They may have been bad times in terms of trophies but the whole thing was a lot more enjoyable for the reasons you largely state. I'm on the ST waiting list but to be honest my silver membership does me just fine as I can go to the games I want to plus I cannot justify spending out all that money on an ST as my family come frst.BournemouthRED wrote:I hear people talk about the bad times of the 80's etc. Sounds like paradise to me, value for money st, no waiting list, stood there with your mates week in week out smoking drinking and singing ALL game
Long!
Knowing my luck ill get offered a st in the upper tier for 1500 quid and be sat next to some tarquin! I think the overall matchday experience is a massive factor
For me.
Mate gave up his S/T. B/O have asked for a letter to confirm
Perhaps OP's "mate" is being a bit of a glory hunter, but how many of you are not disappointed with the board at the moment?
10 years ago, less than that even, we were on the cusp of being the greatest club in the world. We had everything. We had arguably the best XI players, always had a strong bench (we regularly had Suker, Keown and Kanu - world famous names, in their prime, benchwarming for us), we had no debt, a full house every week, and played scintillating football.
We were promised a new stadium, funded by corporates and sponsorship, which would in no way affect our performance on the pitch or our transfer activity off it.
In January 2004, we signed Reyes. Young player for a huge amount of money. It was a risk, but typical of the board at the time. We'd risked "large" amounts on other players, some had flopped, others had been worth 10x the amount we paid (Ljungberg, Henry, etc).
At approximately the same time, finance was agreed for, and work commenced on Ashburton Grove. The very stadium we craved for and were promised would have no effect on team activities.
Since then, we've had a steady drip, drip of players leaving and not being replaced adequately. Vieira was first, followed by Bergkamp and Cole. Flamini (not a world name, but a kingpin of the side) and Gilberto followed, was followed by Henry and possibly followed by Diaby.
Last day of the 2003-04 season:
1 Jens Lehmann (G)
23 Sol Campbell (D)
3 Ashley Cole (D)
12 Lauren (M)
4 Patrick Vieira (M)
7 Robert Pires (M)
8 Freddie Ljungberg (M)
19 Gilberto Silva (M)
28 Kolo Touré (M)
10 Dennis Bergkamp (F)
14 Thierry Henry (F)
Last day of the 2009-10 season:
21 Lukasz Fabianski (G)
18 Mikael Silvestre (CD-L)
31 Sol Campbell (CD-R)
22 Gaël Clichy (LB)
3 Bacary Sagna (RB)
2 Abou Diaby (CM)
8 Samir Nasri (LM)
27 Emmanuel Eboué (RM)
23 Andrei Arshavin (F)
11 Robin Van Persie (LF)
14 Theo Walcott (RF)
I mean, come on. There's no comparison. I'm not sure a single player from the 2010 team would get into the 04 team. Yet, we're still expected to pay top dollar to watch Silvestre and Diaby? Fuck off!
The board have a lot to answer for. I can sympatise with anyone who is less willing to splash out this season. Not only is the team awful and without realistic a prospect of trophies, but there is absolutely no fun at all in the current Arsenal FC match day.
10 years ago, less than that even, we were on the cusp of being the greatest club in the world. We had everything. We had arguably the best XI players, always had a strong bench (we regularly had Suker, Keown and Kanu - world famous names, in their prime, benchwarming for us), we had no debt, a full house every week, and played scintillating football.
We were promised a new stadium, funded by corporates and sponsorship, which would in no way affect our performance on the pitch or our transfer activity off it.
In January 2004, we signed Reyes. Young player for a huge amount of money. It was a risk, but typical of the board at the time. We'd risked "large" amounts on other players, some had flopped, others had been worth 10x the amount we paid (Ljungberg, Henry, etc).
At approximately the same time, finance was agreed for, and work commenced on Ashburton Grove. The very stadium we craved for and were promised would have no effect on team activities.
Since then, we've had a steady drip, drip of players leaving and not being replaced adequately. Vieira was first, followed by Bergkamp and Cole. Flamini (not a world name, but a kingpin of the side) and Gilberto followed, was followed by Henry and possibly followed by Diaby.
