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1824 Supporters

Created by Jane Bromfield on December 19, 2006, 10:34 am

We, the undersigned, urge the directors of Arsenal Football Club to re-think the "Sledgehammer to crack a nut" policy regarding flags at the Arsenal Emirates Stadium.

We understand that the Club has made the decision to ban all flags that contain national emblems from being displayed at the Emirates (see the www.arsenal.com for the statement).

We believe that the reason for this is that a lone Turkish Cypriot flag has recently been displayed by a 'fan'. This has, quite rightly, upset many Greek Cypriots as this flag supports an illegal state that is not internationally recognised.

However, this sweeping policy now means that Arsenal fans from all over the world will not be able to display flags which honour their love of the club and their nationality. Dutch Gooners, Welsh Gooners, English Gooners, Swedish Gooners, French Gooners, Japanese Gooners, American Gooners, etc will now no longer be able to display their flags at matches. Most fans love seeing the different national flags which displays to us the love of Arsenal across the world and the colourful flags add to the atmosphere in the ground.

We feel that this is an over-reaction - will T-shirts with flags on be banned next?

We accept that Arsenal Football Club can do as it pleases with regards to the grounds and its rules but it's not rocket science to find out what the legal, internationally recognised states of the world are. This information could be given to the stewards with pictures of the flags for reference. The Club has within its power to throw out the person involved, refund his/her membership, and offer the ticket to someone else on the waiting list.

We urge the Club to think again and to manage this situation in a different way.
      


