Sunderland (H) | PL | Tue 16 May 19:45

[sk-gtfo]

Don't Sunderland have an American owner as well..?.

[Sean]

phpBB [video]

[sk-gtfo]

phpBB [video]

If you go to 6:20 something to me suggests he might be going, he says the club knows what it needs to do, no 'him' or 'we' in the second bit (about next season). We can but hope I suppose..

[mattyb]

BOYCOTT THE GAME

We hear time and time again that games are sold out when thousands of seats are empty...Wenger doesnt see this as a problem as to him..theyve sold the seats and do not give a xxxx even though they are empty.

[Bradywasking]

BOYCOTT THE GAME

We hear time and time again that games are sold out when thousands of seats are empty...Wenger doesnt see this as a problem as to him..theyve sold the seats and do not give a xxxx even though they are empty.

Seats are paid for so we don't give a fuck if you turn up or not was the message from Wenger yesterday...The only downside of a boycott for the company is the fall in match day revenue from programmes,food,beer and merchandise. Empty seats are immaterial once they are paid for...

[flash gunner]

I think getting Ozil to fancy this one could be Arsene's greatest achievement.....

[Gunner Rob]

Yesterday Wenger basically said that he wasn't bothered if Arsenal supporters turn up or not, as long as they pay their money to keep HIM in a job.

Any season ticket holders thinking about renewing need to have a think about that.

[augie]

Yesterday Wenger basically said that he wasn't bothered if Arsenal supporters turn up or not, as long as they pay their money to keep HIM in a job.

Any season ticket holders thinking about renewing need to have a think about that.

Yes he said it but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is very much one of those times - he can say what he likes, and try to spin it any way he likes, but the reality of the apathy and frustration of The Arsenal fanbase will be highlighted by the thousands of empty seats. Tbh I cannot understand why some people are quick to write off this protest as unimportant cos the seats are already sold - nobody disputes that they are sold (the call for a boycott actually acknowledges this by asking fans not to sell or give away their tickets for the game) but this isn't a financial protest and hasn't asked the fans not to spend any money at the game. This game (either in full or highlights) will be shown across the world, and there can be no doubting that "brand arsenal" will take a hit when/if the vast number of empty seats are shown, and long term that can only have a negative impact when trying to entice lucrative sponsorship deals to the club - people really need to stop looking at things purely at face value and accepting crap deflecting statements about the game being sold out, because the reality is that the club do care and so they should too

[Gunner Rob]

Yesterday Wenger basically said that he wasn't bothered if Arsenal supporters turn up or not, as long as they pay their money to keep HIM in a job.

Any season ticket holders thinking about renewing need to have a think about that.

Yes he said it but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is very much one of those times - he can say what he likes, and try to spin it any way he likes, but the reality of the apathy and frustration of The Arsenal fanbase will be highlighted by the thousands of empty seats. Tbh I cannot understand why some people are quick to write off this protest as unimportant cos the seats are already sold - nobody disputes that they are sold (the call for a boycott actually acknowledges this by asking fans not to sell or give away their tickets for the game) but this isn't a financial protest and hasn't asked the fans not to spend any money at the game. This game (either in full or highlights) will be shown across the world, and there can be no doubting that "brand arsenal" will take a hit when/if the vast number of empty seats are shown, and long term that can only have a negative impact when trying to entice lucrative sponsorship deals to the club - people really need to stop looking at things purely at face value and accepting crap deflecting statements about the game being sold out, because the reality is that the club do care and so they should too

augie - I genuinely do not understand why you think there are going to be too many empty seats this evening.

this match is much harder to get tickets for than any other evening fixture this season because the club have totally played the protesters by releasing tickets to general sale
it will be like a League Cup/Emirates Cup atmosphere tonight with lots of tourists, families with their kids. this usually produces a much better atmosphere anyway
the club will absolutely love it - the club shop will have queues coming out of the door, selfies will be being taken in the sunshine, and loads of overpriced crap food will be sold.

