Arsenal Football Club is facing criticism from Highbury residents over plans to triple the number of concerts at the Emirates.
More than 40 residents attended a meeting called by local councillors to discuss concerns about the club’s planning application, which is expected to be submitted within the next week.
If the application is successful, the number of concerts at the stadium will increase from three to nine per year.
Islington Councillor John Gilbert said: “It is a case of the club putting shareholders’ profits above local residents’ interests.
“They are good at what they do in the community, but I think they’ve got the balance wrong here. They ought to be respectful of their neighbours.”
Arsenal view the extra concerts as a way of boosting profits during the off-season, as the Emirates Stadium sits unused for 330 days each year.
But residents called for the venue to be used by local schools and community projects rather than adding further disruption to those who live nearby.
Martin Jones, President of the Highbury Fields Association, said: “A lot of us felt that the stadium should not have been built at all. It is too full as it is.
“What particularly annoys me is that they got the minimum they need with their first planning application, and then they add a little more each year. And in Islington, in most cases, Arsenal will get what they want.”
One resident said: “This is about trying to maximise revenue streams for shareholders.
“Don’t try and fob us off as if it isn’t. We are expected to live in the shadow of an entertainment complex and what’s in it for us?”
Arsenal say they have invested £1.5m in Highbury, including Islington schools, and pay £3.5 million in council tax each year.
The club’s managing director Ken Friar said: “We do a lot for the borough – it’s not a question of all being one-way.
“The benefits are the spend that people bring into the borough. Lots of pubs do very well, lots of restaurants do very well. It’s the money people bring to the concerts.”
Councillors will be visiting residents with a petition against the proposal. Concerts at the Emirates have a 60,000 capacity and are required to finish at 11pm.
Additional reporting by Sarah Graham.
