Arsenal Artillery 1886

[Percy Dalton]

Where do we sign up? In the Armoury?

[frankbutcher]

Where do we sign up? In the Armoury?

The Rocket will also be open for sign-ups on Match Days. Please PM Flash Gunner for details.

[MadRich]

Where do we sign up? In the Armoury?

The Rocket will also be open for sign-ups on Match Days. Please PM Flash Gunner for details.

If the idea is so shite, We could always make a banner

On a serious note, you just highlighted what kingjayson mentioned earlier; when he tried to sing, people were saying its shit... but without offering any alternatives.

The situation is frustrating, but something has to be done.

[frankbutcher]

Where do we sign up? In the Armoury?

The Rocket will also be open for sign-ups on Match Days. Please PM Flash Gunner for details.

If the idea is so shite, We could always make a banner

On a serious note, you just highlighted what kingjayson mentioned earlier; when he tried to sing, people were saying its shit... but without offering any alternatives.

The situation is frustrating, but something has to be done.

For me, the answer is simple.

1) The Club need to relax the over-zealous stewarding.
2) A singing section in the Clock End. The away fans will be motivation enough to get going. We will also see a return of the ding-dong "We're the Clock End, we're the North Bank".

[M-50]

any objections to "The Gooners"

[flash gunner]

any objections to "The Gooners"

14 pages and thats what you come up with???

[arseofacrow]

any objections to "The Gooners"

14 pages and thats what you come up with???

[hugh jardon]

I think a "singing section" in the CE would definitely help.

However a possible stumbling block (apologies if it's already been mentioned) would be that the club would then have to relocate any CE ST holders on cup games. Previously this drew lots of complaints from CE ST holders at highbury and means a lot more work for the box office or whoever would organise it.

[TheCook]

I am watching this thread with interest, it’s almost as interesting as watching SWL getting ’ID’d’ in a pub on Saturday and the subsequent ‘drama queen storm-out’.

So far, there seems to be an obsession with the group name, which is just a tiny, tiny detail.

There are lots of comments about over zealous stewarding etc, but in my opinion, supporters need to adapt, and if that means having to sing while sitting down, then so be it. Sitting down at Premier League football matches is the law of the land, and that ain’t gonna change any time soon. I sat in the North Bank lower tier between ‘94 and ’06, and it was very rare that we stood for the whole game, but there were still plenty chants and songs. If you look at the demographic of the ‘singers’ they are mainly under 30/35, which means most, if not all of their Arsenal supporting life has been in all seater stadiums. Blaming stewards is just an excuse. If you have to sing while sitting down, then do it. End of.

I have not seen any ideas about how to get the silent majority to make any noise, and that is the main problem, and one which has stumped REDaction for the last nine seasons.

Regarding REDaction, I note there is no desire to dovetail this new ‘group’ in any way ; There has been plenty of criticism of them in the past, and plenty of it in this forum, but it is run by a group of guys who want the same things as this new group, but there appears to be little or no desire to get them involved. Their social media reach includes over 6,000 Facebook followers, and 8,000 Twitter followers, so they have the power to reach the desired demographic. I believe they could also help with some of the ideas mooted so far.

If a group exists for the sole purpose of improving the atmosphere, starting a brand new group with that same aim seems to be wasting a lot of time. My advice would be to get in touch with REDaction with the new ideas, make some sacrifices on match days, and go and meet those guys for a chat and a beer. New ideas always welcome.

[flash gunner]

That's hardly saying much though is it SWL? Today I think the home support reached it's final nadir. Even the likes of Blackburn, Fulham and Wigan make more noise at their half-filled grounds than we do nowadays.

I think that if at their meeting with Arsenal officials this Wednesday RedAction and BSM don't get any proper acknowledgment from the club that this is a major problem that they themselves could easily help remedy, then we might be at the point where these groups need to boycott future meetings and step up their own actions independently of the club and their 'consent'.

We have been at that point for a long long time hlebby but it has taken this long for some people to realise it I wish to fcuk our fans would man up and realise that our game is a game of passion and if we the fans are to change anything at the club then we are gonna have to force the issue's with real passion of our own as opposed to meeting for afternoon tea and biscuits with the club every so often and having a nice amicable chat Why do we feel that we can only achieve things if we are bedfellows with the club representatives when history shows us that when you consider how long the dialogue has been going on the "achievements" have been fcuk all ? To a man we all agree that the club and football is all about money nowadays so why not target the area that matters to the club......it's public profile. No club likes bad publicity or having the media spotlight on them especially when it comes near the time of negotiating new sponsorship deals with potential business partners - can you imagine the fear inside the club of what a public revolt would do to their asking price ? I know we all want the highest sponsorship deals possible for the club but at the same time it is way down my list of priorities and I wouldnt lose a seconds sleep if a protest hit the club in the pocket in this way or any other way cos I support a football club not a business or franchise

Whatever happened to the AFC not PLC group?

[M-50]

all those involved have been contacted, so please check your emails for info.

Look forward to hearing back from u all and kicking this campaign FORWARD

[n6gooner]

I am watching this thread with interest, it’s almost as interesting as watching SWL getting ’ID’d’ in a pub on Saturday and the subsequent ‘drama queen storm-out’.

