John Cross took up the cudgels this morning, criticising Arsenal for increasing the price of Club Level season tickets by 6.5% on last season. According to Cross and sections of the support who pay the price for this hospitality-devised seats, it is not fair. Arsenal did not help by employing dubious maths, a core rise of 4% does not increase to 6.5% when you add the increased VAT rate which applies. Unless of course, these seats are bearing the burden of the VAT rise for the whole ground.
It would be of little surprise to see this increase being the only one, or the most significant in terms of percentage. Arsenal may well be testing the water, seeing the response that is received. At the moment, outside of the indignation of these supporters, the best that can be said is that ‘cautious concern’ is in the air about ticket prices. Football as an industry has been relatively recession proof in the past. Attendances may fall in these times but the game still shows extravagance when it comes to wages and transfer prices thanks to the largesse of broadcasters and sponsors.
An ill-conceived notion is becoming more prevalent, namely that this season ticket increase is unacceptable because Arsenal are not making ‘big money’ signings. People need to be careful what they wish for; Jose Antonio Reyes was a big money signing and it is almost impossible to argue that Arsenal got full value. Or even much value. But the concept is understood. Big money equals big name.
The correlation between ticket prices and transfer spending is an utter red herring. There is, and never has been, any link between the two, save for the fact that ticket prices help to fund transfers. Even then that is a dubious and contentious theory, borrowings tend to fund player purchases but that is to leave the main argument at a tangent.
In Arsenal’s case, the link is of no surprise since complaints are regularly made about the lack of big name signings, Arsène’s parsimony and the question of what is happening to the money. The Arsenal shareholders are the main beneficiaries of the lack of money spent by the manager, funds diverted to clear debt instead. That is a logical business decision: if the manager does not require the funds, use them to the benefit of the club in other ways. The shareholders benefit as the value of their holdings increase. Where this becomes an issue is if the Board are deliberately utilising this policy, requiring the manager to take the blame for a lack of spend when the money is already earmarked elsewhere.
Realistically, I do not think that is entirely the case but my belief is that there is an element of truth in it.
Arsenal’s commercial deals need to be re-organised and we are told that they are being reviewed. It is a review that is not bringing in significant results. For a club in its position, commercial revenues are woeful by comparison to their peers. Chelsea in recent times have broken deals, making break payments to compensate but ensuring that subsequent revenues are much higher. Have Arsenal even contemplated this? It would not necessarily be the ‘Arsenal Way’, in keeping with club traditions. Does that matter any more? A beacon of light in some respects over transfer dealings does not necessarily make you commercially astute elsewhere.
The injury situation at Arsenal descended into a farce yesterday, at the same time highlighting a key issue between club and country, perhaps the biggest source of contention. Johan Djourou’s absence for the season derided by the Swiss FA, Arsenal swift to counter and point out surgery was likely within a week. The Swiss, seemingly led by Brian Rix these days, took this as their cue to skidoo, quickly withdrawing their comments.
It highlights a problem though. The Swiss would quite happily have played Djourou and in Fifa’s eyes, have the last say in whether or not a player is fit for international duty. The clubs understandably are not happy with this, Steven Gerrard a recent high profile ‘victim’ of the distrust. The Liverpool player was forced to sit ‘cramped’ in a car, travel to the England team hotel where doctors informed Capello, yes the player is unfit. It must have been a bitch for Gerrard to have to sit a Range Rover from Stamford Bridge to Burnham Beeches – all of thirty minutes. Hard life.
The clubs though, brought this upon themselves. Manchester United regularly withdrew players from international duty in the past. Mysterious injuries emerged at other clubs, ruling players out of midweek clashes but Lazarian recoveries enabled the injured party to perform to the peak of their abilities two or three days later. Fifa acted, as it only knows how, with draconian measures. The national FAs have the final say, the clubs can do nothing about it. Insurance might contribute to the wages but do nothing to help with the loss to the squad.
There is as ever a balance between the two sides. As ever, we wait for it to be struck.
’til Tomorrow.
RM put a hurting on Lyon!
