Seating Sections of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium

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Published by Chris Jenkins
02nd May 2023
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Background of the Emirates Stadium

Emirates football stadium located in Holloway England with a stadium capacity of 60,704 has been the home of Arsenal football club since the completion of the stadium in 2006. This stand-out attraction has provided Arsenal with an increase in popularity worldwide due to the stand-out atmosphere and arguably the most comfortable seating in the Premier League for fans to take advantage of when watching the Gunners live in action. To follow this up we will touch upon the structure of the Emirates Stadium and its seating sections.

 

The Various Stands

Arsenal’s football stadium, The Emirates is made up of four various stands;

  • The North Bank Stand
  • The West Stand
  • The East Stand
  • The Clock End Stand

 

Why did Arsenal move to the Emirates?

Before the founding of the Emirates football stadium, Arsenal played their football at Highbury football stadium which was Arsenal’s first home.

This famous stadium provided Arsenal fans with fantastic memories of the great era under Arsene Wenger and their invincible season. The decision to move to the Emirates made by the owners was driven by the financial aspects the club would be able to gain, with the club looking to seek the opportunity of maximising their ticket sales due to their on-field success at the time under Wenger to meet the demands of the global fanbase.

Highbury felt like home to Arsenal football club and their fans and experienced many great moments together which made it even more difficult for the club as a whole to move to the stadium. Since the big move to the Emirates Arsenal has been able to compete with the top clubs in the country and Europe financially and on the pitch. It was a decision that the owners thought was vital as other teams such as Manchester United were growing globally due to their on-field success and their well-known stadium Old Trafford.

A change of stadium has allowed Arsenal to improve the standard of seating and the structure of the stadium which is vital when it comes to match day as fans can gain a better match day experience from a more modern stadium with better facilities and features. This has now helped Arsenal compete with the top teams in Europe as the increase in ticket sales and the club's revenue has improved the level of investment made on the first team squad, training ground facilities and stadium features such as executive boxes and the standard of seating.

 

North Bank Stand

The opening of the North Bank Stand took place in March 2004 along with the West and East Stands. The stand consists of three different tiers for seating which is kept consistent in every stand throughout the stadium. Additionally, the stand features a number of executive boxes which are provided to give fans a luxury experience when watching the game live.

The upper tier of the stand is contoured to leave open spaces in the corners of the stadium to provide as much airflow and sunlight into the stadium as possible. This feature makes the stand one of the most popular views of the game allowing fans to gain value for money from their seating area.

 

West Stand

Following the North Bank stand the West Stand at the Emirates is also a three-tier stand with a consistent seating plan allowing fans to gain a clear and consistent view in which they would be able to gain from other stands of the ground. The Stand is located on the side of the pitch which gives fans a different view compared to the North Bank allowing them to gain a more clear view of the game and a better match-day experience. The seats themselves located in the seating plan of the stand are modern, and comfortable and come with a great atmosphere generated by the fans.

 

East Stand

The East stand of the Emirates Stadium follows the same seating plan and structure as the West stand of the stadium with three tiers and the same structure of seating. This stand provides fans with a clear view of the player tunnel and the management dugout on the opposite side of the ground. Fans also have a direct view of the directors box giving them the luxury of spotting club legends and managing directors of the club at the game. The East Stand is also known for its fiery atmosphere due to it being located near to the away end where the opponents teams fans are located which is down to a fan's personal preference if this is something that would improve their match day experience.

 

The Clock End

The Emirates Clock End first originated at Arsenal’s first stadium Highbury due to the famous Clock which was placed above the south stand at Highbury. It was one of the many features of Highbury instigated by the great innovator Herbert Chapman, which then made the south stand of the stadium the famous Clock End. This famous tradition within the club has made the south stand at the Emirates very famous making it a priority for fans to purchase their tickets in the famous Clock End and have a match day experience to remember.

 

Transport to the Emirates Stadium

A popular method of transport to the stadium that is commonly used by fans is the underground tube and train line. The Arsenal Piccadilly Line is the nearest tube station with an approximate three-minute walk from the tube station to the ground. Kings Cross station is the main connecting station to use to travel to the Emirates stadium as this line connects to the Piccadilly train service line making it more convenient for fans to arrive at the stadium on time and safely.

Post-match a crowd management safety procedure will occur where a queuing system is put in place to ensure the safety of all fans when travelling to the nearest tube station after the game. There will be other methods of transport after the game such as bus and coach to give fans more than one method of transport to use post-match.