Alisher Usmanov & Farhad Moshiri buy 14.58% of Arsenal; Confirm Dein as their “Chairman” at Gunnerblog

Alisher Usmanov & Farhad Moshiri buy 14.58% of Arsenal; Confirm Dein as their “Chairman”

0 guns August 30th, 2007

Alisher Usmanov, the man behind the latest Arsenal takeover bid

Red and White Holdings Limited (”Red & White”) today announces that it has
purchased a 14.58% stake in Arsenal Holdings plc (”Arsenal”) from David Dein for £75m, and that it has appointed David Dein as its Chairman. Red & White also announces that it has committed funds to enable it to increase its stake in
Arsenal. However, Red & White confirms that it has no current intention to make a takeover offer for Arsenal or to acquire a shareholding in Arsenal which would trigger an obligation to make a takeover offer for Arsenal save as set out in note 1 below.

Red & White is an investment company established specifically to hold equity
interests in Arsenal. Red & White is jointly owned by Mr Alisher Usmanov, a
leading Russian businessman, and Mr Farhad Moshiri, a London-based investor and long time business associate of Mr Usmanov.

In his role as Chairman David Dein will develop proposals to support the future success of Arsenal and will focus on increasing Red & White’s stake in Arsenal as outlined above. Red & White believes that in light of the fast-changing landscape for football, both in the UK and globally, it will be able to assist Arsenal and ensure that it will be able to thrive in the future and become the leading football club in the world. Specifically, Red & White believes that in order to remain competitive at the top level of the game, Arsenal will require access to significant funding.

Additionally, Red & White believes that the continued involvement of Arsene
Wenger, over and above any renewed contract, is vital to the future success of
the club.

Red & White intends to approach the Board of Arsenal in the near future to
discuss its ideas, to understand the future direction of Arsenal and to explore
areas of potential cooperation.

Commenting on the announcement, Farhad Moshiri said:

“We are very excited not only to secure a significant stake in one of the
world’s most famous football clubs but also to have secured the involvement of
David Dein for the future. Arsenal is a great club with huge potential and we
look forward to increasing our stake and exploring ways to help support the
future development of the club for the benefit of all fans and shareholders.”

David Dein, Chairman of Red & White, added:

“I have always had the best interests of Arsenal at heart - I’ve had a love
affair with the club since I was six. I firmly believe that the involvement of
Red & White with a significant stake and the long-term commitment of Arsene
Wenger are absolutely the best outcome for the club, fans and shareholders
alike. I am delighted to have found, in Farhad Moshiri and Alisher Usmanov,
individuals who share my vision for Arsenal and of where it needs to go to be
the world’s leading football club.”

Alisher Usmanov:
Owner of Oskol Steel Mill, the Ural Steel industrial complex, and the Lebedinsky Iron Ore Mining and Processing Facility. Has said his first love was his stock, or shares, in his metals plants. Well, he sounds like a barrel of laughs. Also known as “The Hard Man of Russia”. I imagine that’s some kind of hilarious steel-based joke. He is wealthier than Berezovsky, with an estimated worth of around £1.8bn. This guy apparently makes Abrahmovich look like Mother Teresa. This story from the Daily Mail corroborates this:

When the only independent national TV channel was closed down in 2001, it was Gazprom Media which took it over and turned it into a propaganda arm of the Kremlin.

Gazprom went on to buy up Russia’s two large independent national newspapers. The last significant remaining one, Kommersant, was bought personally last November by the sinister Uzbek oligarch Alisher Usmanov, chairman of Gazprominvest Holdings.

The Editor-in-Chief was immediately sacked while the defence correspondent, Igor Safronov, mysteriously fell to his death from a window three months later.

Gazprom now controls a whole raft of formerly independent media outlets encompassing TV, radio and newspapers, all faithfully echoing the Kremlin line.

Oh good. I think we can safely say that this is exactly what we didn’t want to happen.

Farhad Moshiri:
Usmanov’s UK representative, this man just loves his pottery. Expect the Emirates to be full of elegant vases anytime soon.

David Dein:
And slimy and orange as a rotting apricot, he’s a) made himself £75m, and b) bought a ticket back into Arsenal. Because believe me, this little trio won’t be stopping here.

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181 Comments Add your own

1. chelsea for life | August 30th, 2007 at 4:43 pm

top chelsea starts 1
2. Arsey | August 30th, 2007 at 4:46 pm

uh oh
3. MAd | August 30th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

Top 5??
4. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 4:59 pm

get in top 10
5. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

Fab 4.
6. gunner fan | August 30th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

chelsea is going down the drain like a dead rat
7. El Tommo | August 30th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

WOW … who are these guys? Where does this leave Kroenke? Surely this means the current Arsenal Board will now be obliged to deal with David Dein again. Crazy stuff!
8. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

Is this a way to sell-out to Kroenke withou making it look like a sell-out by Dein? A pass-through as they call it. Just wondering.
9. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

Its a consortium amici miei. It is not just a 1 man show himself. I feel that Kroenke will soon join this lot………..and they will be accompanied by Fiszman. Just a feeling…….What do you guys think?
10. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 5:04 pm

and Thor is going to sign from Lynn Oslo for £2.5mill a steal for the “Beast from the NorthEast”
11. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

Mr Dein will be the head of a committe within the board until they take over. If Kroenke joins then they will possess around 30% of the shares……enough for the new group to launch a takeover. But it will still be a board…………as I said, not a 1 man show.
12. TD | August 30th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

wow, i dont know if i like this power struggle for ownership of our club. It hardly breeds stability. Oh well at least its better than hollyoaks
13. daymee | August 30th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

Does anyone know where I can get a live stream for the draw
14. gunner fan | August 30th, 2007 at 5:08 pm

bbc sport
15. gunner fan | August 30th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

what was that GUNNER8
16. Moray | August 30th, 2007 at 5:13 pm

http://www.uefa.com for the draw
17. PEELER | August 30th, 2007 at 5:14 pm

All he is bringing to the table is a supersize luminous ego and a score to settle. AW wont spend their cash anyway.
You sold out Dein, dont insult our intelligence with the life long fan rhetoric. As for the fat crook Russian mate of his, score off another thing to cuss Chelsea about.
18. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 5:16 pm

just a joke, don’t get too excited, I was just carrying on…

…rare fact about Usmanov, he currently hold the highest degree of Sumo, judging by his photo he does anyway.

I think that Kroenke who only has half a billion pounds just doesn’t have the wealth neccessary after his abortive takeover with manwith orange tan. He has been sitting there with all these shares and no moolah! watch for them to buy Kroenke’s shares soon
19. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 5:20 pm

Alisher Usmanov is a sumo of the highest order the makuuchi
20. Respect Eduardo | August 30th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

We are officially in group H
21. gunner fan | August 30th, 2007 at 5:29 pm

valencia in chelsea s group
22. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

Oh great, a corrupt Russian. Dein has only one ambition and it is to be Chairman of AFC. He doesn’t care if he destroys AFC in the process. Disgusting.
23. Gunnerz | August 30th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

we just got aek/sevilla in group h
24. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:32 pm

Sickening we don’t need this - wonder how much Wenger knew …
25. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 5:33 pm

I doubt Wenger knew much of anything. I think Wenger’s preference is to not be involved in any of this mess.
26. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:34 pm

As I said in an earlier post in aprevious article Bubba. I feel he will do anything to get his own back…….and he does not care much about AFC.
27. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:35 pm

Steaua Bucharest & Slavia Prague ? anyone or will we be back in the USSR ?
28. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:35 pm

They must have discussed it over dinner …
29. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:37 pm

Exactly Glenn Helder. And I think that AW knew of this all along.
30. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 5:37 pm

a nice trip to greece or spain anyone?
31. Jack | August 30th, 2007 at 5:38 pm

Lmfao. Seville are gonna tear our joke of a defence a new arse hole. They will do us for sure away and we’ll be lucky to get a draw at Emirates. So all we can aim for is 2nd place in the group.
Now just gotta hope we don’t draw another one of the 22 teams left that are more competent and better than our shower of shit squad.

