Arsenal and the rest of the clubs that make up English football have had their food hygiene standards assessed with the Gunners (and the majority of the Premier League) passing with flying colours.
Of the top 20 teams, only two failed to get the top mark of 5 – Manchester United and Watford – with the Red Devils being warned that they are not doing enough to tackle a mice infestation problem at Old Trafford.
The investigation, which was carried out by the Mirror who accessed the food safety reports with a Freedom of Information request, found that the Food Standards Agency had said of United “You are failing to implement adequate procedures to control pests within the food areas.
“The doors from the Red Cafe into the kitchen have holes at the bottom and in the middle of the two doors and could allow pests into the food room.”
It will come as no surprise that Arsenal and the majority of the other Premier League clubs receive high marks – you would expect nothing less really.
Arsenal are also consistently voted as one of the best away day experiences for visiting supporters, with the Gunners coming in well above their top four rivals regularly, due to the high standards they maintain at the Emirates and the facilities on offer.
Sue, Head of Travel, Events & Supporter Liaison at Arsenal said on collecting the award in 2013: “A vast team of staff here at Arsenal contribute to ensuring visiting supporters have an enjoyable experience when they visit Emirates Stadium on a matchday, and this is a testament to the togetherness shown in the build-up to and delivery of a matchday.
“As part of the ‘Arsenalisation’ project the away area is being redeveloped to allow us to continue providing a best-in-class experience for those away fans.
“While it’s wonderful to receive this award we want to acknowledge the tremendous away support we as a Club enjoy throughout the season.
“We invest a lot of time in making their matchday experience a positive one, with a variety of travel options to ensure the strain is taken out of the journey.”
Last season, Arsenal finished sixth behind Hull, Southampton, Stoke (?!), Sunderland and Leicester.
Manchester City were 10th, Spurs 11th, Chelsea 16th, United 17th, and Liverpool 18th, even with their ‘famous atmosphere’.