Arsenal fans are taking over Orlando, Florida this weekend in a brand new event. The inaugural <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-florida-goonerfest-tickets-729718526757" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Florida Goonerfest</a> will span four days and includes a watch party for the club’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> matchup with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/aston-villa-tv-schedule/">Aston Villa</a> on, Saturday Dec. 9. However, the big game will only be part of the fun in Florida.



The event kicks off on the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 7 with a mixer and kick-off party. The following day consists of a full day of gathering and (optional) drinking. First off, there are morning and afternoon meetups at two different area establishments. Attendees of the fan fest will then meet at an Irish pub in the evening for more fun.



<h2>Fan fest will also help raise funds for Cancer cause</h2>



<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a> fans are, however, not necessarily just getting together to drink and cheer on their favorite club. Although, it is worth noting that beer is free at Friday night’s event (until two full kegs are tapped out). Those attending the festivities will also be raising funds for #KickCancer. Fans can purchase raffle tickets for the charity event to help the cause and win prizes. These tickets are $5 each, 5 for $20, and 15 for $50.



Among the prizes is a 2020/21 Arsenal team-signed jersey. Potential winners can also grab a brand new 2023/24 home Arsenal jersey, a retro Gunners jersey featuring a former legend, and several Arsenal-related books. There will also be specific beer specials for Gooners v. Cancer at the Friday night event as well.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231206_WST_475310_Arsenal-supporter-1200x675.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-475344" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Arsenal-supporter-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Arsenal-supporter-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Arsenal-supporter-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Arsenal-supporter.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Fan fest will extend to Sunday as Arsenal rivals play their matches</h2>



The festivities will then resume for Arsenal’s matchup with Villa on Saturday, December 9th. The big fixture kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET. Villa is under the leadership of former Gunners boss Unai Emery, which will put a little extra meaning in the game. Arsenal is currently leading the Premier League, but Villa has surprised many pundits and is also having a stellar season.



The final drawing of the raffle will also take place following the conclusion of the match. Fans can then continue the celebrations to a postgame party later Saturday afternoon and evening. The event, however, does not end with Saturday’s match. 



Attendees of the Great Florida Goonerfest will get together one last time on Sunday morning to watch further Premier League action. This includes collectively rooting against Arsenal rivals <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/chelsea-tv-schedule/">Chelsea</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-city-tv-schedule/">Manchester City</a>, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/tottenham-tv-schedule/">Tottenham Hotspur</a> in their weekend matchups.



<h2>Several Arsenal America branches are organizing event</h2>



Tickets for the four-day fan fest are free. Those looking to attend can grab tickets at the official event’s <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/great-florida-goonerfest-tickets-729718526757" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">website</a>. Although reservations do not cost anything, visitors have the option to donate to Gooners v. Cancer when obtaining their tickets. Donating to the cause will earn raffle tickets for the aforementioned prizes.



While fans can stay at any area accommodation, organizers have recommended the Doubletree Downtown Orlando. The hotel’s rates are <a href="http://www.bit.ly/goonerfesthotel" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">currently</a> $133 per night. 



Multiple Arsenal America branches are organizing the event. <a href="https://www.arsenalamerica.com/branches/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arsenal America</a> currently has dozens of branches in many different states across the country. Gunners fans can get together to watch matches and attend different events in their local areas.



PHOTOS: IMAGO.

Arsenal fans to meet up in Orlando for Goonerfest

Several branches of Arsenal America have organized the inaugural Great Florida Goonerfest over four days in Orlando.

Britain’s connection to the state of Florida has been long and eventful. Outside of Europe, Florida ranks as the number one tourist destination for Brits. Having been that way for the last 50+ years, it’s no wonder that a lot of British citizens end up moving to the sunshine state after retiring. So much so that many famous retired British footballers now call Florida home.



Many of these famous soccer players have appeared in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/schedule-of-soccer-friendlies-in-us-this-summer/">summer friendlies</a> across the United States where Florida is often a regular stop. Additionally, it’s not uncommon to see plenty of British footballers playing for clubs throughout the state, such as Inter Miami, Tampa Bay Rowdies or Orlando City SC. Many of them eventually decide to live here after retiring from the sport.



<h2>British footballers who now call Florida home</h2>



The hall of fame includes (listed in alphabetical order by first name):



Alan Smith Chris Bart-Williams Danny Thomas David Beckham Derek Smethurst Gary Bailey* George Graham Ian Bishop James Phillips John Robinson Kevin Keelan Mo Johnston Nick Holmes Peter Mellor Peter Ward Phil Neville Ray Hudson Rodney Marsh Seb Hines Stuart Campbell



*South African-born Gary Bailey is so intertwined with Manchester United as a former goalkeeper that it’s hard not to consider him British. Bailey also has two caps for the England national team.



Interestingly, there are many current Premier League footballers (including one of the top managers in the league) who own second homes in Florida. For the sake of privacy, we won’t mention those celebrities in this article.



While not a complete list, if there are any former British stars who aren’t mentioned above that we missed, please share them in the comments section below.



Thank you to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/408307412606208" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brits in Florida group</a> on Facebook for their assistance in the research for this article.

What do British footballers and Florida have in common? Quite a lot, actually. Here's the list of famous British footballers who live in Fla.

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Arsenal

Arsenal fans to meet up in Orlando for Goonerfest

Leagues: EPL

Did you know these 20 British footballers live in Florida?