Arsenal FC

The Emirates Stadium:

Capacity: 60,400

Location: Ashburton Grove, Holloway, North London

Cost: £390 million

Founded in 1886 Arsenal Football Club is now entering an exciting new era with its move to the Emirates Stadium. Despite the fans’ undying love for Highbury the move to the new venue has been universally welcomed - not least because an extra 22,000 can watch every match there - and the stadium has been widely acclaimed as one of the finest in the Premier League. A magnificent modern construction of glass and steel, the bull-ring shape arena really feels like a venue fit for the team's finest football.

The stadium itself is divided into four colour-coded quarters - orange, yellow, green and blue - with the green quarter reserved for visiting fans.

Tickets:

As might be expected the price of tickets varies widely, depending on club membership, the individual match and the chosen seating.

The club operates a membership system based on Platinum and Gold, Silver and Red levels. Some tickets are only available to certain membership brackets but others are made available to the general public. Depending on the fixture, tickets go on sale up to two months before the match date. For membership enquiries contact:

Arsenal Membership Ticket Hotline - 0870 380 0232

For other ticket sales a good place to start is the ticket section of the Arsenal website. This contains details of up-coming matches and also shows which games have availability, and for which kinds of membership the tickets are available. They also have an online booking facility.

Arsenal Football Club Tickets

Arsenal Box Office
Highbury House
75 Drayton Park
London N5 1BU

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm
Saturday 9.30am - 12noon

The Arsenal North Bridge Box Office is located on Drayton Park.

Ticket pricing:

Matches against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham United are classed as Catergory A and cost more than matches against other teams, which are priced under Category B. Most FA Cup and Champions' League matches will be Category B, although more important matches will be made Category A.

Family Enclosure prices:
Adult £48 £33
Senior Citizen/Cannon Club £20.50 £14.50
Junior Gunner £18.50 £13.50

Stadium tours:

Such a new stadium understandably attracts huge amounts of attention from inquisitive fans and visiting tourists alike, something that the club has been keen to take advantage of: they offer daily tours around the stadium and offer more exclusive insights into the world of Arsenal, including visits to the first team dressing room and a look inside the tunnel down to the pitch (and of course no trip would be complete without a visit to the Arsenal Museum, where fans can admire historical displays charting the club’s success).

In an original addition to the standard tour options you can even be shown around by an (ex)-Arsenal legend, bend his ear on the club and its history, and receive a signed photo and other souvenir goodies. The tours have been a great success and the club welcomed in excess of 100,000 visitors in its first trading year.

Tours usually run 7 days a week, are free for under 5s and range from £6 to £35 depending on the tour required (concessions are offered). Those keen for a taste of the experience before they commit can now take a virtual tour online or download a copy of the tour leaflet. The club also offer vouchers for the experience so you can treat someone to a day out at the club.
For more information on joining a Stadium Tour you can call 020 7704 4504 or email tours@arsenal.co.uk. Corporate enquiries should be directed to events@arsenal.co.uk or 0845 262 0004.

Corporate use:

In addition to the crucial home fixtures the use of the stadium is expanding to include international friendly matches and a pre-season tournament, The Emirates Cup, and its commercial potential is also being exploited to the club’s advantage.

The stadium's suitability for corporate functions was recognised with a Sports Tourism award for Business Venue of the Year from the Visit London Awards in 2007, an organisation of industry professionals, and the venue hosts close to 1000 business events every year. A delighted Keith Edelman, Arsenal’s Managing Director, said of the award : "Our vision has always been that Emirates Stadium would be known for more than just fantastic football. We want it to become a London landmark that businesses and individuals could enjoy on non-match days too. We are delighted to have been recognised by Visit London for both our events and stadiums tours, particularly against such illustrious competition".

Getting there:

As the Emirates stadium is located in a largely residential area of North London the club wisely advises fans to use public transport and to avoid coming by car.

The stadium has a colour coding system to signify different areas and visiting spectators are located in the green quadrant, to the south east of the stadium. Special Event Day Parking is introduced on match days, which makes parking very difficult to find without a resident’s permit, so the following alternatives are preferable:

Tube and Rail:

One of the cheapest and easiest options is to get the tube to one of the nearby stations and then walk to the ground. Arsenal (Piccadilly Line) is the closest station, just a few minutes walk from the ground but Finsbury Park (on the Victoria and Piccadilly Lines, and Great Northern rail) or Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line, North London Line and Great Northern rail) stations are roughly 10 minutes' walk.

