We have a lovely shiny new stadium that was supposed to let us compete financially with the big boys of Europe and catapult us into the big league. Instead it seems that the stadium has become a burden and Le Boss now has too sell every season just to keep up the £24m annual mortgage payments.
According to the News of the World, Arsene Wenger said we need to sell every season to pay for the stadium. Has Le Boss actually made these comments? Surely he hasn't, because if he has then they are very dumb comments to make.
On hearing these comments clubs could circle the Emirates like vultures picking at us like flesh on bones until eventually the flesh is devoured. How long until stars like Cesc, Van Persie, and Toure are picked at? We can't keep selling our best players just for the stadium.
Is the Emirates worth an ever-changing squad? We need continuity. How can Wenger build a squad knowing it could be ripped apart at any time? It makes depressing reading that is for certain.
I've mentioned before that Arsenal are giving the impression at times that we are indeed a selling club, I was ridiculed for it but it may be true. I'd rather be wrong though.
I can't understand why we could be in this position. Our latest turnover figures make us Britain's RICHEST club. We had over a £200m turnover at least. The comments contradict what the board say. Edelman said we have money to spend, Wenger says we need to sell. Somethings not right, and Gooners suffer for it.
I think the board are just happy to get their millions every year. We sign youngsters, then sell them on for a profit. We make the Champions League and the board get their money from it. We have a big stadium that brings in huge revenue, I'm not sure the board of directors are actually bothered if we win things as long as the money continues to roll in.
The board would only notice any difference if we didn't qualify for the Champions League. Then the panic would set in. I sometimes feel that the only reason we moved stadium was to fill the boards pockets, not to compete with the Madrid's, Milan's and Manchester Uniteds of this world.
If the comments are true then I'd be gutted. It is horrible to think that every year we have to deal with the situation of our best players leaving. This summer has been bad enough already and previous summers have been just as bad at times.
The idea, I thought, of moving stadiums, was to compete with the big boys not line the pockets of directors and board members. That's the impression I get at times. I really, really hope I'm wrong and I'm just being a tad suspicious but sometimes I wished we just stayed at Highbury.
Gooners want the best and we deserve the best. We want trophies. We have a great stadium, a great manager and the potential to be the best in Europe. We don't want to be fobbed off with this no money shit we hear all the time.
Keep it Goonerish.......
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
25 comments:
if he did not say those words, he better deny it. those are not words fans wait for. those are words pessimists always get smub about
Idiots with blogs...not a good combo. Arsenal do not pay dividends to shareholders so the board members dont get any money.
We moved to the Emirates because what we earned over the whole season was about the same level as what United earned from gates ONLY.
Bandwagon fans may not know this about Arsenal but we went 17 years without a trophy and 18 without a league. So some perspective is required.
We are not Chelsea- we dont have nor want a Russian billionaire. Also, if Roman does decide to leave then Chelsea owe him over half a billion. I'd rather have a mortage rather than a debt to a Russian with a shady past, no matter how benevolent he may currently be.
Stop looking for big name signings-we have hardly ever bought big and when we have it has rarely worked out. Not just talking about the Wenger years either- Super Mac was a complete waste (a bloody Big Mac would have done a better job), Champagne Charlie was equally disasterous, Marinello ditto and who could forget Clive Allen? Bought for 1.25m and swapped without a game!
If you want to criticise constructively, by all means. But a vacuous and vitirolic rant at a board that despite its flaws, runs Arsenal pretty well is unneccesary and unwelcome
If it is wrong, the we have to torch news of The World.
Use your brain Wrighty. When has Wenger ever sold his best players except when they really wanted to leave (e.g. Anelka), past their best (e.g. Henry) or out of contract (e.g. Flamini). This is a planted story from DD and the fat Russian.
The money he's talking of is already covered by the massive income from emirates, so that means we don't have to sell if we don't want to sell.
Don't forget that the audience for this comment include clubs to whom we want to sell Adebayor (for reasons that may or may not be publically confirmed) and clubs from whom we want to buy. As well as fans who need to have price increases justified and young players who choose to join the club on the promise that first team places will regularly become available. If you don't like what you hear try reversing his statement and see how that looks as a negotiating stance in the marketplace. aiat's a very clever piece of PR which will reap dividends in the not too distant future. As far as the clubs finances go - look at the balance sheet and believe your own eyes not a statement made for far wider public consumption.
The NOTW are just pandering to fans like you. The board are not making money from transfers. The story is clearly cobbled together from quotes taken out of context over a long period of time. All clubs sell and buy, the difference is that we sell players when they are surplus to requirements - Vieira, Henry or we get big bucks if we sell reluctantly - Anelka, Adebayor (possibly). There is no way that Arsene gave an exclusive interview to the NOTW and characterised us as a 'selling' club. That would just invite the vultures to go for the rest of our best players at a time when Arsene is working hard to keep the team together.
We have the best young and improving squad in the PL and next season we will show what we are made of.
