans of all ages and cultures coming together to celebrate this title was very special!

Together Against Suicide is very important to me. I decided to use it after not feeling in a great place mentally for most of the year and not telling anyone. I have struggled with that for most of my life. So when I saw the advertisement come up at a game I decided to give it a try and I can say since then it’s been a massive help. I haven’t felt this good in a while thanks to the referrals made to me from it.

FREDDIE HUDSON, DIRECTOR OF ARSENAL IN THE COMMUNITY 

What a season! It happens to coincide with 40 years of Arsenal in the Community and on a personal level it was also the season that I was recognised with an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours, something I proudly accepted on behalf of all of us! 

In my world, I have constant reminders that the connection to Arsenal brings with it a very important sense of belonging. I see the impact this club has in our communities and those that benefit from the investment of our foundation. Among the supporters at the parade were thousands of our own community participants who have benefitted from Arsenal’s unwavering commitment to our communities. People who trust this club because we have reached out to them and supported them through their toughest times. Through Covid, through riots, when they’ve struggled with their education or mental health, when they’ve been drawn into seriously negative circumstances or when they’ve struggled with health or when they’ve thought their life is no longer worth living and reached out to us for help.

All this and much more is why the connection and belonging to Arsenal through our community and foundation is so important beyond the trophies. The spaces we invest in is where trust is earnt, where belonging and togetherness is created and connections and opportunities are unlocked. For many this isn’t achievable in other areas of their life but they find it at Arsenal.