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An Open Letter to Josh Kroenke

Might Stan's boy be the next Arsenal chairman?

27 March, 2018 11:13 17 comments
An Open Letter to Josh Kroenke

Josh Kroenke – Has he got the cojones to make the necessary change?

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOONER

Dear Mr Kroenke Jr (or can we call you Josh?)

You have been a Board member of our great Club now for over four years and you have attended several AGMs. I don’t know what games you have attended during that time although I am sure you know what is going on with the Club’s on field performance. As they say “the league table doesn’t lie.”

Your father has been a shareholder for over ten years and the majority owner since 2011. The Club is in its 132nd year. We would rather see him as a Custodian than an owner but that is a different matter. I am sure he has told you about recent life at the Arsenal. Many people who know the Club and love the club feel we have seen a decade of decline on the footballing front despite all the great off field work that has been done on the footballing infrastructure.

I understand that you very recently spent several weeks in London and got to meet many people at the Club at all levels. I urge you to meet some of the non-Club employed supporters during your next visit. This can be done on a match day in and around the environs of the stadium and it doesn’t need to be in the club controlled sanitised Fans Forum.

Many people expect you to be the next Chairman of the Club and you will have seen first hand how the AGMs need a change of leadership. Maybe this is something you will have to consider when you chat to your Dad about becoming the Chair. Not only will you become the youngest chairman of this great club (May 1980, your birth month, was a Cup Final month for Arsenal albeit a losing one) but you will have the chance to lead the club through its next critical stage. This stage is clearly now and many would say should have happened years ago. You know what I am referring to.

Whilst we would all love a person with real Arsenal DNA to become the next Chairman you appear to be the anointed one. On that basis please engage with the Arsenal family, a pledge that was made in the KSE takeover document in 2011 and something that it is hard to see has been fulfilled.

Arsenal can reclaim its position challenging for titles in England and Europe but this opportunity must not be lost. Much work needs to be done.

Maybe we see you again before the season ends or even in Lyon on 16th May.

Yours sincerely

Don N. Key

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17
comments

  1. Yes its Ron

    Mar 28, 2018, 17:22 #108233

    Gaz - yr totally right there. It looks atrocious. I really do think the owners will explain it away as a temporary set back though. Crowds are down quite steeply anyway in the PL and AFC will maybe use that to explain it away.

  2. mbg

    Mar 28, 2018, 14:38 #108231

    Word has it TOF's age and DOB is being air brushed out of history, he's really 58. wenger out.

  3. Gaz

    Mar 28, 2018, 14:14 #108230

    Hi Ron-not sure I agree with you RE the ticket situation as I reckon swatches of empty seats is an embarrassing problem for the Club even if they’ve been sold or not. It certainly looks horrible and I can’t think prospective new sponsors are that enamoured with it all.

  4. Yes its Ron

    Mar 28, 2018, 13:00 #108229

    Gaz - most of the absentees have already bought the tickets though matey. its the old story there from day 1. announcement of 60009 when you know there s 46000 in! It matters not a jot to AFC as long as the seats and season tickets are sold. These are the modern fans, they can pay and not bother to go. Its amazing really but typical London football supporter behaviour. Ive mentioned many times this last 10 years that AFC couldnt ever have set out on this trajectory had they have been a provincial club. The owners are truly quids in there.

  5. Gaz

    Mar 28, 2018, 12:17 #108228

    Bard-that's the nightmare scenario obviously but I'm hoping that particular 'get out of jail free card' was used up last summer as surely the poor results and protests must have had an impact. I'm hoping they told him he can have two years then but there has to be clear signs of improvement this season otherwise he's out. I can't believe the huge drop in crowds at home aren't the icing on the cake to all of this too.

  6. Exeter Ex

    Mar 28, 2018, 11:44 #108227

    Afraid the idea that Josh is going to be interested in 'engaging with the Arsenal family' is delusional. AFC is just a business acquisition for these people, collateral. As for Wenger, now the team seems to have decided to make an effort again, looking at the fixture list you can see a good run to the end of the season, that and making the semi or final of the EL and that'll be spun as reason enough for Wenger to go on, even sign an extension. The bar is so very low for him.

  7. Bard

    Mar 28, 2018, 10:56 #108226

    Gaz all that makes perfect sense however the other scenario is that he is handed another 2 years at the end of this season. The rationale being that our dip is only a glitch. A good run in the Ropey makes it seem like he has sorted out the mess and we are on the way up. Remember this is Arsenal the epitome of a club going nowhere but making shedloads of money. Why change it ?

  8. mbg

    Mar 28, 2018, 0:12 #108225

    We can just imagine what the old fraud and his fans would have to say if VAR went against him, the wengerites would be crying foul and conspiracies of course, and take to writing petitions, as for TOF there'd just be a sleeping bag and a pair of smoking brogues sitting on a top of a pile of ashes, at least it would give them another ready made excuse for his failures. wenger out.

  9. CORNISH GOONER

    Mar 27, 2018, 20:19 #108224

    " NO, you sonofabitch, you can't call me "Josh" - it's Mr Kroenke to you buster. I am truly sad that Arsene, who has been like a second father to me, feels unloved. I have reassured him that, as long as Dad & I are in charge, there will be no ageism in this soccer club - period. Got that, dude?"

