Ozzy: So what is the point of having Stan Kroenke at Arsenal?
Finally some truth from the Emirates ………but not actually said in a truth full way by OzzyAFC
Well, well, well Finally we get some truth emerging from the Club we all love so much, From the horses mouth no less and directededy at ALL the dissenters, and those who question the policies of the board and really anyone who’d like to see the club do better in the trophy stakes…at last we start to see the clearer picture.
The chairman himself Mr Peter Hill Wood has, in an oblique way told us all how it really is and for my money there’s far more to read into what he’s said that what he said, if that makes sense?
He is quoted as saying “Arsenal simply cannot compete with the Premier League rich-boys, He added: “Arsene has money to spend but there’s a limit. We can’t spend £50million on one player. At a certain level, we can’t compete. I don’t think Stan Kroenke is going to put the sort of dollars in that Roman Abramovich or Sheikh Mansour are putting into Chelsea or Manchester City, That’s not the way he thinks clubs should be run” He then went on to say ““Luckily, Arsene understands that. He got an economics degree from Strasbourg University so he’s certainly no fool, He knows how a club should be run. That annoys a lot of people but clubs have to be sustainable. We’re not going to go bankrupt in the way one or two other well known clubs have.” He the goes on to point to Rangers as a warning sign for clubs who spend beyond their means.
He said: “The Rangers example is something we’ve all got to guard against. They spent far more money than they could afford We’re ambitious enough but we’re not going to end in the same plight as Rangers. That is a fact of life .
“So my advice is; don’t get miserable about it.”
This sound to me like a very definite “shut up and put up” scenario coming from the illustrious Mr Hill Woods mouth with a very pointed “If you don’t like it you know what you can do!!!!!” added for good measure and that’s that So the message is clear Silent Stan is NOT going to put in any money he’s quiet happy to see his share prices soar (as are the rest of the inept board) and we will only spend what we make and as an Arsenal fan if you don’t like it (paying the highest prices in the land and seeing no silverware for your trouble) then you can go and F*ck yourself and support someone else.
This effectively puts a full stop to any of the Pro Usmanov, Pro spending fans diatribes about the whole issue and tells us that this is the way its going to be from now on in. So expect key players to leave again soon and the nearly but not quiet attitude to continue.
The question is, is Arsene Wenger really complicit in the boards attitude or is he just doing the best he can with the situation he is in?? What exactly does Stan Kroenke bring to the party?? (we know what he takes) but
where exactly is the added value of having the Yank as majority shareholder for the club?? Why is there such an antagonistic attitude toward Alisher Usmanov when he is clearly more inclined to invest some money to move us forward?? (Kroenke and Usmanov are just flip sides of the same coin) and finally where does Peter Hill Wood get off criticising the fans who questioned Wengers talent when at the stage that they did the question of what the club was going to achieve was a valid one?? Who does he think he is Telling the very people who make the club exist to blindly follow like sheep and not to dare question the clubs policies and strategy. We pay the most inflated prices throughout the land and he compares our club to Rangers (who were in a vastly different situation and circumstance than we will ever be) the message is “this is how it is, its not changing so if you don’t like it F*ck off”
Truth indeed from the emirates just worded in an entirely different manner.
I said it was the board all along. Wenger has a budget.
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Wenger’s youth policy has failed. Cazorla is further evidence.
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Kroenke is Arsenal’s biggest shareholder at something above 60%. He is a Board member and by his voting strength he controls decisions. He receives (currently) £1,300,000 annually from the club.
Usmanov, owns just under 30% of shares, is not on the Board and receives nothing from the club.
In order to make a vast profit from their investment in Arsenal FC, the only recourse of both men is to to sell their shares above cost.
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For Arsenal there is no point as he contributes nothing. Peter Hill Wood come out with statements about no being able to compete Chelsea and City in the transfer market but the reality we don’t compete with anyone in the transfer market as we have the lowest net spend of any club in the premier league over the last 6 years. I’d love to hear him explain that away. The truth is the board are more interested in making money for themselves than they are in investing in the club. You might think that’s their right but they could at least be honest about it and stop lying to their customer base.
