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One Night In Bangkok?

AISA requests your views on an Arsenal Premier League match being played abroad

10 October, 2014 10:00 24 comments
One Night In Bangkok?

Or maybe Cape Town instead?

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The Premier League is exploring the possibility of holding competitive matches overseas. The idea of potentially huge changes to the game has arisen without any discussion with fans.

The Arsenal Independent Supporters Association (AISA) opposed this previously after carrying out a widespread consultation, and is again seeking views from all Arsenal supporters. The National Football Supporters’ Federation has responded to the news by saying “If the reaction to previous incarnations of 'Game 39' and the idea of matches abroad is anything to go by, we expect this proposal to be met with the strongest possible opposition from supporters.

“The potential impact on the value of season tickets, which would see fans of half the Premier League clubs missing out a home match, could be enormous. Inevitably some of the fixtures to be moved will be either local derbies or other high-profile fixtures. The FSF is against the proposals as they have been reported, and will be consulting with Premier League fans' groups and individuals to formulate an appropriate response.”

All Arsenal supporters are invited to let AISA know your view by emailing [email protected] or tweeting @AISA_Arsenal

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24
comments

  1. HowardL

    Oct 13, 2014, 8:27 #59117

    The Premier League has sold itself to the devil. The fans are the losers. They will get their way eventually, no doubt. And then what?

  2. Dartford gooner

    Oct 12, 2014, 20:58 #59113

    Great idea, maybe they can also have four quarters to each game so the fans can have more time to get their hot dogs and cokes.

  3. jjetplane

    Oct 12, 2014, 19:08 #59108

    See the Conker Championships are on outside Peterborough. Been going since 1965 so watch for it being staged in Beijing next year.

  4. roger ashley

    Oct 12, 2014, 16:22 #59096

    NO WAY EVER

  5. jjetplane

    Oct 12, 2014, 15:02 #59091

    This will happen sooner than later and a rich global football fanbase would love it. Already happens at the Emirates with match part of package only as wifi and cuisine take over for new generations of well adjusted financial fleecers who do not understand a good game of football but do understand a cynically constructed goal spectacle perhaps once a month. Arsenal has long since disappeared up it's own globalising arse and you you can thank Wenger for that. His legacy will be the destruction of Arsenal as a purely football concern ans as U2 should be called before a crimes against music committee so the Holloway shysters should be dragged in front of a 'court' for crimes against football. I guess I am lucky to have memories of when Arsenal was something to be proud about. To support it now is akin to getting into bed with a Tory/Ukip coalition. That also will happen sooner than later. Now I have spouted off one question - 'any more on Diaby?' ......

  6. maguiresbridge gooner

    Oct 11, 2014, 21:42 #59069

    Dizzy 62326, nice one we could put all the fans over there that smile at, and applaud and cheer at everything no matter how many we're being humiliated by straight on a few things.

  7. exiled&dangerous

    Oct 11, 2014, 10:33 #59046

    I hope this idea never sees the light of day - it would be the final nail in the coffin for me as far as wanting to follow the game anymore (well, at that level, I'll probably go and watch Southern League). Money money money all the time.

  8. chris dee

    Oct 11, 2014, 9:36 #59041

    The Premier League are pushing it because it helps the Premier League's main objective.Making money.And that's the only reason,not for the fans,not for the players,not for the less 'glamorous' clubs,just for the money. So as far as I'm concerned the PL can stick their 39th game where the sun don't shine. But of course the football media in conjunction with the PL and Sky will slowly drip feed us the benefits of such a move.Just as they convinced us 10 Premiership matches should be spread over 3 days and different times, and that pricing most people out of going to live matches or buying season tickets is O K. But hey!It's a slick show and we've got the 'best league in the world' as the total of English players gets less and less each year.

  9. BADARSE

    Oct 11, 2014, 8:14 #59040

    Paulo75 I think the world's societies, and their ethics are generally unprincipled, most are led kicking and screaming into a higher sense of existence. We still have a long way to fall yet, in my opinion. No doubt some outside circumstance will come into play to redirect people/companies/governments etc. In the meantime, fasten your safety belt and be prepared for many 'hairy' dips and cornering on our rollercoaster ride of greed. Once you have paid the fare and clambered aboard, there is no leaving the ride until it reaches it's destination. Ugly isn't it?

  10. Hiccup

    Oct 11, 2014, 7:21 #59039

    Well put Spicer. If the fans groups have any beef with this, they should be directing any response to their clubs. Without the clubs backing this can't happen. What exactly is Arsenal's stance on this? But when the PL put it to kroenke he isn't going to give a categorical 'no' answer on behalf of the fans, but he'll ask 'what is in it for the club'. And when a nice cheque for £x million is offered due to the increased TV rights he will sign on the dotted line. But no doubt the PL will be the scapegoat. How fans can plan their lives/jobs with the amount of rescheduling that goes on today I don't know. England qualifiers on a Thursday and Sunday teatime now! What is going on? The upside to this proposal, is that when arsenal are playing spurs in Timbuktu, the Emirates will be staging the El Classico. Kerching as the bank balance ever increases to that £1 billion goal that has been set.

