From Alex Croft
Myles,
I always enjoy reading your articles, even if the team, the manager and you frustrate the life out of me at times!
Trond, the Norwegian, wrote to you and mentioned his statistics: If every shot that hit the post (for all the teams in the EPL) had gone in, Arsenal would already have been crowned champions this season, with 86 points after 35 matches, Chelsea second with 74, and Manu third with 73.
Well, this just goes to show one thing. The margins are so fine.
The Premier League table doesn’t lie, and the fact remains that Man Utd and Chelsea have been more accurate at hitting the goal rather than the post!
I went onto the Arsenal website yesterday to renew my season ticket and ended up spending £133 on the new kit and a training top even before I spent £1,384.50 on my season ticket! What a scandal!!!
I’m convinced I’ve been brainwashed by the Arsenal/Wenger merry-go-round as I’m certainly not in a financial position to spend over £1500 with Arsenal before breakfast!
I have been a season ticket holder for 25 years.
When I think of the amount of money per year I spend connected to watching Arsenal it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
An average home game costs me the following:
Match ticket : £56.00
Food : £8.00
Petrol : 5.00
Parking : £6.00
TOTAL : £75.00 per game
My season ticket also does NOT include Carling Cup games, of which I attend each home fixture.
Although the tickets are discounted to £20.00 it’s still a lot of money for an average person to fork out. I also go to a handful of domestic and European away games, incurring huge expenses and time off work.
To sum up, I am a loyal fan.
I buy the kit each year from Arsenal directly, even though it’s £20 more expensive than Sports-Soccer – I want to support the club and show my loyalty.
Well, now I’m wondering : how is the club going to reward my loyalty?
Where is my reward? Apart from delivering fantastic financial rewards to the board and shareholders off the pitch (thanks to brainwashed fools like myself), where are the rewards for the loyal of the loyalists like me?
I don’t have my photo with a trophy, I have nothing to show for my outstanding long-term financial, emotional and unconditional support!!
If the club had delievered trophies, this would be reward enough, but instead I have had to endure plenty of games where I’ve had to watch Denil……son and Eboue with his circus acts.
Seriously, what’s up with the stadium announcer?
Because of my huge financial commitment to the club, I’ve decided I will not be going to away games next season before April and will only be going in or after April if there is a serious chance of us winning a trophy.
I’d also decided not to go the Emirates Cup, although when the club announced the NY Red Bulls would be playing – in a heartbeat I’d pay the £25 entrance fee to see Thierry Henry alone!
A very good move by the club to guarantee a 60,000 sell out crowd to see TH14 play at the Emirates one more time. A nice £1.5m income on matchday tickets alone before the season even begins is another reward for the club and the shareholders.
I have decided to accept the club’s increase of season tickets providing the club reward my loyalty with some activity in the transfer market with players worth of playing for a great club like Arsenal and getting rid of the players who I am sick of watching every week and who are not worthy of wearing the shirt.
Changes are needed. Personally, I think the formation and tactics are wrong, but what do I know? I’m an estate agent!
I’m happy for Wenger to be in charge, the guy has had a huge influence in transforming us into a massive club on a global scale.
In all honesty there are only a few who I’d even contemplate replacing him with and top coaches like Mourinho, Capello etc wouldn’t be interested in coming.
I’m looking forward to next season, and hopefully some positive changes in terms of tactics and personnel.
If Cesc is going to go, just go, don’t drag it out and leave us in limbo.
Keep up the good work!