Last day of the 2003-04 season:
1 Jens Lehmann (G)
23 Sol Campbell (D)
3 Ashley Cole (D)
12 Lauren (M)
4 Patrick Vieira (M)
7 Robert Pires (M)
8 Freddie Ljungberg (M)
19 Gilberto Silva (M)
28 Kolo Touré (M)
10 Dennis Bergkamp (F)
14 Thierry Henry (F)
Last day of the 2009-10 season:
21 Lukasz Fabianski (G)
18 Mikael Silvestre (CD-L)
31 Sol Campbell (CD-R)
22 Gaël Clichy (LB)
3 Bacary Sagna (RB)
2 Abou Diaby (CM)
8 Samir Nasri (LM)
27 Emmanuel Eboué (RM)
23 Andrei Arshavin (F)
11 Robin Van Persie (LF)
14 Theo Walcott (RF)
I mean, come on. There's no comparison. I'm not sure a single player from the 2010 team would get into the 04 team. Yet, we're still expected to pay top dollar to watch Silvestre and Diaby? Fuck off!
The board have a lot to answer for. I can sympatise with anyone who is less willing to splash out this season. Not only is the team awful and without realistic a prospect of trophies, but there is absolutely no fun at all in the current Arsenal FC match day.
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DB10GOONER
- Posts: 62211
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 2:06 pm
- Location: Dublin, Ireland.
- Contact:
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the 70's and 80's as a Gooner. Probably because we weren't so successful as much as anything else in a way. No one could say I was just following the Pool or whoever because they were the big team of the day, I stuck by The Arsenal through thick and (mostly) thin and it made my love of them stronger and more personal.
Also, as (I think) olgit said, you really learn to appreciate and enjoy the success after you've spent years without it.
If the OP's mate gave it up for purely financial reasons I fully understand and sympathise, but it reads like he jacked it because he wasn't getting value for money, he wasn't getting the success he was used to. And if that is the case then fuck him - he is a spoiled little bitch and good riddance.
Also, as (I think) olgit said, you really learn to appreciate and enjoy the success after you've spent years without it.
If the OP's mate gave it up for purely financial reasons I fully understand and sympathise, but it reads like he jacked it because he wasn't getting value for money, he wasn't getting the success he was used to. And if that is the case then fuck him - he is a spoiled little bitch and good riddance.
Spot on. If he didnt want the ticket he can give it to me, the waiting list is looonnngQuartzGooner wrote:So this bloke started watching us 1995.
Coveniently in time for joint greatest period in club's history.
Now things get a bit tough he turns his back?
No doubt there are issues with the team which we debate at length on here, and if he has financial problems then I can understand that, but for any other reasons it is nonsense.
For me and many it is a case of "To have and to hold, in sickness and in health"
I have very little time for fickle fans.
I tell you one thing guy, if this dude decided to get a season ticket during the summer of 1995, when the last competitive game Arsenal would have played in was the 1995 CWC Final and that Nayim half way line bollocks, he's entitled to do and say whatever he wants. If I was looking for a team around that year, it wouldn't have been Arsenal. I took a fucking battering at school over that shit.DB10GOONER wrote:Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the 70's and 80's as a Gooner. Probably because we weren't so successful as much as anything else in a way. No one could say I was just following the Pool or whoever because they were the big team of the day, I stuck by The Arsenal through thick and (mostly) thin and it made my love of them stronger and more personal.
Also, as (I think) olgit said, you really learn to appreciate and enjoy the success after you've spent years without it.
If the OP's mate gave it up for purely financial reasons I fully understand and sympathise, but it reads like he jacked it because he wasn't getting value for money, he wasn't getting the success he was used to. And if that is the case then fuck him - he is a spoiled little bitch and good riddance.
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Swale_Gooner1985
- Posts: 2267
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:35 am
- Location: Kent
I would agree with much of what you say under almost any other circumstance.DB10GOONER wrote:Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the 70's and 80's as a Gooner. Probably because we weren't so successful as much as anything else in a way. No one could say I was just following the Pool or whoever because they were the big team of the day, I stuck by The Arsenal through thick and (mostly) thin and it made my love of them stronger and more personal.
Also, as (I think) olgit said, you really learn to appreciate and enjoy the success after you've spent years without it.
If the OP's mate gave it up for purely financial reasons I fully understand and sympathise, but it reads like he jacked it because he wasn't getting value for money, he wasn't getting the success he was used to. And if that is the case then fuck him - he is a spoiled little bitch and good riddance.
But in this particular case it appears all but certain the Board chose to give up on historical success and lied to the supporters about this choice, and this choice has only benefitted a small number of already very rich large shareholders who have taken advantage of our loyalty to continue lying about this and to take even more than than they should from all of us while continuinr to choose to give less than they could back to us as long as they can take advantage of our loyalty if they can get away with it.
That's why we deserve and ought to know what is really going on because if I am wrong I and others have levied some terrible accusations at them unfairly but if I am right they have done some very rotten things to all of us - and to the most loyal supporters like yourself most of all. Shouldn't we want to know the truth then ?
