(if you wish to go straight to the useful links, please scroll down)
Hello Gooners.
Hands up who wants Arsenal FC used to help make an obscenely rich man even richer?
No hands? Hmm, i guess that’s a no then.
I know I personally don’t.
The figures are in, and Arsenal FC’s recent financial statement shows that we do not need outside investment, our manager has ample funds at his disposal already, should he feel the need to splash the cash in a ‘super super’ fashion.
Speaking for myself here, my own point of view is that Alisher Usmanov seems a very astute maker of money and spotter of a business opportunity to be able to go and spot somewhere else.
And, looking beyond reasons monetary, you may have reasons other as to why you would not wish to see Alisher Usmanov increase his stake further in Arsenal. Perhaps your concerns lie with the fact that recent events in the premier league show that having a rich sugar daddy can yield potentially disastrous results, undermining your club and rocking it to its’ very foundations. Or maybe your troubles stem from another reason…
If it is the former, then there is no better example of how things can go sour than to turn your gaze towards SW6, where Maureen has fallen victim to internal politics at the club, with rumours abound that the new incumbent at the bridge is a puppet for the rich owner, instructed by him as to who to pick; several senior players distraught at the sacking of their manager. Fans of the club seem gravely concerned at the goings on, and where it will lead their club.
Heaven forbid this should happen at Arsenal FC, where Arsene Wenger has the completer trust of the board, is left to his own devices to sign and select who he wishes, indeed such is his input into the club that he has overseen the development of a spanking, state-of-the-art training facility, and had much involvement in the Ashburton Grove stadium project. Indeed, the club operates in harmony. And would you want that to change in any way, shape or form?
We are very lucky that our club has such great stability, and is self-sufficient, operating within its’ means and showing it can go toe-to-toe at the top of the Premier League with Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, and looking very able in Europe too. So why allow the equilibrium to be upset?
If you would like to make your voice heard, there are several avenues you can try to speak out.
There are a couple of online petitions, the first being an official one:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Oligarchs/
http://www.petitiononline.com/UsmaAFC/petition.html
The MP for West Brom, Tom Watson, has expressed an interest in the goings on regarding Arsenal and Usmanov, and you may wish to leave him a comment on his blog:
http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/?p=1467
The Football Supporters Federation can be found here (where you can contact them via the website, or click the link on the page to send them an email, expressing your concerns:
http://www.fsf.org.uk/site-pages/contact.html
Or there is the Arsenal Independent Supporters Association:
http://www.arsenalindependent.co.uk/
email: aisa@fsmail.net
and the Arsenal Supporters Trust:
http://www.arsenaltrust.org/
email: info@arsenaltrust.org – or use their contact form:
http://www.arsenaltrust.org/scform.php
The Premier League can be contacted at:
info@premierleague.com
If you should wish to contact The British Press to air your grievances about the whole situation, contact details for some of the papers are as follows:
Guardian, the Observer
City desk and financial staff – city@guardian.co.uk
Political staff – politics@guardian.co.uk
Sports desk – sport@guardian.co.uk
Business – business@observer.co.uk
Sport – sport@observer.co.uk
Football – football.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
Politics – politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
………………………………………………………..
The Times or The Sunday Times
Letters to the Editor* – letters@sunday-times.co.uk
Letters* – letters@thetimes.co.uk
* for publication only; please include postal address and contact telephone numbers
Sport – sportcomment@thetimes.co.uk
Business – business@thetimes.co.uk
Sunday Times Sport – sportletters@sunday-times.co.uk
Sunday Times Business – foreignletters@sunday-times.co.uk
……………………………………………………….
The Independent
The general switchboard number is (+44) (0)20 7005 2000
Letters for publication in the print edition. Note: If you wish to submit a letter for publication in the newspaper, it must include the sender’s name, postal address and daytime telephone number –
letters@independent.co.uk
Sport – sport@independent.co.uk
Business & City – businessdesk@independent.co.uk
……………………………………………………….
The Daily Telegraph or The Sunday Telegraph,
Tel: +44 (0)20 7931 2000
Letters for publication in The Daily Telegraph can be sent to:
dtletters@telegraph.co.uk
Letters for publication in The Sunday Telegraph can be sent to:
stletters@telegraph.co.uk
……………………………………………………….
The Sun
news@the-sun.co.uk
sunsport@the-sun.co.uk
20 7782 4000
……………………………………………………….
Daily Mirror
ailbox@mirror.co.uk
020 7293 3000
……………………………………………………….
Daily Express,
Parliament: Political Editor: Macer Hall
email: macer.hall@express.co.uk
Sport: Sports Editor: Bill Bradshaw
email: bill.bradshaw@express.co.uk
City: City Editor: Stephen Kahn
email: stephen.kahn@express.co.uk
………………………………………………………..
Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
letters@dailymail.co.uk
letters@mailonsunday.co.uk.
……………………………………………………….
Links to other British newspapers can be found at:
http://www.wrx.zen.co.uk/britnews.htm
BBC Radio FiveLive 606:
Contact details are:
Live line 0500 909 693
Rant line 08700 100 500
SMS 85058
email 606@bbc.co.uk
And of course, if you want get involved in the debate on the Vital Arsenal Forums, you can find a thread here:
https://arsenal.vitalfootball.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=6762&start=181
If you have any other useful contact information you wish to share with fellow Gooners regarding, please have your say below, in the comments box.
Many thanks to all the guys n’ gals on the forum for all the links above and continued debate on the forums – you’re too numerous to mention individually (I’d be here all night trawling through the list of names), but your contribution has been ‘Vital’, without which I could not have brought these useful contact points to more Gooners.
If you wish Arsenal to remain ‘Arsenal’ as you know it, now is the time to speak out and stand behind the club, and the board. Thank you.
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