Welcome to the Goonerverse!

A celebration for World Poetry Day 2025

On 3 March 2025, a group of extraordinary poets gathered at the Arsenal Hub to celebrate the publication of Welcome to the Goonerverse, a poetry anthology by Dave Seager, which captures what it means to be a Gooner through the words of over 30 poets of all ages, including celebrated author Michael Rosen. The book features 3 poems – Football Needs Fans, Arsenal Is… and May the Force be with you, created by local community poets who take part in All Change projects supported by the Arsenal Foundation - Well Versed, Going Places and Outer Space. Goonerverse author Dave Seager is donating a percentage of each book sale to support the foundation’s ongoing work. This special community event, hosted by Arsenal in the Community, brought together All Change’s local community poets, aged 30-91 years, and lifelong Arsenal fans - Goonerverse author Dave Seager and very special guest Michael Rosen.

Hosted by renowned spoken-word and All Change associate artist Francesca Beard, the evening included some exceptional poetry performances from Michael, Dave and the community poets, sharing diverse experiences, memories and reflections of Arsenal fans from the 1940s to the present day. It concluded with a moving outdoor performance from Michael and Dave of poems written for their late sons, Eddie Steele Rosen and Liam Seager which they performed under the Found a Place Where We Belong stadium artwork, which features images of Michael and Eddie, Dave and Liam*.

Linda, All Change Community Poet from Mildmays, lifelong Islington resident and Arsenal fan said - ‘What lovely evening. It was so special to hear Dave’s and Michael Rosen's poems in memory of their sons.’

Photos by Em Fitzgerald