Arsenal Thread

[TheArsenal]

COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's the send off Highbury deserved, and a guarantee of Champions League football next year. How fitting Henry got a hattrick in the final game Highbury will see.

Actually, it's no guarantee at all. You's have to get through the qualifying round.

[Guest muddatrucker]

My brother was at highbury today, what a cunt, I watched it in full at work though, its the least we deserved. Nice to see the smiles wiped from some smuggy tottenham faces though.

[TheArsenal]

Source: Arsenal.com

It is with great regret that the Club announces that we are unable to sell any Highbury seats to our supporters.

We have been informed that all of the Highbury seats, apart from the Directors’ Box, the dug outs and the Executive Box seats, contain very small amounts of the toxic metal cadmium.

The seats are completely safe and are not a risk to health when located within a stadium, but it is understood that if the seats are stored inside and used regularly over a long period of time, there is a slight risk that very small amounts of cadmium could be released.

Although being a very small risk, the Club is not prepared to put any of our supporters in this situation, and having also received a directive from the European Commission, unfortunately we cannot sell any Highbury seats for individual domestic use.

Arsenal Managing Director Keith Edelman said: “It is very frustrating for us to be told that we cannot sell our supporters their Highbury seats.

We have all worked very hard to try to make it happen, but the fact that there is a very small risk is enough reason to stop us from releasing them to individual supporters.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”

All supporters who have committed to purchasing a Highbury Seat will be fully reimbursed within the next five days. The Club will, as planned, make a donation to the David Rocastle Trust on behalf of all purchasers and would also like to remind supporters that the sale of the Highbury pitch and the Highbury Auction will go ahead as scheduled.

[AJ]

I was just coming in here to post a similar news story, you beat me to it, so I'm going to post it anyway...

LONDON (Reuters) - Arsenal supporters hoping to buy seats from Highbury stadium have been disappointed after the club discovered they contain small amounts of a toxic metal.

The seats were being sold at around 20 pounds each after Arsenal played their final game at Highbury on Sunday before moving to the nearby 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium.

"The seats are completely safe and are not a risk to health when located within a stadium, but it is understood that if the seats are stored inside and used regularly over a long period of time, there is a slight risk that very small amounts of cadmium could be released," Arsenal said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Although being a very small risk we cannot sell any Highbury seats for individual domestic use."

Other items from the art deco-style stadium, where Arsenal had played for 93 years, being auctioned off include boardroom furniture, scoreboards, ceramic tiles and even hot dog cookers.

So you might not be able to get a seat from Highbury, but hot dog cookers are sure to be big sellers.

I remember when Darlington moved away from Feethams, everyone took home a bit of rubble from the crumbling Tin Shed terrace. Free of charge

[TheArsenal]

Arsenal's run to the Champions League final has seen them eclipse Chelsea's earnings for television income and prize money in the 2005-06 season.

The Gunners have made £52.7m so far while champions Chelsea took £47.5m.

Liverpool made £43.2m from television and prize money while their great rivals Manchester United got £39.9m.

Almost half Arsenal's income has come from the Champions League - victory over Barcelona in the final would bring in a further £2m.

Spurs, the highest-placed club not involved in the Champions League, earned £26.2m, less than half the sum their north London rivals pulled in.

Henk Potts, a football finance analyst with Barclays stockbrokers, said: "The Champions League is the cash cow of modern football and it is so important to the leading clubs to be part of it.

"It is not just the TV and prize money, though that is very lucrative in itself, but it is vital in terms of a club's profile, merchandising and desirability for sponsors."

Liverpool's run to the FA Cup, and qualifying for the Champions League knockout phase, enabled them to earn more than Manchester United, while Middlesbrough's success in cup competitions brought in an extra £5m.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Earnings of Premier League clubs in 2005/06 (prize money and TV cash but not gate receipts or merchandise income).

Arsenal £52.7m*

Chelsea £47.5m

Liverpool £43.2m**

Man Utd £39.8m

Tottenham £26.2m

West Ham £24.4m**

Middlesbrough £24.3m

Newcastle £24.0m

Bolton £23.7m

Blackburn £23.6m

Wigan £22.9m

Everton £22.4m

Charlton £21.0m

Man City £20.6m

Fulham £20.3m

Aston Villa £19.6m

Birmingham £19.4m

Portsmouth £18.0m

West Brom £16.9m

Sunderland £16.1m

* Arsenal earn an extra £2m if they win the Champions League

** An extra £1m goes to the FA Cup final winners

[TheArsenal]

Source: Arsenal.com

Emmanuel Eboue intends to use his lightning speed to quell the threat of Ronaldinho at the Stade de France on Wednesday night.

Since taking over from the unfortunate, injured Lauren in January, the right back has graced the likes of the Bernabeu and Stadio Delle Alpi in Arsenal’s successful Champions League run. At the first of those grounds, he managed to stifle another skilful Brazilian, Robinho. It is an experience that puts him in good stead for his tussle with the FIFA World Player of the Year on Wednesday.

