Would you support a FC United of Arsenal?

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The globalisation of football is killing the game for the local fans.

I have long held the above opinion. What this means in my eyes is that clubs, associations, organisations, are more interesting in growing their product abroad to increase revenues rather than looking after local fans.

What this results in is lucrative friendlies post & pre-season in America, Thailand, Singapore, Dubai, Qatar & Australia. Clubs bringing out 3 shirts a year to increase revenues. Clubs caring more about fans abroad and how they can market the club at foreign fans, than fans at home, looking after local fans.

The club would rather sell tickets to holiday companies in China, in America, and even here in the UK, at extortionate prices, than make more tickets available for local fans.

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In the past there has been talk of Arsenal selling thousands of tickets to Chinese tour companies to Arsenal v Manchester United. Of hundreds of tickets for Spurs v Arsenal, Liverpool v Arsenal & Manchester United v Arsenal going to tour operators.

Whilst big games sell out at 35 credits, and loyal, local fans can go home and away are unable to get a ticket, tickets are legally sold by the club to foreign fans through these our operators at 10 times the cost to people who have never been to a game.

And don’t get me started on the recent proposals by the Premier League of a 39th game.

So what brings on this mornings rant?

Well once again we have talk about the future of football.

The discussion happens once every few years. A break away European Super League. It is usually around the time European clubs are unhappy with UEFA. They use their power making it clear they are the product, not Champions League football, and threaten to pull out of UEFA competitions and set up their own, independent, franchised European Super League. UEFA usually buckle and give the clubs what they want.

This time however the story is a little different. They are now talking about a World Super League.

Jacco Swart, director of the European Professional Football Leagues, said: “We will see a worldwide football competition in a few years. That is a development which nobody can stop anymore.”

“It will be an exclusive party for the happy few — for the biggest football brands in the world.”

The European Professional Football League is the organisation created to protect the interests of domestic leagues.

The article go’s on to say that a World Super League will see the top sides from Europe, America, China, South Africa, Australia & Brazil create their own league, playing home and away through the world. It will be taking the game to the citizens of the world, but away from local fans.

A breakaway league will happen in my lifetime. It is inevitable. The question is, how do you respond?

As someone who go’s home and away, do I continue doing that? Spend even more money travelling the world following The Arsenal – it is hard enough and expensive enough doing it just in the UK. Or do I give up on away games, just go to home matches – which will become more expensive, and just do the odd away games. Paris, Madrid, Barcelona.

The 3rd option is I give up on Arsenal Football Club as we know it all together. To support a phoenix club that will surely be set up due to the frustrations and anger of local fans. An Arsenal version of FC United of Manchester. FC United of Arsenal? The Arsenal?

A phoenix club would have to start at the bottom, like FCUM and AFC Wimbledon would have done, and would have to rise through the leagues. AFC Wimbledon have done it successfully, now in League One and looking to move into a new stadium, back to the club’s home in Plough Lane.

FCUM have stalled. After 3 successive promotions, they spent 7 seasons in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Attendances dwindling from an average of 3,059 in their first season to as low as 1,849 in 2012/13. In 2014/15 they were promoted to the National League North where they finished 13th including a run of 7 straight defeats (19 league defeats in total). Average crowds back up to 3,394, it is the 6th tier of league football. Promotion gets them to the National League (formally the Conference).

It would not be easy starting a phoenix club. But Arsenal does have the loyal following. A few thousand have stopped going in recent years due to unhappiness with where football is going. Would they return? Add in those who still go, but if the game pushed them a bit further, with a European or World Super League, there is no reason a phoenix Arsenal club could not see crowds of 5,000.

Of course, they would need the stadium. A brief look shows that other than the Emirates Stadium, there are no other stadiums in Islington that we could “share” (a local might tell me different?). That would probably see us have to move out to get a stadium. With Borehamwood’s current links with the club, it would be an option, but I imagine Arsenal would block that.

The most logical bet would be to team up with Barnet. Creating a ground share similar to what AFC Wimbledon have with Kingstonian. No longer at Underhill, Barnet now play at The Hive, a 5,176 capacity stadium. It would be the best option for Arsenal.

More reasonable match day tickets, the cannon facing the right way, a return to a proper stadium where we can stand (drink and smoke). Swear as much as we want, no grasses, no attention seekers. A return to proper football in a proper ground following a proper team.

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The future beyond that would be unclear. The new club would not be short of wannabe investors. And I ma sure it would rise through the leagues at a similar pace as AFC Wimbledon. The problem would be returning to Wimbledon.

It cost Arsenal £400,000,000 to build the Emirates Stadium. Now the phoenixed club, when ready to return, would probably not need a stadium as big as the current souless bowl. But it would probably need a 20,000 seater with the ability to expand (like what AFC Wimbledon are planning). To build this in Islington you are probably looking at £150-200m. A vast sum for a club which will be run by the fans for the fans.

