Monday Nothingness

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It’s that time of year, innit. Apart from Phil Senderos making all the right noises about signing a new long-term deal, we’ve got a particular dearth of Arsenal stories. There was an interesting – albeit brief – story on Sky Sports this morning about the cost of tickets at Arsenal this season and from now on. Some Arsenal fans are now openly questioning how high ticket prices can go, with the cheapest one at Highbury this season being something like £850. I know there have been grumblings of discontent up in Manchester about the price rises being foisted on United fans by the new board, but they should count themselves lucky. Our ticket prices are far, far higher.

Anyway, the report flagged up the fact (admittedly through anecdotal evidence) that there are now Gooners sharing season tickets – sometimes between three people – to make it more affordable. I’m not surprised, it’s wads of money. £850 is roughly 1/30th of the average UK annual wage. And the most expensive is £1,825. Say no more.

Frankly, I’m amazed by the stories coming out the club about how many Club Level seats have been sold. I was sure that they were priced beyond all but a few hundred wealthy fans (there are something like 6,000 Club Level seats in all), but it just goes to show how wrong I must be – either that, or the PR machine at Highbury is doing a fine job. It’s great that they’ll go, but at that price – it’s staggering stuff.

Anyway, that’s all I can muster this morning. Maybe more later, if there’s anything more to say. Maybe not, if there isn’t.

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.

This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. vivb

    Do people not see the correlation between player wages and ticket prices when they say give Cole the extra £5,000 week.

    Our wage bill is already 60% of turnover.

    Club level appeals to corporate’s who want to take clients.

    As number 233,445,676 on the waiting list for the ticket registration scheme Touts charge £80 for tickets so there must be demand.

    but trust me the ticket prices at Chelski and Spuds are higher.

  2. Boz

    Well, the prices are very high. No surprise there. Arsenal playing some of the best football in the world, London being expensive anyway, top executive entertainment etc. People fly in from all over Europe to watch games at Highbury – Luton airport is a sight to behold on match days. Can’t afford it myself, being a poor farmer from the high Andes.
    I can see some trade in the season tickets once M. Wenger and his outrageously successful team walk off into the sunset. I’ll probably sell a llama or two at that moment in the hope of picking up a bargain.
    By the way, can anyone tell me when the fixture list will be published?
    Cheers.
    Boz

  3. Rob

    Me, I’ll save my cash and watch ’em on the telly instead.

  4. Charlie

    The way it’s going, we’ll soon have to buy season tickets for the Gunners via the TV as none of us ordinary folk will be able to get tickets to see them in the flesh.

  5. WestUpperZombie

    I’ve been a season ticket holder for ten years and my ticket has trebled in price in that time from £400 to £1200. And, I have to buy two of them!!
    I actually like holidaying in a caravan in Dorset instead of a Greek island.
    The fixtures are due out this Thursday (23rd) so I’ve been informed.

  6. bulz

    i am sure you are exaggerating. i am sure it will only get better and not worse. but right now, i suppose the club really needs the money.

  7. bongo et al.

    Good morning everybody!

    concur with vivb to some extent -re: the correlation betwen player wages and ticket prices.

    Until clubs ‘work together’ and introduce a set of proposals to limit/curb wages – the game will ultimately go bust! (And then the seat prices will down!)

    You should only be allowed to spend a fixed amount on your wages.THe same for every Premiership club.

    All clubs should make their players work ‘in the community’ after training
    or force them to take further studies enhancing their career prospects after THEIR SHORT CAREERS are over!

    As for Senderos – he puts the english players to shame – he can speak 5 languages. Our lot struggle with english!

    Bongo et al

  8. Lee.

    Yes it’s all extortionate stuff, but I would say that it’s “now” something we have no choice but to go along with down south although it’s very painful, due to very large waiting list for the season tickets. You touched on the manc’s now being troubled by this on going problem.
    On my visits to manchesteronline it has given me some kind of obtuse pleasure; they really have not lived in the real world for the last 10 years with regards to this issue. & this is a very big chicken coming home to roost for their supporters.
    My hope is that with the revenues that will be generated with the new stadium, Ticket costs will not need to rise (excessively) as long as they do a better job of non season day sales (if there are any). Because this is going to be very lucrative I would suggest. With our now world-wide audience that is attracted.

  9. HT

    What on earth is the current Arsenal transfer strategy all about. We send Edu packing on his way when an extra £5000 or so a week plus a little loving would have kept him at Highbury. And now, because of our stubbornness the third highest scorer in last year premiership could also be on his way to Valencia. Where’s the financial logic in all this. keeping edu and pires would cost £5000 plus £2million for the extra tyear of a contract that pires wants. Instead we say – we have a thirty year rule and we are prepared to splash out 8million plus wages on a new midfielder. Muddled thinking on the arsenal board. We would be better off letting Cole go -he’s not that good – and we have clichy and using the money to keep Pires. and bu a new goalie, right back and stiker.

  10. vince

    I really don’t mind the wages, check out other sports and see what they earn, there is a lot of money in football so I don’t have a problem with it. What I can’t stand is some of the behaviour. These players should act in a profesional manner 24/7 , they are a priviledged bunch and should act accordingly, they shouldn’t forget their roots or their fans.

    When I read what goes on it makes my blood boil, some of these players are taking the piss and I do sometimes get disillusioned with it all.

    Having said all that, can’t wait for the fixture list to come out and check wheather I can get my first tickets while I’m away on holiday, mug or what!!

    HT, I don’t understand it either but Edu did say he wanted regular first team footbal and Pires does want something no other player has received, why doesn’t he just get on with it as DB10 has done with distinction these last few years.

  11. bongo et al.

