Arsenal Thread

[FLiam]

Getting my ticket to Dennis' testimonial.

[TMM]

Getting my ticket to Dennis' testimonial.

How!?! Do explain! Where are they on sale?

EDIT: Bollocks, you need to be a member and stuff...which is effort...pooh.

Edited May 27, 2006 by TMM

[TheArsenal]

Where's the link to buy tickets? I want, I want, I want!

[TMM]

Where's the link to buy tickets? I want, I want, I want!

It's on the Arsenal website but it's only available to members at the moment.

[TheArsenal]

I'm a member, but a Red Level member and it's only open to Silver Level members at the moment.

It really annoys me that you can only buy one ticket per membership. They should really let you buy two.

[TMM]

I'm a member, but a Red Level member and it's only open to Silver Level members at the moment.

It really annoys me that you can only buy one ticket per membership. They should really let you buy two.

Oh right. What exactly are the "red" and "silver" level members? If I could be bothered to check I would, but I can't, so explain

[TheArsenal]

When you join the membership scheme you're automatically put in the group called "Red Members". And you stay as a red member for a while and renew every year and stay at red level for a while. There can be an unlimited number of Red Level members, but it does create more competition for tickets.

Then there's "Silver Members". Silver Members all start out at red level. The difference is there's only a certain number of silver members at any one time, so when silver members cancel or don't renew their membership, red members get the option of being "promoted" to Silver Level Membership.

Then there's "Gold Level Membership". They are the Season Ticket Holders. You can only get to Gold Level by joining the Season Ticket Waiting List, which stands at about 17,000 (down from just over 30,000 after all the allocation at the Emirates Stadium - which allows for 13,000 new season tickets holders). Silver members can't move up to Gold Level, unless they are also on the waiting list.

When tickets get sold, Gold Level members have priority (as Season ticket holders)

Anything thats left goes to Silver Level Members.

Anything that's left after that goes to Red Level Members.

Anything that's left after all that (which isn't very often) goes on General Sale.

Membership is £30 a season, then there's the cost of tickets on top of that.

There is a £15 charge to get on the Season Ticket Waiting List, but you can claim that back from your first Season Ticket cost. As of last season, season tickets for Arsenal cost between £800 and £2000.

Edited May 27, 2006 by TheArsenal

[TheArsenal]

Former rally driver Carlos Sainz is hoping to lure Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to Real Madrid, if he wins the club's presidential election on 2 July.

Sainz has launched a joint-bid with Juan Miguel Villar Mir and he admits their plans include approaching Wenger with a view to taking over at the club.

Asked if he had approached the Gunners boss, Sainz said: "We are in the process of doing that."

"We want a complete overhaul of the whole club," added Villar Mir.

Villar Mir, who would take the role of president, with Sainz as vice-president, said it was more important to attain a good management team ahead of bringing in players.

"You can't start building house with the roof first. We need to secure a general manager and a coach first who will be at the heart of the club," he said.

Former president Lorenzo Sanz, Spanish businessman Juan Palacios, lawyer and economist Arturo Baldasano and Ramon Calderon are the other candidates.

Wenger was linked with the Real job last December following the departure of Wanderley Luxemburgo, but said he would see out his contract at Arsenal, which runs until 2008

[FLiam]

Nope, because they are cunts.

Wenger isn't going anywhere. Just publicity to get him elected because their gullible fans will believe he has a chance of bringing Wenger in. Just like Laporta said Beckham was going to Barcelona when he took over.

[TMM]

Senderos named Swiss Player of the Year

Philippe Senderos has been named Switzerland's Player of the Year at the ninth annual Swiss football awards.

The 21-year-old was a key part of the Arsenal defence which set a new record of 10 consecutive clean sheets in the Champions League last season.

Senderos excelled alongside Kolo Toure and his progress at Arsenal has been recognised by the Swiss public who vote for the Player of the Year award.

Senderos is currently preparing for the World Cup with Switzerland. He played a full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast at the weekend.

Source: Arsenal

Not hard really, considering Djourou and Alex Frei are the only other Swiss players I can think of.

Vieira worried by Juve situation

Juventus midfielder Patrick Vieira has admitted he is concerned by the ongoing match-fixing investigation.

The Old Lady are under scrutiny following allegations against former general manager Luciano Moggi and if found guilty, could be relegated as a punishment.

Vieira has recently been linked with a shock return to Arsenal after fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry decided to stay with The Gunners and relegation would most likely spark a mass exodus from the Stadio Delle Alpi.

With the prospect of Serie B football next season looming over the club, Vieira admits he is concerned but refused to be drawn on reports of a move back to North London.

"This is worrying me, I want to know what will happen," he said.

"But I won't ask myself any questions, I am waiting to see what comes next.

"I get informed just like you, I read the newspapers, I don't know any more."

Meanwhile, the former Arsenal captain has rebuffed speculation of a release clause in his contract should the club be relegated.

