Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
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nut flush gooner
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by nut flush gooner »

Have any of you been to the Emirates recently (Steve and Argee?). I was chatting to 2 guys from the Czech Republic in a bar before the said Everton game, they were both on relatively low salaries but they were members of a supporters club. Despite their salaries, they see a trip to watch Arsenal as a holiday, a weekend in London taking in a match as well This is replicated not only across Europe but all over the world.

Arsenal whilst not long ago didn't tap into the potential fan base overseas now have supporters clubs everywhere from Philadelphia to Singapore. As I said in my previous post if you put your season tickets one xchange there is a very good chance a football tourist will take them. One of my mates is working overseas this year, and his two season tickets are on exchange nearly every game. For a large proportion of those games, non English fans attend.

Even in the UK, we have huge supporters clubs up north. The Manchester supporters club by way of example has 2000 members, a lot of them going to away games close to their homes but also coming to home games. I know some of them. 2000 gooners in a City where both local teams are miles ahead of us in the league, figure that out! I was talking to a bloke who came to the cup final from Aberdeen ffs!

Our support will never go to the levels we had in the 80s, when less than 20,000 turned up every other week. Times have changed and so has football.

arrgee
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:22 pm
Imagine that Barcelona then had El Shit for Brains in charge and went on a long run of mediocre, boring football spending year after year finishing 6th and selling the Messi's and Suarez's to more wealthy, attractive domestic rivals.....
Sure but Liverpool have been 6th, 7th or 8th six times in the last eight seasons and it had zero impact on attendance. One decent title challange and one scrape into the Champions League. Didn't even make Europe in three of those seasons.

http://www.european-football-statistics ... b/live.htm

arrgee
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

nut flush gooner wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:26 pm
Have any of you been to the ****** recently (Steve and Argee?).
I go about half a dozen times a season. Chelsea and West Ham in League Cup. Swansea and Bournemouth in League. Plus Emirates Cup.

So yes.

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SteveO 35
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by SteveO 35 »

arrgee wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:31 pm
SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:22 pm
Imagine that Barcelona then had El Shit for Brains in charge and went on a long run of mediocre, boring football spending year after year finishing 6th and selling the Messi's and Suarez's to more wealthy, attractive domestic rivals.....
Sure but Liverpool have been 6th, 7th or 8th six times in the last eight seasons and it had zero impact on attendance. One decent title challange and one scrape into the Champions League. Didn't even make Europe in three of those seasons.

http://www.european-football-statistics ... b/live.htm
True, but Liverpool always gave the hope value of changing managers and investing in the team. They wouldn't settle for those league positions so changed things. With us 2nd became 3rd, became 4th, became 5th, became 6th.....and we're owned and managed by a bunch of c.unts who don't give a shit or have any appetite for change. The Mickeys also hound their managers and owners out of the club if they finish 6th, 7th or 8th....we get barely 50 people turn up and have some mild booing at the end of matches. Massive difference

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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:34 pm
... Liverpool always gave the hope of changing managers...
Arsenal don't like changing managers. Never have. Mee, Neill (with Howe) and Graham all stayed about 10 years each and now Wenger for 20+ years. Only manager not given any time was Rioch. Not really sure why Arsenal have been like this for the last 50 years or so. Ultra conservative. They would rather have Wenger guaranteeing top half than someone who might win something. Only one who ever showed ambition in the board was dein, but he is long gone.

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SteveO 35
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by SteveO 35 »

arrgee wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:41 pm
SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:34 pm
... Liverpool always gave the hope of changing managers...
Arsenal don't like changing managers. Never have. Mee, Neill (with Howe) and Graham all stayed about 10 years each and now Wenger for 20+ years. Only manager not given any time was Rioch. Not really sure why Arsenal have been like this for the last 50 years or so. Ultra conservative. They would rather have Wenger guaranteeing top half than someone who might win something. Only one who ever showed ambition in the board was dein, but he is long gone.
Indeed, and in this day and age of instant gratification I don't think that appeals to your average day tripper fan. There's a total different market and audience for football these days - apart from fans coming over from Ireland then in the late 80s and then the Scandinavian countries, the people in the ground were the same old supporters. Now there's a floating tourist base who want to go where the perceived glamour is......and there are far more options now City, United, Liverpool, Chavski, Spuds etc. Chavski were a second division team in the early 80s and the Spuds no more than a cup team.

