While I?m sure it blows away most American sporting events, Highbury has often been criticized for not being as loud or raucous as other stadiums in England. Fan groups have bemoaned this and now, along with the club, they are doing something about it.
For the Man City game this Sunday Arsenal supporters are being asked to arrive at the ground at 9am to help organize some special activities. They need folks to help distribute song sheets to EVERY SEAT IN THE STADIUM! Hopefully, with the words right in front of them more people will be inclined to join in and create a fantastic atmosphere.
I applaud the supporters over there for being proactive and I also applaud Arsenal FC for working with the fans to make it better for everyone. Change doesn?t happen quickly, especially with sports clubs, but there have been many positive signs from the club that they want to be more aggressive with their marketing and with their relationship with the fans (both domestically and abroad). Sure, there have been some mistakes, but sometimes making a mistake is better than doing nothing.
The activities this weekend also show that the club, really any club, can?t do it alone. The fans of a team are a powerful entity and when both they and the club can benefit things can happen, and happen quicker.
I urge those in London to help out and I urge all Gooners to be positive and pro-active in supporting the Arsenal.
13 Responses to “Sing When You?re Winning - Turning the Library Into the ThunderDome”
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January 29th, 2004 at 3:41 pm
i admit there are times when highbury is quiet, but the stadium noise is no different than any other ground in the premiership. they only call it highbury the library because it rhymes and people are always trying to have a go at us, implying with noise criticism that are fans are not as committed as the ignorant notherners in manchester who scream 4 a penalty if the ball hits someone’s leg.
us supporters at highbury are an intelligent bunch and our supporters are generally the type who are so tuned in with the events on the pitch that the last thing on our minds is singing a song. we unleash all our pent up tension and frustration we score a goal
it will be quite funny to see and everyone singing though, with the song sheets it will be like singing hymns at mass!
January 29th, 2004 at 3:51 pm
Easier said than done. The stewards do not like fans doing anything other than sitting in their seats with the occasional ooh or aahh.
Too many times I’ve been threatend with eviction if I didn’t shut up. Anyone who visited TBird will tell you I like a song more than anyone. And to remind everyone out there it was Pete Glover and myself who made up the Viera song.
I get really pissed off when I hear that we should make more noise. Anyone who’s ever visited Highbury will tell you the thing that stands out is the terrific atmosphere. I’ll grant you that at times it can seem quiet, but that is usually when the fans are nervous. Unfortunately the players pick up on this.
Ever since all-seater stadiums the atmosphere at EVERY ground has deteriorated. Even the 67,000 at ManUre are silent most of the time. The days of freedom of movement around the terracing have long gone and with it the songs. I don’t mean chants, I mean the real songs.
Thankfully at TBird there are those of us that remember them and sing them all the time. Although some of those songs will offend many people and are certainly not politically correct, they are however, part of my Arsenal culture and I’ll never stop.
I hope the scheme works on Sunday, but my final word will be, watch out for loads of paper aeroplanes
January 29th, 2004 at 4:22 pm
I agree that the move to all-seater has helped to reduce the atmosphere. I find it much easier to get involved when standing. Partly because turning to see and hear other fans is easier, partly because people are closer together, which makes it easier to get a song going.
There are some wonderful songs from Highbury and I really hope they are not lost in the drive to make football a “family friendly” activity.
January 29th, 2004 at 5:52 pm
Lots of Rubbish. The club is trying to cash in on Sunday and nothing to do with the atmosphere but I see fans turning out at their normal time. What a Fu##king joke.
As a black person, who is very happy with the clubs? hard work against any anti-Semite homophobia and racist chants the problem is not the fans but the stewards, cops and also politically correctness gone mad. And as I mention in one of my piece most so-called fans are there just to watch a good game and nothing to do with Arsenal. Most of the fans I used to sit with 8 years ago can?t even afford the season ticket. Is all boring Co-operate guys now buying tickets.
As it stands now at the Upper West stands you cant even stand up and sing without being throw out. 4Th Dec 2001 CL against Juventus my mate was throw out for a very good game. His crime was being too happy and singing out loud. I have 2 warnings as it stands so how do I sing. The only place you can really sing at Highbury now is the North Stands and the South stands close to the away fans.
January 29th, 2004 at 6:38 pm
Arsenal board are talking crap. Yes we need some new chants this week and the Hutton report will help us out. Am not kidding. This is what you are going to hear this weekend.
Sing with me guys
Dyke for Prime Minister
Where is the WMD Mr.Blair.
There goes taxpayers money and my country.
Bye Bye Blair and go with Dubya
January 29th, 2004 at 9:45 pm
Not funny. Go and be friends with Michael “fat @$*” Moore and make your corny political jokes against Blair and Bush but the joke is on you and how ridiculous you are to have to bring politics up on an Arsenal messageboard. There is no place for that stuff on a Arsenal messageboard leave this board for soccer talk and not politics.
January 29th, 2004 at 10:49 pm
Well there is one thing some people cant take and that is the truth. I’m a Fu##king true Brit Mate and you know where to go.
By the way who wrote By:
“and I don’t think an unproven Latin American/Southern American striker deserves this much,”
Sure according to the bible of the right wing dont talk about Bush but is all ok to be racist. The same way Fox news said the Hutton Report was about British anti-america groups. Read the comments on their website Myword
NB: And for your information I wont force you into anything or sing but will you. Freedom of Speech.
January 29th, 2004 at 11:54 pm
Make love People.
But my countrymen “Americans” stop being too PC, chill and be part of the real world. So we cant even sing about people anyone. I dont think for a minute the British hate us but talk about issues we cant talk about in this country. We are all in it so let make love and Peace.
January 30th, 2004 at 10:35 am
Cut this crap. Where is some people coming from. Is all good singing about a Celebrity, other club/fans/player etc but the name Bush or Blair is ban. What a joke and world.
As a brit talking about Blair does not make me Anti-British. Since when did Britain became known as Blair and Dont think my america friends see Bush as America. On your bike and grow up.
January 30th, 2004 at 11:26 am
come on you brits. all americans believe in freedom of speech. for some reasons which i dont know why you cant mention the name bush anymore.
you dont want to look un-american so dont say it.
January 30th, 2004 at 12:17 pm
The problem is not America but some insecure people. This same guy made a stupid comment about so-called ?unproven Latin American/Southern America chant which he see nothing wrong with. But mention the name Bush then this hypocrite start talking crap. To be honest I don?t see any differences between Michael Moore and Bush.
January 30th, 2004 at 4:49 pm
No harm meant we are all friends here but this is a soccer board and my comment about Latin strikers relates to the game. As a youth player I have been subjected to many negative incidents with these types of players and of course there are the few exceptions, but the truth is that those players tend to dive and cheat. It’s a stereotype, I’m not saying I hate Latin footballers whatsoever. I just felt to take a shot at Bush and Blair was unneccessary to the topic but I did not mean any harm at all. Cheers!
January 30th, 2004 at 4:54 pm
I am not even a Bush fan I like Liebermann more than him but the point I was trying to make is leave this messageboard to soccer related posts and not a horrible attempt at political humor. The comment I made about Latin strikers had to deal with the game of soccer. I wouldn’t post something ridiculous like “I hate Fidel Castro” that has nothing to do with the topic on hand. This is an Arsenal board not a CNN or CSPAN board so let’s just post about the Gunners.