Arsenal have announce that for next season they intend to release another 3,000 "Bonds" for seats in the North Bank. This is obviously to assist in raising money for the new stadium. As with the first release some years ago, £5000 ($7500) will buy you a bond in the North Bank for life. Your name will be put on your seat, but you will still have to buy the ticket. This will also mean that "TicketMaster" will have less tickets available for next season too. Check out the Arsenal website for more information on this.
Jeff, I'm interested in the bonds, but, living in NYC means that in the short term I couldn't make much use of a season ticket. I'm interested for my son, when he's old enough. Do you know if it will be permissable to lease ticket rights, acquired through bond ownership, to a third party?
Yes you can. You will also be able to change the name at some point also. The 3 season tickets that I have were all in my name, and then Arsenal contacted me, (along with others I presume) to find out who sat in the other 2 seats. This was nothing sinister, but from a marketing point of view. Then my son and wife, (whose names I had supplied) started receiving all kinds of stuff, (usually junk mail), as Arsenal had requested the information for "marketing purposes". I think that a lot of clubs now realise that when season ticket holders go on to the "great stadium in the sky" that people were not informing the clubs so as not to lose out on season tickets. Therefore now they can have a "change of name" shown on the ticket without the fear of surenderring it/them. I expect that the same will apply to the bonds. I hope that helps. It may also be an idea for other U.S. fans interested in "clubbing together" to buy one, or some, and then "share" the seat, as I know that not many are able to get over for every game! Just a thought. Maybe ArsenalAmerica could purchase a couple, but this subject really needs to be discussed with Rick and other interested parties. It gets a little "heavy" without a committee, directors, etc. which is the way that Arsenal want overseas supporters clubs to go. When you think that this has more or less started out as a "hobby" and grown to what it is just by people getting together, and not as an "organisation" as such, it's a pretty good thing. However, "food for thought".
I remember not long ago when the news came out that a lot of Man United Season ticket holders were actually dead! That's because their relatives wanted to use it for themselves, but didn't tell the club cos they were worried about surrendering them!
Some frriends of mine bought them 1st time round, I couldn't afford it then and sort of dissagreed with it, but the pro's seem to outweigh the cons 2 seats per bond for finals, members bar, and most of all thier tickets are only about £250 per season, where as mine will be over £1000 next season (have to pay for success the letter said last year) . I'm just wondering what concessions there will be this time round ?