We’d all been waiting for it. The season started with a home game against Nottingham Forest at The Emirates.
There were new signings for us to see, but firstly we had to enter the stadium using the new digital entry system.
The ground was open at 10am, two and a half hours before kick off, and there was half price beer of offer in the stadium until 11-30am.
I entered the stadium soon after it opened, with no issues. The new digital system, that the club had in fairness given us plenty of notice about, worked well. I waved my phone at the reader and in I went.
While us early birds sat in the ground drinking our half price beer, it soon became apparent, that as kick off time approached, many people were still outside the stadium.
The kick off was delayed for 30 minutes, while they tried to get everyone into the ground.
This is where concerns start to surface, and answers are needed.
Some bags were not being tagged. Stewards had opened some gates and waved people through (allegedly), with no ticket check or searches.
We were informed that the digital entry system was not working correctly and this was the problem.
This is very concerning.
Questions to be answered-
-Had there been sufficient testing of the digital system?
-Was a plan in place if the system failed (we already know the answer, but the question needs to be asked).
- The stewards had clearly not been briefed or trained on what to do. Why not.?
Hopefully the Arsenal supporters groups will be demanding answers, I’m sure they are.
The team sheet showed a different system, with the ever present from last season Gabriel, on the bench. Is this a sign that with the new players we have, we are going to see many different formations during the course of the season?
The game itself finally kicks off half an hour late, with all fans somehow in the stadium.
After the now normal loud rendition of North London Forever of course!
There are various views on how the game went, but for this fan, the first 45 minutes were a fantastic show of flowing, attacking football from The Arsenal. We moved the ball nicely, and the energy levels were high. We deservedly went into a two goal lead. With Nketiah finishing nicely, and a breathtaking effort from Saka.
After half time we looked to relax and sit on our lead. The energy levels dropped and we allowed Forest back into the game. The final ten minutes of the game were a little nervy, after forest scored.
The Arsenal performance was a little reminiscent of the away game at Liverpool last season. When we played superbly to go into a two nil lead. But after the break, we dropped our levels and were fortunate to get a draw in the end.
If our young team and manager can continue developing, and keep the levels high for the full 90 minutes, we are undoubtedly champions material.
After the game came to an end, the atmosphere within the stadium was discussed in many forums. It was undoubtedly quieter than many games last season, but I didn’t think it was as bad as some people were saying.
But why was it quieter? Could it be directly linked to the club lowering the ticket allocation to the Ashburton Army?
It can undoubtedly be linked in my view. The youngsters in the AA are not everyones cup of tea, but the atmosphere levels in The Emirates, that we all craved and got last season, have to be attributed to them and others that have gone to great efforts. The group that get the concourse bouncing around blocks five and six, are also to be applauded.
To end this blog, I feel the need to express some concerns over the club / fan relationship.
Josh Kroenke has come good and obviously wants to help the club be successful. But it has also been stated that Stan Kroenke likes to let his sports clubs run themselves, with little interference.
I really hope that Josh is much more hands on than his dad. Maybe he is, but as fans on the outside, we just don’t know.
Big companies, often put outsiders, maybe with a degree or two, into senior management positions. But forget that experience in whatever business it may be, is also very important. The balance is then lost, and worker management relationships suffer.
I hope that this isn’t the case at our great club. Of course it is a business, and needs to be run correctly.
But its customers, us the fans, need to be looked after.
The lowering of the Ashburton Army ticket allocation is a prime example. Why would you want to have less of the people that have contributed massively, to the excellent atmosphere within the stadium? Arteta has acknowledged their importance, as have the players. Do the senior management within the club understand their importance? Do some of them understand football?
We’ll wait and see!
At the end of the day, we have a great developing football team. Hopefully we are now at the stage where we will see trophies back in the cabinet!
Us fans will do everything we possibly can to make it happen, this season!
Preferably the champions league, as this old fella needs to see us win this trophy!
Up The Arsenal. North London forever. Much love
Hillsy
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