1. Home
  2. Online Exclusive

Arsenal’s special values

Just what sets the club apart from others?

26 April, 2011 10:00 24 comments
Arsenal’s special values

Formerly the North Bank Bridge, now named after Ken Friar

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOONER

1. The world’s most expensive season tickets.

2. Club won nothing in 5 years, but spent on net transfers and wages 92% of Man United’s spending.

3. Sport results are not the criteria to judge the manager.

4. The manager has lifetime employment.

5. The manager runs the club and all employees including the CEO.

6. The manager’s salary exceeds the annual stadium debt repayment.

7. The board members did not invest in the club even one penny in 30 years and became millionaires through their shares sale.

8. A 27% stake is not enough to get even one out of seven places on the Board.

9. Historical club names are replaced with the names of Board members.

10. All-level censorship – from newspapers interviews to the vetting of shareholder’s questions to the manager at the annual q&a event.

11. All-level falsehood. From declaring figures of game attendance to “club financial constraint during the last five years”.

12. The job of the club’s sport departments (scouts, medicals, keeper coaches, etc) is not judged by achievement but by loyalty to the manager.

13. There is no plan B for anything.

14. Arsene Knows Best.

© Arsenal FC 2006-2011.

NEW! Subscribe to our weekly Gooner Fanzine newsletter for all the latest news, views, and videos from the intelligent voice of Arsenal supporters since 1987.

Please note that we will not share your email address with any 3rd parties.

Article Rating

Leave a comment

Sign-in with your Online Gooner forum login to add your comment. If you do not have a login register here.

24
comments

  1. Andrew

    Apr 27, 2011, 11:13 #5874

    Marcus, I'm no AKB but I'm not an AMG either. I just think some fans are being hysterical at the moment. If someone who knew nothing about the club or the premier league at all read articles like this, they'd think we were relegation candidates. This ridiculous overreaction is getting out of hand. Obviously I want us to win trophies and our regular end of season implosion is clearly a problem but for crying out loud, we're in there challenging every year, not in mid table mediocrity. Get some perspective.

  2. Vineet

    Apr 27, 2011, 10:33 #5870

    When someone opposing you starts shouting it is equivalent of a surrender in a logical debate. "wages 92% of Man United’s spending." and "The manager’s salary exceeds the annual stadium debt repayment." were revelation for me. I am based in New Delhi, India hence did not know this. Sheer nonsense. AW has built around him a coterie of much overpaid very average players and support staff which has resulted in money being wasted. Spurs attract big names and AW cribs always of players not being available. In last two seasons there have been quite a few big ticket movements (not very high on payments) still wenger did not go for them and we were told that growth of our young players would be affected. A few names for you to ponder. I am listing the price in UK Pounds based on various online reports. May be a bit off the mark 1. Arjen Robben (15M) 2. Huntelaar (10M) 3. Xavi Alonso (heard the price from liverpool was about 13M) 4. Bent (18M) 5. Van de Vaart (8M) 6. Samba and Mertasacker (I think could have been a combined bid of about 17-19M. We got Kosc and Squeaky for 17M) I was so fond of AW once - supported his project till eduardo injury and team response but now he has simply lost it..

  3. gooner

    Apr 27, 2011, 10:30 #5869

    @Eddie chamakh is coming on a free transfer. 80K/week is not more than 4 Millions/year. The value of the player is even more than 15 Millions! When chamakh selled end of the season Arsenal will profite of the transfer fee, and will make only profit. it s also not fair to insult him!!!!

  4. Marcus

    Apr 27, 2011, 4:47 #5862

    Haha CHGooner that was just what I was thinking. AKBs like Andrew calling for articles like this to be "filtered" is hilarious. Thanks for proving the article right comrade! The AKB lot have no logical counter-arguments anymore. The best they come up with now is "go support the Spuds/Man Utd then" or just plain old "shut the **** up" as 'brap' so articulately put it in his post. Also as regards to Wenger's argument that Don Balon deliberately made their interview with Cesc controversial and edgy, all I have to say is I hope you guys realise that Don Balon is the Spanish version of our Match or Shoot magazines. Yes that's right, the type of magazine that caters for the under 12 football fan who likes to know what their favourite player has on his toast in the morning is the magazine Wenger has banned from ever talking to an Arsenal player again. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

  5. ex akb

    Apr 27, 2011, 0:27 #5855

    what about 1998 to 2006. Happy then because of trophies? Pathethic

  6. CHGooner

    Apr 26, 2011, 22:23 #5851

    Spot on. Responses from the AKB's so funny, they don't even get their own irony 'censor him'!

  7. Rob

    Apr 26, 2011, 21:32 #5849

    Ha ! Ha ! Very good and sadly true. At Villa they have - and I kid you not - 'The Doug Ellis Stand' What price the Peter Hill-Wood End - or should that be bell-end ? - very soon. You'd have to laugh or you'd cry.

