Stadium Atmosphere

Besides, it's not like the Emirates is full of tourists anyway - how would they get tickets? The biggest problem Arsenal has when it comes to tickets isn't price, it's the lack of availability. If you want tickets for a game, you need to do one of the following:

• Spam the website like crazy the second tickets are released to the general public (I've tried this numerous times and have never gotten tickets this way)
• Buy holiday packages that include tickets (super expensive and not face value)
• "Borrow" a season ticket for face value (90% luck to get hold of one)

As far as I'm aware, there is no other way of getting tickets if you're not above red member.

Another argument is that it's the lack of working class fans that is the main cause of atmosphere going down, and again I call bullshit. Why would your income dictate vocal levels or passion? It's just pure classism. If you earn more than £35,000/year you won't sing any songs? Please.

Lets try to avoid a full scale ticket debate in here, and stick to "How to get a better atmosphere", but since the debates flow a bit into each other I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Buy holiday packages that include tickets (super expensive and not face value)

This is probably the most common alternative. I've used it myself on numerous occasions. Mainly when going with my girlfriend and her dad, since I'm the only one of us with a red membership. But I also bought my ticket through a Norwegian travel agency for last years FA-cup final. This is actually legit, although the price suggested black market. But they only have tickets for the "Club Wembley", "No supporter zone" (which is absolutely ridiculous in it self. 25k tickets to fans of each club and 30k tickets like the one I got?). But who am I to complain? Shaking Yaya Sanogo's (legend) hand, and Chambo celebrating with my home made scarf was quite an experience.

As far as I'm aware, there is no other way of getting tickets if you're not above red member.

Yes there are. You can buy off the Ticket Exchange. It is actually a quite good feature for both ST-holders and red members. A ST-holder who can't attend a match puts it out for sale through the TX, I (RM) buy it at face value through Arsenal.com like it was any other ticket - but before it goes on sale for the general public. This makes it possible to get pitch-side seats without queuing for years to get a ST.

Also, in my experience there is a couple of thousand available seats for most home games to the red members (although 100 km away from the pitch) in the upper tier. This is also before they go on general sale, and if you don't want to watch us beat Spurs, these stay available for at least a couple of days. Biggest risk here is that as a foreign fan you have to plan a weekend with flight, hotels and stuff long before tickets go on sale, so it is more secure to buy through an agency. Then you know for sure you will get your ticket.

Ooops... I probably went a bit too in-depth on this issue even though I said I shouldn't. Lets open a "how to get a ticket" thread if there's any further need to discuss this issue, and try to get back to the atmosphere in this one.

One of the shittiest. Clapping Cesc off made me 100% sure about this. One of the shittiest around.

One of the shittiest. Clapping Cesc off made me 100% sure about this. One of the shittiest around.

Definitely the cringiest moment of 2015 so far. People applauding Cesc as if he single-handedly helped us to five league titles then got forced away against his will, when in reality he won nothing and couldn't wait to get the fuck out.

Sorry, back on topic.

I'm not sure cheatsheets to chants or a welcoming attitude towards so-called "tourists" will do anything to improve atmosphere at the Emirates. I think it's a culture thing at the end of the day. I think most people supporting Arsenal aren't the types to drink five beers and then scream obscenities for two hours at a family event. I think that generally we're more sensible and introvert.

Because if you think about it, why does a crowd sound excited? It's not sober people with friendly songs, it's drunk yobs singing about opposition managers being paedophiles, that's what the noise is.

So maybe I'm contradicting myself when I say class has nothing to do with it. But if it means increasing the ratio of drunk lunatics to improve atmosphere, I'd rather stick with the library.

Get a safe standing section and sell tickets for pennies = atmosphere.

It would need the club to chill out a bit towards us, they won’t we are treated as children and turnstile fodder.

Red action should be moved to middle of North bank Lower, that too wont happen

Allow flags in north bank lower, won’t happen

Have north bank lower a standing area, won’t happen

Have north bank lower non reserved seating so i can sit/stand next to my mates, won’t happen, but it happens for every away game.

Club to chill out on the standing, won’t happen

Fundamentally the club have got what they wanted, a sterile family friendly bowl where corporate guest won’t feel intimidated, nor tourists too. The starting point is the club relaxing. That also wont happen!!

Get a safe standing section and sell tickets for pennies = atmosphere.

Safe standing is fine, but what difference would ticket price make? The demand is still way higher than supply, so the crowd won't change. Lowering ticket prices is only a solution to increase demand.

Red action should be moved to middle of North bank Lower, that too wont happen
Allow flags in north bank lower, won’t happen
Have north bank lower a standing area, won’t happen

Can I ask why?

Safe standing is fine, but what difference would ticket price make? The demand is still way higher than supply, so the crowd won't change. Lowering ticket prices is only a solution to increase demand.

Difference is that people who actually want to scream their lungs out will have a chance to get in.

Difference is that people who actually want to scream their lungs out will have a chance to get in.

But that's not true. Demand is still higher than supply, and will even increase if prices are reduced. So the people would stay the same. Tickets will be £10, but you'll never get hold of one.

You will. I doubt a lot of those tourist will enjoy the safe stand.

You will. I doubt a lot of those tourist will enjoy the safe stand.

Families with smaller children perhaps wouldn't, but to a tourist it would be a dream to get a "proper" experience going to a football game in England. Besides, safe standing still doesn't solve the problem with demand being higher than supply. Just because you introduce safe standing doesn't mean that half the stadium become drunk loud yobs, so the atmosphere would stay the same.

By the way, we had the exact same problem at Highbury in the 80s and 90s, this topic has been discussed for decades. Even at the height of the invincibles and the most successful period in our history we were considered a quiet crowd. It has always been relatively quiet, even when tickets cost £5 and most of the people in the stadium were working class.