Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene


Watch it
By Quartz Gooner
April 27 2011

What follows is an appeal from an organisation that is not linked to Arsenal Times, however as publisher of Arsenal Times I sympathise with the general aims of this appeal. The appeal is not on behalf of AT, nor does it represent the full views of the editor. But I believe its important to support genuine fans who wish to see an end to the annual spring implosion. Boris Mellor Publisher Arsenal Times  

Article that follows is by Quartz Gooner of  Arsenalfcnotplc

 

Put together a season ticket price increase and an end of season collapse by the team.  What do you get? Two months of unprecedented complaints against Arsene Wenger and Arsenal FC.  Bellicose bloggers bubbling over with bile.  Forums full of furious fans and mainstream media reporting on rumblings of fan base discontent.

 

Even ex-players and pundits express exasperation with Wenger’s persistence with a non-winning team, and the repetition of flaws on the pitch.  Failure to defend set pieces?  Check.  Unpredictability in front of goal?  Check.  Lack of a strong skipper?  Check.  No midfield general?  Check. 

 

From the midst of this malaise, we are a group of fans who want to do something to improve the team.  We began as a small group of regulars on the Gooner forum, who one night after a defeat, realised that our forum posts were in themselves little more than ventings of steam.  But that if our talents were pooled together, and if we spent less time posting on every random thread, and concentrated our resources on the improvement of the team, we might, just might, have a chance of making ourselves heard. 

 

So we formed a group called arsenalfcnot plc.  So far we have a Facebook site and a Twitter page.  Our website is under construction.  We plan some actual protests at the ground, but for now we prefer to work online, building up support and letting the press know of our intent.

 

Bottom line, we want the club’s cash reserves used on improving the team.  We honestly believe that two or three more experienced players can tip the balance from us being constant Champions League qualifiers, to actually being League winners again. 

 

That is our sole mission, to persuade Mr Wenger to buy better quality players.  The youth policy is fine, but it can only take us so far.  It needs adding to.  Not breaking the bank with loads of silly money transfers, but two or three sensible considered purchases. Imagine the current squad with Scott Parker and Gary Cahill added. No guarantee of success, but surely more competitive? 

 

As a group we are 100% committed to non-violent protest, and are not a “Wenger Out” group.  The new ownership of the club is perhaps a window of opportunity and we aim to take advantage of it.

 

Please follow us

 

Facebook.com/arsenalfcnotplc

Twitter.com/arsenalfcnot plc

 

And please take part in our first campaign, which is for club members to write to Mr Wenger expressing their frustration.

 

A template letter is below, and please copy and send it to Arsene Wenger.

 

The address is:

Arsenal Football Club
Highbury House
75, Drayton Park
London
N5 1BU


Dear Mr Wenger,

I have been an Arsenal fan for many years, and am a platinum/gold/silver/red member.  I respect your past achievements and consider you an all time legend.  But the past few seasons have been painful.  It is almost essential to finish in the top four, but hand on heart, I do not feel we have been seriously challenging for the title. 
We are not far off, but we are a distance short.
I feel as if we are stuck in a repeating pattern of being "nearly men".

We have a lot of youth players coming through the ranks, but I cannot see how we can progress without spending on more experienced players.

I also worry about the defence, who have not been good enough at set pieces for a while now.

Please, for the good of the club, spend some of our cash reserves to push us that extra bit further to the title.  It is disheartening to know cash is available but not being spent.

Yours,

A Gooner.

Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Arsenal Times (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 19:06

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:01:20:21:07 by Padre Pio.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 20:03

this is a better idea than a protest march with random and abstract complaints and even many who intend to complain about things other than the stated aims of the protest.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 20:16

I think its more focussed, the march should limit its demands in the same way, but I still think its better to do something, within reason, than nothing.
Those fans care.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 20:53

the protest march has conflicting aims(the whoag say they want wenger to repeat his early success but many going on the march say they want wenger out), even the stated aims of whoag are at odds with other, they complain the club is not making enough from its commercial deals etc but then complain that new kits come out too often, they also complain about too much coperate section at the ground, while this brings in more than the rest of matchday income, you can't have it both ways, its also a bit odd that there is a protest against a 6% season ticket price rise when as far as I know no such increase has been announced, one of the most laughable points they want to protest against is PHW and want him sacked, a man who is a lifelong gooner, his family have run the club for generations, yet the want their arsenal of yesteryear back,

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: celine dion (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 20:58

Oh holy sh*t a letter. Reminds me of the scene in Team America World Police where Hans Blix is confronting Kim Jong il in his palace stronghold and says 'and if you dont change your ways I am going to write you another strongly worded letter'.

Anyway these chaps are a bit clearer in terms of their targets, if anything they should have the march and BSM should have a 'letter campaign'

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 21:04

The club refuse to comment on ticket prices or reassure they wont increase.

I hope the letter writing doesnt turn violent - ha ha.