Wrighty, you are right on the money!!!. The fans need to now pressure the Board into revealing the truth behind these comments and explain why they say they back our manager in the transfer market and then the opposite applies!! According to the financial report, our debt is financed by a third of the extra revenue from the £3m home gate receipts every match. Where is the rest going, including The Premiership 60million pounds TV revenue, Marketing revenue and other sponsorship deals??!! Are we to believe that the Board of directors are raping the club and, more importantly, the fan's hard earned money, with the highest average ticket prices in the country. Is this the real reason why David Dein, a true lover and fan of the club left in the first place. Are we to be an Acadamy for the top clubs in Europe with Arsene Wenger working for them for free!!! The fan's must now put pressure on the Board to answer these questions, AND, if as I suspect they won't give us the truth, then must be forced out of OUR club before they do what West Ham's board did to theirs before a new management came in!!!
Wrighty, your passion for your club is admirable but I think you have let your frustration run away a little.
The directors have said all profit generated will go towards improving the team, as another commen quite rightly said we do not pay dividends so they are not drawing money personally.
Danny Fiszman loves our club and certainly doesn't need 10 or even 20 million pounds a year from it.
He shares the vision all us fans do, that's why we moved, to generate more income to invest in the playing squad to make us more succesful.
The bottom line is Wenger would NEVER show his hand in such a way, just as the club have never confirmed an actual figure available for funds. Both actions weaken your position.
Wenger will only sculpt the team to his vision of the game and that rarely involves paying top dollar for established or ageing stars, maybe just the odd one here or there (Campbell for example).
With the earning capacity & power players have this is increasingly a young mans game, bring them to the club early, indoctrinate them in the Arsenal way and make tomorrows stars.
I agree 4 years without a title hurts but we play UNBELIEVABLE football and most games I'm thoroughly entertained AND we so nearly won the title last year.
Keep the faith.
Spot on wrighty7
A top article Wrighty.
I've felt for a long time that the board are raping the club and especially us, the fans.
We have the highest season ticket rates and where does the money go?
Not on players thats for sure.
I'm not sure whether Wenger is in on this or not, I hope and feel that he wants the best for Arsenal and that means trophies.
All this look beyond Wenger shit is ridiculus and if you look at Wrighty's profile anon 21:38, you will find Wrighty is 25.
So his main time as a Gooner would be the Wenger era, so don't throw that in his face.
We all wan't trophies but for Arsenal to sell all the time is beyond a joke.
Wrighty7, keep up the fantasic blog, you do a great job.
So he will
Don't forget that our shareholders don't actually invest in the club, they speculate on the value of the clubs shares. The Russian and American may have spent £100M+ but that does not pay for one brick of the stadium. It is the fans who do all the paying not the shareholders. In 15 years or so, the board will have the stadium paid for by the fans, significantly increasing the value of their investment.
If the board was interested in the success of the club rather then their own financial interests, there would an immesiate rights issue of new shares in the club, given our fan base the club could easily raise significant funds 100,000 fans investing say £1000 would raise £100M, but it would never happen because the board would never approve any proposal which could reduce the value of their investment.
There is little doubt that the stadium has become a burden, it was only a few years ago that we paid top wages to Henry, Viera, Pires, Freddie, Sol and others. That is all history as we can't play top wages to anyone.
If the club are living in dreamland if they think that:
1. The fans will pay the highest prices in Europe to watch Senderos, Eboue and others who are clearly sub-standard;
2. We will keep getting into the CL;
3 Win anything
can ever see wenger feeding a newspaper arsenals tranfer busniness would never happen. with sale of hibury would probebly half the debt that we have. wenger keeps his tranfer very private and acoording this story wenger would risk unsettling the stability of team for 17 years that is utter nonsense, i think wenger has around 490 million but most of that he will spend trying to keep his players with wage increases,but arsenal keep a very tight ship wenger usualy spends around 15 million a season. you cant realy believe anthing that comes from nespapers.
Why on earth do you trust the garbage press when they do not bother investigating the true facts.
Here they are;
Emirates produces income of over £90m,(Total Revenue £200.8M) only a quarter of this is needed to service the debt(£25M), the debt payments have been spread over a 25 year term on an excellent rate of interest.
Highbury Square will be delivered and completed on time and Budget and has sold 95% of units, this will deliver a figure of over £300m in 2009.
We have the greatest youth team in Europe, the best club Stadium in the world, along with the greatest Manager this country has ever know, as voted for by fans in general on a sky poll, and way ahead of Ferguson.
Man utd have a debt of over £660M and rising, and can only deliver a return of £212M on a capacity of 75K, and all from non Mancs!
So ignore the garbage press, and get ready for August, see you there!
I see another we went 17 and 18 years without titles so get soem perspective message.
The only problem here is we didn't do that after winning the League Three Times in eight Seasons and four FA Cups over the same period.
