Arsenal News

FC Koln fans force Arsenal to push kick-off back

Arsenal have been forced to push their Europa League opening match kick-off back by an hour.

FC Koln have had a huge amount of supporters travel to London for today’s match-up, with as many as 20,000 believed to have descended on the capital city.

Unfortunately the travelling fans do not all have tickets for the previously scheduled 8:05 kick-off, with 2,900 being allocated to away fans, less than 20% of the believed crowd.

The official reports are that the game has been delayed ‘due to the interests of crowd safety’, although there isn’t claimed to be a serious problem around the stadium, despite police reporting that flares have been let off near the Emirates.

Cologne fans are believed to have been forced to wait outside the stadium later than the scheduled time, due to an unprecedented amount of fans trying to gain entry into the arena, and the extra time is in order to dispense the overgrown crowd and allow ticketed supporters to get to their seats in time for kick-off.

It remains to be seen how this will affect the players, but Arsenal will be keen to kick-off their European campaign with a win, and will be confident of doing so considering their opponents disastrous Bundesliga results so far this term.

Will the delay hamper the player’s preparation? Will the delay cause fans inside the stadium to play up?

Pat J

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Tags Arsenal Cologne Europa League FC Koln

89 Comments

  1. they should loan us some of their fans…maybe then we would finally get wenger out.
    crazy crazy Germany football lovers I envy their spirit.

    1. Wise decision.
      We don’t want another Hillsborough.
      As for the Arsenal team
      I got 9 out of 11 of the starters correct.

      1. We left highbury to compete with Bayern Munich

        Instead they end us 10-2
        And we struggle with the bottom of the bundesliga

        Invincibles activate!

  2. Aparantly it was a Eufa decision and that the delay is at least an hour and could be even longer. Gonna be a late night for some.

  3. I saw reports that many Germans are coming in for this game, surely something should have been done. It looks we are poor in everything including just hosting a match!

    1. Sorry guys for the above comment which appear insensitive to crowd safety. After reading more on this, I think this was the best decision under the circumstances.

  9. Reports of Cologne fans in all parts of the stadium. Their section is now full but there are masses of their supporters either side and in the North Bank. Reports from Arsenal supporters in the South Bank that they are surrounded by German fans. I don’t think this games will go ahead.
    Obviously Cologne will be in trouble with Eufa but you also know they will throw the book at us for allowing them to get in, even though they entered the stadium illegally.

  15. Rough nights Europa league unknown and passionate fans and this is at home. Do we have the grit for this?
    The goal Ospina clearance didn’t to go vertical.
    Mert and holding oh dear 🙁

  20. Dear me bottom in the table bundesleaga team away matching us easily. We don’t seem to have any midfield! If jack was fit I’d love to see him control this mf.
    Mert so finished unless it’s a slow lofted high ball to defend. A little arrogant I think this team selection!
    Ot Wenger does not suit pink on his coat..

  21. I’ll never know how Ospina can be so highly rated by many in here, fans in here are highly critical at the best of times, so I’ll never know.

  24. Love there fans

    Fc koln we salute u
    Hear that noise ?!

    Prawn brigade has taken over from the real fans at highbury

  26. Elneny the only one who seems to be playing for Arsenal….

    Alexi is playing crap – take him he isn’t interested.

  31. FC Koln came with a game plan and we dont. At times it looks like Belllerin, Walcott and Holding are all playing as right wingers! This team is not being coached properly, I think any manager will do better with these players!

    2. Because Walcott plays like a right sided striker of a two, Bellerin looks a winger, so Holding looks fullback at times.

  35. I like Holding, but the more I see of him, the more he looks like a £2 million signing! Have we even had a shot on target?

    1. Another overhyped player that everyone is crying out for to start, you know because he’s better than Canavaro. Seriously though if Bellerin goes down we’re f**ked on the right.

  41. Where the f**k is Chambers??? Seriously at least he should have been in the back 3 with Monreal at LWB is we’re playing him anyway. The guy had a whole season of first team football but can’t get a look in. Am I missing something here?

  42. The more I see performances like this the angrier I get with Wenger for extended and not giving someone else a chance to create something exciting with Arsenal.

  44. Just read some German fans (On Facebook) laughing about how bad Walcott has been, and they described Arsene Wenger as his “Mother”.

  46. A loss today followed by a predictable beat down @
    Stanford Bridge over the weekend and Wenger should be sacked.

    Joke of a futbol club.

  51. Good goal by Kolasinac!

    But there is an issue which i need to highlight:

    Playing 3 at the back effectively means playing 5 at the back and that comes with the sacrifice of a midfielder. To make up for this, you need a Midfielder with the talent and work rate of 2 Midfielders. That is the price you have to pay (otherwise every freaking team will play this system) for this system which seems defensively more stable. If not, the midfield gets overrun and you neutralize any additional defensive stability that you get.

    A great example is Chelsea who have Kante and that is why hey are successful in the system. We have Xhaka who i still don’t know what the real talents are and Ramsey who wants to be a striker rather than a MF. We are not ready for this system.

    This is such a basic stuff that it makes me sick that a manager with over 16 overs of experience do not know this.

    1. To play 3 at the back you need dynamic wing backs who defend or attack when needed. meaning we should have so many midfielders when we have possession and 5 defenders when defending. We also need to make sure that wingers drift inside, 3 central defenders to drift back and spread when we are attacking to avoid counter attacks from the wings!

  53. Wilshere Nelson Akpom
    comes on and sparks late win.
    Cue “We showed mental strength”
    The 2nd coming of the English core
    ready to dominate Europe.

  54. When i remember that Theo freaking Walcott held Monsiuer Wenger over ransom with demands of playing as center forward in exchange of signing a new contract and Wenger obliged! Theo Walcott! Walcott!

  55. Firstly why didn’t walcott hit it on the volley 2nd lyl I’m glad he didn’t kolasinac showing our forwards how it’s done.
    He’s like sanchez a different level to a lot of the others.

  56. And what fantastic away fans. Meanwhile the elite Londoners are reading a book while having a nice cup of tea! Cheerio!

  60. For all those clamoring for Iwobi to replace Ozil.

    LMFAO!!!

    And Theo is such a hopeless cause.

    Damn what a strike

  63. At the end of the day, we would be saved by two brilliant individual moments which would mask a horrendous team effort with a virtually non existent MF . Fry me all you want for being so cynical, but i will keep the mast of realism flying high. And you will thank me after the Chelsea Match.

    1. So we are winning this game and you’re focusing on a defeat that we may not even have against Chelsea before this game has even finished?

      Wow!

      A defeat against Chelsea isn’t garanteed. That match hasn’t even started yet Mcfly. Unless you’ve got a sports alminac from the future how about getting behind your team.

  65. How nice to see jack sead reiss and alexis all flicking the ball around at the end.
    A glimmer of the arsenal of old.

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