I think they are carefully building a base for action rather than just jumping straight in. We could be in for the long haul

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: celine dion (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 21:13

i think the BSM are most certainly building a base for action, by being as reasonable as possible at the start.

this lot strike me as more here today gone tomorrow.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 21:21

They come from the Gooner Fanzine base, so they might stay around. We need to build alliances. Get people from main fanzines, AST and AISA united etc.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: PKGooner (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 22:59

Quote:
celine dion
i think the BSM are most certainly building a base for action, by being as reasonable as possible at the start.
this lot strike me as more here today gone tomorrow.


BSM has been around for over a year - long before the website even went up.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Ballistix (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 23:06

Aahh but they don't want wenger out so there won't be much take up on this forum.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 27/04/2011 23:30

yes but they do not think he is always right so that will upset someone

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: weedz (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 08:26

This sounds like a conversation from `the life of brian`
`We`re the phuck`n Peoples Front of Judea`

Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.

Arsenal fc

Let’s keep making history

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: AJ The Gunner (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 14:02

This letter is great idea but the content doesn't say much... it's kind of vague.

Quote:
Please, for the good of the club, spend some of our cash reserves to push us that extra bit further to the title. It is disheartening to know cash is available but not being spent.

1.how are we really sure cash is available..
2.what do we mean by spending some of our cash reserves to push us that extra bit further to the title.. do we mean retaining all the present players & adding few more kids or some nameless french players???

Hope this letter makes a difference cos if i get such a letter & i loath to change my persistent method's i can find loop holes to keep doing what i'm doing since the letter has no specifics

THE PROTEST FOR ME SHOULD STILL HOLD..TIME FOR THE BOARD & WENGER TO KNOW THAT WE AIN'T KIDDING.. THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IS THAT WENGER DECIDED WE ARE SO UNGRATEFUL & HE LEAVES..

THE LETTER PLUS THE PROTEST EQUALS PERFECT!!! but the letter needs more..

Can We Now Trust The Process 🤔🤷🏿‍♀️ or Should We Still Remain Cautious 🙇🏿‍♀️

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: PKGooner (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 15:07

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/football/article-23945225-arsenal-fans-fury-at-ticket-price-rise.do


BSM have made the news. Whether they manage to achieve all their objectives or not, massive plus right here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:28:15:15:02 by PKGooner.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Thetruthisback (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 15:14

Wenger won't listen. We're stuck in a rut with him. Same old same old for the forseeable future.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: SandyB (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 16:00

This is perfect PK..AST should start kicking some ass..they have at least some strength to shake things up..

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Bergmars (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 17:44

Quote:
eduardo
this is a better idea than a protest march with random and abstract complaints and even many who intend to complain about things other than the stated aims of the protest.

Agree with that.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: younghansolo (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 20:24

It's presuming the club gives a flying @#$%& what the fans think. Until they start losing money they can ignore "a letter"

Simply asking to "spend money" without any insight o where as how is also IMO ridiculous. If you're gonna do this be mad specific.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: Padre Pio (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:03

i already know of people cutting back on spending - so no harm in letting them know why is there. if they ahve any sense they will listen.

They run it like a business and businesses that ignore the people who support it go broke

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: celine dion (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:12

im seriously thinking of cutting back next year.

i dont like the board, im starting to care a lot less for the manager, I dont like a lot of the players, I dont like the ground and i dislike an increasing number of the fans. Im coming to the conclusion that I only like the pubs.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: arsenalfcnotplc (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:30

We are using this letter as a start in our campaign.
Other things will follow.

It is a basic idea, but we have to start somewhere.

We know there is cash available because the published accounts say so.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:33

the accounts only show we have money, not how much of it can be spent, or what the terms of the bank loans are, and how much money we have to keep in reserve

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: arsenalfcnotplc (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:38

There is no mystery regarding the money. We repay roughly £21M pr season for the stadium bonds, which replaced the previous stadium loan. There is far more than that in our accounts, sitting there, not really helping the club because interest rates are lower than the repayment interest rates on the bonds. We have obvious weak areas in our squad, so we encourage the manager to spend this money on players. Also to sell repeatedly under performing players and use the money on fresh faces.

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: eduardo (IP Logged)
Date: 28/04/2011 21:49

I'm not talking about the loan repayment which you are correct in saying is aroung £21M a year, its the terms of the loan that say we have to keep cash reserves that covers player wages for the lenght of their contract, or at least enough cash reserves to cover the shortfall if we do not make CL football

Re: Arsenalfcnot plc call for mass letter appeal to Arsene
Posted by: De Times (IP Logged)
Date: 30/04/2011 18:44

I've said it before that u can't lead any protest without doing ur proper homework.
That said, the letter idea makes sense. Sometimes u just pretend u know nothing and make the authority think u're going to do something unreasonable. At the end of the day a letter of any form will get the message accross, and still keep things more discreet. It also gives u the foundation to carryout any march in the future.
Meanwhile, if i were bolton fc and discovered some group of fans are protesting for a player such as cahill, i would increase his value from 20m to 30m. Thats something we shouldnt do to our club which a protest march would lead to.

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