An Arsenal Women matchday guide: By fans, for fans

Are we all excited, Gooners? The start of the season is nearly upon us and I, for one, cannot wait for the first game. From seeing friends and singing in the stands to cheering on the players, there's a lot to look forward to - and there are things you should know to make sure that you can make the most of your day.

I'm just one person with one experience, so I reached out to my fellow fans to ask for tips. Whether you're heading to a game for the first or for the umpteenth time, here's the resulting Arsenal Women matchday FAQ, packed with what you really need to know.

If you're looking for an overview of what to expect from the upcoming season for Arsenal Women, head to the complete guide to what you need to know.

How can I get to the Emirates Stadium?

If you're driving:

The general consensus is: don't, as parking near Emirates stadium is very difficult to find, and expensive.

It would be easier to drive to a tube/train station to park and travel in. Cockfosters, for example, has side streets available and a direct link to Arsenal station down the Picadilly line.

If you're taking public transport:

If you're taking the tube, Arsenal, Finsbury Park, or Highbury & Islington are the best and nearest stations. Holloway Road and Drayton Park are often closed on game days.

The Victoria line runs straight to Finsbury Park or Highbury & Islington, from Victoria and King's Cross station. For Arsenal, you'll need to take the Picadilly line.

Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington are also served by National Rail Services, so it might be worth checking if your train runs through either station.

TOP TIPS:

• After a game, you may find it quicker to walk to Finsbury Park, as the queue is often shorter than Arsenal.

• If you head to Highbury & Islington, don't attempt to skip the queue by sidling around the barriers as you may get stuck on the wrong side in a crowd - it's safer to stick to the queue, even if it seems long!

• If you don't like crowds and would like to avoid them, head to a station a little further out and swap to the overground or the Elizabeth line, if your travel direction allows it. It might add a little bit of time, but the trains will be quieter if you're heading the opposite way to everyone else!

How can I get to Meadow Park?

If you're driving:

You'll need to get there early if you want a spot in the Meadow Park car park. The alternatives are the Civic Centre car park, or there is plenty of on street parking near the grounds too - although you may have to walk a little if you get to the area late.

Meadow Park is also outside the ULEZ boundary for London, so you should be able to avoid the £12.50 daily charge for driving in that zone, if you avoid London!

If you're taking public transport:

The Elstree & Borehamwood train station is only a 10-15 mins walk down the high street, with plenty of food spots along the way, passing the pub where fans normally meet - the Good Companion.

The Borehamwood station is Zone 6 which means that, if you're travelling from London, you can use oyster or contactless payment.

Sometimes, there are train strikes. If that's the case, you can take the tube to Edgeware or High Barnet and take the 107 bus from there. This should be an option on a zone 1-6 travelcard.

TOP TIPS:

• If you do get the train, just be aware that they can sometimes be unpredictable, with train strikes and delays - particularly in the evening - so leave plenty of time, particularly if you don't know the route.

• Check too that the train you're getting on definitely stops at Elstree and Borehamwood. Sometimes, to help congestion, trains can skip stops.

• There is also a bus that runs past the station and drops off near the grounds - and next to a McDonalds. This is a great option if you have an unlimited railcard!

How else can I make my travel as smooth as possible?

• Remember to check your route home, especially for evening games. There's nothing worse than a game ending, and then realising that there's a mad dash for the last train - and you also need to know if you can afford to stay for extra time

• CityMapper is your friend, for public transport and planning routes home, in and around London

• Buy refundable tickets for travel, if you buy them in advance, unless the fixture is confirmed. They could still change to fit the TV scheduling - sometimes with only two weeks notice.

What time should I arrive at the grounds?

This all depends on the grounds, how many tickets are sold, and if your tickets are reserved vs. unreserved.

If you want to be there to support the players from the moment they step out, normally they’ll warm up around 45-60 minutes before kick off.

At bigger stadiums, like the Emirates, it’s a good idea to arrive around 45-60 mins before kick off - especially if there are lots of tickets sold - or you risk getting caught in the crowd of latecomers. You can always grab a drink on the concourse before finding your seat - and join in singing, if the Red and White are around!

At Meadow Park, although it’s only 4,000 capacity, most of the seating is unreserved so I’d suggest arriving when the grounds open to get a seat - which is normally around 90 minutes before kick off - or earlier.

Plus, as mentioned before, make sure you're in the area with plenty of time!

