Roll up and get your season tickets here. « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

By Tony Attwood

Arsenal, as you will know, has said they plan to increase ticket prices by a total of 6.5% from the start of the 2011-12 season.  They also said a number of changes are being introduced to ticketing and particularly thanked Arsenal Independent Supporters Association for their positive input over the past couple of years.

I like the last bit since I am a committee member of AISA, and had a small part to play in putting ideas forwards.   It was good to see the recognition.

Here’s exactly what the Chief Exec said…

“We welcome suggestions from our fans to build into our thinking. Among others, the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association has presented a number of good ideas to us. Some of these ideas are already built into our thinking for next season.”Others may take a little longer to develop, but we are committed to responding positively to what has been proposed.”

It was interesting that most of the press put out the same line on the story, which went roughly like this, “Arsenal, who have not won a trophy since 2005….”  which is rather different from the way in which they handle other clubs’ statements.  I can’t recall anyone ever saying, “Liverpool, who haven’t won the league for 21 years,” or “Tottenham Hotspur, who this year celebrated the 50th anniversary of their last league win…”

It is the first increase in three seasons, and Arsenal has a 10 year waiting list for season tickets – so on a supply and demand basis it can be easily justified.  Of course the story run last year will also come out again – the waiting list for season tickets will evaporate and they won’t be able to sell them all.   When we exposed the lie that this story was last year (with a fairly detailed analysis of the way the waiting list system works), all the Anti-Arsenal Arsenal web sites then shut up very quickly and left the story.  I guess the same will happen this year.

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Going to football is expensive – about as expensive as going to see a good show in the West End.

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The big difference however is the demand.  If you want to go and see a show in the West End of London you can.  True, it is often impossible to walk in to a show on a saturday night, but if you are willing to book a little while in advance most shows can be seen.  If you are willing to go to a mid-week matinee then virtually everything is available.

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Football however is in demand, and people will pay higher prices, so clubs can put prices up.   That might not be a very comfortable situation, but it is capitalism.

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Arsenal have now got the money that allows them to go out and buy who they want – and there has been talk of another three players this summer.  But what of the alternatives?  Lower prices?  Lower salaries for the staff and players?  Smaller squad?  All of these would enable the club to reduce the price of tickets, but would then also reduce the chance of playing in the Champions League every year.  That in turn would reduce the income dramatically, and so lower the amount of money available for buying new players or developing young players.

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Of course the issue is not one of stopping people watching football – because anyone who just wants to watch football could go and watch a Championship or League One or Two club.  The issue is about watching Arsenal.  And Arsenal is a premium brand.  If we want it to stay that way, we have to pay for it.  If however you want a club without the Champions League each season you can of course campaign for lower prices.