Good to see we used the transfer window to strengthen and plan for depth in case of injuries too. Oh wait…2 dodgy cunts have take shares instead. Arsenal F.C, home of the eternal joke….
32. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:39 pm

Bugger off Jack. Dont start whingering and being pessimistic
33. Fucked off Goon | August 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm

Football is a law onto itself. Dein has sold this club down the river and jumpe in bed with corrupt Russians who fucked their country over. Disgusting and sick. I couldn’t care a fuck less what happened from now on, save to say I want Dein to get gang-raped by a group of hooded thugs…
34. vlcgooner | August 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm

I really don’t know if it is bad for the club. But it does leave me rather down. I liked to imagine a kind of purity about Arsenal– no rich sugar daddies ready to BUY success– that it now looses. That was kind of silly of me. Football is big business.
35. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm

Steaua, Stuttgart or Marseille. I prefer the last one
36. Gunnerz | August 30th, 2007 at 5:42 pm

yes we just avoided cska moscow
37. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pm

25 helder,who gives a fuck how much wenger knew, hes a fucking employee dont forget, i hope this new crowd make the scroogey cunt get a few players in and quit acting the cunt with our club, you cunts would want to wake up and smell the coffee
38. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pm

Arsenal have got Steaua
39. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:43 pm

Nice one Jack i’m sure you’ll be sat beside me cheering the boys on and willing the team to win. Good to know we can all draw a line between debate, constructive criticism and running your team down. Seen any of the results recently ?

Seville are a fantastic team and I for one am looking forward to seeing them down at the Grove. We could have got an easier draw - I was hoping Roma but that’s what the CL is all about, playing the best teams.
40. Gunnerz | August 30th, 2007 at 5:44 pm

we now got steau buhcarest
41. vlcgooner | August 30th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

BTW, do you guys now wish that the Kroenke deal had gone through? It now seems that the Arsenal board reacted rather too harshly when he tried to cash in his shares and should have taken bad over worse. You can blame Dein, of course, but it seems that the board is also at fault for not recognizing what cards he held and so kicking him off. A bit more respect and a negotiated solution might have been a much better outcome.
42. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm

38. Geekov

Speculation - just saying it is an awkward position for Wenger to be in. All interested parties want him to stay do you think he will change the way he works because he has a huge cash pot ? Everyone circling around like vultures just wants to milk the club, they see an undervalued asset with huge potential, a great new ground, fantastic brand of course they want to come and ‘invest’. I say p1ss off and leave the club alone we don’t need their filthy blood money or bent ethics
43. nutsack | August 30th, 2007 at 5:48 pm

gunner8 - does this one park whores outside your house too?

i think a big round of applause to gilberto for breaking this one FIRST.

And a big fuck you to david dein - a pigfucker supreme. rot in hell you overtanned fuck.
44. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 5:50 pm

nope, no idea accept he’s a sumo wrestler
45. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:52 pm

Hope we get Slavia or Rosenborg or Shaktar
46. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

Not Shaktar or Fenner please !
47. fu | August 30th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

ive never seen such a bunch of “piss myself over everything nerdy cunts” as what come on here day after day. im finding it more difficult every day to stomach the wenger experiment that is arsenal these days. its a hopeless cause expecting us to win anything this year so im gradually getting less and less interested as time goes by because unlike most of you, im not interested in taking part to make money for the board, im only happy with winning or challenging, but sometimes when im very bored i log on here to cheer myself up by reading the comical know all shite that you tossers write in constant praise of that has been manager whos name even pisses me off now, i cant bear his endless bullshit excuses and lies, the mans a complete liar.
48. Gunnerz | August 30th, 2007 at 5:54 pm

we just got slavia prague
49. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

Slavia. Yesssssss
50. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 5:55 pm

Hey check out my crystal ball skills !
51. y-front man | August 30th, 2007 at 5:57 pm

Group H
ARSENAL
Sevilla/AEK Athens
Steau Bucharest
Slavia Prague

Could have been alot worse!
52. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 5:57 pm

The key to this whole mess is who agrees with this statement:

“Red & White believes that in order to remain competitive at the top level of the game, Arsenal will require access to significant funding,”

We now have the highest matchday turnover in Europe. The highest. We have a great young squad that can play together for years. I mean, WTF, is all this over whether or not we can afford a new winger? That’s silly and besides the point.

The real truth is that Arsenal does not need “significant funding” for the immediate future. And that’s what makes it such an enticing takeover target. Great turnover, tons of success on the pitch, low wages, young team that can all be sold for huge profits. And not to mention a huge profitable real estate venture about one year from a payoff.

This is about Dein’s vanity and greed, nothing else. Dein gave the club great service (let’s not forget that he got paid a handsome salary for his services and made an extraordinary profit on his investment), but his time at the club has run its course.

He has brought, by what all accounts look like an enormously scary and frightening man right to our doorstep. And I will be willing to bet that their business proposal will be either a) sell-out your shares to Satan Kroenke or b) we break your knee caps and throw you out windows and you sell out your shares to us, for a reduced fee of course.
53. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 5:59 pm

There are no difficult teams among them mates. Its not easy but I tell you that AFC will not have any difficulty in finishing 1st.
54. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 6:00 pm

For full draws go to

http://www.uefa.com/live/competitions/ucl/draw/2008.gs/draw_basic.html
55. y-front man | August 30th, 2007 at 6:02 pm

im thinking of actually leaving ireland this year and heading over to see arsenal. is it difficult to get a ticket, is it true that londons a dangerous place
56. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 6:03 pm

guzeppe are you the only non doom monger on this site - careful someone will moderate you if you keep being this positive.

At least we have avoided a trip to Russia where we seem to lose every time we go there.

Can’t wait to see Sevilla - they do have to make it past AEK but I am sure they will.
57. gooner_15 | August 30th, 2007 at 6:05 pm

not a bad group im satisfieed
58. y-front man | August 30th, 2007 at 6:05 pm

could i travel around london on my bicycle
59. y-front man | August 30th, 2007 at 6:07 pm

glenn helder, you are great arnt you. you have all the answers dont you, you know it all, i bet you love yourself
60. gunnerfanatic | August 30th, 2007 at 6:08 pm

wow! wonder what wenger will say about this dein affair…….
61. Glenn Helder | August 30th, 2007 at 6:08 pm

I love myself regularly thanks usually in the mornings
62. Aristotle | August 30th, 2007 at 6:11 pm

Can somebody please tell me why our club has become Chelski Mark 2? Also…..WHAT is the point of this charade with a CL ‘draw’ for us? It’s nothing but a big sham. We are not in the Champions league to win it. We are in it for our £25million prize money, nothing else. This club stopped being about winning a long time ago. They may as well not bother putting our name in the draw and just give us the 25mil. It’ll save everybody a whole loada time and effort. This takeover thing is a disgrace to the club….Dein should get stoned next time he shows his face anywhere near the Emirates. Shame is…that happens…and you get abducted by some Russian hitman.
63. Aristotle | August 30th, 2007 at 6:11 pm

Guzeppe is just a twat. Stick to Catania instead mate….
64. THE REAL TX GOONER | August 30th, 2007 at 6:12 pm

OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!

