There’s not much Arsenal news this week with most of the players – those who’re still fit that is – away with their national teams.
We’ve learned over the past couple of days that both Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczęsny may be fit for selection prior to the end of the season. It would be a real bonus if they were. For the moment though we’ll need to focus on getting the very best out of the players who are fit for selection, assuming nobody trips over walking their dog or whatever! Don’t laugh; it’s entirely possible with our luck with injuries.
We’ve also learned that Alisher Usmanov has pushed his stake in the club past 27%. The only surprise there is that he’s taken as long as he has to do it. One share he won’t be getting is mine. The only circumstance it which I’d sell to him is if he were in a position with ninety percent of the shares to de-list the club and make a compulsory offer for the remainder. I’d never be a willing selling to him at any price. That isn’t likely to happen anytime soon although I wouldn’t rule it out completely. Who knows what Stan Kroenke, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith and Danny Fiszman will do in the future?
One issue dear to the hearts of many Arsenal supporters is the introduction of the choice to sit or stand in safety as they wish. The last time Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association (AISA) asked a series of questions on this issue in its Arsenal supporters’ opinion survey the response was overwhelmingly positive, both amongst those who personally prefer to stand and those who prefer to sit.
Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Don Foster currently has a back-bench Private Member’s Bill before the House of Commons which if passed would permit clubs in the Premier League and Football League Championship to have licensed safe standing areas if they wished. Good on you mate. At last an MP who listens. The Liberal Democrats are of course the junior party in the current Government coalition with the Tories. They therefore have more “pull” with Government than they have for decades. Foster also guided a motion through the Liberal Democrat annual party conference in 2008 in support of safe standing areas.
Foster organised a round table discussion earlier this week involving the Football Licensing Authority, Football Association, Football League, Premier League, the Football Supporters’ Federation (to which both AISA and the Arsenal Football Supporters’ Club are affiliated as well as having many Gooners as individual members) and other safety experts. Amongst those attending were Liverpool supporter Anne Eyre, a Hillsborough survivor and an advocate of safe standing. She wrote the foreword to the FSF’s report The case for safe standing at major football stadia in England & Wales – A 21st century solution.
The FA and Premier League say that there’s no demand for standing amongst supporters. I beg to differ. Tens of thousands of fans at all-seated grounds vote on this issue with their feet every week, literally. By standing up to watch the game. Unfortunately amongst them are fans who would much rather sit, either due to disability or simple preference (like me). If we were to introduce properly designed and managed safe standing areas then supporters could make an adult choice for themselves.
The experience in Germany where standing is permitted at domestic games is that supporters choose to sit or stand as they prefer by buying tickets in the appropriate part of the ground. The idea is spreading rapidly. New or redeveloped stadia in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and the USA have or are opening with safe standing areas. Amongst them is Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the current reigning champions of Major League Soccer in the USA & Canada, the Colorado Rapids. The owner of the Rapids is one Silent Stan Kroenke, also of this parish. The Rapids ground (if you’re wondering, the name refers to a major sporting goods chain over there which has the stadium naming rights) has the first ever purpose-designed “supporters’ terrace” standing area (pictured above).
UEFA and FIFA haven’t got with the programme yet but even they’re bound to see sense eventually. Meanwhile you’ve got a chance to have a real influence on this issue. Sign the FSF on-line petition AND take the time to write a letter (rather than an email, it shows you really do care about an issue if you write by snail-mail and invest in a stamp) to:
Arsenal:
Ivan Gazidis Esq
Chief Executive
Arsenal FC
Highbury House
75 Drayton Park
London N5 1BU
The Premier League
Richard Scudamore Esq
Chief Executive
Premier League
30 Gloucester Place
London W1U 8PL
The Football Association
Alex Horne Esq
General Secretary
The Football Association
Wembley Stadium
PO Box 1966
London SW19 9EQ
Lastly if you live in Great Britain or Northern Ireland you need to write to your MP to ask them to support Don Foster MP’s Private Member’s Bill when it comes back to the House of Commons for a second reading in June.
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