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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

augie wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 11:32 am
... if the food in a resturaunt was shit, would you continue to eat there ?
I still go to pubs that have become shit because my mates still go there. That's why I go to Arsenal albeit far less frequently than I once did.

I did start going to see Orient as an alternative with other mates, but found that to be even worse!

It's not as if I can go to watch Sp*rs and West H*m is it?

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SteveO 35
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by SteveO 35 »

arrgee wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:49 pm
augie wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 11:32 am
... if the food in a resturaunt was shit, would you continue to eat there ?
I still go to pubs that have become shit because my mates still go there. That's why I go to Arsenal albeit far less frequently than I once did.

I did start going to see Orient as an alternative with other mates, but found that to be even worse!

It's not as if I can go to watch Sp*rs and West H*m is it?
But you're an Arsenal fan first and foremost and always will be I presume? I'm talking about the 10-20,000 who turn up just to take in a 'matchday experience' and couldn't give a fuck if its Chavski, Spuds or us......they're in London and they want to see the 'best team'

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SteveO 35
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by SteveO 35 »

nut flush gooner wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:26 pm
Have any of you been to the Emirates recently (Steve and Argee?). I was chatting to 2 guys from the Czech Republic in a bar before the said Everton game, they were both on relatively low salaries but they were members of a supporters club. Despite their salaries, they see a trip to watch Arsenal as a holiday, a weekend in London taking in a match as well This is replicated not only across Europe but all over the world.

Arsenal whilst not long ago didn't tap into the potential fan base overseas now have supporters clubs everywhere from Philadelphia to Singapore. As I said in my previous post if you put your season tickets one xchange there is a very good chance a football tourist will take them. One of my mates is working overseas this year, and his two season tickets are on exchange nearly every game. For a large proportion of those games, non English fans attend.

Even in the UK, we have huge supporters clubs up north. The Manchester supporters club by way of example has 2000 members, a lot of them going to away games close to their homes but also coming to home games. I know some of them. 2000 gooners in a City where both local teams are miles ahead of us in the league, figure that out! I was talking to a bloke who came to the cup final from Aberdeen ffs!

Our support will never go to the levels we had in the 80s, when less than 20,000 turned up every other week. Times have changed and so has football.
I guess we won't know until we're shit enough. I just don't think those Czech guys, the Germans that you mentioned and the Asian tourists will find us anywhere near the same draw if we're regular also rans. Everton don't get that experience but I bet if they built a shiny new bowl holding 60000 people and had a couple of years in the CL, then they soon would have. In fact, look no further than the Scum......no tourist in their right mind would go to that old cesspit.....but the shiny new thing holding 61,000 and offering top football every week?

Nothing's forever, least of all our appeal to world supporters.

arrgee
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:22 pm
I see it pretty simplistically - fickle tourist fans chase success.
Ah I'm definitely not fickle, Alongside Arsenal treading water I have seen Orient descend all the way into the Vanarama from the brink of the Championship. That said Bechetti Out was more successful than Wenger Out.

Bob Bayliss
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by Bob Bayliss »

Ernie71 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 11:05 am
wilko49er wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:44 am
When are people going to get “voting with your feet” or “boycotting” will never! Work”. Their will always be someone willing to fill a seat. Yes their may be the odd empty ones. But with a world wide fanbase (tourists) the size of ours it wont happen.

Some league games this season there have been 10-15,000 empty seats.Its not true that he seats will be filled regardless
And I think the times they are a-changing. These seats are being taken by itinerant tourists - they do not form part of our core fanbase in any way, shape, or form. Until last season, Arsenal was the only top-flight club in London where a tourist might hope to get a ticket to see a game. Then, West Ham moved into the London Stadium. Now, Tottenham are playing at Wembley and from next year will have a ground of equal size (in fact, marginally bigger) than ours. So the laws of supply and demand are now working rather differently. Hence the empty seats, more and more as the overpriced Arsenal "matchday experience" becomes ever less appealing to the discerning Johnny tourist.

