Watch it

By Quartz Gooner
April 27 2011

What follows is an appeal from an organisation that is not linked to Arsenal Times, however as publisher of Arsenal Times I sympathise with the general aims of this appeal. The appeal is not on behalf of AT, nor does it represent the full views of the editor. But I believe its important to support genuine fans who wish to see an end to the annual spring implosion. Boris Mellor Publisher Arsenal Times  

Article that follows is by Quartz Gooner of  Arsenalfcnotplc

Put together a season ticket price increase and an end of season collapse by the team.  What do you get? Two months of unprecedented complaints against Arsene Wenger and Arsenal FC.  Bellicose bloggers bubbling over with bile.  Forums full of furious fans and mainstream media reporting on rumblings of fan base discontent.

Even ex-players and pundits express exasperation with Wenger’s persistence with a non-winning team, and the repetition of flaws on the pitch.  Failure to defend set pieces?  Check.  Unpredictability in front of goal?  Check.  Lack of a strong skipper?  Check.  No midfield general?  Check. 

From the midst of this malaise, we are a group of fans who want to do something to improve the team.  We began as a small group of regulars on the Gooner forum, who one night after a defeat, realised that our forum posts were in themselves little more than ventings of steam.  But that if our talents were pooled together, and if we spent less time posting on every random thread, and concentrated our resources on the improvement of the team, we might, just might, have a chance of making ourselves heard. 

So we formed a group called arsenalfcnot plc.  So far we have a Facebook site and a Twitter page.  Our website is under construction.  We plan some actual protests at the ground, but for now we prefer to work online, building up support and letting the press know of our intent.

Bottom line, we want the club’s cash reserves used on improving the team.  We honestly believe that two or three more experienced players can tip the balance from us being constant Champions League qualifiers, to actually being League winners again. 

That is our sole mission, to persuade Mr Wenger to buy better quality players.  The youth policy is fine, but it can only take us so far.  It needs adding to.  Not breaking the bank with loads of silly money transfers, but two or three sensible considered purchases. Imagine the current squad with Scott Parker and Gary Cahill added. No guarantee of success, but surely more competitive? 

As a group we are 100% committed to non-violent protest, and are not a “Wenger Out” group.  The new ownership of the club is perhaps a window of opportunity and we aim to take advantage of it.

Please follow us

Facebook.com/arsenalfcnotplc

Twitter.com/arsenalfcnot plc

And please take part in our first campaign, which is for club members to write to Mr Wenger expressing their frustration.

A template letter is below, and please copy and send it to Arsene Wenger.

The address is:

Arsenal Football Club
Highbury House
75, Drayton Park
London
N5 1BU


Dear Mr Wenger,

I have been an Arsenal fan for many years, and am a platinum/gold/silver/red member.  I respect your past achievements and consider you an all time legend.  But the past few seasons have been painful.  It is almost essential to finish in the top four, but hand on heart, I do not feel we have been seriously challenging for the title. 
We are not far off, but we are a distance short.
I feel as if we are stuck in a repeating pattern of being "nearly men".

We have a lot of youth players coming through the ranks, but I cannot see how we can progress without spending on more experienced players.

I also worry about the defence, who have not been good enough at set pieces for a while now.

Please, for the good of the club, spend some of our cash reserves to push us that extra bit further to the title.  It is disheartening to know cash is available but not being spent.

Yours,

A Gooner.