NOW WHAT DO YOU ALL YOU BRITS SAY ABOUT STAN?

STAN THE MAN LOOKS GOOD TO ME!!!
65. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 6:13 pm

Hey, I can be positive too. On the draw, I don’t feel at all that Seville have a chance. And other other opponents are no better than Sparta Prague. I mean Spurs were almost competitive against Seville in the UEFA cup last year. And this year Seville are not as good. They sadly lost a good player. Another player of theirs (Alves) is unsettled. I’d love to see Kanoute return to London, so we can boo his Spudness off the pitch. He can’t score in England anyways. Plus, their manager has had a long summer of speculation followed by a good week of ridiculousness thanks to the retardedness of Daniel Levy. We got this one in the bag.
66. Gunner 8 | August 30th, 2007 at 6:16 pm

If we would have got Rosenberg my prediction would have been perfect, oh well trips to Prague and Seville will cheer me up no end… …Bucharest is not so expensive but I think I will leave that one
67. guzeppe | August 30th, 2007 at 6:21 pm

Eila Aristotle.HAVE YOU EVER WON THE WORLD CUP?

To those who call me being positive…..I am always positive in life. I see the negatives but I prefer to dwell on the positives.
68. vlcgooner | August 30th, 2007 at 6:22 pm

Sevilla will be an awesome game. They are an excellent team, and they attack with speed. I think they are the perfect team for Arsenal (like RM during our run to the finals) because they will try to beat us and not put 10 men behind the ball.
69. fu | August 30th, 2007 at 6:24 pm

62, who gives a fuck what wenger thinks or says, im sure the only thing hes worried about is whether or not he’ll still be loved for doing nothing in 3 more years, buying nobody and expected to win nothing and still get a big pay rise every time barcelona or madrid are mentioned. if he ever does leave arsenal which i can gaurantee he wont because hes got a job he’ll never have as easy again, i mean another club might start asking questions and we all know arsene dont like to answer questions, but anyway if he did leave hes got a job as a magician all sewn up because hes worked some magic in fooling all you on here for a start, but to me hes a has been con man
70. daymee | August 30th, 2007 at 6:26 pm

I’d rather be cautious about commenting on this new development.
Also, I would not regard Dein as a bad guy. He has a right to sell his asset. Now, if the seller makes him the chairman of their company, it looks as though, he has not given up on his dream for Arsenal. It is easy for us all to accuse him of greed, when he really has done nothing wrong. Selling your financial stake is a financial activity. I would have said more now if he had turned his back and had no dealings with Red & White. It appears this is a deal. What kind of deal, i don’t. We’ll all find out. What I can say now is DEIN IS BACK! He had a plan all along, and I believe he will get the better of those on the Arsenal board who have no care in the world about our club AFC. I prefer not to mention names.
71. fu | August 30th, 2007 at 6:29 pm

wheres anthony b the retard at these days, i miss his stupidity, hes a genius at making himself look stupid is our anthony, come back soon anthony its gotten boring on here with the same nerds on day after day sprouting the same old crap they just read in the papers
72. Bubba | August 30th, 2007 at 6:33 pm

Fiszman and Edelman have been great stewards of our club. The problem is that they have been too good. And now that our books look great, rich jerks the world around are salivating at the prospect of that level of turnover. Anyone who buys the club would not have to buy a new team, like ManCity, or build a new stadium, like Liverpool. Everyone forgets that Arsenal have registered a profit for every season I can remember looking at an annual report. So while everyone wants to thank Dein, people should really be thanking Fiszman for cleaning up our books and making us such a profitbale club, even more so now that the stadium is built.
73. fu | August 30th, 2007 at 6:35 pm

72 daymee, at last someone with a little sense, will you just listen to these nerds, they should wake up and realise that arsenal wouldnt be the club it is without david dein, the man deserves a medal for what hes done for us but my guess is these clowns havent been around long enough to appreciate or even be aware of deins influence on arsenal. i say fair fucks to him and i cant wait for the day he kicks this boards ass and their pompous clown embarassement hill wood out of the emirates for the way theyve treated him
74. fu | August 30th, 2007 at 6:36 pm

bubba if every club bought kids every fucking year then there would be a lot of profits being made
75. nutsack | August 30th, 2007 at 6:39 pm

good man Russian Crook -

texas gooner doesn’t understand our tradition. he probably only understands tossing George W’s salad…
76. dcom | August 30th, 2007 at 6:40 pm

So dein sold 15% and Stan has 10%. That makes it 25%. The board holds 45%. If the board is so committed they should have tried to pick up another 5% or so that these other guys have been trying to pick up and get into an impregnable position. Peter Hill Wood is the chairman when he holds less than 1% of the club. He should try to increase his holdings. If all other board member are so committed they shoudl just buy that 10% more and get into an impregnable position. If they stand together no one can buy the club off. PHW has just been there because of his family history. he already made his money when he sold his stake. He sold it to someone and now Dein sells his to someone else. All you can say is that one was an Englishman the other is a Russian. If the background of the man is an issue, why did they not deal with Stan Kroenke. that guy had a reasonable background. Its a business fight and that is it. If Dein becomes the chairman of AFC would he drag this club down the drain.. NO. He had his vision and that brought success to club. I find it hypocritical that PHW with
77. Gris Gris | August 30th, 2007 at 6:55 pm

What does PHW think now! Hah!! That xenophobe got taken to the cleaners. Kroenke looks much better stacked up against these two.
78. Gunner 8 | August 30th, 2007 at 7:04 pm

night night the blog has gotten silly again
79. paulie | August 30th, 2007 at 7:06 pm

absolutely brilliant idea of platinis to give a champions league spot to the cup winners thus only allowing 3 league places enter. if this happens it will force wenger to be a little more ambitious instead of settling for 4th place to keep the board happy because theres no denying that everybody sees it as a sucess nowadays at the emirates if we qualify for the champions league no matter how we perform in anything else and i for one am sick to the fucking teeth of this attitude. if wenger wont or cant get us top players to challenge 3 other mediocre teams who possess nothing more than us except experience and proven goalscorers then its time for him to go and allow someone else do it, how much time is available to him, is he allowed carry on untill he feels like retiring without winning anything and being questioned purely on the fact hes won in the past, why is he not being questioned more, why have we become a team delighted to finish fourth?
80. paulie | August 30th, 2007 at 7:13 pm

86, i shouldnt really be commenting on a twat but yours is possibly the most unrelated to arsenal piece of shit that ive ever had the missfortune of mistakenly reading ever on this blog. you have to be retarded because its makes some of the shite on here look intelligent
81. paulie | August 30th, 2007 at 7:15 pm

so bad in fact ive got to leave because i cant even share the same cyberspace as this cad
82. mystery777 | August 30th, 2007 at 7:18 pm

86.russian crook,

I agree with you about Kroenke but dont generalise Americans like that. Its like them saying we all worship brown and support there phony wars.NOT TRUE.
83. ey | August 30th, 2007 at 7:19 pm

Ear4lierin the day there was a nice discusssion about football where people were not acting like prats. I guess that’s gone now.
84. vlcgooner | August 30th, 2007 at 7:32 pm

Gilberto S., please remove and ban the racist, anti-semetic bullshit from this board!. It is disgraceful, and a disgrace to your website if you allow it. I will just stop reading it and hope that others will do likewise.