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The point for Arsenal is …… Kroenke has acquired a large controlling shareholding and can keep it as long as he likes and run the club as he likes. Get used to the fact that it is an investment expected to make him money – unlike clubs which are a plaything of billionaires. None of the other Directors own shares and it is therefore nonsense to accuse them of lining their own pockets etc. Two Directors are paid large salaries for their job functions. The others are Non Executives on small or nil salaries. It is all in the Arsenal FC PLC Accounts which are publicly available … like on the internet. If more fans read the Accounts there would be less crap talked about the Directors. At the end of the day there is only Director who counts on big decisions … EG. Wenger’s sizeable transfer budget .. but NOT – I suggest – whether he spends it on another striker NR whether we use zonal marking!!
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@nickw,
Can you tell me precisely how “the Board are only interested in making money for themselves”. How they receive this money. And what is its source.
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Good question. Please see my reply a bit higher up. I am fed up with the ill informed rubbish about the Directors … most of whom planned and implemented the massively expensive and complicated Emirates Stadium project. The Arsenal PLC Report & Accounts are available for all to read. That is why it is called a Public Limited Company. Only one Director (Kroenke) now owns ANY shares and will benefit from the value of the company PLUS dividends he draws out. Only two Directors (not Kroenke) are paid big salaries for their job functions. The others are Non Execs. on small or nil salary. The Report & Accounts are nothing to be afraid of.
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I can sure as hell tell you the profits are not being invested in new players. The money must be going somewhere how they distribute it I do not know but why you defend people who only serve their own self interest and take the fans for mugs is beyond me. Stan Kronke is not Arsenal he is not even a fan he has done nothing for Arsenal he may own the most shares but don’t expect me to like it and accept everything he does as if its inevitable or disloyal to disagree.
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it’s unfortunate that millions(if not billions) of arsenal fans cut across d globe does not see or understand their beloved club(AFC) the true way it is.The greedy board are ontop of the situation,comfortably manipulating the club,it’s manager & the fans,good enough for them, they have Silent Stan(who cares less about trophy) as the majority shear holder,unlike Usmanov whom the board fear knowing fully well it will never be business as usuall if he has the major shear.lets face the truth,the board are not intrested of any trophy,otherwise why will they be always ready to sell our best players without replacing them with even higher quality players,their target remains top 4 finishing,so that champions league money will always flow in period,how can PETER HILL-WOOD pronounce we cant compete inthe transfer market when it comes to buying but we can compete in the market when it comes to selling.we make a lot of profit above so many teams,including those once he mentioned.lets face it,we can only espect only top 4 finish,anything higher than that will be a great luck,WHAT A SHAME…
Hot debate. What do you think?
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We must stop watching arsenal‘s matches for at least 6 months, then the board will feel what we the fans are feeling how we support the club with our money & get nothing in return!!!!!!!!!!!
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If you have lots of money and you buy a Ferrari but you never drive it, what use are you to that car?
Does it matter?
Kroenke has bought the club and he can do what he wants because it doesn’t matter what we want.
There is not a person on this planet who can force Kroenke to do anything. There are not enough shares for anybody to collect in order to gain control.
What we can do is not provoke Kroenke to become spiteful. He can if he wants -> do to Arsenal what Glaser did at Man Utd. Nobody can stop him, so my biggest worry is the fans and what their big mouths might one day encourage Kroenke to do.
If he or his family are insulted or threatened, watch him retaliate.
All the talk about Kroenke is pointless because he is an absolute power at the club. It’s also dangerous.
Go check out the reason why that idiot Alan Sugar left Spurs.
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pfffft, hilarious. Do you live in a bunker? The fans are the club, the power and everything else.
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PHW, please explain what does Kroenke do for the club really? And what does he take away from the club?
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Kroenke will wait until the mortgage is paid off, churn out a couple of years of massive profit, then sell up and it will be a nice little earner for him.
I look forward to the day he takes his last bit of cash out of the club.
After he has gone I hope we still have Wenger to keep a sensible hand on the purse strings and keep on bringing the quality through.
I dont want to see us do a city or anything like that, just run as we are as well as KEEPING OUR BEST PLAYERS (Is that really too much to ask for? I dont get it? we would still turn a profit.) What is wrong with having strength in depth and can challenge for all honours?
