BSM Article by Matt Bazell, author Theatre of Silence

[Reg Niseth]

http://www.blackscarfafc.co.uk/#/news-w ... 4571326882

An article by Matthew Bazell, author of the book Theatre of Silence: The Lost Soul of Football.

“I’m not here because we’re shit right now, I’m here because generations of Arsenal fans are being priced and forced out of the club”. These were the sentiments of a BSM member outside the ground in protest at last month’s AGM.

I relate to that statement fully. I personally chose to stop going to matches at Emirates Stadium a few years ago but it wasn’t because of what happened on the pitch. I called it a day because I’d had enough of rip-off ticket prices and an over-controlled environment within an overtly corporate stadium. Not to mention a whole host of other things – to give just one example – our beautiful club crest being changed to that Walt Disney cartoon cannon that’s not even facing in the right direction. I didn’t like the direction our club was going in, and still don’t.

The BSM’s walk on December 1st is not a ‘Wenger Out’ march. Our focus is very much elsewhere. Things such as better ticketing options, better value pricing, the club supporting safe standing, and for fans to have far more of an input in to the way our club is run.

To put it into simple terms, our objective is to influence the club into things that will have a positive effect on the matchday experience for fans, no matter who is manager of the team. To ensure our kids, and our kid’s kids, can grow up watching and falling in love with The Arsenal like we did. Forcing loyal, core support away from the club won’t help achieve this; future generations of loyal supporters will be lost.

During the early to mid-1980s Arsenal had an average side, there were no trophies, yet there was nothing comparable to the Black Scarf Movement. Such a group is formed out of disenfranchised alienation from the club in general. More and more are feeling let down by the club, and numbers are snowballing. The Board to this point have chosen to turn a blind eye to what’s really happening among fans and it’s time action was taken before it’s too late.

So our focus (we feel quite rightly) is on the Board. Take Arsene Wenger out of the equation; with the same people running the Boardroom, things on the pitch would be unlikely to improve. In all likelihood a ‘yes man’ replacement would be brought in whose main objective would be to qualify for the Champions League on little investment – meanwhile the club sits on huge profits helped by extortionate admission pricing.

Just like the original BSM walk in 2011 the overriding message is Let’s Kick Greed Out of Football. If some people think they’ll turn up and find it’s a ‘Wenger Out’ rally, they are mistaken. Therefore we politely ask anyone with such an objective, to organise their own separate protest, on another day.

As a final note, some say things to the effect of “marching, protesting or boycotting will achieve nothing.” To which I would reply… Possibly. It might not change anything, but better to go down fighting then to be willingly trampled on. We’re not sheep; we’re passionate supporters who believe in the Thomas Jefferson phrase “Dissent is the truest form of patriotism”. History will show that money changed the football landscape dramatically, and it’s important to show that not everyone was happy and meekly accepted it. There is still time to have a say and influence change for the better.

[REB]

good post , sadly the football club we grew up is no longer with us and hopefully the club will finally pick up on the fact that generations of gooners have been priced out of going to watch the team they love and do something about it.

[nut flush gooner]

REB I only have one thing to say to you. GIT!

[brazilianGOONER]

very good stuff, good luck to whoever goes to this

[armchair]

http://www.blackscarfafc.co.uk/#/news-w ... 4571326882

An article by Matthew Bazell, author of the book Theatre of Silence: The Lost Soul of Football.

Take Arsene Wenger out of the equation; with the same people running the Boardroom, things on the pitch would be unlikely to improve.

Thats a big assumption. One that I dont agree with. I havent worked half a day in football but I'm sure another manager when chasing a very winable game against Villa wouldn't take off our only CF and replace him with a......DM. Or play Ramsey as a winger. Or have no suitable 2nd keeper. He' probably do defence, be able to motivate and use subs to change a game. You know on the pitch improvements?

In all likelihood a ‘yes man’ replacement would be brought in whose main objective would be to qualify for the Champions League on little investment – meanwhile the club sits on huge profits helped by extortionate admission pricing.

Again a massive assumption and an argument continually put forward by AKB's. But tell me -isn't what you describe above happening right now and been happening for years.............with Wenger as manager?

[MK Gould]

Good post. When I was 14 I could go whenever I wanted to. The tickets (and travel) were cheap and no advance booking required. And it wasn't just me. I lived in deepest Essex and just about every kid in my class went to see their team in the flesh - Spurs, West Ham, Chelsea, Arsenal. It was so cheap that we even went to see each others team play!

Could my boys do the same these days unless I was willing to take them...? No. Very sad for their generation. So many of their mates at school are stunned when they are talking about football and they say, "yeah, we were there". Too many only get to see Sky or MOTD! No wonder they all end up supporting United!

Safe, affordable standing has to be part of the future. Oh, and a return to the proper badge!

And I agree 100% that the focus should be on the Board!

[donaldo]

http://www.blackscarfafc.co.uk/#/news-w ... 4571326882

An article by Matthew Bazell, author of the book Theatre of Silence: The Lost Soul of Football.

Take Arsene Wenger out of the equation; with the same people running the Boardroom, things on the pitch would be unlikely to improve.

