Tag Archives: Arsenal

The Arsenal and Me – Tushar’s Story

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I was a 13yr old with no interest whatsoever in football. I was a cricket fan. By a lucky chance I happened to purchase the FIFA 2002 game. But I just could not win any match. Then I once played with the first team in the Premier League list (The Arsenal of course)…that was my first win which included I still remember a spectacular bicycle kick from a certain chap called Henry (who I had never heard of before). That of course does not make you a Gooner.

Then one day while surfing on tv I found this football game being telecast on the most ridiculously perfect football pitch (I didn’t know the name of course) & Lo and Behold! it was an Arsenal match. That was the 1st time I saw Thierry Henry & Dennis Bergkamp! Those were the only two guys whose names I knew (hardly surprising seeing that they scored the bulk of my goals in FIFA).

One thing led to another & gradually my interest in football & Arsenal began to grow. One of the main reasons was Arsenal’s fantastic footballing style(which I often tried to copy on FIFA) & secondly Highbury! What a magnificent stadium! What perfectly manicured pitch! Even my family who had nothing to do with football agreed that it was a Brilliant sight to see a sun-soaked Highbury!

By then I was hooked on to Arsenal & wasted no time finding out about the Club, about Arsene Wenger. The other players particularly
Robert Pires and Freddie Ljüngberg were my special favourites. In my school ManUtd was pretty much the only supported side but I always stood up for my team. Those banters served to increase my passion for the Club. From a boy who never watched football I changed to one who would obsessively mark the dates of Arsenal games & watch all of them…including the Champions League nights. Those UCL games are after midnight in my country but I can proudly say that pretty much watched all of them & still do.

That was in 2002-03. My greatest memory was the Invincible season….my lowest the UCL final 2006. My greatest regret…not finding out Arsenal before & so I missed out on watching MrArsenal himself.

Coming back to now…Its safe to say that my life revolves around Arsenal FC. I am a Doctor now & still strive to watch all Arsenal games including UCL ones in fact on many occasions I have skipped cricket matches when they have clashed with Arsenal games. Like all Arsenal fans who haven’t it is my dream to watch Arsenal Live in London.…that for me will be a pilgrimage.

UP THE ARSENAL!!!!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!
ARSENAL TILL I DIE!!!!

Tushar

If you would like to tell your Arsenal story, click here

Do clubs do enough for disabled fans? – An open letter to the Premier League

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This season, every Premier League club has been instructed to spend £200,000 to better the experience of away fans. Many of the clubs, Arsenal included, are spending part of this on away fans visiting the Emirates Stadium, as well subsidising away tickets for travelling fans. Whilst all of this is positive news, making football a little bit (the subsidy is only £2.50 per game) more affordable and accessible, it seems there is one group of away fans who continue to get a raw deal when travelling away.

We were recently approached by a disabled Arsenal supporter to publish his open letter to the club and the Premier League highlighting the problems for disabled away supporters:

To whom it may concern,

Last week I’ve been to two games and been bitterly disappointed with the seats I’ve received from the club at both fixtures I’m afraid to say. In both instances I felt that I’ve wasted money on travel and ticket purchases as a result. Yes, I have a disability of being partially sighted from a generic condition called retinitis pigmentosa, which effects my night vision, as I can see inside stadiums as they have sufficient light but as soon as I’m outside relying on seeing from the aid of street lights I have a big problem.

The seating allocation I received for the Dortmund game was ridiculous! The nearest Arsenal fan to me was in a wheelchair at the half way line and Arsenal fans were the opposite end to me. Half of the actually match I spent extremely paranoid as one guy was continually staring at us, and it seemed like a few others were as well. I don’t speak German so that made me even more paranoid when we got looked at and then spoke in their native tongue. The guy who was continuously staring at us came up to us at half time and I can honestly say I was petrified, but he was actually friendly when he spoke to us, which was a huge relief.

