Hey all quick question...I see where ManU is trying to expand Old Trafford to 75,000. My questions are 1.) Does Arsenal have a backup plan so in case if they need to expand in the future they can move it up to 70,000 or so, so it will look evenly placed out and not putting stands on top of each other? (Picture of Old Trafford looks like they missed one side )2.) If they do will it be easier to ask to expand than it was at Highbury (with the building commission)? And 3.) About how long do you think it would take before they would even think about expansion considering if the demand for tickets are high and we continue to keep winning? Not trying to copy ManU but just a few questions in my head...Any insight will be appreciated...Thank ya now...Roscoe!
I don't understand why there is a NEED to 'catch up with' Man U. 60000 in itself would still be one of the biggest grounds in Europe and Arsenal's average attendances would be amongst the highest 10-15 of all clubs in Europe! United are a bigger club than Arsenal fanwise anyhow, so it's futile to 'keep up' with them!
I think a future expansion is unlikey. Real estate in london is like gold, sooo... Besides has anyone seen the ticket prices for "Club Level". Over £4000 a year at the half way line seats. Ouch!
Not trying to keep up with them, they do their own thing we do ours but it just provoked a question ...why not?...Maybe a bigger question is how did they arrive at the 60,000 mark? I'm sure that they did determined this by numbers but it seems like it is always hard to get tickets from what I hear on this board
Looking from the stadium plan it doesn't look like it will be easy to add to th capacity evenly. United have the attendance they do because of the domination of footie in the 90's. They have lots of 'glory hunters' and especially with younger people who support the best sides. If arsenal can dominate then i think in a few years we can have a high attendance like united. *As to the club level seats for 4k - the best view in the house plus free drinks! - i think i could drink 4k's worth to make my money back!!
The 60.000 was the largest capacity Islington council would allow. And if have understood it correctly then the structure of the stadium doesn't allow for any expansions either. KJ
It's been hard to get tickets for some time now. Even though (IMO) Arsenal's core fanbase is around 40000, I reckon the club could fill a 60000 stadium even if the team weren't doing well.
Free drinks at half time only, the club also want's existing season ticket holders to pay a £150 ' Deposit ' this february, and for people on the waiting list to stump up the full amount. The way the tickets are being allocated means that friends who have been seperated since all seater stadia became the norm, will not get the chance to sit together again, which may have helped the atmosphere somewhat, one day they'll get it right.
I did think that the inability to expand beyond 60,000 was a bit shortsighted, but if the town council put a cap on it then fair enuff. There've been a few comments from the Arsenal board suggesting that they believe Arsenal can 'overtake' Manu in the revenue stakes in the next few years which suggests that the fan base is growing v.strongly, and judging from some of the comments on this board there're a lot of Americans who've jumped onboard in the last few years as the 'brand awareness' (for want of a better phrase) increases, and I guess that's the same worldwide. Personally I see a lot more Arsenal tops in Coventry than I did 10 years ago I'd like to see how the new stadium income compares with OT at the moment.
60,000 is just about right and I wouldn't want to see anything bigger. The problem with 80,000/100,000 capacity stadiums is that many times it's going to be only 3/4 full which leads to a terrible atmosphere. I think this is the case with some of the big stadiums in europe like Camp Nou and the San Siro. Fantastic places but only full for a handfull of games.
a bloody joke - plus the way the priority list is done essentially means that those people who have more money get the better seats, not the people who go to the most games. A disgrace. Also with £150 being asked for this means that the club get about £7,500,000 a season before we get to sit there.
But that was when we first got in the champions league and for a couple of seasons after that. We generally played against better opposition in a new competition and there wre only a handful of games. I don't think we could fill wembley week in week out in the premiership against sieds like palace and west brom.
With more seats and assuming that the hardcore fans will be able to get seats on a more regular basis do you think the atmosphere will liven up a bit compared to Highbury?
We couldn't. The wembley tickets were cheap, the atmousphere was dull and we won one game out of six played there.......
Completly the opposite. The "hardcore fans" already go to every game. The simple fact is that the away games will always have the best atmousphere. There are anywhere from 50 fans to 3000 at these games and they always outsing even Old Trafford. EDIT- An example is the Cup Final- we have loads of people there, yet I have constantly been told to sit down, stop singing etc..... I don't see any different at The Grove.
Thanks for the insight Rick...I look at other teams outside of the EPL in Argentina for example and they get to stand wave flags as big as cars and entire sections would come rushing down after a goal was scored. I'm assuming that the Hillsbrough? (sp) tragedy put a stop to all that here. But before that was the flag waiving and goal scoring rush happening in England pitches when they still had the terances? Thank ya now...Roscoe
Well I wouldn't say flag waving, but certainly the rushing down to the bottom of the terraces was good fun. Remember the English are more reserved......!!!
That would be a guilty pleasure and a half if I could do that!!!! and climb the fencing not as nimble as I used to be but just to do that just once...So the lower seating at Highbury I am assuming used to be the terrace or was there more?
A lot more complicated than that.... Best bet is to buy the History of Arsenal book which has loads of pics.....
Just saw some pics of the new stadium and the artist models, etc. Really nice digs you will have there. Congrats. (Not quite Old Trafford, but there's only one Heaven after all. )
don't mean to hijack the thread; but a quick related question. how easily does leaving highbury sit with you guys? particularly the london posters here. no need to defend the move - i understand the dynamics for the club. and you don't need to sell me on the new stadium, i have no doubts that it will be first rate. but still, for all the presumed improvements and all...leaving highbury...are you not gutted? or is it just a shrug of the shoulders and "get on with it"?