As in “Oi Oliver, thoust going to get thou f**kin heads kicked in”
I find it amusing that some are saying we are tied for the top of the league, like the game in hand has already been won or some thing! We have no grounds to believe those 3 points are in the bag!
Well, as far as the CL goes, I agree the RvP debacle (at the time and score) was a horrific call and seriously affected our chance of going through. But by calling out that one event, Barca fans can easily point out the penalty on Messi in the first half not called or feel injustice at Song not getting a second yellow in the first leg. It is fairly selective of us to pick that one ref decision and not others that benefited us.
and as far as your question about United, I think it has an affect, but less than the points we have (to avoid using verbs that will upset people) not gotten on our own this season.
I can’t imagine any of my coaches, in any sport I played, from youth through university having let us, as players, say it was anything less than our effort and our playing that cost us a game or a season.
Bad things happen, whether they be injury or calls, but it was for us to make sure those things are as limited as possible so they didn’t have an affect on the outcome.
Busch, why should song have gotten a second yellow? however should he have gotten a first? that is subjective. In the run of the match you are not going to have all calls correct, we know that all too much. The call the ref made was absurd while we cannot say these other blown calls were.
However, lets give Messi the penalty and have 3 Barca players red carded for choking Arsenal players. What do think the outcome would be.
You see I am not at all being selective.
Good evening guys and girls,
I don’t know if this article has been spoken about on here but if you haven’t read it yet then I suggest you get on your bike and do so.
http://www.arsenalreport.com/2011/03/the-mighty-transition-why- arsenal-havent-won-anything-in-6-years/
Fantastic stuff and is a great way of explaining what Arsene Wenger has been doing at our great club for the last few years.
These have got to be a couple spud trolls.
Who you lot hoping sends you out of the CL?
Busch- A sending off is a sending off. You are down to 10 and you are hadicapped for the rest of the game. If the refree fails to award a free kick or a penalty you still have a chance to make up for that decision but with 10 men it is harder and the player sent off will certainly not come back on the field to help his team.
I remember 2006 final most neutrals thought Lehman should not have been sent off but the goal should’ve stood, that way the teams can fight it out 11 V 11. and we lost that game right at the end because the players defended for almost the entire game and were really nackered in the end. To this day I belive if it was 11 V11 we would’ve won that game. One more thing In fact it should’ve been Milan in the final that year. They had a perfectly good goal disallwed in the Nou camp to put them through to the final and don’t forget what has happened at Stamford bridge when they played Chelsea. Barcelona despite their brilliant football , they have been the luckiest team so far. We can dig out all the unfair decisions but they have been well looked after by eufa, that is for sure.
Thanks for the link Mean Lean, that was an excellent article
Paul N, 1 losse cannon,
You are right about those calls, and probably others that went on in many different competitions in different seasons.
I just am not in the camp that feels the ref solely lost the tie for us. (this season) Maybe that is a camp of one.
I don’t think it makes me a bad fan that I think our play was as much, if not more , at fault for how that tie went or how we went out in the FA to United or the CC to Bham. Though obviously some think otherwise.
I want us to play better, to be better, so that we don’t have to rely on the decisions of refs or the lucky bounce of the ball or hoping we face only “cold” goalies. Hopefully, the squad we have can do that the rest of the season to bring home the league championship.
agreed Busch. i think a lot of us would love for our team to start playing at the level we know they are capable of. For me the problem is a lack of penetration. too many teams have realized that sitting back, soaking up pressure, then trying to nab a goal on the break is an effective strategy. I think others have mentioned that our build up is too slow. The reason teams score goals on us is because they cover about 70% of the pitch with one ball, which leaves us with two defenders and one striker. When our team attacks there are about 7 attackers and 11 defenders.
i guess i meant to say two defenders AGAINST one striker. same for that last sentence but you lot probably catch my drift.
on a more musical note, anybody here a radiohead fan? I got the new cd a few weeks ago and kinda brushed it off after one listen. I put it on again and i’ve listened to it multiple times a day for since monday. that band is magical.
i wonder if people are willing to criticise hardcore Radiohead fans like they do with the In Arsene we Trust crew. “Radiohead hasn’t won a best album award in 6 years!!! THOM YORKE OUT!!!” (sarcasm)
Busch, so inspite of being down a man we shouldve beaten Barcelona?