Thats a big assumption. One that I dont agree with. I havent worked half a day in football but I'm sure another manager when chasing a very winable game against Villa wouldn't take off our only CF and replace him with a......DM. Or play Ramsey as a winger. Or have no suitable 2nd keeper. He' probably do defence, be able to motivate and use subs to change a game. You know on the pitch improvements?

In all likelihood a ‘yes man’ replacement would be brought in whose main objective would be to qualify for the Champions League on little investment – meanwhile the club sits on huge profits helped by extortionate admission pricing.

Again a massive assumption and an argument continually put forward by AKB's. But tell me -isn't what you describe above happening right now and been happening for years.............with Wenger as manager?

Well said armchair

Anyone who thinks Wenger and the board are not in it together is living in cloud cukoo land.Wenger has the final say on buying and selling players.Remember when Kroenke took over in 2009 we were 4 years into our trophy drought by then.
I just dont get why the BSM always distance themselves from any criticism of Wenger

[georgeknows89]

During the early to mid-1980s Arsenal had an average side, there were no trophies, yet there was nothing comparable to the Black Scarf Movement.

How so very wrong Reg but you should be encouraged by the actions of the group that did exist and I remember being a younger member of....

The Arsenal Action Group of which some of twitter mad Darren1's od pals were members and played a part in creating the unrest to remove Terry Neil as manager in December 1983.

The big subtle difference then of course was it was indeed more of a family club and the board did listen to the fans more.

I agree this is more about the ownership and direction than the manager but just think of the £52m more we spent on wages last year than spurz and how much of that is made up of Wengers failed signings that we cannot offload

[Reg Niseth]

During the early to mid-1980s Arsenal had an average side, there were no trophies, yet there was nothing comparable to the Black Scarf Movement.

How so very wrong Reg but you should be encouraged by the actions of the group that did exist and I remember being a younger member of....

The Arsenal Action Group of which some of twitter mad Darren1's od pals were members and played a part in creating the unrest to remove Terry Neil as manager in December 1983.

The big subtle difference then of course was it was indeed more of a family club and the board did listen to the fans more.

I agree this is more about the ownership and direction than the manager but just think of the £52m more we spent on wages last year than spurz and how much of that is made up of Wengers failed signings that we cannot offload

Just posted the link mate, didn't write it. Agree with everything else you say

[Jumpers For Goalposts]

I have a suggestion for Saturday.

Whatever our personal motives for supporting the BSM, I'm pretty sure we all agree on 2 things.
1) We don't like what our great Club is turning / has turned into and
2) We want the men running our Club to listen to us, and take account of our views.

To do that, we need to apply pressure to them and the one thing people like Gazidis, Kroenke and Wenger hate is adverse publicity. PR is their weapon of choice so when the headlines are bad, they hate it. Accordingly, we need to use the media to our advantage because love em or hate em, it's via the media that things get changed.

We've been challenged to explain exactly what Arsenal we want back, which is a fair question. What I want is a return to the days when we felt valued and the players on the pitch cared for us and the Club, and when they understood just what it means to play for and represent a great institution like The Arsenal. My suggestion is probably a bit cliched now but it will get the attention of the TV cameras and the written journalists.

So maybe one of the things we can do is to choose an old player that symbolises all that is good about Arsenal; take that player's number and after that many minutes we could launch into sustained applause and chanting for that player.

For me it would be David Rocastle, a local lad born just up the road from me in Deptford, a man that was Arsenal through and through, a man that cried when he had to leave Arsenal, and a man that I cried for during the silence against Sp*rs. He represents everything that I want back at Arsenal.

So after 7 minutes of the match we sing "Oh Rocky Rocky, Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocky Rocastle" over and over for 7 minutes. Or it could be Tony Adams (6 minutes singing after 6 minutes have elapsed) or maybe Nicklas Bendtner (52 minutes singing after 52 minutes . . . . . . . . )

It will get attention, hopefully positive attention for the right reasons so what do people think?

[I Hate Hleb]

Although we have to be careful if choosing the NB52 version - afterall, you don't want people missing their cues!!!

[DB10GOONER]

Up to about 1995 I used to just write to the club, name two or three fixtures in order of preference, include a PO and whazaaam about two or three weeks later the tickets would arrive. 9 times out of 10 I'd get my first choice too! And in the NB!

I miss those days...

[Top Londoner]

good post , sadly the football club we grew up is no longer with us and hopefully the club will finally pick up on the fact that generations of gooners have been priced out of going to watch the team they love and do something about it.

Don't hold your breath REB.


Oh, hang on. I see what you did there.

[I Hate Hleb]

Are you insinuating that just because Rebel is Irish and from Cork, that he might forget to exhale? Because that could be considered racist, you know!!

[Barriecuda]

Just keep at it, regardless of who says they'll listen or not. When it comes to dissenting, somebody has to be the first. And frankly the points are valid; I don't know if there's a simple or realistic solution, especially considering the extent to which the club has become - like the rest of football - all about money. But it's important for the club to know that fans are not willing to wholly accept a complete "selling out" of the club, even if it results in more money to (hypothetically) make the club more successful on the pitch. There are certain things that should not be for sale - hence "let's kick greed out of football".