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Putin is seemingly about to get a second Oligarch in charge of a Premier League club after the BBC have announced Usmanov is making a takeover bid at Arsenal. (that's not being being melodramatic or anti-Russian by the way - he has links to Putin through his role as Gazprom's overseas 'investor' and strategist for asset recovery - the second of which is allegedly a polite title for state sponsored intimidation and racketeering).
My question to the Premier League would be how can this man possibly pass their fit and proper person test when he is described by a former British Ambassador to Uzbek (Usmanov's birthplace) as "a Vicious Thug, Criminal, Racketeer, Heroin Trafficker and Accused Rapist" who has served time in jail as a convicted criminal?
The next time an Arsenal fan mentions City ruining football I will ram Usmanov's name down their throat until they choke.

A little further reading: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives ... r_usmanov/

Questions may also be asked as to how the Greek chap who has just bought Forest has passed the "fit and proper test" when he is being investigated for fraud in Greece at his time with Olympiakos. The cynic in me says a bribe has been paid

Frank passed the test to takeover at city so it can't be that stringent

Pretty sure it was allegations at the time of his takeover wasn't it? Usmanov has done time.

not happening. Kroenke is so fucking stubborn.
and he doesnt need the money. he and his wife together are rolling--they probably live in a house made of money and wipe their asses with 100s.

(in case you dont know, he's worth 7.5B and she's worth 6.4B on her own)

phips wrote:not happening. Kroenke is so fucking stubborn.
and he doesnt need the money. he and his wife together are rolling--they probably live in a house made of money and wipe their asses with 100s.

(in case you dont know, he's worth 7.5B and she's worth 6.4B on her own)

Apart from his and his wife's personal wealth, why would Kroenke even consider letting such a cash cow leave his control?
The Arsenal model is quite simply proved to be the best way for Kroenke to maximise his profit with minimal outlay.
Remember that it is only recently that with four CL places up for grabs that the likes of City have risen, even more recent that Liverpool have risen again and only in the last couple of seasons that Spurs have joined the top clubs to present a challenge.
By buying not attempting to challenge at the very top, there was minimal outlay with the reward, based on previous history, pot one. An easy group and Kroenke season after season accessed the financially. rewarding knock out stages. ......got beat....having done just enough to repeat the cycle.
Maximum profit...minimal spend.
Feed the fans with shite about 4th being a trophy,

It is only this season that their cycle got a puncture and they are in serious danger of dropping from the CL. The fans are unhappy having finally been overtaken by their nearest rivals Spurs. Luckily for Kroenke, the brainwashing and arrogance of the Gooner fans stillretain sufficient supoort for the system that id royally and deliberately fucking them.

Kroenke is going nowhere. And, Glazer-like, he will continue to milk the club to his heart's content. God bless him.

phips wrote:not happening. Kroenke is so fucking stubborn.
and he doesnt need the money. he and his wife together are rolling--they probably live in a house made of money and wipe their asses with 100s.

(in case you dont know, he's worth 7.5B and she's worth 6.4B on her own)

I don't know anything about Kroenke but, stubbornness apart, if he and Mrs K. are both disgustingly rich, what does he (and to some extent she) get from owning a foreign football club ??

On that basis, why would he not sell ??

Genuine question chum, to you as an American.

John and DH are right on this, no way will he sell his cash cow, even if he did Usmanov surely wouldn't pass as fit for purpose and if he did it would prove the PL are corrupt themselves. Should the unthinkable happen and he ends up owning them all that would happen is he'd probably milk it more than Kroenke does currently or use it as a laundering tool.

Kroenke will continue and when the natives get restless he will just chuck a few Bob in the pot to buy a couple of names, then carry on fleecing for another 5-6 years until the natives get restless again, repeat cycle

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

phips wrote:not happening. Kroenke is so fucking stubborn.
and he doesnt need the money. he and his wife together are rolling--they probably live in a house made of money and wipe their asses with 100s.

(in case you dont know, he's worth 7.5B and she's worth 6.4B on her own)

I don't know anything about Kroenke but, stubbornness apart, if he and Mrs K. are both disgustingly rich, what does he (and to some extent she) get from owning a foreign football club ??

On that basis, why would he not sell ??

