A post by @Swales1968
How many of the fifty five thousand Arsenal supporters that will be at the Emirates to watch the opening game of the season against Crystal Palace could be called “loyal supporters”? How many would turn up if Arsenal were in the position that West Ham or Aston Villa find themselves in season after season. Their main objective is to avoid relegation, a good cup run will treated as a second team try out and a hindrance at the expense of three points on a Saturday
So how many supporters would there be?
I started going to watch Arsenal in 1976. Attendances were good then at around thirty thousand, if memory serves me right. (If this figure is incorrect I am sorry)
In the early nineteen eighties regularly, there would be figures of sixteen to twenty thousand. On one snowy night just over fourteen thousand turned up. Yes the standard of football was poor, we were cheering when an Arsenal player had a shot, it didn’t matter that it missed, someone had a shot.
It was the period just after “Chippy Brady” went to Italy, and if you think the Dutch skunk RVP’s move to Manure was bad, it was no where near as bad as Frank Stapleton’s move in the same direction. This was the start of the bad feeling between the two clubs, reports at the time said that at the following Arsenal V Manure game at Highbury that the Arsenal board refused the normal hospitality given to opposition boards. I think this was just hearsay because the one thing that Arsenal have always been good at is to rise above such petty things (personally though, I would love to know it was true)
Anyway, I digress. Attendances? How many of those fifty five thousand would have turned up thirty years ago. Nowhere near the fifty-five to sixty thousand Arsenal get today. Expectations were lower, could Arsenal have a good cup run, could Arsenal qualify for the EUFA cup? Win the league; you’re having a laugh, not the league. It was the same level of expectation that a Spurs supporter has now.
Would the Arsenal fans standing on the old NorthBank and ClockEnd get at the players the way Eboue and Ramsey were got at by fans? NO, we laughed, please don’t get me wrong, we wanted to win, we wanted the best players. We were even happy for a game or two when Lee Chapman signed. (And for all those who think Wenger has signed the worst duds they really need to look up Mr Chapman’s career at Arsenal)
Of today’s supporters and their expectation from Arsenal, I think maybe ten to twenty thousand would be bothered to turn up if Arsenal were in the same situation as Aston Villa or West Ham. There would be more attending than fifteen thousand attending as younger fans that have no chance of getting tickets today would be able to attend.
The atmosphere would be better as these younger voices would get behind the team. The people attending would be going because they love “The Arsenal” and will go whatever position the club find themselves in.
The signs were there a couple of seasons back, attendance figures stopped being read out at the matches, people stopped attending matches even though they had already paid for their tickets and this was in a season when Arsenal finished forth(again)
This is what Arsene Wenger has done to the majority of the supporters, he has raised expectations. He has moved the club forward, a huge leap forward. And today’s supporters expect trophies, demand trophies, forth is seen as a failure without a trophy. That’s why I believe only around ten to fifteen thousand out of the fifty five thousand would be bothered to attend if Arsenal were in the same situation as Aston Villa. Fans only seem to be loyal if a trophy is on its way.
Yes, Yes, Yes, what about the eight seasons without a trophy, I can see the replies now. Look at my inbox hundreds of replies from fans saying “I stayed loyal during this period; I paid for my season ticket which went up when Arsenal wasn’t winning anything. It was a disgrace that it took that long to win something”.
During the eight seasons without winning a trophy, Arsenal have been playing Champions League Football, finished in the top four every season, they have not been relegated like West Ham they have not struggled season after season like Aston Villa have done on a very regular basis.
In the early eighties the fans’ expectations were a cup run and/or qualify for the lowest ranked European competition the EUFA cup. Clubs like Aston Villa or West Ham don’t even have these expectations in today’s league; their only aim is SURVIVAL
Under Wenger Arsenal have won trophies, qualified regularly for the Champions League and are now after a period of belt tightening and careful spending are spending again.
So the question I am asking is: –
WOULD YOU GO TO WATCH ARSENAL IF SURVIVAL WAS THE ONLY TARGET?
Positively Arsenal 
Happy Birthday Aman.
The dot com has Chambers as no 21
http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/players
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ha ha!!
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fellaini???? hmmmmmmmmmmm my initial reaction is hell no he is too dub and slow to play for us…..but wenger knows best…..whats wrong with tommyv ? he should stay!!! maybe he is afraid of flamini….
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No thanks, I want Fellaini as far away from this squad as possible. I never thought he was that poor of a player until I saw him play in his preferred position for Belgium.
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Thanks Rantetta. U didn’t vote though.
G69 …makes sense
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I only liked Felly cos he slapped Shawcross around. He kicked Ars frequently, much to commentators’ pleasure. I’m not sure he’s Class, but then I’m not the best judge. Except I know Wenger’s a wonderful human and Arsenal’s a beautiful club.
