Ashburton Grove or Highbury?

southwest clockender · Fri Jan 30, 2009 4:58 pm

This seems to have strayed a bit from my original question.my point was more on the lines of when the stadium was first being built we were told this was going to be the only way to compete with europes elite. But the cost of building the place and continuing costs to pay off loans seems to mean we have less money to spend on the squad than before.
We appear to be struggling to compete in money terms to strengthen the side with many of the premier league let alone europe's elite!

So had we all known how the cost of building the new stadium would affect the team would you have been happier to have stayed put?

Eboue-Why? · Post by **Eboue-Why?** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 5:33 pm

Because of the tension of the day in finishing above The Spuds, I wasn't able to really appreciate that the Wigan game would be my last. When I see clips of games at the old place I do genuinely get a lump in my throat and wish I could just have 10 more mins in there to sit and re-live all those games going back to the 70s when I started going.

Funny reading Basil's post about having to move to compete. We were all for that and now? Well to me it sounds like as much of a valid reason as was going into Iraq for WMDs!!!
It's an impossible question to answer because Highbury will always win the argument for sentimental reasons and however magnificent a stadium the Emirates is, at the moment it's second in the contest.

charliegeorgewhocanhitem · Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:10 am

Alex wrote:Highbury with terrraces, a hardcore 20,000 working class supporters supporting their team..the good old days, gone for ever

West Ham on a saturday used to a buzz ffs!..feels like a chore going now..rather go down the pub

Spot on fella

I hate the lump of cold, soulless conrete we now have to call our "home" Make you dead right about todays game as well. Coming from Essex the journey to and from Highbury would be "buzzing" too and not always in a pleasant way

but it was always a really exciting day that kept you on your toes

Now? it feels like we might just as well be playing at home to Barnsley

Maybe I've just become too cynical but give me Highbury over the lit up ufo that is AG anyday. I hate walking past and seeing what they've done to the old girl now

ds · Post by ds » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:14 am

charliegeorgewhocanhitem wrote:
Alex wrote:Highbury with terrraces, a hardcore 20,000 working class supporters supporting their team..the good old days, gone for ever

West Ham on a saturday used to a buzz ffs!..feels like a chore going now..rather go down the pub
Spot on fella I hate the lump of cold, soulless conrete we now have to call our "home" Make you dead right about todays game as well. Coming from Essex the journey to and from Highbury would be "buzzing" too and not always in a pleasant way but it was always a really exciting day that kept you on your toes Now? it feels like we might just as well be playing at home to Barnsley Maybe I've just become too cynical but give me Highbury over the lit up ufo that is AG anyday. I hate walking past and seeing what they've done to the old girl now

But wasnt it fun, certainly kept us on our toes. Now its just another game

Both top posts, always very emotional walking past Highbury.

charliegeorgewhocanhitem · Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:20 am

ds wrote:
charliegeorgewhocanhitem wrote:
Alex wrote:Highbury with terrraces, a hardcore 20,000 working class supporters supporting their team..the good old days, gone for ever

West Ham on a saturday used to a buzz ffs!..feels like a chore going now..rather go down the pub
Spot on fella I hate the lump of cold, soulless conrete we now have to call our "home" Make you dead right about todays game as well. Coming from Essex the journey to and from Highbury would be "buzzing" too and not always in a pleasant way but it was always a really exciting day that kept you on your toes Now? it feels like we might just as well be playing at home to Barnsley Maybe I've just become too cynical but give me Highbury over the lit up ufo that is AG anyday. I hate walking past and seeing what they've done to the old girl now
But wasnt it fun, certainly kept us on our toes. Now its just another game

Both top posts, always very emotional walking past Highbury.