If a club already turning a profit starts winning trophies that profit will become very nice & fat, yes indeedy, the support grows and even more money comes in.
Not such a bad thing winning? Where is there ambition? How can it be a good thing if the board dont care if we win anything at all?
Stupid comments by Hill Wood really careless.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
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actually ur comments and ALOT of other comments are so pointless, why does everyone go on like the PLAYERS had no say in THEIR leaving afc. Its all quite simple most players if not all have no real affinity, love or connection to their club they just show some fake love while their playing for that club just look at m owen made by lfc but had no qualms about kissing the united badge(unbelievable) any fan who thinks otherwise is just deluding themselves. The annual players leaving afc is easy to understand as some of the best players in their respective positions in club football it is not unrealistic (with a little help from their advisers) for them to feel they should be playing for a winning team or at least a highly competitive one and maybe even more importantly earning top top wages both of which are readily available and waiting for them at free spending teams like united, city and chelski. This is the point Mr Hill-wood is trying to get across to those afc “fans” that STILL do not get the MASSIVE shift and change in the epl and club fball ever since it became a plaything of playboy billionaires. AFC DO NOT have a playboy billionaire owner but rather a long time sports clubs owner who works in a different way and afc are NOT amongst the free spending clubs of fball so CANNOT compete with such clubs in transfers and wages. So to sum up players will leave a non free spending club like afc cos they are good enough and wanted by free spending clubs with silly wages and there is NOTHING thats right NOTHING afc can do about it in this day and age with player power except join them get their own playboy billionaire and play the silly moneys game and rip the soul out of the club as we all know NOTHING comes for free in this world.Unless of course finacial fair play actually has a positive affect on the game but i doubt it cos money beats everything in this world. As he confirms afc are a club that have to work within a budget and i believe that budget INCLUDES the outlay on 3/4 or 5 yrs wages which basically tells me since you never get all of a transfer fee upfront, that afc have just about been getting by even with all those players sold because of the stadium debt. Either way as the guy says this is the current status of afc and we can all see the ridiculous current status of club fball i for one had to laugh at the comments of that javi garcia guy talkin about how BIG a club city are as if theres a rich history of success there as if he would be there if it wasnt for their silly money policy! thats how ridiculous club fball has become and if u fancy a slice of that ridiculousness there is absolutely NOTHING standing in the way of u negative afc “fans” toddling along and pledging ur allegiance to one of the many free spending clubs in our own league. Go on please do us fans who understand the reality and appreciate the hard work of wenger a favour and go and give ur worthless allegiance to those worthless teams.
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@ bac2basics
I agree with your take on PHW’s statement & the way Arsenal conduct their business. The ridiculous sums of money being paid in transfer fees & wages for players makes me wonder if these badge-kissing stars can be as sincere as they make out to be. It will be easier to be less cynical if such players only ever played for one club, but most seem to be serial badge-kissers and that makes me sick. At least Arsenal seems to be sending out the right message to the players ie. “You may not be the highest paid in the league, but you play for us because you love us”. It has caused a lot of heartache to Arsene Wenger over the last few years I bet, but he is obviously getting accustomed to the mercenary ways of the modern footballer and is now playing to win and not lose in those situations any more.It is no co-incidence that most of the players leaving us in recent years have gone to Manure or one of the clubs that has a rich sugar daddy holding them up. I prefer the Arsenal way. I hold no affection for Kroenke, but he has invested a lot of his riches into buying the majority shares in the club. We have a wonderful stadium, a world class Manager and a crop of fine players who CAN compete with the best so I am very happy. There is no real evidence that being the owner of Arsenal is making Stan & the Board richer unnaturally. As for trophies – I think we have as good a chance as anyone this season. Disgruntled fans should learn to count their blessings. Between 1971-72 & 1989 we only won 1 FA cup and flirted with relegation at times. how would you like that to be happening now?
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It’s simple, he keeps out the people that the board don’t want. This isn’t a time to complain because things are looking bright but that is the reason that they sold their shares to him, simple. I believe that Arsenal would have been winning trophies for the last few years with a billionaire backer but that’s not the situation and the squad looks good this year so let’s just get behind the lads.
