By Tom Lowe and Peter Hutchison
ARSENAL have refused to consider reducing ticket prices for next season despite pressure from the government and supporters.
Tickets for matches at the Emirates Stadium are among the most expensive in the Premiership but the club insists its prices are competitive and reasonable.
A high profile campaign by The Sun has already forced many clubs to slash their ticket pricess but Arsenal appear unwilling to follow their lead.
Blackburn, Everton and Bolton are just a few of the clubs who have announced price freezes or reductions on tickets for next season.
The cheapest adult ticket for an Arsenal Category A match, which includes games against Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham, is £46.
The most expensive ticket is £94, making it the highest priced seat in the Premiership and the costliest league to follow in Europe.
A family of four has to fork out £128 for even the cheapest seats to watch just one match - a cost that some families simply cannot afford.
Amanda Chapman, a lifelong Gunners fan, said: "I used to go when I was younger but I haven't been since because it's too hard to get tickets. That was when you could get tickets for about thirteen quid.
"They have got to cover their costs because they've just bought a great big stadium, but prices have got silly."
Arsenal's prices have come under fire from sports minister Richard Caborn, who said the club's ticket prices were so high that they excluded many ordinary fans, including even those living in the shadow of their 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium.
"London is the most expensive city in the world to watch top-flight football," he said. "Prices are too high and it is the supporters who suffer.
"Even clubs that sell out week in, week out, should set aside cheaper tickets for people from the local community."
Tony Blair has waded into the debate, telling Times Online that "ticket prices shouldn't be beyond the reach of the ordinary fan because it's the ordinary fan that really builds the club."
There is growing support for ticket reductions amongst politicians - 49 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion demanding top-flight clubs cut their prices.
Premiership clubs have the opportunity to cut prices because they are to benefit from a £625m TV windfall next season as a result of matches being shown overseas for the first time.
An Arsenal spokesman, quoted in the Evening Standard, said: "We are comfortable with the pricing policy at the Emirates Stadium and believe that our supporters receive good value for money.
"As part of our move from Highbury, 50 per cent of all new season tickets allocated at the Emirates Stadium were offered to Islington residents."
Thursday, 8 March 2007
SPORT - Arsenal stand firm on most expensive tickets in Europe
SPORT - Arsenal's European dream falls apart
By Andrew MacAskill
ARSENAL:1 PSV EINDHOVEN:1
(ON AGGREGATE 1-2)
ARSENAL'S hopes of winning any silverware this season were ended last night as PSV Eindhoven secured a draw at the Emirates Stadium, forcing the Gunners out of the Champions League.
The PSV defender Alex went from villain to hero: after scoring an own goal he redeemed himself eight minutes from the end, glancing home a header to send the Dutch side into the quarter-finals.
This is Arsenal’s third cup disappointment in eleven days, after losing the Carling Cup final to Chelsea on February 25 and being knocked out of the FA Cup by Blackburn days later.
Meanwhile, they are trailing 20 points behind Manchester United in the Premiership.
Having lost the first leg 1-0, Arsenal knew they needed to score at least two goals to progress.
In the first half they dominated possession, and spent most of the time camped around PSV’s penalty area.
Arsenal should have taken the lead after six minutes but Emmanuel Adebayor missed an opening when he failed to control a Cesc Fabregas cross just six yards out, and Gomes smothered the danger.
Kolo Toure was tormenting PSV and he tested Gomes with a fierce drive from just inside the area, before Adebayor headed wide from Gael Clichy’s cross.
Julio Baptista sent an acrobatic volley over the bar after Fabregas’s shot had deflected into his path, as Arsenal strove to find a way through PSV’s massed ranks.
PSV mounted a rare threat to Jens Lehmann’s goal after half an hour when Edison Mendez crossed. Phillip Cocu should have scored but only managed to glance the header across goal.
Arsenal were quickly back on the offensive and Baptista tried his luck with a spectacular bicycle kick from Aleksandr Hleb’s cross, but the Brazilian’s effort drifted wide of the goal.
