BSM/Club update

[Reg Niseth]

Remember, there's no membership fee for the BSM, we are open to everyone and have approaching 10,000 followers on various social networks etc. And we will report back to our followers.

So in the spirit of our openness, below are the topics we discussed with the club yesterday and await their response.

We were very limited with our time, the meeting started late (not our fault) and finished earlier than we anticipated especially as we'd agreed an agenda in advance and were therefore unable to cover everything.

I apologise for it's length (not the first time I've had to say that . . . I wish).


Ticketing
Pricing
Given the outrage at the club’s decision to raise season ticket prices last summer, we’d like assurances that no further increases are planned for next season. We know a lot of people who had to give up their season tickets because they simply couldn’t afford them any more. It’s heartbreaking to see people who’ve devoted themselves to Arsenal for decades have to give up watching the club they love.

This season, many matches have gone on general sale – almost unheard of in the last 10 years – and the club is witnessing exactly what we predicted. Fans cannot continue to be punished where there are other avenues that should be targeted first.

The club should be under no illusion that if further increases are passed on to supporters, there will be widespread protest – at the kind of levels never seen before at Arsenal. We had representatives from other key supporters groups offering participation in the summer, in case we organised a protest, so this demonstrates that the feeling is not isolated.

More variety in ticketing
We think the club needs to be sensitive to the financial situation most supporters currently find themselves in. There are many ways in which this can be achieved:

1. We’d like the club to introduce a two-tier season ticket. One would be ‘as is’ but the second option would be a season ticket for league matches only. This could prove to be a very popular innovation. Fans who are finding it hard to afford their season ticket would have a cheaper option, and it would free up tickets to cup games which are currently limited in availability for lots of supporters.
Those who purchase the full season ticket would naturally receive priority over the ‘lite’ version when it comes to cup finals etc.

2. We feel that the club should offer season ticket holders a short-term repayment plan whereby the ticket can be paid for over three months (1 June, 1 July, 1 August). Naturally the club could add an administration fee to each payment for doing this, clawing back any threat of lost interest.

While the club have previously offered loans with other financial institutions, or credit cards, we feel this is irresponsible – the club shouldn’t be offering more ways of getting people into debt, considering the current financial climate. Keeping it simple and in-house is the key.

3. We’d like the club to offer the chance of downgrading your season ticket – of course assuming there is a seat available in that price band. Options could be offered when renewing, giving season ticket holders the chance to:

- Renew your current membership/seat
- Upgrade to a better seat
- Downgrade your seat

4. If a season ticket holder gives up his/her season ticket, give them the option of buying a Silver membership. It’s hugely unfair of the club to shunt a loyal supporter to the back of the queue i.e. Red membership if they cannot afford their season ticket any more.

Stadium seating
Bring back the Clock End
We commend the club’s decision to finally name the stands, but would like this to move on a step further.

Since moving stadium, our fans have been split up around the ground and despite the ‘Red Section’ being allowed, the atmosphere inside the stadium is still poor. We therefore suggest that the club allows season tickets in the lower tier of the Clock End, which would allow like-minded people to be able to sit together and create a great atmosphere. Of course
cup considerations need to be taken into account but why not operate as we did at Highbury i.e. provide those season ticket holders with seats elsewhere, as and when the situation arises? There is massive interest out there for a new Clock End to be formed, and by doing so, this would create a great deal of good feeling from fans towards the club. It would show the club really does care. Having a clock above the stand doesn’t make it the Clock End. Having fans there who want to recreate the old feeling of the Clock End most certainly does.

Away fans
The position of away fans in the ground is something we also would like to see changed. At the moment, away support gets a prominent position in the lower tier, taking up thousands of the cheapest seats in the stadium. We would like the club to investigate the option of moving away support to the upper tier, bringing the following benefits:

-They would be out of sight of the TV cameras. It’s disheartening to see away fans standing, creating atmosphere etc. in prime view, while our ‘Red Section’ is tucked away in the opposite corner.

-They’d be further from the pitch, making it harder for them to generate loud support for their Team By far the biggest benefit – it would provide thousands of cheaper seats for Arsenal fans Yes there are many considerations to bear in mind… there would need to be work done on turnstile entry and exits, and there’s the safety issue of fans below. But if this is done by other clubs (Man United and Newcastle spring to mind) why can’t it be done here?

Unreserved seating
We’d like the club to consider an experiment of unreserved seating. Providing a section of the ground where friends can buy tickets and sit together, it would mean fans coming into the ground earlier and it would definitely help create a better atmosphere inside the ground

The ‘matchday experience’
The Wonder Of You
You wouldn’t believe the number of calls we’ve had, to get the club to scrap this song. It’s nothing to do with Arsenal and while we see the attempt to get it adopted as a club ‘anthem’ it hasn’t worked. Simply relegating it by playing it a few minutes earlier has enraged people even further – as if the club refuses to admit it hasn’t worked. Get rid, and get rid immediately!

Good Old Arsenal
Play ‘Good Old Arsenal’ as the teams take to the pitch – if not as a permanent measure, at least for the 125 year celebrations against Everton. We know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s as close to an Arsenal anthem as we’re ever likely to get. It keeps ties with our traditions and it’s a proper Arsenal song.

‘Shout the names back’
Are there plans to change the “shout the names back at meâ€

[REB]

good stuff reg, i guess its a start that the club are listening.

[worthing_gooner]

Thanks for summarising that for us Reg. Agree with every point made to be honest, just hope the club start listening instead of avoiding the issues with cleverly worded spin.

[Juan]

Totally agree with this.

[RioGooner]

These are very good suggestions, couldn't agree more.