Arsenal is a team with players from all over the world, a true icon of cosmopolitanism. So, I usually don’t talk like this, but FUCK OFF RACIST CUNTS. GO CRAWL UNDER WHATEVER ROCK YOU CAME OUT FROM.
85. vlcgooner | August 30th, 2007 at 7:59 pm

I agree with Anders (101.), but am unsure that this is the best group. We do need money to compete at the top (although we might make it occasionally just on Wenger’s ability to spot talent). But I am not comfortable with dirty money.
86. Anders | August 30th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

vlcgooner, there is really no such thing as “clean money”. Anyone here who wishes that Roman Abramonivic didnt buy us is lying. It would be great to never worry about profits or debt etc. Maybe these guys can do it? DD is a smart guy. He is running the show. The Russian is probably dirty, but the fund manager in London who is part of the consortium isnt. But this is about football, and to a lesser degree, vanity. These guys want to win. I doubt this is about bottom line profits. DD has an ego. And frankly I would rather support the guys with Egos and competitive drive than the guys who care about the profits. And lets be real, the current crew is all about the bottom line.
87. Eric | August 30th, 2007 at 9:06 pm

Bring it on, I say.

Dein is a true Arsenal legend, not like the toffee-nosed cunts we’ve got in the board room at the moment - he knows what it is to be a fan, and he’s the one who turns out every weekl to watch us play, not Hill-Wood or any of the others.

A nice cash injection, and some pressure on Wenger to start thinking about the present is exactly what we need.
88. barry fantastic | August 30th, 2007 at 9:10 pm

CRAWL BACK INTO YOUR SLIMEY HOLE TX RACIST…NO-ONE WANTS TO READ THE GARBAGE EMANATING FROM YOUR SCRAMBLED NUT
89. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 9:25 pm

How sad. You all want any old cunt with a sack of cash to take over the club coz; “ooh, then we can spend the equivilent of the gross national product of a small nation on a few big name players and keep up with the chavs.”

It is fucking sick, football is in the toilet. Its a fucking shame that it has got to this stage, where no one gives a flying fuck who these people are, what they have done, who they’ve ripped off, fleeced, muscled out, threatned bribed, tortured, killed. Nope, that don’t matter, just bring in that filthy lucre and buy us a Kaka and an Eto’o.

Nice one.
90. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 9:28 pm

BTW; I am not talking about these dudes who have bought DD’s shares, but the general consensu that most supporters seem completely blase and unmoved by the motives and past deeds of these twats who keep coming here and buying up clubs.

Sorry, but it stinks.
91. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 9:30 pm

Dein’s timing of this news was perfect…..well, for him anyway. Right at the same times as the Euro draw. maximum exposure and disturbance to Arsenal, and more likely Edelman and the rest.

Ego? What ego?

I just hope he knows who he’s in bed with, that after selling his shares, he still has a strong hand in this company and they can’t just ditch him now they’ve got his shares. And that he can now go and buy Kranky shares off him as he don’t need em.
92. Joe Tucci | August 30th, 2007 at 9:34 pm

Anders, posts 101 is the biggest load of CACK I think I’ve ever read. DD is some knight in shining armour then eh?
Idiot.
93. gunnershabz | August 30th, 2007 at 9:35 pm

basically geekov, double d had a mission and now he waited for months to sell his stake, and he aint dumb enough to sell it too anyone.
he knows how much arsenal will make in 2-3 years time, he knows it all because he was part of the “emirates project” he knows the facts and figures.
now the only way he could get back in, is having investors with him and convince him about arsenal fc.
he has now got the russian and iranian guy, he is now the chairman of this red and white holdings, which is arsenals colours.
now they will wait until next year to complete this, david dein has not sold his stake like that, he has invested it back to the red and white holdings.

obviously arsene wenger has spoken to dein, no question of the doubt, why do u think wenger is being so patient about this now.

i know next summer is going to be hectic…..
94. gunnershabz | August 30th, 2007 at 9:37 pm

we all know david dein loves arsenal, he breeds arsenal, i rather have him involved then any other guy if it does go well with red and white holdings ltd
95. Gunner 8 | August 30th, 2007 at 9:39 pm

Eto’o is injured we don’t need him Geekov… …just kidding it’s a sad day
96. Joe Blogs | August 30th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

Geekov re: post 111. Somebody else said this in the former thread but I will repeat it: yourself and *_Respects Highbury are possibly the only 2 ppl on this board with any intelligence, morality or ethical insight (oh and me too!). I think it is a fucking farce to read ignoramus like Anders @ 101. talking about how it’s ’such a great idea’ as it will get us back to ‘where we belong’.
You sound like a fucking spud mate. ‘Where we belong’?
We always have been the 3rd club in England. We still are (behind Pool and Manc scum). So that’s one misnomer already. Then, you think this nasty Russian lucre is a good idea cos it might get us ‘loads shiny new toys to play with’? You’re a twat then. Rememeber that even if you gave AW £350 mil transfer funds for a summer, he’d still only spend about £5 mil of that and STILL come back with a profit. So you’re overlooking that too. Even with shitloads of cash he will NOT pay £40-50 mil for a Kaka or Eto.

So what exactly are you happy about? That we might become like the chavs and just throw silly amounts of filthy lucre at everything (or like West Ham)? How does that make us any better than the chavs then? Whatever happened to the Arsenal way of ‘victoria concordia crescit’? Victory through HARMONY motherfuckers.
Never said a thing about victory through murdering, torturing, raping and killing scores of people and then using it to buy titles. Any fan who backs this move is of little to no intelligence and has no knowledge of world affairs and this club’s traditions. It’s fucking disgusting tbh with you. Sad day for AFC.
97. Joe Tucci | August 30th, 2007 at 9:48 pm

Edelman said: “The club is in a very strong position financially and you are going to see that at the end of September when we release our results.

“We have ample cash resources for the manager to invest in his team and his squad. He was able to get all of his targets this year well within his budget which means his budget will be increased next year.

“We are in a very good position, we realise David has sold his shares to Red and White owned by Mr Usmanov, we note that but don’t believe it changes anything for Arsenal FC.

“The current shareholders on the board control over 45% of shares and we believe the way the club is being run and the financial strength of the club will come through.”

“The club is in a very good position, and the stadium is producing very large cash balances for us.”

Edelman also issued a plea for manager Arsene Wenger to commit his long-term future to the club.

He added: “Arsene’s a great manager and has produced outstanding teams.

“We think we are on the verge of another outstanding team of young players and we would like Arsene to join with us in enjoying that experience.”
98. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

118 Joe Tucci

you are wrong mate… …look around next time you are at the grove
99. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

night night
100. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 9:54 pm

Laters G8
101. GilbertoSilver | August 30th, 2007 at 10:07 pm

Some people just got very, very banned.
102. Osaka Jap | August 30th, 2007 at 10:16 pm

wtf????? the guy’s only worth just over £ 1 billion. that’s not filthy rich a la the chelsea mafia. i got no business questioning double d’s contribution to th club so far but all i see in this latest move is vanity and greed. these guys are not philanthropists a la that lot down in king’s road, they just want to milk the club for all it’s worth and that makes me sad.
103. Eric | August 30th, 2007 at 10:20 pm

106 - what do you think then? He’s the devil in disguise?