Kings Cross is a main connection point for travel to all the nearby stations and if you want to avoid the crowds, Finsbury Park or Highbury & Islington are usually less busy. On match days there is no entry to Holloway Road station before or after the game.

Bus:

There is a good network of buses serving the areas around the stadium. Fans can travel to the main stops on Holloway Road, Nag's Head, Seven Sisters Road, Blackstock Road and Highbury Corner, all within a ten-minute walk and some as close as five minutes away. Consult the TFL website and route maps for further details.

Transport For London

Coach:

Fans travelling by coach can park in the Queensland Road site, only a short walk from the stadium. It is important to remember that advance registration is required for all coach parties at least seven days before the match and that coaches must arrive at least two hours before kick-off to secure a parking space (late arrivals will not be allowed access to the parking so it is crucial to get there well in advance). More details about coach travel can be found through the following contacts:
Phone: 0207 704 4163
Fax: 0207 704 4161
Email: emiratescoachparking@arsenal.co.uk

Bicycle:

Cycling is a fast and effective (not to mention healthy and cheap) way to get to the stadium and there are secure facilities for leaving bikes whilst watching the match. Planning a route is easy with the Transport for London journey planner, which allows you to select a cycle only option:

Transport For London

The Team:

Following the departure of many keystone players in the side over recent years, Arsenal's much-respected manager Arsene Wenger is doing a fine job of building a core of driven and talented youngsters. His knack for putting such talent forward into the limelight shows an instinctive understanding of how to turn raw talent into world class ability.

Coaching staff:

Manager: Arsène Wenger

Pure destiny or happy coincidence? However you choose to interpret the matching of the man, Arsene, with the club, Arsenal, one thing is clear: never in the history of the club has a manager done more managing or more winning - in the 11 years in charge, the passionate Frenchman has secured three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, with treasured League and Cup ‘doubles’ in 1998 and 2002. He was also the first manager in English league history to complete an entire 38-game season unbeaten in 2003/04.

Wenger's impact at the club is hard to overestimate and he has brought a uniquely intelligent and dedicated focus to the modern game, embarrassing rival managers with far bigger budgets, with his ability to recognise and develop young unknown internationals into world class players.

His influence is felt in all areas of the club and the respect and loyalty he commands with players is testament to his personal dynamism; the rewards of his tireless analysis and meticulous preparation are polished passing football and wonderful collective vision in team performances. A perfectionist at heart, he has dedicated himself to the task of managing Arsenal for over a decade, and fans will be pleased to know he has formally agreed to continue working his magic until at least June 2011.

Assistant Manager:

No profile of Arsenal would be complete without a mention of Pat Rice, Arsenal’s Assistant Manager. A veritable legend at the club, his four decades of service have been invaluable to the development of the modern Arsenal side. Before joining the coaching staff he served as a long-term player and captain, with five hundred and twenty eight club caps at right-back and nearly fifty at international level with Northern Ireland.

Chairman:
An ex-Coldstream Guards soldier, businessman and banker, Peter Hill-Wood could be said to have sport and Arsenal in his blood.

He comes from a cricketing family, having played for Derbyshire in his early days, and is continuing a remarkable line of succession to the Arsenal Chairman’s throne, currently standing as the third generation of his family to occupy the position.

Both his grandfather Samuel and his father Denis served as chairmen before him and although he does not play a major role in the lower-level affairs of the club he played an important role in the organisation and financing of the new stadium, drawing on city contacts to drive the venture forward. In recent times he has reduced his holdings in the club but he continues to lead the Board of Directors.

Arsenal First Team Squad 2008/2009:

• 1. Manuel Almunia
• 2. Abou Diaby
• 3. Bacary Sagna
• 4. Cesc Fabregas
• 5. Kolo Toure
• 6. Philippe Senderos
• 7. Tomas Rosicky
• 8. Samir Nasri
• 9. Eduardo
• 10. William Gallas
• 11. Robin Van Persie
• 12. Carlos Vela
• 14. Theo Walcott
• 15. Denilson
• 16. Aaron Ramsey
• 17. Alexandre Song
• 19. Jack Wilshere
• 20. Johan Djourou
• 21. Lukasz Fabianski
• 22. Gael Clichy
• 24. Vito Mannone
• 25. Emmanuel Adebayor
• 26. Nicklas Bendtner
• 27. Emmanuel Eboue
• 28. Amaury Bischoff
• 30. Armand Traore
• 31. Justin Hoyte.