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Petition Signatures


1,824 23 Jan 2007 - 22:35    Jonathan Hemsley : Apply some sense and allow fans to be fans however they so wish without causing offence, bring back the flags for goodness sake!
1,823 18 Jan 2007 - 10:43    Stu Bell : No national flags is a joke Arsenal. I'm a season ticket holder and am totally embarrassed by the club's actions
1,822 17 Jan 2007 - 1:22    j gibbins :
1,821 16 Jan 2007 - 19:53    Fiona : Bring back the flags!
1,820 16 Jan 2007 - 2:09    Bill : Some clubs have colours which are national colours, and their fans may use a national flag to show their support. eg Watford have colours which are the colours of the German or Belgian flags!
1,819 15 Jan 2007 - 3:29    Tom Trueman : Whose game is it anyway?
1,818 15 Jan 2007 - 1:41    Tel : are we to expect the new berlin wall to go up around the ground soon.
1,817 15 Jan 2007 - 1:13    Pippa :
1,816 13 Jan 2007 - 0:36    gary mac :
1,815 12 Jan 2007 - 20:34    Andrew wiesenberg : come on arsenal sort it out
1,814 12 Jan 2007 - 5:43    ron ware : a person, that i dont know, causes a fuss and i am banned from flying a flag.. its not for arsenal to say i can or cant..
1,813 11 Jan 2007 - 16:26    Per Tore :
1,812 11 Jan 2007 - 6:47    Lar Kirwan : Bring back all flags - not just national flags. Lets add some colour!
1,811 11 Jan 2007 - 6:35    Jeff : AFC please think again and rescind this policy. A flag has never hurt anybody. Lifelong (50+ years0 fan.
1,810 11 Jan 2007 - 6:12    Somma :
1,809 10 Jan 2007 - 22:38    G Mycock :
1,808 10 Jan 2007 - 18:18    Rodge : Where's the common sense gone??!
1,807 10 Jan 2007 - 17:32    Walter : Bring the flags back. All this is not fair.
1,806 10 Jan 2007 - 15:44    steve alcock : come on the arsenal board. Lets use a bit of common sense, it makes the game more of a spectacle. MCFC fan
1,805 10 Jan 2007 - 6:33    Dave Byrne : As an Irish supporter of Arsenal i have to say the ban is ridiculous. It hurts the English Fans aswell as the Irish/Scots etc lucky enough to get hold of tickets and who want to show the club/team its support by bringing their national flag to the game
1,804 9 Jan 2007 - 20:02    Ryan : I'm beginning to wish we'd never moved to this stadium now. The stewards seem determined to make examples of Gooners who stand up and sing, while ignoring the away support. Ludicrously priced category A games, over priced food which is still of an extremely poor quality and now the flag ban. What next?
1,803 9 Jan 2007 - 16:53    Lucky : Just Crazy!!! SS LAZIO 1900
1,802 9 Jan 2007 - 7:29    thomaz steuerman :
1,801 9 Jan 2007 - 4:50    Mike Jeffery : This is just rediculous , please can reason save the day
1,800 9 Jan 2007 - 4:20    Mark Pearce : How can a club as big as Arsenal let a minority ruing it for the majority. Bring back the flags now!!
1,799 9 Jan 2007 - 3:12    Neil Clark : C'mon Arsenal, get a grip, all good to support the minority but what about all the other thousands of loyal fans, careful or the only fans that will go will be the minority all the others will be banned..
1,798 8 Jan 2007 - 19:46    Paul Worthington :
1,797 8 Jan 2007 - 18:22    Paul : Best ban team shirts as well in case someone watching in China who supports Man U gets upset
1,796 8 Jan 2007 - 17:57    Jane T : Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Whatever next?? The banning of leather shoes/jackets/gloves, so as not to offend animal lovers??? Get a grip Arsenal
1,795 8 Jan 2007 - 17:03    norma Grundy : Banning flags will just be the start t-shirts and banners will be next.
1,794 8 Jan 2007 - 4:28    Kate : Im an arsenal fan and i think this is a really STUPID ban.
1,793 8 Jan 2007 - 2:30    Frances Dobson :
1,792 8 Jan 2007 - 2:17    Dan Thwaites :
1,791 8 Jan 2007 - 2:11    Adrian Walters :
1,790 8 Jan 2007 - 2:03    Paul Waller : fly the flags
1,789 8 Jan 2007 - 1:38    Ian Warburton : Ridiculous. One day its going to end up with every game ending in a draw, just in case some kid gets upset cos his team lost a game. City 'til I die. MCFC.
1,788 7 Jan 2007 - 20:14    Fiona Strasser :
1,787 7 Jan 2007 - 17:21    Neville Powell : No flags at the Brazil Portugal game then? I'm so pleased, I couldn't bear to see other national flags on display in my beloved country! I thought we had to tolerate each others cultures. Oh well, how long before this crazy idea gets incorporated at MCFC
1,786 7 Jan 2007 - 4:35    Stuart Hagger : Dont even like Arsenal but dont think flags should be banned from anywhere
1,785 6 Jan 2007 - 20:53    Chris Lake :
1,784 6 Jan 2007 - 18:50    Anthony Griffiths : Just crazy. Man City fan.
1,783 6 Jan 2007 - 17:27    allan nilsen :
1,782 6 Jan 2007 - 3:44    Scott Thomas : Think FC, not PC! Whats wrong with pride? after all we started as the pride of North London, why not extend it further! LET THE FLAGS FLY
1,781 6 Jan 2007 - 1:25    Shaun Sefton : Dont jump on the PC bandwagon THINK about it and let us show our national pride!
1,780 5 Jan 2007 - 22:15    Janice Bennett : PC gone mad! Absolutley too ridiculous for words. I would urge fans to stay away and hit them where it hurts most - stop being dicated to by morons!
1,779 5 Jan 2007 - 20:26    chris :
1,778 5 Jan 2007 - 19:02    Martin Warne : It seems that AFC are hell bent on providing a set of rules that are worthy of a theatre audience and not a football crowd. The insanity continues to alienate "true" fans and provide them with their corporate wannabees. Disgusted.
1,777 5 Jan 2007 - 18:40    Derek M : Simply - the ban is ludicrous. Koppite.
1,776 5 Jan 2007 - 17:27    Jon Pickstone : Bring back the terraces. Kippax Kid.
1,775 5 Jan 2007 - 17:26    Steve Biddle :
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