17 Sep 2008Kroenke to be appointed to Arsenal board

Football Referees, Players, Managers and Media

Stan Kroenke will join the board of directors at Arsenal this week as the club attempts to fend off a potential takeover from Uzbeki oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

The American billionaire, who owns a 12.38 per cent stake, was initially given a hostile reception after being recommended by former vice-chairman David Dein.

However, the board are determined not to give fellow billionaire Usmanov, the largest shareholder who has increased his stake to 24.9 per cent, any opportunity to buy further shares.

Chairman Peter Hill-Wood initially dismissed the prospect of working with Kroenke, claiming that Arsenal did not want people "of his sort" at the club.

But now it is expected that he will be added to the list of directors at a board meeting tomorrow (September 18th), when the Gunners are also expected to name Peter Lawwell as their new chief executive.

Lawwell, who has been working in a similar role at Celtic, will replace Keith Edelman, who was dismissed in May - a move which has still not been fully explained by the club.

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