Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein is being lined up for a return to top football.
The People says Dein is the red-hot favourite to be the new Football League supremo - in a move that will keep alive talk of a major top-level revolution.
The former Arsenal wheeler-dealer is being tipped to succeed veteran Lord Mawhinney in a key appointment that will shape the game's future. Click to continue reading...

Last week, Stan Kroenke increased his stake in the club 29.9% and I'd like to speculate, along with others,� on what that will likely mean for the future of the club we all love. Mostly, I'd like to respond to an article by David Tully that was posted on Football FanCast this past week. Sadly, fear-mongering has been a great feature of this struggle for controlling interest in the club initiated by David Dein in the wake of his exit from the club.

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Stan Kroenke has purchased even more shares in Arsenal today taking his holding to 29.9% of the club. With only another 0.09% required to reach the threshold to make an offer for the rest of the clubs shares, Kroenke has purchased 627 shares this week for the princely sum of £5.3 million.

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It's now or never for Arsenal Football Club. � Stan Kroenke has been mopping up small shareholdings over the last couple of weeks to raise his share in the club to 29.8%.� He is a fraction below the mandatory bid figure of 29.9%.

It was rumoured that he bought 100 shares from Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood; this is the same man who famously said, "We do not need his sort at this club.

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Listen to Emmanuel Petit, David Dein and Lee Dixon during a special programme, Arsene at 60, on BBC Radio 5 live at 2000 BST on Thursday.

I wonder what Dein will have to say. He has had a complex relationship with Wenger, being responsible for his arrival but his business dealings clashed with Wenger's philosophy of developing low budget talent.

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According to The Daily Mail, David Dein is back, no not at our club as many fans would like but he is being asked to help England with the World Cup 2018 bid! Alongside him will be Karen Brady and ex Chav, Paul Elliott!
Now there is a bit of news to think about! If it's true, I can't see where or how he would fit in at Arsenal during the ‘take over' some suggest could be imminent.

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Thirteen years ago today, Arsene Wenger officially became Arsenal's manager. This officially makes him Arsenal's longest-tenured manager, so I thought it might be worth taking a second to look back at what he's meant to the club.

It's worth noting that at the time, most pundits thought this move was a bad one on Arsenal's part.

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There have been several reports recently that Alisher Usmanov will announce any day now that he has acquired Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 15.6% share in Arsenal.� This will take Usmanov's holding to over 40%, resulting in him being obliged to make a formal offer for the club.

The Board, namely Peter Hill-Wood will make statements to the effect that the club is not for sale, despite the fact the Hill-Wood sold his shares in Arsenal many years ago to David Dein!

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Afternoon people, this isnt going to be the longest blog I have ever written because quite frankly there is not an awful lot out there and what is out there, is utter crap.

That is what The Sun are leading with today and it absolutely stinks. The chances of Usmanov ever completing a takeover of this club are nil as far as I'm concerned, I don't think the board (with the money of Stan Kroenke) would ever be swayed by Usmanov's billions, it must also be remembered that Usmanov has lost a lot of money over the past year or so sitting 200 places lower than Stan Kroenke in the rich list and with a wife who is even richer.

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A few things have occurred to me in these last few days when talk 0nce again turned to Lady Nina's shares and what was to happen to them.........

I have always been of the opinion that David Dein was merely waiting in the wings for his opportunity to return to the club that he loves and supports and that he ran for the best part of 24 years.

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I am a fierce defender of Arsene Wenger, but could there be times when he could actually unite the fans more if he changed his pronouncements? I agree totally with the need to accept that Arsene Knows and to give him our loud support. Arsene Wenger is no fool. However equally Gooners are not stupid either.

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Having a doomsday prophet like Alisher Usmanov who believes that only he can save Arsenal becomes a drag after a while.

He does not get that his money is unwelcome and so are his suggestions through a surrogate that David Dein was never adequately replaced. As Arseblog correctly points out Usmanov offered a rights issue; very different from direct funding.

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Another excellent piece of journalism by perhaps the best blogger out there at present as Arseblog delves deeper into the boardroom kerfuffle at the Emirates.

It looks like the gloves are coming off and the relationships between our biggest shareholders are going to be increasingly tested over the next little while.

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Morning all,

it looks like the gloves are coming off and the relationships between our biggest shareholders are going to be increasingly tested over the next little while.

You'll have seen some news reports quoting Alisher Usmanov's partner in Red and White, Farhad Moshiri, after he was interviewed on Sportsweek on BBC 5 Live yesterday.

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Arsene Wenger has promised us time and again that he will honor his contract, has criticized players for breaking their contracts, and has two years left on his current contract, so why would he be caught saying that Real Madrid would be "interesting?"

First of all, he didn't say "I would be interested in going to Real" he actually said "A Florentino Perez project is inevitably interesting for all coaches.

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Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes it's time for Arsene Wenger to spend money if he wants to keep up with the rest of the big boys in England.

The Frenchman said:

Arsenal have not won anything in four years. Everything was done to bring together a young team and make it progress step by step, after [Thierry] Henry's departure.

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Stan Kroenke will not be denied.

As his Colorado Rapids muddle along, Stan Kroenke upped his stakes yet again before the weekend and now controls 28.3% of the Arsenal's shares which puts him in pole position for the 30% trigger to offer a buyout of the rest of the remaining shares. Kroenke bought up the Carr family shares for £8,500 and £10,500 per share, well above the £6,500 value for a total investment of £46m.

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The day it was reported that Alisher Usmanov's wealth had crashed from $13.3bn to a mere $4.5bn, our friendly Russian through his Red and White Holdings vehicle has increased his stake to the highly significant 25%. At this level, Red and White can block any Special Resolution that the board puts to the shareholders in terms [. Click to continue reading...

