Sooner or later, all good businesses get bought. Arsenal, as we all love, is one of the best businesses around. It was bound to happen. We held out for longer than most. Our sensible financing, our division of shares between a few already-wealthy and interested people, our genuine long-term planning – all of these are reasons that Arsenal took longer than Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and any number of other clubs to fall into the hands of a billionaire owner. Arsenal are a profitable and glamorous business.
Once you accept the inevitable, you see that Stan Kroenke is just about as good an option as there is. He has not borrowed to purchase the club, not plundered the equity of the Emirates to reinvest elsewhere in his empire. He has sat on the board for four years, gradually winning over those – such as Peter Hill-Wood – who were initially hostile. He is a fan of Arsene Wenger, like all of us, but like all of us also craves trophies. Like some of us (this blogger included), though, he is not willing to mortgage the future and ethos of the club for some short term silver. He is not Alisher Usmanov, an industrialist of dubious provenance seemingly on a quest to be just like Roman Abramovich.
He is not an industrialist looking for a glamorous plaything. He is a professional sports franchise investor, with as much experience as anyone in the world at making them work. He knows football – our sort of football, not just the American format.
I think these last points are the most crucial. British football, in the past twenty years , has been hurtling towards the American model of sport as entertainment. The purists will hate me for saying so – and I think football does have an egalitarianism and tradition which lift it – but it’s true. Fans do not pay £2,000 a season just for love of the club. They pay to watch world-class entertainment. They pay to watch 22 of the finest athletes on Earth (with due exception for Titus Bramble and Ashley Cole) do battle. Champions League TV rights go for millions not because your granddad took you to your first game and you grew up near the ground. They go because great football is great football, and is entertaining wherever you’re from.
America has understood this for years. The NFL is the most successful sports tournament on the planet: the Champions League is second. Stan Kroenke understands where football has come from, and where it is going. Arsenal FC is perfectly positioned to carry on being a great club for the imaginable future. If someone has to have their hand on the tiller, I’m glad it’s him.
It’s also worth noting how well our board has done to get us here. The main sources of his new shares, Danny Fiszman and Nina Bracewell-Smith, were both motivated to sell (he by cancer, she by personal animosities), but have still had the wherewithal to negotiate with Kroenke, play a long game and present a united front behind him. Peter Hill-Wood has realised the game is up and planned a smooth compromise. The board has behaved like rational adults, with the long-term interests of Arsenal at heart and in mind. In the context of the modern game, this is nothing short of miraculous. Thanks, gang. UFGN salutes you.
Welcome aboard, Mr Kroenke. You can start by buying some defenders and, y’know, a goalie.
Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, Stan Kroenke
April 12th, 2011 at 1:56 am
Neat post. A wee-bit over-optimistic but I guess that’s a breath of fresh air from all the negativity.
April 12th, 2011 at 8:14 am
Your bias judgement of Usmanov is uncalled for and may land yourself in hot soup over your allegation that he is a rapist. I for once do not judge someone by their cover.
How much do you know about Kroenke and his umpire? The Denver Nugget and Colorado Rapid is only an average team in USA and is not popular. THe NFL is only popular in USA and not in England and Asia. You are talking without sense.
Go to hell!
April 12th, 2011 at 10:56 am
You are a bit biased against Usmanov. You have no proof that he is what you claim he is. Like someone said you may pay for it. Kroenke is also not well known and even if we did people change and no one can be certain about his intentions. All we know is that the club is out of the hands of people who had love and care for its traditions and ethos- a new dawn but not necessariry a secure one as we knew it.
Looking forward, we are forced to be optimistic because we lack a useful alternative but to go overboard and anoint Kroenke is wee bit naive.
Lets just hope for the best.
April 14th, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Quite, Grabs (or is it Grabber?). You’re talking without sense!
Go to hell!
June 19th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Lets hope he throws his weight around and helps bring in some stars
August 7th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
604 people out of 658, don`t fancy a team of 35 Abou Diabys in the Arsepoll.
Hard proof that 92% of Arsenal fans are complete idiots.