What to expect from the Emirates Stadium crowd?

Some fans talk about a drop in atmosphere since the move from Highbury, while other away fans have suggested something of an intimidating atmosphere from the home crowd. For all that, games at the Emirates are usually attacking, exciting affairs and the crowd tends to get heavily involved. Expect the crowd to be quiet in a dull game, and raucous during the excitement.

Away supporters at Emirates stadium are well received and are seated together in their own area in the South East corner of the stadium. You can arrive up to two hours before kick-off time to enjoy the facilities and visit the tours or museum if you choose to. The disabled access seating is also fantastic and the stadium is very disabled friendly making it accessible to everyone.

Arsenal’s biggest rivals are Chelsea and Tottenham hotspurs so although it is a family friendly stadium, these games are particularly passionate and can lead to tension so as a visiting supporter you should avoid those team kits (unless you are an away supporter specifically going for a match of course!).

The downside to Emirates is that the home fans are not always buzzing and have been criticized in the past for not creating more of an atmosphere for their team, especially since they are notoriously energetic at away matches. That being said they are passionate supporters and create a warm atmosphere in the food galleries, pubs and restaurants post and pre-match so it is a great day out for families. You can also purchase kit and mementos on the day (or online) as they have a range of shopping facilities, although it is best to get your kit online as there are a lot more shopping options.

A regular chant for those wanting to join in is:

“And it’s Arsenal,

Arsenal FC,

We’re by far the greatest team,

The world has ever seen….”

Which is a popular one.

The Emirates being the size that it is, and the fact that games often attract a lot of neutral tourists, has meant that it has been criticized in recent years for not producing a good enough atmosphere. However, there is still plenty of noise to be heard in the North Stand, and especially near the area where home and away fans come close to sitting together. Arsenal do offer frequent card displays for bigger games however, especially in the Champions League, where colored card will be left on a seat – for spectators to hold up before kickoff, creating a wall of color!