Time to plan a trip to THOF for next season?

[KevTheGooner]

Hey US Gooners. Wondering if there is any talk about planning a trip to The Home of Football for next season? Rick, maybe you know whether or not anythings afoot(y)? I would love to head over there for a four or five day visit and I have built up the babysitting credits at home to make it happen!

[Martin Daoust]

I'm in-if it fits my schedule...let's be brave and shoot for the end of March and watch our lads GUN down the Mancs!

[scudly]

Originally posted by Martin Daoust
I'm in-if it fits my schedule...let's be brave and shoot for the end of March and watch our lads GUN down the Mancs! I'd so be game for that since they're scheduled to play Manyoo the day after my birthday.

[442]

No plans, yet. We'll be talking to the folks at Arsenal in the coming weeks to discuss this sort of thing. Once again I think you'll be making the trip without me. I'm putting my money into the upcoming birth of Arsenal's left outside middie in the year 2027.

[KevTheGooner]

Rick - Congrats. The money is in the players up-front, but I'm sure you'll be proud to see the boy/girl in Arsenal's kit regardless!

Thanks for trying to set something up again. I'd be shocked if we got ourselves tickets for the Mancs but believe me I'd be there!!

[Martin Daoust]

Originally posted by 442
No plans, yet. We'll be talking to the folks at Arsenal in the coming weeks to discuss this sort of thing. Once again I think you'll be making the trip without me. I'm putting my money into the upcoming birth of Arsenal's left outside middie in the year 2027.

Congrats, mate! Baby sis is expecting a second daughter this September so I can imagine how thrilled you are now-I can only imagine how thrilled you'd be to see him walk out in the team at Ashburton Grove. Keep on all informed on all the excitement...

[idiparker]

One of the keys to our trips is the Champions League schedule. When that comes out (usually mid-August) all of the clubs look around and do some readjustments to their matches. Sky steps in and mucks things up even further, so it's a bit early right now to set things up.

That said, my goal this year is to get us over in the Fall (and maybe again) in the Spring. Rick and I have to sit down with Arsenal and chat about a few things, and quite frankly, I think we're both still a bit out of it trying to catch up with all the other stuff we ignore 9 months of the year.

We'll be looking for a week that offers us a chance to catch 2 or 3 games in 7 or 8 days. Unfortuantely, a quick glance indicates only ONE week when that is possible (next Spring) and one of those games is home with Man. United (buzzer sound). Don't think so.

Like I said, the schedule will move around a bit. We'll do our best.

[Martin Daoust]

Methinks the time to go would be Late March(Bolton Home, 20 March; ManUre Home, 27 March) or Easter In April(Liverpool Home, 10 April; Newcastle Away,12 April OR European Cup Tie, 13 or 14 April; Leeds Home, 17 April)-Fantastic fixytures grouped together over short inexpensive periods-check the fixture list-don't think we could do much better:

20 Mar v Bolton Wanderers
27 Mar v ManUre
3 Apr a Portsmouth OR FA Cup Semifinal*
10 Apr v Liverpool
12 Apr a Newcastle United**
17 Apr v Leeds United
24 Apr a S***s
*-Cup Semifinal to be played 4 Apr
**-Fixture likely to be rearranged b/c of European Cup fixtures for at least one club(I wonder...)

And there could be two or three European Cup ties w/AT LEAST one on the Continent during that stretch.The month above is why I am playing a LOT of Lottery suddenly, folks...

[yossarian]

I will be in London the week of September 21 through 28. Right now, the schedule indicates a home match versus Newcastle on Friday the 26th. Assuming that CL matches, etc., don't change that do I stand a snowballs chance of finding two tickets to that match. Any advice would be welcome as I have never (obviously) been to a match before. Thanks.

[Disciple]

If youre all travelling together, why not try a long shot and write or email the club to say how far youre coming(give em plenty of notice) and see if they can do anything for you? It would make a nice pr opportunity for them, to show that not all Americans are Manure fans. I know its a way long shot but nothing ventured.....

[cdngunnerbob]

Congratulations to Rick and his ever lovin' !!!

As to a visit to Highbury let me know! Airmiles are more than there and the fishbowl is filling up nicely so lemme know

Up the Arse!!
Bob Hobbs

[Disciple]

Also why not have a transatlantic meet? You meet us UK-ers when you come over here?

[cdngunnerbob]

Originally posted by Disciple
Also why not have a transatlantic meet? You meet us UK-ers when you come over here?

Great idea!! I met up with Jeff Lancaster for a bit last time I was there and would love to get to know other supporters

Bob

[Martin Daoust]

Originally posted by Disciple
Also why not have a transatlantic meet? You meet us UK-ers when you come over here?
Absolutely-also met Jeff Lancaster-top man, that Jeff! Might have might you too Bob-where you there for the Black Sunday v Leeds? Think a meet would be fantastic. Just go to get the trip itself off the ground-anyone here or at ArsenalAmerica know anything, other than that we're all REAL nervous about WHO we'll be going to see this year...
BTW Vieira WILL sign...have faith all...

