The Forum started with Sue Campbell talking about her experience at the Spurs game. She shadowed one of their guys, head of security, all day. Here's the highlights: the police bill was £250,000; there were 100 extra police and 300 extra stewards on duty; there was an alcohol ban on the street; no bottled beer was on sale.
New Stadium:
The museum: all the memorabilia will be distributed around the new stadium, to add to the atmosphere of the place.
Tickets:
Prices will be decided at the end of the year and they should be the same as next season's prices, so the cheapest will be £30-£35. Club level has nearly sold out to supporters; there are 2000 corporate applications which will get any remaining seats.
Islington Residents:
There are strict criteria for any new season ticket applicants from Islington. They must be on the electoral role by the end of this season to qualify. So far there are 1700 on the waiting list, 1200 of them were existing 500 are new. These 500 will be the last to choose their seats.
Singing Section:
Yes. The club said yes. There will be a singing section. The club are trying to decide where to put it (Requested behind the goal at the North end). They plan to spread it over 2 ticket price bands, so it's likely to be to one side of the goal to include part of the wing block. With the system of choosing seats they have in place (ie if you sit in £60 seats you can only sit in equal of higher priced seats in the new stadium, or lose your priority and wait until all other season ticket holders have chosen), it means anyone for instance in the NBU who wants to sit in the singing section must wait until last.
Construction:
The roof is going up in December, so there's strictly no access to the site until Jan.
Matches:
There will be warm up matches which members will be invited to for free. The first will be only a few thousand people.
Finance:
The club are in negotiations to introduce a savings account and insurance policies for supporters, to add to the credit card they already have.
£1 vouchers:
The reason they were only valid for one day is they were afraid they would be photocopied.
Commercial bond:
For anyone who owns a business, the club are looking in to producing a AAA bond. This basically means businesses will pay the club a lot of money now, and the club will pay them back even more in, say, 10 years; just like a loan, but we already have one of those, a very big one!
Banners:
Apparently to move the REDaction banners from one end of the North Bank to the other costs £2000, which is why we can't move them back until Nike need the space. (Apparently they plan to use it for big games where there'll be lots of TV coverage, like the Leicester game last year.) Also, I asked about our proposal to Nike and it's been sent off, so we're just waiting for their verdict.
Membership Pack:
Next year there will be another DVD, which will include pre-season, Members day, and interview with Rob the chief executive. The pack will be themed around Highbury, as it's our last year. There are nearly 100,000 members.
England international:
The club will not apply for one to be held at Highbury. They're undecided about the new stadium, the grounds man isn't keen and I think nor is Arsene.
Olympic Games:
They have however offered the stadium to the Olympic bid.
Commemorative shirt:
There are a couple of design points that the Premier League will not allow, but they're waiting for confirmation. They plan to create an alternative patch for the sleeves for fans to buy (players will not be allowed to wear it). Something to do with Highbury, they will run a competition for designs. We will all get a teaser of the shirt in January, probably just a picture of a small section of it which won't give anything away. They're very wary of fakes, especially after the Yanks advertised it last year. Apparently Arsene and the players like it, as does Edelman and the communications department. You'll all get to see it in April or May. The Forum, will get to see it next meeting; but there's a strict rule of no photography and they don't even want us to describe it to anyone! There will be special limited edition box sets of the shirt which Edelman said will be "very expensive".
Finally:
The club want a slogan for our last season at Highbury. Man City had 'the end of an era' and the club want a similar thing, except more positive. Get your thinking caps on. Any thoughts should be sent to redaction@btinternet.com with the Subject line "Club Slogan".