A mate of mine recently joined the Arsenal season ticket waiting list. His place in the queue? 94,495.

With around 95,000 on the waiting list, my estimation is that is around a 20-year wait. Potentially more.

I would be very surprised if more than 5,000 fans do not renew their season ticket each summer. my estimation is you are looking at 2,000-3,000 a season.

At 3k a season, it would take over 30-years for my pal to get a season ticket.

In recent years, the club have also begun to allow a season ticket to be inherited when a loved one passes away. This further reducing the turnover of season tickets.

You often here about someone 10,000 on the waiting list being offered a season ticket, but this is not because 10,000 have failed to renew.

If someone turns down the offer of a season ticket, it goes to the next person in the queue. So you could be in a scenario where 3,000 season tickets come available, but only 1 in 3 of those in the queue take them up. And that’s when you get someone in 5 figures on the waiting list being offered it.

There could be many reasons someone does not take up the offer. The first being finances.

With season tickets costing upwards of £974, not everyone can find nearly a grand at short notice.

Whereas season ticket holders know a year in advance that they will need to shell out ~£1,000 in 12 months time, those on the waiting list only find out after the renewal process has closed. And they are usually only given a couple of weeks to come up with the money.

If you do not take the clubs offer up of a season ticket, you do not lose your place in the queue. You keep it. Then you know in a years time you are likely to be offered one again so can start saving.

Arsenal’s most expensive non-hospitality option is £1,895.50. Whilst some might take up the offer of this to “get their foot in the door”, many will turn it down and wait to be offered a cheaper one in a years time.

It is not easy to move seats, and the club have suspended moving applications in the last couple of years. It 2018, the club had 6,000 fans request to move seat.

For many, it is better to wait one more year to try and get a £974 ticket than be stuck with paying double that for the foreseeable.

This year would have seen record season ticket renewals following our performances in 2022/23. I would be surprised if more than 2% opted not to renew. When the club announce the figure, I expect it to be closer to 1%.

That means there might only be 400-800 season tickets coming available to those on the waiting list this summer.

(Note: We have been informed that due to the increase in season ticket holders following Covid – all those who took a one-year season ticket during the pandemic were offered a permanent one – there will be no new season ticket holders this summer. Any season ticket not renewed will go into the pot for silver and red members to purchase).

The last time I looked into the season ticket waiting list was 2018 when I was moving my seat. Back then, there were 44,000 people on it.

Despite Covid, despite us finishing 8th, the season ticket waiting list has more than doubled in the last 5 years.

Will there become a point where we close the waiting list like Liverpool have done? Or do the club keep it open, taking the one off payment of £50 from fans to sit on the list (the fee is refunded when you pay for your first season ticket).

Should the club implement a rule that if you turn down a season ticket, you are out to the end of the queue? Maybe give them a one season grace? So you can turn it down the first time, but in 12 months time if you turn it down again you are bumped to the back of the queue.

All I know is any of you with kids, get them on the waiting list now.

It is only £25 to join and by the time they are in their mid 20s, they will have their own Arsenal season ticket.

Happy Father’s Day.

Keenos

From an Arsenal fan ahead of Father’s Day! Someone’s old man is going to be very happy!

This print is part of our #Arsenal Anfield 89 collection…https://t.co/90tkB9JKAj pic.twitter.com/QL9ohmqC92

— Kick Off Merchants (@KOMerchants) June 15, 2023