Moron.
104. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 10:23 pm

Devil in Disguise? Weren’t that an Elvis track?

Thought so.
105. Geekov | August 30th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

Laterzzzzzzzzzz
106. Eric | August 30th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

102 He’s worth a lot more than £1bn.
107. Gunner8 | August 30th, 2007 at 10:36 pm

Thanks Gilbo

l8er
108. paulie | August 30th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

geekov i reckon david dein is kicking himself for not talking to you and getting some advice, i mean what would a sucessfull man like dein whos made arsenal the club it is know in comparison to you, if it was left to people like you then arsenal would be struggling with the second tier clubs in the league. so what if its not how you like it in football, truth is thats the way it is so move with the times or get left behind, is that what you want?
109. Eric | August 30th, 2007 at 10:58 pm

Somebody’s been reading too much arseblog. that guy is a great read, but spouts a huge amount of garbled nonsense when it comes to the takeover.
110. paulie | August 30th, 2007 at 11:01 pm

96 joe bloggs, when you say you and two others are the only ones on here with any intelligence i think you need to rethink that statement, you see theres a lot more than 3people on here and i think if you can only find two others to agree with your bollox talk then mabey you might be a little deluded
111. Eric | August 30th, 2007 at 11:26 pm

110 - it’s called ’small town mentality’. We’ll never amount to anything - so we shouldn’t try, apparently.

They’re idiots, honestly.
112. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:00 am

Does anyone else think the yank is also going to sell his share to Red & White now?
113. Eric | August 31st, 2007 at 12:02 am

It’s possible Pier - after all, with doubts about his ability to buy the club outright, maybe this is exactly what he was waiting for all along.
114. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:11 am

Look guys, there is plenty of dodgy money in football now. If you are that pious then why didnt you all give up watching football years ago? Truth is that most people turn a blind eye to the many injustices in football nowdays when the cash comes rolling in and their team starts kicking ass.
Unfortunately the chavs will love this and throw it in our faces tho.
115. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:14 am

113 - Eric
Nail on head mate. DD and SK have realised that their original plan was never going to work smoothly, hence the extra moneymen as backup. What is the story on Usmanov anyway, is he really that terrible?
116. Eric | August 31st, 2007 at 12:18 am

There isnt’ a lot of clean money in Russia - but these oligarchs are simply opportunists - if it hadn’t been them, it would have been someone else in their place. It was a more or less inevitable result of the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Doesn’t may Usmanov a nice guy - in fact I know nothing about him - but the fact is, sometimes you have to be pragmatic. I have little to no affection for the current board anyway - I think they treat the fans like utter shit, and bleed us at every opportunity. I don’t care who’s holding the reigns if they’re behind the scenes - and if we can get DD back, he’ll be steering the ship. Good stuff.
117. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:19 am

GS - What’s with that picture at the top of the thread? Were you in the clandestine meeting between the Red and White bigwigs as well? ;o)Mmmm, I’m beginning to think i may be right, seeing as you were one of the first to break this story.
118. Eric | August 31st, 2007 at 12:19 am

117 - I think GS managed to snap it over his shoulder, running away as Usmanov tried to eat him.
119. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:28 am

I agree, DD should be brought back in. Its a shame he was forced to leave in the first place. I also believe that AW knew all along about these developments and is just biding his time before fully committing to the club further.
Although the board have done a good job moving the club to the grove they have become more interested in property development rather than the team. Another reason why DD was so unhappy.
What’s with trying to trademark Gooner as well? Pathetic. Another example of bad PR all due to talking without first engaging brain.
120. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:29 am

LOL. Nobody can accuse GS of being stupid then. I’d bloody move quick sharp too.
121. Sean_Dublin | August 31st, 2007 at 12:34 am

Great i love it sooo happy mr dein is back in there “somewere”
122. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:40 am

Has everyone gone to bed?
123. Pier | August 31st, 2007 at 12:44 am

I guess so
124. davey b | August 31st, 2007 at 12:53 am
125. guna | August 31st, 2007 at 1:00 am

Ardenal is a much better team than all those teams in our CL group .what an easy group! Arsenal! Arsenal! Arsenal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
126. Y-Front Man | August 31st, 2007 at 1:08 am

nice. some asshole was writing as me half of the afternoon. good to see gilberto silver saying a few bans are gona be dished out. sounds good.

Funnily enough I actually am leaving N.Ireland and actually am moving to London for the year so perhaps I will be frequenting the Grove. money permitting! Its frickin expensive. I’m a red member but that doesnt get you into that many games. so any season ticket holders wana sell me any games they cant get to i would be willing to pay.

What does anyone think of the group. I actually think it’ll be an ok group to watch. from what i’ve heard most teams in it like to play a bit of football which should suit us.

Is anyone even still on here?
127. dcom | August 31st, 2007 at 2:06 am

The group is easy. Arsenal should beat Bucharest and Praha home and away unless we are playing away on a cold cold winter night. Sevilla is the tough one but qualifying should not really be an issue.
128. Rabbi Savvy | August 31st, 2007 at 2:24 am

The group is as easy or tough as Arsenal let it to be. I did not expect to lose to PSV last year but it happened. Hopefully we will do well without the scares.
129. Non Edible Nacho | August 31st, 2007 at 3:55 am

It all comes down to two points.

The first one: Arsenal doesn’t need any investment. It has money, it has a well structured, perfectly payable debt, the stadium with the hiughest match day revenue in europe, a good core of facilities, players and managers that work in a very fluent way, etc.

But the second and most important: even if it did need it, and even if these takeovers weren’t leveraged or all the stuff that has been said since Kroenke’s first appearences, even if investment could give Arsenal the ridiculous financial muscle Chelsea had in the previous years, the club should stand strongly against this kind of crooks, these miserable “investors” that have the world and people’s lives as their playthings, all for the sake of dreaming about bringing a new star or a couple of trophies to the club. I really couldn’t care less about them if that means paying for them with blood just because it’s the blood of people we are not seeing die in front of us. It’s just becoming one of them, and avoiding that in the context of a prostituted premier league (without giving up on the football front either, of course, this is a football club after all) should be the club’s main goal full stop.
130. ron in (san diego) | August 31st, 2007 at 4:11 am

yo yo yo im blocked, its 20 past 6 over here & its was 29 degrees today

easy draw today, who gives a fuck about the takeover, yawn

it is going to happen, just a matter of time

see ya, way out

whooo hooo
131. Flu0 | August 31st, 2007 at 4:14 am

Transfer deadline day pple.
132. daymee | August 31st, 2007 at 5:13 am

All I’ll say is DD would rather die than allow the name of Arsena get dragged in the mud. A lot of senseless comments here but does any of you lot know what the future hold for football?

