“Not unanimous!” shouted an angry voice to our left.
We were voting on the re-election of Stan Kroenke as a director, which he has been for the last three years.
“Two against,” allowed chairman Peter Hill-Wood.
This year there was more discontent, more audible dissent, than I have ever heard.
The questions were cherry-picked, and few, the answers from the stage predictable and disappointing.
Ivan spoke, Stan spoke briefly as well, a bust of Ken Friar was unveiled, and Wenger said, “Let’s stand behind this team.”
“I see them every day- they are ready for a fight. We will have a go,” the manager promised.
And I’m thinking : What if Arsenal finish fifth in 2012? What if Arsenal finish 7th in 2013? What then?
On one level this AGM was fun for me, since I was sitting, by chance, next to Le Grove and had a natter with him. We had never met before. I met Arsenal Times too. And my website partner Ian Grant was there, as usual, so it was great to touch base with Ian. Always nice to get a hug from Amy Lawrence and say hello to author Alex Fynn, who was doing a Sky Sports News interview outside as we left.
The Meeting had started at exactly 11.30 a.m and finished at exactly 12.20 p.m
VERDICT IN 5 LINES?
1. In my 20 AGMs I’ve never heard such a level of audible dissent.
2. Hill-Wood is past it now. Really past it.
3. Stan doesn’t understand football.
4. Lawyer Ivan Gazidis is Ken Friar with a Cambridge degree.
5. Never heard Wenger so argumentative, so polemical, at an AGM.
PS. On Tuesday we had a thrilling night at the Apollo Theatre.