The Tollington Arms in Hornsey Road

THE owner of one of Islington’s most beloved Arsenal pubs has told of his devastation after a fire in his establishment, putting them out of business for the rest of the year.

A loud alarm interrupted a usual Friday opening shift for the bar staff at the Tollington Arms, who found a fire spreading across the basement floor of the pub.

Thankfully, no staff in the Hornsey Road pub were seriously injured, but publican Martin Whelan said that iconic Arsenal memorabilia, all of the beer lines and part of the flooring were damaged by the blaze.

He told the Tribune: “You couldn’t write the script, we are absolutely devastated. It’s heartbreaking of course, but it could’ve been a lot worse if it had happened at night. We managed to contain it fairly quickly. Luckily the staff that were there managed to contain it and we are all unhurt except for some smoke inhalation.”

Mr Whelan said that he has spent every waking hour of the previous week organising insurance assessments and helping the Fire Brigade as they investigate the cause.

“I would take your arm off to be back on January 1, and it would be a miracle to be open before then,” he said. “It was the worst possible timing, with Arsenal as the reigning champions, City may be getting relegated and we’d only had two home matches to enjoy.”

Martin Whelan with partner Louise Fitzgerald and Arsenal legend Ian Wright

The pub has been a staple for Gooners to sink a pint before heading around the corner to the Emirates, and has provoked sadness among the Arsenal community, who have flooded Mr Whelan and his staff with messages of support.

Joe Meekel, an Arsenal fan who runs the Finsbury Park Focus Instagram social media platform, said: “It’s sad to see what has happened, these things are never easy to deal with.

“The match-days are a huge source of revenue for them, but it is also just an important community asset, for fans from outside of London and even part of the world – it’s become a ritual for many people.

“There was a strange and eerie atmosphere on Saturday, the area is usually full of fans singing and chanting. But the community has really come together to show support to them, and we know they’ll come back stronger.”

Initial investigations discovered that a socket box buried beneath the basement ceilings that was attached to old pyro cables from 150 years ago may have sparked the blaze, and has been sent to forensics.

Fans who want to continue supporting the establishment can head to the Tollington’s sister pub in Holloway, The Big Red, which will continue to show Arsenal matches.

The fire caused damage to the pub’s basement

In a statement, the London Fire Brigade said: “Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire at a public house on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park.

“A small part of the flooring between the ground floor and the basement was damaged by the fire. Four people left the building before the brigade arrived.”