More than just a club

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.” - 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘱.

I guess I started supporting Arsenal Football club when I was about 5 years old, but really understood what it meant to be a fan when I was 16. Ian Wright had just signed for us

More than just a club

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘣, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦; 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

— 𝘋𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘱

I guess I started supporting Arsenal Football club when I was about 5 years old, (My mum said I would go and touch the tv screen and smile whenever the lads in red and white were playing) but I really understood what it meant to be a fan when I was 16.

Ian Wright had just signed for us and I didn’t realise at that moment I was at the beginning of a lifelong journey with the club. I was already an admirer of Ian Wright in his Crystal Palace days and the striking partnership he had built up with Mark Bright. I felt I could relate to him as a young black football superstar, at a time when black players at his kind of level were still seen as a novelty and there were still prejudiced views against them.

His arrival at the club signaled a turning point for me, and my love for the Gunners it just got better and better with each season.

My teenage years were in part defined by that 90’s team, my heroes were, Ian Wright, Tony Adams, Ray Parlour, John Jensen and Martin Keown. FA cup wins, league wins and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1994 (which other fans conveniently forget) meant I saw some good times with Arsenal in a time that was mostly dominated by Liverpool and Manchester United.

I found that whatever was happening in my life it seemed to align with the highs and lows of my beloved team. Dennis Bergkamp arriving and then “Father” Arsene Wenger and “King” Thierry Henry took our team into the stratosphere! Som many memories followed. The invincible season, The 2006 Champions league final loss, and all of Thierry Henry's 228 magical goals. These experiences contributed to the tapestry of my fandom. It wasn't merely about celebrating victories but weathering the storms of defeat, and emerging stronger on the other side.

The move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium marked a shift in the physical landscape of Arsenal, but the ethos remained unchanged. The North London faithful continued to rally behind their team, creating an atmosphere that resonated with the echoes of the past. As a fan, this transition mirrored my own growth—the evolution of my understanding of the sport and my unwavering commitment to Arsenal.

The ups and downs of the club have mirrored the ebb and flow of my own life. Through job changes, relationships, and personal milestones, Arsenal has been a constant companion. The wins brought joy that transcended the confines of the pitch, while the defeats served as a reminder of the resilience required to navigate life's challenges.

Now, years later, my connection with Arsenal runs deeper than ever. The players may change, the managers may come and go, but the bond forged in childhood and solidified through the trials of adolescence endures.
With my eldest son also supporting Arsenal, the passion is now generational.

Starting out , the NW10 story

Greetings fellow film, tv, gaming and comic book nerds! If you're anything like me, you've probably dreamt of venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, fueled by passion for nerd culture and a love for all things creative.

Well, I've decided this year to take the plunge, and in December, I'm launching North West 10 Entertainment Ltd, my very own multimedia entertainment company. Join me on this thrilling journey as I balance the warp speed of full-time work, the unpredictable adventures of family life, and the exciting challenges of starting a business solo.

"Why now?" you might ask. It's a fair question, and the answer lies in the convergence of passion, timing, and a dash of insanity. I’m of an age now whereby I've come to realise that life is too short to let dreams remain in the realm of "someday." The world could very well end next week and at least I would have attempted this passion project.

The tech landscape is ever-evolving, and the appetite for creative content is insatiable. The stars seem to align perfectly, urging me to seize the moment and embark on this journey, whist I have the energy and ambition to do so.

Launching NW10 while holding down a full-time job and navigating family and work life comes with its own set of challenges.

Late nights fueled by smoothies, juggling family commitments, and squeezing in weekend brainstorming sessions is a delicate dance. The challenge lies not only in time management but also in wearing multiple hats – from Founder to Creative Lead, to Designer, to Social Media Manager. However, overcoming challenges and learning is where the real fun begins.

So, what's the grand vision for NW10?
Picture this: an indie production company that stands out in the vast desert of mainstream media, offering original and innovative content but also familiar concepts with a twist. NW10 aims to be the go-to platform for original, innovative content that celebrates the geek in all of us. From mind-bending sci-fi tv series to horror shorts, to indie fighting games, NW10 will be the destination for those who crave a little more than the ordinary.

So, buckle up, friends – NW10 is preparing for liftoff, and I hope you'll be here to witness the launch of something Awesome!

The tiger cub logo is representing something powerful emerging.