Every four years, the World Cup arrives with a level of excitement that seems impossible to escape. It is your TV time set for the month. 3 games a go. No need to flick through Netflix to decide on the next boxset. Football is on.
I am usually caught up in the excitement. Will watch almost every game. Head to the local for the group stages and then meet up with those I go down The Arsenal with when we reach the knockouts.
This time, however, I find myself feeling something different: exhaustion.
I have tried to put my finger on the reasons why I am not up for the World Cup. I have come up with a couple.
Football fatigue
After the Champions League defeat, I was exhausted.
Modern football never really stops anymore and we had a 9-month slog where we won the league, and made 2 further finals. That 20 days from West Ham away and the disallowed goal through to the Champions League final defeat was incredible. Through in that night in Islington when Bournemouth drew with Man City and my liver took a hammering.
The come down from Budapest was incredible, and I needed to take a step away. I have not had a drink since.
With what we did, I think I need a break from football to recharge those batteries, and that has led me to having no interest in the World Cup.
“Commercial World Cup”
This does World Cup does not feel as if it is one for the common fans. It is a commercial World Cup for sponsors. It is Americanised which is not a surprise as it is in America.
The tournament has expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams, which is just an attempt to create more matches, more games on TV, more sponsorship exposure, and ultimately more revenue. More games mean more advertising slots, and more television rights income.
The tournament is being hosted across three countries—United States, Canada, and Mexico. The United States, in particular, represents one of the largest sports and advertising markets in the world. The commercial potential of the US market has played a major role in shaping the tournament’s scale and presentation.
World Cup 2026 is a culmination of where football was already going: larger competitions, more matches, global marketing campaigns, premium ticket pricing, and greater emphasis on entertainment value and television audiences.
The ticket prices, the travel prices, and more. It is all aimed at maximising revenue and giving sponsors airtime. And do not get me started on the 30 minute half time.
I am comfortable in admitting that I do not have the energy to immerse myself in the World Cup like I would have done previously. Maybe I will watch a few games. Maybe I will catch the highlights. Maybe a dramatic knockout match will pull me back in and remind me what all the excitement is about.
Or maybe I will simply let the tournament happen without feeling the need to follow every second.
Over a decade of going home and away, although in recent years it has been a little less than normal.
I have never missed out on a ticket for Crystal Palace ticket before, and when the sales phases were announced by the club that they would start at 60, then drop to 55, before going to 50, I was confident I would get a ticket.
West Ham away, with 3,001 away tickets allocated, went to 30+. For Palace we were allocated 2,687 tickets. Just 314 difference. So it was to my horror when the club announced after the 55+ sale that “only an extremely limited number of restricted view tickets available for this game.”
I spent yesterday evening looking into this, and checking out X accounts of those in the know. The only conclusion from everyone was that around 40% of away tickets had been held back by the club. Over 1,000.
Now it is usual for tickets to be held back and given to players, coaches, support staff and sponsors. It was never normally an issue, although the last few years the amount held back seems to have increased.
By 10.01 this morning, by the time the website had woken up, all remaining tickets were gone. I had been logged on since 9.30.
So around 1,000 tickets will not go to away fans like me who have followed the club loyally through some very dark days. Been to your Stoke’s, Swansea’s, Sunderland’s and Cologne’s. Thousands spent, arriving home in the early hours of a Monday morning with work a quick nap away.
Instead, we will see more tickets going to friends and family of players, and plenty held back for sponsors.
We will get a cousin of William Saliba from Paris who has never been to an Arsenal get game a ticket. Some Instagram tart who doesn’t care about football, just footballers, who a player gives tickets to because he is trying to get in her knickers. Someone who works for whichever dodgy betting or crypto company we are currently partnered with getting tickets, and probably selling them on for huge profits, and so on.
I have no issue missing out on tickets if those getting them have been to more games, have got more credits. But to lose out because the club have decided to hold back 40% to appease those who have not done their time leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
Especially when you consider over the last couple of years the club have gone on the attack against the away fans.
First they got rid of the away scheme. Then they introduced disruptive ticket collections. All under the guise of that tickets were being used by the right fans, the fans that were going week in, week out.
On the tele against Palace, the TV cameras will zoom into your kids. This will be celebrated by the club like it was against Bournemouth a few years ago. But these young kids would not have been to enough games to have the 55+ credits, so how have they got a brief? Through a sponsor? Through a player? Or just gifted by the club.
It just is not right.
And what is most annoying is I will go again next season. Do my time. My travels. And it will happen again. Non-regular fans will queue jump just because they work for a company that has a box. Distant cousins and family members will get tickets despite never having been to a game. And all the while the club will continue their attack on the normal away fan.
The final point is “where were you when we were shit”.
