THE BOARD - Kroenke, Usmanov and Finance

[aw]

May I just say how overjoyed I am that the club is doing so well financially.
For me it's better than winning the Cl, the Premiership and the FA Cup.
Well done Arsene and the board.

[QuartzGooner]

Accounts thoughts:

Net debt has hardly changed.

I reckon we will need to sell off a "Big" player, or a significant group of lesser players, per season until stadium debt is paid off.

Wages will have to be watched carefully; rising all the time.
Expect current balance of experienced and youth players to remain at current ratio for a while.

Days of high wages for younger prospects simply untenable - I hope new contracts start at realistic levels but as an incentive allow for annual renegotiation depending on how well the player has performed.

Familiar refrain, but keep performance bonuses high to reflect lower wages.

The new commercial deals cannot come soon enough, now that our property deals are virtually all completed.

[BournemouthRED]

Fuck the accounts

Is this a start of a new movement?

I want a t shirt which says fuck the accounts, where do I sign up?

[kiwomyaswetdream]

There is no need for a big player sell off as we are ahead on our debt payments and we will be receiving a bumper payout in 2014 when our current sponsorship runs out and new sponsors are found. I get everyones gripes about spending to keep up etc etc but we fans should be happy that the club is being run correctly. The Arsenal has been an emotional roller-coaster for me since i took a proper interest when i was 7. I am now 33 and throughout these years ive always believed we have done things the right way, be it the way we dealt with Adams drink driving, Mersons many issues, Adams drinking or getting rid of George Graham. We have stuck to some morals and one of those that mattered most was to not over spend because honestly - we all know that clubs like Manchester Utd, Citeh, And the Chavs can and will outspend us every time.

But thats not a bad thing. All of the titles and cups that have been 'purchased' by these clubs are somewhat tainted. For me thats good enough because when we do get the winning going again victory will be so much sweeter.

I never want us to be a bunch of chavs or mancs who think money buys class, style and prestige. we are Arsenal. Our club name is synonymous with all those qualities and we dont need cheapen that. COYG

[armchair]

There is no need for a big player sell off as we are ahead on our debt payments and we will be receiving a bumper payout in 2014 when our current sponsorship runs out and new sponsors are found. I get everyones gripes about spending to keep up etc etc but we fans should be happy that the club is being run correctly. The Arsenal has been an emotional roller-coaster for me since i took a proper interest when i was 7. I am now 33 and throughout these years ive always believed we have done things the right way, be it the way we dealt with Adams drink driving, Mersons many issues, Adams drinking or getting rid of George Graham. We have stuck to some morals and one of those that mattered most was to not over spend because honestly - we all know that clubs like Manchester Utd, Citeh, And the Chavs can and will outspend us every time.

But thats not a bad thing. All of the titles and cups that have been 'purchased' by these clubs are somewhat tainted. For me thats good enough because when we do get the winning going again victory will be so much sweeter.

I never want us to be a bunch of chavs or mancs who think money buys class, style and prestige. we are Arsenal. Our club name is synonymous with all those qualities and we dont need cheapen that. COYG

[Chippy]

Accounts thoughts:

Net debt has hardly changed.

I reckon we will need to sell off a "Big" player, or a significant group of lesser players, per season until stadium debt is paid off.

Debt hasn't changed because of the terms of our loans, we cannot pay back early (this must be about the 100th time this has been posted). Our debt is £98.9m, we have £153.6m in the bank. We are effectively debt free!

[supergeorgegraham]

Is it me or does 37 Million profit seem like nothing at all. When the Sky money goes up next season will that all go on improved wages for the current players ?

[Clash]

Accounts thoughts:

Net debt has hardly changed.

I reckon we will need to sell off a "Big" player, or a significant group of lesser players, per season until stadium debt is paid off.

Debt hasn't changed because of the terms of our loans, we cannot pay back early (this must be about the 100th time this has been posted). Our debt is £98.9m, we have £153.6m in the bank. We are effectively debt free!