[gunner_ace]

Here here. All great ideas, I especially like the away fans idea, i.e. shunting them upstairs. But for that to work then you have to think that seats upstairs cost on average £50 - £90 depending on the game, so is it really fair to expect say Wigan fans to pay that when they are charging us £25 this weekend for the reverse fixture?. The club would have to ofer those seats cheaper to be fair, and that would mean losing profit margins, meaning it will never happen.

On the clockend thing I would have to disagree.

Im in the yorkshire arsenal supporters clubs and we sit in that part of the ground (as do a few other affiliated clubs also) We are all allocated our seats in that part of the stadium due to the fact that no permanent season ticket holders sit there (so they can expand and contract the seating area with minimum fuss for away fans as each game dictates), as so we can bring large numbers and still all sit together.

Anyone who sits their currently will know we give the red section a run for their money at any given game and that part of the stadium is literally bouncing each game, i.e. the atmosphere is great their already so why change it? If you moved season tickets to that area it must not be at the expense of the supporter clubs.

[RoscommonGooner]

Away fans
The position of away fans in the ground is something we also would like to see changed. At the moment, away support gets a prominent position in the lower tier, taking up thousands of the cheapest seats in the stadium. We would like the club to investigate the option of moving away support to the upper tier, bringing the following benefits:


-They would be out of sight of the TV cameras. It’s disheartening to see away fans standing, creating atmosphere etc. in prime view, while our ‘Red Section’ is tucked away in the opposite corner.

-They’d be further from the pitch, making it harder for them to generate loud support for their Team By far the biggest benefit – it would provide thousands of cheaper seats for Arsenal fans Yes there are many considerations to bear in mind… there would need to be work done on turnstile entry and exits, and there’s the safety issue of fans below. But if this is done by other clubs (Man United and Newcastle spring to mind) why can’t it be done here?

Surely the best example of this being done by other clubs is Benfica who must have took the plans of the E******* after we finished with them.

[Red Member]

I can see a problem with having more ST holders in the clock end
it will mean less tickets for red members in the lower tier.

where do you expect me to sit?

[frankbutcher]

Here here. All great ideas, I especially like the away fans idea, i.e. shunting them upstairs. But for that to work then you have to think that seats upstairs cost on average £50 - £90 depending on the game, so is it really fair to expect say Wigan fans to pay that when they are charging us £25 this weekend for the reverse fixture?. The club would have to ofer those seats cheaper to be fair, and that would mean losing profit margins, meaning it will never happen.

On the clockend thing I would have to disagree.

Im in the yorkshire arsenal supporters clubs and we sit in that part of the ground (as do a few other affiliated clubs also) We are all allocated our seats in that part of the stadium due to the fact that no permanent season ticket holders sit there (so they can expand and contract the seating area with minimum fuss for away fans as each game dictates), as so we can bring large numbers and still all sit together.

Anyone who sits their currently will know we give the red section a run for their money at any given game and that part of the stadium is literally bouncing each game, i.e. the atmosphere is great their already so why change it? If you moved season tickets to that area it must not be at the expense of the supporter clubs.

So you disagree with a Clock End singing section because it would affect you and your fellow whippet and flat-cap wearers?? I'm sorry but I can't hear your lot singing anything apart from "stand up if you hate Tott'num". You're an embarassment. I'd rather see the Supporters Clubs moved to Upper Tier North Bank in the last few rows.

Well done Reg!!!!!!!

[frankbutcher]

I can see a problem with having more ST holders in the clock end
it will mean less tickets for red members in the lower tier.

where do you expect me to sit?

In the Paxton End.

[Reg Niseth]

I can see a problem with having more ST holders in the clock end
it will mean less tickets for red members in the lower tier.

where do you expect me to sit?

You should be standing

In the seats vacated by ST holders. We're not asking for EXTRA ST we're asking that those that would like to move to the CE can do so.

[littlefire]

Good work Reg and co. Really fcukin good.

[HashKads]

I can see a problem with having more ST holders in the clock end
it will mean less tickets for red members in the lower tier.

where do you expect me to sit?

In the Paxton End.

Well said Frank.

[REB]

Here here. All great ideas, I especially like the away fans idea, i.e. shunting them upstairs. But for that to work then you have to think that seats upstairs cost on average £50 - £90 depending on the game, so is it really fair to expect say Wigan fans to pay that when they are charging us £25 this weekend for the reverse fixture?. The club would have to ofer those seats cheaper to be fair, and that would mean losing profit margins, meaning it will never happen.

On the clockend thing I would have to disagree.

Im in the yorkshire arsenal supporters clubs and we sit in that part of the ground (as do a few other affiliated clubs also) We are all allocated our seats in that part of the stadium due to the fact that no permanent season ticket holders sit there (so they can expand and contract the seating area with minimum fuss for away fans as each game dictates), as so we can bring large numbers and still all sit together.

Anyone who sits their currently will know we give the red section a run for their money at any given game and that part of the stadium is literally bouncing each game, i.e. the atmosphere is great their already so why change it? If you moved season tickets to that area it must not be at the expense of the supporter clubs.

So you disagree with a Clock End singing section because it would affect you and your fellow whippet and flat-cap wearers?? I'm sorry but I can't hear your lot singing anything apart from "stand up if you hate Tott'num". You're an embarassment. I'd rather see the Supporters Clubs moved to Upper Tier North Bank in the last few rows.

Well done Reg!!!!!!!

bit of a stupid comment to make there frank,when i sit in the clock end i cant hear the north bank and dont knock all supporters clubs as at least they will try and make some noise, and not all are jcls but good gooners who find it easier to come to the game and get tickets from a supporters club .

[rigsby]

With safe standing, Arsenal seem to be one of the club who are actually willing to look at this. The FA wont allow it though.