Sorry to disappoint you but football is now not what it was even 6years ago (ie 2001). Things have changed and things are changing.
I’m sure DD is more than convinced that at some point in the future of this club, it will need the “caretaking” it truly deserves. Your current board does not care whether Arsenal win anything or not. I don’t know why you lot cannot just understand that. If you have a feeling inside of you that “maybe” DD loves this club then, “think” before you just make stupid comments just for the sake of making a comment. I’m really not happy about how we jump into conclusions without having any deep understanding of matters. Does any of you know the Arsenal board more than DD? Do you?
He’s not gone. If he sold up and turned his back it would have been a different situation. But NO! He is still very interested despite the embarrassment brought upon him by “your flaky board of directors”.
The question you need to ask yourself is: What is it that DD and the board disagree on? Financial Backbone if you ask me. Football is big business today. I don’t know about a few years ago. What drives football? I will not go down the lane of talking of your “dirty money” bullshit. The strength of the Premiership today is incomparible to the days Man U & Arsenal fought for the Premiership between themselves. Those days (feels like yesterday now) journalists and even fans complain that the EPL was not as competitive like the La Liga or Serie A. Look at the game today. The whole world wants to watch the EPL now. Have you taken a moment to ask yourself why?
I’m not here to give you answers. I’m just very disappointed with the level of childishness and one-dimensional thinking of some of you.
Regardless of my status in society, I don’t think anything’s wrong in following this blog, as I think it’s a very good blog but then GS you need to clear out immoral language. If society allows pple to swear uncontrollably and take the mickey out of each other, then keep it in your homes. This could possibly be one of my longest comments. Just goes to show how much I have endured reading the “foul” week in week out on this site.
Back to football matters, I trust DD inside out. He has hardly missed a game since he was kicked out by the board. He has been in close contact with AW and continually supported him. Not assuming but know this as a matter of fact! You may not have seen him in the forefront of late but he still has the passion burning inside of him.
All I’ll say is think about the questions in this post before tallking. Dirty money!!! Dirty money!!! Go to Russia and find me clean money. Some of you will even stay away from Russia altogrther. If your team go there to play and you have a ticket you may even stay away. Do your research on Russia before coming here to talk. In Russia there is definately “dirty money” as you all call it. But then what you don’t know is there is also loads of money made in Russia made dirty not because it is indeed dirty but just because it has Russian connections. Spot the difference and use your brains.
I support DD and the Red & White Holdings. End Of
133. gunnershabz | August 31st, 2007 at 7:11 am

the only way red and white holdings will do it, if they get stan stake then am sure they will complete it.

id love to see what his vision is, he needs make a website and a mission statement, because i will believe david dein
134. gunnershabz | August 31st, 2007 at 7:12 am

and he will get my support if he brings in ronaldinho and ricardo quaresma today….

imagine here u go lads, red and white holdings invest in 2 superstars for arsenal
135. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 7:19 am

So now AW mysterious transfer menatlity and youth policy makes sense. I reckon for sure he was privy to this, and one way o another it has been the cuase of his strange squad building and youth fixation behaviour.

I have said many many time, dont judge on what they say, judge on what they do. And if wehat they say and do are not convergent, then they are lying.

They are all lying money grabbing egotistical knobbers. The whole stinking lot. They have taken the peoples game and now use it as a means of wealth transfer from the people to the have’s. A bit like war in taht respect. IT’S A BLOODY CONSPIRACY PEOPLE!!
136. gunnershabz | August 31st, 2007 at 7:25 am

obviously the board making the money, us fans are the ones they need to make it successfull without the fans they cant do fuck all.
137. Gunner8 | August 31st, 2007 at 8:57 am

126. Y-Front Man | August 31st, 2007 at 1:08 am
nice. some asshole was writing as me half of the afternoon. good to see gilberto silver saying a few bans are gona be dished out. sounds good.

Funnily enough I actually am leaving N.Ireland and actually am moving to London for the year so perhaps I will be frequenting the Grove. money permitting! Its frickin expensive. I’m a red member but that doesnt get you into that many games. so any season ticket holders wana sell me any games they cant get to i would be willing to pay.

Y-Front if you don’t have season tickets and can not get them through Red membership contact the AISA
138. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 9:28 am

Morning, and how are we after digesting yesterdays events then?

Well, thanks to paulie and Eric for explaining to me that I am soooo small minded and small town me ntality. Yes, that is what I was going on about wasn’t it?

Sheesh, some people, just don’t get it do they?

‘Move with the times’ you say, er, why? Is everything new great? Let’s take a look, oh yeah, global warming, pollution, extreme weather conditions, yadda yadda. These are all symptoms of “progress” and “moving on.”

So, do me a favour and do not patronise me, saying I have got me opinions from reading arseblog! Fucking joker. I have got MY opinons from reading up on the experioences of other teams, their fans and supporters trusts, who, heaven forbid! Actually look deeper than the fact some tycoon is splashing the cash on BIG name players. Ooh, how exiting. But hang, what about the long term stability? Erm, shouldn’t we think about that? Or should we just roll over and let any twat in an expensive suit tickle our collective tummies coz he’s got a wad and he aint afraid tio use it?

Fuck me, it is depressing when all some care about is their shiney new toys, as someone else called em.

Why do we need the foreign billionaire? Coz Dein says so? Hold on, isn’t Wenger holding onto the cash he has now anyway? So, he gets £500 million to spend, so what? He’ll still only spend £12.99p anyways! Unless we should get rid of him coz we will need a manager who loves spunking millions won’t we?

I have no qualms with investment, but it is the REASONS behind this sudden explosion of foreign investors that concerns.

Does anyone think they have the long term interest of fans at heart? Did they even have a fucking clue about the clubs before they acquired them? Oh yeah, course they did, look they wear the scarves and shirts at matches, phew, thats OK then.

Even Dein, a man who has done a l;ot for us Arsenal thru and thru (like Cashley was), who was against the new stadium and who tried to flog the club behind the boards back and chooses his press conference for the exact time as Arsenal’s Champs League draw, to ensure that he could score peety points against some of those board members.

But at least he has a strong connection with the club, but his statements about wanting to basically take over the club are hardly gonna do anything for the stability of Arsenal is it?

As I said in previous posts, it is not the investment itself, it is the reasons behind it and the PEOPLE involved; Shinawatra, Abramovich, Gaydermak, Gillet, Boreszovsky, etc. But hey, I am being small minded coz I think its disgusting that people with blood on their hands amonhst other crimes, are just allowed to waltz in here and snap up any club they likie coz they have a few billion in the bank.

Yes indeed, how perochial of me, I am such a neanderthal…..All that matters is we have enough cash to look our chav mates in the eye so we can buy Kaka, Eto’o, Buffon, yadda yadda yadda..
139. y-front man | August 31st, 2007 at 9:32 am

cheers gunner8. i will look into that
140. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 9:40 am

Does Dein’s hook up with the Russian mean he has ditched Krankie then? So, he gets in bed with the big moustahioed fella, gets booted out of Arsenal for it, then fucks this Yank off for someone with a bigger wallet.

Sounds just like a WAG, going from a championship footballer to a prem one.
141. y-front man | August 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am

I’ve yet to hear a convincing reason why these guys are bad guys? I too really don’t like when scumbags take over a club but i have to say i (although not a journalist) snooped around a bit and haven’t been able to turn much up.

My little theory is that arsene has been refusing to spend this boards money in order to make deins approach look needed.

anyway… what will be will be. its nice to think that our opinion makes a difference but we are kidding ourselves. uless arsene is a gunnerblog reader, in which case, Hey Arsene, tell Cesc I think he’s a legend!
142. Samuel | August 31st, 2007 at 9:41 am

Geeks said this last night:
It is fucking sick, football is in the toilet. Its a fucking shame that it has got to this stage, where no one gives a flying fuck who these people are, what they have done, who they’ve ripped off, fleeced, muscled out, threatned bribed, tortured, killed. Nope, that don’t matter, just bring in that filthy lucre and buy us a Kaka and an Eto’o.
———-
I really don’t understand people who think this will happen. In Arsene’s time here, even before the emirates, he has only spent 10+ million on extremely rare occasion. We are never going to spend 26million on a Torres or 18million on a Anderson.