Exactly! We cannot pay it back early. There are penalties for doing so. Stockpiling cash is nothing to do with this supposed stadium debt.

The stadium debt is a myth anyway. The extra revenue the Emirates generates dwarfs the loan repayments but people are still to willing to forgive the clubs reluctance to spend because they think it is to do with the stadium

Its like someone borrowing £200k to expand his business. The loan repayment is 250k (£25k a year for 10 years):

Lets say after a couple of years the business is making 50k a year more than it was before the loan was taken out - the 25k annual payment is not a problem at all and there is actually more money to spend.

It also wouldnt mean keeping the business going (at a worse level than it was before because of unecessary tightening the purse strings) is the achievement of a miracle worker. And it most certainly is not an excuse for the staff and family of the owner to be fed bread and cheese for the next 10 years.

[QuartzGooner]

Accounts thoughts:

Net debt has hardly changed.

I reckon we will need to sell off a "Big" player, or a significant group of lesser players, per season until stadium debt is paid off.

Debt hasn't changed because of the terms of our loans, we cannot pay back early (this must be about the 100th time this has been posted). Our debt is £98.9m, we have £153.6m in the bank. We are effectively debt free!

As far as I can figure out, we are not debt free.

We can pay back early, but would have large financial penalties to do so.
Unless our bond issue can be renegotiated, and in this economy perhaps the banks might be tempted, or maybe not?

I do think that the directors are trying to save up the balance of what we owe in the bank, to pay it back early "in kind", and when reached it might mark a difference in our transfer spending.

We pay back approximately £20M per year on the stadium bonds (commuted from a loan in 2006) until 2031.

That is 19 years of approximately £20M a year, roughly £380M.
With £153.6M in the bank, leaves a £226.4M debt.

Property income has all but finished.
Matchday revenues are higher than Highbury, but so are staff wages.

Commercial revenues lag behind other clubs, but some of these are up for renewal in 2014, and should be increased.

But in this economic climate, there are no guarantees.

Player sales remain a viable source of income; I still reckon we will remain a "selling club" for a while.

[northbank123]

Accounts thoughts:

Net debt has hardly changed.

I reckon we will need to sell off a "Big" player, or a significant group of lesser players, per season until stadium debt is paid off.

Debt hasn't changed because of the terms of our loans, we cannot pay back early (this must be about the 100th time this has been posted). Our debt is £98.9m, we have £153.6m in the bank. We are effectively debt free!

As far as I can figure out, we are not debt free.

We can pay back early, but would have large financial penalties to do so.
Unless our bond issue can be renegotiated, and in this economy perhaps the banks might be tempted, or maybe not?

I do think that the directors are trying to save up the balance of what we owe in the bank, to pay it back early "in kind", and when reached it might mark a difference in our transfer spending.

We pay back approximately £20M per year on the stadium bonds (commuted from a loan in 2006) until 2031.

That is 19 years of approximately £20M a year, roughly £380M.
With £153.6M in the bank, leaves a £226.4M debt.

Property income has all but finished.
Matchday revenues are higher than Highbury, but so are staff wages.

Commercial revenues lag behind other clubs, but some of these are up for renewal in 2014, and should be increased.

But in this economic climate, there are no guarantees.

Player sales remain a viable source of income; I still reckon we will remain a "selling club" for a while.

Let's get things straight here: Kroenke has an overall majority of shares and therefore can do what he wants with a few exceptions. The directors essentially only have the power that he vests in them and if he really wanted to he could fire the lot of them, they're basically puppets in his big game. Kroenke is an incredibly wealthy and successful man and he's hardly going to be taking a back seat: he'll be the one directing the club's policy. And you can fucking well bet he will be gearing the club's financial policy towards what will increase the value of his shares and not what's most likely to benefit AFC on the pitch.

