Oddball /slightly bonkers AFC fans

[brucegrove]

1) It seems like every time i'm watching a game on tv there'll always be a pregnant pause when suddenly i can hear what sounds like an utterly mad woman singing 'Arsenal' on her own with a pretty annoying voice. Do you know the one i mean? I don't wish to be too rude because she's clearly a loyal attendee but somehow i imagine her to be living in a house with 10 cats. Does anybody know her? I'd love to see a picture

2) During my youth in the mid80s on the north bank there was a character who also used to find these pregnant pauses to constantly shout out 'come on you rip-roaring Gunners', usually to a retort of 'shuuttt up' from everybody near me. It was such a bizarre thing to shout and he did it every game. Occasionally he was given the ultimate accolade from the back of the NB of 'Rip-roar, give us a song'. I swear to god i once heard him chant 'come on you rip-roaring, top-scoring, not boring Guunnnneerrs', which reduced everyone to hysterics. I tried many times to catch sight of this guy and once i think i did and he was ginger-haired but i'm not sure. Once again, anyone know him? Any pics

3) The other guy i remember was simply known as Knowledge. He was a curly-haired be-speckled guy usually wearing a tan coloured suit (oddly) who had an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Arsenal. People used to test him on away day train journeys asking him which players were booked in such-and-such an obscure game and he always seemed to know the answer. I can't help wondering if this guy might actually have been a young Kevin Whitcher.

Can anybody reveal the truth about these characters? Any help appreciated

[Henry Norris 1913]

1) yes, maria. sits at the front at all away games and tells people off for swearing a lot of the time.
2) rip roar was a legend, everyone remember him

the third guy, I never heard of.

[I Hate Hleb]

First time we've seen Henry Norris admit to a lack of 'knowledge'!!

[brucegrove]

First time we've seen Henry Norris admit to a lack of 'knowledge'!!

I travelled to most away games in 85/86 and that's when i came across Knowledge so it would depend on Henry's age. I'd love to know if Knowledge and Rip-Roar are still around..anybody heard a 'Rip-roar' at the Grove?

[Red Snapper]

Last pre season I was watching one of the pre season friendlies in the far east and Maria could clearly be heard in the crowd. She may be an "individual" but you can't knock such devotion.

Anyone know what happened to the North Bank Screamer when we moved?

[brucegrove]

Last pre season I was watching one of the pre season friendlies in the far east and Maria could clearly be heard in the crowd. She may be an "individual" but you can't knock such devotion.

Anyone know what happened to the North Bank Screamer when we moved?

I'm fully with you there RS..you can't knock devoted fans which is why i amended my original post title from 'strange' to 'slightly bonkers' fans. Absolutely no offence intended to anyone by my post

[clockender1]

we used to sing at Rip Roar regularly, all in good Jest - "rip roar is a w@nker, la la la.." etc.

there were lots of characters back then - Maria, rip roar, bully, half n half, "sarf lahndan Arse-senal", the Celtic lads etc etc

strangest character i ever knew was "penny guy" - on the Clockend in the 90's, he sat/stood behind me. scruffy, middle aged guy with long lank hair and glasses, he always had a tesco plastic bag full of pennies. he was either very poor or really really liked pennies...

[afcforever]

When I was a young boy, I used to stand on the north bank behind the goal. There was a couple who stood there I think called john and Mary, he was covered in badgers and I think his nick name was badger.
I think more devoted than bonkers, but was a long time ago.

[QuartzGooner]

Maria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... AIN3vwCkjA


"Knowledge" passed away five years ago, he had an obituary on here.
I am not sure where it is but found this one.

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2009/09 ... 09_15.html

[Ziegler1988]

"Knowledge" passed away five years ago, he had an obituary on here.
I am not sure where it is but found this one.

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2009/09 ... 09_15.html

Here it is: http://onlinegooner.com/article.php?sec ... 8vRVfldX0Q

[donaldo]

http://youtu.be/7sXewAWdHTU?list=UUBTy8 ... 68godcE7MQ

[brucegrove]

Many thanks QG and Z88 for the links.
I started this post off today with a smile on my face remembering these 'slightly bonkers' characters from my youth so it's saddening to read of the demise of Knowledge at such a young age. I recall him as a much younger man than the pics you linked. He had receding brown curly hair and was slightly chubby with national health specs. I seem to recall overhearing him once say that he worked for some toy company although that was yonks ago and the memory blurs. I never knew or spoke personally to him but i just recall a few times on trains where people were good-naturedly asking him obscure questions and he took all questions very seriously and was seemingly able to answer most of them, apparently unaware that he was being gently-ribbed. My overriding recollection is simply that he always seemed to wear this tan suit which was quite incongruous at 80s footy games and seemed to be made of rather uncomfortable looking material. I never knew that he was quite such an eccentric character. I'm now really intrigued and would love to hear any anecdotes people may have of him.

Additionally, i'm also curious at this info which appeared in the Gooner obituary: "The “Cartoon” series that ran several years ago “Mr Logik”!! The article directly aimed at Mr Feinstein caused him great personal offence! Anyone who knew Daniel personally is well aware of this!"

I've never seen this cartoon character and wonder if anybody could put up a link

[northbank123]

Not famous by any means but used to be 3 blokes in front of me in the North Bank that would go properly ballistic EVERY time we scored and were just generally hilarious.

Was delighted when I rocked up to the first game at the Emirates to see them in the row in front (albeit about 10 seats down). Must have been lobotomised because they're just as passionless as the other 90% of people around me

[StuartL]

Maria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... AIN3vwCkjA


"Knowledge" passed away five years ago, he had an obituary on here.
I am not sure where it is but found this one.

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2009/09 ... 09_15.html

Maria also goes to Arsenal ladies matches and when the ball flies high and out of the small ground sings (on her own) "One ball over the wall, tr - la - la - la- la" to the tune of Brown Girl in the Ring

An eccentric but passionate Arsenal nut.....like a few on here (no names )

[brucegrove]

Maria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... AIN3vwCkjA


"Knowledge" passed away five years ago, he had an obituary on here.
I am not sure where it is but found this one.

http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2009/09 ... 09_15.html

Maria also goes to Arsenal ladies matches and when the ball flies high and out of the small ground sings (on her own) "One ball over the wall, tr - la - la - la- la" to the tune of Brown Girl in the Ring

An eccentric but passionate Arsenal nut.....like a few on here (no names )

Does Maria go on her own or is there a long-suffering husband?