Arsene believes in tradition. And you know what, I am scared for his job (as he is only an employee) the same way Ranieri was when an oilgrach came in, or Pardew etc. if he just comes 3rd or 4th. We know that Arsene can battle in the future (this is the 4th year of his 5 year transition plan yes?) but these crazy murderous convicts won’t accept that now…

That’s my 2 cents. I now have to spend the day moving back to uni.
143. Samuel | August 31st, 2007 at 9:43 am

Geekov: I think it’s more of: “Na na na na na. My investor has killed more people than yours.”
144. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 9:44 am

SeeYa l8r Samuel.
145. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 9:48 am

y-fronts; I am sure OUR oligarchs are wonderful, family loving peaceful hippy types without a stain on their characters. Usmanov’s law firm even went as far as to release a statement saying that, whatever he was accused of under the Soviet regime was conveniently pardoned when Gorbachev came to power. Basically, telling the media that mention of those deeds would result in a swift injuction!

The fact Dein is heading it seems to give people more confidence than other takeovers. So, as long as Dein is there, everything’s rosey, ah, that word again!

I just wonder, now that Dein has sold up his shares, how difficult it would be for the 2 fellas to get rid of Dein? I dunno?
146. DeiseGooner | August 31st, 2007 at 9:49 am

Fixtures are out for champions league. First game is a home time with Sevilla most likely. Last another hime tie, hopefully wualification will be sorted by prague away

Wednesday 19th September 2007
Arsenal v Sevilla/AEK Athens

Tuesday 2nd October 2007
Steaua Bucharest v Arsenal

Tuesday 23rd October 2007
Arsenal v Slavia Prague

Wednesday 7th November 2007
Slavia Prague v Arsenal

Tuesday 27th November 2007
Sevilla/AEK Athens v Arsenal

Wednesday 12th December 2007
Arsenal v Steaua Bucharest
147. Gilles Grimandi | August 31st, 2007 at 9:58 am

Apparently Jens Lehmann has been spotted at Fulhams training ground today!
148. champions | August 31st, 2007 at 9:59 am

im actually glad we might get taken over this wud proberbly mean more funds and more world class players
149. PEELER | August 31st, 2007 at 10:19 am

DEIN Supersize luminous ego and a score to settle.
THE RUSSIAN Supersize gut and out to milk and launder AFC.
THE IRANIAN - lowlife fixer, polar opposite to what the club stands for.

You sold out Dein, dont insult our intelligence with the life long fan rhetoric. Keep this bunch of low life well away.
We already got AW
We already got a new ground
We already got plenty of cash (AW wouldnt spend theirs anyway)

AFC is a vehicle to line their pockets - no more no less
150. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 10:19 am

Another interesting point about Gazprom. Shell and BP developed an enormous gas field called sahkalin. Once it was up and running the soviet (thats not an error) government started to apply pressure, like trumped up environmental restrictions etc and basically nationalised the entire multi billion dollar project. It’s now owned by Gazprom. Did the same to BP’s interest in another huge field in Siberia.

These people are dogs with fleas. They make Roman look very very good by comparison. This is a tragedy.
151. Marcuvious | August 31st, 2007 at 10:22 am

Ok I am new to this blog but have to applaud the author for breaking the news of a takeover before anyone else on the planet it seems….Upon reading yesterday I just thought it was going to be just rumours again…..but here we are the takeover plans have begun and I think it is a disgrace that Dein has now turned to dirty Russian money to feed his supposed passion for AFC. The worry for me is this is not about passion or any concern for the heritage of our great club, this is about ego and greed…..It has got so low that dirty blood money is going to be invested into our club. Dein is a corrupt asshole and despite the effors he did put into our club he has lost it and I dont want him anywhere near us. We are sucsessful, we are economically sound and what everyone fails to recognise is this is business and therefore must conform to the principles of business and finance…People are looking at the short term and not looking at how the club will be supported when these foreign investors, with no passion for the club, get bored or their profit margin is reduced by in increase in the market price. What happens then? Any business needs to support itself and not rely on inflows of capital. We also cant forget that business is about making money for their investors, in a few years after the inital inflow of capital, an investor is going to want his/her return. Taking money out of the club, anyone who cant see this and honestly believes that in 10 years time Arsenal will be better off for being sold down the river is naive and thick! We currently have a sound financial model and the current board and manager should be proud of what they have achieved. I guarantee that if we hold on to this model and continue to mange the club the same way we will be in a better situation than all the clubs that have sold out and maintain our dignity and pride!
152. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 10:24 am

151 Good post and Yes GS is a legend
153. Dick (aka Willy) | August 31st, 2007 at 10:27 am

This is a tricky one, no??

Wenger doesn’t like spending money. I don’t think the board are lying when they say Arsene has money to spend - he just clearly doesn’t wanna splash out.
What’s to say this will be the same - even if Dein does come back?

Dein’s “vision” for Arsenal is that we can’t compete without investment. Therefore, he clearly believes the current team isn’t good enough (you only need to look at Dein’s reply when the photographer who snapped Dein and Wenger at a restaurant together said, “Good luck for new season”, to which Dein remarked, “Thanks, we’re going to need it”).

This is in sharp contrast with Wenger’s belief that the team IS good enough and will still challenge without mammoth investments in players. Thus, if Dein does come back - are him and Wenger going to disagree for the first time in their closer than close relationship???

Tricky one, indeed.
154. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 10:34 am

153 or AW was holding back becuase of his foreknowledge of what was coming.
155. Dick (aka Willy) | August 31st, 2007 at 10:40 am

MUNI —

yeah, but what would difference would it make? If the money’s there now, Wenger can spend it now. It makes no difference to a takeover.
156. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 10:40 am

Shazzbut
157. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 10:45 am

I just think Wenger simply refused to spend money on players as he considered them too expensive and over-priced.
158. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 10:46 am

Curtis Davies for £9 million! Over priced of course, Wenger rates him, but would NEVER pay that for a player with 1 years experience in the top flight and not a single cap to his name.
159. Simmzy | August 31st, 2007 at 11:02 am

Top post Geekov.

I was reading Goodplaya, and this comment (by someone named Alex) made me think:

“Well said Playa. It would take a very short memory to not remember that Mr Dein has smoothly executed a dramatic U-Turn from his historical opposition and criticism to foreign investment in Arsenal FC (especially Russian Oligarch investment ala Chelski). It also begs the question, why did Mr Dein need to sell his entire stake to Usmanov in exchange of the Chairmanship of Red & White Holdings? Could he not keep his stake and form an investment company of his own to potentially take over the company? Mr Dein wanted to both liquidate his holding (generating vast personal wealth) as well as remain in the picture as far as forcing his way back to the AFC boardroom is concerned. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.”

Something that puts it all into perspective for me. If he loved Arsenal ever so dearly, I don’t think he even needed to sell up, he could’ve set out the same course of action without selling out.
160. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 11:11 am

Talk to me
161. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 11:15 am

Cheers Simmzy.

