I’ll give Arsenal one more season (19/7)

[MK Gould]

Probably that it's characterless and identikit.

We definitely agree on that!

[the_gooner89]

The emirates is full of... "sit down" "cant see"

last season i also noticed on several occasions our own fans squaring up between themselves due comments made about the atmosphere. shocking.

Something needs to be done becuase we are so good away. We are getting a bad repuation and still be classed as HIGHBURY LIBARY

[gabino]

yeh good read mate, i totally agree. The away games are much better than emirates. Highbury was amazing, but now at the emirates its like going to the theatre, u got japenese tourists with their cameras, cheesy commerical anouncements. The atmosphere at emirates is appalling no-one can deny that. I went to Anfield for our fa cup clash and it was electric, wat arsenal shud be. Sure that can be every game, but I got back to Man U at home and u cud hear that proverbial pin drop alrite, until RVP equalised. I mean i don't want the opera but it really was dead, no fans. Same as Blackburn away in the cup this yr shocking!

Its the horrible corporate thats done that and WHY IS THE STANDS SO FAR FROM THE PITCH! its really annoyin, highbury the atmosphere was special because u were on top of the action, it feels like ur so far away.

And as for the white kit, quite like it to be honest!

[elysianpark]

The emirates is full of... "sit down" "cant see"

last season i also noticed on several occasions our own fans squaring up between themselves due comments made about the atmosphere. shocking.

Something needs to be done becuase we are so good away. We are getting a bad repuation and still be classed as HIGHBURY LIBARY

This my my first post to the Forum and I agree 100% with you. The "sit down" , "can't see" brigade are destroying our club. The New Breed, the post Euro 96 mob, the "Plastics" don't have a clue about being a Football fan. The club is happy to price out ordinary fans and gentrify our game. Just one of lads from the middle of the North Bank, who I proudly stood beside during the 80's & 90's is worth 10 of them dnd not show passion and pride for our club why don't they just stay at home and watch it on tele then the real fans can stand and sing like they were supposed to.


To show pride is to sing and shout, to get behind our boys in Red n White til you voice is hoarse, to give verbal stick to opposition players and fans, to let them know that they playing in Arsenal's Manor now (especially when the Scum are in town). If people just want to sit on their arses for 90 mins why don't they just stay at home and watch it on tele, then the real fans can stand and sing like they were supposed to.

Stewards or supporters who have a go at a fellow fan for showing passion for our club during a game , should hang their heads in shame.

[Eboue Can't Defend]

Am I the only one who isn't sure what the primary complaint of the article is? Is the writer saying that he won't attend any more if the atmosphere doesn't improve? Or is his main complaint the fact that he is in danger of being priced out of coming by the cost of tickets?

I think there is a unanimous acceptance amongst the fans that the atmosphere being generated during games at the Emirates isn't good enough most of the time. And there are numerous reason as to why - certainly far too many for me to list now, but previous threads have gone into it in detail.

However, if that is a reason for not coming then - without meaning to be insulting - I question why you come and watch/support Arsenal? Is it just to enjoy being among a group of people creating an atmosphere? If so, I'm sure there are plenty of other places you could go to get that buzz.

I come to watch my club whether there are 60 people in attendence or 60,000; when they are shit and have the likes of Mancini/Ceaser/McGoldrick playing; or when they are great with the likes of a Brady/Bergkamp/Henry in the team; whether one person sings or 60,000 sing; whether it rains, snows or the sun shines. You see, with most of us it's not really a matter of choice - it's inbred!! It certainly wouldn't take something as fickle as a lack of atmosphere to stop us attending.

There is also general agreement amongst most gooners that the rises in the price of tickets over the past few years has also had an effect. This has unfortunately meant that people who don't love Arsenal come to games because it's an 'event', and some gooners who have been watching Arsenal for years no longer can afford to come - or choose not to pay the prices.

Now I have a lot more sympathy for that argument, as many of my friends you use to go in the 70's and 80's have yet to experience the Wenger Years in the flesh because of those reasons.

I do though agree with most of the rest of this article - especially with regards the Clock, singing section and naming of the stands. Yet, I have to say that although I didn't initally like it and was very upset with the ditching of the latin motto, the new club crest/badge has grown on me over time.

Can I just finish by asking if I'm the only one (I know I'm not, but just for arguments sake!!) that is embarrassed by the pre-match, continental style player name introductions? I don't think that kind of 'innovation' has had any positive impact on the atmosphere. Indeed, I think it actually interrupts attempts before the game to sing individual player's names, and it sounds lame to boot!! - in my humble opinion.

I really did prefer the old routine when a section of the crowd would start chanting a player's name and he would eventually wave. Then we would move onto the next one (it's funny how we never managed to get around to some people!!). I feel that the old way enhanced the pre-match atmosphere and once people were singing, they felt less reluctant to join in with other songs/chants later on. The current player introduction leaves very little room for songs immediately before kick-off and is only even partually effective if the vast majority of the fans shout it, ala as in Germany.

[Cus Geezer]

However, if that is a reason for not coming then - without meaning to be insulting - I question why you come and watch/support Arsenal? Is it just to enjoy being among a group of people creating an atmosphere? If so, I'm sure there are plenty of other places you could go to get that buzz.

Why should we have to go somewhere else, we were here first. If Joe post-90 from Hampstead doesn't like it maybe there are plenty places he can go to sit and watch the game in peace and quiet, like say his own arm chair?

