Want an Executive Box at Arsenal?
23 July 2012
So the season ticket renewal period has been and gone. Yet more sad news that a lot of fans have had to give up their ticket, or called it a day through disillusionment at the way things are being run by our Board.
Season ticket rentals
This summer has also seen a huge (and I mean HUGE) increase in season tickets on offer from people wanting to rent them out for next season. This happens where someone wants to keep the ticket in their own name i.e. not lose the season ticket but gives it up to someone who buys it off of them for the year.
The infamous season ticket waiting list
After all the other activity, recently the club has been contacting those on the season ticket waiting list, offering a season ticket where spaces have become available. It's been an eye opener to see that people as far down as 20,000 have received offers, but with the majority of tickets on offer between £1,100 and £1,900 it's maybe not surprising that a lot of those can't come up with that kind of money on the spot.
If you're on the waiting list, get an offer but can't afford a season ticket right now, it seems that the club will let some people defer until next summer. But information seems inconsistent; some have been allowed, some turned down flat. Where's the policy on this? What are the real results of Ivan's much-publicised ticketing review? Does it not cover all angles? Oh, no - it's just to do with new prices and something 'spectacular' about the Ticket Exchange scheme, even though nobody's been able to explain what that is.
Talking waiting list and season ticket offers, I had this from someone who'd been on the phone last week with the club:
"I asked about deferring and he said that I had to have a good reason. He then spent 20 minutes offering me seats all over the upper tier. Looks like there are a lot of seats available everywhere upstairs".
You have to have a good reason to defer for a year?! Who at the club deems your reason to be worthy? Say the person on the other end of the phone is a heartless bastard - that's your chance gone. Back of the queue you go.
In all seriousness this is something where the club needs to clarify the process. More transparency as to how this is handled; something we're looking into.
Executive box, anyone?
If you're not on the waiting list, if you haven't rented someone else's season ticket, you could always buy an executive box or buy a single seat in a shared one.
The club's hospitality sales people have been at it recently, sending out e-mails to companies and individuals where they think there might be some interest.
Below is a copy of an e-mail conversation between the club and someone they very obviously misjudged.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce a wonderful opportunity for you and or your company to become an owner of either a corporate executive box or individual places in a shared executive box for the coming football season; 2012/2013 at Emirates Stadium.
Our renewal processes have been completed across the Premium Tier and the following seasonal packages are available.
*OWN YOUR OWN EXCLUSIVE CORPORATE BOX AT EMIRATES STADIUM FOR THE 2012/2013 SEASON*
The following two boxes are now available on a first come first served basis: -
Box 43 10 Seater
Position North stand, behind-the goal
Season 2012/13 £71,585.00 + VAT
Season 2013/14 £72,658.78 + VAT
Season 2014/15 £73,748.66 + VAT
Box 90 12 Seater
Position Pitch side edge / South-East Corner
Season 2012/13 £81,627.50 + VAT
Season 2013/14 £82,851.91 + VAT
Season 2014/15 £84,094.69 + VAT
I’ve attached a pdf containing all benefits and also a map of box level so you can see the location of the two boxes.
I hope you find the information above to be of interest. If you would like to make a viewing, please feel free to contact me on the below numbers.
Alternatively *INDIVIDUAL SEASONAL PLACES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM AN EXECUTIVE BOX*
We currently have a limited number of places available from a 15 seater Executive Box that will be sold on a first come first served basis.
Package benefits: -
Access to all Arsenal First Team Competitive games; 19 Premiership games, all Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup home games
Private outside seating balcony
A dedicated Account Manager
Exclusive access to a range of first class bars and restaurant from two and half hours before each game across the Premium Tier
Complimentary matchday programmes and team sheets
All boxes include a bar, LCD TV with satellite and Arsenal TV matchday coverage
Seasonal price of £5,775.00 + VAT per seat.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me on the below number.
Regards,
*****
***** ********
Hospitality & Corporate Box Sales Manager
Arsenal Football Club
Highbury House | 75 Drayton Park | London | N5 1BU
Tel: +44 (0) 207 704 **** Mob: +44 (0) 7730 *** ***
Web:www.arsenal.com/hospitality
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response to Arsenal:
How do I go about buying 25 seats?!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail back from Arsenal:
Hi Mr .............
25 corporate seats; what about a couple of boxes?
Feel free to call me on the below numbers to discuss.
Regards,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response to Arsenal:
I can’t call, I’m about to board a plane. If I get a couple of boxes how would you want the payments to be made? Would these be spread throughout the season?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail back from Arsenal:
If you decided to go for a couple of boxes, then yes we can look to spread payments.
What’s your mobile number and I will call you next Monday.
