Arsenal offer supporters a stake in the club
Thu 19th Aug 2010 | Clubs Ownership
English Arsenal supporters have won the backing of the club's four major shareholders for a groundbreaking new scheme that would follow the Spanish Barcelona model of enhanced fan ownership.
The support for 'Arsenal Fanshare’ from Stan Kroenke, Alisher Usmanov, Danny Fiszman and Lady Bracewell-Smith, who between them own almost 88 percent of the shares, is particularly significant as it strongly suggests that no takeover is imminent.
Supporters will be able to sign up to the scheme online, where they will get the opportunity to purchase "fanshares" at one hundredth of the price of those in Arsenal Holdings Plc – around GBP 95. Anyone eventually purchasing 100 will have their status converted to receive full voting rights for one share. The AST collectively speak for approximately 3 per cent of the club's overall equity.
AST spokesperson Tim Payton said: "Arsenal Fanshare has been established to increase supporter ownership and representation. The AST recently surveyed its membership on their preferred ownership structure – 90 per cent of members rate maintaining the club's custodianship and protecting the long-term future the most important priority.
"There is little support for the club being taken private, with 84 per cent preferring Arsenal's ownership model to be one which includes supporter representation.
"The AST welcomes the support the board and chief executive Ivan Gazidis have given the scheme. The support Arsenal Fanshare has from all of the club's major shareholders should allow all talk of a takeover to be put to one side. We urge all Arsenal fans to take this opportunity and get involved – by working together we can make Arsenal even stronger."
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