There have been a number of comments on the onlinegooner forum about my piece on Tuesday about how many true fans Arsenal have. And in the light of them I thought it only right to respond.

I'm 48 this year and originally lived just off the Caledonian Road. The first game I saw was when my Dad took me to Arsenal v Tottnumb in 1968 and I was at Highbury when we won the Fairs Cup in 1970. I'm not unlike a good deal of other Arsenal regulars and not for one moment am I suggesting that I'm the shinning example of a true fan. There are thousands better than me and that includes thousands younger than me.

I am all for getting behind the team, particularly when it's not going well and I have never criticised or complained about anyone swearing at matches. In fact, I almost always swear at matches, even after promising myself that I wouldn't - particularly when I'm lucky enough (and have saved hard enough) to get tickets to take one or both of my sons to a game. The objects of my scorn are practically always the pitiful referees we have to bear and cheating antics from the opposition. I also remember being told off by an elderly gentleman at the 1998 FA Cup final for swearing. To my embarrassment, my measured and intelligent response to this was to reply 'Oh, F*** Off!' You can take the boy out of the Cally….

I suppose the main points I was trying to make were:

A great deal of Arsenal fans have grown seeing the club win a satisfying amount of silverware, make a Champions League final and play delicious football without enduring any protracted lean spells. I would bet my house that should such a spell again be experienced by the club, a lot of these fans fed on - and perhaps demanding - success and the ones who make w*nker gestures to Fabregas - undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the world - would not be seen for miles around Ashburton Grove. Good riddance, yes - but continued 60,000 sell-outs and the revenue the club needs?

The point about a club boasting of an international 'fan base' is that these people are not fans at all - they are, at best, merely admirers for the time being. There is a huge difference. Although it may be pleasant to see someone on the other side of the world wearing a replica Arsenal shirt, we should not be fooled into thinking Arsenal Football Club - beloved by us - means anything of real importance to them. The shirt is a product (built upon recent successes and a wonderful style of play for sure) and remains to these people as being simply a fashion item. The real problem, I feel, is that the club may financially become to rely on something so inherently fickle. This was illustrated by my point about the Japanese couple who asked for a Chelsea kit immediately after being told the Arsenal one was out of stock - it was because it didn't matter to them what one it was. All they wanted was an article of fashion for their son from a currently successful English football team. Should Arsenal - God forbid - find themselves fifth or lower in the league, Arsenal products would become like, sooo five minutes ago and our 'fan base' would disappear quicker than Tottnumb’s title aspirations in late August. The financial implications could be disastrous.

I don't want to be pessimistic and I wholeheartedly agree with the comment about whether we would have been happy at the beginning of the season if we were offered the position we're in at the moment. It just worries me what would happen to the football club I love in this world of megalomaniac oligarchs, being in the 'big four' or else and the dreaded consequences of the current credit crunch - recession, anyone? I honestly wouldn't be surprised to soon see famous Premiership clubs disappear in Leeds-like oblivion due to overstretched finances built upon capricious marketing ploys and unattainable trophy aspirations (I mean, how many cups are there?).

I stand by my estimation of what I consider to be the figure of true Arsenal fans - 20,000 to 30,000. I sincerely hope Plan A of Ashburton Grove goes brilliantly and we establish a footballing dynasty outstripping any other club (which is, of course, the reason for the move - continuous capacity attendances filling the coffers in order to maintain an elevated position, alongside selling an image to the world). But if it doesn't, may I suggest a Plan B? There's a building site in the Avenell Road, Gillespie Road area that could be turned into a football stadium housing 30,000 + supporters...