Was that any help?
alabamagooner
I’m waiting….
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Steve_I: “George, you asked that I expand on my comment yesterday. My gripe is perhaps that the positive element of this blog that attracted me in the first place, whilst still clearly there – along with some marvellous and like minded posters/commenters, just sometimes, to me, seems more about how wrong the doomers/fickle twats are than being positive and sensible and just ignoring them.”
I agree with Steve. With so many exciting things happening at the club, why the fuck are we even concentrating on the doomers? Fuck it, we won. all the critics are eating humble/shit pie, we’re buying big players again and we are coming into a new season as legitimate contenders. Instead of pointing fingers at some imaginary foe, we should be discussing the way in which Joel Campbell will fit into this side, or how many different combinations can come from playing Alexis Sanchez through the middle, or how Jack has it in him to become better than James Rodriguez. Let’s just flip the page already.
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Fuck it, we won. all the critics are eating humble/shit pie
thats not enough though …….
arnold said it best
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or how Jack has it in him to become better than James Rodriguez.
dude…..
i love jack but can he do this :
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ok its japan….but then he did THIS vs uruguay
shocking goal….i had to get up and walk to the television and look closer….
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G69, But they are not eating their humble pie. If they did , I would turn the page.
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or put it this way….forget hammettfh cause he plays a more forward role…could jack do what modric does ? or if not as bonafide central playmaker ..could he become our mascherano you reckon? i personally think no to both, but maybe you can change my mind.
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G69, But they are not eating their humble pie. If they did , I would turn the page.
i still wouldnt turn the page nope ..even if they were eating humble pie….id stand above them and laugh and ridicule them ….. cant forgive that shit….. banning us for being right all along? calling us deluded? ahhhhhhhaaahahaaa …cunts..
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Well It was for a lot more than being right Hunter, In our cases anyway.
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for me it was the indescribable arrogance some of them showed when they dont even know how to kick a football……that desire of wanting to deliver final judgements/verdicts on a team and players that were never the finished article due to continuous changes. but i will admit…the momment i lost it was when the ‘legitimate questions’ were being raised : a) are we making optimal use of our resources b) wenger has taken us as far as he could, he is unfit for the modern game….
the manager who signs players in 2008-9 with intention to use them in 2014-2015 while organising their development and where they will play what they will learn and where they will go on loan does not know about the modern game? are we fucking serious ? how many clubs in europe enjoy a spannish-german group of players and playing mentality? which two countries have taken football by storm the last decade again?
LOL…..
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AND he has added the much loved english grit and pashun with the inclusion of the young brittish core ….
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Perhaps Yogi just got sick of annoying twats like us. We didn’t help our own cause.
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no he cant get sick…first he should get sick with AST’S ateebs and jay jays and bills……if he were truthful and original about arsenal……. but no he was just another twat killing time on the internet after creating a blog which WENGER inspired him to create after the unprecedented success of 98-04….and then he turned on him and was promoting end of eras and changes… i also had a go at arse2mouse and arseblog didnt like it saying ‘people have the right to change their opinion’ …lol weak pussies…first they want the liberty to critisisie and offend arsene wenger and then they want the liberty to take it all back but if you catch them and hold them to account then youre the bad guy? how does that work? then again mosad got intel of hamas rebels doing swings in a playground and they had to defend themselves……
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Gotcha Rantetta.
AW knows best.
Hunter, methinks someone bought out Yogi.
The pressure of fatherhood & mortgages can do wonders to one’s value system.
The turnaround hurt on such a level that I rarely discuss ACLF.
I NEVER EVER go there again.
I’d rather dine with RvP.
And really would rather discuss Campbell and the future.
In Wenger I trust.
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Messrs. Campbell, Chamberlain & Chambers are the future.
So Jenks is probably off on loan for the season. Where would u prefer him to go for quality pt?
West Ham and Sam?
Stadium of Light with Poyet?
Southampton by Koeman?
I’d go with Ron
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It will be West Ham for Carl
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In the Champions League and the premiere league.
Where is Danny Rose now?
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Gains @ 4:57 pm: Although he is a CONCACAF-man, like both of us, I am a little reluctant to publicly express my hopes for Campbell mainy because Wenger is clearly in doubt. One thing I have learnt over the years is to take AW’s opinion of a player very seriously. With the signing of Sanchez and the imminent return of Walcott the competition to play regularly as a forward at AFC is intense. Also in the picture is Podolski who never played regularly lat year plus an army of midfielders who can play on either flank. So JC will have to show something extra special at the training camp to be even considered. In his favor however is his youth, experience of being on loan at two clubs and his tremendoous athleticism. If he is mentally up to the challenge we would have one hell of a player on our hands.
