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Leicester fans to protest over late fixture change

22/1/2016

 
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Yesterday afternoon, Sky TV announced their latest batch of televised fixtures. Despite Sky apparently saying they try to giveThis included a change to our home game against Leicester City, only just over three weeks away.

As football fans we're used to being messed around by the television companies. Away trips starting at ungodly hours, late arriving back home, days booked off work, even times when games are re-scheduled and there are no trains available to get back home after the final whistle. Basically, the matchgoing fans - the fabric of the game - are not considered whatsoever, and it's not good enough.

The change to our fixture with Leicester will now leave many fans out of pocket. There are people who've already booked train tickets, booked hotel accommodation, even booked flights from abroad to come and see this game. All fucked up by a television company that will provide no explanation, no apology and certainly no refunds to all those fans affected and those who've had their arrangements ruined.

As such we've been advised that the Leicester supporters' group Union FS is planning a protest to highlight the issues caused by this late fixture change. Below is their statement and you'll see they're planning something similar to what Bayern Munich did earlier this season at Emirates Stadium. Of course Bayern's protest was over our ticket prices and this is different, but ultimately it's the matchgoing fan getting crapped on from a great height, yet again.

We fully support this action by Union FS, and would welcome similar from Arsenal supporters at the game, to show that as football fans we're in this together. Maybe a case of 'watch this space' for that part.

Union FS statement

Once again, Sky Sports have gone above and beyond in their efforts to put out matchgoing fans. No doubt they will point to the millions of fortunate souls now able to sit at home and watch this unlikely top of the table clash.
Of course, the Arsenal game was not the only Leicester City fixture announced for the upcoming games. March's fixtures release includes changes to the game at Watford and at home to Newcastle too. Annoying, particularly for the Geordies who now have to travel to the East Midlands on a Monday night, but at least there are 53 days before that trip and tickets are not yet on sale for 'Pies fans.

A clue above: the March TV fixtures release. Not the first-fortnight-of-February release. Following the initial February release in December, 3,000 Leicester fans had thought it safe to make non-refundable travel and accommodation plans, schedule time off work, stay up to midnight to fight for tickets that were sold out in minutes, book holidays starting on the Sunday, plan Leicester Sunday League fixtures etc (the list of quite frankly ridiculously unnecessary inconveniences goes on and on and on) before Sky decided to shoe-horn a third 'Super Sunday' fixture of the day in just TWENTY-THREE days before the game.

Such is life that there are winners and losers from this move, but all of those losing out have been unfairly done over by Sky Sports and, by proxy, the lack of protection afforded to fans by the Premier League and its constituent clubs.
It is absolutely imperative that football fans show solidarity in these cases, and as such, Union FS are calling for a show of strength against the aforementioned parties.

We are proposing the following action to be taken by all Leicester City fans on the day:
  • 5 minute boycott at the start of the game where City fans remain in the concourse, watching the game on the TV monitors installed. Why? To make a point that without fans, there is no saleable product. Just 22 blokes kicking a ball around on some nicely cut grass. We would encourage Arsenal fans to join us with this, as they graciously did with Bayern Munich fans recently. We appreciate that fans want to watch the game they have paid for, and rightly so, but this is an extraordinary issue and we would ask you to join us and make a one-off stand for all football fans.

  • Banners of protest. We encourage all City fans to make their own feelings known in banner form ahead of the fixture, and smuggle these into the stadium. Clearly visuals are a good way of getting your point across but we recognise that these are not easy to get into stadiums. All efforts are appreciated, however.
We close by saying all football fans are inconvenienced at times and it has sadly become part of our game. But in our opinion the actions of Sky Sports on this occasion have gone too far for us not to take action.

Some may argue that a boycott will achieve nothing. You might be right, maybe it won't. But it will certainly notch another visual display of dissent in a country which is starting to turn on the Premier League's ever growing greed.

Help us make a difference.

​Union FS

Arsenal freeze ticket prices for 2016/17

8/1/2016

 
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Arsenal have today announced that they will be freezing all general admission and Club Level ticket prices for next season, 2016/17. Naturally we welcome this announcement given the high prices our fans have to pay to watch their team both home and away, across the course of each season. 

However, given the new £5.14 billion Premier League TV rights deal which comes into play from next season, Arsenal could have used some of their increased broadcast windfall to reduce prices (even by a fraction) and give something back to our loyal supporters. A gesture to make matches more affordable would have been the right thing to do, but instead we get the usual spin from Ivan Gazidis:

"It will be the seventh time in 11 seasons at Emirates Stadium that prices have been held flat, meaning the cost of season tickets has fallen around 19 per cent in real terms against inflation in that time".

Each time Arsenal freeze prices we get the same kind of "look how much of a favour we're doing you" statement. Only thing is, it's generally bollocks.

A crude way of looking at it would be a shop pricing a loaf of bread at £300 then freezing the price for a few years; every year they could then say "See? Inflation elsewhere and prices are rising, but we're keeping this bread at £300. So in real terms, the price of this bread's going down!". Cheers, but it was too expensive in the first place.

The fact is our prices have been too high for some time now, and even after record kit supplier deals, increased sponsorships and now the gargantuan TV rights windfall, the club try and paint a price freeze like they're handing out £50 notes.

So thanks for not spanking us for even more money, but let's face it - it was the least you could do.

Up The Gunners.

Highbury Harold

You want your Wenger in, your Wenger out

16/11/2014

28 Comments

 
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I get various levels of rubbish thrown my way on Twitter, from so-called ‘positive’ Arsenal supporters who don’t like the fact I criticise certain goings on at the club. To these people, the Black Scarf Movement is a bad thing because as a group we dare to question how the club is run, and how it treats its loyal fans. There is however one common link that never fails to go away. Criticise the club? That means you MUST be anti Arsene Wenger.

The BSM’s apparent stance on Arsene Wenger has been done to death, resurrected and done to death again... about 8,000 times. “You’re that ‘Wenger Out’ group aren’t you?” No, we’re not and we never have been. Have a read (or another read) of our website – you’ll find out there what we’re about. 

But while here, I want to talk about the manager from a personal point of view.

Now, I totally get that plenty of fans will be fiercely loyal to Wenger. To many, he’s all they know at Arsenal; they’re unaware what the club was like before he came, what it was like as a supporter, to a large extent how things were shaped on the pitch and the foundations laid by previous legendary managers and players. 

On the flip side there are ever-growing numbers who now oppose Arsene Wenger remaining as manager. This has seen a huge divide cut through our fanbase – and it continues to grow at an alarming rate. I’ve been an Arsenal fan all my life, I’ve been going to games for around 30 years and I’ve never seen such a spiteful, aggressive and at times physically violent mood against each other. Civil war is taking place among our own fans. 

The two sides
To some, Arsene Wenger is responsible for the dismantling of the Invincibles, replacing them with inferior products, and stubbornly refusing to accept our teams since just haven’t been good enough. The numerous strange signings of sub-standard players, lack of in-game tactics and his general “you all know nothing” attitude to anyone who dares question him. Many fans think he’s been left behind by modern day football and is holding us back. There has been amazing growth in numbers on this side over the past few months.

Then you get the loyalists who are steadfast in their defence of the manager. The “keep the faith” people who are fine with an Arsenal team achieving a top four place and one trophy in the past ten seasons, because Wenger is the man in charge. Whether it be the early success he had at the club, the way he’s managed to keep us treading water following the stadium move financial restrictions, or how he’s battled against “oil money” (*cringe*) – the consistent message is we should have pride and confidence in our manager. To huge numbers of fans across the world, Arsene Wenger is THE man and simply irreplaceable.

Middle ground? What’s that?!
I absolutely get that people are entitled to their opinions and I can see both sides of the argument. Until recently I was bang in the middle of these two groups – neither a ‘Wenger in’ (or AKB – Arsene Knows Brigade) or ‘Wenger out’ (WOB – Wenger Out Brigade).

However, quite strangely, we have so many fans with the mentality that if anyone criticises the club, they MUST be having a pop at Arsene Wenger. I have a message for those people... Arsene Wenger is NOT Arsenal. We were already a huge name in football before he arrived, we’d won plenty of trophies (at home, and abroad) and we’ll still be a huge club after he goes. Yes he’s brought so much to the club, but no one person is bigger than The Arsenal.

There is a hint of similar sentiment from the ‘WOB’ side – that if you see any benefit in him being manager, you’re one of the ‘AKB’. 

On the fence? Middle ground? Yes… it CAN and DOES exist. Get used to it!

My views on Wenger
So where do I actually stand on the subject of Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager? 

I know the usual suspects who’ll maintain I’ve always been anti-Wenger. They’ve been adamant and no matter how much I argue back, apparently I hate the man because I’ve dared to criticise him at times.

Along with these assumptions and declarations I’ve had all manner of insults. Death threats, ‘promises’ of people coming to Arsenal to beat me up, I’ve been called a racist, a BNP / UKIP member, recently the “son of a rapist and a whore” and just recently some charming man declared me a “vile human being”, that I’m the worst WOB, and one of the worst Arsenal fans of all time. 

Bearing in mind the people aiming this stuff at me know zero about my level of support for the team, how long I’ve been a fan, the distance I’ve travelled, the games I’ve been to, following my club through thick and thin… to me it makes their comments, threats and insults utterly laughable. Ignorance is in abundance behind the keyboards of these warriors.

So am I Wenger in or Wenger out? Before I go on to explain, I’ll say this – it’s not something that’s easily black or white. There are valid arguments on both sides.

I’m completely grateful of what Arsene Wenger has brought to the club. I consider him one of our greatest ever managers and I’ve been truly lucky to be at matches to see some of the world class players he’s put on the pitch. The best football I’ve ever seen from Arsenal has come from some of Wenger’s teams.

In recent years, I totally get that we’ve had the stadium move and I side more with Wenger than the Board on the issue of money to spend. Despite assurances that funds for squad improvement would be “ring fenced” when we moved, it’s been blatantly obvious that money has been held back and the club has been far too conservative with what’s been spent on new signings.

Are there any other managers who could have kept us treading water over those years, achieving a top 4 place on minimal spend? I very much doubt it. And I doubt if there would be many other managers who would have wanted that job anyway. He’s stuck it out.


Of course that said, Arsene Wenger has been extremely well rewarded in financial terms because of his performance. I truly believe that the Board gave him the sole Key Performance Indicator to get us Champions League football while keeping a close eye on expenditure, and have based his huge contracts on this. I still think it’s the case to be honest.

That said, since 2006 I’ve become very frustrated with the sub-standard players he’s tried to pass off as quality. I’ve been pissed off with the amount of dead wood he allowed to accumulate and the ridiculous wages he paid them. £52,000 a week for Bendtner? £60,000 a week for Diaby? Those are just two; we’ve had so many other players on salaries above market rate and we’ve been stuck with them because no other clubs are silly enough to pay them equivalent wages. Thankfully we’re now getting past that debacle but Wenger has wasted tens of millions of pounds in the process.

I’ve not liked the lies (spin) and the excuses. I’ve hated the outbursts at journalists who’ve dared question him, especially the utterly embarrassing “why do you look at me?” press conference. Some fans love it and make out he’s sticking two fingers up at the press, but I think it lacks class. It’s simply not the Arsenal way.

So there are pros and cons in my mind for Wenger. But when it came to last summer, and Wenger’s contract was up, did I want him gone? No, I didn’t.

