And what a while it has been for our club? Well quite a big one, or was it, has anything really changed other than the first win after 5 abysmal games. Silent Stan or, as we have all learnt Enoch Kroenke. Enoch? How the hell did he get Stan form Enoch? Anyway, since first investing 4 years ago, Stan - as he will forever be known as from now on - worked his was up to 29.9% which was just under the threshold whereby he would have to trigger a takeover. In the last few weeks he has since purchased Lady Nina Bracewell Smith's shares as well as the late, great Danny Fiszman's shares (RIP) and now has around a 62-63% stake in the club.
Furthermore, he now has to offer all of the remaining shareholder, Alisher Usmanov and his 27% stake seems rahter important as well as around one hundred small investors totaling 10%. The big question seems whether they will sell their shares to give Stan complete control, but the most recent news from the 'fan' Usmanov seems to be that he is not keen on selling his shares.
Onto the real questions and what changes we are going to face as a club. But to be honest these questions can only completely be answered by time, and all we can really do is sit back with our fingers crossed that he wont go all 'Hicks and Gillet' or 'Glazer' on us and this time next year we won't be going to down to Finsbury Park to cheer on AFCArsenal.
What I, and all the clever people who have spoken before me, can predict though is that not much will change. Apparently Stan, after his four years of experience, sees not much wrong with out self-sustainable model and the only changes he will be making in the short term are to maximise the Turnover, and subsequently Profit, that Arsenal makes. Along these lines, there are already countless rumours of his tearing up our frankly abysmal Emirates shirt sponsorship deal and bringing in one of his many contacts. One can only hope that he does just maximise our profits and is able to hand Mr Wenger a hefty transfer budget, which we can only presume has not been present in recent years.
Back to the football then.
Looking back at the Blackpool match and the only thing we should take from the game is the three points that were very much needed. I could go and jump on the bandwagon that the title is ours again, and we will win all of our remaining 7 games. A run which we have not been able to achieve all season. Or I could be all doom and gloom and say that we wont win the league, weren't going to win the league, and will never win the league again. However, I am going to stay somewhere in the middle of the two and say the obvious; We CAN win the league. We probably NEED to win every game, against United, Liverpool and the lot this man manages. But also United NEED to capitulate in a way which they never seem to have before, and just when they've started playing well.
But heres to the first of many trophies of the Enoch Era of Arsenal ownership, hopefully.
ARSENAL till i die,
RIP Danny Fiszman - the great man and big fan who made the dream of the Emirates happen.
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