[QuartzGooner]

AP - From The Mirror

Arsene Wenger has been assured that he will have £35million-plus to invest in new players ­during the January ­transfer window.

The Arsenal manager will be able to use the profits announced by the club last week.

“If Arsene wants to use that money during the winter window then, ­absolutely, he will be able to do it,” said chairman Peter Hill-Wood.

“We rely on him to come up with the right people and there will be funds available to him.”

That will ­reassure both Wenger and the fans as ­Arsenal go in search of their first ­trophy in seven years.

Their start in the ­Champions League, after the 3-1 home win over Olympiakos, has reaped a maximum six points. The new-look team have also had an encouraging start to the Premier League and are through to the next round of the Capital One Cup.

“We have been very pleased with the start,” said Hill-Wood. “But if the manager wants to ­reinforce the squad in January, he will be able to do that.

“The financial results were good and we want to put that money to use if Arsene decides he wants more players.

“I like to think that the profit shows we are ­running the club on the right lines.

“We are not able, for ­instance, to be able to ­afford to write off £180m. That is not how we work.”

Along with a number of other clubs like Chelsea and Paris St ­Germain, the Arsenal boss is a huge admirer of Falcao, the Atletico Madrid striker.

The prolific Colombia international destroyed Chelsea with a hat-trick in the UEFA Super Cup in August.

His buy-out clause is about £50m – but that could drop because of the country’s financial ­crisis.

If Atletico come down to the £40m, then Wenger could be ­interested.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ld-1364685

[SteveO 35]

AP - From The Mirror

Arsene Wenger has been assured that he will have £35million-plus to invest in new players ­during the January ­transfer window.

The Arsenal manager will be able to use the profits announced by the club last week.

“If Arsene wants to use that money during the winter window then, ­absolutely, he will be able to do it,” said chairman Peter Hill-Wood.

“We rely on him to come up with the right people and there will be funds available to him.”

That will ­reassure both Wenger and the fans as ­Arsenal go in search of their first ­trophy in seven years.

Their start in the ­Champions League, after the 3-1 home win over Olympiakos, has reaped a maximum six points. The new-look team have also had an encouraging start to the Premier League and are through to the next round of the Capital One Cup.

“We have been very pleased with the start,” said Hill-Wood. “But if the manager wants to ­reinforce the squad in January, he will be able to do that.

“The financial results were good and we want to put that money to use if Arsene decides he wants more players.

“I like to think that the profit shows we are ­running the club on the right lines.

“We are not able, for ­instance, to be able to ­afford to write off £180m. That is not how we work.”

Along with a number of other clubs like Chelsea and Paris St ­Germain, the Arsenal boss is a huge admirer of Falcao, the Atletico Madrid striker.

The prolific Colombia international destroyed Chelsea with a hat-trick in the UEFA Super Cup in August.

His buy-out clause is about £50m – but that could drop because of the country’s financial ­crisis.

If Atletico come down to the £40m, then Wenger could be ­interested.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ld-1364685

Does anyone actually believe this shite anymore ? How many times have we heard about how much money Wenger has to reinvest and that he is free to buy who he likes. The day that we sign Falcao for £35m, I will gladly come on here and admit that I got it all wrong and that the club are genuinely ambitious

[augie]

Arsenal FC signing falcao ?? Must be the useless c**t that played for the scum back in the 80's What journo is in his right would print such shite ? Surely everybody would realise straight away that the credibility of the story is shot to shite when you include such a ridiculous transfer rumour I'll bet our transfer thread specialist is wanking himself silly over the thought of including this in his posts

[SteveO 35]

Why do we want to sign the bloke who sung Rock me Amadeus anyway?

[augie]

Why do we want to sign the bloke who sung Rock me Amadeus anyway?

It was a shit song but wenger seen enough in him to feel that he has great potential and spirit in him. His career hasnt fulfilled his early potential yet but when wenger teaches him to sing with the handbrake off then he will be a superstar