Player profiles:

• 1. Manuel Almunia

Born: 1977
Nationality: Spanish
Debut: 2004
Position: goalkeeper

A great shot-stopper, Almunia has secured his place in the first team with a series of strong performances last season (notably against Liverpool in the League and West Bromwich Albion and Everton in the Carling Cup). Having made just 14 appearances last year, the coming season will see him take over full duties in the Premiership and fans are hoping he will step up to match the standard set by Lehmann in previous years.

• 2. Abou Diaby

Born: 1986
Nationality: French
Debut: 2006
Position: midfielder

A potent physical presence in central midfield, Diaby joined Arsenal from Auxerre in 2006 (although injury delayed his appearance until 2007). Having captained the French Under-19s side in the European Championship of 2005, Diaby has risen from a promising background in Paris and the coming season will reveal more of his true ability.

• 3. Bacary Sagna

Born: 1983
Nationality: Senegalese
Debut: 2007
Position: defender

Another Auxerre signing, Sagna is likely to compete with Justin Hoyte for the right-back position behind Eboue. A strong defender with attacking potential, he made his Arsenal debut against Fulham last August, winning 2 – 1, and has been called up to the French national squad for his efforts.

• 4. Cesc Fabregas

Born: 1987
Nationality: Spanish
Debut: 2003
Position: midfielder

One of the brightest young stars at Arsenal, Fabregas has attracted praise for his dynamic and tireless efforts in central midfield. Following a strong season last year he is a clear winner with the fans, attracting over 60% of the vote in a recent poll and building on his success as the club’s youngest ever player and scorer (he made over 150 appearances as a teenager).

• 5. Kolo Toure

Born: 1981
Nationality: Ivorian
Debut: 2002
Position: defender

Toure is a talented and established central defender at club and international level, with great tackling and anticipation. He is always keen to turn the tables on the opposition with strong running and next season will see him stepping forward to share his experience with a relatively new defence, making him a crucial presence in the back four next season.

• 6. Philippe Senderos

Born: 1985
Nationality: Swiss
Debut: 2004
Position: defender

A tenacious and strong-willed player, Senderos has made rapid steps towards maturity in the Arsenal side, fighting back from injury last season. He has learned a lot from his international experience at centre back and is expected to continue to develop his judgement and skills next season.

• 7. Tomas Rosicky

Born: 1980
Nationality: Czech
Debut: 2006
Position: midfielder

An attacking-minded midfielder, Tomas has already enjoyed a taste of victory at Sparta Prague and Borussia Dortmund before coming to Arsenal and it is hoped he will build on an encouraging first-season performance last year to increase his scoring tally. He can play on the left in midfield but is also comfortable in the centre, his position at international level.

• 8. Samir Nasry

Born: 1987
Nationality: French
Debut: n/a
Position: midfielder

An exciting new signing for Wenger, Nasri joined Arsenal from Marseilles this year on a long-term contract. Already an international midfielder he has been awarded two Player of the Year titles and is excited to be joining Arsenal this season, where it is hoped his pace and technical skill will become an asset to the squad.

• 9. Eduardo

Born: 1983
Nationality: Croatian
Debut: 2007
Position: striker

Originally from Brazil, Eduardo assumed Croatian nationality in 2002. He has a strong club and international scoring record and even scored the first European goal at the Emirates Stadium. Wenger believes he is an excellent finisher with an adaptable style. Could he be the answer to the Arsenal’s scoring problems next season?

• 10. William Gallas

Born: 1977
Nationality: French
Position: defender
Debut: 2006

Experienced former Chelsea man William Gallas is to be Arsenal’s captain this year, bringing his knowledge of international and Premier League football to bear in the defence. Fans are hoping that he and Kolo Toure can work together to pass on their experience to the younger members of the squad and ultimately create the kind of solid defence that Arsenal have come to expect over the years.

