One of the fiercest rivalries in English football (that’s soccer to Americans) is between Tottenham Hotspur Football and Arsenal Football Club. A genuine hatred between these two teams dates back to 1913 when Arsenal relocated to just four miles from Tottenham’s headquarters. In dog show terms, it was as if the Number One dog in a breed moved into the same neighborhood as the Number Two dog in the breed.
And the ‘Spurs’ didn’t much like it.
Disdain for a rival is often passed down through generations, and Tottenham fans probably still harbor enmity for “the Gooners,” but when Arsenal introduced its new team mascot a couple of years ago, there might have been a brief moment when hostilities softened.
In 2023, Arsenal club manager, Mikel Arteta, introduced “Win,” a chocolate Labrador Retriever, to foster a family atmosphere and heighten team spirit after a bad run. Described as the “perfect representative” of the club’s values, Win doesn’t attend matches, but she plays a vital role in Arsenal’s team culture. Most of her time is spent at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground, where she interacts with players and staff, spreading the feel-good warmth for which Labrador Retrievers are famously known. She was even part of the official team photo for the 2023/24 season, and proudly wore a tag that read: “I’m not a dog, I’m a Gooner. Come on the Arsenal.”
Win is not Arsenal’s first dog mascot. In 1936, a Bullmastiff named Gunner served as a team mascot during Arsenal’s FA Cup-winning campaign. Gunner accompanied players to training camps and even received telegrams of encouragement before matches. Like Win, Gunner played a symbolic role in uniting the team during a pivotal period in the club’s history.
While we found no direct mention of how Tottenham Hotspur felt about Arsenal’s Labrador Retriever mascot, one suspects it might have been actual approval since Tottenham has its own unique approach to incorporating dogs into its club culture. As of 2025, Tottenham Hotspur continues to feature a “Dog of the Match” at every home game as part of its partnership with Tottenham Hotspaw, the club’s official supporters’ group for dog lovers. Fans submit photos of their dog on the group’s Facebook page for a chance to have their dog featured on the stadium’s big screens and in the matchday program before kickoff. They also use the venue to promote dogs available for adoption through its charity partner, All Dogs Matter.
To our knowledge, Arsenal Football Club is the only British football club with a permanent dog mascot in Win,’ though Motherwell FC has a Border Terrier named ‘Berry’ who was selected as a mascot in 2024 through a fan lottery. Since stadium policy prohibits animals, however, Berry can’t perform mascot duties during matches, and instead meets the players during practices.
Silly. Dogs make everything better.
Photo (not of Win) by Patrick Kalkman