  10. Gaz

    Mar 27, 2018, 17:30 #108223

    I'm hoping this was the thinking behind awarding Wenger a new two year deal last summer. 'They'-the majority of the board-decided-against Wenger's wishes-that they wanted to change the manager but between them they also agreed-quite correctly too in my opinion-that there simply wasn't the infrastructure currently in place at the Club to cope with both Wenger leaving and a new manager coming in. They decided the best scenario was for Wenger to stay on for one more year giving the Club the chance to not only sound out replacements but also to put things in place behind the scenes that would help when we finally make these massive changes. There was a big problem though. On the one hand they only wanted to give Wenger the one year deal but on the other hand they wanted to avoid the will he/wont he farce of last season again. So to get around this they decided to hand him a two year deal but with two massive provisos. Firstly we would have to have a brilliant season where we won the EL and either won the PL or was in a great position to win it with one/two games to go. This would rightly be seen as real progress and most fans would be happy when they announced this summer that he'd extended yet again for one more year (bringing his leaving date up to 2020). The second proviso was that if this season was a total disaster and showed absolutely no sign of improvement-which without going into detail it most definitely has been-they would mutually agree to a parting of the ways. Winning the Europa league will muddy the waters a little but our PL form, dwindling gates, and all round apathy will trigger this scenario. Now when I say 'mutually' this will be the official line as nobody at the Club either wants to sack Wenger nor want it known that he's been forced to leave. Also Wenger never officially agreed to any of this but went along with it in the forlorn hope he'd have a great PL season meaning they simply couldn't force him out. This is why Wenger is coming out with all the lines RE ageism etc. He's effectively fighting for his life at Arsenal and knows results can no longer save him. Of course the Club wont announce anything yet as they don't want to risk the speculation getting in the way of the Club winning the EL but they've been secretly sounding out replacements hence the upturn in rumours recently. As soon as the season ends though there'll be talks and soon after an announcement and the Club will give Wenger-who'll reluctantly agree to it-a big send off and a massive final pay day. Obviously this is what I'm hoping but it does satisfy one thing that's been bothering me. As mentioned earlier there's no way the Club will want to go into next season with speculation still rife about Wenger's future and this scenario see's off that problem. Hope I'm right!

  11. peter wain

    Mar 27, 2018, 17:21 #108222

    waste of time they are only interested in money.

  12. markymark

    Mar 27, 2018, 13:36 #108221

    The suggestion or at least rumours appears to be that Josh wants change . Let’s hope he can get this one past his father

  13. Yes its Ron

    Mar 27, 2018, 13:33 #108220

    It hurts admit it but if the response was as Gunner Rob suggests (and hes probably right), if we could some how remove our 'fan bodies' from our actual bodies and look at it totally dispassionately, from a distance we would in all probability say the same. Arsenal by an owners definition of it has had a glitch but is a hugely successful enterprise. As fans we have to live with that and react in whichever way we all see fit. Mine is to have stepped away from it and to generally 'follow football'with the emphasis on the Club i once cherished. Its harder for some to do the same though and i wouldn't expect it, but it works for me guys. Its you younger fellas whove come to football in this last 10 years or so that i feel for. You have and have had no real glory to savour and not even any real heroes to get close to and sadly theres not a lot to suggest that you will have anytime soon. Modern football is a product that doesn't value sporting achievement. Im not totally sure what type of mindset and approach to footie is needed for the fans of the future but good luck finding it lads. I wish you well.

  14. mbg

    Mar 27, 2018, 13:09 #108219

    Yes it should have happened years ago when we first reached that critical stage instead of hanging on to an old past it manager dining out (and still doing it)on past glories that for a lot of help from others wouldn't have had and are now long forgotten. At this moment and time I don't care who the next chairman will be, or if the present one remains, as long as they do the right, proper, thing and get rid, let go, or whatever, a tired past it old man masquerading as a manager and bring in a fresh face, and facilitate him a complete gutting of his tired old past it regime. wenger out.

  15. Bard

    Mar 27, 2018, 12:23 #108218

    Or he might say...'I have spoken to Dad and he thinks we have turned a corner and is looking forward to increasing the ticket prices for next season. If we can sell a couple of players without buying anyone else all the better. Its worked for the last 10 years why change it'.

  16. Gaz

    Mar 27, 2018, 11:10 #108217

    God that's depressingly accurate Rob.

  17. Gunner Rob

    Mar 27, 2018, 10:58 #108216

    Josh Kroenke would reply....Thank you for your interest in our affairs. You are right it is a great club and I am delighted to be involved. Although we are just outside the top 4 zone which of course we aim to be, it has been fantastic to watch the club win 3 titles in recent seasons - To win 3 English superbowls is no mean feat, and the manager, Arsene Wenger is amazing. He has now won 7 of them! Our disappointing defeats in Europe have also been addressed this season and we keep winning and winning. Maybe a euro superbowl final this season! I am not sure a change in leadership is what is required, Mr Wenger continues to impress. Lets see where we are in May...