Can you hear the Arsenal sing? (24/4)
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gooner.ed
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Can you hear the Arsenal sing? (24/4)
usual thread starter... wonder if the guy who made a comment about the solo singing might have done so because of the 'Y' word in the chant? the principle of getting everyone going and not discouraging anyone who tries to is sound, but some people really do object to the 'Y' word and whatever you think of that, they are never going to join in with such chants. Are 'Y' word chants sung in the redsection? or has their time passed? if the redsection frown on them, i'd say that's a pretty fair barometer of the general feeling towards them - even amongst those who want to sing.
Re: Can you hear the Arsenal sing
I sing along with the other gooners however a large number of people sitting around me don't an eventually the will to sing leaves me and I end up sitting quietly. Its infectious.
I have my thoughts on why this happens. I sit with my 2 new mates who used to frequent the odd game when they could get a ticket and they like to join in too.
Then comes the real problematic bit :
"We're the north bank ... highbury"
"We're the clock end ... highbury"
Being an ex north banker I join in with gusto. My friends sit quietly as they were never and will never be either Clock End or North Bank and can't join in and sit there feeling, in the words of one of them, "Not really part of it all".
The RedAction section, set up to orchestrate a huge amount of noise, is actually isolating a huge number of fans. Also, so what if people are leaving early lets just ignore them and keep singing and giving the away fans grief, lets not jump on them and give them grief. Channel your anger !
recently, following a rather too large intake of beer pre game topped up by one at half time I nipped out to the loo 15 minutes before the end and walking past block 5 was subject to a huge torrent of abuse for leaving early !!!! Now I don't care who they are but frankly they can **** right off, I am not going to take abuse from some snot nosed jockey.
I am as proud as the next man of my Highbury heritage and will attempt to sing down a drunken clock ender in post match drinking establishment but we are now in a NEW STADIUM. Its time we all pulled together.
The club are partially to blame for this by the naming in the new stadium sections. Orange quadrant doesn't have the same ring as clock end but who cares. Lets name them ourselves. The clock is hung (outside the stadium unfortunately) but that gives us the clock end back, the north bank is still in the north so come on lets get everybody involved and lose this snobbishness thats dividing people.
"We're the north bank the north bank the north bank ash-bur-ton
We're the clock end the clock end the clock end ash-bur-ton"
I have my thoughts on why this happens. I sit with my 2 new mates who used to frequent the odd game when they could get a ticket and they like to join in too.
Then comes the real problematic bit :
"We're the north bank ... highbury"
"We're the clock end ... highbury"
Being an ex north banker I join in with gusto. My friends sit quietly as they were never and will never be either Clock End or North Bank and can't join in and sit there feeling, in the words of one of them, "Not really part of it all".
The RedAction section, set up to orchestrate a huge amount of noise, is actually isolating a huge number of fans. Also, so what if people are leaving early lets just ignore them and keep singing and giving the away fans grief, lets not jump on them and give them grief. Channel your anger !
recently, following a rather too large intake of beer pre game topped up by one at half time I nipped out to the loo 15 minutes before the end and walking past block 5 was subject to a huge torrent of abuse for leaving early !!!! Now I don't care who they are but frankly they can **** right off, I am not going to take abuse from some snot nosed jockey.
I am as proud as the next man of my Highbury heritage and will attempt to sing down a drunken clock ender in post match drinking establishment but we are now in a NEW STADIUM. Its time we all pulled together.
The club are partially to blame for this by the naming in the new stadium sections. Orange quadrant doesn't have the same ring as clock end but who cares. Lets name them ourselves. The clock is hung (outside the stadium unfortunately) but that gives us the clock end back, the north bank is still in the north so come on lets get everybody involved and lose this snobbishness thats dividing people.
"We're the north bank the north bank the north bank ash-bur-ton
We're the clock end the clock end the clock end ash-bur-ton"
I am unable to get a ticket for the Emirates unfortunately, but used to stand on the North Bank starting almost 40 years ago.
My support for Arsenal comes from being born in Islington in a family that lived in the borough since the 1830's.
There were many great songs in 'the old days' and some of them had the 'Y' word in them but I and many others would never use this word due to a loathing for anti-semitism.
Part of the reason for the lack of vocal support is the all-seater stadium itself - I don't recall any East or West Stand choirs at Highbury. The other main reason is the lack of local identity; when I first started going, the majority of us lived either a short walk from the ground or a short bus ride away and we used to see the players out shopping with their wives, up the pub and even on the buses.
Nowadays you need to be pretty affluent to go regularly; you can't go, as we did, as a bunch of kids on pocket money free of parental supervision. You have a seat allocated to you so you can't gravitate towards the 'singing end'. You can't really serve an 'apprenticeship' as a North Bank boy as was possible back then.
The whole tradition of singing at football matches dates back to a vanished world where the fans could relate to the players, belonged to the neighbourhood, and could afford to go to matches. This world still lives on in the lower leagues.
Football must be given back to 'the people' otherwise the future doesn't look too good.
My support for Arsenal comes from being born in Islington in a family that lived in the borough since the 1830's.
There were many great songs in 'the old days' and some of them had the 'Y' word in them but I and many others would never use this word due to a loathing for anti-semitism.
Part of the reason for the lack of vocal support is the all-seater stadium itself - I don't recall any East or West Stand choirs at Highbury. The other main reason is the lack of local identity; when I first started going, the majority of us lived either a short walk from the ground or a short bus ride away and we used to see the players out shopping with their wives, up the pub and even on the buses.
