ORIGINS AND AIMS
How we came about
In late 2009 through various chats, it became apparent that more and more Arsenal supporters were feeling let down by the club; that the club was starting to take advantage of their loyalty. High ticket prices, no way to downgrade membership if you could no longer afford your season ticket, no repayment schemes for season tickets despite tough economic conditions... everything was stacking up against our loyal, long-term, hardcore support and it seemed like the club simply didn't care. Added to this was a board which didn’t care headed up by an absent owner - Stan Kroenke - who knew nothing about our game and didn’t care if the club was competing on the pitch. There was a feeling of “why don’t we do something about it then?” and that's where this group came about.
As fans we were concerned with where our club was (and to large extent still is) going, and thought that something needed to be said. We felt that although the club had 'official' supporters forums/groups, these seemed very much moulded and guided into becoming lapdogs - yes men - and that there was nobody with the bottle to speak out and tell it like it is.
That's where we vow to be different. If something needs to be said, we'll say it. We won't shy away from issues and simply nod along with whatever the club comes up with. We'll challenge the club if we feel something needs challenging.
Who runs the Black Scarf Movement?
The people who formed the group are Arsenal supporters who have been following our great club for a number of years. We've been there during the good times and the bad, we've grown up with the club and very much have Arsenal in our hearts. We know the history of the club, we know the traditions and realise that these factors contribute to being part of The Arsenal family.
What are the group's aims?
We've said all along that everything we do shares a common goal: to benefit Arsenal fans. We care if fans are getting ripped off with ticket prices. We'll come up with initiatives that solve ticketing and seating issues. We suggest measures that would make more of the cheaper seats available to Arsenal fans. We look at measures to ensure kids can come to see and fall in love with The Arsenal. We pose solutions as to how the club can help those who are struggling to afford expensive season tickets. It's about making the matchday experience a whole lot better for Arsenal fans. It's about ensuring our core support isn't priced out or forced out.
The way the club has gone about changing the matchday experience over the past few years has caused a large number of long-term fans to walk away. We've grown up watching and loving The Arsenal, and have had this love passed down from previous generations. We don't want our future generations to not experience watching The Arsenal and pass this love on to their kids. Treating loyal fans as a pound note isn't the way forward.
In late 2009 through various chats, it became apparent that more and more Arsenal supporters were feeling let down by the club; that the club was starting to take advantage of their loyalty. High ticket prices, no way to downgrade membership if you could no longer afford your season ticket, no repayment schemes for season tickets despite tough economic conditions... everything was stacking up against our loyal, long-term, hardcore support and it seemed like the club simply didn't care. Added to this was a board which didn’t care headed up by an absent owner - Stan Kroenke - who knew nothing about our game and didn’t care if the club was competing on the pitch. There was a feeling of “why don’t we do something about it then?” and that's where this group came about.
As fans we were concerned with where our club was (and to large extent still is) going, and thought that something needed to be said. We felt that although the club had 'official' supporters forums/groups, these seemed very much moulded and guided into becoming lapdogs - yes men - and that there was nobody with the bottle to speak out and tell it like it is.
That's where we vow to be different. If something needs to be said, we'll say it. We won't shy away from issues and simply nod along with whatever the club comes up with. We'll challenge the club if we feel something needs challenging.
Who runs the Black Scarf Movement?
The people who formed the group are Arsenal supporters who have been following our great club for a number of years. We've been there during the good times and the bad, we've grown up with the club and very much have Arsenal in our hearts. We know the history of the club, we know the traditions and realise that these factors contribute to being part of The Arsenal family.
What are the group's aims?
We've said all along that everything we do shares a common goal: to benefit Arsenal fans. We care if fans are getting ripped off with ticket prices. We'll come up with initiatives that solve ticketing and seating issues. We suggest measures that would make more of the cheaper seats available to Arsenal fans. We look at measures to ensure kids can come to see and fall in love with The Arsenal. We pose solutions as to how the club can help those who are struggling to afford expensive season tickets. It's about making the matchday experience a whole lot better for Arsenal fans. It's about ensuring our core support isn't priced out or forced out.
The way the club has gone about changing the matchday experience over the past few years has caused a large number of long-term fans to walk away. We've grown up watching and loving The Arsenal, and have had this love passed down from previous generations. We don't want our future generations to not experience watching The Arsenal and pass this love on to their kids. Treating loyal fans as a pound note isn't the way forward.