Joe Bor (JoeBor1) is a stand-up comedian and lifelong Arsenal supporter whose recent Arsenal videos struck a chord with supporters by capturing the relief, pain and obsessive logic of following the club.
A Holloway boy who inherited Arsenal from his father and the community around him, Joe’s memories stretch from the noise and closeness of Highbury in the mid-1980s to the Emirates moments that have helped define the club’s latest era. Here, he talks about growing up Arsenal, his first match, his early heroes, the heartbreak of turning off Anfield 1989 too soon and why Ian Wright still means so much to him.
When did you start supporting Arsenal and why?
I am a local boy. I grew up in Holloway, so Arsenal were the local team, and my dad was an Arsenal fan. It was what I had to do, really. Everything was Arsenal. He would take me to the games and he was a bit Arsenal-obsessed as well.
Like a lot of supporters, I think you inherit it from your parents, your friends and everyone around you. Everyone around me seemed to be an Arsenal fan, so it just felt like the natural thing to do.
What was your first Arsenal match?
I was very young, about five years old, and I think it was 1986. We weren’t particularly good in those days. It was before George Graham properly got going and I remember it was Arsenal against Oxford. It finished 0-0, which sounds like the most unexciting game ever, and I think it was.
All I really remember is shouting out to Charlie Nicholas, ‘Come on Charlie,’ while he was running around in circles trying to get the ball. I was in the West Upper at Highbury with my dad, who would always leave a little bit early because there was a bit of a crush and he was keen to avoid that for safety reasons. Despite a 0-0 against Oxford, I continued being an Arsenal fan.
Highbury felt like you were so close to the pitch. It was a lot cheaper than it is today, so we went quite a bit, and when you’re a kid you remember the noise.
You remember it being very loud, the atmosphere, the songs and how exciting it all felt, even if the team and the football weren’t always that exciting at the time.
I was also lucky enough to play at Highbury when I was 15 or 16. I played for Camden and Islington in a final against Hackney and Tower Hamlets or Bow, and we won 4-2. Ashley Cole was on the other team and he was already on Arsenal’s books.
To be there, walk through the tunnel and play on that pitch was amazing. I’ll never forget it. We had to wear suits, and because I went to a non-uniform school, that felt like a big deal too. Coming through the old entrance and seeing the Herbert Chapman statue meant a lot.
Who was your first Arsenal hero and Why?
Around the late 1980s, the first Arsenal cult hero for me was probably Paul Merson. I really wanted to be Paul Merson. I remember growing my hair in curtains to try to look like him.
I went to an Arsenal v West Ham game and briefly met some of the players and got a few autographs. It was around the time of the Tuesday Club, and they weren’t allowed into the bar, so they were not best pleased because I think they were looking forward to a beer.
David Rocastle was also a hero of mine. He was so skilful. I was a centre midfielder and I saw myself as quite skilful, so Merson and Rocastle were the players I looked up to. Some of the goals they scored were amazing, particularly Rocastle’s goal against Manchester United, where he did the stepovers and the chip. A lot of the players around that time were fairly local, a lot of London boys, and that added to it. They were really skilful, great players.
Who is your favourite ever Arsenal player?
It is probably a toss-up between Ian Wright and Thierry Henry. I think Thierry Henry is probably the best player we’ve ever had, and he was the best player in the Premier League when he played for Arsenal. He made the difference when we were winning all those trophies.
But Ian Wright and Thierry Henry are both incredible characters. The passion Wright had when he came to Arsenal, and still has for Arsenal, is amazing. He is such an incredible character. It is hard to choose between them, but I would probably go for Wright because he was the first.
I used to watch his videos over and over again. He had a video where he would eat egg whites in the morning and then sing in his car on the way in.
I remember it so distinctly because it was the first time you really saw behind the scenes of a footballer’s life. I was around 10 or 11, so it came at an important point in my life. Ian Wright is an Arsenal legend.
It really helps that we have Ian Wright and Thierry Henry on our side. A lot of brilliant French players came to Arsenal because of Henry, and players now really looked up to Henry and Wright.
They are such strong characters, but they are also very likeable, even to people who support other teams. It is nice to have likeable players.
What’s your biggest Arsenal regret/disappointment?
My biggest Arsenal regret is from Anfield in 1989. I was only eight years old and I remember watching the Arsenal v Liverpool final game of the season on television. We had to score by two clear goals and it was the last few minutes. I was upset and I turned off the TV.
I missed the infamous moment. Obviously I’ve seen it a lot since, and I know the commentary off by heart: Lukic to Dixon, finding Smith, Thomas charging through the midfield, ‘Thomas, it’s up for grabs now’ and that unbelievable climax to the league season. But I actually missed the moment it went in because I turned off the TV, thinking we were going to lose.
I obviously didn’t have faith, but turning that off is my biggest regret because I missed probably the most iconic moment in Football League history. I was watching it with my mum and brother, and they were pretty annoyed at the time.
What is your favourite ever Arsenal match?
That is difficult, but I would say Arsenal against Barcelona at the Emirates, when Jack Wilshere bossed it against Messi and Andrey Arshavin scored on the break. We were playing probably one of the best teams ever and we weren’t a great side really. We had a lot of good young players, but the way Wilshere played makes me quite emotional thinking about it.
We were underdogs and it was amazing. It was so euphoric and has to be up there. I know it wasn’t a final and I know we ended up losing the tie in the second leg, with one of the worst refereeing decisions ever when Robin van Persie was sent off. Occasionally that comes up on my feed and it makes me sad for the day. You just look at your phone and shake your head.
But that first game was beautiful. It wasn’t a great time for Arsenal, but that night really stood out as an incredible moment, with great goals and the Emirates rocking.
There are strong contenders too. The Reiss Nelson goal against Bournemouth is one I have a framed picture of on my wall. The celebration, the way the whole team celebrated in different ways, was amazing. It was in the last minute and it felt like the start of the period we are in now, with that unity and desire to win.
The Everton game when we won the league in 1998 also sums it all up. Tony Adams had been through a lot, and the way he went forward from centre back and scored that goal was incredible.
What is your favourite Arsenal memory (away from the pitch) and why?
Recently, I did a video about how obsessed I was with watching Arsenal videos after we had won the league, and Ian Wright commented on it and said, ‘Me as well.’
Because he is my hero, seeing that come up on my phone was amazing. Something I had made had resonated with him, and I had lots of messages from friends who were really excited for me.
I did not know how to reply at first. It took me a couple of hours to calm down and respond in a calm way. I think I said something along the lines of, ‘Thanks, you’re a legend. Hope you’re enjoying the Arsenal videos.’
What makes Ian Wright amazing is that he is a fan. The fact that he resonated with what I was saying says everything about him. He’s a Gooner like us.
I have been doing Arsenal content on and off for years. I am a stand-up comedian, so I am supposed to put up clips of myself doing stand-up, and what I do on stage is a bit different.
I’ve posted photos of myself at Arsenal with my boy, but this was the first time I had really expressed my Arsenal opinions to camera. It was so lovely that it resonated, and I am planning to do a bit more of it now.
* Joe is performing ‘The Adventures of Jasper Cromwell Jones’ at the Edinburgh Fringe during August 2026 and you can find out more HERE.