Nowadays you need to be pretty affluent to go regularly; you can't go, as we did, as a bunch of kids on pocket money free of parental supervision. You have a seat allocated to you so you can't gravitate towards the 'singing end'. You can't really serve an 'apprenticeship' as a North Bank boy as was possible back then.
The whole tradition of singing at football matches dates back to a vanished world where the fans could relate to the players, belonged to the neighbourhood, and could afford to go to matches. This world still lives on in the lower leagues.
Football must be given back to 'the people' otherwise the future doesn't look too good.
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singup4theArse
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Yes since all seater stadia, I do miss being able to move about and stand next to whom I please. A lot of my friends and family have stopped going, not only because of the cost but also the lack of sponinaitey; just being able to turn up for a game without prebooking or having a season ticket was part of the football experience.
I don't like using the Y word; for me its no different to using the W or P word for black/asian people. I like contributing to the atmosphere by singing about how fantastic Arsenal is rather than singing about the opposition.
I don't like using the Y word; for me its no different to using the W or P word for black/asian people. I like contributing to the atmosphere by singing about how fantastic Arsenal is rather than singing about the opposition.
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lisa_gooner
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- Location: ex-pat in Sydney, Australia
It really riles me when people won't sing, and even dare to give you a dirty look when you do sing. However, I'm sure this bloke meant "you're on your own there" for shouting about the "****".
Scum - yes
Spuds -yes
Shite Hart Lane - yes
Whingey tw*tty scummy tw*tty pr*cks from down the road - yes
but I think there is no need to use the Y word. It doesn't add anything to hating The Scum, it just detracts from the important job of laughing at their pathetic and consistent failure.
Now let's all get behind the boys!
Scum - yes
Spuds -yes
Shite Hart Lane - yes
Whingey tw*tty scummy tw*tty pr*cks from down the road - yes
but I think there is no need to use the Y word. It doesn't add anything to hating The Scum, it just detracts from the important job of laughing at their pathetic and consistent failure.
Now let's all get behind the boys!
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proudtosaythatname
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- Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 2:12 pm
You seem to have perfect credentials as an Arsenal fan (& you do make some very valid points)....but how dare you suggest that those who can't boast Islington roots are in some ways contributing to a lack of atmosphere! At least they are part of the 60000 who are turning up each week. And come to that, why exactly aren't you there? The great thing about moving to the Grove is that its no longer difficult to get tickets!!!taters wrote:I am unable to get a ticket for the Emirates
PS There did used to be a West Stand choir, led by a bloke called Harry. They stood in the terrace in front of the seats towards the north bank end. Anyone remember him? Does he still go?
I apologise for giving that impression- I accept that no football club can survive on local support alone and do not doubt the loyalty of those who come from somewhere other than North London although I do believe that one should support one's 'hometown' club.how dare you suggest that those who can't boast Islington roots are in some ways contributing to a lack of atmosphere!
I know it's possible to get a ticket for the Emirates but it is expensive and I would have to factor in the extra £20 train fare to get there, oh and I'd have to join a membership scheme which also costs money and even then I may only be able to see a couple of matches a season if I really make an effort. This is more like going to a West End show, than a football match so I think it's no wonder that it's not as noisy and boistrous as it used to be.
I do promise to save up my money, make the effort and turn up there next season and hope to join in the songs! Wish me luck
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Cus Geezer
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Oh my aching sides!!The great thing about moving to the Grove is that its no longer difficult to get tickets!!!
There is still a difficulty in getting tickets. Remember that a whole tier is given over to corporate guests of Morgan Stanley or HSBC who seem to be more excited about free drinks.
If you don't sign up for red membership it's still difficult to get tickets through general sale, if you are a red member have to be either having your finger lodged on the redial button or sitting in front of a PC at 9.30AM, how many people have jobs that enable you to do that.
And as mentioned what's left over comes at a cost, for the Arsenal - Spurs semi final £66 in the top tier, who has the finances for that on a regular basis.
Ashburton Grove hasn't solved many problems in this respect.
I don't buy that having to live in Islington stuff either, as the area is very gentrified and has a lot of folks who wouldn't have been seen dead at a football game in the mid 80s. The guy who mentioned his family's presence in Finsbury Park goes back to the 1830s, many of his like have moved out to places like Essex and Herts, but their motives for supporting the Arse are as sound as anyone's.
After all what idiot would turn down a cheaper mortgage because they would 'lose the right to support a certain football team'.[/url]
For the Spurs semi I managed to get three tickets on three red memberships all in block 6, £32, and had a great night. Obviously some of the ST holders didn't bother coming to that one, can't think why?If you don't sign up for red membership it's still difficult to get tickets through general sale, if you are a red member have to be either having your finger lodged on the redial button or sitting in front of a PC at 9.30AM, how many people have jobs that enable you to do that.
And as mentioned what's left over comes at a cost, for the Arsenal - Spurs semi final £66 in the top tier, who has the finances for that on a regular basis.
I do accept your point about having to be quick to get the cheaper seats, but it is definitely possible to get seats with a red memebership. I think only Man Utd and Chelsea sold out to silvers, so in theory a red member could have gone to 17 league games, 4 CL, 2 FA Cup and 1 CC. Being able to afford it is another issue though...