If Wenger stays beyond this season, I seriously predict that we will be playing in front of crowds between 20 and 35,000 for the majority of games next season.

arrgee
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:52 pm
But you're an Arsenal fan first and foremost and always will be I presume? I'm talking about the 10-20,000 who turn up just to take in a 'matchday experience' and couldn't give a fuck if its Chavski, Spuds or us......they're in London and they want to see the 'best team'
Yes, but I am not sure some tourists are that bothered whether it is Arsenal, Sp*rs, Chelsea or West H*m. I was at Stamford Bridge for the first leg keeping quiet in the home end sat next to a Chinese family. Two kids falling asleep, a wife bored sh!tless and a husband who wasn't too bothered. All the big four London stadiums look attractive to then and they don't give a monkeys as long as they get it on their iPhones. The game itself and the stature of the team is irrelevant.

If I went to New York to see NFL, NBA or Baseball, I wouldn't care if I went to see the Jets, Giants, Yankees or Knicks. I'd just do it for a day/night out. And I suspect that is why Arsenal will always sell out along with the other three London clubs.

I am a bit of a sports tourist myself going to England and Orient games in London as well as the odd trip to Dagenham, West H*m and Chelsea with out of town mates on the twenty plenty deal. I'm even off to Thurles during the summer. Just an excuse for drinking truth be told.

Rosie_titters
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by Rosie_titters »

augie wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 11:36 am
Btw did anyone here the "expert pundit analysis" from danny murphy and dion dublin on motd last night ? They actually complimented the way we were set up tactically yesterday :shock: :shock: :shock: They said that the positioning of our centre backs for their goal was good, and they praised xhaka's attempts to get out to close the cross down :roll:
Dion Dublin, another so called pundit with shit for brains. He should fuck off back to flogging crap house on homes under the hammer. He said in the City game Sterling was brave getting in to the same position as last week. Sorry a fireman going in to burning building, a soldier being shot at, whilst trying to defend his position of saving he's fellow soldiers is my idea of brave, not some overpriced turd knocking a ball in to the net from 3 yards isn't brave.

Bob Bayliss
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by Bob Bayliss »

arrgee wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:08 pm
SteveO 35 wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:52 pm
But you're an Arsenal fan first and foremost and always will be I presume? I'm talking about the 10-20,000 who turn up just to take in a 'matchday experience' and couldn't give a fuck if its Chavski, Spuds or us......they're in London and they want to see the 'best team'

Yes, but I am not sure some tourists are that bothered whether it is Arsenal, Sp*rs, Chelsea or West H*m.
I was at Stamford Bridge for the first leg keeping quiet in the home end sat next to a Chinese family. Two kids falling asleep, a wife bored sh!tless and a husband who wasn't too bothered. All the big four London stadiums look attractive to then and they don't give a monkeys as long as they get it on their iPhones. The game itself and the stature of the team is irrelevant.

If I went to New York to see NFL, NBA or Baseball, I wouldn't care if I went to see the Jets, Giants, Yankees or Knicks. I'd just do it for a day/night out. And I suspect that is why Arsenal will always sell out along with the other three London clubs.

I am a bit of a sports tourist myself going to England and Orient games in London as well as the odd trip to Dagenham, West H*m and Chelsea with out of town mates on the twenty plenty deal. I'm even off to Thurles during the summer. Just an excuse for drinking truth be told.
Spot on. While there are a minority from our overseas supporters' clubs who come over, the majority just want to take in a top football game in the same way that they might want to take in a West End show while they're in town. They don't care if it's Les Mis , Phantom or The Mousetrap, so long as they can say they saw a show when they were visiting London. Why do you imagine there are so many half-and-half scarves? If these visitors were Arsenal fans they wouldn't wear them.

arrgee
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Re: Scum|Away|PL|10th Feb|12:30

Post by arrgee »

Bob Bayliss wrote:
Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:05 pm
... more and more as the overpriced Arsenal "matchday experience" becomes ever less appealing to the discerning Johnny tourist.
I don't think many of the tourists are that discerning. They are in London and if they don't care for any of the clubs one is as good as another. Ignoring the position of the respective clubs in the league and cup, Arsenal would be the most attractive given how easy it is to get to and how comfy the seats are. Sp*rs is in the mddle of nowhere (from next year), Stratford is fine if you have binoculars; nice shopping centre for the family to visit while the footy is on and Chelsea is fine as long as you sit between their less obese fans. Arsenal is set up for tourists, first thing you see when you get there is the big shop.

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