A Divorce Between the Fans and the Club

It seems ever since our move from Highbury to the Emirates, us loyal fans have had a slow divide between the board and manager. It seems the move to the Emirates just came before the economic crisis, which effectively made it more difficult for the fans to afford renewing their season tickets or memberships. The club however never decided to reduce the prices of their tickets for the economic downturn, only until VAT tax went down to 15% that they followed suit.


So the club kept on raking in large amounts of profit whilst loyal fans may not have afforded the price of a day out at their beloved team. In the 2008/09 season, people who had paid to see the likes of Denilson, Song (different player back then), Diaby, Bendtner, Eboue week in week out due to injuries and lack of investment, struggling for a win in every game in the winter period, fans started to raise their voices ever so slightly.


The cracks opened, and with cracks they'll always be more likely to get bigger and more noticeable. Back then we were in our 3rd season at the Emirates and we were expected to be settled by then after the year before we came close to winning the title before collapsing at the end (see a pattern?). The team needed investment for the new season and only Arshavin was brought in as a fix it, and that has been the only marquee signing in a while and he managed to help us secure a champions league spot.


The season after promised more yet again but we failed and the same last season. Every year passing by the team has been known to falter at the last hurdle and the opportunity of buying players with experience has arisen many times, yet Wenger is always after super quality.


What is super quality? The likes of Messi and Ronaldo are super quality. What Arsenal need is a just quality experienced players who know how to play their position and get stuck in. In other words a team player who will give their all. The fans know this and can see where we are going wrong with the players we have and ones we need.


This is why the fans moan and groan along with the ever increasing booing and demonstration/protests. It's not because they hate the club, it's because they care and the fans have become distanced with the disillusioned board and manager who aren't acting quick enough on transfers to secure the players we need. Peter Hill Wood isn't exactly helping matters between the relationship of the fans with the board by saying:




"As Arsene said, we are looking to buy some players but we are not going to do our business in public. They are going to have to be bloody patient – as we are."

“It is frustrating for both the fans and Arsene and the board."




Bloody patient? Manchester United have pretty much bought big signings this summer and they won the league last year with a not so great team and now they'll win it with the likes of De Gea and Ashley Young added.


The booing on Sunday just shows nothing has changed since last season apart from Gervinho giving us something to look forward to until he disappears to the African Cup of Nations. The chanting at Fulham away at the final game of last season, "Spend some f****** money!", shows what we haven't done this summer. All with below bar performances in all our pre-season matches this year, it shows no confidence for the season ahead.


Fans will start and most likely have started (like me) to wisely use their money for more useful purposes rather than on a club interested in making money and bringing in through kids. That project youth is now over and proven unsuccessful apart from Wilshere coming through and we should just go out and buy what we need.


Arsenal is just a frustrating club to support at the moment, and I believe we won't even make top 4 this season if we remain like this. Especially if Fabregas is sold, the last of our world class players would have left. The new Stadium has fed into greed from the board and left us fans separated, with us losing our club we used to love so dearly. Now I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a club we love to hate.

Time to Boycott Arsenal

I always said that towards the end of the season after our dismal appearances that I'm not going to spend anymore money on Arsenal until they get their priorities corrected. My confidence as an Arsenal fan in the squad that we have at our disposal has depleted gradually ever since our move to the money maker that is the Emirates, or as our neighbours down the other end of Seven Sister Road call 'Cash'burton Grove.

Don't get me wrong, I still adore my Arsenal, yet as the view of fans voting with their feet, to show their discontent, I have done that very much so with choosing not to renew my membership for this season approaching. The club doesn't deserve my money if it isn't being well spent on new recruits, or that my money is spent on players overly paid wages who aren't worthy of playing in the famous and prestigious red and white.

Also the new home shirt, which looks nice at a distance, isn't the same once taken a closer look at. The shirt made out of bottles is exactly what it seems to have been made out of (rubbish). The new away shirt that Our Arsenal leaked just over a week ago is a no go area! Although blue away shirts tend to be very popular and have been proven to sell more than yellow away kits. Personally I prefer our yellow away kits, the bets yellow kit was that in our unbeaten season. Obviously because it links with our success in that shirt in the 70's. 

The £5 hike on the shirts starting from last season just isn't worth it and forces me to part with my money at retailers who charge a more reasonable price. Therefore I won't be buying the new home shirt till I've seen positive ins and outs for the squad. And I'm usually one to buy the shirt as soon as possible once launched at 'The Armoury'.

Arsenal home (left) and away (right) kits for the new season.

My own personal boycott may seem irrelevant to you. But the fans shouldn't just throw verbal abuse towards the club, that won't achieve nothing alone. But hit the club where it hurts most (their pockets) then they may start to change their approach.

Would you do the same to make sure your club isn't becoming ambition-less and stagnant?