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@NickW,
You obviously have little knowledge of the workings of Arsenal FC, yet you issue ignorant comments as though you have inside information which you haven’t.
I will try and make it simple for you.
Arsenal PLC do NOT pay dividends to its shareholders.
The only way Messrs Kroenke, Usmanov and the rest can make money from our Club, is by selling their shares at a price above cost.
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As well as a thumbs up and thumbs down icon,
how about a sorry lads, I was wrong icon?
Loads of Gooners said what Hill-Wood confirmed and were called all sorts on here.
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Mr Hillwood,i wonder if you could tell me,and 60,000+
Arsenal supporters in plain English,just what Stan Kroenke
puts back into Arsenal F.C.We all know what he takes out of it,but is that the only reason he’s there “TO MILK THE CLUB” Because as we see it,thats all he does.Now not too far away from the Emirates Stadium there’s another F.C.
called Chelsea,now their top man is another billionare,
Mr Roman Abramovich now this guy is a true football
supporter,he hardly misses a match and he’s not afraid to
put a few million in the kitty when it’s needed,our man
Kroenke,you never see him in London apart from when he comes over to pick up his annual bonus,that’s the differance in the two men.Now before i close MR Hillwood,
i would like to give you a word of warning,without us
60,000+supporters you don’t deserve,you havent got a
football club,if the supporters where to BOYCOTT the home
matches for a season,you have heard the saying,the straw
that broke the camels back,your shares wouldn’t be worth
much then would they. “UP THE GUNNERS”.
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lol ur kidding right boycott the emirates the home of afc have u any idea about the afc season ticket waiting list situation i’ll give u a clue even with its steep costs and lack of silverware its LOOONNNG bro whoever was brave enough to give up give up their seat for x number of games would get a polite letter and refund for remaining season games and their seat would be snapped up like that. In any case not every afc fan feels so negative about their club most understand what is going on in club fball right now and are not crying out for the ONLY way to win things currently with free spending billionaire owners. We love our club and wholly respect it for staying true to its values and not joining those lots playing silly seasons especially considering the current financial situation of the entire world its beyond vulgar and crude. I feel this way and admire respect and believe in wenger and this board regardless of what the likes of “the sun” and other rags want me as an arsenal fan to believe and think.The real shame is taking into account club fans who NEVER all agree, sensationalist reaction loving tabloids and media, and players who are ultimately only in it for themselves, long serving board members such as Mr Hill-wood and the incomparable Arsene Wenger(who seems to have arsenal etched on his heart cos believe me there isn’t a top club in world football who haven’t tried to employ his services during these hard times) are the ONLY ppl working their backsides off to achieve what is best for AFC as a whole, not just short term or during their tenure there but what is best for afc PERIOD! and in my opinion if u cannot see that then the mighty AFC with an existence greater than any one individual is far better off without ur so called support. Peace.
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Lies again from the Arsenal board. If the club really spend what we earn, then all player sale proceeds MUST be invested in the team. What has happened? This season alone, Arsenal has made 10M profit from player sales. Kroenke and the board are only happy counting $€££. That’s their ambition. Shame on these c….ts
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who told u arsenal made 10m profit from player sales “the sun”. See this is what i am talking about so called fans spouting crap as if it is based on fact as far as i am aware all of arsenals tranfer ins and outs were for UNDISCLOSED fees and have been for like ever but its got to the point where media guesses and blatant lies are now accepted as irrefutable facts, this is despite the fact different media outlets always quote different numbers but never mind that hey we’re just sheep listening to what the lying conniving shepherd says. In fball finances this numbers BS covers transfer fees and wages and i for one NEVER take it as fact. Honestly how daft do u have to be to not see right through the medias blatant attempts to destabilise clubs and turn fans against managers and owners to create sensationalist long running stories. A case in point look at that lot down the lane they have already started feeding the poison 3 games into AVBs tenure as their manager and yet go and have a look at how they started last season under english medias man(ager)on the inside harry and then tell me media dont influence fans.
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The way some “fans” react to finance makes me think that they could win 10million on the lottery and be broke two years later!!
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