By Tony Attwood
Late yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from Arsenal.
Not from the manager or one of the players, I must admit, from one of the guys who works at the club in the background – the ticket office or something like that.
The call wasn’t made because I’m on the committee of Arsenal Independent Supporters Association, nor because I run the Arsenal History Society, nor because I run Untold Arsenal. Nor indeed because I am world-famous as being the guy who came up with the idea for the statues at the Stadium, and suggested how and why it could be done.
No I was just the next call in the line to make sure I was ok; Arsenal are indeed making loads of calls to their supporters to check they are ok. And all the better for that.
In fact I guess I was chosen because I am a season ticket holder – which means I suppose they are going to make about 40,000 calls. Quite a lot really. We had a little chat about the team, about what might happen next, about how I was personally coping with the lockdown, and whether I was feeling ok.
It was actually rather good. Not overwhelming or inspiring but actually rather nice that the club was doing this and thinking about some of its supporters. Just a little link from the club to a fan.
As for the rest of football, Arsenal seem to be existing outside of much of the furor.
In England we are arguing. It might be June 12 it might be June 19, as a set of ghost games. PGMO will referee the games, with their credibility even more totally shot, following the latest research into the bias that referees show, and the way the PGMO has utterly denied there is any such home/away bias, through a set of fake statistics. The reality there is that anyone that releases fake stats is blown as a force to take seriously.
Meanwhile in Switzerland they are about to sack the federal prosecutor for having had a whole load of secret meeting with the head of Fifa. The Fifa issue is going to explode big time – but not much point looking for that news in the English newspapers.
In Germany they are starting to dig into a scandal concerning a load of money and Franz Beckenbauer. This story has been running for years, but now it seems he faces a criminal investigation into corruption claims linked to allegations surrounding the 2006 World Cup bid and… well, I don’t want to labour the point, but… Fifa. Fraud, criminal mismanagement and money laundering are among the allegations.
In England the Carabao Cup for next season is under threat because there won’t be time to play the early rounds. Not quite the same level of issue, but it is getting a lot of publicity.
In France, legal action is being mooted because the season has been abandoned and the clubs missing out don’t like it.
In Scotland legal action is also being mooted by Hearts following the decision to relegate them from the Scottish Premiership on a points per game basis, which does not exist in the rule book.
Back in England Manchester United announced on Thursday that turnover for the first three months of the year had dropped by £28.4 million. Which is quite a lot since it doesn’t include any refund of ticket money nor any demands for repayments from the TV companies. The Mail says that they “reveal debt has SOARED by £127.4m to £429m with their finances hammered by coronavirus.” (Capital letters in the original)2.
Elsewhere, the Football Association is investigating the claim that Gareth Barry invested £800,000 in Swindon Town which would mean he would make 50% of the profit from any increase in value in the club, and 50% profit from the sale of certain players. Barry denies the claim but says he lent the money to his agent. (As you do).
In England the government is demanding that the remaining football fixtures are shown on free to air TV.
And finally the Daily Mail announced today that Arsenal are yet to say what they will do with the issue of season ticket refunds from next season. Except that the gent who phoned me up told me. The money for the missed matches will be deducted from next season’s season ticket. If I don’t renew it will be refunded.
How about that? Untold Arsenal knows something that the Mail doesn’t. When did that last happen?
Oh, yes, last Tuesday.
Still it always feels good.
- From Kluivert to Smith Rowe, the Arsenal future you simply won’t believe!
- English football in danger of deluding itself out of business
- If the clubs were not prepared for lockdown, the TV companies certainly were
“And finally the Daily Mail announced today that Arsenal are yet to say what they will do with the issue of season ticket refunds from next season.”
Not a pop at you Tony as you are probably of the same mind as me in that, of course they know.
They just don’t want it to get in the way of yet another sly dig at Arsenal.
Thanks for the season ticket information Tony – that was the only outcome really though wasn’t it.
As Nitram indicates, another sly dig or what?
OT: loads more online content being created for the fans – to keep us hooked…not that I mind. More older matches being shown and bios of former players. I’m liking it.