TOP TIPS:

• Make sure your phone is charged if you have your tickets on there - and save a screenshot of your tickets, so you can access them quickly

• If you have a bag, leave plenty of time to get into the stadium as those queues can sometimes be quite long

Where can I sit or stand in Meadow Park with my ticket?

At Emirates you’ll have an allocated seat, so you simply need to head to the gate that's shown on your ticket. But, for Meadow Park, there are only limited reserved seats and those are mainly taken up by season ticket holders.

If you have an unreserved ticket, it will be for either the North or the South stand.

You’ll need to follow the signs for the relevant entrance when you arrive. Once you’re through the barriers, you’ll be able to find a seat in the West Stand, if there are any left, or pick a spot in one of the standing areas.

Normally, away fans will sit in the South Stand, but there's no real segregation between them and the home fans. You'll simply need to avoid the area where the shirts are the wrong colours!

Where can I join in singing at the Emirates?

This season is the first time that the club has created an “Atmosphere block” where people are encouraged to buy tickets if they want to join in singing for the players. This is in Block 2.

While many of those tickets will have sold out with the “Advantage pack” set of tickets for the five WSL games, some tickets still pop up through the ticket exchange, so it’s worth keeping an eye on it.

However, we aim to be as loud as possible so the seats near the Atmosphere block can hear us too. Feel free to join in and get others near you involved as well

Otherwise, we’re normally in the concourse near block 2 before and after the game, so feel free to come and join in then.

Where can I join in singing at Meadow Park?

To a certain extent, anywhere!

You should be able to hear the singing from wherever you’re sat, and the number of people that are starting to join in with singing all around the ground is growing.

The Red and White has Whatsapp group chats for anyone that wants to connect in the East, West, and South stands.

But, traditionally, the North Bank is where the majority of the singers will stand.

What songs should I learn first?

Aside from the general chants of "Arsenal, Arsenal!", there are a couple of others that tend to get sung more than others.

To open proceedings, "The Angel" (or "North London Forever") is the Arsenal club anthem that's normally sung before kick off. The home grounds always play it, and that's everyone's cue to join in.

We also break into "Allez, allez, allez" throughout the game - a good one to build some energy.

For players, they all have at least one specific to them, but "We've got McCabe" tends to be the most popular. If you want to start somewhere, that's a good one to kick it off.

You can find a songbook on the Supporters Club site, to get you started on some of the club and player chants.

What should I wear to games - and how can I keep warm?

First up, this isn’t like the men’s game, where it can be risky to wear your colours for an away game - or rather, I’ve never experienced an issue wearing my football tops, even going to the pub with rival fans.

So, feel free to come all kitted out in your favourite football shirt. Only got a previous season’ shirt or a home shirt when it’s an away game? No problem. Only got a scarf? That’s the most visible thing you can buy. Not got any Arsenal gear? That’s fine too!

The main thing is actually to remember to wrap up warm.

Meadow Park seems to have its own ecosystem, that exaggerates the actual conditions. You may think it’s not that chilly but when you’re sitting or standing in the cold for two hours, you’ll start to wonder if you’ll ever get warm again.

Layers are the key.

As many as you can muster. Yes, you’ll overheat on the way there, but it’s better to have to take them off if you’ve overdone it than to wish that you had just one more on.

Heated gilets, insulated trousers and shoes, thermal layers, hand warmers, thick, fluffy socks, gloves, hats - bring them all! Plus, scarves are not only practical, they’re great for swinging when singing.

And, finally - be loud, make noise, and jump around in support of the team to stay warm.

Any tips for bringing children to the games?

Let them join in with the singing

We love it when kids want to get involved. So many will tentatively try to start a chant and realise that everyone's encouraging them - it's a great way to boost their confidence.

However, for particularly young children - consider some ear defenders as the crowd can get quite loud!

Buy reserved seats at Meadow Park, if you can

There can be a lot of waiting around before a game even starts and, if you haven't got seats, it can be a long time for little legs to be standing! If you can't get reserved seats, aim to get there early so you can find a spot in the West Stand.

Buy the matchday programme

Assuming they're old enough, this will keep them busy and help them learn more about the team and about the game itself

Scope out the toilet situation

Make sure you know where they are so you can get there quickly at half time or at the end of the game - and consider getting into the queue early, as it can be long, particularly at Meadow Park.

Take extra layers - or a flag

It's normally cold weather for most of the season, so make sure you take extras with you, and take a rain coat, if there's even a small chance of rain, as it's better safe than sorry. A flag can double as a blanket - and any of these layers can double as cushions on the cold seat too!

When and where are meet ups before each game?

