I was invited to the Arsenal v Blackburn game at the new stadium yesterday evening by a potential client, having been to Highbury (North Bank) a few times as a lot of my mates are Gooners, I thought it would be interesting to see how Ashburton Grove compares.

As this was a "corporate" affair, the client had "club level" tickets. I am shocked at what I witnessed and now more than ever I hope Liverpool never get their act together over the new stadium as many have said it will be possibly the final nail in the coffin for us. I have always been opposed to the stadium, as I love Anfield (although I'm lucky to get there more than five or six times a season). The only minor benefit I could see was that it would probably be easier to get tickets. However I'd rather struggle to get tickets for Anfield then have to experience what I saw at Arsenal yesterday evening.

It is a nice stadium, although I’m not sure I go as far as some of the press have as they always seem to be going on about it. Anyway, we can't criticise the team or Wenger for what they have been achieving BUT the fans in that place were terrible. I finally understand (or have a better grasp) of the "wool" issue (Ed’s note – presumably a reference to dyed in the wool fans). I'm not an Arsenal supporter but I think I was the only person within a circumference of ten seats who had any idea about Arsenal’s past but more worryingly (for Arsenal) their current team.

My potential client was obviously new to football and Arsenal and turned up with a bowl of M&S pasta and five bananas which he munched throughout the game. Had no understanding of football and with every pass would comment: "that’s good" or "that's bad". On one occasion he turned to me and asked, "Who's that player in the middle?" From our seats you could see the players’ faces - it was Gilberto. When Bentley went over to take a corner and got a chorus of boos, he turned to me and said, "I don't know who that is but they don't like him!!!"

This wasn't limited just to him; no one seemed to have a clue. There was no singing apart from one of the corners in the stadium which my client assured was the same fans from the "old clock tower" and at one point I was convinced they were playing pre-recorded chants from the tannoy system (although they probably weren't). One guy sat through the whole game reading the program cover to cover!!!!

The only time I saw any passion from the "fans" was during the goals and also at half time when they all rushed out to get their free drinks - at a face value of £87 a ticket, you'd want your watered down lager or weak coffee!!

Now I know the Anfield atmosphere has been criticised for only "being up" for the big games but this packaging of football into a consumer entity will be the death of the game. I said to my client at half time, that "at Highbury I saw fans, here I only see customers or consumers". He didn't know what I meant. The game’s attendance was announced approximately four minutes before the end - about 60,500 - probably a minute later 10,000 fans upped and left missing the final goal!!!!

I can't see these types of fans coming back if Arsenal ever slip up and fall outside of the Top three or aren't challenging as there was a complete lack of affinity with the club. Even as an "outsider" I felt gutted for some of my mates who have been priced out of going to games and now there is the prospect of it happening to Liverpool too.