The summer of 2014 was heralded as the time when the financial shackles would come off – when the hugely improved sponsorship deals and TV revenue would give us the financial muscle to go and compete with the big boys. Gazidis teed it up and we awaited a fruitful summer transfer market.

After so long in the job and steering us through tricky times around the stadium move, especially after winning the FA Cup in May, I thought he should be given the freedom to go out and spend our new riches on building another title-challenging team. That said, I thought a rolling one year contract would have been best; after all he was approaching 65 years of age and I thought he could carry on his role as Manager, but work with the Board to help identify his successor. After all, he would need to give input on this because the Board haven’t got a football bone in their collective bodies. As we know, the Board deemed that a new three year contract was deserved and I shake my head in disbelief at this decision.

The summer was again spun as a successful transfer window but I disagree. There were ‘one out, one in’ replacement signings; Ospina for Fabianski, Debuchy for Sagna, Chambers for Jenkinson. Despite our desperate need for a top class striker there was no movement until Olivier Giroud broke his ankle and in came Danny Welbeck. A decent enough player but top, top class? Not for me. 

The one luxury signing in Sanchez has been immense and he’s carried the team so far this season. A centre back to replace Vermaelen? Promised, but not delivered – despite knowing for months that our former captain would be gone. The much-needed defensive midfielder to shield the defence? Nah, nothing.

So it would appear that the manager is still being stubborn in his ways. A v-sign at those who claim they know what the team needs. I’m the boss and what I say, goes. Even this crap that people giving opinions know nothing because they’ve “managed zero games”. How rude and disrespectful?! Telling us that some of the club’s greatest ever players don’t know the game and don’t know how to set up a team on the pitch to defend a lead? Absolute rubbish.

Right here, right now 
Ultimately for all the greatness he brought to the club and what he’s done for us, I respect him and thank him. I stuck by him in the summer and wanted him to move with the times – I wanted him to show people they were wrong and that he could bring back the good times to this club of ours. But what I’ve seen since we won the FA Cup has been absolutely baffling.

I’d love to see Arsene Wenger turn things around, but I fear that modern day football has passed him by. There are other managers who out-think us on the pitch, who know how to deal with the teams we put out there. I don’t see any acceptance from our manager that times change and he’s flatly refusing to adapt. We’re still trying the same things over and over, and for me, it’s not working. Wenger is becoming (or has become) a dinosaur lost in modern day surroundings.

Unless there’s a big turnaround in the team’s performances I fear for the man. He’s looking frail and stressed and the teams he’s putting out just aren’t performing. There seems to be no camaraderie on the pitch and there’s a lack of fight that Arsenal teams of old would provide. 

But would Wenger call it a day? Not for me – I can see his stubbornness keeping him there. Stan Kroenke loves the riches Wenger brings to the club so while we make the top 4 year on year, there’ll be no movement. The manager is here for another 2.5 years, unless he calls it a day.

Of course many Wenger supporters maintain that there’s nobody good enough to take his place. In my opinion that’s out and out blinkered, blind faith bollocks. Even Arsene Wenger would tell you you’re crazy if you said it to him.

I know that there was an Arsenal before Wenger and there will be one after he’s gone. I’ve seen pre-Wenger days, and while some were poor, some were absolutely amazing. At the end of the day, we are The Arsenal and we’ll go on, no matter what. I’ve loved what Arsene Wenger has done at Arsenal and I’ve hated some parts of his leadership. I’ve acknowledged both sides and I see that as realism, not carried away on a whirlwind of blind faith.

So where am I right now on the big question? For me the cons outweigh the pros and I think Arsene Wenger’s time may be up. We’re seeing the same issues, still, and to me the manager seems lost. His teams don’t seem to be playing for him, we haven’t really played good football for a few years, and I remain to be convinced that Wenger will change his ways and adapt to modern football.

As ever I’ll always support the team on the pitch. But football has changed, times change and right now I think we need a fresh approach.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'

28 Comments

Civil war in the stands: give it a rest

23/10/2014

0 Comments

 
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Plenty of stories have come through today, concerning violence between Arsenal fans at last night's Anderlecht game. This isn't the first time it's happened in recent years; Reading and Brighton away are just a couple of examples where fighting has taken place in the stands.

Yesterday afternoon images of the "Thanks for the memories" flag started doing the rounds, when it was hung outside a pub in Belgium. For those who are unaware of the flag, it's addressed to Arsene Wenger and says "Thanks for the memories but it's time to say goodbye". Needless to say, those who back our manager are never happy when it comes out.

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't care if the flag is displayed outside a pub; people are entitled to their opinion and if they think the manager should go, that's up to them. However, some apparently took offence to the flag yesterday and thought they'd get violent towards its owners. Naturally there was a reaction to this provocation... resulting in punches thrown. All because of one man. Madness.

It's sad that it's come to this and it's pathetic we have Arsenal on Arsenal violence. Outside the stadium is one thing, but when it happens in the ground, there are a couple of key issues. 

First and foremost, you're there to watch a football match and support your team. Abuse or fighting among fans can easily filter through to the players and let's be honest, they're hardly full of confidence at the moment are they? So channel your energy into getting behind the team. We all want The Arsenal to win every match, so when the players pull on that shirt and are on the pitch, forget the manager and drive the team on.  

Secondly, football grounds now are so full of CCTV that you're more than likely going to be on film if you're throwing punches at another fan. Therefore expect police involvement, court, and a three year ban from all football grounds.You may want the manager here or want him gone, but don't get so wound up in the ground and get yourself nicked. 

I've never known our fanbase to be this divided, and with the Board seeing fit to award Arsene Wenger a 3 year contract, things will get worse before they get better. It's at that stage where those at the opposite ends of the spectrum are always bound to clash... but when you're in the ground, give it a rest and sing up for The Arsenal.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'
0 Comments

Time for fans to stand up against greed

20/10/2014

2 Comments

 
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At last week's AGM a question was presented on whether the Board was planning to further raise ticket prices next season. The answer that came back was that a decision was yet to be made. 

Of course, the best answer would have been that the Board recognises the financial pressure on our matchgoing fans, that our commercial revenue plus hugely increased television broadcast income is now so big, it means that the club can stick by Ivan Gazidis's words from May 2011 and give our loyal fans a break.

I guess it was no huge surprise though, that the Board wouldn't commit. Given rumours that Stan Kroenke wanted prices up by 8% and was pegged back to 3%, I can see him wanting increases every year from now on. While he sees a season ticket waiting list, it gives him reason to do it... even though that pays no attention to the fact our fans already pay the highest prices in football.

It's safe to say that Kroenke couldn't give a shit about our core support. If he did, he wouldn't have forced a completely unnecessary 3% increase on prices. 

The club didn't need the £3m the price rise generated, but now we've found out that it paid the same £3m in "strategic and advisory fees" to Kroenke's KSE business. Something extremely fishy about the deal, especially the way our Chairman Chips Keswick skirted around questions about it last week. This ambiguity further raises suspicions over how Kroenke will operate from now on.

While the Board say no decision has been made about prices for next season, I don't think anyone would be surprised if they announce another price hike in the coming months. 

Last year's announcement was too much. It was out and out greed and once again milking the club's core support... support which has helped build this club and without which, there would be no Arsenal for Kroenke to come and take money from.

Time to stand up
Arsenal got in quick last year, and ignored subsequent complaints. Both ourselves and the Arsenal Supporters' Trust put out statements disagreeing with the price rise (read them here and here). 

This time as fans we can be proactive. I call upon all Arsenal fans to unite and say NO to even more price increases. Start telling Arsenal that it's no longer acceptable. While Kroenke sees us as cattle that he can milk, he needs to realise that football as a whole is now starting to stand up against the greed among those running our game.

Those supporters' groups that disagree with the club enforcing further price rises will work together and do all they can to get the point across. If this leads to a protest against the greed of our majority shareholder, I'd like as many fans as possible to join in. Love the club, hate the greed. Watch this space on this one.

So, Stan... no more cowboy. Our loyal fans have been pushed far too much already. Over three years ago Ivan Gazidis said the club's increased commercial activity would mean Arsenal wouldn't need to rely on its matchgoing fans like it has in the past. Time to practice what your Chief Executive preached.

#NOMORECOWBOYSTAN

Without the fans, football is nothing.

Up The Gunners.
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2 Comments

AISA's 'attack' on the BSM: answering the lies

17/10/2014

12 Comments

 
On 16 October, Arsenal Fan TV released their latest instalment of 'The Big Arsenal Discussion' entitled "Ticket Prices & Are Supporters Groups Unified?". On the panel for this broadcast was a leader and founding member of the Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association (AISA), Paul Matz. You can see this video by clicking here.

After watching this video I felt a response was required, as Matz made a number of comments about the Black Scarf Movement which are flat out untrue. So in the interests of fairness it's only right that we get to set the record straight.

When questioned on AISA's apparent reluctance to appear in the media and engage with supporters, Paul admitted that AISA recognised that their media work is lacking, but it was because AISA is a "voluntary organisation" and didn't get as much time to do anything on this front. What I would say is that the AST and BSM are also voluntary organisations, with no paid committee members - it's just that we put in the required effort in terms of marketing and communications.

He went on to add that AISA has 11,000 members and ran an annual survey (for the record which was left open for four months) which attracted 1,500 responses. At 7:23 Matz declares "We are the largest Arsenal supporters' organisation" which is incorrect. The BSM now has over 19,000 members and has around 40,000 followers across social media, compared to AISA's 600 or so followers. Also in contrast our summer survey this year received 11,543 responses.

At 7:43 Paul states "My view is that the BSM only came into existence because of the playing performance, not because of anything to do with ticket prices or anything else... and I can go into that if you want to. I know that they don't see that as their main objective now, but if Arsenal had been winning trophies at the Emirates Stadium, the BSM would have never come into existence".

A truly shocking lie. Anyone who's followed us since our inception at the end of 2009 will know that our focus is nothing to do with what happens on the pitch; we came about because a growing number of fans were feeling disillusioned with, disenfranchised from, and completely taken for granted by the club. That their loyalty was being ignored through high ticket prices, from the sterile stadium atmosphere, from a Board out of touch with fans, and so on.

I would assume that Paul is very much aware of the background to the BSM, but has tried to undermine it. Because another key reason why we were set up is that large numbers of fans back then felt they had no voice; that no existing supporters' group properly represented them. That there was no organisation willing to stand up and say it like it is. The comments we received were that the groups and forums back then simply went along with Arsenal's 'lip service'.

Matz then talks about price rises at Highbury and that fans didn't complain because we were winning trophies. Not entirely true as I can recall many conversations in the Clock End about prices going up, how bad it was and what price would force fans to walk away.

On 18:35 Matz goes on "Producing leaflets comparing us to Bayern Munich. Nice leaflet, but  you know, we're in different leagues and different circumstances". I agree, it was a "nice leaflet" but to dismiss it in such a way, completely ignoring the context, is poor. Many will remember that particular handout, which we produced for the 2013 Arsenal AGM. Based on Top Trumps cards, it stated that Ivan Gazidis had (on more than one occasion) used Bayern Munich as a barometer, comparing us with them... so we ran a true comparison. What we also said was that if we really wanted to emulate the success of Bayern Munich, then change was needed at boardroom level - with true Arsenal men coming on board, including individuals who'd actually played for the club.

Overall as a marketing tool to raise awareness the handout was very successful. It achieved nationwide press coverage and was all over social media for the following few days. Feedback was extremely positive so for Matz to dismiss it and ignore the key messages is either sour grapes or complete ignorance.