Yeah, it would appear Mr Double D wants his cake and eat it too! As well as announcing at the same time as our CL draw, scoring a few personal points against Edelman and the rest, making an absolute effin killing by selling up, out and away to the Russians, BUT having a nice important job title for his new venture, without putting anything of his own stake into it. Yeah, real smooth.
162. Dick (aka Willy) | August 31st, 2007 at 11:34 am

*****CONSPIRACY THEORY*****

Wenger has a greater loyalty to Dein than he does to Arsenal and it’s only Dein’s love for the club that stopped Wenger from leaving. Dein is the instigator, the father of Arsene’s time at Arsenal, without his insistence Arsene would never have been at the club. Wenger, known as somebody with a rigid code of honour, doesn’t seem one to bite the hand that fed him. Perhaprs had Dein specifically asked Wenger to leave with him, he probably would have. Instead, Dein knew Arsenal would be much worse off without Wenger and put his concerns for the club above his damaged pride. Dein after all wants revenge on the board, not Arsenal, and therefore wants to exact his retribution in a manner which won’t harm the club.

Thierry Henry, June 2007, whilst still an Arsenal player: “All I’m saying is that letting David Dein leave was a big mistake.” You read that and immediately you’re tempted to think Henry REALLY left for one of two reasons; a) Henry thought his time at Arsenal wouldn’t be the same without Dein (unlikely, but possible), or b) Henry, knowing Wenger’s morals and his close association with Dein, believed beyond all reasonable doubt that in the wake of Dein’s departure Arsene would now leave too. But, what about this:

c) Dein told Arsenal he’d back, at all costs. Usmanov and Moshiri clearly aren’t guys Dein met on the street or at some social gathering. He wouldn’t entrust the future of Arsenal to someone on such a whim. These are people he’s probably always privately knew, and equally knew would be interested in investing into the club if it ever came that he should need them. Dein wouldn’t have “left” the board otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone without a fight had he not been certain he could return. Hence, Dein told Wenger to stall on a contract; not to a point where the board are forced to start looking for a replacement, but playing cloaks and daggers well enough that the board would always believe that, with a little work, they could persuade him to stay. Then - and this is the potentially scandalous bit (even if a little far-fetched) - Wenger didn’t tell Henry of his plans to stay or go and let him leave for Barcelona, partly because Henry perhaps half-wanted to, but primarily to depreciate the value of Arsenal, at Dein’s request. As an asset Henry was valued by the club at between £30M-40M. In fact, it is the players who are one of the main assets of any club. I’ll give you an example - Chelsea is owned by Abramovich. He’s worth £14bn and has invested over £250M in the club. But that’s not cash sitting in the bank, it’s been spent on players. If all those players were to run their contracts down, then leave for nothing (we can wish), Chelsea wouldn’t still be worth behemoth sums just because their owner is a billionaire. It’s the club that’s valued, not the owner. It’s the same with Arsenal’s board - any money they got from the Henry deal - even if they had have got £30M-40M - would have still been worth less than Henry as an Arsenal player; an Arsenal asset. Strange, I know - but true. When someone buys a club they don’t buy their money, they buy the club and it’s assets. Therefore if the club has an £80M transfer fund set aside, they don’t buy that fund when they buy the club - they don’t pay cash for cash. They buy the right to run the club and invest however much, or as little, in transfers as they choose. The same goes for new, big-name players: Wenger hasn’t bought any because, effectively, they would become assets and the club’s value goes up considerably. Edelman and co keep harpening on about how financially “strong” and how “cash-rich” we are. Revenue streams - yes, they’re part of the club’s value. But spare “cash” isn’t. Funny then how Dein announces his imminent plans for a return not only on the day of the Champions League draw - but also on the eve of the closure of the transfer window.

Maybe, just maybe Wenger is making do with what he’s got - whilst secretly halting the club’s asset-value increasing - in order to make Dein’s acquisition of the club smoother, cheaper and above all, more welcomed by the fans.
163. canker | August 31st, 2007 at 11:40 am

Dick - my, what an active imagination! You can’t seriously believe that Wenger would put his own wealth above that of the club? Dein, on the other hand, has done just that.
164. Dick (aka Willy) | August 31st, 2007 at 11:47 am

No, I don’t believe a word of it either. I was just bored so thought I’d write something completely ludricous.
165. y-front man | August 31st, 2007 at 12:59 pm

munitionsman now I’ve heard everything… Poor BP and Shell!!! if only we could be bought over by such ethical people! haha
166. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:09 pm

162,163,164 Well is lucky for you lot that there a ppl like me around to believe this stuff.

163 Canker I cant believe you can t believe it re AW. You think his contract delay was because he was holding out for less money? You think refusing to sign players when you know you cant compete on all fronts is in the clubs best interests?

Now I know Dickies work is both masterfull and far fetched, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and DD and AW are joined at the hip. I cannot believe AW was not clued in to this.

Now…. what will the current board do? Sack AW? Or promote him (aka keep ur enemies even closer etc etc)

Can he be trusted, now that DD has given such a ringing endorsment?

One thing is 4 sure. Our rivals will be loving this and our players will be distracted, just when they are hitting top gear.
167. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:12 pm

165, hehe. But I worked for Shell in the philipines and they are actually a very ethical company. Most ethical I have ever worked for. But they didnt cover themselves in glory in Nigeria. Maybe they learnt a lesson there. BP? Well Alaska didnt work out to well.
168. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:14 pm

Judging buy how little known the names in our group are (to me at least) I am thinking we got a very favourable draw. Except Seville of course.

Dicky do you think DD had a hand in the draw?
169. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:19 pm

Hellooooooo, has DD’s devious agents shut down this board and I am the only one left and they are tracking my IP as I type aaaaaaahhhhh not you ………leave me alone aaaahhhhh
170. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:20 pm

whooosh… ( tumble weed rolling down empty street)
171. munitionsman | August 31st, 2007 at 1:22 pm

plink plink plink ( tap dripping)
172. y-front man | August 31st, 2007 at 1:50 pm

I’ll end the comments drought munitionsman… just for you!
173. Geekov | August 31st, 2007 at 1:50 pm

Hello Munitionsman!
174. canker | August 31st, 2007 at 1:56 pm

Sorry, went for my lunch….
166 - Wenger isn’t stalling on his contract, previous extensions have always been in the last year. I also firmly believe that he wouldn’t pay £30M for anyone. He prefers to develop, not buy.
175. canker | August 31st, 2007 at 2:05 pm

oh, all gone then…
176. Million Dead | August 31st, 2007 at 3:00 pm

Chelsea - Whore
Manchester United - Whore
Liverpool - Whore

Arsenal - ?
177. Canadian Gooner | September 1st, 2007 at 1:21 am

News just in, Arsenal sign Lassana Diarra from Chelsea! Excellent cover for Gilberto.

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=480922&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Club+Statement+-+Arsenal+Sign+Lassana+Diarra
178. Kimmono | September 3rd, 2007 at 3:50 am

Just look at this crazy stuff :http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/archives/2007/09/alisher_usmanov.html
179. reza samiee | July 14th, 2008 at 8:14 pm

im researchist in iran and have some problem in my research -i need mail with mr farhad moshiri
180. neda zare | October 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am

hi.i’m a iranian artist and need to Mr moshiri mail.pls send to me.
181. Zashkaser | August 5th, 2009 at 5:51 pm

I think its a great work & it certainly will make many realise that how precious their love is.

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