London_Fox Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 I went to the Emirates for the first time yesterday and it was an interesting experience so I thought i'd share and see what other people who have been thought of it. The stadium itself is incredible, really well built and designed...not another copy of new stadiums around the country. Interesting points: 1) They do the name shouting thing before the game, first name over the tannoy and the crowd shouts back the surname...everyone does it and it sounds pretty good. Still find it a bit cringeworthy even with 60 000 thousand odd people doing it but seems to work for them. 2) Atmosphere isn't great at all. Better then Highbury (not that hard granted) and some songs got going but generally wasn't that great. Positive was definatly that the crowd weren't getting too frustrated and people kept shouting that the goal would come and to stay behind the team...rare to see these days. 3) Refreshments stands: Each one sells something different (burgers at one, hotdogs at one, beer at one, sweets at one etc). Really strange and confusing. Not sure what the point is to be honest. 4) Arsenal play incredible football. Seems obvious but live you get even more of a sense of how well they use the space, how quickly they pass and move. Yesterday wasn't the best performance but it was still brilliant. 5) Post game they offer pints for £2.50 and show highlights/interviews etc on the TV screens in the concourse. Bearing in mind they've got 60 000 people to get rid of it's a great idea as it spreads out the crowd and means people stick around, spend more and chat more with each other. 6) They really hate Spurs. Really really hate them. Every other song was about Spurs and the one that caught on best was 'stand-up if you hate Spurs' which even I could join in with, standing not the singing. There is definatly stuff we could learn from them, commercial side especially. I now see what Thracian wants us to play like every week and it would be amazing but we're not even close to good enough to do half of what they do. We could improve our movement off the ball which would make a huge difference and have our wide players stay much wider (and sign Henry). What did other people think of the place?
lildave3 Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Every time you see it on tele it looks amazing. It looks huge as well, bigger than Old Trafford even though it seats less. Is the view good from anywhere in the ground? Aren't the seats supposed be really comfy?
Sods Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Every time you see it on tele it looks amazing. It looks huge as well, bigger than Old Trafford even though it seats less. Is the view good from anywhere in the ground? Aren't the seats supposed be really comfy? they look really comfy. Also London fox was there a drum used, i swear i heard one.
London_Fox Posted 12 February 2007 Author Posted 12 February 2007 They did have a drum but didn't use it much or to much effect. The seats are padded which is a bit weird and not just normal flip ones which means they don't automatically flip up. I was sat on row 23 of the upper tier and had a great view (fairly near the top). Didn't seem to be any restricted view seats to be honest, not around me anyway. It's an amazing ground, far better then Stamford Bridge.
Simi Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 The ground always look really good on the TV and does it have some werid shape in one of the stands.
Geo V Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 I went to an Arsenal game earlier in the season in the champions league and they dont sing, dont have any decent songs for the club or players and I found it to be a crap experience for the average fan. i was up in a box (free ticket) and was looking down (amazing stadium and view) and was amazed at how shite the fans were. AS for the London rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal, its also pants. Having lived here for 14 or so years I can confirm that they blow hot air away from the stadium. Its not a hostile or frightening rivalry IMO. A bit of a damp squid!
London_Fox Posted 12 February 2007 Author Posted 12 February 2007 I went to an Arsenal game earlier in the season in the champions league and they dont sing, dont have any decent songs for the club or players and I found it to be a crap experience for the average fan. i was up in a box (free ticket) and was looking down (amazing stadium and view) and was amazed at how shite the fans were. AS for the London rivalry between Spurs and Arsenal, its also pants. Having lived here for 14 or so years I can confirm that they blow hot air away from the stadium. Its not a hostile or frightening rivalry IMO. A bit of a damp squid! They sing more then we do but for 60 000 people they do make very little noise, I agree. They only have about 3 songs. It's not hostile in the way that our rivalry with Derby, Cov or Forest isn't. Most of their chants are about Spurs to be honest (more then for their own team). The experience isn't the atmosphere it's the football which is top quality and for the first time the stadium. I think you would appreciate it even more outside of the box because of the way 'normal' seats compare to most other places in the country.
Geo V Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 They sing more then we do but for 60 000 people they do make very little noise, I agree. They only have about 3 songs. It's not hostile in the way that our rivalry with Derby, Cov or Forest isn't. Most of their chants are about Spurs to be honest (more then for their own team). The experience isn't the atmosphere it's the football which is top quality and for the first time the stadium. I think you would appreciate it even more outside of the box because of the way 'normal' seats compare to most other places in the country. There football is great, there is no doubt about that but for me, if I am paying £40+ for the game, I expect to be part of an event, not just what happens on the pitch. I know it sounds ridiculous but if It was just about great football, I`d watch La Liga. As we are in an entetainment industry, I would think that the singing leading upto the game, pre-match entertainment followed by the game itself with the fans all cheering for there team should be requisites for the day. Fans who just turn up and say nothing and come back and tell me how great it was to me are starved of real football and what it means. BTW they away fans (Zagreb)that were at Arsenal the day I went sang for 90 mins and lost the match but still sang. I suppose they havent had the riches that we take for granted and are there for the team regardless. "We" have become bloody Prawn sandwich eating moaners and have forgotten what real football means.
Muz Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Weird 'cos I went yesterday aswell It's a fantastic stadium and very easy to get to. I got the train from Letchworth into Finsbury Park - bout a 5 minute walk away from the stadium. I thought Arsenal played some good football , even better when Adebayor came on. Also I was impressed with Theo first half , he skinned the LB time and time again.
