As news filters through that Stan Kroenke has purchased 25 more shares of Arsenal Football Club edging him closer to the 30% threshold for the mandatory takeover bid, it has become apparent to the fans that they might be looking at the future owner of the club.
Having Kroenke as the owner of the club will not be bad. He has an illustrious sporting portfolio from the NBA’s Denver Nuggets to NFL’s St. Louis Rams to NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.
Arsenal though, represents his biggest sporting investment to date in terms of global recognition and that partially is the reason why he has been so cautious. Taking his time to acquire the stake at Arsenal Football Club. Winning over the Arsenal fans was one of the most critical aspect in order to complete a takeover, the other was winning over the board. The board initially was hostile with the American but developments with Alisher Usmanov and Red & White Holdings has allowed the board to warm to the idea of Kroenke.
Now, with the board won over, Arsenal fans warmed to the idea of Stan Kroenke becoming the sole owner of Arsenal Football Club. What kind of owner will Kroenke be? In his native America, he is called ‘Silent Stan’ because he prefers to remain quiet in the background only interfering when necessary. He is no Abramovich, and he is not like the Glazer’s at Manchester United. Kroenke is unique on his approach to sports management and his style will no doubt benefit Arsenal.
Following reports that Stan Kroenke had purchased 25 more shares taking him closer to the 30% threshold, Red & White Holdings released the following statement,
“It is important for the stability of the club for him to clarify his position.”
Red & White Holdings, the subsidiary owned by Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov, will be closely monitoring the situation since they also own a substantial part (25%) of Arsenal Football Club.
However, it is highly unlikely to receive a response from Kroenke Sports Enterprises as the Takeover panel rules state that any public statements regarding future bid intentions must be unambiguous, otherwise the individual concerned would be prevented from making a formal takeover move for six months.
Mr. Usmanov must be quietly hoping to stall the prospected takeover since he has made a significant investment in Arsenal Football Club. However, the majority of the fans are opposed to this idea, while the Board of Directors has clearly shown their cards and are standing by Stan Kroenke.
The author writes for Gunner Nation.
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