Arsenal Reserves lost 2-0 to their Sunderland counterparts this afternoon but, once again, coverage was difficult to come by, with the match, rather than being played at Underhill, taking place behind closed doors at London Colney, denying many fans access to the game.
Arsenal state that the reason for games being played at the training ground is that it provides a better quality of pitch during the Winter months, but that didn’t stop the FA Youth Cup tie against Derby taking place at Barnet last month. Concerns have subsequently been raised, however, that playing games in front of few supporters can have an adverse effect, with games often lacking in intensity given the lack of any sort of atmosphere.
The club do compensate somewhat by providing twelve minute highlights of all Reserve and under-18 games, but this coverage is somewhat sporadic in comparison to what is provided by other clubs, with Manchester United and Chelsea broadcasting all second-string games live on their respective television channels.
Arsenal did previously have such a channel of their own, but Arsenal TV, which helped to generate much interest in the club’s younger players, was disbanded following the collapse of the English branch of Setanta Sports in 2009.
If it were to return, even if the service had to be paid for, it would likely prove hugely popular once more and would help upcoming players adjust to the limelight by providing them with a sign of what may be to come in the future in terms of the presence of television cameras.
There is a potential negative side, with an increasing number of viewers potentially leading to certain players being either over-hyped or unnecessarily derided before they have even kicked a ball for the first-team.
The overwhelming effect, however, would probably be a positive one, but the more pressing issue for the club at present is to find a suitable location to stage the Reserve games next season that will take place during better weather, with Barnet, as things stand, having to leave Underhill at the end of the current campaign.
One option would be to play all of the games at London Colney, but that would further deny fans access to games, whilst Boreham Wood, which hosts Arsenal Ladies games is an alternative.
However, perhaps the best option would be to stage games at Emirates Stadium. This would prove an extra source of revenue to the club, through merchandise and refreshments sold, and would enable young players and fans alike to experience the ground for the first time.
In times gone by, second string fixtures were often held at Highbury, before Barnet took over the mantle. However, last season the decision was taken to greatly reduce the number of home Reserve games staged at Underhill, and to move the majority of them to London Colney instead.
It’s a move that hasn’t exactly worked out so far, and is something that may well be addressed in the near future.
There was talk of the club wanting to build a stand a Colney but not sure how viable that is with the residents likely to kick up a fuss.
My Dad used to take me to Highbury to watch the reserves when I was little! How I came to be so in love with The Arsenal!!
Bad idea.
Arsenal are an amazing club in history and traditions, much bigger than the 11 awesome players on the pitch. I have been enriched by watching many reserve games both live and on TV (prior to the demise of Setanta sports) and I fully concur that we should have a platform to continue to support our reserves. The reserve team are ambitious, driven and extremely eager to get (sometimes back) into the first team, providing first team players with healthy competition. They deserve to know and see that we care, thus I agree that games behind closed doors do not benefit… Read more »
I really enjoy watching the reserves at Underhill and was therefore really disappointed last season when it was announced games would be played behind closed doors.
I think it would be brilliant if games could be played at the Emirates. I think numbers would be higher than many think, I would certainly go. Playing in front of 10,000 fans or so must be amazing for the players, especially at a stadium such as the Emirates
would have been nice if we could have kept highbury as a reserve stadium… with no need to meet premier league ground requirements they could have even brought back the old north bank… *sobs*
ah well
Like any club, we have a percentage of fans that criticise players in the first team squad, who often, haven’t had the chance to prove themselves, So a minority of criticism against the reserves would be inevitable – But they get that to an extent nowadays. The resurrection of Arsenal TV has massive benefits in terms of revenue generation, with a fee paying domestic & global audience and more advertising revenues. DHL sponsor Manures training gear, and MU gets those big deals by giving DHL global advertising on MUTV. And although The Emirates would be the best option in terms… Read more »
I could care less about the reserves. Just saying queue the thumbs.
You should because it’s the proving ground of our future prospect from our youth program that produces the likes of Wilshere, Frimpong, Coquelin, Gibbs, Miquel, SZCZ, Bendter, Traore, Bothroyd, A. Cole, Laarson and etc. Not to mention it help to developing/developed the likes of Fabregas, Flamini, Clichy, Djourou, Song, Ramsey, AOX, Miyaichi, Fabianski, Senderos, Muamba, Walcott, Sidwell, Pennant, K. Toure, Bentley, and etc. Not to mention also the Arsenal legends that also came from the academy to the reserves and to the first team such as Ray Parlour, Tony Adams, Paul Merson, Martin Keown, Liam Brady, Pat Rice and etc… Read more »
If you couldn’t care less why read that article then all the posts the bother to write a reply.
I love reading watching and hearing about the reserves and the youth team. Makes me feel like I’m following a whole club not just a premier league team like I was following them from malaysia or somewhere. Same reason I read the arseblog.