“It was my dream to play against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu,” said Eboue. “I wasn’t scared to be up against Robinho because the boss encouraged me and had confidence in me. I took his advice about how to play in that match and did as well as I possibly could.

“[On Wednesday] I know I’m going to be up against Ronaldinho, one of the world’s top players. I’m not afraid. I think I will learn a lot from the experience. The way I see it this is an opportunity to prove myself. I’m going to do everything I can to have a good match for myself and the team.

“I’m aware that I’m quick and it’s something I try to profit from when I play. When we play against Barcelona I’m going to try and use my speed and my technical ability to match Ronaldinho.”

In less than 18 months, Eboue has gone from playing in front of a few thousand fans in the Belgian League to 80,000 screaming supporters at the Stade de France in Europe’s biggest game of the year

“It’s a fantastic occasion for me,” said the 22-year-old. “It’s difficult to believe I’ve been at Arsenal [little more] than a year and now I’m playing in the Champions League Final.

“I know that Barcelona are a very good football team, a quick passing team. Their players move around a lot so we’re going to have to be careful. But we’re going to focus right until the very end of the match and give our best to stop their forwards getting in behind us. We’re going to have to play intelligently.”

[Guest muddatrucker]

Lets hope he doesn't get left on his arse, Robinho is weak thats why Eboue found it easy.

[alldaws1]

Which one broke and dislocated his ankle? I thought it was Eboue, but obviously not. Diaby was it?

[Guest Kliq Masterson]

It was Diaby.

[therockbox]

Has there been anymore reports about his injury? I read that his career could be over (at least at the top level).

[TheArsenal]

Apparently he will be out for around nine months.

[TheArsenal]

One of the linesmen for the Champions League final has protested his impartiality after being photographed in a Barcelona shirt on Monday.

Norwegian Ole Hermann Borgan wore the shirt for a photoshoot with his local newspaper, Drammens Tidende.

"There is no reason to doubt my impartiality - I don't support either of the teams," Borgan said.

Uefa has no plans to replace Borgan for the final in Paris on Wednesday, a spokesperson told BBC Sport.

Arsenal have refused to comment on the story before their manager, Arsene Wenger, gives his pre-match news conference at 1645 BST on Tuesday.

The newspaper wanted Borgan to wear both Arsenal and Barcelona shirts for the photoshoot, according to its sports editor Per Jan Brekke.

But the official found out he only owned a Barca shirt - and this was the picture that appeared in Tuesday's edition of the paper.

"It was both insensitive and stupid of me. I did not think deeply enough about the situation and the consequences when I was asked to dress up in the shirt," Borgan said.

The officials for the final will all be Norwegian, with Terje Hauge the main man in charge. Steinar Holvik and Borgan will run the lines.

"We are on our way to Paris to do a good job - nothing more, nothing less," Borgan said.

Norway's referees chief, Rune Pedersen, agreed that Borgan had been unwise to pose in the shirt.

"There is an unwritten rule that officials must not do anything which will cast doubt on their impartiality," he said.

[Summers]

Atleast we know what you're gonna be saying if you lose now.

[TMM]

Interesting question here I think; if you could choose only one thing to happen out of the following two, which would you choose? Arsenal to win the Champions League or England to win the World Cup?

For me there's no question about it, Arsenal all the way. Interested to know what other people think. I'm guessing the majority of my fellow Gooner's will say Arsenal, but ya know, just interested.

[Guest DirtyFoot]

I think most real football fans would pick their club over country, as it's the team they follow day in day out.

And I don't know if this has been said in here before, but what do you gooners think about the influence Mr Dein has had over the England squad?

[TMM]

He doesn't have influence in the England squad per-say, he has influence in the FA, but not particularly over who goes in the England squad and who's picked.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Everyone bar Arsenal fans will say England. That's a pretty stupid question, if you think about it.

[Bigal]

I would assume since this is the Arsenal thread, he's more concerned with what Arsenal fans would choose.

Anyway, as someone from N.Ireland, I have to go with Arsenal, and pray England get knocked out in the group stages

[Guest DirtyFoot]

He doesn't have influence in the England squad per-say, he has influence in the FA, but not particularly over who goes in the England squad and who's picked.

[TMM]

He doesn't have influence in the England squad per-say, he has influence in the FA, but not particularly over who goes in the England squad and who's picked.

And how many Premiership games have Campbell, Cole and Walcott played between them this season?

And out of them games has any performance warranted a place in the national side?

Well in regards to Ashley Cole, he's arguably the best left-back in the world, and is now fully fit, there's no logical sense not to take him. Campbell, yeah he can be shit at times, but on his day he's one of (if not the) best defenders in England, plus he has experience. Walcott, yeah, I don't get that, but as a secret weapon, sure why not.