One Signed, Another Coming, And Membership Confusion Reigns
Jun 14th, 2009 by 'holic
It really is not my intention to write just a weekly piece during the summer, but there has been precious little to bring to you that is either newsworthy, or hasn’t been well covered elsewhere. Essentially the only ‘news’ of the week surrounded those who have, or have not, signed.
On the plus side Lukasz Fabianski has put pen to paper to end speculation that he may be heading for Paris. His record of nine clean sheets in eighteen appearances last season tells you much about him. Critics will point at his decision-making in the FA Cup semi-final, but in truth his decisiveness appears to be one of the things that has endeared him to Arsene Wenger.
One only has to think about the early months of Jens Lehmann at Highbury to realise that decision-making is something that can get better with time. Gerry Peyton, the goalkeeping coach, will be putting some hours in with the young Pole on this side of his game, I’m sure. On balance I am pleased that we do not need to spend scarce resources searching for another ‘keeper.
The week started with much speculation about the impending arrival of Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax. Everything I read and hear about the deal says it is all but done. We will know for sure I suspect around the end of the month, but I’m sure this is one signing that will be greeted enthusiastically when it is confirmed. Our defensive frailties are not a secret, and it is no surprise that the popular press are concentrating, for now, on stories concerning Kolo Toure, William Gallas, and Philippe Senderos.
Whilst I expect two of the latter trio not to feature at the Grove next season, any stories currently circulating about them are just pure speculation, or invention even. If I am right about that we should expect another central defender to appear, hopefully before August 31st.
Long-Term Red Member?
As the week developed I ended up chasing the club about membership renewals for both the management and I. Having signed up for direct debits for us both a year ago I was concerned that Arsenal.com was showing us as renewed about ten days ago although no money had been taken from my account.
I was even more confused when the renewal cd arrived on Tuesday telling me I should renew by Monday! To cut a long story short I called the membership hotline and they confirmed the money will be taken between the 18th and the end of the month. Then Friday they emailed me to say it would be debited on 22nd June.
So all was well, but while I had a real life person on the end of the phone I thought I would ask when the management can expect to join me as a silver member. She has been a humble ‘red’ for five years now. Apparently she is up to around 15000 on the waiting list, and the club expect conversion to happen after ‘about eight years’ at the moment.
Apparently those joining as a red member now would be at around 135,000 on the waiting list. Eight years at £27-35 a season is quite a contribution. I am so glad I was a member of the original ticket registration scheme before all this nonsense started.
Interestingly I am aware of a large number of season-ticket holders looking to ‘hire out’ their gold memberships as they cannot afford to either renew, or lose their privileges at the present time. The season-ticket waiting list is starting to look like a very tempting alternative to the red membership for new supporters, don’t you think?
23 Responses to “One Signed, Another Coming, And Membership Confusion Reigns”
Ah the great unwashed
‘holic – how are the season ticket waiting lists starting to look like a very tempting alternative?
Most season ticket holders will be hiring them out to other people so won’t be losing their tickets at all. I think more will hire them out than actually lose them which means people on the waiting list will just be waiting for pretty much forever anyway.
It’s a shambles how silver membership works. 8 years? What a gyp.
Should be dependent on how many matches you attend + time you’ve been a red member with more emphasis on how many matches you attend.
I spent £1400 on matches last year (more than most season tickets) and still I’m 4 years away from a silver membership whereas someone who just pays £30 per year for a spare membership yet never uses it may actually become a silver member this year. I was working abroad during 2004/05 season so didn’t have a membership.
Who’s more worthy? Someone who’s spent over £3,000 on a red membership and matches over the past 4 years or someone who’s spent £240 on red membership over the past 8 years??
Club need to sort this out. Give priority to the more faithful rather than people with “spare” silver memberships to take their mates along and have a picnic / date at the stadium.
Why doesnt everyone just by an executive box like me???
Let them eat cake…
Who cares about this sad, stoney faced, silent when not booing football tourists anyways??? Not me, nor my wife, her mistress, the gardener or my butler for that matter…
Holic – re Red Membership – i have had exactly the same problem, got a letter and DVD to renew (rec’d on the Wed – for renewal no later than prev Monday!!), then i was informed i didn’t have to do anything as i pay by DD, still waiting for it to be debited!
*It’s a shambles how silver membership works. 8 years? What a gyp.
Should be dependent on how many matches you attend + time you’ve been a red member with more emphasis on how many matches you attend.*
@Franny,
It sucks to be stuck in the queue but I’m also suspicious of anyone who thinks the rules should be re-defined in a manner that assists them personally. On the understanding that any method is gonna suck for someone, maybe we should just respect the club’s decision that their current methods suck less than the alternatives.
nice work holic. was just thinking hmmmm! what’s up in the world of arsenal. everything had been a bit quiet!
likewise as above, received my membership on the 8th, the day of “the deadline”, did it over the net but still haven’t seen the money come out
and likewise my wife has been a red member for about 7 years, still waiting!
ps. is this vermaelen deal pretty firm? it seems so in the papers?
Most season ticket holders will be hiring them out to other people so won’t be losing their tickets at all
There is the interesting thing. There don’t appear to be too many takers for those memberships. I suspect that quite a few will have to bite the bullet and lose their treasured gold memberships if things are starting to bite.
Don’t forget a lot of the golds also have silver memberships they have maintained so getting tickets as and when they need them won’t be an issue, and will work out cheaper in the long run. It’s only at Cup Final time they will be wishing they had maintained their privileges.
In my day as a red member before I became a season ticket holder there was an option to pay just £6 for a lilte membership which doesn’t include the goodie pack…. is this now not the case?