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Hunter: “i still wouldnt turn the page nope ..even if they were eating humble pie….id stand above them and laugh and ridicule them ….. cant forgive that shit….. banning us for being right all along? calling us deluded? ahhhhhhhaaahahaaa …cunts..”
You know how many times I’ve checked that blog since I was banned? Zero times. I couldn’t give one single, solitary fuck what Bill and that other fence sitting twat (forgot his name) have to say about anything. Want to ridicule them? Indulge in the excitement of the new and improved Arsenal. And know that every single time the camera pans on Arsene, these motherfuckers cry a small, impotent tear. Fuck Yogi, that Pedro cunt and Arseblog for backing the wrong horse while they could have been backing the club, the manager and the players wearing the shirt.
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If Carl absolutely has to be loaned then I guess he would prefer a London club for family reasons – it may do him no harm however, growing up wise, to move away and stand on his own feet.
The killer issue is that he gets plenty of football
My recollection of the last two we sent to the Appy Ammers, Aliadiere and Chamakh, is that they barely got a game so I am dubious on that call – West Ham are a basket case in terms of management anyway
Hull seems keen and I could see Carl there for a season, or maybe – now don’t go mental – Palace
It worked for Ashley
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yes gains …a fuck you to all those who dared question the integrity and commitment of wenger to arsenal..i just think they are getting an easy way out of it. they are not held accountable. they continue to write/comment etc…to borrow a phrase of a bastard but it applies in this particular case…’if i had written so much shit on wenger and arsenal and been proved sooooooooo wrong, id leave the internet and never post anything again”….
in the jack/hammettffhhh i think i should have explained better…… hammetfffh is at a level where he has the technical ability and strength of character to pull off what he thinks in any given time. jack is not there yet.
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Like most young players, except the super talented, Joel just needs that bit of luck, a chance to play in a few games, boost his own and AW’s confidence, grab a couple of goals
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Shotta, if Arsene doesn’t think he’s good enough, then he’s not good enough. However, I think he’ll be with us next season.
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I think Hameth will disappoint a lot of people. Let’s just leave it at that.
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A loan move to the Hammers would be fantastic for Jenko. Best of luck to him if he goes.
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I always thought it was a work permit issue that kept JC from playing in the PL not a skillset one.
Truth though is @ a purchase price of 1m, I guess AW could afford to loan him out to gain European experience.
If it was only about talent, I’m sorry @the same age, 22, JC is to me a superior talent to our young gunner core, Rambo (minus his extra lung) included.
I wait for him to prove me wrong.
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If Arsenal were fighting relegation every season then the attendances would undoubtedly drop, unless the ticket prices were reduced dramatically. However, if the prices were dropped, the attendances would soon rise again as a new wave of younger supporters flocked to the club.
That is the main issue I have with “modern” top flight football; because of these financially doped clubs, Arsenal are forced to charge increasingly high prices for tickets in order to maximise earning potential in an effort to keep up with these cheating fuckers!
Some kind of cap, or socialist agenda is required!
Power to the people!
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Aman;
Are you saying that Campbell is better than ramsey, AOC, Theo and jack?
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Reflecting on the matter carefully I think it unwise to despatch young Carl anywhere before our two recent recruits at right back demonstrate they can step up and cope with the considerably greater demands they will face at the Ems.
If they perform in the next month then fine , Carl can still find a loan spot – and of not then we have a good young full back itching for his chance
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“Where is Danny Rose now?”
Where is Danny Rose.
Danny fkcnt Rose.
DR is hopefully serving karmatime, big time. He follows in the footsteps of Assole Ekunto, you know, the one who broke Sagnas leg.
When Theo had his achilles viciously stamped upon, un acknowledged, during the FA cup tie at the Ems, Walcott layer hated down tottys left, only to have Danny fkcnt Rose finish off the crippling, unacknowledged.
Who’s this bass turd? https://vine.co/v/hYgZppDiHOX
This: http://arsenalist.com/f/arsenal-vs-tottenham-fa-cup/walcott-s-foot-gets-stepped-on.html
…happened prior to darling Danny’s assault. Maybe he’ll follow the later career path of Danny Smith.
Aside from that, I don’t where
Danny fkcnt Rose
is.
(You brought it up).
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Shotta
I agree with you that we should ‘wait and see’, re Joel C (see wot I done there – oh never mind).
The thing I’m sure of is that JC will do his best to be in the Ars squad this season.
That goal against ManU in the CL, plus his WC exploits – is to be weighed against the fitness he shows in training camp AND the farrin quota allowed, which must be close to the limit (though I don’t know that for sure). If he’s brilliant in training and there’s the necessary room in the squad, who knows what he could do. It’s soooo exciting.
On the other hand, would a loan to a Southampton type club be such a bad thing?
And finally there’s some stuff going around that certain Milan players might come to
Ars and JC is part exchanged. I don’t like the sound of that option, and I think the idea is crap, unless it’s for Pogba.