Geo V Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Weird 'cos I went yesterday aswell It's a fantastic stadium and very easy to get to. I got the train from Letchworth into Finsbury Park - bout a 5 minute walk away from the stadium. I thought Arsenal played some good football , even better when Adebayor came on. Also I was impressed with Theo first half , he skinned the LB time and time again. I have no problems with thye stadium or players and the football they play. I just cant work out why some of the big clubs never sing or havent got any songs. Take Liverpool for example, they have songs for loads of there players from Risse to Gerrard and would even make one up for the players that we maybe would question there performances as neutrals, like Kewell and Luis Garcia. They even had one with Nunez in it FFS! Maybe its the fact that they have won so much and have lost the will to have to cheer there team to success or it may well be the fact that a new stadium hasnt helped the chanting but why can a bunch of lads and lasses on a forum like this create songs about MM, Cadamateri and the rest and hear them on a saturday and Arsenal who have a massive fanbase and 60,000 supporters cant be arsed?!!
Simi Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Weird 'cos I went yesterday aswell It's a fantastic stadium and very easy to get to. I got the train from Letchworth into Finsbury Park - bout a 5 minute walk away from the stadium. I thought Arsenal played some good football , even better when Adebayor came on. Also I was impressed with Theo first half , he skinned the LB time and time again. The fans love Adebayor down there don't they
London_Fox Posted 12 February 2007 Author Posted 12 February 2007 I kind of agree but not entirely. If I had to choose between going to watch City away in some dark and dingy hole or Arsenal then i'd choose City every single time because of the reasons you've given. The atmosphere, passion, loyalty is far more important. BUT having gone to Ipswich on the Saturday I really enjoyed being able to watch some quality football and not be attached. Even if there was a great atmosphere yesterday it wouldn't have made much difference because I wouldn't feel attached to it. Like I said though I would always have City over even the best footballing sides every week. They really love Theo Walcott down there and I thought he was excellent in the first half. They also seem to really like Adebayor because he brings something a bit different to their side.
Geo V Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 The fans love Adebayor down there don't they Them buggers have got loads of players to adore! From my mates I`d say that Fabregas is their fav player but surprisingly some are saying that they would get rid of Henry! The Spurs fans love Berbatov down here too. Me, I follow Kisnorbo
Guest Gist Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 I went and had a look at it before the Fulham game, although I haven't been in and thought it was quite impressive.
lcfc_jme Posted 12 February 2007 Posted 12 February 2007 Impressive ground. Not bad acoustics there either I gather from watching the televised games there. Certainly good enough to host international games as was shown when Brazil played Portugal. Arsenal aren't the greatest side there though - they were much better at Highbury which is strange because the pitch was smaller. They seem all too happy to allow the opposition the lead even if they're being outplayed, and they love making hard work of things there. Still, unbeaten there and still in the hunt in 4 competitions this season.
London_Fox Posted 13 February 2007 Author Posted 13 February 2007 It seems like some kind of mental thing because the game didn't change too much when Wigan scored. Arsenal had a couple of excellent chances before that and Wigan had a couple of long range efforts. It's hard to explain but I'd be worried if I was Wenger because it won't last forever. Their luck will run out one game. Can see why they love Cesc Fabergas...everything goes through him, it's like Viera but maybe even more dominant on the ball (at this rate he has the potential to be one of the best midfield players in the world)
Geo V Posted 13 February 2007 Posted 13 February 2007 It seems like some kind of mental thing because the game didn't change too much when Wigan scored. Arsenal had a couple of excellent chances before that and Wigan had a couple of long range efforts. It's hard to explain but I'd be worried if I was Wenger because it won't last forever. Their luck will run out one game. Can see why they love Cesc Fabergas...everything goes through him, it's like Viera but maybe even more dominant on the ball (at this rate he has the potential to be one of the best midfield players in the world) I just think that some clubs lose there focus of why they support there team and become complacent. We were just having a bit of banter with a couple of Pompey fans who joined the forum today and I cjecked some stats and despite them being well known for a sing song down the years when they struggled and would regularly fill there 20,000 capacity stadium, they now cant fill it. 14,000 against Wigan for a team that has done so well?? At least they still seem to be quite load but thats old stadiums for you. Football is getting to corporate and that was so evident in the box I sat in at the Emirates that day. The free beer on tap wasnt a bad thing () but no sound comes from the executive boxes and very little comes from around the stadium because people cant be bothered to join in. they are too busy on there mobiles videoing the fantastic stadium!
London_Fox Posted 13 February 2007 Author Posted 13 February 2007 I just think that some clubs lose there focus of why they support there team and become complacent. We were just having a bit of banter with a couple of Pompey fans who joined the forum today and I cjecked some stats and despite them being well known for a sing song down the years when they struggled and would regularly fill there 20,000 capacity stadium, they now cant fill it. 14,000 against Wigan for a team that has done so well?? At least they still seem to be quite load but thats old stadiums for you. Football is getting to corporate and that was so evident in the box I sat in at the Emirates that day. The free beer on tap wasnt a bad thing () but no sound comes from the executive boxes and very little comes from around the stadium because people cant be bothered to join in. they are too busy on there mobiles videoing the fantastic stadium! Spot on They forgot what it was like to not be very good, not win all the time. Think how long it's been since they've had 'hard times.' Premiership clubs seem to take it for granted. Taking photo's really pisses me off. Especially people who have their phone out all game long.
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