Ave Maria Petri: The Fan We Should All Aspire To Be
A football club is more than just a team of men paid to chase a ball, and one fan who understood that better than anyone else was Maria Petri.
One of the many things that the increasing commercialisation of football has distorted is the role of the football club within a community, something which is often at odds with the global entertainment product that is bought and sold today. Clubs are more than just teams to follow; they lie at the heart of their communities - a distillation of local culture and life.
Maria was a fan who embodied this. Breaking into the male-dominated world of the 20th century English terraces, the North London local quickly became known for her passionate songs and chants, with her famous ‘Come On You Gunners!’ regularly heard echoing around both Highbury and the Emirates.
But unlike most fans, Maria’s love of her club didn’t simply end with the men’s first team. The former school teacher was steadfast in her support of Arsenal, attending all the women’s and under-23 matches that she could. She reportedly hadn’t missed any of these matches in years, always remaining positive and backing her beloved Arsenal. Her team.
In the world of social media and influencers, being angry - rather than positive - is always ripe for growth. It’s something which can clearly be seen with the astronomical growth of Arsenal Fan TV over the last decade, and the numerous imitators that followed suit.
Nowadays, it’s more or less impossible to even take part in discourse without some form of rage present, whether it’s toward a player, a coach or simply in general. Considering that football is supposed to be life’s greatest distraction, it’s curious that so many wish to spend their distraction in a blind fury.
Maria didn’t. Losses, dips in form, times of uncertainty - none of it could shake her faith in Arsenal. For Maria, the support of her local club and her love of the institution itself was more than just a vessel of entertainment.
The outpourings of support following her passing from figures like Mikel Arteta, Ian Wright and Alex Scott show the importance of Maria to Arsenal as a whole, and perfectly represent the community aspect of football that sadly seems to be slipping away from the elite clubs.
In a world increasingly filled with division, anxiety, stress and anger, Maria’s football outlook seems to be the perfect example, and the response to her passing proves that it does make a difference.