As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
1987, first game of the season vs Pool. 54,000 crowd and a lockout with about 30 mins to go before KO. Arsenal fans on the top of the north bank roof. Same happened vs the Spuds quite a few times, and if you wanted to stand in the middle of the North Bank, you had to get there at Noon to stand a chance. Even then the queue snaked round to Avenell Road.
That was a one off, looking at attendances in 1980s http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/stat/aftlu.htm many of the games against Victims*, Scum and Man U weren’t sell outs and had crowds of less than 40,000 on occasions.
1987 Littlewoods Cup Semi vs Everton 51,000. 1981 home vs Pool 48,000. 1988 home FA cup vs Manure 54,000 (17,000 Mancs there).
But far more were less than 40,000. Cup games were always an exception back in those days. 48,000 in 1981 means there was space for at least another 6,000.
I don't dispute that the average gates were below 40,000. But for the big prestious league and cup ties quite often gates where above 50k and there were lockouts, again referring to my original point you had to get there 2 or 3 hours before KO to get a spot in the middle of the north bank.
Yes there were 3 games a season when you had to get to the ground 2 hours early. But the season you mention 87/88 in a stadium that held 54,000 our average gate was 29,000. Football in the 80's was not popular.You could still turn up at 2.50pm pay on the gate and get in. Even the following year when we won the title and were top for nearly all season the average home gate was 35,000 https://www.worldfootball.net/attendanc ... 88-1989/1/
That was a one off, looking at attendances in 1980s http://www.thearsenalhistory.com/stat/aftlu.htm many of the games against Victims*, Scum and Man U weren’t sell outs and had crowds of less than 40,000 on occasions.
1987 Littlewoods Cup Semi vs Everton 51,000. 1981 home vs Pool 48,000. 1988 home FA cup vs Manure 54,000 (17,000 Mancs there).
But far more were less than 40,000. Cup games were always an exception back in those days. 48,000 in 1981 means there was space for at least another 6,000.
I don't dispute that the average gates were below 40,000. But for the big prestious league and cup ties quite often gates where above 50k and there were lockouts, again referring to my original point you had to get there 2 or 3 hours before KO to get a spot in the middle of the north bank.
Yes there were 3 games a season when you had to get to the ground 2 hours early. But the season you mention 87/88 in a stadium that held 54,000 our average gate was 29,000. Football in the 80's was not popular.You could still turn up at 2.50pm pay on the gate and get in. Even the following year when we won the title and were top for nearly all season the average home gate was 35,000 https://www.worldfootball.net/attendanc ... 88-1989/1/
Buy a ticket at the gate...marvellous
Paying big money to sit in a souless bowl where you cant stand or shout, sitting with thousands of day trippers not really interested in the game...FFS better off in the pub
The 82-83 season had many attendances in the low 20,000's and even a few at 17,000.....
yeah agreed....the attendances nowadays are massive in comparison but they are a different crowd
To attend in the mid 70s you had to be a die hard fan.... terrible pitches and the rest.....but despite all that still prefered it to todays match day experience
Shit facilities, often open to the elements, seeing about half the pitch, losing your mates in surges (or sometimes your shoe )the prospect of trouble yet people stayed till the end to watch the game.
Nowadays, it’s comfy padded seats, a caramel latte and vol au vent, with a fantastic view of a pristine pitch and the buggers can’t last past 80 mins.
Where are you sitting?! Sounds delightful!
Ha ha, I don’t, I haven’t been down for a home game for several years now,-,think my last game was a 3-3 drawn at home to Norwich at the end of the 2016 season.
The 82-83 season had many attendances in the low 20,000's and even a few at 17,000.....
yeah agreed....the attendances nowadays are massive in comparison but they are a different crowd
To attend in the mid 70s you had to be a die hard fan.... terrible pitches and the rest.....but despite all that still prefered it to todays match day experience
Shit facilities, often open to the elements, seeing about half the pitch, losing your mates in surges (or sometimes your shoe )the prospect of trouble yet people stayed till the end to watch the game.
Nowadays, it’s comfy padded seats, a caramel latte and vol au vent, with a fantastic view of a pristine pitch and the buggers can’t last past 80 mins.