The problem you have is the people who have a silver and are on the waiting list for a season ticket – don’t lose the silver when they gain a season ticket.
I know because me and bnrother have both. I know its not great for others but we kept it going for friends etc…
I was surprised the club let us though !
What has happened to Cannon Club. I have just finished my last season as a Junior Gunner and cannot afford to shed out 32 quid + throughout the season. How can they get rid of the Cannon Club Membership? It’s a disgrace.
Interesting Article.
I am a red member, been so for 6 years now, so perhaps slightly ahead of you.
Not only is it confusing to send out e mails, and renewal letters with DVD’s I guess it must be expensive as well.
We should have better admin that this.
I am one of those hiring my season ticket out. basically I am skint, and family commitments are simply more important in my list of priorities (or so my wife tells me). In the past I guess I may have just given the ticket up and hoped to buy another one in a few years but no way I am about to give up a ticket that I will never get back.
I am doing another gooner a big favour by letting him see Arsenal when he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.
There were a lot of potential takers for my ticket so demand is still strong even in the recession.
I have access to silver membership via dad and friend so can still go to games.
I’m pleased for you gazzap. I know of a number of people who have not found that demand and have some serious decisions to make. Obviously people cannot hand their cards over to any old Tom, Dick, or Harry, so you do need to have affluent friends who would like to go regularly without going to the hassle of the normal ticket acquisition process.
I hope you don’t end up in a row when and if a Cup Final appearance comes around.
My mates and I have have given up our season tickets this season, just too expensive with the additional games to pay for too. The only thing that concerns me is that once I fall into the habit of not going regularly, will I ever pay the high prices that individual tickets cost. I will the club pursue season ticket holders for the outstanding 200 quid once they decide not to renew?
But if the people with ‘spare’ silver memberships don’t buy the tickets then they go to red members, therefore the system accounts for silvers who don’t buy tickets.
I agree that it does clog up the lists, but the silver members are ones who have been there and made the effort to get on the list and stay there for years, back to the TRS or Junior Gunners now in Cannon Club.
The system as it is now works reasonably, and you can always find season ticket holders who cant get to a game who are willing to hire their tickets. Even so, as a red member you should be able to get to more games than Highbury..
Ha Ha must be a normal thing, when I called them guess what! . . .yes 15’000 in Q , about 3 months ago I was 19’000. . .so I guess as the list went down by 4’000 a season. .3/4seasons time.
Must confess my wife and I both have Silver’s but since moving to the far north of Scotland 5 years ago we have only used them once or twice as going to home games means an hour drive to the airport then an hour and a half flight – and that gets you as far as Luton. But after waiting so bloody long I hate to give them up.. We always start the season saying we must go more often, but life and all that.
That said, My mate who has a red card pretty much got to every game he wanted to see last season.
I had a red membership for a short while, until it occured to me that I was not going to move up the waiting list in a long time, and even if I did I wouldn’t necessarily take advantage of the opportunity – I live well outside London and consider ticket prices to be utterly excessive.
Lambast me as a shallow/fake supporter all you like but I choose to catch the Arsenal on the telly rather than wait in a queue of thousands waiting for an increased priveledge of paying a fortune for tickets.
Having moved near to Wycombe recently I’ll go and see them instead…
for a membership club this large the way its run is a total mess.As i understood it the membership club woz not just about gettin tickets for games but a chance to belong to the club.iam a silver member on direct debit but like many i suggest ,am unable to get to games due to work shift worker who works 3 weekends out of every four,have only ever used my card once( for last years emirates cup which was brill)cant go this year am working.i would suggest an email to the Arsenal direct as i have done to complain about the way the club is adminstered
The whole membership system has been a shambles ever since I can remember. I applied for a season ticket about 14 seasons ago. I was told I was too late that year and joined the Ticket Registration Scheme instead. I also went on the season ticket waiting list. I had to wait 10 years to get my season ticket. During that period I missed no more than 2 home games a season. My membership was converted into a silver membership before I eventually got the calling.
Having waited so long for a season ticket I have no intention of giving it up. I do go to every game I possibly can but would have no problem in trying to sell my ticket to friends if financial constraints meant I had to.
The big problem is those with both Gold and Silver memberships. I was told after year 1 as a Gold member that you would only be allowed to keep one membership. If you were caught with 2 then both would be cancelled. I wanted to keep my Silver cards as a way of being ale to take my kids if I could. However, having been faced with that option I quickly cancelled them. It appears that this was all talk from the club and that thousands still hold both memberships. If the club wanted to sort the problems out then they would enforce their own rules. I guess that would not be popular with members who hold both but would be a lot fairer on those who are working their way up the list.
I wonder if it ever occurs to the club to investigate the one in ten of our home fans who are Japanese/Norwegian/Canadian/Jedi etc. and who are quite happy to volunteer that they have never been to the Emirates before and that it is really “greeeeeeatt” ( as Tony the Tiger might say)
Probably not – and why should they when the locals do so well out of it
Easy Tiger
Lambast me as a shallow/fake supporter all you like but I choose to catch the Arsenal on the telly rather than wait in a queue of thousands waiting for an increased priveledge of paying a fortune for tickets.
Having moved near to Wycombe recently I’ll go and see them instead…
Someone hand me the Lambaster….
…No, the other one, with the non-frangible pipe.
Cup final time, holic? Heh!
*removes cynical hat and hair shirt*
As usual I`ve had to juggle the finances to pay for my gold membership. I must say it is a little disconcerting to hear that some people trying to hire out their season tickets are finding there are no takers. If the club knew that; maybe the smugness they must feel, secure in the knowledge that there are tens of thousands on the waiting list, might evaporate. I wonder if there could be a cull of the various waiting lists to cut out any dead wood.