Blah blah. Pardon me.
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George who wrote this post I missed the Author and I wish to adorn praise.
Anyway been there done that when we weren’t that good. Although there was still always something to enjoy. 1974 terry Mancini 1975 Carlisle in the top division then came second wave of Irish lads and then when those good times went there were so few fans at some games you could quite literally sit on the north bank. People say football it cyclical and it wasn’t long before Don started bringing the youth players through and then George took over and run with it. Unfortunately many supporters just support winning
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‘TWAS Swales1968
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And damn fine work it was Stephen
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if great potential most often dont have the skill set to play in this league, then something must definately be wrong with this league and not the great players.
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i see a lot of humble pie being served if jc goes on to make here at arsenal as no many are currently giving him any chance despite his immense potential. i’m certain that if any english player has half of campbell talent, the hype will be sky high by now.
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YES Dexter, though Ox is not yet 22, JC is a greater overall talent than Rambo (minus his xtra lung), Theo, Jack @22 & Ox, in my opinion.
I stated this (possibly not on PA due to my really wonky interweb at the time) before the WC.
His performance in Brazil came as no surprise to me at all.
The prayer is that he is tough enough to deal with all the external bs that comes with playing in the EPL.
In Arsene I trust.
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Some f#cknut with an agenda on twitter is now bitching that Wenger has spent TOO MUCH money.
Un-f#cking-believable.
Their hatred for this man has poisoned their minds.
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Why bother DC?
It’s never ending.
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Wenger spending like a pirate on his final run ashore according to Tim
Profligate misuse of the club’s carefully built up funds, donated by the long suffering supporters, and which would be much better invested in lowering season ticket prices and providing a free black scarf in cashmere to every AST member.
We are all in this together.
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Aman,
True.
I suppose that is George’s role on the internet to smite down the unbelievers.
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George
To be fair to myself many of us who weren’t banned were happy to migrate over here, especially those that like to discuss the football. A few have been lost to twitter.
Don’t know where I found this, but it was on an evil cheating dickish and dastardly Manc. forum:
“There are two kinds of football fans – those who’ll watch games, but only see what they’re shown, and discuss what they hear other people discuss. They don’t ‘see’ the game. Unfortunately, these are the fans which spend more money, and outnumber the other kind by 10:1
The other kind, which you’ll hardly find in /r/soccer, actually like discussing football… …while we’re still not experts at the game like you, we do try to analyse our tactics, the opposition’s tactics, and the happenings of games. We’re not brilliant at it, but you know what? We enjoy it.
That’s the point I’m making – try and find people who enjoy talking about football (and not the size of an oligarch’s wedgie!) The actual playing of the game. Try and build a community around them, and the results will be fruitful.”
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Wenger spending like a pirate on his final run ashore according to Tim
ha!! whats he talking about ? i see well thought out and calculated moves almost with surgeon precission….who has given this tim authority to talk about arsenal?
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Of course. We were asked to believe that the manager who once picked up the phone to David Dein after watching Wiltord score a goal in a tournament final and said:
“I wants it! My precious. Please?
…
Only as squad player. Fuck it, I’ll even play him wide. Break the transfer record. Go on.
Pretty please with sugar on top?”
Asked to believe that this manager & club had become Scrooges? Forget the hacks that make an easy living trolling Arsenal fans, when you consider the support this meme was given by those who should have known better, it’s not a good look!
The bitter fools have invested far too much of their time and energy into hating the “Frenchman”, and they can’t stop now. So I class them in the same bin (without any black bin liners) as your average glory hunter. It’s where they put themselves.
Gains is right. The football is much more interesting.
For example I spent some time the other day discussing with a kid who played in the same youth team as Sterling (“kid”, he is eighteen!) the benefits of the basic four three three formation. I tried to explain to him that it’s just a fixed base and that is very flexible: Arsenal, Ajax, the Bunglers and many other teams all play off the same template but it’s all very different too. But I also agreed with the kid, more teams will try three at the back in this next period. I guess. He is a big fan of Chile, me too! Easily the best team to watch at the last two world cups for us (in my schedule that left no time for any Columbia games and the Jamez hype, apart from the Wilshere-esque hackathon in the QF).
Sanchez! Oh yes.
We discussed how great football comes from great managers (the Bieslian legacy for this modern Chile team). Such a shame that so many AFC ‘fans’ chose to ignore this simple record of the beautiful game. That great managers make great teams – not David Moyes or Owen Coyle then *wipes a tear*.
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lol….here we go again…the hammetffh hype…..heh… he is a very good footballer…just cause madrid does not give a fuck about what they spend does not make him overhyped…overpriced ? maybe….
id rather moan about …say 31m shaw ..who the fuck is he?
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