Sometimes, things in your life just line up perfectly. What do I mean? 

I started playing soccer as a young kid in the mid-70s.

I started supporting Arsenal in the mid-90s.

I started writing about soccer for outlets like Football365, Yahoo UK, Vox Media, NBC Sports, and the Premier League’s site as a side job in the mid-00s.

I moved to Loudoun County and got involved with Loudoun Soccer as an adult player, volunteer, parent, sometime assistant coach, and Board member in the mid-10s.

If you’re wondering about the “lining up perfectly” part, you may have heard that Arsenal and Loudoun Soccer announced a strategic partnership earlier this year, bringing together multiple things I’ve been passionate about for years. Already, we have sent coaches to North London to learn from their counterparts at Arsenal. Later this summer, Arsenal will send Academy coaches here to co-host a camp with Loudoun Soccer. From there, we will continue to find additional ways to collaborate to the benefit of both clubs. 

From the moment I heard that this partnership might come to fruition, I wanted to find a way to contribute to its success for both clubs. Unfortunately, I’m too old to make an impact on the pitch, and don’t have the aptitude to be an impactful coach. 

What I can do is write about soccer and bring what I know about Arsenal to the Loudoun Soccer family. So, welcome to the LoCo Gunner, the official blog of the Loudoun Soccer partnership with Arsenal Football Club. 

For those who are already passionate about Arsenal, my hope is that the LoCo Gunner will be a forum where you can learn more about the partnership with Loudoun Soccer and how you can engage locally with the Gunners. For those who aren’t as familiar with Arsenal and the Premier League, I hope this is an opportunity to jump in and learn about this historic club that has become part of the Loudoun Soccer family, and come to love it as much as I have over the past 30 years.

So, what can you expect in this space over the next year? 

Between now and when the Premier League kicks off on August 15th, I’ll focus on getting you up to speed on who Arsenal are, what to expect from the upcoming season, and where you can experience the partnership locally.  Topics will include: 

1. Club History and Recent Results
2. What's Happening Over the Summer
3. Season Preview: the Men's Team 
4. Season Preview: the (defending Champions League title holders!) Women's Team 
5. Arsenal/Loudoun Soccer Camp Wrap-up

During the season, I’ll write up a weekly summary of all things Arsenal, including results on the pitch for the men’s and women’s teams, upcoming schedules, local events like watch parties, and anything else of interest involving the Club. 

I'm excited to get started, and I hope you'll join me every week! --Neal