'Red and White Holdings' Gunning for Arsenal

August 30th…the day before the transfer window shuts. It’s also the day when rather than a flurry of transfer activity occurs, £75 million pounds worth of shares have been ‘sold’ to a Russian Alisher Usmanov (not an oligarch in this case), and the formation of ‘Red and White Holdings’ has occurred, with Iranian Farhad Moshiri also involved. With the media eagerly anticipating a swift takeover, it now appears that there is competition to American Stan Kroenke for the right to own Arsenal football club.

While Arsenal fans should be cautiously accepting the possible return of Dein and his associates, who while they may have a supporting interest in football, have little experience in investing in the sporting world, which possibly only Dein has. Kroenke, on the other hand, who many journalists had tipped to lead a takeover in liaison with Dein, has a wealth of sporting investments, including the ownership of Colorado Rapids, who conduct a marketing partnership with Arsenal.

Yet after such a bid failed, Dein has found a way back into the club in an attempt to provide the necessary financial muscle he believes is necessary to thrive in today’s game, with Premiership clubs appearing to become a common plaything of foreign billionaires. He stresses that there is “no current intention” to invest in further shares for the club, and this move is also unlikely to prompt Kroenke to act, with a lock down agreement, in action until March of next year at the earliest, formed by the board. Neither should F1 chief and Chelsea fan Bernie Ecclestone act, as it is believed he entertained the gesture of bidding for the club in jest.

It was Dein (along with Wenger, who was hired by Dein himself) who took ‘The Gunners’ to the top, the same applies to his career, when he lead the break away to form The Premiership and in 2002 was pivotal in Arsenal joining G14. The Emirates Stadium was more an achievement of other board members such as Keith Edelman, and also Arsene Wenger, with Dein wanting Arsenal to move into the proposed New Wembley (and what a sham construction turned out to be). It is believed any takeover will occur over a lengthy period of time, with majority shareholder Danny Fiszman intending to keep his shares after the proposed ‘lock-down agreement’, as is Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith.

While the other shareholders in the club have done a sterling job, Hill-Wood included, overlooking his ill-timed remarks concerning foreign investment in “We don’t want his sort over here”, tradition and history will be lost if such a change does occur in the upper hierarchy at the club, yet fans should be pleased as long as a English presence is retained at the club, and one that also allows Arsenal to compete on the same level as the other European giants.

On the other hand, the enigmatic Arseblogger claims that Usmanov was in prison during the old Soviet regime, and states that a man with no social responsibility should not be deemed fit to own shares in Arsenal football club. With the Emirates stadium bringing in over £1 million pounds every match day, it makes most sense for the current board to remain. Meanwhile, I’ll leave the pro-Dein propaganda to Myles Palmer and co.