We are already able to compete with the top clubs,if Arsene Wenger chooses not to spend that is up to him. TV money from abroad is pooled amongst all the PL clubs and how many people abroad are buying legitimate Arsenal merchandise anyway ?
We aren't on the same level as a club to the European Giants and continually looking to improve all aspects of the club is the only way we will. It seems ridiculous to me that you'd not see the value in the club getting bigger. As for merchandise we sell 800k-1m shirts globally each year and I'd imagine another chunk of related Arsenal merchandise. Having high shirt sales and popularity globally I'd imagine has an impact on our income from kit sponsorship too. Then there is the income from our pre-season tours etc... There are plenty of ways that foreign fans put money into the club. More fans means more revenue means more chance of success. It seems pretty straightforward to me!
What about the red & silver members who put money into the club each year to be able to buy match tickets ? You may have noticed that on more than one occasion that I said that I don't have a problem with foreign supporters.I am specifically talking about coach loads of tourists being able to buy match tickets at the expense of red & silver members Can you also give me a link that shows we sell up to a million replica shirts every year,
I'm not advocating we ignore the regular club members or match goers, but there is a balance that has to be struck which takes into account the positive effect on the club by foreign fans/tourists, you can't just eliminate them from the equation as that ignores future potential financial income. http://www.sportingintelligence.com...l-madrid-top-global-shirt-sale-charts-081001/ "Chelsea and Arsenal sold between 750,000 and 1m shirts each..." (Season 2011/12) I'd imagine since then having signed Ozil and Sanchez on top of our growing fan base that we are selling slightly more than that now though I'd have to look for more up to date figures. The clubs with the highest global sales for shirts have hundreds of thousands more sales than us so there is obviously still room for improvement and more income from having a larger fan base.
What is the positive effect of tourists going to games ? They buy tickets that would be sold anyway to red & silver members and the only merchandise the buy is fake half & half scarves from unofficial vendors and in doing so are depriving the club of money
Imo selling games packages to tourists is just one of those things a club has to do if it wants a multinational brand. They are more likely to combine it with a stadium tour, buy merchandise and spend more mobey at the club in a one off visit than a regular fan (as a regular fan will come back time after time). But they will then help promote the club back in their home country, and you never know, they may turn into a life long supporter. Its just one of those things about being a big club, you may wish to wheedle out all the plastics, glory-hunters and tourists but its not possible and the bigger you get, the more you attract, and some say - need!
Im sure i read somewhere that we sell more shirts in many countries than any other prem club, a lot of African countries for example. And that our shirt sales are pretty high. (Can't remember a figure or in comparison to the super clubs) When i can be arsed ill try and find a link
I'm sorry no one is going to convince me it is right that Arsenal Football Club are charging up to £59 a year to be red or silver members then sell tickets to tourists who are not members.Arsenal would be well and truly ****ed if golds,reds & silvers stopped paying their memberships and stopped going to games.The latest Deloittte figures show Arsenal making over £100 million from match day revenues.I bet that's a hell of a lot more than they make in shirt sales. Anway I think we should agree to disagree with this argument
It isn't just shirt sales though, it's all merchandising and sponsorship money that is effected by the global fan base. And commercial revenue is at a similar level to match day revenue. If everyone who wasn't a member (red, silver etc..) of the club stopped supporting the club we'd be ****ed too, or at least drop far down the pecking order. No-one is trying to belittle people who pay each year for there membership but it's short sighted and economically stupid to think tourist packages etc should be got rid of.
The idea that they only buy tickets that would otherwise get sold and don't buy any merchandise is just wrong. Smirnoff answered this point perfectly: You just don't like that tourists get tickets because you think they should only go to members. In terms of making commercial sense you haven't got a leg to stand on, it's a no brainer to try and push the brand to foreign consumers.
It is very relevant because if you were a member and a match going fan you would a completely different attitude.Anyway as I've already said to that West Walian Turkish **** we should just agree to disagree
So what your saying is that because you pay for membership your judgement is being clouded by your emotional attachment to the subject, whilst I'm looking at it from a perspective of facts. I already said I could tell your just pissed that you pay for membership while the tourists are able to get tickets rather than it being anything to do with what the right commercial direction is for the club If I paid for membership however my view would remain the same, because I recognise Arsenal is a business and to stay at the top requires them to make good commercial decisions. Paying for membership or not doesn't in anyway change the reality of the situation. If the club had your thinking we would be moving backwards. We can agree to disagree but as per the facts you're wrong
Modern football and the modern football fan. "Don't worry about the match going fan,we sell plenty of shirts in China"
It's not about not worrying about match going fans, it's about moving with the times and recognising the changing landscape of football. Big clubs are global brands, we get on board or we get left behind. It's the reality of football, it's big business. There has to be a balance.
Personally I think the regular match going fan has sunk to the bottom of the pile in terms of priorities of their needs, while the commercial interests of the club have risen to the top. If that's the way football is today then so be it. But I don't think clubs can be surprised when long term supporters become disgruntled with ticket prices and feel that tourist and corporate supporters are being prioritised.
That is why there has to be a balance. It is just the nature of what football is now. Your local club ain't local no more. That's why I can understand Wenger's "company" comment. Its all about the marafacking money!
It's the sad reality of football in general, and the things it once stood for are slowly disappearing. I understand where Cym is coming from but he is slowly becoming the minority now, and in the next 10-20 years, he will almost disappear. But I guess this is what Wenger saw all the way back in the 90's and led plans in making the club financial strong. After Wenger, Arsenal will maintain it's top status, this is the legacy he has left behind for us. He will go down in history as one of the most important figures for Arsenal, we have a lot to be thankful for.