Around the 22:40 mark, again Paul mentions price rises at Highbury and states "You didn't say a word, BSM didn't say a word, nobody said a word". Correct the BSM didn't say a word, because we didn't exist back then. What I do know is that AISA sure as hell didn't say a word, and it was this silence from a group apparently campaigning for fans that led to us coming together.

To give this article some overall context, we were originally invited to take part in this video together with representatives from other Arsenal supporters' groups. We were then informed that Paul Matz wanted to appear on the show as a sole supporters' group representative - because he didn't want it to turn into an argument with bitching back and forth. So he took this opportunity, unopposed, to have a fair few digs at the BSM. I feel that a leading figure of AISA doing such a thing is beyond poor. He may plead innocence and say that was his honest view, but I'm not buying it for a second. He knew damn well what he was doing.

Closing this up, I'd say that the BSM since forming at the end of 2009 has gone through a lot of effort (which those running the group have contributed in their spare time) to raise awareness of supporters' issues. Our marketing and communications have been designed to get people to sit up and take notice; sure some may not like our forthright style but to become the largest Arsenal supporters' group in such a short space of time suggests our message resonates with fans around the country. In fact we are recognised by the key supporters' associations in England and we're in discussions with groups at other clubs, who want to work with us on joint campaigns to tackle the greed which is taking over our game.

What are we about? A better deal for fans - because without the fans, football is nothing.

The BSM: up front for fans of The Arsenal.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'
12 Comments

Has the Arsenal captain's role become diluted?

10/10/2014

6 Comments

 
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Today marks the 48th birthday of Mr Arsenal... the one and only Tony Alexander Adams. 

When joining The Arsenal in 1986, George Graham spoke highly of his (then) 20 year old defender: "One day he'll captain Arsenal, and I think eventually he'll captain England". Of course, George's words would come true as Tony became club captain in 1988, and went on to become captain of the national side in the 1990s. By the time he retired from the game, Adams had become The Arsenal's greatest captain of all time; leading the team to nine major honours including league titles in three different decades, and being only one of two Arsenal captains to lift a European trophy.

In recent years, we've seen Arsenal teams get easily brushed aside by opponents, and sometimes end up on the other side of disgraceful, absolutely embarrassing hammerings. Can you imagine teams led by Adams imploding in this way?

The issue of leadership and the role of Arsenal captain got me thinking. Over the past few years, have we had characters talented and strong enough to drive their team on? Below is a brief run-down of the captains I've seen play for The Arsenal and how I rate each of them.
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Kenny Sansom (1981 to 1988)
Kenny is the best left back I've ever seen play for The Arsenal. A tough tackler but supremely talented as a footballer, during his career he became England's most capped full back. The Arsenal sides in the early to mid 80s were bang average, but Kenny dragged them through that period. Of course in 1986, George Graham came along and just a few months later, Kenny led his team up the steps at Wembley to lift the Littlewoods Cup..

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Tony Adams (1988 to 2002)
Aside from all the silverware he captained his Arsenal teams to, Tony was a true leader. A warrior on the pitch but a fantastic player with it, he knew how to control his defence and he commanded respect from his team. If the performance wasn't up to scratch, Tony would be there bellowing out instructions, jockeying players along and giving them the proverbial boot up the arse if they deserved it. To my mind this is everything a captain should be on the pitch. A real driving force who got the best out of his team.

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Patrick Vieira (2003 to 2005)
When Tony Adams announced his retirement from the game before the 2002-03 season, Patrick was given the honour of captaining The Arsenal. I have to say it was very deserved; in my opinion back then, Vieira was the best central midfielder in the world - a truly outstanding footballer and he never hid on the pitch. He was strong, he knew how to put a tackle in, and he was a real leader of his team. Team mates looked up to him (quite literally!) and he physically drove the team to greatness.

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Thierry Henry (2005 to 2007)
To me, this is when the role of Arsenal captain started to become less about leadership ability but more about seniority. Of course, Thierry was an absolutely amazing player but more often than not when things weren't going right on the pitch, he spent his time sulking and throwing dirty looks at colleagues who hadn't made the right pass or hadn't given him the ball. is that the sign of a real leader? Not for me. Yes, a legend of The Arsenal but I feel he was made captain to keep him at the club.

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William Gallas (2007 to 2008)
Another player who was given the armband due to experience and seniority in what was a young team. A chainsmoking loon who wasn't mentally strong enough to be captain of The Arsenal. When his team chucked away the lead at Birmingham - and in my opinion the league title - Gallas kicked off after the final whistle and sat sulking on the St Andrews pitch. Is that the mark of a professional, of someone who should have the honour of captaining The Arsenal? Not for me.

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Cesc Fabregas (2008 to 2011)
Like Henry before him, I feel that Fabregas was awarded the honour in an attempt to keep him sweet. No disputing his skills as a footballer, but he was hardly a driving force and definitely not a leader of the team. Being overplayed, he spent long periods injured and near the end of his Arsenal career while his team was losing at Fulham, Cesc showed off tweeting pictures of himself at the Spanish Grand Prix. He then forced an exit, refusing to join the team on the pre-season tour. Is this how to behave when you have the honour of being Arsenal captain? Never in a million years.

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Robin van Persie (2011 to 2012)
Yet another key player in our team who'd been attracting interest from other clubs. The man himself had been publicly slating the club's lack of ambition on the pitch, so what do we do? That's right, make him captain. Having already shown his 'leadership' skills by captaining the side which disgracefully lost the 2011 Carling Cup Final, van Persie for me did absolutely bugger all in the skipper's role. Another case of a top player who isn't cut out to be a true driving force in leading his team.

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Thomas Vermaelen (2012 to 2014)
This is one where I honestly thought it might work, and that we'd have a tough character driving the team on. From the start of his Arsenal career, Vermaelen looked the business - a great footballer but one who wasn't afraid to get stuck in. Only problem was he then started to pick up injuries and completely lost his form, making numerous expensive mistakes. I'd hoped he'd be our Vidic, but he ended up being a shadow of what many fans envisaged he'd become in his role as captain.

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Mikel Arteta (2014 to date)
Arteta had already been stand-in captain for some time before officially being named the new Arsenal skipper in the summer of 2014. It appears to be yet again a case of an experienced player being given the armband, irrespective of whether or not he's a great leader on the pitch. Despite having "perfecto" hair, for me Mikel's best days as a footballer are behind him. He's often too slow and off the pace of the game, and I don't see him geeing his team up and driving them on.

So what's the overall issue? Is there an issue?

For me, definitely. Since Patrick Vieira left, the role of Arsenal captain has been diluted, disrespected and generally handed out to players who don't really deserve the honour. We haven't had leaders out there on the pitch, driving their teams forward, commanding respect and dragging certain individuals up when they're not putting in the required effort.

Now of course it may be that we don't have the right personalities in the squad to step up and be a true top rate leader, so then questions have to be asked of the man who has constructed these squads. We've gone from being a big, strong, quick team who can mix it up, to a small, weak, pushover team that gets bullied and overrun in games against the better opposition.

When push comes to shove, I feel we need to go back to having a powerful enforcer in the team. A highly-skilled, physical presence who knows what it means to fight for the cause, who knows what it means to be captain of The Arsenal, and who can command respect from his colleagues around him. So... who is that man? Over to you, Arsene.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'
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On and off the pitch, what on earth is going on at OUR club?

26/3/2014

 
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Much of the media’s focus in the last week has been Arsene Wenger. As he reached the 1,000 game mark at Arsenal there was celebration among many fans and some of the media. Then we conceded a ridiculously crappy goal early on at Chelsea and it went downhill from there. Fast.

After the “accident” at Liverpool, the Chelsea result was branded an “accident”. Apparently we’d put in convincing performances against Munich and Spurs, so it must have been an accident, according to our manager.

Erm, forgive me if I’ve been wearing Stevie Wonder’s glasses, but Spurs was about as far from convincing as you could get. An early goal and a couple of crap finishes apart, we sat back and rode our luck time and time again. How we got away with 3 points I’ll never know, but we beat that lot so that’s the main thing at the end of the day.

At Chelsea, Wenger cut a forlorn figure on his seat. There were no instructions for his team, who went through the motions committing mistake after mistake. The much-heralded 1,000th game turned out to be probably his biggest, most humiliating moment as Arsenal manager. Let’s not beat about the bush, it was an out and out disgrace what happened in that game.

So a “reaction” was called for as out of form Swansea came to town, but what we saw was flat, lacking in passion and ideas, and players who – one minute of the game aside – didn’t look that bothered. We’re actually lucky that the referee didn’t let play continue at the very end (as most refs would have) with Swansea clean through, as we could have ended up with another embarrassing defeat. Not saying a draw is much better, of course – the result was still poor.

Once again questions are being asked of our manager. Is this a blip? Is his time up? Has he lost the dressing room? Will he fight back in the summer? Does he still have the determination? Does he think he’s done as much as he can?

Arguments aplenty have been taking place on social media and elsewhere and the fanbase is as split now as it ever has been. In my time supporting Arsenal I certainly don’t remember fans at each other’s throats like they are now. What is the cause of these arguments? One man.

Extreme Groundhog Day
One thing’s for sure, Bill Murray in Groundhog Day would have spontaneously combusted had he been faced with the Arsenal situation. We’ve seen the same story over and over and over and over and over again; a case of treading water and treading water some more. While some consider playing in the Champions League (nowhere near winning it) and finishing 4th as a good season, I certainly don’t. A top four finish alone is NOT success in my eyes as a football fan. Football is about winning, not balance sheets and profits.

Transfer windows & squad ‘strength’
In the last three transfer windows we’ve bought one starting player. One. We paid for one other player in squad left back Nacho Monreal and we picked up a couple of freebies – one a gamble on a long-standing injury record which made the player consider giving up and being a postman, and the other a short-term loan for a bloke with a broken back.

The shambles of last summer put us in a poxy position in terms of squad strength. Not strong enough. This meant that January became even more vital but as is usually the case, the manager sees “no value” in the January market and “nobody is available” etc. etc. So once again we made do and the wheels fell off.

And as for squad strength, this is what’s needed when we get injuries – but of course injuries is a convenient excuse for the apologists who see nothing wrong with our squad make-up. Yes we’ve got 3,094 midfielders but so what? We’ve got one striker who is okay but not top quality and he’s been shagged so much this season (on and off the pitch) that he’s been running on fumes for weeks. Our other striker is that young would-be postman and yes he’s a lump and yes he tries, but that was also the case for Kaba Diawara. Nothing against Sanogo and he may turn out okay but he’s not for the here and now, and it’s not his fault he’s being chucked in at the deep end with fans crying out for quality up front.

Tactics
Is it worth mentioning tactics? Most people would say “what tactics?”  Previously it was fine – we had world class players who could turn up and take the piss out of pretty much any opponent. Now we don’t have that luxury so when things go wrong, nothing much happens. Unlike most managers Wenger sits there on the bench, hardly up on the touchline screaming instructions. It’s like the team is sent out with a task which it has to stick to. Doesn’t work first half? Change it at half time. Doesn't work second half? Stick a sub on after 70 minutes. And that's it. I know that’s a crude way of looking at it, but when it comes to the best in-game tacticians in football, you wouldn’t put Arsene Wenger high up the list.

