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Arsenal men’s football has returned following the international break with a solid 1-0 victory over Everton away at Goodison.
Much has been made recently of Everton’s struggles. The situation with their change in ownership and new stadium transition paint a picture of what might have been for us perhaps, had it not been for the steadfast resilience of Arsene Wenger during the move to the Grove.
AISA has been a critical part of supporters engagement in that journey, through the work of committee members such as the much missed Steven Powell, all the way up to the present day through the work of Drew Gray as our representative on the Arsenal Advisory Board.
More recently, we’ve been holding the club to account on ticketing in the wake of the disappointing scenes prior to the season opener against Nottingham Forest. We’re also keenly aware of the frustration being felt by supporters with the balloting system being used for matches this season and are making sure that fairness is at the forefront of addressing a huge demand for tickets (which is both welcome and timely thanks to results on the pitch!)
Vinai Venkatesham
Speaking of which, if you have not done so already, I highly recommend reading AISA’s statement (kindly written by the aforementioned Drew Gray) regarding the announcement of the departure of Vinai Venkatesham from the club next year.
The success of any tenure can often be judged by comparing the before and after, and I think it’s fair to say, even considering the pitfalls of the Super League and other disappointments, that the club is in a much stronger position, having weathered the ultimate transition from a legend in Wenger to the promise of a bright future under Arteta.
It can sometimes be very easy as a supporter to descend into acrimony when things aren’t going the way you want, but AISA’s position as an organisation has always to be a critical friend of the club. We don’t believe it’s productive to highlight specific individuals for negativity. These are extremely difficult roles at the end of the day.
It’s for that reason that we should probably be thankful for Vinai’s resolute stance in terms of his support for Arteta, and for engaging fans far more resolutely than many of our competitors have done so, despite the self-inflicted wounds that the Club endured on the journey to reach that point.
One can only look at the stark difference between Arsenal and Manchester United on and off the pitch following our recent victory over them to realise just what a good job Vinai has done in that regard.
UWCL disappointment and the Gunner Galactico’s
Our Women’s team endured a major disappointment with defeat on penalties to Paris FC in the First Qualifying Round which ends our interest in Europe before the league season has even begun.
Despite this, there’s still a lot to be enthusiastic about, with the arrival of Australian midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross and the long-awaited returns of Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema still on the cards.
It’s amazing to have a team full of world class players and rightfully asserting its place in the transfer market. The work done by the club in placing such prominence in the transfer strategy of the Women’s team, as much as the Men’s, is something to be admired.
Another big part of that is the increased number of matches at the Grove, and our season opener against Liverpool will be there on the 1st of October. Let’s all do our part in making sure that the team are as well supported as possible.
Liam 19/10/23