KASABIAN branded Manchester United as a “Profit-Making Company” in the latest issue of 442, and rightly so. No doubt, they have MARKETED their team well. Nowadays, every boy and girl, cat and dog would been seen wearing a Man U shirt down the street, they know who is David Beckham, they know who is Ronaldo, van Nistelrooy… Yet when being asked do you know which club Bryan Robson played for when he was a player, “Middlesbrough” was the answer.
On why Arsenal refused traveling to US or Far East to make some quick bucks in recent years, guess the answer is pretty simple. Not that the board or Wenger are stupid, the truth is they placed FOOTBALL ahead of everything else. PREPARATION is the word. Instead of tiring the players out traveling to some meaningless matches on the other half of the earth, Arsenal concentrated on getting their players fit for the new season, through an intensive training camp in Austria.
The resut was obvious: the past 3 seasons, we started the season in a high-flying mood, while it took Man Utd a few months to get into the gear.
Make no mistake, no player would fancy a long-distance tour following an exhausting season. Tony Adams had testified that in his book. Arsenal is, afterall, a FOOTBALL CLUB, not a circus. I too would like to see our players in action, yet I’m not so keen on the matches with nothing at stakes.
We may have lost an opportunity to market our “brand” to the rest of the world, but I do believe - genuine fans know where the good football really is. If they like watching “stars”, let them go for Real Madrid, Man U, or Chelsea. We are a well-organized football club which play quality football, there is no need to “hard-sell” ourselves just because others did so.
13 Responses to “No need to hard sell Arsenal”
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March 31st, 2005 at 2:11 pm
Big up Alex!!
Thanks for supporting a good cause and I hope you folks also support his Cancer funds as well.
Rocky will always be part of the Arsenal family and forever and I hope he get his testimonial sometime soon.
RIP - Rocky Rocky Rocastle !!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for 1990/1
March 31st, 2005 at 4:39 pm
Just a question… who decides whether the player gets a testimonial? The team I assume? Why didn’t Rocastle get one?
March 31st, 2005 at 5:08 pm
Well done Alex!! You are so right! Rocky is one of my all-time favourites, I can never forget his last minute winning goal at the Littlewoods Cup semi-final replay of 1987. Came from behind to beat Spurs at their backyard with a last minute goal, dream stuff!
A wonderfully blessed and gifted attacking winger who always worked for the team’s clause, and never tired of tracking back, there aren’t too many wonder boys would bother to do that nowadays.
Stag, to have a testimonal one must serves the club for ten years. I don’t know if it’s the same case elsewhere, but it’s kinda a tradition in English football. A few loyal players who would have two testimonals, David O’Leary and Tony Adams were among them. Dennis is closing in on his testimonal year, Paddy is now only one year away. If they do go on and earn their testimonal, I believe it would be the first in English football for a foreign player.
March 31st, 2005 at 5:10 pm
Rocky had not been with the club for 10 years.
March 31st, 2005 at 10:23 pm
Andez, I believe the point about travel harming the team is futile. It is not correct.
Chelsea were in the States last Summer. Has it harmed them in ANY way shape or form? I don’t think it has at all.
Last time ManU won the league… They were in either in the US or ASIA. Flying to the United States in NOT a big deal at all. Its not much further than flying to Austria.
Thierry Henry flies to NY to watch Knicks games with Spike Lee DURING the season. Players travel to the end of the earth DURING the season to play for their countries.
They fly FIRST CLASS. Lap of Luxury. Best Hotels. Best Physios in the world.
If you want to compete with Manchester United, (and its QUITE apparent that we do, we are building a massive stadium to put alot more asses in alot more seats) then you have to do it marketing wise as well.
March 31st, 2005 at 11:12 pm
stag, you’re right on this one.
wenger has never made a secret of the fact that we’re short of cash, yet he won’t capitalise on the cash cows that are Asia and the US markets. sure, people may love beckham, but when they see how damn effin’ brilliant henry is, becks and his talentless wife will fall by the wayside. plus, they will see the way the game is meant to be played. they will be attracted to our style like most neutral observers are. we have to tap these markets.
while working today (i drive a big brown truck…) i saw a good looking young woman sitting outside in her yard, in a bikini ( i live in california! take that east coasters! :-p) reading a book. as i drove by i looked at the hat she was wearing (it was sky blue, pastel-ish) and the logo looked oddly familiar.
“is that an arsenal cap you’re wearing?”
“yes, it is.”
“cool.”
we americans who know football (a smallish number), support the arsenal. those who know no better (the vast majority), like manure. we need to educate the masses, and start raking in the dough.
March 31st, 2005 at 11:27 pm
Anyone that watches Arsenal play football, when we are on our game, falls in love with us. When we won the double, when we went undefeated… I had “reasonable” United fans, who know and enjoy football, tell me that Arsenal are a joy to watch. They still hate us, but they appreciate the way we play the game. Its that simple.
Bring this game to the masses. The world deserves it!
March 31st, 2005 at 11:53 pm
Well, as I like Arsenal and I live in the US, I would love to see Arsenal playing here. So First many fans here who likes Arsenal would like to watch a game for the gunners and get to meet the players.
It is not the flight that kills that game, its the fact that the summer should be relaxing time for the players.
Well, if Arsenal comes to the US and play games here, there will be the stress of the game and media .
There is no relation with the season performance and going to Aisa or USA. But Chelsea improved because of the russian oil not becasue Jose or Robben.
Robben is a good player, I watched him since he was in PSV U-17 . I hope the fame would not desstroy his talent.
Arsenal with the Emirates stad. will have more money. But I am sure more player like Henry will not help, but will distroy. Henry by himself is henry. Look at real Madrid … It might help if an english Arsenal lover player is brought to Arsenal ..
Arsenal is no doubt the most fun team to watch … thats why I have been a fan since 1995.
April 1st, 2005 at 1:43 am
Damn Stag,
I’ve to agree with you here.. I don’t think the travels make any difference to the team or their form. It all depends on the manager of the day.
I think Arsenal are working on how to market the team outside England.
Time will tell.
April 1st, 2005 at 2:37 am
The guys at Arsenal-World have recently published a book “It’s up for grabs now” containing the memories fans have of 26th May 1989. The proceeds from the sale go towards Rocky’s Cancer charity.
I suggest you all buy a copy. The stories get the butterflies going in the stomach.
KEEP THE FAITH
p.s. my story is on page 36, David Connick is on page 189. I was one of the fortunate 4,000, we band of brothers.
April 1st, 2005 at 6:47 am
I’ve mentioned it before but I’ll mention it again.
Our pre-season friendlies are to get the team ready for the new season. It is part of the training. Bergkamp would not fly to the US, so he and the team would be at a disadvantge if they did so. Austria also has nice clean air, just right for getting the lungs working again after three months of beer and ciggies.
Wait and see what happens once DB retires. The club would be foolish to avoid a market in the US that can claim to have 50% of the hits Arsenal.com
April 1st, 2005 at 8:28 am
I can completely understand Wenger wanting to keep his players holed up in Austria, where he can get them to drink the Kool-Aid and work his magic! I just think the AFC has to venture out into the world and do what needs to be done. Its not always the best thing for the team. But it is the best thing fiscally for the club.
April 1st, 2005 at 11:46 pm
it would take only one well-publicized tour and the vein would be tapped.