Kroenke ups Arsenal stake

[Salem6]

Stan Kroenke has increased his stake in Arsenal to just over 20 per cent after buying 5,000 ordinary shares from fellow director Danny Fiszman.

Kroenke Sports Enterprises have had strong ties with the Gunners for some time and the American tycoon has now spent £42.5million to become the second highest shareholder at the club.

Kroenke joined the Arsenal board in September after accepting an invitation to become a non-executive director.

The remainder of the Arsenal board who were subject to the 'lockdown agreement' gave their consent to the transaction, which was set at a price of £8,500 per share.

Fiszman is now left with some 10,025 shares, around 16.1% of the total capital of Arsenal's parent holding company, but he has no plans to offload any more of his stake.

Kroenke is happy with the current set-up and believes the club is heading in the right direction.

Delighted
"After having been invited to join the board last year I am delighted to be able to increase my shareholding in Arsenal," he said.

"I will continue to work closely with my board colleagues to maintain the stable environment in which the club operates and to preserve the self-sustaining business model enjoyed by the club."

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood added: "Stan Kroenke has proved to be a valuable member of the board and I am pleased that he has demonstrated further commitment to the club by adding to his shareholding.

"Danny Fiszman remains a driving influence on the board and is fully committed to the club's long term future."

Uzbekistan metals magnate Alisher Usmanov is Arsenal's other overseas investor and his Red & White Holdings group increased their stake in the club to 25 per cent in February.


www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_5121495,00.html

[Salem6]

Arsenal Holdings plc (the "Company") has today been notified that Daniel Fiszman, a Director of the Company, has on 27th March 2009 sold 5,000 ordinary shares of £1 each in the Company ("Shares") to KSE, UK, Inc, a company controlled by fellow Director, Stan Kroenke, at a price of £8,500 per Share.

Following such transaction, Mr Fiszman has a legal and beneficial holding of 10,025 Shares (representing 16.1 per cent of the total issued share capital of the Company) and Mr Kroenke has a beneficial holding of 12,756 Shares (representing 20.5 per cent of the total issued share capital of the Company). The Company understands that the parties to the Lockdown Agreement dated 18 October 2007 (to which Mr Fiszman is a party) gave their consent to the transaction.

Commenting on the transaction, Mr Fiszman said:

"I am pleased that Stan Kroenke has made a further substantial commitment to the Club by acquiring approximately a third of my holding. Stan’s long term commitment to sport in general and football in particular has been well documented. I am therefore delighted that he has shown this desire to deepen his ties with Arsenal. I will of course continue to work for Arsenal with the best interests of the Club at heart and have no intention of selling any more of my shareholding."

Mr Kroenke stated:

"After having been invited to join the Board last year I am delighted to be able to increase my shareholding in Arsenal. I will continue to work closely with my Board colleagues to maintain the stable environment in which the Club operates and to preserve the self-sustaining business model enjoyed by the Club.”

Peter Hill-Wood, Chairman, commented:

"Stan Kroenke has proved to be a valuable member of the Board and I am pleased that he has demonstrated further commitment to the Club by adding to his shareholding. Danny Fiszman remains a driving influence on the Board and is fully committed to the Club’s long term future."



www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/club-statement-arsenal-holdings-plc