Professional Gooner's Drugs Own Goal

Arsenal FC’s unofficial No.1 fan – who has penned two novels chronicling his love affair with the Gunners – was exposed as a heroin junkie as he dodged jail for having £1,700 worth of the drug.

Author Bernard Azulay, 47, who published ‘On The Double’ in September 2002 and ‘All 4-1’ in August 2004 also writes a column for the Irish Examiner, The Gooner fanzine and the Arsenal-World website.

Azulay, of 14 Highbury Quadrant, Highbury pleaded guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court (pictured) to possessing 34 gms. of heroin outside his home on July 31, last year.

Police pulled over Azulay in his girlfriend Rona Murphy’s Ford Fiesta following a near-collision and found two golfball-sized lumps of brown powder, later confirmed as heroin after lab tests.

The officers had to force Azulay to the ground and handcuff the struggling suspect as he lunged for the drugs when they were placed on the car roof.

Police searched his mother’s home at Hibiscus Close, Edgware, but nothing was seized.

Azulay, who also blogs his ‘Gooners Diary’ has previous convictions for drug offences.

Judge Deva Pillay, sentencing Azulay to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years, told him: “Initially I thought you should receive an immediate custodial sentence and you are still hanging by a thread.

“The reality is anyone caught with that sizable amount of contraband, being also class A, should expect to go to prison immediately.”

The court heard Azulay is determined to beat his drug addiction and manages to maintain a heavy work schedule, despite his problem.

The Judge also ordered him to comply with a drug-testing programme that subjects Azulay to twice-weekly checks.