Last week I heard that Danny Fiszman had two weeks to live.
And I heard that Lady Nina was phoning around, trying to sell her shares.
On Saturday I emailed Danny, thanking him for everything he’s done for Arsenal. On Sunday my email rebounded.
Today’s Stan Kroenke takeover means that David Dein will not return to Arsenal.
Danny’s agenda was to keep Usmanov and Dein out, so Stan was his only option.
Usmanov owns 27%.
As I said here a long time ago, Danny Fiszman has chosen Stan Kroenke as Arsenal’s next owner.
It’s been a gradual transition because Silent Stan is very shrewd. His Arsenal is already an Amerikan corporation, already Disneyland, a tourist attraction crammed with foreigners and plastic gooners.
I think it’s ghastly news.
Stan won’t invest in the team and will not be able to manage the stubborn Wenger, so Arsene FC will continue to be a profit-making business run by a increasingly argumentative French spin-doctor.
Did you hear what Henry Winter said?
I know Henry, a gentleman, always liked him.
But I laughed out loud this morning when Paul McCarthy told us that Henry reckons the new owner could nudge Wenger in the right direction.
I thought, “I’ll buy tickets for that!”
My Dad used that expression.
If something wholly improbable was suggested, Dad would often say, “I’ll buy tickets for that.”
Watching 21-year old Rory McIlroy cruise consistently to the front in the Masters, and lead from the front for three days, and then wobble into his final round, became difficult,
Then it became painful. Then it became excruciating.
Rory had seemed nerveless all week but now he was shaky and missing every four-foot putt the same way. It was horrible to watch.
When he triple-bogied the 10th and three-putted on the 11th, I could watch no longer. I switched it off at 10.28 pm .
South African Charl Schwartzer putted brilliantly for his 66 and won it by two strokes.
McIlroy shot an 80 on his final round.
For crucial Arsenal Business background check out Ivan Gazidis’s first Arsenal AGM (Part 2).
PS : Blackpool 1 Arsenal 3