The question is simple.

If an FC United of Arsenal phoenixed due to the creation of a Super League, who would you spend your hard earned money going to see week in week out?

Keenos

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Arsenal Legends – What do they do now?

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A lot of fuss has been made recently over Arsenal not employing the likes of Thierry Henry, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp. It got me thinking whilst watching the Arsenal Legends match…

What do the Arsenal Legends who played doing now?

Works at Arsenal

Freddie Ljungberg – Arsenal Under-16s coach.
Robert Pires – Arsenal Foundation Ambassador. Hangs about the training ground.
Gilles Grimandi – Arsenal scout.
Luis Boa Morte – Arsenal scout.

Works in Football (Not at Arsenal)

Gilberto Silva – Panathinaikos Technical Director
Pascal Cygan – Assistant coach at Belgian Second Division side KSV Roeselare.
Marc Overmars – Director of football at Ajax Amsterdam.

Still Plays

Kolo Toure – Still playing semi-professional football in the Scottish Premier League for Celtic.
Justin Hoyte – Let go by the Daggers over  the summer.

Charity

Nwankwo Kanu – Founded the Kanu Heart Foundation which helps young African children with heart defects. Kanu is also an ambassador for UNICEF. Founded his own soccer school based in Canada.

Media

Nigel Winterburn – Works as a freelance pundit and has provided analysis and comment on Sky Sports and talkSPORT as well as in print for publications such as the Daily Star.
Emmanuel Petit – Works  across many global stations, including ITV, as a pundit.
Ray Parlour – Sunday Times top ten bestseller.
Martin Keown – BBC Match of the Day pundit.
Jens Lehmann – Pundit across very networks including RTL & the BBC. Does a lot of work for The Willow Foundation which was set up by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson.

Businessman

Anders Limpar – Currently co-owner of Swedish plastic box company Super Lock and he also works as a distributor for nutritional supplement company Kyäni.

Fishing

David Seaman – Fishing

Keenos

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10 reasons why The Arsenal Legends match will be best match of the weekend

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1. It is for charity. Most importantly, The Arsenal Legends day is to raise money for The Arsenal Foundation. The Arsenal Foundation was launched in May 2012 and since then has committed more than £1million to support a range of community and charitable projects in the UK and overseas, including those of the Club’s official charity partners Save the Children and Willow Foundation.

2.  Take the kids. In an era where football is so expensive, the Legends match will be a brilliant day to take the family. Tickets ranging from £10 – £15 for adults & £5 – £7.50 for children.

3. The Arsenal Legends. The likes of Thierry Henry & Dennis Bergkamp might have pulled out, but the full squad is still full of double winners & invincible’s and Anders Limpar. Jens Lehmann, David Seaman, Martin Keown, Marc Overmars, Ray Parlour, Emmanuel Petit, Pascal Cygan, Gilberto, Nigel Winterburn, Kolo Toure, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Sylvain Wiltord, Anders Limpar, Gilles Grimandi and Kanu.

4. AC Milan Legends. The Milan Glorie squad is equally is talented. With some of the all-time greats set to appear. The likes of Dida, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Marcel Desailly and more.

5. International break. It’s boring. The season has barely started and we already have an international break. It’s a bit of a joke really. The Arsenal Legends match will be the biggest and best match of the weekend.

6. Dennis Bergkamp’s Testimonial. Today’s game reminds me of Bergkamp’s testimonial when the season first opened. An Arsenal Legends v Ajax Legends. The atmosphere was class. The game a brilliant sceptical. Today will hopefully be the same.

7. The kids. I have already touched on this, but today will be brilliant for the kids. A chance to see what all the fuss was about. The stories about players their Dad tells them about will come true. It is a pity there is no Bergkamp or Henry (or Wright), but who exciting will it be to watch Kanu’s tricks, Overmars down the wing and Crazy Jens in goal? The kids are going to love it.

8. Against Modern Football. Ticket prices aside, modern football is a bit shit. And Arsenal are poorly treated by the club. This is a chance to return to yesteryear. I see a lot of people online who no longer go week in, week out, with tickets for this game.

9. Weather. It’s a beautiful day today. A day made for drinking with your pals. Watching a bit of football. And then some more drinking with your pals.

10. The future. If today go’s well, we might see The Arsenal Legends match become a regular fixture on the calendar. I can see yearly games against the Real Madrid Galacticos, Barcelona Legends, Juventus & Bayern Munich. The good and the great of legendary European sides (and beyond, a Brazil Legends side?) coming to Arsenal’s stadium in a yearly basis for a great day out and to raise money for charity.

For all those going, whether it is with your kids or with pals who have long stopped going, or your regular match day pals, enjoy the day.

Keenos

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