Arsène Wenger’s side have made a habit of coming from behind at home this season and, with PSV’s lack of ambition inviting far too much pressure, an equaliser looked inevitable.
Yet when the breakthrough finally arrived in the 57th minute, it was due more to good fortune than to skill. Denilson sent in a corner that Gomes misjudged and Adebayor’s flick was turned
into his own net by Alex.
With the tie level on aggregate, PSV began to sense the need to attack, but that only opened up more space for Arsenal to go on the offensive.
Adebayor again should have put the hosts ahead, but he shot too close to Gomes after sprinting onto Fabregas’s pass, then the Spanish midfielder fired over from the edge of the area.
PSV were close to a vital away goal when Mendez flashed a low drive just wide. That was the signal for Wenger to send on Thierry Henry. Struggling to recover fully from foot and hamstring injuries, the Arsenal captain had only been named on the bench.
Henry’s first significant contribution was in the 78th minute, when he brought a fine stop from Gomes with a dipping free-kick. But Arsenal were hit with a sucker punch that left them down and out in the 82nd minute.
Wenger had warned his side to tighten up their set pieces, but that again proved to be their Achilles’ heel. With eight minutes to go, Mendez whipped in a free-kick from the left and Alex rose above Abou Diaby to plant a header past Lehmann that sent PSV into ecstasy.
“It’s a cruel night for us because we had the chances to score a second goal,” Wenger said. “We lacked a bit of sharpness and of course we lacked a bit of quality in the final third.”
Tuesday, 14 November 2006
Controversy over match day closures
by Helen Roxburgh
RESIDENTS in Highbury have attacked Islington council over handling of traffic and fans during the first five games at the new Arsenal stadium.
Controversy broke out at the East Area Committee meeting yesterday evening, with one local resident claiming that the road closures on match days were a breach of his human rights as they prevented him accessing his home.
The packed meeting included a report on traffic safety and accessibility arrangements during the first few months by Karen Sullivan, Head of Transport Planning Service at Islington Council.
Methods of controlling the thousands of football fans who flock to the Emirates stadium include closing roads two hours before a match, and for up to an hour afterwards, to allow access for emergency services and to prevent traffic being a danger to crowds of pedestrians.
However, Giles Newman, of Drayton Park Road, said that if he was even ten minutes late returning to his home, he was being forbidden access to the road his house is on by the police.
“There just needs to be a level of discretion,” he argued, giving the Committee pictures of his road on match days, which he said proved there was no threat to crowds.
“That this is a breach of the Human Rights Act is irrefutable – you’re not allowing us access to our own homes.”
He added: “We’re not talking about a motorway, it’s only a few cars.”
However, PC Richard Walker defended the road closure to the meeting on grounds of health and safety, particularly in case of a large-scale disaster within the stadium, which can hold up to 60,432 people.
“I totally, 100 per cent, stand by my point – those road closures simply must be in place,” he said.
The council’s Director of Corporate Resources David Daniels, said: “They [the police] have used discretion, and a few cars have been allowed to sneak through.”
Richard Greening, Liberal Democrat councillor for Highbury West ward, supported the measures that had been implemented.
“I’d like to record my personal thanks and congratulations to the police,” he said.
The report also added that through the last three Arsenal matches, a barrier system had been trialled on Highbury Fields to restrict crowds from walking over the fields. Concerns over this had been raised by the Highbury Fields Association, and the committee agreed to continue this method.
“This process is still going on. It’s a very steep learning curve for us all,” said Cllr Meral Ece, Chair of the Committee.
“Any adjustments put in place now will still continue to be monitored.”
Sunday, 15 October 2006
Queen backs out of Arsenal opening
By Josh Spero
THE IRONY was not lost on Prince Philip as he pulled back the curtains on a plaque which read: “Emirates Stadium officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Second to her,” he said, “I’m the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler.”