“We’ll put it right this summer”
Will we? The people who’ve pointed at the “stadium costs” (even though the published accounts have shown cash available) previously maintained that 2012 would be the turning point. Then 2013. Now 2014. To be honest this summer will be the first REAL chance to go for it in the transfer market given the huge amount of income from Puma, Emirates, and the renewed TV broadcasting deal.

However is it Wenger’s style to go out and splash the cash on a few players of top, top quality in one window? Personally I think at best we’ll see one decent signing and maybe one or two lesser known players. After all, too many signings upset the rhythm don’t they? Look at Spurs. Only thing is, our lack of activity in the last few windows means we’re now in need of a number of top players in key positions. Add Sagna to the outgoing list, that’s then a right back we need, too. So a decent goalkeeper is required with Fabianski going, a right back, a proper defensive midfielder, and at least one top class striker. That should be the bare minimum. And we’re not talking promising kids, we’re not talking cheap (or free) injury-prone gambles, we’re not talking final half hour of the transfer window loan attempts for other clubs’ 4th choice strikers. We need proven, ready to go, QUALITY.

The World Cup Excusefest
But let’s not forget that the World Cup takes place this summer. We’ve seen in the past the excuses that the market is shortened because of this tournament, that the best players’ prices are “artificially inflated”, that the market is “distorted” and so on and so forth. What does this mean? Identify your targets BEFORE the world cup and get deals done then. Wait until after the tournament and we could be stuffed. Again. In the biggest most important transfer window Wenger has ever faced in his time at Arsenal. Mess this one up (assuming he’s still at the club) and there will be uproar like no other. Failure is most certainly not an option.

Stay or go?
This is the biggest debate doing the rounds among Arsenal fans. Should Wenger be awarded with a new contract? Should he call it a day? Should he go even if we win the FA Cup and finish top 4? So many permutations.

Personally I’m someone who is never scared of change so if things aren’t going right I wouldn’t be scared of us changing manager assuming we get a top quality replacement. Ignore those using David Moyes as an excuse. Does a change in manager immediately mean failure? No. Man City and Chelsea don't seem to be doing too badly after changing manager. Pep Guardiola hasn't fared too badly has he? And looking back at our own club, didn't Arsene Wenger win the double in his first full season? Didn't George Graham turn a struggling Arsenal side into winners, and indeed bring silverware back to the club in his first season?

As for me, I'm torn on what I think should happen. Win the FA Cup, I say keep the manager on a rolling 1 year contract while a replacement is sourced, as let's face it, Wenger isn't going to be here another 5 or 10 years. If we fail to win the FA Cup (let's face it that would be a catastrophe given the remaining opposition) and finish outside of the top 4? I'd say time for a change in that case. Who knows, maybe the man himself is biding his time and is yet to make a decision.

But that’s just me. I’m genuinely interested in which option fans would choose, so I’ve put together a very short poll to gauge opinion. Ignore the last two match results – read the options and give your honest answer. There are no hidden agendas, it's purely to get the feeling across as wide a section of Arsenal supporters as possible.

Take the poll here. It also contains a bit about off the field stuff, below.

Ready to renew your season ticket?
I’ve looked at the issues on the pitch but what about off it? Season ticket renewal time is almost upon us and as we know, the club are demanding an extra 3% on top of what’s already an overpriced product. This 3% will give the club an extra £2.8m when it’s already got around £140m sitting in the bank. Fact is, this £140m won’t be spent so your extra £2.8m you’re giving the club will just go in the bank and stay there.

This begs the question…. WHY THE INCREASE?

I’ll give you the answer. Enos Stanley Kroenke. The man with absolutely no clue about the English game of football and no clue about how loyal football supporters need to be valued and treated with respect. He sees demand for tickets as meaning the prices aren’t high enough. Rumour has it that he wanted prices to go up by 8% (yes, EIGHT per cent). He sees Arsenal as a money making machine and absolutely doesn’t care if the club isn't successful on the pitch, as long as the money floods in.

Kroenke has one weak spot when it comes to Arsenal, and that’s Arsene Wenger. With Wenger at the club, we have achieved Champions League football consistently on minimal spend. That equals profits and that equals share prices flying up. That’s why Kroenke will never get rid of the manager while we’re getting into the Champions League.

At the BSM we’ve previously called for the Board to “manage the manager” but that’s where our Board is weak. It answers to one man, the majority owner. And now it’s even weaker as it’s appointed Josh Kroenke. Why is he there? No football knowledge, no links to the English game, no links to Arsenal. He’s a successful businessman in America but he’s a puppet on this Board – he’s there purely in a Kroenke Sports Enterprises function… to ensure KSE can continue amassing cash.

So back to the Board seeing fit to demand a further 3% from fans, is it right? Are you happy at having to cough up even more for your ticket? Some fans have said “it’s only another £40 / £50 / 60” and seem fine with it, but what do the majority think?

Click here and give your view.

Personally I say the 3% increase is a disgrace. It’s an out and out rip-off and gives further evidence to those who maintain that the Board isn’t in touch with the fans, and that it doesn’t care about the loyalty of our hardcore support.

When all is said and done
In closing I’ll say this… As an Arsenal fan you may see some of the above as moaning. You may think everything is superb with the club and that it can do no wrong. You may think that all of our players are superheroes and untouchable. You may be fine paying whatever the club charge. You may think that certain players aren’t good enough. You may think that the Board is ripping off hardcore supporters. You may think the manager is above God, you may think he’s past his sell by date.

At the end of the day, we are all Arsenal fans. Many of us have grown up loving this club, and many have done so before Arsene Wenger came along. Many only know the club under Wenger. But one thing we share… we’re all Arsenal. So if you're going to our remaining games this season, do all you can to get behind the team. They're going to need all the support they can get.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'

Arsenal make up their own inflation rates

18/2/2014

 
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"Arsenal Football Club has announced it will be increasing its ticket prices by three per cent, in line with inflation, next season." In line with inflation? Really? No, not really. So, even when a rise is totally unnecessary, why not peg it at the real rate of inflation? Because it would 'only' bring in £1.9m instead of £2.8m?
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At Arsenal's AGM in October we handed out flyers comparing ourselves to Bayern Munich... the club held up as a barometer by our very own Chief Executive. The message was that we've done well to get where we are, but how can we really push on and get to where Bayern are?

On the reverse of this flyer we placed a great quote from former Bayern Munich player and now president of the club, Uli Hoeness.

"We could charge more than £104 [for a season ticket]. Let's say we charged £300. We'd get £2m more in income but what's £2m to us? In a transfer discussion you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between £104 and £300 is huge for the fan. We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has got to be for everybody."

So yes, the 3% price rise is totally unjustified. The club would love to have brushed it under the carpet and certainly tried their best to, but fans have (rightly) not forgotten. Expect more to come from this as the months progress and as the club continues to play deaf.

And for those wondering about this increase that's "in line with inflation", the facts shown below suggest otherwise.

Up The Gunners.

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Another home game means more cash. Now is the time for Arsenal to do something positive.

17/2/2014

 
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When Spring turns to Summer, the first week in May. You know you will find us down old Wembley Way!

Let's hope so eh? The FA Cup was already our biggest chance of silverware this season, and even more so now we've knocked out Liverpool. A home tie against Everton awaits; win that and we're two matches from our 11th FA Cup.

Of course what the draw means is we now have a further home match not covered by season tickets and it's a match where Arsenal stand to coin it in once more. Now I'm going to be very crude with figures in this article as I don't have the time to research them in detail, but I don't imagine they're too far from the case. With the average home match bringing in around £3m in revenue to Arsenal, taking the price differentials into account for Category C and Category A matches, I'm assuming:

  • Category B pricing: Average ticket cost £49. Matchday revenue c. £3,000,000.
  • Category C pricing: Average ticket cost £35 (29% reduction from Cat. B). Matchday revenue c. £2,130,000.
  • Category A pricing: Average ticket cost £84 (72% [!!] increase from Cat. B). Matchday revenue c. £5,160,000.

Already there is the match against Bayern Munich which wouldn't have been budgeted for and based on the figures above it could bring in around £5m of income to Arsenal. That's not including TV revenue and prize money from UEFA, but even so it's a fair old wedge.

Now we have another home match, against Everton in the FA Cup. Normally this fixture would be classed as Category B in the Premier League, meaning an average ticket price of £49 (£36.50 for any Everton fans reading this). At these prices and assuming revenue of £3m, this means Arsenal - bearing in mind they take only 45% of the gate receipts for an FA Cup match - would bring in roughly £1,350,000. Of course the game is likely to be televised which means even more income.

Should Arsenal make Everton Category C?
Given the huge outlay made by our supporters and the scandalous decision by the club to charge Category A prices for Bayern Munich, making Everton a Category C game would be a way of giving our loyal fans a breather. Let's face it, we're caned enough with our ticket prices!

If they did make Everton a Category C match, this would mean income of around £960,000 plus TV revenue. All in all over a million quid of extra cash.

How much will Arsenal bring in from these two extra matches?
In total, the two extra matches will bring in between £6m and £7.5m. I'll say it again, this is money they won't have planned on bringing in, and again it doesn't take into account TV revenue and prize money.

Key issues for Arsenal to consider
To my mind this poses more for Arsenal's number crunchers and decision makers to  think about. They must bear in mind the prices they already charge for tickets, which are the highest in football. They must bear in mind that they've already caned loyal season ticket holders with a Category A price for the Bayern Munich match. Two key issues are...

  1. What should be the price point for the FA Cup match with Everton; Category B, or do they recognise the huge financial pressures on an already hard-pressed fanbase and make it Category C?

  2. Cancel the planned 3% price rise for next season.

As mentioned above, Arsenal stand to bring in £6m to £7.5m in revenue they hadn't planned for, with the two additional home cup matches (and more could still come). The price rise they announced for next season stood to make them an extra £2.8m. So why not cancel this rise, bearing in mind the club will still be richer to the tune of around £4m? 

Here's some more food for thought, for the decision makers at Arsenal...

  • Recognise the loyalty of your core support
  • Recognise the huge uplift in commercial income
  • Recognise our Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, said that improved commercial deals would mean less reliance on fans having to foot the bill
  • Recognise the huge uplift in TV revenue
  • Recognise the additional revenue brought from these two extra cup matches

In short, make Everton a Category C match and cancel the 3% price rise. You've already made more than you stood to make from the rise, so ease up on the greed and consider your loyal supporters.

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'

Further proof that Arsenal DON'T need that extra 3% they're squeezing from fans

14/2/2014

 
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It's another one of those Friday afternoons... you know, where the Arsenal PR machine releases a story late in the day in the knowledge that the press won't be able to give it as much coverage as they would, if it had been announced earlier in the day or week. There's the carpet, here's a brush... you know the rest.

The numbers are out, and it's now been confirmed that Arsenal have got around £120m of cash they're sitting on. It could be used for transfers, to give us a squad truly able of competing for honours, but we'd much rather get a free loan deal for a bloke with a broken back. To my mind the fooball season is 9 months long so while it's great we've been up at the top of the table, we'll see over the coming weeks if our knackered and injured squad can cope with the final push.

Emirates are throwing £150m at us. Puma are throwing £150m at us. We've signed a number of secondary commercial deals of late. We're getting an uplift of around £30m this season in TV broadcast rights. It's now been confirmed we have around £120m of cash in the bank. So again it has to be asked...

WHY THE 3% PRICE INCREASE NEXT SEASON??

I'll tell you why.
GREED. Out and out greed. The club doesn't need the £2.8m the price rise will bring in, but because they've not put prices up for a couple of years, why not demand more from the loyal, core support?