[donaldo]

We are playing the best football any of us has ever seen under Wenger yet the atomosphere is worse than ever. When i started attending Arsenal games in the 60"s the majority of fans were working class.The truth is many of our "new" fans were brought up watching football on Sky.Watching a game at Ashburton Grove is like watching a game on T.V,they dont sing and all they are interested in is stuffing their faces at half-time like they would at home.If they were interested in the match they wouldn"t leave their seats 10mins before half time and get back 10mins after half time. My abiding memory from last season was when Cesc scored 30secs after half time in the vital game v Bolton when the prawn sandwich brigade were running back to there seats like rats running from a sinking ship.

[Cus Geezer]

Can I just finish by asking if I'm the only one (I know I'm not, but just for arguments sake!!) that is embarrassed by the pre-match, continental style player name introductions?

No I entirely agree. It makes me cringe.

[T.S]

Me too. Although, inexplicably, it has caught on a lot more than I thought it would...

[proudtosaythatname]

"I really did prefer the old routine when a section of the crowd would start chanting a player's name and he would eventually wave."

Me too. It also got the players hyped up, which surely is the reason for it anyway? But what would we know, compared to some 'professional marketeer'?

[Cus Geezer]

Or Book an Engineer. He's so knowledgeable, we didn't know the darkness of our ways until he turned up. I hope he fully takes up the 'ad man's burden' and corrects our heathen ways, so we can be just like him.

[Eboue Can't Defend]

However, if that is a reason for not coming then - without meaning to be insulting - I question why you come and watch/support Arsenal? Is it just to enjoy being among a group of people creating an atmosphere? If so, I'm sure there are plenty of other places you could go to get that buzz.

Why should we have to go somewhere else, we were here first. If Joe post-90 from Hampstead doesn't like it maybe there are plenty places he can go to sit and watch the game in peace and quiet, like say his own arm chair?

Cus,

You obviously misunderstood the point I was making. The writer of the article claimed that if the atmosphere didn't improve, he wouldn't come back!! Now what kind of true fan would say or do such a thing? I was pointing out that if that was the only reason he came to Arsenal, then there were other places he could visit that would fulfill his desires more than Arsenal do!! He obviously wasn't there for the football!!

Fecking heck, was that so difficult to understand??

And one final point to avoid any confusion: I've been going since 1968 so I'm no Johnny-come-lately, unlike, I suspect, the author of the article!!

[tel]

The emirates is full of... "sit down" "cant see"

last season i also noticed on several occasions our own fans squaring up between themselves due comments made about the atmosphere. shocking.

Something needs to be done becuase we are so good away. We are getting a bad repuation and still be classed as HIGHBURY LIBARY

This my my first post to the Forum and I agree 100% with you. The "sit down" , "can't see" brigade are destroying our club. The New Breed, the post Euro 96 mob, the "Plastics" don't have a clue about being a Football fan. The club is happy to price out ordinary fans and gentrify our game. Just one of lads from the middle of the North Bank, who I proudly stood beside during the 80's & 90's is worth 10 of them dnd not show passion and pride for our club why don't they just stay at home and watch it on tele then the real fans can stand and sing like they were supposed to.


To show pride is to sing and shout, to get behind our boys in Red n White til you voice is hoarse, to give verbal stick to opposition players and fans, to let them know that they playing in Arsenal's Manor now (especially when the Scum are in town). If people just want to sit on their arses for 90 mins why don't they just stay at home and watch it on tele, then the real fans can stand and sing like they were supposed to.

Stewards or supporters who have a go at a fellow fan for showing passion for our club during a game , should hang their heads in shame.

I'm another 1st time poster and I fully agree with all of the above. I'm not going to pretend that Highbury was a hotbed of passion once the terraces went but something has gone badly wrong since the move to The Grove. We never had thousands heading for the exits 10 minutes before half and full time, I don't recall being told to sit down and stop singing whilst in the North Bank yet all of those things have happened at The Grove. I was lucky enough to be going to games since the late 70's and not all of us were hooligans or scum as I've read one idiot describe us. I just want to be with like minded souls who want to roar the team on win or lose and not sit on my arse like too many of the Hornbies who pollute the ground and wait to be entertained. Sadly the team or the match aren't a passion for a majority of the people inside The Grove and I don't know what can be done to change that.

[Cus Geezer]

You obviously misunderstood the point I was making. The writer of the article claimed that if the atmosphere didn't improve, he wouldn't come back!! Now what kind of true fan would say or do such a thing?

How about a fan whose pockets are no longer deep enough? After all once the scrum for the tickets has receeded many of the tickets left over are upwards of £45, a lot of money to be told to sit still and be quiet, as if you returned to the fucking infant school.

I mean should one's love of the Arsenal override the ability to pay for the roof over your head, or your kids new shoes, or the insurance on the car that your misses wants to lug the shopping from Sainbury's?

Or do you expect a 'true' fan to be living a life of celibacy rent-free at his mother's in order to pay for the admission?

[MK Gould]

I was lucky enough to be going to games since the late 70's and not all of us were hooligans or scum as I've read one idiot describe us.

If this is aimed at me, then you can go fuck yourself! You want to comment on a posting then make sure you read and understand it first.

A significant MINORITY of fans going to matches in the 70's were violent arsehole thugs. I should know. I was one of them! Like many impresssionable youngsters at the time I was more of a "wannabe", following away fans back to London mainline stations, posturing, wearing high laced DM's etc. But the real hard core have - fortunately - largely stopped attending matches. Its probably as a result of a great many things - CCTV, better stewarding/policing etc etc, but I think a big reason is cost. Are you really going to have a go at opposition fans and risk getting kicked out after paying £50 to get in? And are you even going to join a membership scheme in the first place.

My point is that reduced prices may bring some of the arseholes back. Ask fans of lower league clubs where prices are much cheaper & where a great many arseholes still reside!