• 11. Robin Van Persie

Born: 1983
Nationality: Dutch
Position: striker
Debut: 2004

Arsenal love to play team football but if pushed to pick their key player, at this moment and for the near future, it would not be a surprise to see Van Persie in first place. A great natural striker with talent for inspirational play and goal scoring (both in normal play and from free kicks), he was Arsenal’s top scorer last season with thirteen goals, despite suffering a metatarsal injury. Henry is a fading shadow in the light of Van Persie and fans are hoping for the best from him.

• 12. Carlos Vela

Born: 1989
Nationality: Mexican
Position: striker
Debut: n/a

Having shown promise in his home country and Spain, winning the Under-17 World Championships, Arsenal fans will have to wait a little longer before they can see what he is made of as he is playing on loan to the Spanish club Osasuna this year.

• 14. Theo Walcott

Born: 1989
Nationality: British
Position: attacking midfielder
Debut: 2006

A phenomenal young star, Walcott has sent shock waves around the English football world, becoming the youngest player ever to represent England at the age of seventeen. Bought from Southampton amongst much media hype, he has shown great pace and vision, especially when playing on the wing, and fans are waiting for his true ability to shine through next season.

• 15. Denilson

Born: 1988
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: midfielder
Debut: 2006

Denilson’s presence in the squad was somewhat inconspicuous to begin with but he has been emerging steadily since his transfer on the back of smooth and efficient performances in the midfield. His progress was marked by selection for the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea, a mark of Wenger’s faith in the young player. His impressive international captaincy record bodes well for the future.

• 16. Aaron Ramsey

Born: 1990
Nationality: Welsh
Position: midfielder
Debut: n/a

A prodigious young player, Ramsey rose through the ranks at Cardiff City and went on to play for Wales Under-21s at just seventeen (the youngest player ever to do so), a success he no doubt hopes to replicate at Arsenal.

• 17. Alexandre Song

Born: 1987
Nationality: Cameroonian
Position: midfielder
Debut: 2005

Returning from a mixed season on loan to Charlton (he was a valuable player and delivered on many occasions but they were ultimately relegated) Song will be hoping to work his way into regular fixtures as soon as possible. He is a flexible player, capable of working in defence as well as further forward and has shown signs of promise in youth teams.

• 19. Jack Wilshere

Born: 1992
Nationality: English
Position: midfielder
Debut: n/a

A consistently impressive young midfielder with innate attacking drive, Wilshere’s selection for the first team squad will be welcomed by fans who have been following his success in the youth teams since 2001 where - at just nine years old - he scored an impressive 13 goals in the Under-18s, and even in the reserve side, where he scored on his debut. Watch this space.

• 20. Johan Djourou

Born: 1987
Nationality: Swiss
Position: defender
Debut: 2004

Born in the Ivory Coast, Djourou is another player who was previously on loan, to Birmingham City in this case. Kicking off his Arsenal career in style at the 7 – 0 trouncing of Middlesborough in 2006 he has continued to show his worth in further appearances where his pace and power have signalled a promising future as a defender with an adaptable skill set.

• 21. Lukasz Fabianski

Born: 1985
Nationality: Polish
Position: goalkeeper
Debut: 2007

A relative unknown, Fabianski has come from Legia Warsaw on a long-term contract and has joined Arsenal for pre-season training. An excellent record at home, where his side won the Polish league and he was voted Best Keeper two years running, secured him a place in the national squad for the World Cup.

• 22. Gael Clichy

Born: 1985
Nationality: French
Position: defender
Debut: 2003

Despite some problems with injuries, Clichy has fought back to become an almost permanent feature in the Arsenal first team, playing forty games last season. His speed is a great asset, both going forward and holding the defence and he will be looking forward to making an appearance for his country having narrowly missed a place in the French European Championship team.

• 24. Vito Mannone

Born: 1988
Nationality: Italian
Position: goalkeeper
Debut: n/a

Having built up his keeping experience in Atlanta and then at Barnsley, in the Championship, Mannone has more recently been playing for the Arsenal reserve side, where he made some impressive saves in important games, notably a penalty stop against Watford.

• 25. Emmanuel Adebayor

Born: 1984
Nationality: Togolese
Position: striker
Debut: 2006

A fast and active striker keen to put pressure on defenders, Adebayor joined Arsenal from Monaco and scored on his debut against Birmingham. His height and physical presence make him a handful to contain and despite a drop in his scoring record Wenger continues to put faith in him, encouraged by what he brings to the Arsenal attack.

