The scenes which preceded the 1-0 defeat to Everton at the end of last season were one of unity. A collective protest of defiance towards the owners of a club who had bought into the Super League’s millions.
However, fast forward to the first home game of the 2021/22 season, more has been spent by the club this summer than in any previous. Nonetheless, the starting XI against Chelsea saw just one new face compared to last season.
Many fans’ frustrations have grown significantly throughout the summer, so much so that some began to spread posts encouraging people to unite again against the ownership. Smatterings of a variety of different posts were distributed across social media, but there seemed no central hub for the organisation of the demonstration.
The Arsenal Fan Brands team travelled to the Emirates on the morning of the Chelsea match to see for themselves what level of response would congregate. The answer became very apparent at a worrying pace.
"There are three areas the Kroenkes have failed Arsenal fans..." pic.twitter.com/AU4mJatno8
— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl)
Whilst Arsenal had cordoned off the perimeter of the stadium due to Covid restrictions, the area outside the Armoury was left for fans to congregate. However, very few took the opportunity to use it to show their animosity towards the club’s owners.
As the clock edged towards the 3pm start time, a small crowd of around 30 people began to group. The “Kroenke Out” chants could be heard from across the road but far from the level needed to turn heads nearer the Arsenal shop less than 30m away. It was evident that a lack of organisation and commitment from those willing to attend had scuppered any chance of the protest from succeeding.
The Fan Brands team spoke with several supporters who had travelled from as far as Bristol to attend the protest. Asking about a lack of attendance it was clear from their responses that they felt let down.
“I’m really disappointed,” were the words spoken which re-emerged throughout the conversations with supporters. Asked what is needed to turn these poorly attended movements into something to catch the eye like the scenes after the Super League collapse, it was clear fans wanted something to rally around.
From the tweets trying to popularise the event, it looked amateur. Start times with no information about where the protest would take place left fans in a state of puzzlement. Some supporters had no idea where they were even supposed to start.
With the ownership in attendance, Josh Kroenke was spotted inside the Emirates, arguably their position was strengthened. From the perspective of KSE, with the club going into a new season underprepared despite significant spending, had fans wanted to send a message it failed miserably.
As kick-off approached, the few who had gathered reluctantly left their posts on the roundabout and made their way into the ground. A sole ‘Kroenke out’ flag held by one small group of fans was gradually folded back up, pocketed away, saved for another day.
"They masked where we are with money spent this week, none of it came from the Kroenke's pocket..."
"After the game, a protest would have been full!" pic.twitter.com/8YbT7Cqj1N— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl)
That is the reflection for those few. Should they wish to make a difference then lessons must be learned. The idea that fans cannot have a voice in the sport must not ever be diminished. Whether the viewpoint of those few may not be shared, it was a fan reaction which prevented the Super League from mobilising.
Boos rang out around the Emirates at full-time as Arsenal suffered their second defeat in as many games at the beginning of the season, a theme of the Emirates during the Kroenke’s residency. Yet whilst displeasure at what the tens of thousands of Arsenal fans saw was voiced then, a miniscule percentage were alone in their commitment to fight for change prior to the 90 minutes.
How do you feel about Arsenal's owners and potential future protests? Follow our new Arsenal Fan Brands Writer Tom Canton to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