    To Vince

    First game of the season:

    AFC v Bolton w

    Bongo et al

  12. Harry Barracuda

    People seem to forget just how much 5 grand a week adds up to for two players when we are burdened with a shedload of debt (I doubt we get any serious revenue from the Highbury Development until the developer does!).

    Of course the season tickets are astronomical, but that’s because they are being bought at that price – either by well-off individuals, corporates who want to reward clients, or the dreaded TOUTS.

    Personally, I’d like to see the club issue a smart card for everyone who wants to attend an Arsenal match, which has to be retained. You could buy a ticket, and they can just make a note on the entry system which smart cards are enabled for which seat.

    This would immediately cut out one-off visiting businessmen and so on who buy tickets from touts at inflated prices and keep the real fans from attending, even if they can afford a ticket.

    Photo ID on the cards would make sure there was no hookey stuff; if you buy an ‘e-ticket’ and you can’t go, but your arsenal supporting, card-holding mate wants to, you should be able to transfer it to him at will.

    That way we’d still sell the seats, real Arsenal fans would get to go to a lot more matches, and the f**king ar*sehole touts would be put out of business once and for all!

    I live overseas, but I’d be happy to apply for a smart card for an ‘electronic’ seat for the times I am back in England. And I wouldn’t sell it on.

    It would be dead easy to spot an ‘e-tout’ as well; they’d be the ones transferring their etickets every week.

    In this age of technology, we should be doing everything we can to encourage real Arsenal fans to go to games, and only bother flogging over-priced tickets to over-rich ignoramuses if the club is getting 100% of the revenue involved.

    But I suppose that’s about as sensible as putting a chicane at Indy….

    Cheers,
    Harry Barracuda

  13. vince

    Bongo – You sure, how do you know?

  14. bongo et al.

    I was told friday night.
    FRom my sauces – in upper street n1.

    If you look at the liverpool echo -you will see the whole list of opening day fixtures. Funnily enough it was a scouser who gave me this info.

    bongo knows best!
    bongo et al

  15. uncle fester

    Afternoon all until clubs stand up together and put a ceiling on wages i am afraid ticket prices will continue to rise and in many cases faster then fans wages many fans say the same thing they dont know how much longer they can keep on paying i for one would hate to let my season ticket go but there as to be a limit its alright for the corparates but they do not create the same atmosphere as the diehard fans and they never will i understand the club need there money its a buisness,but i cannot afford to take my two sons very often and they seam to be losing interest and it is the younger fans who are the future of the club.I agree with Bongo most of our players cannot speak English.What a start to the season Allardyce and his gang.

  16. Goodplaya

    It could well be that there is some spin from the club on the sale of club level ticlets. They say they have sold out the midfield section, but do not say how many tickets this is. If it is the equivalent of the west and east upper centre blocks (in terms of width) then we are tallking about maybe 70 or so tickets on each side multiplied by 6 rows, which would equal 840 tickets. I don’t doubt that there are enough people who will spend £4,000 on a ticket. But whether there are enough people to snap up the less premium club level seats, only time will tell.

    It seems to me that Arsenal have been wording things very, very carefully.

  17. Anti

    Viv sees a correlation between wages and prices, pfft.
    I wonder if he sees the correlation between a winning team and wages.
    Or what about a winning team and Club earnings?

    There is one way to avoid high wages, mate…have a piss poor team.

  18. Lee.

    Anti, your either missing the point here or your obviously one of those that can afford the 4 grand a ticket mentioned on this page.

    WERE WILL IT ALL STOP.

    I’ll tell you, when the true supporter is priced out of the market & all the best teams in the prem are filled with corporate jollies.

  19. vivb

    Anti,

    Then don’t moan about paying £50 a ticket.

    Of course wages and costs are related to income and therefore prices. TV money has peaked and is now falling. Away following is falling at games too.

    Our TV income matches Chelsea and Man Utd as does prize money where we lag behind is merchandising and gate money. (Man Utd earn £1m extra for every game).

    We have to fund the £250m cost of the stadium as well as generate income to pay and buy new players. Remember 5 year contracts are a club liability hence Leeds payed to remove “assets” such as Kewell from their wage bill. Chelsea paid the bulk of Crespo and Veron’s wages while they were on loan in Italy but economics don’t effect them. Man Utd had no borrowings and funded their ground improvements out of cashflow (they also have 40,000 season ticket holders) so Glazers debt simply puts them on a par with us.

    You are quite right the stadium will only be full if there is a winning attractive team. You either go for top class players on high wages or the Spud option of loads of players on low wages.

    The Emirates stadium is based on Arsenal’s champions league games at Wembley which had 73,000 paying £10 and £20. It’s a major Gamble one I applaud but risky. Like all supply and demand questions the question is if the new stadium is 3/4 empty it will be interesting whether ticket prices will start to fall to keep it full. Hence the board was split over a move to the old Wembley which would have cost less and allowed ticket prices to be kept low.

    I look at the board and don’t see fat cats like Freddie Shepperd, Risdale Glazer or Kenyon but maybe you see differently.

    sorry for the rant

  20. bongo et al.

    Lets face facts – 95% of players are greedy toe-rags.!

    And they take their lead from the snivelling and wretched Gordon Taylor.
    I am told this trade union leader recieves in approx 600 k per annum.

    However, there are some exceptions.

    1. Dennis Bergkamp.
    2. The marvellous Niall Quinn
    3. The loyal and decent Gary Kelly.

    the latter two for giving their testimonial proceeds to charities.

    It puts the avaricious Cole, ferdinand And Erikson to shame!

    bongo et al

  21. rtgooner

    Quinn? Quinn?? Marvellous? Quinn? Shud Niall Quinn and Marvellous be used in the same sentence, I think not Bongo!
    Rachel

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