Regards,
*****
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response (and killer) e-mail:
Hi *****
If I can manage to rustle up 25 of us, is there any chance we can paint the stadium before August and earn ourselves a free season ticket like years ago back at Highbury? If so I'm sure I can round up a good few more people who are willing to work for it because they also have been totally priced out by the greed of the AFC bigwigs.
Those prices you have shown me are absolutely ludicrous and just goes to show how stupid the current game is, totally out of touch with the working class (the real Arsenal supporters) that put the club where it is today. Not a load of rich Johnny Come Latelys.
It’s obvious to me you are struggling with season ticket sales and boxes etc. You can hardly be surprised as Arsenal Football Club has ripped the piss out of everyone since they moved stadium, and the really funny thing is you've shot yourself in the foot because these new Johnny Come Latelys won’t be renewing if the myopic one doesn’t deliver a trophy very soon. And then this fantsastic 60,000 stadium will be only half full for many years to come!
Please do not send me emails anymore offering me the fantastic benefits of being an Arsenal fan. I’ve been a fan for 40 years. I’ve travelled all over Europe following my club, but refuse to pay another penny towards being lied to or fobbed off any longer!
Kind Regards
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The exchange made me laugh. You can almost feel the excitement of the sales person getting a sniff of a sale (and no doubt a nice chunk of commission) but he's oblivious to the fact he's chosen the wrong person to target. The final response to the club tells it like it is for a lot of longer term supporters - they've had enough, and there are more like them walking away every year.
The painting part was great. Back until the late 80s (maybe even early 90s) the club used to let volunteers work at Highbury for a week, painting walls etc. and generally keeping the stadium looking nice and clean. No money was paid to those doing the painting - instead they received a free terrace season ticket. And as you can imagine, there were usually a fair few takers.
Look after those who look after you
It's obvious from our conversations with supporters over the summer that even more have called it a day and walked away from going to watch The Arsenal.
Which brings me back to the point we've stressed since the very start of this group. The club needs to look after its core support, or it'll be left relying on tourists and Johnny Come Lately to fill the stadium and maintain income. Is that a good long term strategy? Of course not. So while tours on the other side of the world will make the club a few quid, there definitely needs to be a recognition of loyalty towards those long term matchgoing fans. If not, the trend will continue with more walking away and that's when the future generations e.g. children of these long term supporters won't grow up as part of The Arsenal. That would be very sad and damaging for the club, but does the current Board really care?
Up The Gunners.
So the season ticket renewal period has been and gone. Yet more sad news that a lot of fans have had to give up their ticket, or called it a day through disillusionment at the way things are being run by our Board.
Season ticket rentals
This summer has also seen a huge (and I mean HUGE) increase in season tickets on offer from people wanting to rent them out for next season. This happens where someone wants to keep the ticket in their own name i.e. not lose the season ticket but gives it up to someone who buys it off of them for the year.
The infamous season ticket waiting list
After all the other activity, recently the club has been contacting those on the season ticket waiting list, offering a season ticket where spaces have become available. It's been an eye opener to see that people as far down as 20,000 have received offers, but with the majority of tickets on offer between £1,100 and £1,900 it's maybe not surprising that a lot of those can't come up with that kind of money on the spot.
If you're on the waiting list, get an offer but can't afford a season ticket right now, it seems that the club will let some people defer until next summer. But information seems inconsistent; some have been allowed, some turned down flat. Where's the policy on this? What are the real results of Ivan's much-publicised ticketing review? Does it not cover all angles? Oh, no - it's just to do with new prices and something 'spectacular' about the Ticket Exchange scheme, even though nobody's been able to explain what that is.
Talking waiting list and season ticket offers, I had this from someone who'd been on the phone last week with the club:
"I asked about deferring and he said that I had to have a good reason. He then spent 20 minutes offering me seats all over the upper tier. Looks like there are a lot of seats available everywhere upstairs".
You have to have a good reason to defer for a year?! Who at the club deems your reason to be worthy? Say the person on the other end of the phone is a heartless bastard - that's your chance gone. Back of the queue you go.
In all seriousness this is something where the club needs to clarify the process. More transparency as to how this is handled; something we're looking into.
Executive box, anyone?
If you're not on the waiting list, if you haven't rented someone else's season ticket, you could always buy an executive box or buy a single seat in a shared one.
The club's hospitality sales people have been at it recently, sending out e-mails to companies and individuals where they think there might be some interest.
Below is a copy of an e-mail conversation between the club and someone they very obviously misjudged.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce a wonderful opportunity for you and or your company to become an owner of either a corporate executive box or individual places in a shared executive box for the coming football season; 2012/2013 at Emirates Stadium.
Our renewal processes have been completed across the Premium Tier and the following seasonal packages are available.