I read the charges were dropped for beckenbauer due to the presentation of the findings was past due to the corona virus staling things, i read this in the DM so was wondering if other sources might say something else?
I think that it was a fine gesture by the club to contact their loyal fans , ask about their well being as well as to update them. I also like to think that this has always been the par for the course , as far as the Arsenal is concerned.
As far as the governmemt demanding free tv coverage , I think that they better get off their high horses , and beg for it . Most governments have really screwed up their response to this pandameic , with some still having their feet in their mouths.
From my own experience , I have seen ordinary people respond to the needs of the lower income and the more vunerable members of society. Many went out of their way to feed or send supplies to the disfranchised sections , including foreign workers , and daily wage earners.
When all this is over , all those idiots in government should be held culpable for their missteps and failings. I especially like the Belgian medical staff literally turning their back to their PM.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-05-21/Belgian-hospital-staff-turn-their-backs-on-PM-in-silent-protest-QFyeWzStW0/index.html
Well done , guys !
I think this was a nice gesture from Arsenal to check on their loyal fans. Always class! COYG!
Brickfields, yes that sure was a nice action. 😉
The most important reason (or the last drop in the already full bucket) was that the governement found it necessary to write an extra law that will make it possible to force them to come to work even when they are free.
And that after a period where all those people had shown that they will walk the extra mile (without being forced by a governement) in case of a health crisis.
“The white rage” is in Belgium an expression that is referring to the underpaid staff in hospitals for many years. Now they are called heroes but the governement clearly doesn’t trust them and made that law.
As a population we are faced with medical experts who today say white, the next day say black, then white again, then grey, then red, then green, then black again …
What I remember from this whole saga is that experts who like to come on TV all the time are just experts in promoting themselves. Then you have experts who work in the shadow and only come out when they have something important to say that has been tested first. But the media just shows the 1 or 2 ‘media horny’ (media geil is the dutch word, don’t know if there is an English word for that) who turn like a leaf in the wind.
Meanwhile we are still top of the world in dead/million. And we are still waiting for the arrival of the mouthmasks our governement promised in March when they said they will provide every Belgian with a washable mouthmask.
If it wouldn’t have costed such a great toll in lives, it would be like comical-Ali : “there are no Americans in Bagdad”.
So we citizens rather liked the action of the hospital staff who turned their back to our PM.
I refer to the Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte: “Belgium, ceci n’est pas un pays.”
But the temperature is warm, the sun is out. Hardly allowed to move outside without being looked at as half criminal but one day we will be free. I quote Martin Luther King as then we in Belgium will say: Free, free at last….
Rant over.
‘who turn like a leaf in the wind’.
We do have a very similar phrase in the UK. If someone is prone to change their mind for the smallest of reasons they would be said to ‘Change with the Wind’.
@ WalterBroeckx – 22/05/2020 at 11:43 am – Glad to see well , Walter . I truly understand your frustation at the inaptness of your government and their wishy-washy response to this pandemeic .
I am sure that most of us on here share your feelings . We too had had idiots, especially politicians coming out of the woodwork to sprout some choice and idiotic comments .
Reminded me a lot like those commentators and so called experts who ‘advice’ us on the various matters of the EPL !
While we doctors are learning new things , they seem to get knowledge seeping into their heads , very much like their stupid ideas they get. I do pray that a few of them get first hand experience of the disease !
Here the lockdown has been relaxed somewhat for the EID holidays , but travel is still restricted . But still many fools are trying to go back home , when staying put would be a better idea.
Anyway , A Happy EID celebrations to all the Muslim fans . Stay safe .
Up the Gunners !
Walter…….in Canada we say politicians turn like windvanes (you know the metal roosters that sit on rooftops) and that in Québec we sing, ¨ Mon pays ce n’est pas un pays c’est l’hiver¨! The real heroes are those who went to work in hospitals and clinics despite a very high risk to them. A few did die of covid-19 and over 85% of our deaths were in our nursing homes…which is really sad as these people died alone, since their families weren’t allowed near them. the ordinary citizen is enraged at how badly these old people were treated!