The goalposts have been moved for our perspctive and nobody moved them but Arsenal Football even if they may regret it a bit now.
Expecting more from a club clealry able to deliver more if it desires is neither a lack of perspective not the attitude of bandwqagon fans. Waiting 30 years to win silverware is commendable but alos allows the Board to stick as much silver in their pockets as possible while we wait....,
Too true Wrighty7
The mortgage for the Stadium is easily covered by the increase in income from the larger capacity.
the debt is insured through City Institutions and I believe it is AAA rated. we still are the Bank of England club
Wenger would never say such a thing and mean it if he did say it and I doubt that he did - he is playing a game with the press not the fans.
even if we sell Ade and Hleb we will have a brilliant season. We don't want to be like Man U and deeply in debt or like Chelski and become a hobby for a billionaire.
these statements have all come from news of the world, why would wenger talk to news of the world only?
not worth the worry lads
If he said it, it was to get players on the cheap. The board has loads of money (at least +50-60 million avalable) and they have never said no to Wenger. And they prolly never will...
For fuck sake Wrighty!
Are you 7 years old? Or just a Le Grove cock muncher?
Unless the club made £360 million profit klast season, then we are still in debt. The board dont take a dividend so your whiny bollocks about them screwing the club is bogus too.
Jesus fucking christ,m you have really shown your self to be a pathwetic media fed sheep.
Timwe for you to shut up shop and knock this blogging on the head, as its way too much for you.
Quote: We have the best youth team in the world, The best club stadium in the world and the greatest manager this country has ever known. Jesus, wot planet are you from. Do you really believe these things, really!!!!!
Sure your youth players arent bad , but best in the world, dunno about that. Best stadium, not a chance, have you ever been to Nou camp, for starters, now thats a stadium. Greatest manager of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Flippin heck mate, give me a break, sky voters can vote for wotever they like, but success and trophies are what count and Ferguson is head and shoulders above your french geezer.So if you are that sensational, why haven't you won anything for 3 seasons and why do your players wanna leave. Your best days are well and truly gone and you keep thinking of arsenal as the invincibles days. You are a shadow of that team.
Good Lord, Wrighty!
Why in the world would you help the know-nothings continue their mindless screaming -- and without even checking your facts?
For the record, I am not only journalist but my specialty is the business of sports and entertainment venue. I can tell you enough about the finances of the Emirates to glass your eyes -- and then keep going.
But let me give you the kiddie class: The stadium is a MASSIVE financial success, in part because of the huge game-day revenue but also because of wonderful timing. Arsenal got the construction re-financed at a terrific low rate just before this credit crunch brought on by the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the U.S.
So...paying off the stadium has NOTHING to do with the playing personnel (nor the board getting fat, as they don't even take dividends!).
Arsenal are among the two or three most solidly financed clubs in the world -- and have set up a model to remain that way for generations.
If Arsene Wenger wanted to buy ANYONE, he could.
As for this News of the World story, there are only two possibilities: First, it never happened and was made up from some old quotes just to cause a stir on a quiet day; second, Arsene DID say it to position himself in a sweet spot to do some business over the next few weeks.
Listen to me, Gooners: I've seen the books, read the numbers, I know the facts. The stadium is a NON-ISSUE in terms of buying or selling players.
As for the poster who said it's keeping us from paying our players, we had almost exactly the same wage bill last season as Man United -- behind only Chelsea in England. Think about it. That's a hell of a lot of money.
Think again: Would a "selling club" pay out those kind of wages to anyone?
This story is the most ridiculous red herring I've ever read, and I'm ashamed that so many supporters actually went to red-alert panic and assumed they're being raped by the board.
Would you rather have a fat Uzbek?
Get a grip, everyone, and Wrighty...
If you want this blog to have any credibility at all, check your facts before bursting into histrionics like you would if we shipped a stupid goal against Villa.
This is what I do for a living, and I'll repeat the truth one more time: ARSENAL ARE A RICH, SOLID CLUB -- WHO CAN BUY OR SELL AT THE WHIM OF A BRILLIANT MANAGER. EMIRATES STADIUM, BUILT AND RE-FINANCED FOR A COST WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN, HAS INSURED A FISCAL BASE THAT CLUBS ACROSS THE WORLD CAN ONLY DREAM ABOUT.
Is that clear enough?
Spike,
Every time you come on here all you do is shoot your venom at me and Le-Grove.
What have we done to offend you so bad?
I happen to like Le-Grove and I also like reading plenty of other Arsenal sites too.
If you don't like what I write then go elsewhere mate. There is variation everywhere and my blog is too air my views.
People may not agree and I've no problem with that but at least most do it in a constructive way.
For the record I'm nearly 9, not 7 so get your facts right Spike. So unfortunalty for you Spike there are plenty more years of blogging in me yet.
I'm sorry Wrighty, but even your retort is unfunny and poorly written.Get your facts together and stop sounding like a bitter drunk.
Good post.
Post a Comment