The Queen, who was to officially open Arsenal’s new £400m stadium yesterday, cancelled her appearance because she had hurt her back. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was due to attend in any case, performed the Queen’s duties in her absence.
Many at the opening said they were disappointed the Queen had not been able to attend.
Alan Sefton, head of Arsenal in the Community, which promotes sports in the area, said: “Prince Philip is still a charismatic figure. "I am disappointed but it’s one of those things.”
Joe Payne, a 10-year-old midfielder in a juniors’ exhibition match, said he was “quite disappointed,” a sentiment echoed by other children playing.
Some of the children were more concerned, however, with seeing their footballing heroes.
“As long as Thierry [Henry, Arsenal captain] was here, Will would be happy,” said Karen Young, whose son Will Young was playing in the match. But she added: “I’m disappointed because it would be the nearest I’ll ever get.”
Staff at Arsenal, who had been working for weeks to prepare for the visit, were only given three hours’ notice by Buckingham Palace that the Queen was not coming, and there were some swift changes at the stadium.
The two huge video screens in opposite corners of the stadium that announced the Queen’s attendance also had to be rejigged. Even the programme for the next match, two days later, had to have a note inserted because all the text mentioned the Queen.
Prince Philip was first shown the Northern Triangle building, a development of affordable housing next to the Emirates Stadium, where he met Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood and the Mayor of Islington, Councillor Jyoti Vaja.
He then went into the stadium itself to meet the Arsenal squad lined up on the pitch and was led down the line by captain Henry. The Prince stopped to chat to several players. After that he unveiled the commemorative plaque in the Diamond Club lounge, part of the stadium’s hospitality facilities.
The Prince was presented with several gifts from the club, including a miniature cannon made from silver, which is represented in Arsenal’s club badge.
Monday, 9 October 2006
Residents speak out over casino plans
By Josh Spero
ISLINGTON residents are divided over possible plans for a casino at Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium, with some expressing fears it would increase crime and disorder.
“I wouldn’t like that at all,” said Ellie Jones, 28. “It could potentially bring a lot of unsavoury characters to the neighbourhood.”
A survey of people on Highbury Park yesterday showed residents' concerns that it would lower the tone of the area or make it more dangerous.
“I wouldn’t be happy with that, actually – we’ve already got a pub outside my house. It would create a bad environment,” said Neil Singh, 57.
Some residents who were opposed to a casino in the area felt that, if there were one, the Emirates Stadium would be the best place for it.
Judith Comyn, 38, said she objected to a casino at all but minded less about having it at the stadium. “In a bizarre way that makes it slightly better. It’s an entertainment hub and they could use their underground car-parks. But it can’t be good for people.”
Many people questioned sounded a cautious note, including Islington’s chief policeman in an interview with a local newspaper. Chief Superintendent Barry Norman said: “Anything that attracts money into the community and creates jobs and investment is fine by me, as long as it’s monitored properly.”
“As long as the right regulations were in place I wouldn’t be too upset,” said Jason Hughes, 36.
There were expressions of support too, with people particularly suggesting it could be good for local businesses.
"If they aren’t here, it will be somewhere else, and it may liven up the area: there would be more shops, hotels, a bigger range of businesses,” said John McCarthy, 28.
One person suggested that the casino would make the area safer. “It could bring more attention to this area. We have suffered a few crimes here and it could make the police more focused,” said Rafal Marcinkow, 30.
Steve Bliffett, of estate agents Hotblack Desiato, said a small casino would have little effect, especially in the Emirates Stadium which already has “60,000 rowdy Gooners.” But he added: “A super-casino would ruin the area – it’s a residential area with a few high streets; it would turn in to a stinking mess – it would become Blackpool.”
Some people expressed wider ideological reservations, while others compared their experiences of casinos abroad.
“It’s dreadful – I completely disagree with the Government’s policy on gambling,” Judith Comyn said.
The Government has said it will license only one ‘super-casino’, which would have restaurants and entertainment venues as well as gambling. Islington is not in the running for this, but the borough is licensing smaller casinos.