I dont get your arguement as no one is depending on the ref apart from him to do his job properly and if he did Barca would be down to 8 players and I doubt RVP wouldve got frustrated in getting the 1st yellow.
Now you can say that the ref didnt change the outcome of the match but what was the score until the sending off. Again, its is subjective what wouldve taken place if RVP didnt get sent off but what is fact is that we are going through until that point and Barcelona couldnet break down of defense but for the Cesc mistake.
So we may not want to depend on the ref but its impossible to overlook the advantage that the ref gave the other team. In that I am appalled that people would blame us for that loss.
If you can come up with anything else as far as Barcelona gaining the advantage, I am all ears. What else took place.
I also want Arsenal to play better also, however If I had a dollar for everytime I have heard someone say we need to win ugly I would be a rich man. So, what exactly do we really want but a perfection that we ourselves cannot accomplish in life.
Its unfair and unrealistic.
Busch, the players are at fault for both the CC and FA Cup losses, who said otherwise?
The thing about Sports is that each game is not in a vacuum. Confidence is a huge part of sports (ANY).
The birmigham match is just one of those things however I sense that many believed that the match would be a walkover. So we shouldve scored atleast 5 goals and the mistake wouldnt even of mattered, surely we shouldnt have been tied at the end.
“So, what exactly do we really want but a perfection that we ourselves cannot accomplish in life.
Its unfair and unrealistic.”
This is the crux of the doomer problem. Perfection doesn’t exist, yet that is what they expect from Arsenal.
Judging by the comments and articles about the rise in club level prices, I would say that a fair few doomers reside in that fucking noose around the stadium. A ring of empty seats.
People who have worked hard to build their own plumbing empires. Now they get treated like this. Poor things. Polo shirts, chinos and peronis, all gone. Lord above.
Club level support are the non-fans who should pay more anyway IMO
I agree with Louis
A bit slow this morning eh?
I beg your pardon?
Never ceases to amaze me how much club level people whine about prices. I really do regret the club having to prostitute itself to these people. They sit there in their glass fronted heaven, eating three types of meat at once and gazing down on us before each game. Then they don’t bother going to their fucking seats. Of course because they have created their own plumbing and double glazing empires they know how to run a football club and team much better than Arsenal can. After all whats the difference between plumbing, doubleglazing and football. Cunts the lot of them.
O’Shea out for five weeks, Rafael for three weeks, Rio might miss the rest of season. vidic still struggling.
gonna be a photo finish this year, hope some fans can take some time off moaning to enjoy it. we have the right to question certain aspects but there is plenty of time at the end of the season to objectively anaylse the 38 games.
http://aculturedleftfoot.wordpress.com/2011/03/17/jd-on-the-rocks-mc-getting-hammered-arsenal-time/
It’s here. Late, I know, but here.
Isn’t it ironic that those who sold their soul to sit in Club Level to enjoy their free glass of wine at half time are now whinging about it being expensive?
It wasn’t so long ago certain elements where stating that by paying more for their tickets it made them more of a ‘fan’.
I thought I read somewhere that our prices were among the highest of the highest already? When these things come up I think of the dead wood that has been purchased in the past and are still on the payroll ie, Bendtner, Denilson, Vela, Sqillachi. . With all the these we could of brought in a fully developed Premiership player but, thats another argument.
This coming out after recent performances v Brum and Utd sums the last 3yrs up and the reason why some fans are fed up of the whole thing at the moment.
People keep going on about when we won nothing in the 90s etc etc but, we are supposed to be moving on as a club like others have around us.
For instance chels fans wouldn’t be happy with if they won nothing for the next 6yrs based on that fact that they won fuckall before Jose came there so I think that excuse not to be angry is bollocks no matter how many times we tell ourselves that.
2nd in the league yes but, one does get shaky by the fact we got fuckall leaders when teams try a different tactic against us. A leader that could of possibly been brought in with the £s used to buy up dead wood.