Danny, We Need A Word
Dec 19th, 2008 by 'holic
I have to start with a big thank you for all your kind comments and mails after the 500th post in the week. I shall get back to those who have mailed, hopefully in the next few days as we are hopeful that the management will be coming home from hospital this weekend.
Of course a couple of big issues dominate. The upcoming contest with Liverpool I will put on the backburner in the hope that I can devote more attention to it tomorrow night. Apologies if it doesn’t work out that way.
I cannot avoid the question, be it at work, or even in the hospital tonight. ‘What is going on in the Arsenal boardroom?’ I wish I really knew.
I have to confess to a little more concern than may have been expressed by other commentators. I have spent the months since David Dein’s departure in April 2007 fully supporting the model of shared ownership between old and new at Arsenal. To my mind Dein has been rightly condemned for his part in attempting to hawk Arsenal to the highest bidder.
What remained appeared a desirable blend between the newer ‘business brains’, Fiszman and Edelman, and old-school Arsenal with Ken Friar plus those representing the Hill-Wood family (chairman Peter) and the Bracewell-Smith family (Lady Nina and Richard Carr), together with the imported financial muscle of Chips Keswick and Lord Harris.
The departure of Edelman, and the arrival of Stan Kroenke, didn’t set any alarm bells ringing, and had I been able to appraise the arrival of Ivan Gazidis as Chief Executive, I would have been reporting on good vibes. So why am I nervous about the removal of Lady Nina, and the treatment of Richard Carr?
Principally I imagine I am puzzled as to why the last Bracewell-Smith, and that significant shareholding, have been cast aside. The nearly-sixteen-percent of Arsenal shares held by Lady Nina have the potential to deliver an entirely undesirable element to the Gunners power-struggle. Not only is Alisher Usmanov watching developments, but the aforementioned Dein also, lest we forget.
Back at the Grove we have an ageing quartet remaining as the only balance to the axis of power that is now unquestionably Fiszman, Kroenke, and Gazidis. Is this the vision of shared ownership we all willingly backed to the hilt in recent months?
Danny Fiszman owes supporters of this club a detailed explanation of what is happening, and where he sees the club heading. He’ll enjoy popular support for a while, but that support is not unconditional, and far from assured in the long run.
Oh, and Danny, don’t send Peter Hill-Wood out to give the sound-bites this time. It won’t wash any more.
14 Responses to “Danny, We Need A Word”
A big hug from me, ‘holic
And best wishes to the management
I am having trouble placing my order here, ‘holic
Im less worried about the board shenanigans, maybe naively, than Wengers latest comments.
For him to state that maybe he will sign ONE player IF he finds someone special is just not what we needed to hear.
What? More special than Song, Eboue, Almunia, Diaby???
Where will he find such superheroes?
He really is close to undoing all then fantastic work he has done.
He has stripped the squad of quality and experience, has put a shit load of hope into a load of young players that may or may not come good, couple with a few cheapskate signings. The squad aint been strengthened for 4 years yet Wenger isnt sure if he will sign any players!
Effin hilarious!
Lovely to hear from you ‘holic and best wishes to Mrs ‘h! Pointless to try and work out what is going on – no doubt the picture will become clearer over time.
Let’s just hope whatever it is turns out to be positive.
Just back from a concert in Brum – totally knackered. Goodnight to all…
An old geezer in a nightshirt has just read your previous blog (which was brilliant) – your supporting history coincides roughly with mine but unfortunately I started a lot older!
Alan Skirton – I think he was called donkey well before Tony Adams – I will probably have nightmares now!
Your guess is a good as mine as to what exactly is going on but a little transparency wouldn’t go amiss.
I’m rather fed up with the paternalistic line taken with the fans
Some of us may have at least 3 neurones.
We need some proper answers to our questions – not the usual fobbing of.
Hope all goes well with the management.
Who’s going to cook the turkey then ?
Forgot this …. *waves*
Surprise, Wenger is not planning to sign anyone in Jan. I guess it’s bye bye top four.
Can we please have some more Cescs and no more Songs
MITB 19/12/08
Ah, a new ‘holicblog. Here’s to the management coming home.
Cheers!
Thanks Ollie, mrs, daft, KT and all. Management delayed another day. Arsenal had better win!
Hi ‘holic – thoughts are with you and the Mrs. Here’s to a win for us!
Cheers!
Hey ‘holic – all the best to the management. Sorry she’s been delayed a while longer. And yes, we had better fucking win tomorrow! *hugs*
David Dein goes: his fault, Peter Hill-Wood is Arsenal
Lady Nina goes: her fault, Peter Hill-Wood is God
Anyone ever thought PHW might be the problem, the fat wart-faced Old Etonian cunt
Arsenal can’t sell. They will be in debt like other clubs who sold: er, we are £300m in debt
Who would want to buy Arsenal, a club that was on a high, brought there by Dein and Wenger, got greedy trying to become property speculators right before a housing crash and now have so many different shareholders that even the Arabs thought Man City a better prospect.
Tough times ahead. Mid-table mediocrity beckons!