I am prompted by all the stick flying around from the prolier than thou set in the lower tier (I sit there with ex-Clock End mates) against newcomers, club level, early leavers etc, to offer these brief comments:-

New Fans: They are a fact of life and a lot of them will take time to adjust. Give them time, get off their backs and encourage them to support our team as vocally as the rest of us try to do. I was one of a small minority to be against leaving Highbury as I felt we were abandoning the heart and soul of our club in the blind pursuit of money but I doubt if many of the 'real supporters' now criticising the new fans were against the move. You people wanted the move so deal with it constructively rather that turning your animosity on other Arsenal fans. The simple fact is you can't go from a 38,500 capacity to 60,000 plus without new fans.

Club Level: I and almost all other season ticket holders and members were bombarded with information from the club offering these seats to us. Arsenal Football Club deliberately created this revenue stream when they planned the new stadium. Getting cross with the supporters who sit in club level is ridiculous as Arsenal Football Club deliberately created them. If this is a problem for you direct your animosity at the people who caused it, not the people who are a result of it.

Early Leavers: These people have always been there and could be witnessed in the east and west lower and other parts of Highbury for as long as anyone can remember. Their numbers may have increased but they are hardly a new phenomenon. Whilst I, and the friends I go with always stay to the final whistle and after people have their own reasons for leaving early and have to be allowed to do so. The best solution would be for us to create an atmosphere in the stadium where nobody will want to leave early anyway but the degree of in-fighting we are currently witnessing suggests this is a long way off.

Fans Who Stand: This doesn’t make you a real supporter because you do this anymore than Geordies wearing inadequate clothing in cold weather makes them hard. It just makes you selfish as you don’t give a damn whether somebody with a seat behind you who is old, unable to stand or simply wants to sit in the seat they have paid for can see the game or not. I had a 'seat' in the back of the Clock End for the last ten years and my elderly parents - who both love Arsenal dearly - were unable to have my ticket when I couldn’t go because the 'real fans' in front of me always insisted on standing and they can't do this for any length of time. While everybody stands for periods of time during the course of a game anybody who wants to can clap, cheer and sing quite easily from a seated position. Stand if you have to but don't make a virtue and badge of honour out of your lack of consideration for others.

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