My biggest frustration right now is fans only complaining about tickets now that we are doing well again. They were no where to be seen in those dark days. And once those days come back again, which they will, these players families, those sponsors, the drips with their Club Level season ticket that they got 3 years ago will disappear. They will find another hobby. Meanwhile I will still be there. Hoping for us to have good times again, with the knowledge that when they arrive I will be screwed over again.
Match officials: Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Dean Whitestone. VAR: Darren England. Assistant VAR: Marc Perry
Premier League Emirates Stadium 23rd November 2024 KO: 15:00 (UK)
As we look to return to Premier League action after a long international break, we face an inform Nottingham Forest side. However, they are missing Chris Wood in their starting XI for today’s game.
For us, we have the return of Odegaard in the starting XI, with Arteta also picking a rotated squad with Jesus and Jorginho coming in the team.
With Forest picking up points against the big sides, today’s game will be tough and our boys will have to graft and also control the game to grab the three points.
We kicked off the game, and started on the front foot with Saka’s effort blocked, the ball then rebounded to Trossard who forced a smart save from Sels. Forest then burst into our half as Aina almost found Hudson-Odoi in the box, however, the ball couldn’t quite reach him. We then won a freekick, which was swung in by Odegaard, headed down by Merino and cleared off the line by Dominguez to Timber who was there to tap in however, the offside flag was put up. After a long wait, VAR finally agreed with the assistant’s decision and the goal was ruled offside.
As we retained the ball, Jorginho went down in the box, but the referee waved away any penalty shouts. We then broke the deadlock as Odegaard flicked to Saka on the right side of the box , as Saka drove past the Forest players across the box before firing a shot past Sels into the roof of the net.
Again some nice link up play from Odegaard and Saka before the Norwegian’s shot was blocked. Elanga then sprinted down the pitch before being taken down by Jorginho for a free kick, as the Italian was shown a yellow card. Ward-Prowse stepped up to take and whipped the ball in as Yates headed over. Jesus then was the second player in Simon Hooper’s book as he received a yellow for his late challenge on Dominguez.
Forest then began to get a foothold in the game as they battled well in the middle of the park stopping us from linking the play. Jorginho then gave away another free kick and simultaneously Elanga went down needing to receive treatment following his earlier clash with Jorginho. Ward-Prowse swung in again, however, Dominguez headed over.
Saka then had his effort blocked as the ball came to Trossard who fired a shot towards the top corner however, Sels was there to tip the ball away. Saka then unleashed another shot down low which was saved by Sels.
Moments later, Saka became the third Arsenal player to be booked as he received a yellow for a high boot on Yates. 5 minutes were added as Timber fired into the stands. Forest then had their first booking on the brink of half time as Aina was booked for a late challenge on Trossard. The referee then blew the half-time whistle.
Half time views:
A very strong display, with Saka and Odegaard at the heart of all our attacks.
Arteta will be looking for the players to stay disciplined as Forest have looked dangerous when they have attacked in the wide areas.
Maybe Arteta could make the change of Partey with Jorginho as he is on a yellow card and has made a few challenges after the card.
Before the start of the second half, both sides made changes with Elanga being replaced by Jota Silva due to a collar bone issue and for us, Partey replaced Jorginho. Jota Silva avoided an early booking for throwing the ball away as a few moments later, Raya stood tall and claimed the ball despite the wind. We then grabbed our second a few minutes later, through Partey who struck from range into the inside left netting and past Sels after Saka set him up nicely.
Raya then again claimed from Moreno’s cross. As we looked for a third, we kept the ball trying to exploit areas in between the Forest attackers. Forest then made changes with Wood and Sosa replacing, Awoniyi and Dominguez. Sosa made an immediate impact with his cross being headed wide by Milenkovic. We then made our own change with Zinchenko replacing Calafiori who had just come back from injury.
Again, a penalty shout on Saka was waved away by the referee as Moreno ushered Saka away at the back post. Yates then was booked for a late challenge on Merino. As the game lost its intensity, Raya was then called into action as he swept up a loose ball ,with Jota Silva’s strike then hitting the back of Wood.
Forest then made a single change with Neco Williams replacing Moreno. Forest then began to get back into the game with Yates heading just over with Raya troubled. Odegaard and Saka then surged forward as the ball was cut back to Partey who fired over. Odegaard and Saka were then both replaced by Nwaneri and Sterling, as they received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Nwaneri then grabbed his first Premier League goal to make it 3-0 to the Gunners as Sterling cut back and Nwaneri slid in to slot home into the bottom right. Forest then had the ball in the net through Jota Silva however, he was ruled offside. 5 minutes were then added and Forest had their last chance with Murillo blazing over from 45 yards as the referee blew the final whistle.
Full time views:
A very dominant performance with Nwaneri getting his first Premier League goal for the club.
For periods in the second half, we allowed Forest to get into the game however, their attacking threat on goal was minimal.
Anyhow, onwards and upwards, as we look to face Sporting away in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 