American Billionaire Set To Buy Arsenal FC

Stan Kroenke Close to 30% Stake in Premier League Football Club

Nov 8, 2009

Stan Kroenke has shown great commitment to the sporting community of Denver, Colorado. He wants to expand his sporting empire overseas by purchasing London-based Arsenal.

Stan Kroenke is a real estate mogul, married to a Wal-Mart heir. In fact, Matthew Boyle, in Business Week, September 20, 2008, in an article titled Stan Kroenke: The Sports Mogul You Never Heard of, notes Kroenke to be in the Top 100 most influential people in the business of sports. Seemingly not satisfied with his multiple sports interests in the US, Kroenke wants to join a number of other American owners of Premier League teams.

Franchises Kroenke Owns or Has a Stake In

He owns or has a stake in a number of stadiums including the Pepsi Center where both the Avalanche and Mammoth play. Although the future of the Arena Football League is in doubt, Kroenke along with former Denver Bronco great, John Elway, owns the league's Colorado Crush.

Support from Don Garber MLS Commissioner

Colorado Rapids Stadium, also owned by Kroenke, offers 24 youth fields to support the young players in the community. MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, was has gone on record backing Kroenke Arsenal takeover bid, said of Kroenke, "It's part of his understanding of the vertical nature of soccer from youth up to professionals but also shows his deep commitment to the sport." Garber went on to say that Kroenke's vision and philosophy gel with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who also believes in the youth development approach.

Nasty Takeovers of United and Liverpool

If Kroenke goes on to buy the necessary 29.99% of Arsenal shares, forcing a mandatory takeover bid, he would join four other American owners of Premier League teams. The takeover of the richest club side in the world, Manchester United, by Malcolm Glazer for $1.47 billion in 2005 was contentious. It was not well received by the fans or the British government. Kroenke's propensity for shyness from the media spotlight will likely prevent any situations from arising.

Liverpool's takeover by Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. also caused much consternation and their ownership continues to cause problems. The debt load has risen to over 350 million pounds and the fans are not happy. Work on a new stadium is repeatedly put on hold and Hicks and Gillett are said to be looking to sell some of their share in the club.

Smoother Ownership Takeover of Aston Villa and Sunderland

For all the bad press the United and Liverpool's American owners garnered, Randy Lerner of Aston Villa has improved the image of American owners in the Premier League. He is good to the players, providing state of the art training grounds as well as to the fans. According to Neil Moxley, Mail Online, January 21, 2008, Randy Lerner....the Right Type of American, Lerner spent 4 million pounds restoring a pub of historic significance to Villa fans.

Ellis Short, owner of Sunderland, has injected much needed funds into the club. He promises the fans relegation battles will be a thing of the past.

Buying Arsenal and adding the team to his sports empire is not yet a certainty. But at the rate Kroenke has been buying shares, it is apparent he has only one goal in mind. According to the London Evening Standard, August 27, 2007, there a number of reasons why buying Arsenal is so appealing to Kroenke. First and foremost is the earning potential of the Emirates Stadium, a widespread fanbase of over 30 million 'Gooners' around the world and what some consider the best scout for young talent in Arsene Wenger.

Given Kroenke's propensity for acquisitions it seems only a matter of time before he joins his fellow Americans in owning a piece of the beautiful game.

The copyright of the article American Billionaire Set To Buy Arsenal FC in Soccer is owned by Lorah Delaney. Permission to republish American Billionaire Set To Buy Arsenal FC in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.