*OWN YOUR OWN EXCLUSIVE CORPORATE BOX AT EMIRATES STADIUM FOR THE 2012/2013 SEASON*
The following two boxes are now available on a first come first served basis: -
Box 43 10 Seater
Position North stand, behind-the goal
Season 2012/13 £71,585.00 + VAT
Season 2013/14 £72,658.78 + VAT
Season 2014/15 £73,748.66 + VAT
Box 90 12 Seater
Position Pitch side edge / South-East Corner
Season 2012/13 £81,627.50 + VAT
Season 2013/14 £82,851.91 + VAT
Season 2014/15 £84,094.69 + VAT
I’ve attached a pdf containing all benefits and also a map of box level so you can see the location of the two boxes.
I hope you find the information above to be of interest. If you would like to make a viewing, please feel free to contact me on the below numbers.
Alternatively *INDIVIDUAL SEASONAL PLACES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FROM AN EXECUTIVE BOX*
We currently have a limited number of places available from a 15 seater Executive Box that will be sold on a first come first served basis.
Package benefits: -
Access to all Arsenal First Team Competitive games; 19 Premiership games, all Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup home games
Private outside seating balcony
A dedicated Account Manager
Exclusive access to a range of first class bars and restaurant from two and half hours before each game across the Premium Tier
Complimentary matchday programmes and team sheets
All boxes include a bar, LCD TV with satellite and Arsenal TV matchday coverage
Seasonal price of £5,775.00 + VAT per seat.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me on the below number.
Regards,
*****
***** ********
Hospitality & Corporate Box Sales Manager
Arsenal Football Club
Highbury House | 75 Drayton Park | London | N5 1BU
Tel: +44 (0) 207 704 **** Mob: +44 (0) 7730 *** ***
Web:www.arsenal.com/hospitality
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response to Arsenal:
How do I go about buying 25 seats?!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail back from Arsenal:
Hi Mr .............
25 corporate seats; what about a couple of boxes?
Feel free to call me on the below numbers to discuss.
Regards,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response to Arsenal:
I can’t call, I’m about to board a plane. If I get a couple of boxes how would you want the payments to be made? Would these be spread throughout the season?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail back from Arsenal:
If you decided to go for a couple of boxes, then yes we can look to spread payments.
What’s your mobile number and I will call you next Monday.
Regards,
*****
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The response (and killer) e-mail:
Hi *****
If I can manage to rustle up 25 of us, is there any chance we can paint the stadium before August and earn ourselves a free season ticket like years ago back at Highbury? If so I'm sure I can round up a good few more people who are willing to work for it because they also have been totally priced out by the greed of the AFC bigwigs.
Those prices you have shown me are absolutely ludicrous and just goes to show how stupid the current game is, totally out of touch with the working class (the real Arsenal supporters) that put the club where it is today. Not a load of rich Johnny Come Latelys.
It’s obvious to me you are struggling with season ticket sales and boxes etc. You can hardly be surprised as Arsenal Football Club has ripped the piss out of everyone since they moved stadium, and the really funny thing is you've shot yourself in the foot because these new Johnny Come Latelys won’t be renewing if the myopic one doesn’t deliver a trophy very soon. And then this fantsastic 60,000 stadium will be only half full for many years to come!
Please do not send me emails anymore offering me the fantastic benefits of being an Arsenal fan. I’ve been a fan for 40 years. I’ve travelled all over Europe following my club, but refuse to pay another penny towards being lied to or fobbed off any longer!
Kind Regards
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The exchange made me laugh. You can almost feel the excitement of the sales person getting a sniff of a sale (and no doubt a nice chunk of commission) but he's oblivious to the fact he's chosen the wrong person to target. The final response to the club tells it like it is for a lot of longer term supporters - they've had enough, and there are more like them walking away every year.
The painting part was great. Back until the late 80s (maybe even early 90s) the club used to let volunteers work at Highbury for a week, painting walls etc. and generally keeping the stadium looking nice and clean. No money was paid to those doing the painting - instead they received a free terrace season ticket. And as you can imagine, there were usually a fair few takers.
Look after those who look after you
It's obvious from our conversations with supporters over the summer that even more have called it a day and walked away from going to watch The Arsenal.
Which brings me back to the point we've stressed since the very start of this group. The club needs to look after its core support, or it'll be left relying on tourists and Johnny Come Lately to fill the stadium and maintain income. Is that a good long term strategy? Of course not. So while tours on the other side of the world will make the club a few quid, there definitely needs to be a recognition of loyalty towards those long term matchgoing fans. If not, the trend will continue with more walking away and that's when the future generations e.g. children of these long term supporters won't grow up as part of The Arsenal. That would be very sad and damaging for the club, but does the current Board really care?
Up The Gunners.
