Stan Kroenke, disparagingly referred to as “Silent Stan” by many angry Arsenal supporters, is the current majority owner of the club. Kroenke is reviled by many Arsenal fans over his failure to act, or even really respond to the strong backlash against current club manager Arsene Wenger.
While Stan Kroenke is already the current majority shareholder, he has designs on taking over the team entirely.
Multiple reports suggest that Kroenke Sports Enterprise UK are looking to spend £525 million to buy the 18,695 shares (or 30% of the team) currently owned by Alisher Usmanov and his Red and White Securities Limited firm.
If Kroenke gets his way, then the club would potentially shift into single ownership status, and could therefore become privately held. With that territory comes the likelihood of no annual general meeting. That is something the Arsenal Supporters Trust has publicly come out against.
The 2016 policy statement on the Arsenal Supporters Trust website reads:
“The AST continues to believe that Arsenal is too important to be owned by any one person. The best ownership model for Arsenal will always include supporters being represented and involved in the ownership structure as shareholders.
“We understand the reality that any stake in Arsenal is available to buy at any time should someone make an acceptable bid, but we will oppose any attempt to buy the club outright and take it into single ownership.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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