Arsenal declare attendances far higher than police figures as club count tickets sold rather than fans through turnstiles

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Arsenal overstated their Emirates Stadium attendances by up to 5,184 fans per game last season, new figures uncovered by Sportsmail can reveal.

The Gunners boast sell-out crowds for almost every game but there have often been questions about empty seats spotted on television during their Barclays Premier League matches.

And now data released by the Metropolitan Police under Freedom of Information laws show their numbers were overcooked by 21,953 people over the course of last season.

Arsenal overstated their Emirates Stadium attendances by up to 5,184 fans per game last season

The Gunners boast sell-out figures for almost every game but there have been questions about empty seats

Arsenal publish their attendance numbers based on tickets sold, rather than the actual number of people turning up for matches, meaning season ticket holders count even if they stay at home.

But against Sunderland and Swansea City last year there were more than 5,000 fewer fans present than the club stated, further detracting from the often-derided atmosphere at the 60,338-capacity Emirates.

Games against Liverpool and West Brom also saw attendance figures vary by over 3,000 people after fans seemingly didn’t turn up for tickets – costing upwards from £64 - they had already bought.

An Arsenal spokesman said: ‘We are clear in all our communication that the attendance figures we announce reflect the number of tickets sold. This is in line with most sports stadia.

‘As a club, we want a full stadium and work hard to ensure this happens through our Ticket Transfer and Ticket Exchange services. 

'This allows fans who have tickets but can't get to games to offer them to other supporters. Last season approximately 70,000 tickets were exchanged through this system.’

Arsenal Supporters’ Trust published the results of voting at their Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, with their membership offering the club solutions to the empty seats problem.

The Arsenal faithful looked to be in fine voice during their side's impressive 3-0 win over Manchester United

Of those polled, 73 per cent said they would be more likely to use the club’s ticket exchange services if it had a smartphone and tablet app and worked close to kick-off.

Supporters only get refunds on tickets they sell on at the end of the season, and 58 per cent said a more immediate pay-out and the opportunity to sell at below face value would encourage them to use the system more. 664 people participated in the voting.

The problem of no-shows is not just a problem at Arsenal, either, with figures from Manchester United and other top-flight clubs displaying similar issues in the past.

The figures for Arsenal matches come out amid growing anger about a perceived lack of value-for-money for football matches in England’s top flight.

Fans across the country protested against excessively high ticket prices last weekend, with Arsenal offering some of the Premier League’s most expensive tickets.

Football Supporters' Federation campaigners demonstrate outside the meeting of Premier League chairmen

Supporters want prices for those who follow their team away from home dropped to a standard price of £20, as part of the Football Supporters’ Federation’s ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ campaign.

Banners were raised at grounds around the country, including the Emirates, in a bid to convince football’s money men to make the game more affordable to watch.