Once Upon A Time in the East....

In Sergio Leone's epic western 'Once upon a time in the West', a speculator buys a seemingly worthless farm in the middle of the desert where nothing will grow.  Through the course of the movie various bandits turn up seeking the 'treasure' that's rumoured to be buried somewhere on the arid ranch.  We eventually find out, after much slaughter, that the 'treasure' is in fact, a well.  The farm has the only source of water for hundreds of miles and it's inevitable that the impending railroad will have to pass through, making the land worth a fortune.

Many people were of the opinion that Arsenal's trip to the Far East was a similar fruitless excersise, but no matter how much the 'traditionalists' rail against it, this is a vast untapped market full of fans and potential fans, and any move to raise the clubs profile in this market has to be applauded.

The general estimate that the tour could potentially be worth £15 million to the club is, in my view, far too conservative.  China alone could be a huge money spinner, just think about the revenue that selling 20 million replica shirts would bring in, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

The fervour and fanaticism that the team has been received with has been truly amazing, with the Mirror's John Cross likening it to Wham's ground breaking tour of China in the eighties.  Think of what would happen if Wenger managed to unearth a couple of Chinese stars (and I'm sure there are many) and you can imagine how our support would take off!

Like it or loathe it football is a global business and clubs are now brand names, and the more exposed your brand is the more revenue is generated, making the club more competitive and able to attract more high class players.  Nothing succeeds like success!

No matter how many games you may have watched on TV nothing prepares you for the first time you see top class footballers in the flesh.  First thing that strikes you is how small the players are (you somehow expect your heroes to be huge) and how quick the fuckers can move, they seem to be able to defy the laws of physics with their sheer pace, allied to their speed of thought, somehow being able to ignore where the ball is and instead focusing on where the ball will eventually be.  You don't get a feeling for these almost poetic processes from television.

I envy all you Gooners in Asia, being able to encounter these marvellous experiences for the first time, being able to feel that indefinable connection to our great club, and by extension the players connection to you.

Sadly I don't get over to London for many games these days, but rest assured next time I'm in the pub watching one of our games, I'll raise a glass, and toast the unbreakable connection we have from the far side of the world.