For home games, meet ups are normally organised at the Tollington near the Emirates, or the Good Companion, near Meadow Park.

Timings vary - sometimes based on how early they open vs. kick off times - but people would normally start to arrive a couple of hours before kick off.

For all games, the Arsenal Women’s Supporters Club and the Red and White AWFC will share the plan before each game, so make sure you’re following them on Twitter to keep up to date.

Otherwise, there are plenty of traditional Arsenal pubs in Finsbury Park, from the Twelve Pins or the Faltering Fullback, or the Wellington near Elstree station. The Coronet is a cheap alternative to the Tolly too.

How can I meet people, if I'm going to a game on my own?

You can reach out on social media to the Arsenal Women’s Supporters Club and the Red and White AWFC on Twitter (X) (AWSC / Red and White) and Instagram (AWSC / Red and White).

They'll make make sure someone's around to meet you, so you don't have to walk into the pub or the stadium on your own.

Don’t ever feel that you can’t speak to anyone. If you want to head to a meet up and get stuck in, you already have something in common with everyone there - we all love the Arsenal! We're very much like a family and love getting new people involved.

And, at the game itself, don’t be scared to talk to the people around you. If you stand or sit in the same spot, you’ll notice the same people at each game - and I've yet to meet anyone that's unfriendly.

Where will games be shown if I can't make it in person?

Some games are picked for TV slots - normally either BBC or Sky. It's always worth asking your local pubs if they're showing the game, if it's on TV.

Even if they hadn't planned to show it, if it doesn't clash with another sporting fixture, they may be happy to play it for you.

For the other WSL games that aren't on TV, those are normally shown on the FA player.

How can I make the most of an away game trip?

• Always aim to book tickets in the away allocation. Although it's safe, in my experience, to sit with the home fans, it's not as fun!

• Sort out your travel early - whether you're going via public transport or car sharing - as this will be cheaper and less stressful.

• Consider National Express coaches, as they're often much cheaper than trains.

• If you're driving, check the parking situation before the game, to make sure you don't end up with any unexpected fines.

• If you can, stay over night to avoid worrying about arriving early or rushing to get home after.

• Check where the entrance is before you arrive too, to avoid wandering around the whole stadium and wasting valuable time.

• Fewer fans go to away days, so it's a good opportunity to meet people in a less crowded setting at the pre-game meet ups.

How can I perk myself up after a loss?

Unfortunately, in football, there will always come a day when your team loses - even, occasionally, the mighty Arsenal!

In those instances, here are some fan tips to cope with feeling down in the dumps:

• Trust the process and focus on the good moments in the game, the ones that can be built on - the players are always looking to improve and will come back fighting

• Remember that, despite how you feel, we're there to support the team, no matter the result

• Have a sing after the game. It can lift your - and the team's - spirits.

• Create a Spotify playlist with no football songs

• Avoid football podcasts and social media for a couple of days, if you don't want to see fans dissecting the game

• Watch an old game back where we won, emphatically

• If all else fails, try a solution as old as time - pub, with friends.

Can I meet the players after a game?

This is becoming more and more difficult to do, and so it should never be an expectation. Remember that you're there to watch the football and support the players, first and foremost.

Meadow Park is likely to sell out for every game this season, so it's impossible for the players to meet all 4,000 people. It's even less likely at the Emirates Stadium.

Temper your expectations, count yourself lucky if you do get the chance - but don't attend a game if meeting players is your express goal, as you'll be disappointed.

Should I bring a sign asking for shirts?

NO! I repeat, NO!

These block the view of those attempting to watch the football, and feed into the sense of entitlement of fans that feel the players owe them someone.

The players also have to pay for the shirts out of their own pockets too, which many people don't realise. So, please, leave your signs asking for shirts at home.

(Yes, this is a sore point for me!)

General top tips

• Aim to carry as little as possible - and use pockets to avoid a bag search

• Remember that the queues for food and the toilet can get long - particularly at Meadow Park - so factor that in, as you may miss more of the game than you expected

• If you bring a bottle of water - which can be a good idea - you may be asked to remove the bottle lid

• Don't be afraid to join in chants as typically once one person starts others follow.

• You can find a songbook on the Supporters Club site, to get you started on some of the club and player chants

• If you plan to join in the singing or cheering on the players - bring Strepsils! We should be sponsored by them, I swear...

• Don’t rush to the barriers before the final whistle blows. You’ll obstruct everyone’s view when the game is still ongoing

If you're looking for an overview of what to expect from the upcoming season for Arsenal Women, read our complete guide to what you need to know.