It certainly was, I wish I could get that sense of excitement back now but just can't seem to <ahem> raise it anymore

Think I look forward to the drinking with mates in the boozer before and after more than the match itself nowadays.

ds · Post by ds » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:22 am

100% in agreement there Charlie, where is the old rivalry and intimidation. Oh thats right cctv and people in hats took away all our fun

charliegeorgewhocanhitem · Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:33 am

ds wrote:100% in agreement there Charlie, where is the old rivalry and intimidation. Oh thats right cctv and people in hats took away all our fun

Time for me to get scrubbed up

and get meself on the train :redengine:

Maybe I'll get intimidated by some nasty whammers to get a bit of excitement into the day

Have a good one matey, wrap up warm this week, I've leanrnt me lesson from the Bolton game, extry layers for me

ds · Post by ds » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:36 am

Enjoy

tel · Post by **tel** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:26 pm

southwest clockender wrote:This seems to have strayed a bit from my original question.my point was more on the lines of when the stadium was first being built we were told this was going to be the only way to compete with europes elite. But the cost of building the place and continuing costs to pay off loans seems to mean we have less money to spend on the squad than before.
We appear to be struggling to compete in money terms to strengthen the side with many of the premier league let alone europe's elite!

So had we all known how the cost of building the new stadium would affect the team would you have been happier to have stayed put?

It was sold to us on the basis we would compete at the highest level which wouldn't happen if we stayed at Highbury and I think most of us were taken in by it as I certainly was. What I didn't realise is that The Grove would leave me having little or no connection with the club I love and that the whole ethos of the matchday has changed. The problems are well documented on here but stewards,early leavers,zero atmosphere,no arsenalisation,early leavers and pink hats are just some of the reasons why I would happily knock the whole lot down and rebuild Highbury with terraces.

Whilst we have remained in the Champions LEague and top 4 which is a great credit to the manager I think the downward slide has begun and it seems the stadium is crippling us financially rather than helping us as we were told would happen. This silver member is seriously thinking about binning games next year and watching them in pubs near the ground such is my disillusionment with Arsenal both on and off the pitch at present.

digger · Post by **digger** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:35 pm

ds wrote:But wasnt it fun, certainly kept us on our toes. Now its just another game

Both top posts, always very emotional walking past Highbury.

Fuck it, live dangerously. Who's going to watch it in a West Ham boozer? Oh, just me...?

SteveO 35 · Post by **SteveO 35** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:41 pm

tel wrote:
southwest clockender wrote:This seems to have strayed a bit from my original question.my point was more on the lines of when the stadium was first being built we were told this was going to be the only way to compete with europes elite. But the cost of building the place and continuing costs to pay off loans seems to mean we have less money to spend on the squad than before.
We appear to be struggling to compete in money terms to strengthen the side with many of the premier league let alone europe's elite!

So had we all known how the cost of building the new stadium would affect the team would you have been happier to have stayed put?
It was sold to us on the basis we would compete at the highest level which wouldn't happen if we stayed at Highbury and I think most of us were taken in by it as I certainly was. What I didn't realise is that The Grove would leave me having little or no connection with the club I love and that the whole ethos of the matchday has changed. The problems are well documented on here but stewards,early leavers,zero atmosphere,no arsenalisation,early leavers and pink hats are just some of the reasons why I would happily knock the whole lot down and rebuild Highbury with terraces.

Whilst we have remained in the Champions LEague and top 4 which is a great credit to the manager I think the downward slide has begun and it seems the stadium is crippling us financially rather than helping us as we were told would happen. This silver member is seriously thinking about binning games next year and watching them in pubs near the ground such is my disillusionment with Arsenal both on and off the pitch at present.

Obviously - we only managed to finish in the top two every season, get to the Champions League final and go a whole season unbeaten. I was never taken in by this bollox about the move to Emirates allowing us to go on another level (although it pissed me off severely that the board brain washed everyone into thinking it).

Our future competitiveness now relies on property sales (great timing lads with mortgage lending at an all time low and house prices down 13% in the last year), and qualifying for the Champions League (Â£20m drop in revenue for missing out and a minimum annual interest charge of Â£17m pa on the debt for the new ground).

Bring back David Dein