"Do I have an option on my contract to leave the club if we are relegated? No."

Source: Sky Sports

I know a lot of people wouldn't want him back, but a lot of people would. Personally I'm not bothered. He still has the class and ability to play at the top level, but if he did come back players like Fabregas and Gilberto should not be dropped for him, not to mention the signing of Rosicky. But there is the fact that he's still a great player, and his experience (coupled with that of Gilberto's) would be great to help along the youngsters, so I'm not opposed to the possibly return, but it doesn't bother me either way.

Edited June 1, 2006 by TMM

[TheArsenal]

If he comes back, I would be happy to see him in an Arsenal shirt. If he doesn't return it would be no great loss.

BUT.

If he comes back....

The captains armband stays with Henry, and he doesn't walk into the first team. Our team has moved on since Vieira. We went through months of losing virtually every away game and looking really shakey at home, and the youngsters had to learn the hard way by being exposed to every game that came along.

No way should Vieira play ahead of Fabregas or Gilberto.

[Guest muddatrucker]

He should go ahead of Gilberto since he's no-one when he hasn't got anyone to hold his hand.

[TMM]

He should go ahead of Gilberto since he's no-one when he hasn't got anyone to hold his hand.

Gilberto is usually solid, but when he has a bad game he is really atrocious, it's like we're only playing with 10, so I get your point. But Gilberto on his day is as good as Makelele in that role, although to be fair, the "Makelele role" was perfected by Vieira.

[TheArsenal]

But Vieira isn't tha player he used to be......or anywhere close to it.

Gilberto has come on leaps and bounds since he had to step up and stop relying on Paddy to be there.

[TMM]

But Vieira isn't tha player he used to be......or anywhere close to it.

Gilberto has come on leaps and bounds since he had to step up and stop relying on Paddy to be there.

One season away doesn't make him a bad player, he is still shit-loads better than the majority of players out there. Whether he can still handle the pace of the Premiership is another question, but he is still more consistant than Gilberto.

[TheArsenal]

His last season with us was like he was a different player. He was sub-standard most of that season.

[TMM]

His last season with us was like he was a different player. He was sub-standard most of that season.

Hmmm, true to an extent, he wasn't as bad as everyone seems to remember, he was injured for a while that season, and when he wasn't, Gilberto was or was playing really badly, so he had to make do with playing alongside a ridiculously young, inexperienced and weak Fabregas, so at times he was trying to do the job of two players.

[TheArsenal]

Fifa has launched an investigation into whether Arsenal have broken regulations which could leave the club exposed to serious penalties - even expulsion from the Champions League.

Newsnight has learnt that a police investigation in Belgium has concluded that Arsenal made secret payments of £1m to a Belgian football club.

The payments were made to take over Beveren, which has brought dozens of players from the Ivory Coast into Europe.

Arsenal deny making any financial input into Beveren but the BBC has been shown documents by the investigating magistrates, including one signed by David Dein on behalf of Arsenal Football Club PLC.

It was a mystery payment of one million pounds to an obscure Belgian football club in 2001 which sparked off a money-laundering investigation.

Fog of secrecy

Christian du Four, the Investigating Magistrate in the Flemish town of Dendermonde, told Newsnight, "A company with no name wanted to invest a million pounds in the club. We thought it rather bizarre."

At the same time the team threw out most of its Belgian players and replaced them with unknowns from an academy in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Belgian police suspected the fog of secrecy was hiding mafia involvement.

Instead after an investigation they have told Newsnight that they found Arsenal's secret hand behind the money.

Arsenal has a public deal with Beveren to play friendly matches and loan players but Arsenal have repeatedly denied that they put money into the club.

Reading from his investigation, Mr Du Four said: "Jean Marc Guillou who is the manager of Beveren has very close contacts with Arsene Wenger the coach of Arsenal and that is why they went ahead with the contract."

Rules breach

He then highlighted one contract signed by Arsenal Vice-Chairman David Dein. The contract (Document B) shows Dein agreeing to advance 12 million Belgian francs (around £200,000) on behalf of Arsenal Football Club in an interest free loan to an associate of his called Raoul de Waele. The loan was to establish a company called Goal which would take over control of Beveren football club.

The loan and other money advanced by Arsenal would be repaid out of Goal's share of transfer profits. Du Four says that in all Arsenal put in £1m.

A director of Beveren, who did not wish to be identified, told Newsnight that in return for the £1m de Waele was given 50% control of Beveren and Guillou was given another 30%.

If Arsenal secretly controlled another club, especially one such as Beveren who they bought Emmanuel Eboue from, they could be in breach of FIFA rules and could be heavily fined or even thrown out of the Champions League.

[Buford Ripley]

A friend of mine at the BBC has said that Arsenal have made a statement that apparently quells all of this but I guess FIFA are adamant in going through with this investigation.

Edited June 1, 2006 by kulex

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Uh-oh