• 26. Nicklas Bendtner

Born: 1988
Nationality: Danish
Position: striker
Debut: 2005

Like Johan Djourou, Bendtner was on loan to Birmingham City, and he has returned with the invaluable experience of winning the Championship and scoring thirteen goals, a great motivation for him to set his sights on the Arsenal first team. He recently won his first national cap and scored against PSG in the Emirates Cup, using physical strength and skill to outshine the competition, traits that fans will hope to see more of in the coming months.

• 27. Emmanuel Eboue

Born: 1983
Nationality: Ivorian
Position: midfielder
Debut: 2005

A great talent in the Arsenal side, Eboue’s aggressive, forward-going play down the right flanks has helped the team to open up opposition defences and made him a dangerous counter-attacking force. His flexibility on the pitch comes from his great pace and ability to run with the ball, physical attributes matched by great commitment and determination. To date he has contributed more in terms of assists than actual scoring but this is likely to change as he settles into his role, which may shift from a defensive to a midfield or right-wing position this season.

• 28. Amaury Bischoff

Born: 1987
Nationality: Portuguese
Position: midfielder
Debut: n/a

Despite his promise, Wenger described the signing of the young French-born midfielder as a “gamble” on the basis of his uncertain fitness following recent groin surgery. He had played for the French youth team (Under-18s) but has now switched to the Portuguese Under-21 side. Depending on the progress of his fitness he may appear in the central or right midfield.

• 30. Armand Traore

Born: 1989
Nationality: French
Position: defender
Debut: 2006

A competent and composed young left-back, Traore is still developing under the Arsenal system, settling during a number of appearances in the Carling Cup last year. A signing from Monaco, he is favoured by the French international youth teams and it is hoped his strength and control will contribute to the Arsenal unit in the future.

• 31. Justin Hoyte

Born: 1984
Nationality: English
Position: defender
Debut: 2003

One of Arsenal’s home-grown talents, Hoyte has fought hard to establish his presence in the squad and succeeded in impressing Wenger with his versatility, pace and technical ability, earning his keep in the central defence despite stiff competition. He has committed to stay at the club and his athleticism and determination will surely stand him in good stead.

Club honours:

A promising new chapter is being opened on Arsenal's honours list with the move to the Emirates Stadium - fans are waiting expectantly for their first major win there. Will next season be the one?

League Championships (13)

• 2004
• 2002
• 1998
• 1991
• 1989
• 1971
• 1953
• 1948
• 1938
• 1935
• 1934
• 1933
• 1931

FA Cup Wins (10)

• 2005 - Manchester Utd 5-4 (on penalties)
• 2003 - Southampton 1-0
• 2002 - Chelsea 2-0
• 1998 - Newcastle United 2-0
• 1993 - Sheffield Wednesday 2-1
• 1979 - Manchester United 3-2
• 1971 - Liverpool 2-1
• 1950 - Liverpool 2-0
• 1936 - Sheffield United 1-0
• 1930 - Huddersfield Town 2-0

League Cup Wins (2)

• 1993 - Sheffield Wednesday 2-1
• 1987 - Liverpool 2-1

Charity/Community Shield Wins (11+1 shared)

• 2004 - Manchester United 3-1
• 2002 - Liverpool 1-0
• 1999 - Manchester United 2-1
• 1998 - Manchester United 3-0
• 1991 - A Draw with Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 (shared)
• 1953 - Blackpool 3-1
• 1948 - Manchester United 4-3
• 1938 - Preston North End 2-1
• 1934 - Manchester City 4-0
• 1933 - Everton 3-0
• 1931 - West Bromwich Albion 1-0
• 1930 - Sheffield Wednesday 2-1

European Fairs Cup Wins

• 1970 - Anderlecht 4-3 on aggregate

European Cup Winners Cup Wins

• 1994 - Parma 1-0

FA Youth Cup Wins (6)

• 2001 - Blackburn Rovers 6-3 on aggregate
• 2000 - Coventry City 5-1 on aggregate
• 1994 - Millwall 5-3 on aggregate
• 1988 - Doncaster Rovers 6-1 on aggregate
• 1971 - Cardiff City 2-0 on aggregate
• 1966 - Sunderland 5-3 on aggregate