Especially those slip on boat shoes...fuckkkkkk no socks jmy mate lent me a sock and we borrowed a bandage from one of the St John ambulance/first aiders - as long as I made a donation, which I did the following week...
When I started travelling over to Highbury in the late 80s I just used to write to the ticket office, list the next three games I wanted to see in order of preference, ask for NB lower, include a postal order and boom a few days later a couple of match tickets would arrive by post.
I was doing that up until about 95 or 96 I think. And then it got difficult.
When I started travelling over to Highbury in the late 80s I just used to write to the ticket office, list the next three games I wanted to see in order of preference, ask for NB lower, include a postal order and boom a few days later a couple of match tickets would arrive by post.
I was doing that up until about 95 or 96 I think. And then it got difficult.
These days, Kia Joorabchian does something very similar. He writes Edu a letter listing the next three players he wants to shift on to us and a few days later, a blank cheque arrives at his house for him to fill in with an amount.
When I started travelling over to Highbury in the late 80s I just used to write to the ticket office, list the next three games I wanted to see in order of preference, ask for NB lower, include a postal order and boom a few days later a couple of match tickets would arrive by post.
I was doing that up until about 95 or 96 I think. And then it got difficult.
These days, Kia Joorabchian does something very similar. He writes Edu a letter listing the next three players he wants to shift on to us and a few days later, a blank cheque arrives at his house for him to fill in with an amount.
When I started travelling over to Highbury in the late 80s I just used to write to the ticket office, list the next three games I wanted to see in order of preference, ask for NB lower, include a postal order and boom a few days later a couple of match tickets would arrive by post.
I was doing that up until about 95 or 96 I think. And then it got difficult.
These days, Kia Joorabchian does something very similar. He writes Edu a letter listing the next three players he wants to shift on to us and a few days later, a blank cheque arrives at his house for him to fill in with an amount.
I have this image of Jabberwocky the day he heard that Edutard got the job of Chief Arsenal Conman.... I reckon Jabberwocky rolled over in bed and announced to his harem of pet sex-hamsters, "kerching" and then lubricated and brutally inserted a couple to celebrate.
When I started travelling over to Highbury in the late 80s I just used to write to the ticket office, list the next three games I wanted to see in order of preference, ask for NB lower, include a postal order and boom a few days later a couple of match tickets would arrive by post.
I was doing that up until about 95 or 96 I think. And then it got difficult.
These days, Kia Joorabchian does something very similar. He writes Edu a letter listing the next three players he wants to shift on to us and a few days later, a blank cheque arrives at his house for him to fill in with an amount.
I have this image of Jabberwocky the day he heard that Edutard got the job of Chief Arsenal Conman.... I reckon Jabberwocky rolled over in bed and announced to his harem of pet sex-hamsters, "kerching" and then lubricated and brutally inserted a couple to celebrate.
Just an update on my dealings with the club as I know you're all on tenterhooks wondering how things are going for me.
So last Tuesday I emailed the club's membership department enquiring about the whereabouts of my membership card and 96 hours later I finally got a response.
The email address I used when sending the mail is the same one that's registered with the club, Arsenal Direct and Arsenal Rewards. I also included my telephone and membership number in the mail.
The reply I received stated that due to data protection they regretfully couldn't answer my query until I had also furnished them with my home address, which through absolutely fucking gritted teeth, I immediately replied with.
5 days later and...........nothing. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOTHING
An absolute fucking shambles from top to bottom that lot.
Just an update on my dealings with the club as I know you're all on tenterhooks wondering how things are going for me.
So last Tuesday I emailed the club's membership department enquiring about the whereabouts of my membership card and 96 hours later I finally got a response.
The email address I used when sending the mail is the same one that's registered with the club, Arsenal Direct and Arsenal Rewards. I also included my telephone and membership number in the mail.
The reply I received stated that due to data protection they regretfully couldn't answer my query until I had also furnished them with my home address, which through absolutely fucking gritted teeth, I immediately replied with.
5 days later and...........nothing. ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOTHING
An absolute fucking shambles from top to bottom that lot.
Serious question. Does any of this surprise you in the slightest?