An open letter to Arsenal FC…

Dear Club

Ahead of the new season, I just wanted to take this opportunity to explain how much I enjoyed standing in the seated areas at Emirates Stadium for the Bruce Springsteen Concert. If only I could show my support and urge my team on unimpeded by officious stewarding as I was at that concert. The concert stewards had no problem with people standing in order to see better or indeed just for the sheer pleasure of dancing and singing along throughout the show. However, in one or two sections of the stadium, I was aware that there were some fans who actually remained seated. Strange that, perhaps they thought they were at the theatre or even a football match.

There may have been a number of reasons for this, but many in Club Class, in conjunction with those in the upper tier were able to stand persistently throughout the show and had a bloody good time as a result. As of course did the entire lower tier.

Although safety is always a major factor, or so I’m told, none of stewards I saw made any attempt whatsoever to prohibit persistent standing at any time during the Springsteen gig. Strange, given that these were the very same stewards who think that matchdays should be akin to attending church or an Anton Chekhov play.

Standing in seated areas seriously affected the enjoyment of the concert. It improved it no end. And when fans stood up in the seated concert arena, those behind couldn’t give a toss because that’s what they expected at any Springsteen performance.

No one fell over, and so obviously no ‘domino effect’ occurred but it wouldn’t have anyway because the spacing between seats and rows at Ashburton is absolutely massive, nothing like Old Trollop where your knees are up under your chin. So no one I saw at Ashburton suffered injury as a result. Gangways were not blocked but when individuals danced in them or moved to the front for a photo the stewards in my section couldn’t have cared less anyway.

Arsenal Football Club have never demonstrated that they are able to manage away supporters, who have often been seen to stand for an entire match. So how do Arsenal, or any other Club for that matter, acquire a safety certificate? Nothing to do with the massive sums of money we punters spend in Islington I suppose?

Personally I can’t think for one minute why the Club claim to be proud of the fantastic support they enjoy at Arsenal. Because the way they’ve responded to supporters is by banning massive banners, banning flags, persecuting serious supporters and making life uncomfortable for many others who have no wish to sit down for an entire match or remain muted.

Demanding that football fans sit whilst concert-goers stand in the very same seats is farcical, so I don’t understand why the Club is asking people to sit down throughout matches. Unfortunately, if the Club continues to persecute individual supporters it will lose even more of its hard core support than it has done already.

And exactly what action did the Club take when complaints were made on the Stalinist State Anti-Social Text Service? Especially when fans complained about that blue-nosed jock who stood and ranted throughout the United game? Absolutely nothing, so what’s the point of that then?

*Ed’s note – for those who did not receive the email, it can be read here