So far, there seems to be an obsession with the group name, which is just a tiny, tiny detail.

There are lots of comments about over zealous stewarding etc, but in my opinion, supporters need to adapt, and if that means having to sing while sitting down, then so be it. Sitting down at Premier League football matches is the law of the land, and that ain’t gonna change any time soon. I sat in the North Bank lower tier between ‘94 and ’06, and it was very rare that we stood for the whole game, but there were still plenty chants and songs. If you look at the demographic of the ‘singers’ they are mainly under 30/35, which means most, if not all of their Arsenal supporting life has been in all seater stadiums. Blaming stewards is just an excuse. If you have to sing while sitting down, then do it. End of.

I have not seen any ideas about how to get the silent majority to make any noise, and that is the main problem, and one which has stumped REDaction for the last nine seasons.

Regarding REDaction, I note there is no desire to dovetail this new ‘group’ in any way ; There has been plenty of criticism of them in the past, and plenty of it in this forum, but it is run by a group of guys who want the same things as this new group, but there appears to be little or no desire to get them involved. Their social media reach includes over 6,000 Facebook followers, and 8,000 Twitter followers, so they have the power to reach the desired demographic. I believe they could also help with some of the ideas mooted so far.

If a group exists for the sole purpose of improving the atmosphere, starting a brand new group with that same aim seems to be wasting a lot of time. My advice would be to get in touch with REDaction with the new ideas, make some sacrifices on match days, and go and meet those guys for a chat and a beer. New ideas always welcome.

several excellent points.

for what it's worth my vew is that the starting point is getting sufficient like-minded/passionate fans together in specific blocks within the ground. for that to happen, the club's considerable co-operation and "buy-in" will be required and is more likely to be forthcoming if the numbers (including other groups/forums) demanding ST relocations is significant.

in summary, a well thought out (and substantially backed) proposal needs to be put to the club asap with a view to moves taking place at the end of this season

is this an over-simplification of the task at hand?

[SteveO 35]

The only way you will get any atmosphere going, as has been pointed out elsewhere, is to get everyone of a like mind into one section of the ground. I was thinking about this at the weekend and talking to other people about it at the game.

I was sat in the Upper Tier where it is very much "shhh....no noise in the library". With the demographic in that upper tier I don't think you've ever going to change things. I think that was always the case in the Upper Tiers of THOF and at most grounds.

So then you have the lower tier, with around 25% of it given over to away fans and family enclosure combined. What can you do about that?

I was talking to my Dad who has been a man and boy season ticket holder and sits in the West Lower (as he did at Highbury). He's got a great seat, on the halfway line and sits with a group of people he's known and has grown for 40 years or more. Now he's in good health but is 70 next year and quite frankly doesn't want to stand up every two minutes singing shite like "Red Army" or songs about Spurs when we're playing Marseille. Why should he and all the others have to relocate after all those years?

The best atmospheres I've experienced at games are when there has been a big section of passionate support behind one of the goals. Hopefully you can work on the club to recreate that atmosphere, but if you've got people that have sat in those sections for years then I guess you'll encounter some problems trying to relocate them.

Of course if the club didn't price out 18-25 year olds to start with then they might find that atmosphere came more naturally.

Good luck with it all though

[n6gooner]

The only way you will get any atmosphere going, as has been pointed out elsewhere, is to get everyone of a like mind into one section of the ground. I was thinking about this at the weekend and talking to other people about it at the game.

I was sat in the Upper Tier where it is very much "shhh....no noise in the library". With the demographic in that upper tier I don't think you've ever going to change things. I think that was always the case in the Upper Tiers of THOF and at most grounds.

So then you have the lower tier, with around 25% of it given over to away fans and family enclosure combined. What can you do about that?

I was talking to my Dad who has been a man and boy season ticket holder and sits in the West Lower (as he did at Highbury). He's got a great seat, on the halfway line and sits with a group of people he's known and has grown for 40 years or more. Now he's in good health but is 70 next year and quite frankly doesn't want to stand up every two minutes singing shite like "Red Army" or songs about Spurs when we're playing Marseille. Why should he and all the others have to relocate after all those years?

The best atmospheres I've experienced at games are when there has been a big section of passionate support behind one of the goals. Hopefully you can work on the club to recreate that atmosphere, but if you've got people that have sat in those sections for years then I guess you'll encounter some problems trying to relocate them.

Of course if the club didn't price out 18-25 year olds to start with then they might find that atmosphere came more naturally.

Good luck with it all though

great, concise feedback on the possible obstacles that are likely to be encountered and contingent solutions that need to be found

[Almunia is a clown]

Getting Red Action / AISA on the case, LOL!!! these groups have failed miserably so far, they are not radical enough for the club management to take seriously so get fobbed off very quickly by the club.

Unless you start making radical demands you won't achieve nothing, with proper forthright demands the club might meet you half way on some issues.

Disgrace how they are both club lap dogs, when the club needed the fans support to counteract the very vocal & organised stadium objectors the fans turned out in their thousands to back the new ground.

The club owed the fans & supporters groups but have shat on them from a great height ever since, fleecing them & becoming control freaks over the lifeblood of the club.