Ticketgate - my take on the whole scandal surrounding the clubs ticketing and pricing policy. 

As I am sure you are all aware lots of has been made of the last 48 hours or so especially, since Manchester City reportedly handing back circa 1000 tickets to Arsenal because many fans did not want to pay the £63 price that Arsenal had set for this game. But it is something that has been discussed also by Arsenal fans for a long time. Subsequently once again the media has had a field day, as they do whenever something to do with Arsenal can be criticised and sufficiently slagged off! Since Manchester City have become a Premier League "force" Arsenal have placed them within the "Class A" ticketing band which also includes fixtures against Manchester United and The Scum, naturally therefore they are placed at the upper end of the pricing structure. Once again as I said the media have used this a chance to slag of the club, the board e.t.c. But let me try and put some perspective on something which is, as Le Boss put it "a delicate subject"!

First things first as I said this is a Class A fixture, therefore it is a game that many people will want to attend to watch the drama that I am sure and I hope will unfold (in Arsenal's favour of course). Therefore naturally the supply and demand model will apply. Furthermore as it is a "class a" game, NOT all of our away end tickets will be priced this way, as the media will try and make people think. This is a big game, therefore naturally it will have a big price!

Furthermore unlike City we do not have an oil rich backer behind us that can just pour money into the club like its going out fashion! Arsenal as a club and as a business relies on match-day revenue for its overall financial strength, hence the initiative which is now in action by the club to grow our "commercial revenue streams" e.g. new deal with Fly Emirates agreed recently. Therefore in order for us to compete going forward, or even have the chance to compete with the other clubs around us, we have to accept that we are going to need to pay a premium for the pleasure of watching our club play at the home of football. There isn't really much else the club can do.

Clearly I myself am frustrated at the price of tickets, our season tickets cost upwards of £1100 each, so I am well aware of this issue. However as I said, we have to accept that if we want to be able to compete with the likes of Manchester City going forward, our ticket prices are going to be high, and we are are going to have to grow and expand as much as is possible our commercial revenue capabilities. Which is something that we know Ivan Gazidis especially is working towards. The Fly Emirates agreement that I mention is case in point, of this.

Therefore to summarise, we have to make it clear that this is not the price of ticket that is charged for every game, nor is it the price that is charged for the home end either I believe. The club relies on this revenue to be able to fulfil its ambition going forward and therefore unless a Sheikh Mansour type figure comes along, we are going to have to just accept that us fans will have to pay a premium if we are going to be able to see our team compete at all. It's a difficult topic I know, but The Emirates sells out 90% of the time that I am there (which is most games) and we have an absolutely ENORMOUS waiting list for season tickets, and therefore clearly most fans accept this. The prices will be high!

Let's hope that ticket-gate doesn't distract from what should be a fantastic game on Sunday Vs Manchester City, and from what could be in my opinion a good win for The Arsenal, lets hope so!!

UP THE ARSENAL

@Mr_arsenal_blog