Our Board can spin all the crap it wants, but fact is they're a bunch of money-grabbing greed merchants.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'

What does the BSM actually do?!

22/1/2014

 
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In December, Arsenal announced that from next season the price of match tickets would be going up by 3%... apparently in line with inflation (even though inflation actually sits at around 1 per cent less). Many fans were outraged; already paying some of the highest prices in football and now hit with another hike, despite the club coining it in from a hugely improved TV deal, announcing new big money commercial deals, and of course sitting on around £100m in the bank.

At the time, we condemned the decision. Actually, we were so pissed off with it that we responded with a statement confirming our disgust, half an hour after Arsenal made their announcement. Did we need time to let the information sink in and consider a response? Absolutely not... this rise was pure and utter greed, an outrageous decision which will simply further punish matchgoing fans in the pocket.

Since then we've had a few pops from people bemoaning the fact that we've not arranged a protest or any other form of action. Yesterday we came in for some stick on an Arsenal Facebook page, because apparently we do nothing and apart from a couple of walks and the odd letter we suffer from a "lack of presence".

It was once stated at a meeting of BSM members that "at times of apparent inactivity, the BSM is ALWAYS active". In other words, we're never just sitting here doing bugger all - there are always plans and discussions taking place about how we could get a better deal for matchgoing Arsenal fans.

So just to clarify, here's a run-down of what the BSM have been up to since the end of last season...

5 June - announced our participation in a protest over ticket pricing
We'd been invited by our friends at Spirit of Shankly to join them and supporters of other clubs, in a march to Premier League headquarters. We invited Arsenal fans to come and join us.

19 June - ticket price protest and meeting with the Premier League
We were the Arsenal supporters' group there on the day, together with groups from other Premier League and Football League clubs. We met with Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore, with groups from Liverpool, Man United, Spurs, and the Football Supporters' Federation. At the meeting we reiterated the problems faced by fans, especially highlighting the pressures on fans following their team away from home. This tied in with the FSF's 'Twenty Is Plenty' campaign which we'd got on board with earlier in the year.

1 July - end of season survey results published
We published the results of our 2012-13 end of season survey. Over 3,400 members responded which at the time was (to our knowledge) the largest survey response of any Arsenal supporters' group. Nationwide coverage followed.

18 August - letter to Ivan Gazidis
We wrote to Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis expressing our "deep concern" over the apparent lack of activity at Arsenal that summer, despite his assurances in June that we would now be active in the market. This letter summed up the frustration of thousands of Arsenal fans, and got nationwide coverage in the press and on TV.

24 August - boat party on the Thames
Held a pre-Fulham party on the Thames for BSM members, which in turn raised £1,000 for the Ben Kinsella Trust. Some 200 people joined us on board and the event was such as success we've had untold calls since to organise another.

26 September - discounts for away fans
Announced that the Premier League put in place an initiative whereby all PL clubs had to put aside funds (from hugely increased TV revenue) to help away supporters. This followed campaigning by the BSM and supporters groups from other clubs, which resulted in our meeting with the Premier League. For Arsenal fans this means some £600,000 split across the next three seasons, put towards the cost of match tickets. 

9 October - reciprocal away ticket pricing
Revealed that Newcastle were introducing a reciprocal pricing deal for away fans, and encouraged Arsenal to follow suit.

10 October - letter to Stan Kroenke
We teamed up with other Arsenal supporters' groups, and wrote to Stan Kroenke requesting that he fulfil his promise of meeting with these groups.

17 October - Arsenal AGM
We were present at the Arsenal AGM, and presented all attendees with a flyer which asked questions over whether our current Board was equipped to take us forward and make us a European 'Super Club'. The flyer made the national press within half an hour of the first copies being handed out.

29 October - League Cup atmosphere initiative
We'd already written to all BSM members asking them to buy tickets in blocks 17, 18 and 19 for the League Cup game with Chelsea. This was an attempt to get some atmosphere going inside the ground and the idea was praised by like-minded fans who were up for it... and then in came the stewards, which is another story.

20 November - survey on atmosphere at Emirates
We'd asked Arsenal fans to complete a short survey on atmosphere and safe standing, and here we published the results. Over 17,000 people took part; a huge response and by far the biggest we've ever seen from an Arsenal supporters survey. The results went nationwide and brought a lot of focus on the campaign for safe standing. Since then we've had contact from numerous supporters' groups of other clubs, asking to work with them on future campaigns for the benefit of fans.

27 November - heavy-handed stewarding
We'd had a fair few people contact us over issues with stewarding at Arsenal, so we asked all fans to get in touch if they'd encountered problems. This was so we could feed back to Arsenal and see where improvements could be made.

13 December - condemned Arsenal's price rise announcement
As mentioned already, we were straight out with our response. We absolutely disagree that it is needed, we think it's massively unfair on already hard-pressed fans, and it will make next to no difference to the club.

17 December - Arsenal's response over reciprocal pricing
We'd heard from Spirit of Shankly that they'd written to all Premier League clubs requesting that they put in place a reciprocal pricing deal for away fans. Arsenal had responded to this and we analysed the response, feeding back our comments on what we felt was in essence a letter filled with spin. This highlighted Arsenal's disinterest in offering fans anything above the money they'd been made to put aside by the Premier League.

So there you have it. Not done that much, have we? ;-)

It should be noted that the people who run the BSM (and indeed the other Arsenal supporters' groups) have day jobs and other commitments. We run the BSM through our love of the club and the fact they want all Arsenal fans to be respected by those running OUR Arsenal. We're not in it for ego - we don't go begging hundreds of people to retweet what we say in a desperate attempt to gain popularity. We're not in it for money either - anything we have left over our running costs goes to charity. Fact is we want the best for our fans and our club, and we're prepared to stand up and say it like it is; if there are things the club could do better we're not scared to say so.

Rest assured we are still working on future campaigns and you'll see more of the main Arsenal groups working together, as well as us campaigning with groups from other clubs. Greed is an issue that is spreading through football and those running our game are risking its long term future. But getting those running our clubs to sit up and take notice is no quick fix. It's not something you can rectify by storming the stadium with pitchforks and burning torches every week... a more considered approach is needed more often than not, and we're in this for the long term. After all, it's OUR game, and football without the fans is nothing.

So, if you're not happy with what we're doing, that's your choice. But before you moan that the BSM does nothing, you may want to find out the truth.  

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'

Bayern get it right in recognising loyalty

9/1/2014

 
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Yesterday, Bayern Munich made a great gesture towards their core support.

Recognising the effort their fans go to in supporting the team, following the club home and away, Bayern made a statement about their "fantastic" support. The statement went on to say:

"The fact that this loyalty comes with such a high number of games not only means a great deal of time, but also tears a big hole in the wallet. Bayern has therefore decided to subsidise the tickets for the away game at Arsenal with nearly 90,000 euros. Therefore every Bayern fan who buys a ticket for the game in London on February 19 will pay only 45 euros (instead of the regular 75 euros). This is intended as a small thank you for your great support in 2013."

In pounds, it equates to Bayern coughing up £76,000 of their own money to help out their loyal supporters. Instead of paying £62 for their match ticket, the subsidy sees around £27 knocked off the price so it'll cost Bayern fans just £35 to watch their team at Emirates.
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In November 2013 we handed out leaflets at the Arsenal AGM which referenced Bayern Munich. Our Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis has used Bayern as a benchmark on more than one occasion so we wanted to highlight the differences between the two clubs and how we felt the gap could be narrowed. The image on the right shows the front and back of this leaflet - click on it to see a larger version.

On that leaflet is an absolutely spot on quote from Bayern's President (and former player) Uli Hoeness. This said:

"We could charge more than £104 [for a season ticket]. Let's say we charge £300. We'd get £2m more in income but what's £2m to us? In a transfer discussion you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between £104 and £300 is huge for the fan. We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has to be for everybody."

At the BSM we've said for some time that we admire the way German clubs recognise the importance of their core support, and treat them with great respect. We've also said that Arsenal haven't done enough in recognising our own hardcore, and have been more blinded by a short-term dash for cash which has seen many long-standing fans walk away. This means that the chain of passing support onto future generations is broken, and that longer term this is damaging to Arsenal. All well and good looking after the income (and personal fortunes) short term, but where's the real custodianship if you're ignoring the long term health of the club?

Indeed, the recently announced 3% ticket price rises at Arsenal next season have brought a great deal of criticism from fans accusing our club of further pushing our loyal support for the sake of it. That price rise brings in around an extra £2.8m in revenue for the club, which makes Uli Hoeness's quote above even more relevant. What does that £2.8m really mean to a club like Arsenal? But for our fans who already pay more than enough for tickets, further price rises do nothing other than force more loyal supporters away.

Of course the issue of pricing and greed isn't just relevant for fans of The Arsenal. Many other clubs across the country are facing similar, and campaigns against this greed have been gaining pace. A great example was the quest for a fairer deal on away ticket pricing, where we (the BSM) joined forces with other supporters groups on a march to the offices of the Premier League. When there, we met with the Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore, together with fan groups from Liverpool, Man United, Spurs and the Football Supporters Federation. There we stressed the importance of recognising the financial pressures fans were under, right across the country.

Following that meeting the Premier League put in place their away fans initiative which means that £4m will be made available to benefit away fans, for the next three years. For Arsenal fans this means savings of £200,000 this season, and the following two seasons. Take a moment to let that register. A £600,000 saving for our away support, and the same figure applies to fans of all Premier League clubs, with each choosing their own way of how to apply this. 

Without the pressure from supporters groups like ours and those from other clubs, and that meeting we held with Richard Scudamore, would the initiative have been put in place? Unlikely. If we sit on our hands and keep our mouths shut, allowing clubs to charge us whatever they like, as fans we'll keep suffering. And that means more will walk away... so when the core support is dwindled down to nothing, when the corporates continue to walk away (and believe me they have been), and when the 'day trippers' become bored with the Premier League (the bubble will burst eventually) tell me, who is left to come and support the team? Who is left to pay their hard-earned money for match tickets... revenue which supports the club and has done for decades and decades?

Football without the fans is nothing.
Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'

Arsenal's ticket pricing approach? Anyone??

6/1/2014

 
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Since Arsenal concluded their ticketing review and brought along the "90,000 cheaper seats" they love to talk about in the press (conveniently ignoring there are also 90,000 vastly more expensive seats more than balancing it out) the pricing categories have been a constant issue among many supporters. Away fans as well as our own have protested, with Manchester City and Liverpool complaining over the £62 they had to pay last season.

In the 2012-13 season Arsenal decided that following the ticketing review, all FA Cup matches would be classed as 'Category B' in terms of pricing, no matter the opponent. So when Championship strugglers Blackburn came to town, fans had to pay a minimum of £35.50 for their seat. The same happened when Swansea visited in the previous round, despite the league fixture against the same team being Category C which meant fans paid at least a tenner less.

Confused yet? 

The prices for last season's FA Cup fixtures were determined as Category B because if they were any cheaper, it would have meant that if you bought match tickets on a game by game basis, you'd have paid less than a season ticket holder over the course of the season. An odd situation for the club to find itself in, especially when you consider that in years gone by, the one major benefit of buying a season ticket was that your loyalty and up front cash payment to the club was rewarded with a tidy discount. The overall price of a season ticket was a fair bit cheaper than if you paid game to game.

