I am horrified by my club Arsenal's handling of Thomas Partey case
I go to home and away games. I've spent hours on buses, trains and flights; stood in the bitter cold until I couldn't feel my fingers; spent thousands of pounds. I've been there for the highs and heartbreaks, the free-kick screamers and the gut-wrenching defeats. I've chanted, lost my voice, danced, cried and celebrated. For the love of the game. For the love of the Arsenal.
For three years, I've felt trapped in an impossible position, watching a player under serious allegations of sexual violence not only remain at my club but be actively supported.
This was never about form or trophies, it's about values. And Arsenal's handling of this has been indefensible. I'm horrified and heartbroken.
It's now public: Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault (he denies all charges). But the investigation into him has been an open secret. The club knew. The media knew. Many fans knew. And yet he continued to play. He featured in match-day programmes and media campaigns. The manager publicly backed him. While the Crown Prosecution Service prepared charges, Arsenal were considering offering him a new contract just last month.
What kind of culture does that create?
Being a supporter does not mean turning a blind eye. It does not mean abandoning your ethics when it is convenient. The idea that 'true fans back the club no matter what' is dangerous. It implies that loyalty requires silence. But real loyalty means holding the things you love to a higher standard. Accountability is not disloyalty.
For months, the group I am part of – Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence – has called for action. We were not silent. We spoke out because we wanted better from our club. Despite thousands of letters, almost 10,000 open-letter signatures, the protests at every home game, the messages; I never heard a word back from Arsenal. Not once.
And to me, the silence did not feel accidental. It felt deliberate.
I think about the Arsenal staff who had to work alongside him. I think about the fans, especially those who are survivors of sexual abuse themselves and who were forced to watch him represent our club week after week.
And no, whether suspending him would have been legally risky is not the point. The club could have simply chosen not to play him. They have done it before with other players. But this time, they didn't. They chose to turn a blind eye.
This is bigger than one player and whether he will ultimately be found guilty. Sexual violence in football is systemic. Since 2020, seven of the 20 Premier League clubs have had players under investigation for sexual violence. The institutional failure goes far beyond my club. The Premier League and FA have no clear protocols. Clubs deflect to the FA. The FA deflects back. That's not a loophole. It is a chasm of accountability.
We have always had three simple demands: Suspend players under investigation, be clear and honest about your safeguarding policies and support survivors. Now we have one more: that Arsenal are held accountable for the way they handled this.
Football reflects the society we live in. If we accept this from our clubs, what does that say about what we value? About whom we protect and whom we ignore?
We deserve a club that reflects the best of us. One that does not just win games, but stands for something greater.
Until then, I will keep showing up and not just in the stands, but in protest, in solidarity and in the belief that football can and must be better.
Because real fans don't just cheer. They care. And they act.
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