Arsenal Finances

[TheLoneFalcon]

A thread where our finances can be discussed.

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Above is the latest entry about us from the excellent Swiss Ramble. The most encouraging aspect, imo, is that our football related income has grown substantially and that we're no longer as reliant on player sales and our property development to show a profit.

 

[clockwork orange]

The figures look great, but by far the most important and disturbing news is that Kroenke took 3M out of the club.

His comments (it's fine when owners take money out of the club, other US owners do it too, etc.) are even more disturbing. Seems he wants to go the Glazer way and milk the club.

 

[Hunta]

Yeah, Kroenke is a sneaky ******.

Increases ticket prices and then takes the £3M or so it made him.

****.

 

[FinnGooner]

While the overall figures look very good, our commercial revenue development is slightly disappointing. It's only on par with the likes of Chelsea, City and Liverpool while Man Utd. is growing the gap. Of course the Puma deal is not taken into account here but other teams will make kit deals before we ran out of ours so it doesn't change a whole lot. Now that the Puma and Emirates deals are done and dusted, we really need to improve our secondary sponsorship deals to get more competitive within the next few years.

And yes, Kroenke is a complete ****** and I'm not surprised. Basically the latest increase in ticket prices went straight to his pocket as THunter said.

 

[wengerboy]

Yeah, Kroenke is a sneaky ******.

Increases ticket prices and then takes the £3M or so it made him.

****.

:shock:

That is disturbing, this should be on the lips of every gunner we sould be protesting.

:evil: stupid yosemite sam

 

[Jasard]

No surprise that he would do that. The prick.

 

[onetowatch]

The most disappointing thing for me is the continual increase in cash reserves. It's probably more than the rest of the PL teams cash reserves combined and has been trending upwards for years now. Over £200m cash reserves is insane.

 

[Penn_]

Why the use in Kronke taking out 3M, to him that surely has to be a pretty measly sum. Where to Arsenal that could easily cover a few reserve players wages.

If he's just in it for the return then surely he'd make a whole lot more by selling up entirely.

 

[onetowatch]

I'm sure the question will be asked and answered at the AGM. As you say, £3m is measly for Kroenke. There may well be a valid explanation.

 

[Iceman10]

Why the use in Kronke taking out 3M, to him that surely has to be a pretty measly sum. Where to Arsenal that could easily cover a few reserve players wages.

If he's just in it for the return then surely he'd make a whole lot more by selling up entirely.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11117463/Arsenal-pay-majority-owner-Stan-Kroenkes-company-3m-for-strategic-and-advisory-fees.html

A payment of £3 million has been made by Arsenal to the company of the club’s majority owner Stan Kroenke for what are described as “strategic and advisory” fees.

Arsenal have stressed that employees of Kroenke Sports Enterprises – the company that controls Kroenke’s sports teams in the United States – have worked with the club across a wide variety of sectors and initiatives since the takeover in 2011 and that the payment simply reflects this.

I guess we'll have to see what happens down the line and whether this is the start of a slippery slope or not.

 

[Toast]

According to the Guardian:

The money has been paid to Kroenke’s company, KSE LLC, for strategic and advisory services which relate to Arsenal’s broadband division, the media department which raises funds by selling a three-hour block of weekly content to the lucrative international market.

He certainly seems interested in taking money out of the club. From the same article:

Kroenke has been asked repeatedly at the club’s annual meeting whether he would take dividends from Arsenal but has always dodged the issue. He has, though, outlined his admiration for the model the Glazer family have at Manchester United, which was a leveraged buyout that loaded debt on to the club.

In a rare interview in November 2011, Kroenke expanded on how he feels this American system works. “Since they took over they have won and they have increased revenues by a huge amount. If I was a fan of that club, I would go there and go ‘Wow!’ because how could you do it any better?

“We have a whole different philosophy I think in the States, maybe, but I think it’s time for everybody to think a little bit. I think they ought to think about who invests in these clubs. ‘He [Glazer] took money out of the club. So what? [LA Lakers owner] Jerry Buss takes money out of his club. A lot of owners in the US do. No one ever says anything about it.”

It may of course simply be that one of his other companies genuinely performed a service for Arsenal, for which payment was exacted. The main issue seems to be that said payment and the extra income from the rise in ticket prices match, which suggests the rise in ticket prices was just to line big Stan's pockets. It could be a coincidence though.

 

[clockwork orange]

All alarm bells should be ringing. 3M might be an insignificant sum for Arsenal and for Kroenke, but this is about the precedent it creates.



Next time it will be more.

 

[error_prone]

The most disappointing thing for me is the continual increase in cash reserves. It's probably more than the rest of the PL teams cash reserves combined and has been trending upwards for years now. Over £200m cash reserves is insane.

We could use it one day for the new facilities or stadium expenditure without taking a loan. I have no problem with reserves as long as we buy Sanchez/Özil type of player every summer.

 

[goonerwarsh]

The most disappointing thing for me is the continual increase in cash reserves. It's probably more than the rest of the PL teams cash reserves combined and has been trending upwards for years now. Over £200m cash reserves is insane.

We could use it one day for the new facilities or stadium expenditure without taking a loan. I have no problem with reserves as long as we buy Sanchez/Özil type of player every summer.

...and have enough defenders in the squad so we don't have to play our midfielders back there. ;-)

 

[Toast]

All alarm bells should be ringing. 3M might be an insignificant sum for Arsenal and for Kroenke, but this is about the precedent it creates.



Next time it will be more.

It depends on what's actually happening though. If it is Kroenke taking money out we are indeed in the ****. If one of his companies is doing a job for us and we're simply paying a normal price for said service there's not really anything to be worried about because then the payment is to the company, not to Kroenke. Of course we could be seeing Kroenke take out money through one of his companies as well in order to, as you note, set a precedent. I'm sure details about this transactions will come out soon and we'll find out.

 

[tap-in]

Kronke is understandably in this business to make money. If we were struggling to buy players I would be concerned but this summer showed we have money to spend. I have always believed that his big pay day will come when he sells up and I still believe that.

Having said the above, if next year he takes out £6m, then we need to be concerned.

 

[clockwork orange]

His comments made in 2011 make very clear, that according to him owners can do what they want when it comes to taking money out of the club.

So the first time he takes money out of the club (no matter if it's to pay for services delivered by (one of his) companies), we should be VERY concerned.

The fact that he says 'So what?' about the Glazer's Manc scam says it all. Would be great if he said it as an Arsenal fan happy the Mancs get robbed. But he says it as a fellow-'investor'. So far Stan has been an investor, the Glazer's never were, they bought the club with it's own money (basically that's the result of buying a club with borrowed money and then let the club pay for the loan).

I do not want Stan for anybody else getting a share in Arsenal for too little or even worse for free. So what?

 

[BobP]

The Glazers committed day light robbery in their purchase of Manchester United, day light ****ing robbery. Purchasing the club with borrowed money and paying back that money using the money that the club makes.

 

[Hunta]

He's put nothing into the club and is starting to take money out of it.

This is worrying.

 

[entropy13]

Were highlights of all Arsenal matches free from Arsenal Player even prior Kroenke's arrival?