Alex Ferguson ahead of the last weekend’s Arsenal v Man Utd game: "As we all know, the prices at Arsenal and Chelsea are obscene – if you want to talk about obscenity. They are almost double our prices.”

Arsene Wenger’s response: "Wages in London are higher. But I am concerned that we've pushed it to the limit."

So what are the facts?

Arsenal have the highest matchday revenue of any Premier League club at £90m for the 2006/07 season or about £50 per spectator per game. These revenues are 50% of the club's total football income.

Season ticket prices have not increased for three seasons on the run, although the aim is for a 3% increase per season (roughly the rate of inflation). However my Clock End season ticket has gone up approx 300% in ten seasons, a very eye watering 11.6% increase season on season, every season. There is said to be a season ticket waiting list of 41,000.

On this basis and given the football that the Wenger boys are playing, the Club appear to be totally insensitive to how absurdly high ticket prices are - which we know are marginalising many supporters. "If you don't pay it then, someone else will" appears to be the mantra. Nice!

However with an average season ticket holder age of 44 years old, where is the next generation of fans coming from? Maybe that is a problem for the future as the dash for cash now to bring the new stadium debts under control is clear.

But this season the Club is receiving an extra £17m of domestic TV money and will receive the same for the next two seasons as well. Having 2,000 lower tier tickets at £20 each for every home game would cost the Club a tiny £1m in lost revenue for the season.

Meanwhile a pensioner shareholder and spectator of 55 years asked about seat price concessions at the recent Annual General Meeting. Apparently Arsenal are the only Premier League Club where he cannot buy a seat at a concessional rate. Nice!

Of course we all want the Club to have the very best and most income possible to keep Arsenal competitive. But should we the fans be bearing the cost and have mates who just cannot afford to come any more whilst subsidising the poor commercial deals the Club have struck with Emirates and Nike.

These are long term deals which Arsenal seem willing to stick with despite the obvious lost revenue in comparison to deals done with other clubs (eg Man Utd get £14m a year from AIG for its shirts and Arsenal get £6m a year from Emirates - just think what that extra money could allow the club to do with flexibilty on ticket prices). The Stadium naming rights with Emirates, a 15 year deal, pays the Club £2.8m per season. Is that all it is worth?

Don't hold your breath - continue to be that fish being shot in the barrel, pay if you can afford it and watch on TV like others when you can't. Nice!