The Emirates Deal

[GoonerMuzz]

Just found this while being bored at work, found it quite an interesting if long read:

http://northlondonisred.co.uk/was-leavi ... -arsenal/?

Some very salient points about the lead up to building the new stadium and who did what in terms of brokering the deal, though strangely it seems to not mention Mr 'I built this club' as being one of the principles involved.

But i have to ask the question looking around us at our local rivals, did we get a bum deal?

(Mods i couldn't find anything recent covering this but feel free to put it where the sun doesn't shine, sorry I meant in the right place if needs be)

[Red Snapper]

Compared to Wham we got a bleeding awful deal.

[arseofacrow]

Just found this while being bored at work, found it quite an interesting if long read:

http://northlondonisred.co.uk/was-leavi ... -arsenal/?

Some very salient points about the lead up to building the new stadium and who did what in terms of brokering the deal, though strangely it seems to not mention Mr 'I built this club' as being one of the principles involved.

But i have to ask the question looking around us at our local rivals, did we get a bum deal?

(Mods i couldn't find anything recent covering this but feel free to put it where the sun doesn't shine, sorry I meant in the right place if needs be)

Not many salient points, I'm afraid.

It's clear that we built a stadium so as to force up the value of the club and the shareholders could cash in. In just the same way as in 5 years or so, west ham will be sold and the owners will make a mint.

We trashed our spiritual home because of the lack of suitable corporate facilities, that's it.

Now we have a get a stadium down the DIY store, resplendent with the now neccessary "on-messages" about past players and our trophies. Which is perhaps just as well given the situation now.

[Mistical92]

Meh we were unlucky that now building a stadium is much easier, as was pointed out on the recent Tuesday Club podcast. The tv deals and prize money pay for a stadium in a couple of years nowadays. But no one could've predicted the massive upswing in money and IMO we had to build a new stadium at some point. 38.5k was too small for a club wanting to be the one of the best in Europe and England. Even 60k might just be a middling number in English football in a few years. The move meant more fans can watch the Arsenal (ignoring ticket costs for a moment) and so I still see it as a positive move overall.

[Sean]

Circumstances have conspired to mug us off. So much for The Old Fraud 'sacrificing himself for the good of the club', claiming VTs with an average squad, tactics and all that shite. Without Dein, he became the naturally tight bastard that he is. Now with the TV money and sponsorship, anyone can have a McStadium. TOF pissed away the last decade.

I think that Cashburton is too small at 60,000 anyway, but they aren't allowed to make it bigger. The infrastructure can't cope. If we had to desecrate Highbury, it should have been for a 90-100K seater or nothing (Balls to the Wembley move too). Anyway the club are all about the corporate coin now, the wankers. They make more money from club level alone than they did for the whole of Highbury.

Anyway, it's known that we got a shitty deal because we were desperate for finance, etc. I'm not a fan of having that stuff emblazoned all over the club and stadium for decades.

[officepest]

Meh we were unlucky that now building a stadium is much easier, as was pointed out on the recent Tuesday Club podcast. The tv deals and prize money pay for a stadium in a couple of years nowadays. But no one could've predicted the massive upswing in money and IMO we had to build a new stadium at some point. 38.5k was too small for a club wanting to be the one of the best in Europe and England. Even 60k might just be a middling number in English football in a few years. The move meant more fans can watch the Arsenal (ignoring ticket costs for a moment) and so I still see it as a positive move overall.

I know I'm being selective, but we did OK at Highbury in terms of trophies. The new stadium is horrible and, with the benefit of hindsight, unnecessary.

[Almunia is a clown]

I think that Cashburton is too small at 60,000 anyway, but they aren't allowed to make it bigger. The infrastructure can't cope. If we had to desecrate Highbury, it should have been for a 90-100K seater or nothing (Balls to the Wembley move too). Anyway the club are all about the corporate coin now, the wankers. They make more money from club level alone than they did for the whole of Highbury.

Middlesex have got permission for a 60K stadium with much worse transport facilities, the distance of their ground from Seven Sisters & Too6758ham Hale stations is actually he same as Arsenal to Archway Underground. The Holloway & beyond area has closer underground stations plus other overground stations within the same distance.

Transport for London & Islington Council got Arsenal to pay for local housing & transport infrastructure with a bill of £115 million yet Middlesex & Spammers haven't contributed feck all to local improvements. Arsenal should be making a legal challenge regarding this!

In fact Wembley with 90K capacity has much worse transport links than Arsenal with only 4 local stations.

It's time that the club should demand an increase in capacity, at least 10K to make us the biggest ground in London & ideally 80K.

To fill 80K the club would have have to reduce admission prices, to attract back fans that have cut back on going to games, something that Kroenke, Gazidis & Wenger won't be happy about implementing.

[augie]

I think that Cashburton is too small at 60,000 anyway, but they aren't allowed to make it bigger. The infrastructure can't cope. If we had to desecrate Highbury, it should have been for a 90-100K seater or nothing (Balls to the Wembley move too). Anyway the club are all about the corporate coin now, the wankers. They make more money from club level alone than they did for the whole of Highbury.

Middlesex have got permission for a 60K stadium with much worse transport facilities, the distance of their ground from Seven Sisters & Too6758ham Hale stations is actually he same as Arsenal to Archway Underground. The Holloway & beyond area has closer underground stations plus other overground stations within the same distance.

Transport for London & Islington Council got Arsenal to pay for local housing & transport infrastructure with a bill of £115 million yet Middlesex & Spammers haven't contributed feck all to local improvements. Arsenal should be making a legal challenge regarding this!

In fact Wembley with 90K capacity has much worse transport links than Arsenal with only 4 local stations.

It's time that the club should demand an increase in capacity, at least 10K to make us the biggest ground in London & ideally 80K.

To fill 80K the club would have have to reduce admission prices, to attract back fans that have cut back on going to games, something that Kroenke, Gazidis & Wenger won't be happy about implementing.

F.uck increasing the capacity - there are far too many jcl's/tourists in the place as it is, and they are the type of crunts that would end up getting the extra seats

[barnetgooner]

No. Financially it was a great move. We've got an enormous financial advantage over the likes of Spurs and Liverpool; it's just that our wage bill has been squandered on rubbish and we don't have a manager to make the most of the talent we do have.

West Ham and Tottenham are just taking advantage of government/local authority desperation that we didn't have the option to do:

Once the Olympic Stadium had been built, it was obvious West Ham would be the only realistic tenant so they had the local authority over a barrel and could name their price.

Tottenham is a dump and it would be an absolute disaster for the area if they left, plus the area definitely needs investment and improved transport.

Islington, however, is an affluent area with high property prices which is not hugely dependent on the club (though Holly rd has benefited)... we needed to stay more than they needed us. There are no circumstances in which we'd have had the leverage to force the council to build a stadium for us and pay derisory rent, it's not comparable.