In my humble opinion though I should have never have been put in this situation. When we scored I felt that I was not able to celebrate, as we were situated with home fans that were extremely pissed off to say the least. All I could do was look at our fans at the other end wishing I was able to celebrate with them. I’m not being funny but if I had watched it at home I would have been able to celebrate our goal with a smile on my face rather than sitting down feeling down!

As for Manchester United game yesterday, I’m afraid it was more of the same. We were stuck in seats with Manchester United supporters surrounding us, but this time our away fans were on top of us. As we arrived early with the arsenal coach we went into the ground to have a drink and something to eat. Unfortunately we felt uncomfortable eating because the only place to eat was with United fans, and surprise surprise they were staring at us!! So we had to leave that area and go to our seats until the game started even though we wanted to watch the game shown on the screens inside.

To make matters worse the United fan next to me through out the match was blatantly trying to wind me up to the point I wanted to hit him. I even heard him say to the guy beside him say “I’m gonna wind him up”, referring to me! Yet again, I feel that I would have been better off watching the game at home.

The bottom line is that I have spent over £200 over the last week to feel down, uncomfortable and paranoid. If I knew this was going to be the case I would not have travelled all those miles to have these emotions that are detrimental to my well-being, as I suffer from depression which I’m on medication, and pay for it!

Part of the reason why I make these trips are to get out the house and be with fellow Gooners win, draw and lose as we are family. I feel we are been segregated which makes it all pointless. As disabled supporters we should at least be told if we are seating with our own supporters so we can make an informed choice!

My eyes sight are deteriorating and I struggle outside to see in crowds in the dark, but what keeps me going is being with Arsenal fans, its one area in my life that makes me happy. If I do not need a platform I should not to be subject to this, as I just need seats. Sorry to repeat myself but I’m bitterly disappointed.

Leon Boreland

Man City Away – Ticket Pricing Scandal

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So the news out today is that we are being charged a massive £58 to go Manchester City for the away game on 14th December. I don’t think any of us are really surprised at this but the whole away ticket issue has been on the forefront lately and it’s getting worse. We charged City £62 last season I believe which is just a colossal amount for an away fan to have to pay. Our club is just as bad and are not helping the situation.

It’s got to take us fans doing something to stop this happening. We need to change the thinking of clubs on the away fan ticket price otherwise where does it stop? Before long you will have spent £200 before even walking out the door on match tickets and trains. With you having to drink and eat when at the game the average fan will not be able to afford the away trips any more. The problem is that when you raise the issue of fans not going to the games and not buying their ticket their response is always the same, if I don’t go someone else will. I understand this and they are right but the only way we can send a message is to vote with our feet and not go to the game. Make sure our away attendance at this game is one of our lowest ever and then people will realise.

Our own club hasn’t helped this situation and in fact we have probably inflamed it with the introduction of categorised games. The class A games are the most expensive in the league and whilst I don’t agree with the prices we charge, what we make our own fans cough up is our own business. This should not interfere with the price we charge away fans, and in fact I believe there should be no difference throughout the league on what away fans are charged. All clubs should charge the away fans the same price, £30/35 at a maximum.
Its happening throughout the league, not just with the so called big clubs like City and ourselves, Norwich charged Arsenal fans double the amount we made their fans pay at our ground. The so called smaller clubs see a cash cow when the big teams roll into town and they know they can charge what they like, as our excellent away fans will pay it and be there regardless.

I know I’m asking for a lot on this and it will probably fall on deaf ears but I encourage all Arsenal fans to not go to the City game, go down the pub with your mates and put £58 into the whip instead, have a few beers and a laugh with your pals in the boozer rather than line the Sheikhs pocket even more.

How they can charge that much when they have one of the richest men in the world who owns their club, not only that but their ground was free and given to them by the council! At least we had to pay for ours out of our own pockets!

Clubs need to follow the lead of Newcastle, Swansea, West Brom, Hull and Palace who have all entered into pricing agreements with each other to ensure away fans do not get charged over the odds. Fans of both clubs will pay the same amount when visiting each other which is a perfect idea. Have a look into this here. Hopefully other clubs take note of this and follow suit.

Have a look at these guys as well, trying to change things for the better

Norby