I am keeping well out of the way - when we go 3-0 up expect the "One Arsene Wenger" chant to be sung around the Emirates.

[NickF]

Yesterday Wenger basically said that he wasn't bothered if Arsenal supporters turn up or not, as long as they pay their money to keep HIM in a job.

Any season ticket holders thinking about renewing need to have a think about that.

Yes he said it but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and this is very much one of those times - he can say what he likes, and try to spin it any way he likes, but the reality of the apathy and frustration of The Arsenal fanbase will be highlighted by the thousands of empty seats. Tbh I cannot understand why some people are quick to write off this protest as unimportant cos the seats are already sold - nobody disputes that they are sold (the call for a boycott actually acknowledges this by asking fans not to sell or give away their tickets for the game) but this isn't a financial protest and hasn't asked the fans not to spend any money at the game. This game (either in full or highlights) will be shown across the world, and there can be no doubting that "brand arsenal" will take a hit when/if the vast number of empty seats are shown, and long term that can only have a negative impact when trying to entice lucrative sponsorship deals to the club - people really need to stop looking at things purely at face value and accepting crap deflecting statements about the game being sold out, because the reality is that the club do care and so they should too

augie - I genuinely do not understand why you think there are going to be too many empty seats this evening.

this match is much harder to get tickets for than any other evening fixture this season because the club have totally played the protesters by releasing tickets to general sale
it will be like a League Cup/Emirates Cup atmosphere tonight with lots of tourists, families with their kids. this usually produces a much better atmosphere anyway
the club will absolutely love it - the club shop will have queues coming out of the door, selfies will be being taken in the sunshine, and loads of overpriced crap food will be sold.

I am keeping well out of the way - when we go 3-0 up expect the "One Arsene Wenger" chant to be sung around the Emirates.

Yes, they put it on general sale to "play the protester", nothing to do with the fact they would do that anyway if a game doesn't sell out.

[augie]

I have no doubt that there will be LOADS of empty seats tonight, but tbh I think that they would have been empty regardless of any call to protest. Lets not be paranoid here and admit that the club were putting the tickets on general sale as well, regardless of any protest to boycott, because this is what they have always done when members cant be bothered attending. If the story about them offering free tickets to local schools is true, then that could certainly be viewed as an anti-boycott tactic.
However, let me also say again that you are missing who the call to boycott is being aimed at - the call to fans is aimed at those that have already bought tickets (season ticket holders etc.) and as such the club offering tickets on general sale should only have minimal effect on the protest. If these fans don't attend and don't sell/give their tickets away, then that alone will leave thousands of empty seats and that will deem the protest a success imo - if the club also fail to sell a lot of the tickets on general sale, then that will be a very welcome added bonus

[Gunner Rob]

put it this way - before the Leicester City game you could pick up a ticket in pretty much any block of the stadium (it didnt go to general sale)

for tonight the ground has pretty much sold out - yes there will be some season ticket holders that dont turn up - there always are, but I am not convinced there will be a big protest. the sheep in there do not do protests

[Bob Bayliss]

If there are fewer than 40,000 actually inside the stadium, we can say that the boycott has been effected. One in three seats empty will show....

[Midz]

Sunderland are relegated but it won't surprise anyone to see them play their hearts out and give us a hard time.
Let's hope that doesn't happen and that we give them a good thrashing. It'd be nice to see a decent scoreline.

[markyp]

I don't get how the seat having already been paid for but left empty wouldn't effect the club on or off the pitch,imagine playing a home game in front of 25,000,pretty demoralising for the players and a massive kick up the arse for the club.regardless of the money already having been spent the club wouldn't be able to carry on too long like that because even the wenger sausage sucking tourists don't want to a sit in a half empty stadium.an empty stadium with paid for seats is still a massive wake up call,its like having a birthday party but no fucker turning up even if you've already had all your presents it wouldn't be very pleasant would it?you couldn't just shake it off and say I don't care cos I got my presents anyway,it would make you have a long hard look at yourself