Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett: Sex Pistols’ John Lydon converted me into an Arsenal fan

Foo Fighters lead guitarist Chris Shiflett has told William Hill’s Stripped Podcast how he was transformed into an Arsenal fan by Sex Pistols singer John Lydon and how a slight interest in the North London club spiralled into an obsession. 

Speaking to William Hill’s Stripped Podcast, a series in which ex-footballers and celebrities are invited to take a trip down memory lane by revisiting their favourite shirts, Shiflett  said: “I grew up in California, and we didn’t have any knowledge of football. We knew some of the teams’ names, but English football wasn’t on TV when I was growing up, and nobody knew much about it.  

“When I was a little bit older in the early 90s, I read John Lydon’s autobiography, and he talked a lot about being an Arsenal fan, and it just sounded cool. You’d see these bands in the UK, and they’d be wearing their different strips and scarves, and everything was tied in with football culture. It just seemed like this cool, exotic culture that we didn’t have here. So when I read that book, and John Lydon talks about being an Arsenal fan, I thought, ‘that’ll be my team.’”

Despite a growing passion for the Gunners, Shiflett’s first football match in England wasn’t at the Emirates; it was at arch-rivals Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.

Shiflett said: “The first time I went to England, we did some shows in the UK, and I bought my first Arsenal strip; it would have been around 1997. While we were in London, I went to my first football game – the singer in my dad’s band was a Derby County supporter, so we went to see Derby County play Tottenham in London at White Hart Lane! I didn’t know anything about the game or understand the rivalries, so I only figured out later it’s ironic that my first live match was at White Hart Lane, and I’m an Arsenal supporter!

“I remember going to that first game and taking the tube there, getting out and walking through the train station, and it was just a sea of white shirts walking out to the street. We don’t really have that thing in the US of big stadiums in residential neighbourhoods, especially those old stadiums. Soaking all that in was mind-blowing.

“In terms of Arsenal, I probably went to my first Arsenal game around 2000/2001. One of my friends was a big Arsenal supporter, and he had season tickets, so he took me to a few games. I felt it took me a long time to even understand the game and how it all works. It was really a bit later, like 2012/2013, that I properly dug into it, and it took hold.”

Becoming a more passionate Arsenal fan as he got older, Shiflett was lucky enough to win a coaching session from former Gunners midfielder Santi Cazorla for his kids and fondly looks back on his time spent with the player.

He said: “Obviously, you’ve got Thierry Henry, Tony Adams, Patrick Viera – just that whole period. But the one that always sticks out to me is Santi Cazorla! I was once in an auction, and I won a training session with Santi Cazorla. So I came back the next season with my kids, and he trained my kids, and then we went to go and see them play Watford the next day, and they crushed them like 4-0. It was great. That’s definitely the most time I’ve ever spent in the presence of an Arsenal player.

“One time, the Foo Fighters played a charity show [in the UK], and Petr Cech came to the show; he was in his final season at Chelsea. I was excited to meet him, you know, he’s just a legend… Then the very next season he came to Arsenal, and I was like, ‘yes!’ And he’s also a big drummer, so he’d been out to a load of Foo Fighters shows.”

Like many Arsenal fans at the moment, Shiflett is relishing the time the Gunners are spending at the top of the Premier League table, and the passionate atmosphere at the Emirates that the recent string of results is inspiring.

He said: “Arsenal have been through this extended rough period for a while, especially since Arsene Wenger left. The end of his time in charge had been challenging, but it feels like a nice time to be an Arsenal fan right now – there’s a real sense of optimism there. Everything’s going well, they’re playing great, they had a great transfer window, and all the new guys seem to be slotting in really well. I went to the Emirates when I was in London against Aston Villa, and it just felt so good; people were singing and cheering and were really up for it.

“I remember we played Glastonbury around the end of Wenger’s time. I was just looking at this massive crowd, and everybody’s got flags and banners saying all kinds of different stuff. In the middle of it all, someone had a big banner that said ‘Wenger Out!’ I had a quiet chuckle to myself.

“I got to meet Wenger a couple of times – once at a fundraiser at the Emirates I got to meet him and have a little chit chat. I got a lovely photo of him with my kids and wife. I think it was in 2017.”

Brushing on Chelsea owner Todd Boehly’s plans to ‘Americanise’ English football, Shiflett stood up for how the system is currently run in the UK and explained how he feels it isn’t worth a rethink.

He said: “On a total side note – Todd Boehly had that controversial comment about how the Premier League needs to have an All-Star game. It has always annoyed me how in the MLS, they have the playoff system. I got into Premier League football first, so I’ve always been used to that system, whereas here you could have a team that is miles off the top who could ultimately become champion – that never appealed to me. I wouldn’t want to watch Arsenal play any extra games because of the risk of injury and congestion. Establishing a precedent of Americanising the sport doesn’t appeal to me – I don’t want to see it changed.”

Finally, Shiflett touched on Foo Fighters’ recent tribute gig to the late Taylor Hawkins at a sold-out Wembley Stadium.

He said: “It was a really, really emotional experience, especially the morning after waking up and reflecting on it. On the day and throughout the show, I just tried to put my head down and focus on what we were doing. When you see how the fans reacted to it, not just in the stadium but all around the world, it hits you. Obviously terrible circumstances, but a beautiful show and tribute.”