Genuine question chum, to you as an American.

no idea.

but what does he get from owning the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Rapids (MLS), LA Rams (NFL), Colorado Mammoth (Lacrosse team), Colorado Avalanche (NHL) as well? Power within the sports world? Clearly he likes sports.

plus, Arsenal probably represent his best chance of winning a league title. although, i dont know if he actually cares about winning. the way he's run the Rams has been a joke.

CTID Hants wrote:John and DH are right on this, no way will he sell his cash cow, even if he did Usmanov surely wouldn't pass as fit for purpose and if he did it would prove the PL are corrupt themselves. Should the unthinkable happen and he ends up owning them all that would happen is he'd probably milk it more than Kroenke does currently or use it as a laundering tool.

Kroenke will continue and when the natives get restless he will just chuck a few Bob in the pot to buy a couple of names, then carry on fleecing for another 5-6 years until the natives get restless again, repeat cycle

There's a possibility that Usmanov has already passed the fit and proper person test since one of the triggers is over 30% ownership of shares - and depending on which source you read he owns either 30% or over 30% in shares.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:Kroenke is going nowhere. And, Glazer-like, he will continue to milk the club to his heart's content. God bless him.

Indeed. Arsenal and Rags were far too greedy and now in need of better owners.

What makes me laugh even more is Fergie created the Glazer Sale by trying to take on Magnier and McManus over Rock of Gibraltar.

During a conversation about Peter Swales many years ago, I was advised that I would only understand football and make sense of some of the more ridiculous decisions if I stopped thinking like a fan. The rise of Swales from a non league club to becoming chairman of the FA's International Committee in a very short space of time was no accident. A lot of money moved from City to another club to win its chairman's support in the corridors of power.
Roland Smith, whilst the boss of the rag's parent company announced to a rag's shareholders and partners dinner in the Midland Hotel that "the playing of football is merely coincidental to the business of [the rags]."

Since Dean left Arsenal and Kroenke and his puppet Gadzides took control. winning trophies has never been on their agenda, they aren't interested.
The Glasers are similar. The aim is the minimise cost, maximise profits and do just enough to keep their global profile high enough to keep the cash rolling in.
While the Gooners are still stumping up a sizeable percentage of there hard earned salaries and the sponsors remain committed to doling out millions for the priviledge of their name on some item of Arsenal's kit or equipment, there is no need to change this.

For 20 odd years, they have never attempted to compete in the transfer market against the other teams at the top. Buy youth, buy it cheap, maintain that 4th Wenger Trophy position, Remain in the CL and Pot 1, get an easy ride through the groups stage and after that who gives a fuck. To go further would mean paying out for top players, and that would increase their costs dramatically.

When Chelsea came along, two places were expanded to four and the Chavs were absorbed. When City came along, the balancing act became more difficult and now with the recent rise of Spurs, they have big problems.

The question of whether Usmanov will succeed and Kroenke sell up depends on whether they believe they can sustain the balancing act, The decision will be taken (if it already hasn't) by their advising accountants. You can be assured that the decision won't be football related but be defined by the balance sheet.

phips wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

phips wrote:not happening. Kroenke is so fucking stubborn.
and he doesnt need the money. he and his wife together are rolling--they probably live in a house made of money and wipe their asses with 100s.

(in case you dont know, he's worth 7.5B and she's worth 6.4B on her own)

I don't know anything about Kroenke but, stubbornness apart, if he and Mrs K. are both disgustingly rich, what does he (and to some extent she) get from owning a foreign football club ??

On that basis, why would he not sell ??

Genuine question chum, to you as an American.

no idea.

but what does he get from owning the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Rapids (MLS), LA Rams (NFL), Colorado Mammoth (Lacrosse team), Colorado Avalanche (NHL) as well? Power within the sports world? Clearly he likes sports.

plus, Arsenal probably represent his best chance of winning a league title. although, i dont know if he actually cares about winning. the way he's run the Rams has been a joke.

Thanks for that.

You've probably answered it by virtue of all the different sports clubs in his 'domain', which you've listed and which speaks for itself.


Perhaps the only way he might sell out to Usmanov is if Putin bribes him to do so, by the promise of being given the honorary title 'Hero of the Soviet Union'...............

John68, a friend of a friend was privy to a series of unofficial meetings between the Rag and Arsenal chairmen towards the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s. Football was never discussed.

'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'?