Apparently not if reports are to be believed, in particular this one. The story itself is in fact a pile of something that you avoid when you go for a walk in the countryside for the attendance figures at matches are never about bums on seats, all about tickets sold, which is effectively all the club can report. They have sold 60,000 tickets so that should be reported but it is not the attendance figure, ie people in the ground. Perhaps it is the name that is wrong, a new moniker would stop confusion. There is another reason for reporting ticket sales, for the tax authorities have long used them as a countercheck for reported figures for revenues, ensuring that they bear semblance to the revenues reported.

For the football fan, it has regularly been a bone of contention to see swathes of empty seats at sold out games. There are always occasions for not going when you have tickets, we’ve all been in that situation where the match is re-arranged or you’ve been too ill to attend although given that there are more mobile versions of life-support machines, the latter excuse is wearing thin as the years go by. However, this report specifically mentions the Corporate Seats at The Emirates and they really are a bone of contention.

Nobody doubts that within that sector, there are genuine Arsenal fans (or maybe visiting supporters on a jolly) and all you can say is “Lucky Bastards” to get a freebie, we would all take the chance if it was offered, a free trip to The Emirates would not be declined. However, it is those who do not care who drive me insane. There is no reason to be there if you are not interested; greasing the palms that turn the Corporate Wheels is not washing. Not with this one anyway.

In the current economic climate of football, Corporate seats are an evil that is required to ensure Revenues are met. Without them, the seats would be sold to “ordinary” supporters and to ensure that Revenue & Profit targets are met, ticket prices would have to be higher. How much is unknown but it is an uncomfortable fact that the club makes more “profit” out of these sales than they do out of you or I on a comparative basis. There is a whole different philosophical argument about the roles of football clubs and whether they should be making such a profit but at the end of the day, if they do not, nobody is going to invest in football, the current board included. The Revenues garnered contribute to the purchase of players and Arsenal have cut their cloth accordingly, fortunate to have an astute Manager when it comes to spotting talent.

The proposed “buy-back & re-sell” operation is an excellent idea; it is used at luminaries as Barcelona with great success. Whether it will be successful at Arsenal remains to be seen, with the price that these seats are resold being the key to that. My guess is that they would be priced perhaps slightly higher than the more expensive seats but with not too much of a differential. The club will no doubt take a percentage, maybe between 5 – 10%, and it should be available for all tickets purchased. The ticketless stadium lends itself to this concept perfectly, tickets can be issued in paper form and controlled. The downside is that a number of these seats will no doubt find their way onto the black market, touts snapping up resales. One hopes that the club will track these sales and clamp down on those that follow this shallow black market route. However, they need us to report this to them for it to be effective. And therein lies the rub; if you get one of these seats via this route, you know you can use it again. Expensive as it may be, and it is not one that I follow, the temptation is to keep quiet and use it again otherwise if it is closed down, you are at the mercy of telephone queues or internet connections to hope that you are one of the lucky ones at the front of the resale queue.

We’re off to see Buckingham Palace,
Cesc, Thierry, Robin went down with Arsene

Or so the old childrens song could be adapted. It was unprecedented for the players to be invited to Buck House, to meet Liz and Phil The Greek for tea and a tour. Whilst it is the norm to reciprocate the hospitality of friends, it is not the norm if the guests are Royals. Well, not in this country anyway. It is a mark of the esteem in which the Club is held that they were invited, a credit to their achievements on and off the pitch something which we should all be proud. Am I the only one who saw the irony in Liz commenting to Thierry that “You have a very international side”?

Well, Robin would have been there had he not been going to Holland for surgery on his foot. I think this confirms he will not be back until the very back end of the season, something we feared but hoped would not be the case. Rumour mill on the transfer front; Eboue to Milan for £6m is a new one, to take up residence at Internazionale. Aside from the fact that I believe he is Arsene’s first choice RB, the figure needs to be at least doubled but it was good for a laugh. One rumour that I would not be unhappy to see come true, a £5m bid for Scott Carson is supposed to be one the cards, depending on what Liverpool do with Reina I guess. Lehmann is entering the final stage of his career at the club – one that in a short time has been illustrious – and Almunia is stepping up to the mark but we do need a new Goalkeeper. Whether Carson could walk in and take number one slot is debatable; Almunia has been consistent in the games he has played this season and rightly deserves a chance but doubts remain as to whether he will make the grade.

Back in the wee small hours with a Blackburn preview.