  8. wenger out

    Apr 26, 2011, 21:30 #5848

    great piece, well written and thought provoking. As for the contribution from 'brap'. Well done, you have confirmed my thoughts that most Wenger apologists have run out of arguments to defend their leader and can now only resort to cheap insults and lines like "go support manchester united". Moron. Get Wenger out!

  9. nugs

    Apr 26, 2011, 20:54 #5845

    the mugs who disagree with this are not only happy to turn a blind eye to our clubs greed but actually support it and then have the front to call us plastic fans! how many of you ****s protested against the bond scheme when the old north bank was ripped down? not many i would guess proberbly don't even remember it.

  10. Whinger_OUT_NOW

    Apr 26, 2011, 20:49 #5843

    16. Only club where the manager has the power to veto choices for CEO and get his own appointed

  11. scorp

    Apr 26, 2011, 20:04 #5839

    just why is this rubbish? apart from the club directors' point (a bit harsh at this point of time), all else need to be highlighted. Wenger is clearly deluded and is not the answer any more.

  12. Colin

    Apr 26, 2011, 19:19 #5833

    A bust for a manager whose record in Europe is worst than UK's entries in the Eurovision song contest.

  13. dave bromley

    Apr 26, 2011, 19:11 #5832

    brap yet another ashburton red does your seat face the pitch????

  14. Jimmy

    Apr 26, 2011, 18:55 #5831

    Why do you publish this guys rubbish? I've read a number of his articles now and every single one is a moan. Has he got anything positive to say at all? Even the most fervant Arsene Must Go fan is prepared to recognise that there is plenty right with our club. Please Gooner, don't give this guy a medium to spout his rubbish.

  15. Whinger_OUT_NOW

    Apr 26, 2011, 17:13 #5827

    Well written. Dictatorship can be seen at all levels of the club and this stamp of dictatorship has been cultivated by none other than Whinger The club cannot be salvaged unless he's kicked out and Dein brought back in.

  16. Andrew

    Apr 26, 2011, 16:59 #5826

    What a load of rubbish. I know this website say they publish all submitted articles but surely some dross has to be filtered out?

  17. Marcus

    Apr 26, 2011, 15:54 #5823

    Very interesting article. Reasons like those you listed are why I, and other Arsenal fans, refer to Wenger as "Our Dear Leader" like the N. Koreans do to Kim Jong Il because like him, Wenger can do no wrong and both preside over a dictatorship.

  18. Eddie

    Apr 26, 2011, 15:01 #5819

    May I please mention what an embarrassment AW is please? He tried to claim Don Balon were liars who invented the Cesc interview, and as usual all the AKBs agreed. Sadly for AW and the AKB, Don Balon called Wenger out on his usual lies and bull****, and proved their case by publishing an AUDIO of the interview online! AW had no place left to hide, he had his pants pulled down and his lies exposed. AW's response? Say that you will never give that magazine access to the club again. Their crime? Telling the truth. In fact it was the Club captain's truth! When the club captain and best player no longer has any interest in playing for you, why would Nasri and RVP still wanna play for you! They will also leave, and the dross like Diaby, Eboue, Song (he's slow, positionally clueless and mediocre) and Denilson will stay. I'm also fed up of hearing jokers talk about our need for a DCM and centre back without mentioning how desperately this team is crying out for a top Striker! We miss so many chances and have no one attacking the box. When RVP gets his customary injury, we end up with two donkeys in Bendtner and Chamakh. Chamakh especially is an unfunny joke. £80k a week and when clean through in the box he PASSES THE BALL. Pathetic. I don't even want AW to have the money to spend as he'll land us with French clowns like Kockielny and Squid. No thanks. New manager please, Wenger's been given More than enough chances to muck this upon 7 mil a year? Time for someone else to have a go.

  19. ro

    Apr 26, 2011, 14:57 #5818

    simple but powerful and for the most part true

  20. Charlie

    Apr 26, 2011, 14:49 #5817

    Top stuff Ivan but you missed out a crucial point: 15. There is a BUST of the manager in the club, even though he is still in the job, even though he had never won the Champions League, never won back to back titles, and in fact hasn't finished in the top 2 of the league for six years!!! This club is farcical beyond belief.

  21. Alex

    Apr 26, 2011, 14:21 #5811

    Retarded rants of a mad man. Time to retire from life Ivan.

  22. brap

    Apr 26, 2011, 14:18 #5807

    Go support manchester united if you're not content with the arsenal way better yet, get your own money and buy it off Stan, till then shut the **** up and support the team rather than criticise like a skysports pundit at every opportunity

  23. Big Jim of N5

    Apr 26, 2011, 13:45 #5800

    15. You will get the AKB's coming on here telling you to go and support the '61s. This club has turned into a joke with a sterile stadium filled to the brim with plums who ask "who is David Rocastle". What has happened?

  24. Sheriff

    Apr 26, 2011, 13:38 #5799

    LOVE IT......LOVE IT