  11. spicer

    Oct 10, 2014, 23:48 #59035

    AISA are giving this more prominence than it deserves. It is nothing more than a pipe dream discussed by the rich owners of our clubs, the practical difficulties are immense, obviously. The proposal isn't any more for a '39th' game, but the 38th game to be played abroad. Even that is highly speculative. The more likely scenario is a pre-season tournament of the premier league in Asian countries. What people maybe forget is that most of our clubs are now owned by foreign conglomerates, they do not belong to 'us' any more. There has been a vast shift in football ownership, and the people who own it now can smell the global profits to be made from taking it abroad to new markets, with new TV rights. They have seen the success of the NFL at Wembley and want some of the action. Their only problem is how. But don't think that fans here have any say in their clubs, despite AISA fondly imagining they do. They belong to US, Middle Eastern and Asian interests, and their owners are thinking about the markets they know only too well in their own continents. One day we will look back and wonder how we sold off our culture and its ownership, at the moment people don't quite get the enormity of what has happened. But they are confident it will happen eventually, though it may be ten or more years away yet. So relax, there is nothing you can do about it, you are simply a consumer, like all the others scattered across the globe.

  12. Why have we only got 6 defenders?

    Oct 10, 2014, 23:18 #59034

    Can we please play our game against one of the top 4 teams so that only those fans with more money than sense will be able to watch us get spanked?

  13. Homer

    Oct 10, 2014, 19:33 #59029

    Fed up with the endless pursuit of cash . Premier league whoring itself around the world. Football used to be so much simpler. Too many foreign owners bleeding clubs dry. We will soon be this USA franchise bollox they love so much. Too many foreign owners - they have an agenda. It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.

  14. Jason B

    Oct 10, 2014, 18:46 #59027

    Completely against any Premier league game played abroad.

  15. dragongooner

    Oct 10, 2014, 17:58 #59024

    Totally agree with Big Andy, it's a league with HOME and AWAY matches to decide who wins the league. A complete nonsense of an idea made up by the money men and advertisers. Just because the American 'Gridiron' football comes to London, it's not the same thing as they play in 5 or 6 team divisions and are not particularly bothered about playing at home. Same applies to their baseball teams who play so many matches over a season again in 5 team divisions. Please don't destroy our league system as anything else would be a complete sham. By the way what the hell is HICCUP smoking? A true supporter would never agree to this.

  16. Dizzy

    Oct 10, 2014, 17:54 #59023

    They should send all us whining dark moons over,after meeting us weirdo's the foreigners will never want to stage a game again.

  17. Hiccup

    Oct 10, 2014, 17:13 #59018

    What an outstanding idea! This day was always coming but I didn't know the wheels were already set in motion. Looking at it from the clubs point of view, when this happens they will freeze season ticket prices as a goodwill gesture for the loss of one game, but stand to make a killing with a game played in Tokyo. Any true fan wouldn't object to this, as the club still endeavours to balance the books. How about one of those Magic Weekends that rugby league has as well played in Florida? And then a summer football season too. Exciting times ahead.

  18. GBP

    Oct 10, 2014, 16:48 #59016

    A and F is so very spot on with his post. Well done that man. If you still need evidence that the Clubs cdt give two f--ks for the fans any more there you have it. A bloke in the Metro today summed it up when he said most fans living up the road from the Clubs cant afford to go anymore and no efforts are made to alleviate that, yet they re prepared to play in some far off City nontheless. I hope nobody turns up but there are mugs who take mortgages to go to such games. I hope they choose Cairo, Damascus and Sarajevo.

  19. Paulo75

    Oct 10, 2014, 16:12 #59012

    How far do we go before money is the be all and end all of everything related to the game. The Premier League is unique because of, amongst other things, the passion of the supporters. Playing games in the Far East or America totally contradicts that. If people from overseas want to experience English football then they should get on a plane.

  20. maguiresbridge gooner

    Oct 10, 2014, 16:00 #59011

    The sheep who and will believe and swallow, everything the club says are checking flights and accommodation as we speak.

  21. Tony Evans

    Oct 10, 2014, 14:37 #59006

    Agree with A & F. Awful idea driven by greed that would never go down well with real fans. Mind you judging by the Emirates crowd these days real fans are a dying breed!

  22. Dizzy

    Oct 10, 2014, 13:23 #58999

    I blame Wenger as he has exalted us to this position.As an AMG I will only go if they pay for my flight and ticket.Spend spend spend the akb's are giving you enough.

  23. Angry & Frustrated

    Oct 10, 2014, 11:55 #58993

    Exactly who would decide which team plays which? Lets for argument say that after 38 games played their is a 3 way tie for first with identical stats. So it stands to reason if one of those sides were to play a bottom 6 side as opposed to a top six side they would receive an unfair advantage over the other two teams competing for the title. It's not about fairness though, but as usual all about money and nothing else. The game has lost its soul for the filthy lucre and the 39th game were it to ever happen would be the final nail in the coffin in my humble view.

  24. Big Andy

    Oct 10, 2014, 11:52 #58992

    Premier League game being played abroad should never happen - but it probably will. For the integrity of the PL to be maintained each side should play the other; once home, once away. And the winner is the side with the most points at the end. Simple. Anything else will just not be right. But as football is dominated by money I'm sure that you'll soon see a PL game between Arsenal and Man United played in Shanghai. What a shame.