[SLO-Gunner]

I may be just romanticizing here with regards to the proposed trip but putting aside the chances of scoring tickets to the ManU match, Martin's suggestion about next catching two games next Spring sounds fantastic (in addition to the fact that airfares/hotels offer their best deals during that time).

[Martin Daoust]

And with the Easter Monday fixture a go(no European Cup match scheduled that week)-if you go Saturday to Saturday-you Get Liverpool and Leeds home and Newcastle away-Not bad at all...Let's work on something

[idiparker]

The only problem we've discovered with Arsenal is horrendous rescheduling of games in March-April-May. With all the cups coming to an end, matches get moved around on very little notice (sometimes less than two weeks) and it makes planning a trip somewhat more difficult. On the upside, you might end up with a great week full of games, but on the downside, if games are cancelled, you can get people with non-refundable airline tickets and only one game (when they planned for two or even three). In addition, there is a "rush" on the Arsenal tickets toward the end of the year, making it harder to obtain from the club.

One thing I forgot to mention is a 9-week advance we have to give the club for our trip. We have to let them know 9 weeks in advance before we come over to obtain their help with ticketing. That really ties things up with Champions League as some of those matches are scheduled with very little notice.

Games like ManU, Leeds, Newcastle, etc. are very difficult for us and the club. To put it frankly, I doubt we would get help from the club arranging a ManU-Arsenal trip. Very few tickets are returned, giving us a very limited pool from which to obtain our tickets. Last year we got lucky with the Christmas Liverpool and Chelsea games in that a number of UK folks were out of town for the holidays. We also put a hard limit on the number of people going which helped a lot. In addition, there is always the "why-can't-i-get-tix-but-some-yank-can" problem we hope to avoid.

As for individual ticket requests, Arsenal is cracking down on these. Rick and I (and I hope Jeff Lancaster, who I've yet to meet, despite far too many trips to London and his trips to DC) are talking about some system by which we can help out members who are making individual trips over, but direct assistance with Arsenal is going to be limited this year.

We're committed to getting as many people over as we can this year, through the club, a roadtrip, and the great help of friends like Jeff and others who occassionally come across a few extra tickets. We also want to make it as painless ($$) as possible, delivering the best value for the money. When you add airfare, hotels, food and whatnot, the folks who travel on our roadtrip end up spending nearly the equivilant of a season ticket just to see one or two matches. We want to make it worthwhile.

More to follow....

[Martin Daoust]

Understand your points IDI-but there is one difference here if you look at the updated fixtures at Arsenal.com, this year there is no European Cup tie the week of the Easter Programme, meaning only an FA Cup Semi-Final Replay(a possibility for us to be sure[at least us getting that far is highly likely-our FA Cup record under Wenger is truly amazing]not so sure about Newcastle)and even that may not lead to the trip up there being re-arranged. As we are scheduled there on Monday, they will not move the Liverpool fixture Saturday, and would only move the Leeds fixture if Sky wants it played Sunday or if either team has a Cup Semi-Final Replay. So it would seem this is an ideal time in both number and quality of matches
in short succession which would seem quite favorable to us (if we're willing to pay plenty).
It also seems that being in April it gives us time to try and organize things-with or without the Club's assistance-I saw three League matches and the Cup Final without assistance from the Club(or breaking the bank I might add) Thanks in large part to Jeff Lancaster(Let me know what's up, Mate) and other Gooners over there. I realize a lot is involved but we could get it done if we can organize it well and quickly. I myself was actually thinking of going over for a longer period, March into April, but either way would be delighted to be part of this. Thanks for your help and researching that, IDI, and keep us informed on how this can be done. Cheers-Martin

[Martin Daoust]

Understand your points IDI-but there is one difference here if you look at the updated fixtures at Arsenal.com, this year there is no European Cup tie the week of the Easter Programme, meaning only an FA Cup Semi-Final Replay(a possibility for us to be sure[at least us getting that far is highly likely-our FA Cup record under Wenger is truly amazing]not so sure about Newcastle)and even that may not lead to the trip up there being re-arranged. As we are scheduled there on Monday, they will not move the Liverpool fixture Saturday, and would only move the Leeds fixture if Sky wants it played Sunday or if either team has a Cup Semi-Final Replay. So it would seem this is an ideal time in both number and quality of matches
in short succession which would seem quite favorable to us (if we're willing to pay plenty).
It also seems that being in April it gives us time to try and organize things-with or without the Club's assistance-I saw three League matches and the Cup Final without assistance from the Club(or breaking the bank I might add) Thanks in large part to Jeff Lancaster(Let me know what's up, Mate) and other Gooners over there. I realize a lot is involved but we could get it done if we can organize it well and quickly. I myself was actually thinking of going over for a longer period, March into April, but either way would be delighted to be part of this. Thanks for your help and researching that, IDI, and keep us informed on how this can be done. Cheers-Martin

[KevTheGooner]

Hey all. Hope the summer is treating you well. For what its worth, I'd probably only get over for one match, but would dearly like to be able to do a "guided" Highbury tour and maybe meet a player...and of course ooh and ahh over the FA Cup.