Arshavin is reported to be on his way back to Russia after Arsenal failed to meet his personal terms.   Having chased this guy for four weeks, Arsenal incompetence in the transfer market has been exposed.  Any professional club would have  spoken to his representatives beforehand to gauge what level of wages he would want, we would have [. Click to continue reading...

Match Reports ESPNSoccernet: Arsenal's title bid suffers fatal blow Telegraph: Arsenal bereft of ideas as West Ham's run continues Quote of the day We will finish above Aston Villa. I've nothing against O'Neill. But you ask me who will be Manager of the Year and you have to wait until the end of the year. Click to continue reading...

American tycoon Stan Kroenke has today announced that he has joined the Arsenal board. We put him head-to-head with David Dein-backed Alisher Usmanov to find out who has the best prospects as they vie for control of the club. The Arsenal fans have warmed to Stan Kroenke, at least relatively speaking. Click to continue reading...

No this is not a new player, but the appointment of Stan Kroenke to the board of directors. For those of you who do not remember, this is the same Kroenke that David Dein wanted to be brought onto the Arsenal board with the option of investing further into the club.  This is the same man [...] Click to continue reading...

Recent mutterings from ex-Etonian Peter Hill-Wood have sent the City finacial fixers in a tailpsin.  If the offer was right we will have to recommend it to shareholders. When David Dein dared mentioned bringing Kroenke on board, he was dismissed from the board, the remaining directors raised the drawbridge, manned the barricades and awaited for the [. Click to continue reading...

When you talk about Arsenal's future, it is usually in measured, nuanced terms much like its soccer. Unlike Man City's buyout which has vaulted it to the position of the richest club in the world, the lockdown agreement makes an Arsenal takeover unlikely at least till October 2009. But the Man City takeover has opened up cracks in the iron clad constitution of the Arsenal board.

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The currently vacated post of COE at Arsenal is set to be filled and I cant help but wish that it was David Dein who was set to be appointed.
I know it is virtually impossible now for Dein to be appointed after he sold his shares and had a pretty big bust up with the board but there is no mistaking the fact that the man is Arsenal through and through. Click to continue reading...

Robin van Persie to lead Arsenal's title challenge
After a season marred by injury, Robin van Persie claims that his reunion with Emmanuel Adebayor will be the making of the top forward line in the Premier League and lead Arsenal to a strong title challenge.
The Dutchman was frustrated by a knee injury last season and was limited to just nine goals in 23 games. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool hold the English record (5) for winning in Europe:
1977
1978
1981
1984
2005
Liverpool hold the record English league titles (18):
1900–01
1905–06
1921–22
1922–23
1946–47
1963–64
1965–66
1972–73
1975–76
1976–77
1978–79
1979–80
1981–82
1982–83
1983–84
1985–86
1987–88
1989–90
Manchester United are coming off a double, any have won more Premiership titles than any other club. Click to continue reading...

The current Arsenal board consists of Peter Hill-Wood, Danny Fiszman, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, Richard Carr, Ken Friar, Lord Harris of Peckham and Sir Chips Keswick. A wide and varied group, but the all Danny Fiszman, are drawn from Arsenal's two ruling families, the Hill-Woods and the Bracewell-Smiths. Click to continue reading...

No, I'm not talking about a player or coach. The key signing that MLS should make if it really wants to establish itself within the sporting world of the United States and within the world of soccer is English, but his name is not David Beckham, its David Dein. You can get a sense of David Dein's accomplishments by reading about him on the link that I've enclosed, but the man was vice-chairman of Arsenal, vice-chairman of the English Football Association, and chairman of the G14. Click to continue reading...

No, I'm not talking about a player or coach. The big signing that MLS should make if it really wants to establish itself within the sporting world of the United States and within the world of soccer is English, but his name is not David Beckham, its David Dein. You can get a sense of David Dein's accomplishments by reading about him on the link that I've enclosed, but the man was vice-chairman of Arsenal, vice-chairman of the English Football Association, and chairman of the G14. Click to continue reading...

ESPNsoccernet is reporting that Red and White Holdings Ltd. has increased it's share of Arsenal F.C. to 24%, making the group the second largest shareholder behind Daniel Fiszman who has 24.11%.� The lock-down agreement preventing a takeover bid expires in April. Cue the Darth Vadar Theme (David Dein enters) If you're new here, you may want to [. Click to continue reading...

Ah, Alisher, don't you learn? As Chicken Yoghurt notes today, Usmanov's recent claim that Craig Murray's statements about his past were 'beneath his dignity' to respond to ring rather hollow when his lawyers continue to harass independent websites republishing Murray's article, yet they also refrain from going after Murray himself, despite his pleas that [. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal have overtaken both Chelsea and Manchester United to become the second richest football club in the world, behind only Real Madrid. The move to the Emirates stadium is said to be responsible for £190 million gunners turnover for the 2006/07 season. With the most expensive tickets in the Premiership, it is not too startling that Arsenal earn a massive £3. Click to continue reading...

David Dein, the former vice-chairman of Arsenal, today held a press conference in which he stated that he had sold his 14.58% stake in the club to Red and White. Red and White, jointly owned by Russian businessman Aliser Ushmanov and London-based investor Farhad Moshiri, purchased the shares for £75million, and instated Dein as its chairman. Dein has reported that there is no "current intention" Click to continue reading...

Another leading Premiership club moved closer to foreign ownership, with David Dein today announcing he'd sold his 14.5% share to "a firm co-owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov for 75 million pounds". Dein himself will be chairman of the outfit, "Red and White Holdings", with another investor, Farhad Moshiri, also involved. This is clearly a [. Click to continue reading...