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A Mickey Mouse fan writes...

Occasional attendee far from impressed by atmosphere at Arsenal

7 December, 2010 9:00 13 comments
A Mickey Mouse fan writes...

Arsenal Fans: Where have all the vocal ones gone?

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I am a self confessed ‘plastic fan’. Although I’ve supported the mighty Arsenal since the age of 10, I have no good reason for doing so. Growing up to the West of London in the 80s and in a school full of Liverpool fans (yep, really!), I took the life changing decision to be a Gooner in the ’89 season mainly to wind up school mates; following the famous victory at Anfield I was hooked and have been an avid ‘fan’ ever since. (Yes, I support my local team too – Wycombe - but its like having Tesco’s value, when what you crave is Harrods).

Now I don’t get to go to many games (3-4 a season), partly due to money and partly ‘cause it’s hard to get hold of tickets a lot of the time; therefore it’s mainly Carling Cup games and occasionally a Champions League or Premier League match. However, when I do go, I want to SUPPORT, I want to sing (not just about Tottenham) and really get behind the team – basically, I’m just thrilled to be there, rather than watching in the pub (or on some dodgy Chinese streaming site that b*ggers my computer).

I haven’t noticed any difference in the level of support at Carling Cup games to any other (probably more than at CL group games anyway). I’m not impressed by the atmosphere at other matches – nowhere near as much fun as chanting for the Wanderers for instance (and I don’t really care if they win), or at other ‘smaller’ PL teams. The disapproving looks on the bored faces around me when I try to join in a chant or get one going really puts a downer on things! The reason for the lack of atmosphere seems pretty clear – a lot of people have had to become ‘plastic fans’, due to the sheer cost and the hectic lives we all lead (Lots of people share season tickets and rent them out).

Is there anything we can do to make the E******s better? Palace fans have recently organised into a peaceful ‘Ultras’ organisation, to make banners and keep the chanting going; should we be doing something similar? The next question is how to organise this with so many fans and fans that attend irregularly? I don’t know the answers, but something needs to be done when there is a better atmosphere at the Crooked Billet than there is at the ground.

I’m fully expecting a load of grief from the ‘proper fans’…

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13
comments

  1. Ian McCarthy

    Dec 09, 2010, 22:30 #160

    At home games I sit in the family enclosure with my 13 year old son. He has recently asked me if we can just go to away games because he loves the atmosphere the Arsenal fans create away but says at home games he gets bored.

  2. David

    Dec 09, 2010, 8:39 #146

    Mate your spot on - as someone else said Emirates is for birds and nurds. It is a dreary corporate ground that should be going to for a cup final not to support your side. I loved Highbury and finding it very hard to adapt. I also go away and that's when I enjoy supporting Arsenal. Wigan he we come !!!!

  3. Mike holmes

    Dec 08, 2010, 23:13 #145

    At the Belgrade game tonight. Chap who sits next to me is getting a bit passionate as we're playing awful (it's still 1-1). A lady sitting infront turns round and asks him to quieten down. That sums it all up really. That is the type of fan the e******s is attracting, no passion, just there to be entertained and groan everytime Song misplaces his passes. Dont worry we gave her an earful and told her to p*** off back to the opera. But seriously why no atmosphere? Why do these fans come through our gates? Let's just support our team, it's probably partly why our home form is crap. What happened to beating teams in the tunnel? I believe we have the team and the stadium, final ingredient is the fans. St Andrews away here I come. We'll get an atmosphere going up there.

  4. Noddy

    Dec 08, 2010, 13:22 #143

    Thanks for not slagging me off! I will be joining the Away scheme and signing up for Red Action right away!

  5. Big Dunk

    Dec 08, 2010, 8:52 #141

    Red Action are doing their bit (and extending the area around blocks 5 & 6 would be good) but we also need more unity round the ground. I often hear different pockets of fans singing different songs - why not all just listen and join in the same song?! Maybe be a little bit more co-ordinated... The atmosphere does vary from time to time and game to game but if you're reading this and you know you don't sing then you're part of the problem! Let's have more 'pro-Arsenal' songs and less whinging about the spuds too!

  6. Angelo

    Dec 07, 2010, 15:51 #139

    No grief from me, mate. I've been following the Arse for 43 years and I really don't like going to home games for the very reasons you state, so me and my son joined the Away Scheme and go to every away game instead. We're surrounded by passionate fans, we're almost guaranteed a good game of football (there's a reason why the tv companies always show Arsenal away games) and a great day out. By contrast, the home experience is entirely depressing. Loads of muppets who fancy themselves as tv pundits and feel the need to slag off anyone in a red shirt if we're not 4-0 up after 20 minutes, and less atmosphere than Wigan on a bad day. It's not really the fault of the stadium, which I think is terrific. The atmosphere has to be generated by the people in it, and there just aren't enough people bothered to produce any.

  7. Bermondsey boy

    Dec 07, 2010, 14:34 #136

    This is thereason for the poor home form, the atmosphere is crap,to many tossers there who do not support the team and leave empty seats everywhere. 2-0 up at half time against spurs and the place should be rocking, what was it dead and empty seats at halftime when spurs got their first. Away fans Top class at Villa everton and City

  8. Ben

    Dec 07, 2010, 14:30 #135

    If you feel that way, why not save money and go to more Wycombe games? You said it yourself, the atmosphere's better, and you "don't really care if they win" so you'd probably enjoy yourself much more. Plus Wycombe need your gate receipts far more than Arsenal do.

  9. harry potter

    Dec 07, 2010, 13:57 #134

    another thing that is chalk and cheese is the contrast between the current team and that of henry, pires et al. there is a genuine lack of belief in the current crop and the many fans go expecting the worst. also, too many people go to the emirates expecting to be entertained rather than going to support the team. when they are not being entertained, instead of encouraging the team, they feel like they're being robbed. i agree completely with this: "a standing section or at teh very least extend red action to 3-4 times the current size as there are small pockets of vocal fans around the stadium which make it hard to get any songs going"

  10. BudaGooner

    Dec 07, 2010, 13:40 #133

    Agree with all of this, not just the PL either, been watching Brighton home and away since I moved there and every ground I've been two in PL or L1 has had quiet home fans. Take CJ's advice go away instead, finally gave an away game a go couple of years ago dunno why I didn't do it earlier, poxy 1-1 at Riverside after 5 hours on a coach, but the most noise I'd been part of in years, definitely the way forward.

  11. simon

    Dec 07, 2010, 11:42 #131

    Have to agree. Arsenal always get called out for having quiet fans but its no different at OT or the Bridge.

  12. mark gooner

    Dec 07, 2010, 10:44 #129

    couldnt agree more atmosphere is a disgrace stewarding doesnt help neither does ticket prices club need to have a standing section or at teh very least extend red action to 3-4 times the current size as there are small pockets of vocal fans around the stadium which make it hard to get any songs going start a petition along with other gooner blogs its the only way in my opinion

  13. CJ

    Dec 07, 2010, 10:37 #128

    Get yourself to an away game. Its like chalk and cheese. However its a modern football sickness that's infected more than the emirates. Anyone who was at the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford 2 seasons ago will agree the atmosphere that day was quiet; on the day they got presented the title????? Yes the emirates is awful but its everywhere and getting worse.