On another note did anyone see the story mers and parlour told about Johnny Jensen when he first signed and went out with the lads on holloway road.
Woooot Malaysian gooners!!! 😀
How did you know I was from Malaysia.
I was referring to poster. But didn’t know you’re malaysian. lol
See that Park can’t even score for the reserves…..
We once got nearly 30,000 for a reserve game against Spurs at Highbury when Jimmy Greaves played for them.
This is coming from a New York Red Bulls fan who has seen them play in a 60,000 seater from 2000-2009 and a 25,000 seater from 2010-present and I can tell you the aura of the stadium is better in a 25,000 seater when you can only get at maximum 20,000 fans for a game. In a 60,000 the fans would either be to scattered that every fan would have empty seats near them or all the fans would be in one area of the stadium. Why don’t Arsenal switch Reserve stadiums to maybe Watfords place.
As a Barnet and Arsenal fan it was sad to see that relationship vanish, whilst Underhill isn’t a great stadium, the pitch is excellent and i don’t buy that reason at all.
These days most big clubs take every opportunity to screw over their siblings in the lower leagues, especially when it comes to gate receipts in cup competitions, Arsenal (and the spuds ironically) were one of the exceptions, but this won’t be the case for much longer i think.
How I loved the days of yesterday. When I was 9-15 I would always go to Underhill because the games were free.
Isn’t the issue that our best young players were being more easily scouted by other clubs when the games were at Barnet? You can’t rule it out entirely and scouts always find a way in, but surely the club has more control over it by restricting access to games? As a fanatic of all things The Arsenal, i’d love to watch the games (always did when they were on Arsenal TV) and can’t understand genuinely devoted fans who wouldn’t, but I know the interests of developing and keeping our young players should be paramount. Perhaps the answer is more Arsenal… Read more »
Arsenal need to get their own channel up and running immediately. The New York Yankees built the YES Network (Yankee Entertainment Sports) and that channel is now worth more than the actual club. The club is valued at around 1.5 billion dollars and the channel is at 3.5 billion. Arsenal need to stay ahead of the pack and generate cash. Even if it is a web based service, content is everything.
I agree. Also YES Network does Arsenal television as well on Mondays and Thursdays so we do get exposer in America to
A few points: 1) I’m not from Malaysia. 2) I’ll comment on any thread I see fit. 3) I don’t give a shit about the reserves because 90% of them will never make it to the first team. 3a) of the 10% that do come good, half of them will be cunts a push for a move for a bit more money or to go back to cuntalona. 3b) were the arsenal, we should be worrying about winning major honors in England and Europe, not our kids who may, but probably won’t, amount to shit.
Queue the thumbs.
1) I don’t think it was imply that you’re Malaysian. 2) Fair enough as everyone is entitle to their own opinions. 3a) How do you suppose we generate income to buy and pay players like the AOX, Ramsey, Arteta, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Santos, Walcott, Pires, Sagna, Henry, and etc without first selling players from our reserves? Adebayor £25mil and Nasri 20mil alone have allow us to buy players we need or to invest in a medical centre. Even if 10% make it to the first team then usually they have the potential to be top class players. Our spine of our… Read more »
We generate income by having the highest ticket prices in the world , couple with tv money, shirt sales in Malaysia ( thanks park), and by selling our best players. 2) id love it if we invested in a Spanish striker, in fact , not having a second striker of any mentionable quality is possibly our biggest concern today. 2a) I’m pretty sure rvp came from the feynord youth academy, not ours. As far as 3b) goes and you suggesting I support an oil club like citeh, you can go fuck your self. Just because you drank the wenger-gazidis kool… Read more »
2) I do agree we need a striker that scores, it’s a desperate issue if we’re to remain competitive in the 2nd half of the season. 2a) He did came from Feyenoord but I think you will agree that we develop him into the player he is today. 3b) Sinking down to swearing and insults? How low. Perhaps a wise man like you may come up with a marvellous idea to challenge Man City’s financial power, remain competitive on all front, play attacking football Arsenal is renown for, produce and develop high quality players, financially prosperous while servicing a multi… Read more »
I apologize for telling you to go fuck yourself. I assume you apologize for telling me to support citeh. I think we can agree that being called a citeh supporter is as bad as being told to fuck oneself.
I’ll agree to that!! Yes I do apologise and yes I do think there’s a growing contagion of glory hunters amongst the Citeh fans.
Anyone remember Jack Wilshere announcing himself to the world with a top-corner curler against West Ham reserves back in 2008?
Those were the days when Arsenal TV wasn’t a poxy 4 by 4-inch rubbish service only available when it decides a 3.1 Mbps download speed is acceptable.
Now it’s all about American-influenced business models. Cheap. Inefficient. No customer care. Soulless. And stupid.
Thank you Gazidis. You’ve turned Arsenal FC into a business you can be proud of.
Thing is … some of us aren’t all that proud of you.
I do remember that 😀
From a winger/AM to an all action midfield machine!!