Of course in recent years that discount had more or less vanished. What you paid for your season ticket was roughly the same as what you'd pay if you bought single tickets for every home match. Where's the reward for your loyalty there? Some would argue that the 'privilege' of having a season ticket is your reward... but then those people wouldn't have had to shell out upwards of a grand every year on 1 June.

This season Arsenal quietly slipped in that "UEFA Champions League and FA Cup fixtures will be based on 'A' and 'B' pricing". Therefore, any of the 'glamour' teams turn up to play us in the FA Cup, the club would stand to make a shedload more money - and so when the draw was made for the 3rd round of the cup, the bean counters within Highbury House will have been doing The Macarena (or is it The Mertesacker?)  in celebration. Along came Spurs, along came Category A prices, along came a hefty old wedge of cash, and out went Spurs. Let's ignore the fact there were record numbers of spare tickets still floating around right up until kick off.

The draw for the 4th round pitted us against Coventry City; the once-proud top flight team (who beat Spurs in the 1987 cup final) but now find themselves just above mid-table in the 3rd tier of English football. As it stands, 'small' opposition but the pricing strategy already declared by Arsenal would mean it's classed as Category B. Right? Wrong.

Today Arsenal have announced "Arsenal v Coventry City... This is a Category C priced fixture". Erm, eh?!

Now don't get me wrong this is great for fans who want to get tickets as cheap as possible. Not so great for Coventry City, however, considering they're in desperate need of cash and now stand to make a lot less from gate receipts. Not so great for season ticket holders at Arsenal where the cheapest seat averages out at £38 whereas the same seat will cost a day tripper £25.50? Not so sure on that one, as I think the Spurs match price balanced it out and the price of the season ticket still won't be too much different from the overall price had you bought a single ticket for every home game.

What it does do of course is throw more confusion on Arsenal's ticket pricing strategy. All FA Cup games A or B? Coventry come to Emirates? Category C. A serious case of making it up as they go.

As a supporters' group that pays attention to the prices that our fans have to pay, naturally we'll be seeking some feedback from Arsenal as to why they've changed tack for this game and if the 'finger in the air' approach is something they'll be using from now on. I recognise that there's a balancing act in terms of revenue coming into the club from ticket sales, but curve balls over prices and categories only serve to stir up suspicion among supporters as to why the club employ such tactics.

Personally I'm of the view that prices at Arsenal on the whole are still too expensive. Will they come down? Of course they won't; if the club gives with one hand, they'll more than take back with the other. Category C seats with a tenner off? Blinding, except that the same seat increases by £27 when a 'glamour' opponent visits. In the upper tier, have £21.50 off of the seat price for Category C. Category A? That'll be an extra £52 please.

90,000 cheaper tickets? Superb... but hold on, there are 90,000 tickets where prices are a lot higher.

At the BSM we've always said we disagreed with the introduction of Category C tickets because while some stood to benefit, plenty more would get absolutely clobbered. We understand two of the groups involved in the discussions with Arsenal at that time fully backed it, and that's their call, but we'd say the bigger picture was missed. A lot of our fans have suffered financially as a result. 

My own view? Get rid of price categorisation. Yes I understand this means people will have to pay an extra tenner for a certain match, but it means that the same person would benefit from a seat that's £27 less for another match... or a staggering £52 less for the seat if you're upstairs. No price categories? Everything even, one price band across the board. It'd also mean there's a lot less confusion with season ticket holders worrying that the club aren't recognising and rewarding their loyalty (and the tens of thousands of pounds they've shelled out over the years). Finally, it'd save Arsenal major headaches as well as admin time (and that equals money!) trying to work out how they can price matches effectively. 

Up The Gunners.

'Highbury Harold'

Army Jon

18/11/2013

 
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Today it's been one year since the sad passing of ‘Army’ Jon Davies and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.

AJ went to bed on 19 November 2012, the day we beat Tottenham 5-2, feeling unwell. Unfortunately his big soft heart gave out and he never awoke.

AJ loved The Arsenal so much he joined the Royal Artillery straight from school and served his country with pride.

He was the drummer for Arsenal band Riders Of The Night. Earlier last year Jon had an operation to remove a brain tumour, yet just a few weeks later he drove from Wales to the south coast to play with the band at a charity event to raise money for a young girl. That was the kind of man he was.

The video clip below shows AJ performing with the band, on stage at The Gunners.

AJ left a big hole in our lives and is missed by everyone that knew him. God bless mate.

Atmosphere? No chance.

30/10/2013

 
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Many will know that at the BSM we're passionate about getting a better deal for fans, and that part of this is to get an enjoyable matchday experience for those going to matches, supporting the team. One of our initiatives is 'Bring Back The Clock End' - a move to get season tickets in that area of the stadium, providing a place for like-minded fans who want to make a noise and get loud, vocal support going.

With season tickets not valid for League Cup games, it gave us a good chance of trying to do something similar, i.e. get a good number of like-minded supporters together in the ground. We therefore invited BSM members to get involved, and asked that they buy tickets in blocks 19, 18 and 17 - close to the away fans and not shoved as far away as possible, as the club did with the REDsection.

The idea was greeted with real enthusiasm from our members, and it was great to hear that a good few hundred had managed to buy tickets in this area of the ground. It was all set up to be an enjoyable night and on the concourse before the game, the songs started. The mood was positive and upbeat, and I was looking forward to taking my place in the ground.

Walking into block 19 a few minutes before kick off, our fans in that area of the ground were already in good voice. Volume was increasing and the atmosphere was building nicely. Of course with 9,000 away fans to our left we were up against it and it would take a decent effort to make a dent. But for the first 10 or 15 minutes we held our own and had some good exchanges back and forth across the divide. I saw some good stuff from fans on Twitter talking about block 19 buzzing, and some Chelsea fans have told me today that it was vocal back and forth at the start. But then, it began.

All of a sudden there was a constant stream of stewards up and down the aisle, telling people to sit down, checking tickets and generally causing a nuisance. This carried on all night but from that moment on, all that happened was arguing between fans and stewards over standing, noise, singing at the Chelsea fans, whether they had the right ticket - it was real disruptive tactics and in my opinion this was orchestrated by the stadium management. One female steward patrolled up and down the aisle with a notebook, furiously scribbling notes and ordering other stewards around.

Soon after this, Chelsea were gifted a goal and that invited their fans to start the provocation of our supporters. Standing on seats hurling abuse, acting brave and offering fights to anyone who'd give them some abuse back. When they scored, some Chelsea fans tried to light a blue flare but never managed to get it going. No action from police or stewards, which is puzzling when you think a fan of ours who did that at Stamford Bridge in 2010 received a £385 fine and was banned from football grounds for 3 years.

Don't get me wrong I am up for wind-ups and banter between opposing supporters. It's part of football and has been so for decades. But last night it was a one-sided affair with Chelsea fans allowed to get up to all sorts, while stewards and police caused endless trouble for our supporters with threats of arrest for anyone who "engaged with Chelsea supporters" (that's an actual quote from a policeman last night). One steward then said to the bloke next to me "Sorry, we're under orders tonight". That told us all we needed to know.

At half time I saw two people pulled aside on the concourse by police and get questioned. Apparently this was for being abusive to stewards, though I was informed no such abuse was given. Arguing a point yes, but no actual abuse.

On going back to our seats after half time, stewards then saw it fit to check the ticket of every fan trying to get back in. I've never seen this happen at any home game of ours in all the time I've been going - some 30-odd years. Naturally this caused a huge bottleneck of fans trying to get back to their seats, and many of us missed the start of the second half.

The rest of the game was just more of the same. Hassle from stewards and bugger all happening on the Chelsea side. Over came a bottle from their fans, our supporters reacted angrily and in came the police and stewards to threaten our supporters. Any stewards or police their side plucking out the person who threw it? Of course not. Truly laughable.

Overall, I have to give a big thanks to those BSM members who came along last night with the intention of getting behind the team, creating some noise and having a good time at football. I'm just sorry that an obvious ploy from our stadium management ensured that fans spent most of their time arguing with stewards and police, being threatened with arrest for the most ridiculous reasons, and some even being followed and told off by police after leaving the ground.

Every now and then we hear noises from Arsene Wenger and the players about the need for a positive atmosphere at home games. It's therefore disappointing that the club do all they can to stifle any attempts to generate loud vocal support. Last night it wasn't even a case of pissing into the wind, it was more like pissing into that St Jude storm while being battered with a water cannon of piss at the same time.

Needless to say, we'll be taking these events up with the club and we will continue to fight to get a positive atmosphere back in our stadium. The club may want a big group of people who sit there in silence, tapping away on their iPad or knitting (yes, that has been spotted), taking pictures and clapping every now and then. To us, that's not football. It's not the way football has ever been, or ever should be.

We continue, onward. A better deal for fans, that's what we strive for. It's our club, it's our game, and we won't give up easily. Football without the fans is nothing.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'

THAT Top Trumps flyer

17/10/2013

 
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In short, it's "We've done a great job, but how can we push on?".

By now you'll have seen or read that we handed out flyers to attendees at today's AGM and as word spread to social networking sites, a lot of chat, debate, praise, moaning and the usual natter followed. Of course, we have our detractors who refuse to believe or understand what we're about and we knew they'd try to pick holes in the flyer, and true to form out they came. But for those who want to know a bit more about the thinking behind it, here goes.

Why Bayern?
People have asked why we're comparing ourselves to Bayern Munich. They receive funding from others, they didn't have to pay for their stadium, they're this, they're that!

Well as a memory refresher and for those who weren't around back then, when we were looking to move stadium, on more than one occasion our Board used the selling point that moving to a bigger ground would enable us to move up to the level of a "European Super Club". The term was held up there as the barometer; this is where we want to be and where we should be.

In more recent times, our Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis has used Bayern Munich as a barometer, showcasing them as a leader in European football. He's done so on more than one occasion. So if our Chief Exec is putting them up there as a model club, let's compare ourselves and see the gaps we need to close.

We're top of the league!
Correct, we are top of the league. Great, isn't it? But my advice would be to read the contents of the flyer. And as we've always said, at the BSM our focus isn't what takes place on the pitch. It's how the club is run and how the club treats its core support.

So yes it's fantastic we're finally getting a team that looks like it could challenge, this isn't what our group is focused on. We'd much rather get behind the team at matches thanks (come to the Chelsea Capital One Cup game and you'll see that), while outside of matches there are issues that we're looking at.

Stop moaning!
Again I'd say read the contents of this flyer. It's not a moan, it's actually saying what a great job we've done in getting to where we are, but how do we move on? How do we look forward and push towards being one of these European 'Super Clubs'?

Key point is that as a group we feel the Board is in need of change. The average age of our Board members is too high, and there isn't enough football experience there. I wrote an article two years ago touching on this, giving suggestions on how we could improve, and many of the points I still feel are valid today. You can read the article here.

Looking at the Bayern setup, they have ex-players at boardroom level - people who have the club in their blood, who understand the game, understand the fans. We feel that kind of influence would be of benefit to Arsenal.

As mentioned in the flyer, 87% of fans who completed our end of season survey felt the current Arsenal Board is out of touch with the fans, and that change is needed. Of course the usual handful of people have guffawed that it's not 87% of all Arsenal fans. We never said it was, however out of any Arsenal group who conducted a survey it's the highest response rate (around 2,500) and as a matter of fact, these results hit home with the club. After we shared the results with Arsenal they requested time to discuss in more detail the points about fans feeling less valued by the club, and the Board being out of touch. So if you want to try and poke fun, feel free, but the club have recognised the issue and want to work on that, which is great.

