Well, to me, even though I'm not a Londoner, I am disappointed that it is coming to the team having to move, but it is the nature of the game now. However, I am glad that they are doing something with it instead of just demolishing it to make way for housing or something like that. I like to see it more as a testament to the past, while right next door the future of Arsenal is in Ashburton Grove.
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/hamhigh/sp...ory=sport&itemid=WeED06 Dec 2004 17:27:58:233 Didn't want to start a new thread since this relates to the new stadium. Sounds like good news for the financial stability of the club.
Don't want to leave, hate the commercialism that is taking apart the atmousphere, but it was always going to happen sooner or later. I just hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the arse. (no pun intended)
I wasn't too certain after reading the article.....will the flat sales go toward reducing the 260 million pound debt burden?
The logisitcs of it are a bit of a bummer. Its so easy to get to at the moment. Out of Gillespie Road Tube, turn left and its there...though I must to confess I havent even looked into transport around the new ground. But bottom line is, I cant go to games outside of my uncles season ticket because they dont reach general sale. The only way this is going to change is if we either get a bigger ground, get relegated, or congregate existing season ticket holders into a big barn for mass execution. The season ticket holders will blah blah on all day about tradition because they HAVE their seat every game. The rest of us want a turn. By proxy the rest of us want a bigger ground. If we can move accross the river, 2 mins down the round should be a snap
unfortunately, the board seems to have rather impetuously rushed into the first option without seriously considering the latter two. easy. just a joke, now. actually, that's probably the most compelling non-commercial call for such a move that i've heard. whenever the subject comes up of spurs moving from the lane (as the club quasi-threatens to do when pursuing upgraded transport links from the city), i instinctively shudder (particularly when the alternative of wembley comes up). i would think the thought of abandoning highbury (even for a splendid new facility) would cause the same kind cringing from gooners. but - fair enough - i only have to secure one or two tickets in a good year, and i can plan my trips around the available dates. if i lived in london and wanted to go regularly, but couldn't, i'd sure appreciate that aspect of such a move. still, highbury represents one of the finest examples of the great old theatres of the english game. the passing of it seems a great shame - regardless of the quality with which it's replaced.
As you may have noticed I'm not from London or even England, but I still think it's very sad that we're leaving Highbury. However with the way football's developing these days I have grudgingly come to accept it. What I really like about the move is the boards insistence to stay in the borough (or am I wrong here). After all our new (spiritual) home is only a couple of minutes ways from where the most of our history have been made, and apparently some of the very traditional parts from Highbury are going t be transplanted to Ashburton Grove, i.e. the marbel halls and the clock from the clockend. As Dave_M mentioned then the people that are going to be most pissed of by the move are the current seasonticket-holders. For the rest of the gooners out there it's both sad and good news. Sad because we're moving from our home, good because we get a better chance of seeing the gunners play live. And I'm very thankful for the goverment because they've declared the eaststand a historical building, so they have to preserve it, and I have to say that it's the most beautiful stadiumfront I've ever seen. However I'm not to keen on the Prawn Ring and how the price for the rest of the seats isn't lowered, well it beats me. I just hope I can find the funds to pay dear old Arsenal Stadium a last visit. KJ PS. I'm sorry for the sort of rambling, incoherrent style of my post. It's late here and I'm a bit drunk.
My comments on why the new stadium can't be expanded and why it hasn't been planned larger: First of all most of the new stadia (and especially stadia 40k+) have a final architecure. That doesn't mean that it is impossible to expand it but makes it highly unlikely (read expensive). Has something to do with the fact, that architects try to create buildings as a whole thing with an own philosophy and not as a patch work (whereas they even don't know whether they will be the architects to set up expansion plans. Could also be another architect adding a new style to the stadium). Second, as the capacity of planned stadia increase the building price per seat doesn't increase proportional but even more. That means that more seats drive up the average seat price, making the whole thing at all less profitable.
I'll disagree with you here Dave, it's only 2 mins more. It will realy make no difference to transport. Not true, (as you well know!!) 7 games so far this season (not counting the League cup) have gone on sale to Red members. Anyone can become one, there is no waiting list. Ok so you have to be on the computer to book the tickets at 9.30am on the sale date, but you can still go....!! Last season a friend who only booked through the general sale (there were no red members last season) got to 14 games at Highbury including Carling cup. That really isn't a bad total!! Oh, not to mention I disagree as I don't want to get executed in a big barn by a Lee Carsley fan..... As Ive said, it is easy ti get tickets, you can even aske me if you want - I usually get offered spares around match days. Ive even got one for tonight against Rosenborg!!
Maybe its just me then, but it seems whenever I try and get tickets I cant. I suspect as well that a lot of the games I went to on my uncles season ticket were ones that reached general sale, hence I wasnt even looking at availability in thos spots. Wish I'd known about that ticket yesterday. Just spunked all me wages on chrimbo presents. Coulda held that off for a week. DOH. Just outta curiosity where is it. and whats the price. Gonna see if I can wrangled some dosh outta the old lady...unlikely but worth a go Edit: "Bugger off Im skint" - ho hum. Nothing ventured...
Its in the North Bank Upper, Row 3 right near the centre. Face value is £53.50!! Not the cheapest, but a great view!!
Yeah my uncles ticket is Row C on the NB Upper, in the wing block though. Supurb view from up their no doubt. Alas the timing is poor, otherwise Id take it off your hands in a snap. Next game for me is Fulham on Boxing Day