It's about the fans
Our ultimate message from the flyer is that while big stadiums, players and trophies are great and help promote a club's standing, it's the fans who make a club what it is. It's our supporters who've helped get this great club to the level it's at today. Loyal, hardcore fans who've paid thousands and thousands of pounds over decades, travelling up and down the country (and abroad) in their love of The Arsenal.

We've always said that the Board needs to recognise the value of its core support and do all it can to ensure our fans are treated fairly. While it's great the club engages with fan groups, there's a lot more that can be done and let's not forget that famous saying "Football without fans is nothing".

Ultimately, as a group we're all about making things better for our matchgoing fans. That's' it.

If you want to see the flyer in full, take a look below.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'
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'The Name's Stan... Well Timed Stan'

27/9/2013

 
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Take a note of these dates...

7th June 2013

9th June 2013

27th September 2013

17th October 2013

Anything significant about them?... No?

Well - let me inform you. 7th June 2013 Ivan Gazidis and his we have huge financial firepower story. 9th June fresh off the back of his rousing statement we have the fans Q & A session based mainly on his positive spin story a few days earlier.

27th September a rare an uncoincidentally timed story from no other than Stan Kroenke our "majority shareholder" if you live in the UK or, our "owner" if you live in the US.

So, for the last date 17th October? 11.30am to be precise... any thoughts? OK - well it's our AGM date, and after a less than inspiring performance in the last 2 AGM's it appears Kroenke has learned to play the game. Gazidis style. "Get a decent story out in the weeks running up to the AGM Stan, they'll think you know what you're on about, and go easy on you in the AGM". Sadly we're not falling for that one here at the BSM.

We are all too aware of the spin that comes out of that club. OK - we signed 1 world class player, and what a player we hope he turns out to be. But we let 20 odd players leave? Surely that's left us threadbare as a squad? 

I'm not going to dwell on the negative as we've had a great start. Ozil being attributed with laying on the goals but we were doing well without him so he can only help our cause this season. I'm loving the football we're playing. I'm loving being proved wrong about Ramsey, I'm loving being proved wrong about Giroud. I'm loving Matthew Flamini, and I would gladly pay the fine he probably got for that yellow vs Spurs. At 29 he's in his peak. He can share that "play breaker" role with Arteta all day long for me. 

A tough away game this weekend, but in the run of form we're in, why should we fear? Keep those heads held high, play for the crest on that shirt (although the cannon is arseways) and keep us proud gunners fans smiling. 

Come On You Gunners...   

The Big Bendtner Bundle

26/9/2013

 
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Three months we had this summer. Three months and around £80 million to secure the services of a top-class striker. Make a statement a year after losing Robin van Persie. Don't lump ALL the pressure on Giroud. We'd cleared a load of dead wood which was great, but there was just the cling-on Bendtner to offload to one of the hundreds and hundreds of clubs who were after him. I mean, his dad had been saying for two years that plenty were after signing his son, so surely he was finally off?

Yet here we are approaching October with one recognised striker in Giroud, a couple of fringe player kids in the squad, and.... Nicklas Bendtner. Why is he still here?!

Before I go any further, don't assume I'm saying I hate Bendtner and have never rated him. Quite the opposite; a few years ago I personally thought he was a better striker than Chamakh and could offer more for the team; I wanted him taking Chamakh's place but for some reason, Arsene Wenger saw fit to play him on the wing. A baffling decision, totally Loopyville in my opinion. Unfortunately following this spell as a winger, Bendtner fell out of favour, out of the team, out of the squad, and out of the club, out of the country at one point... basically shipped out on loan to anyone who'd have him.

Since then we've seen talk of the player leaving us for this team and that... only for the deals to disappear and it then falls back to the fans on social media banging on about him being a "greedy bastard unwilling to drop his wage demands". Let's not forget, our manager put this player on weekly wages of £52,000 and signed him to a long-term contract. So ultimately whose fault is it that the player won't accept lower wages elsewhere? Ours. The buck stops with Arsenal, not the player.

So when the transfer window slammed shut and Jim White had calmed himself down in the Sky Sports studio, when the dust had settled... Nicklas Bendtner. There he was, still an Arsenal player. Okay, I thought - poor transfer window overall (aside from the one proper signing we made) and a balsa wood squad liable to break at any moment, but we'd have to make do. Our own fault we'd chosen to dawdle and keep dough in the bank, but Bendtner would just be a cling-on for another few months before we could try and get rid once more. Surely he wouldn't come anywhere near the team.

This is why I assumed that...

"I will never go back to Arsenal. If I can have it my way, I will never play for them again"

Who said those words? Nicklas Bendtner.

For me, any player who says something like that is no longer an Arsenal man. Yes he may be contracted to us but you can no longer play him. Doing so shows weakness and gives the player the upper hand. The player can say and do as he pleases.

"But we've got nobody else" ... "Who should we play there?" ... "Trust the manager's decisions" ... "Our options are limited" ... those are the kinds of arguments I've seen on Twitter. I'll ask again, whose fault is it that our options are virtually zilch?

Once more we have warring factions of fans. Those who can't stand the player and want him gone, and those who are willing to forgive and forget because it's a route our manager has chosen to pursue. I've even seen some going along with the manager's spin that Bendtner can come good and do a great job for us! And right here is where we've got the BIB (Bendtner Is Best) gang against the BOB (Bendtner Out Brigade).

Me? I want rid of Bendtner. I don't want him anywhere near our team ever again after what he said. Call me BOB.

A BIG wöw, but ssshh – don't mention the rest! 

3/9/2013

 
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Wow, that was one long and ridiculously stressful summer transfer window. Why did we think it would be any different?!

I won't go too much into what happened over the course of the last few months as it's been done to death by everyone, everywhere. The long and short of it is that we had 2,519 hours to spend some of the money that's been sitting nicely in the bank... and it took us 2,518.5 hours to do it.

Mesut Özil's  
signing is big. It's mega. It's absolutely fucking HUGE in the grand scheme of things. In my lifetime and during my time as an Arsenal fan, I can recall three transfers that have got me excited; Charlie Nicholas (my boyhood hero), Dennis Bergkamp, and Sol Campbell. They were three major transfers that shook the football world and sent Arsenal fans wild. Özil makes it number four. He's a supreme talent and someone I've rated for a few years after seeing him ripping teams apart for Germany. I would have loved us to get him before Real Madrid but hey, we've got him now and as stats stack up, this bloke is on a different planet. Take the assist figures of any Barcelona player and this little genuis wipes the floor with them.

While Özil's arrival was a big statement of intent on one hand, the other hand is a bit like a seasoned wicket keeper's with joints out of place and mangled digits very apparent. We had (according to the AST) around £100m available to invest in the squad at the start of the summer and during the close season we brought in around £10m from outgoing player sales, then cleared a LOT of dead wood which freed up around £500,000 a week in wages. Even Stevie Wonder could see that our squad is lacking in a few key areas but despite all the money available to bolster our team we spent a net of around £35m. That leaves around £65m sitting there, unspent.

We're a handful of games into the new season and already have injury issues with key players. Podolski is gone for around 3 months, Arteta is another medium to long term absentee, and who knows when Vermaelen will be back? As it now stands we're relying on Olivier Giroud to stay fit up front as he's our only recognised striker. Yes Theo could be slotted in there but is he a "top, top top quality" centre forward? No, he's not. At centre back, if anything happens to Mertesacker or Koscielny, we'll have to rely on a right back providing cover. That baffles me given the riches we had available to invest, but at least it gives Uncle Ivan the chance to secure the hat trick of "powder dry" comments.


Oh yeah, there were some other players who came in. Sanogo fills me with no excitement whatsoever; the phrase 'injury prone and plucked from Ligue 2' doesn't say ambition to me, it says gamble. Flamini I've never been keen on re-signing mainly because I don't like backward steps (and Wenger never used to either) but also because he walked out on us five years ago. But he was freeeeeee!!!!!! We like freebies. Viviano I can't see as top quality goalkeeper backup, just another Fabianski or Mannone type. Some reviews I've read about him don't really fill me with confidence, and with keepers like Cesar and Begovic attainable over the last few months, someone who was turned down by Fiorentina warrants no more than a "meh" from me.

So overall, it's been a strange transfer window. Last night I asked my followers on Twitter if they'd consider it a successful window if
Özil was the only player to come in (ignoring Viviano) and the response was a landslide. No, not good enough. The opinion was that we also needed a top quality striker and further cover at centre back. This morning I saw Tim Payton ask his followers to score our transfer window out of 10, and the result was around 6.

Last night there was a lot of smugness among some Gooners, and the old "Arsene Knows" line I spotted on more than a few occasions. Off the back of one signing. To that I'd say woah, woah, hold on there! One
swällow doesn't make a summer so as major as Özil's signing was for this club, we still have a whole load of work to do with this squad, and we need to keep our fingers crossed big time on the injury front. Added to that, the comments I received about "We can spend in January" smack of desperation and are very much akin to Uncle Ivan's powder remarks. It's well known that Wenger doesn't like the January window; he sees no value in it as buyers are desperate... so surely if he really thought we were in need (and with shitloads in the bank) he would have spent this summer, wouldn't he?

Anyway, we are where we are. It's been yet another nightmare summer for Gooners seeing failed attempts at Higuain and Suarez, then Cabaye... ending with us having to wait until the final hour of the transfer window to do anything of note. There's nothing can be done now, so we have to plough on and hope we're up there challenging come January. Who knows, with both Manchester clubs starting the season in topsy turvy form, we could be in with a shout assuming we can keep people fit and keep a good run going.


So if you go to Arsenal games, get behind the team. Ignore all the WOB vs AKB stuff in the ground; don't get involved. Just put all your energy into cheering on the 11 players on that pitch wearing the cannon on their chest. 


Up The Gunners


'Highbury Harold'

Altogether now...

30/8/2013

 
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BSM on the Thames... and then some!

28/8/2013

 
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PictureUpper deck and the outside deck all ready...
This is a somewhat belated account of what took place last Saturday... mainly because it's taken that long to recover!

When Fulham away was announced for the Bank Holiday weekend in August, we were over the moon. Then came the wait, and wait, and wait, for the live TV fixtures to be revealed. Thanks to BT Sport, our plans were thrown sideways - what with the match being broadcast at 12.45pm on the Saturday. Apart from Monday night, this was the worst possible outcome! But we ploughed on with our plans to hold a big party for Gooners, on the Thames.

So following a lot of dialogue as to how we should play it, discussions with the boat hire company, and agreement on what we'd do, we announced it to our members. BSM on the Thames was happening!

Unfortunately the original plan of docking at Putney wasn't possible due to the early kick-off. Tide levels at that time of day meant the larger party boats on the Thames could not dock there - only the smaller 'river bus' style vessels could do that. Our party was designed to be a party, not a bus service - we wanted a big boat to cater for all our guests, so even with that spanner thrown into the works, on we ploughed!

Gauging the responses from people up for our party, we felt that attendance at the afternoon's match was secondary; the main event was getting people together for a good old-fashioned booze cruise on the river. Arsenal fans together, some quality music, a cracking sing-song and a great time. 
So following the promotion work, online bookings and loads of chat looking forward to it, the day finally arrived. And so did the poxy rain! Spanner after spanner thrown at us, but fuck it - we're The Arsenal and we keep on. 

8am on a dreary Saturday morning, Gooners started to arrive at Temple Pier in central London; a fair few tired but expectant faces, looking forward to what was about to happen. Those of us who'd arranged the party boarded the boat to get it all set up and ready to go. We'd chosen what we felt was the right boat for this event; Large enough to hold a lot of partygoers? Check. More than one bar to cater for thirsty Gooners? Check. Good sound system to pump out the tunes? Check. Large outside deck so our guests could soak up that late summer sun? Check... well, we can't control the weather, right? Overall we felt we'd chosen a great vessel for our party - it was one of the largest party boats on the Thames, it ticked all the right boxes, so we were more than happy with the choice we'd made.

PictureThe ones and twos all set up!
8.45am arrived, and the boat started to fill up. The vast majority headed straight upstairs and to the bar... and with that the party had begun. Drinks were bought and as the long line of Gooners on the pier made their way onto the boat, we prepared to set sail and get the party going.


9am, and it was time to go. The Captain got us moving and the tunes kicked in. What followed was three hours of top, top quality partying, Arsenal style. The music on board was chosen specifically for the crowd with a mixture of old school R&B, hip-hop, house, you name it. And of course any Arsenal party wouldn't be complete without the old classics such as The Laughing Gooner, and tunes aplenty from our favourites The Riders of the Night. EYES RIGHT!

PictureBest city in the world!
Being on the Thames, we of course saw all the sights and luckily the rain held off, allowing loads of Gooners to spend their trip drinking and partying on the outside deck. Our boat was decorated with Arsenal flags, the songs were loud and proud, and we got a fair few approving waves (and some expected 'gestures') from people on the bridges above us!

I personally got to meet so many people on the day, it was like a whirlwind of handshakes, great chat, drinking and having a real good laugh. The comments we received all day long were superb, too - and if I had a quid for every time I got asked when we were doing it again, I'd have enough to afford a round of beers at Emirates!

As the party entered the final stretch, the mood on board was as upbeat as you can get. It reminded you of just how great it is to support this amazing old club of ours, and how when we're together as fans there's nothing better.

PictureThe lads from the Bridgehouse
Midday came and that marked the end of the party... well, the end of the party on the boat!

As a lot of Gooners left the boat and made their way to Craven Cottage, there were around 100 of us who were ready to carry on elsewhere, as we'd made alternative arrangements for fans to see the game in a nearby pub.

After ensuring everyone had made it off the boat, it was onwards to the boozer... and that's when the heavens opened. As we walked across Westminster Bridge singing all manner of Arsenal tunes, the rains came down but our spirits couldn't be dampened.

PictureOver and over and over again!
Let's just say, we took over the pub. There's no other way of putting it. The place was packed with Arsenal and in addition to around 100 who came from the boat party, there were more who'd heard of us going there and joined in.

To top it all off, the boys on the pitch put in a superb performance and secured the three points, which just made the whole day even sweeter. 

My memory from the latter part of the day isn't too great; I can't remember how I got home but I made it back somehow. Completely drenched thanks to loads more rain later that evening but by that point I didn't care. I'd had one of the best days in all my years of supporting The Arsenal. I'd spent it with friends old and new, having a drink, a sing-song and celebrating the fact we're Arsenal. Fuck all the rest.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'

Even the tumbleweed has had enough. Let's get a move on!

23/8/2013

 
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It's now 96 days since the end of last season. You know, that point where we were really going to take things seriously and act with real ambition in the summer transfer market. Like the big boys do, we were going to have our targets already lined up, and get them in with plenty of time for them to gel, pre-season.

But of course, this is Arsenal. Ambitious? Maybe in the heads of some people within the club, but in reality we've simply taken that FORWARD motto and pissed all over it from a great height. Forward about what? Banking money, lying to fans? Definitely. Forward in a positive way on the pitch? Haha, do me a favour.

Anyway, we're now into the season and having lost our first league game and with the squad already struggling on the injury front, we have a mammoth 10 days left to put it right, and put it right... err... in the right way. Free transfers, has beens and almost-rans won't be acceptable and won't do much to stem the overflowing anger among Arsenal fans. Mister Wenger, today you said you have "some funds" available. Well you'd better spend all of that "some funds" because you have 10 days to put this right, especially as even your most loyal backers are walking away at some pace.

Be it Wenger, Dick Law, or Gazidis not being strict enough with his direct report, the transfer window has been a shambles. It was predictable despite Uncle Ivan's bullshit, sorry, spin... sorry, UBER positive promises, and it's become so dull, so quiet that even the famous tumbleweed is close to falling asleep.

Luckily the decent win against Fenerbahce has restored a bit of happiness among fans and boy was it needed. With a hefty three-goal cushion and away goals at that, let's hope after three points at Fulham we can coast the second leg and be well-rested for when that lot turn up the following. And of course it'd be even better IF we have some real top quality additions signed by then. I won't be holding my breath but I will keep my fingers crossed. If we can get to the game against the unwashed with 3 league points, a place in the Champions League group stages, and with some real quality signings, just imagine how great it would feel turning them over. Even better than it usually does.

Everyone will have by now seen Arsenal fan Chris Hudson's rant on Arsenal Fan TV, following the defeat against Villa. He followed that up with an interview with them after the Fenerbahce game, which for me is absolutely spot on... 

"It did come from the heart, cos The Arsenal Football Club mean a lot to me, and they mean a lot to a lot of people. I just want the people at Arsenal, especially the Board, to wake up. Forget me, it's not about me; it's about all the little kids who follow The Arsenal, people who've been over here since the 30s, you've GOT to listen to the fans, and don't let them down. You MUST not let the supporters down"

So below, I'm going to use a rare war cry that was sometimes heard on the old North Bank at Highbury (the REAL North Bank, not the stand with seats)  with hope in my heart that we can get our league campaign going tomorrow.

And if you're with us for BSM on the Thames, I'll see you in the morning for a few beers, a good old Arsenal sing-song and a cracking party with like-minded Gooners.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'
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Where do we go from here?!

19/8/2013

 
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... or is it?!
"Is it down to the lake I fear? Ay, ya, ya-ya yaaa ya!  Ay, ya, ya-ya ya yaaa ya ya!"

Well, someone was bound to refer to the Haircut 100 song after that headline, so I thought I'd get in first. Anyway...


What a mess this club is in. On Friday I posted a plea to matchgoing fans to get behind the team, as the players need all the help they can get. We all know what happened on the pitch so I won't go on about that.

You will have seen that in the early hours of Sunday morning, we published a letter which we'd sent to Ivan Gazidis, expressing our deep concern over the state of things at the club. This was by no means a knee-jerk reaction following Saturday's lame defeat; it followed a summer where we'd made a decision not to pester the club. We wanted to give them a chance to act with ambition and focus, but yet again it's been another summer of Arsenal doing nothing.

To say the letter received some interest is an understatement. The news article on our website attracted over 130,000 hits, we've picked up a hell of a lot of new followers across social media, the letter received national press coverage, we've had over 1,000 new members join the BSM, and our mailboxes are overflowing.

A fair few people have asked us whether we think Ivan Gazidis will respond. With the amount of coverage our letter received, I'd like to think that he or someone else from the club will have the courtesy of sending a reply. It would be foolish not to, in my opinion.

As for the position the club finds itself in, we now have less than two weeks until the transfer window closes and yet again there's talk, and more talk about who we're looking to sign. Today I've seen more about Ashley Williams (yes please), and Michu (yes, he'll do too) in a double swoop on Swansea. Not the mega signings that would necessarily bring the Bergkamp and Campbell kind of excitement among fans, but we'll take pretty much anyone now please! Strangely, today I've also seen Paul Pogba linked. Paul Pogba, the bloke who got released by Man United? Seriously?!

Only thing is, as we hurtle towards that window slamming shut, it becomes even more of a seller's market. You know Arsene Wenger always says how much he hates the January transfer window because desperate clubs are taken for a ride by sellers who demand higher transfer fees? Well we're about to walk into that overpriced shop now. I've seen Michu being touted at £25m today... that's what we'll get for leaving it late.

Uncle Ivan's words in June about our "financial firepower" would have alerted any sellers at that point, anyway. "Arsenal have loads of cash, let's up the price a bit". However, we've now got to the point where the season has started, we've lost our opening game at home to a team we should beat every time, we're desperate, and the wheels of the trolley are being oiled for the latest dash. We'd better take along an extra few quid with us on that dash, because our piss poor dawdling has put us in an absolutely poxy position. 

All summer I've seen the uber-positive types tell fidgety fans to stay calm, that it will all be okay. As the days and weeks have passed, the messages have become a bit more frantic. And a bit more, and a bit more. The last time I checked, it was at Chip Diller (played by a young Kevin Bacon) in Animal House level. Now those people have either passed out, been trampled under the waves of realists and/or 'moaners', or they've given up hope themselves. Feeling among fans is the lowest I've ever seen, and the blame for that lies squarely at the feet of those running our club.

The clock is ticking. Still. And sellers are rubbing their hands together. For the sake of the club, the team, and more than all, the mistreated fans, come on Arsene, Ivan, and Dick Law. Pull your fingers out and get busy. Now.

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'

Sing your hearts out for the lads

16/8/2013

 
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Day 89 since the end of last season, and tomorrow we head into a new campaign. It was hoped and envisaged that this summer we'd take the transfer market seriously, invest some of that huge wad of cash we have in the bank, and hit the ground running ready to mount a serious challenge on all fronts. It's needed, it was anticipated, and yet again it hasn't happened. We've been through the hopes, we've been through a huge increase of ITKs spouting shit about the players "100% signed" (and of course showing themselves up)... and despite this being a HUGE summer for the club, we've come up shorter than Ronnie Corbett kneeling down. In a ditch.

Tomorrow, Aston Villa arrive at Emirates and given all the crap that's been going on at The Arsenal this summer, they probably fancy their chances. I guarantee their fans do; a bigger mob of lairy visiting supporters you'll be hard-pressed to find. Many neutrals maybe fancy Villa too. However, I have one thing to say: we are THE ARSENAL.

This club has always reacted when apparently backed into a corner. It's always come out fighting when the chips are down. We sneer in the face of adversity and say "We're The Arsenal, who the fucking hell are you?!". This is one of those times, and it's time we stood together.

So if you're going to the game tomorrow, I ask this of you. Get 100% behind the team on the pitch. Cheer them, sing loudly and passionately. Show them that despite what's going on with the management of this club, your love of The Arsenal will always prevail. 

I know the squad is balsa wood weak at the moment but last weekend's game against Man City showed that we have a starting eleven who can mix it with the big boys. The players we have now seem much more committed than in previous seasons, and we have some real quality in the team. I know we could really challenge if we spent some of that cash on top quality additions, but tomorrow is tomorrow and we need to let the players know how much we support them.

It's obvious that there is a lot of ill feeling towards the powers that be in Highbury House, and most of it is absolutely justified. I've never seen an Arsenal fanbase so divided, so full of anger, and if last season's fighting in the stands is anything to go by, the potential this time around is even worse. Whose fault is that? Those running our club. They have driven a wedge between supporters, they have created the situation we're in. But the players who take to the pitch have nothing to do with what goes on behind the scenes so that's why I ask that you give them your backing 100%. At the BSM we've always called for fans to get fully behind the team on the pitch and this is no different.

Your team needs YOU. Make some noise and let's get help the lads get three points.

"United, West Ham, Liverpool......"

Up The Gunners

'Highbury Harold'
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    Note that articles on this section of the website are the opinions of individuals and may not represent the view of the BSM as a whole. For official group announcements, visit the News page on this website.
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