By Walter Broeckx
With the announcement that Puma will be our new kit dealer for the next five years it is clear that some 10 years after having started to build the Emirates stadium the club is entering the final phase of the transition of the club.
A transition period that has been long and obviously too long for some supporters. A transition period that wasn’t helped with the sudden economic crisis the world had to face. And that was almost made impossible by the emergence of rich owners who threw money at their club that made it almost impossible for a non sponsored team from the outside to compete.
All those years our manager kept us close to the top of the PL. The short sighted fans didn’t realise the achievement it really was. The cry to sack Wenger was heard in some quarters and the media (I almost wrote gutter press) was oh so happy to highlight the abuse aimed at Wenger.
Gazidis came to Arsenal a few years ago and he also was heavily criticised by the same part of the fans. Wenger out and Gazidis out was almost shouted in the same sentence. Oh and Kroenke out also of course. People screamed to bring in the rich Uzbek so he could do like the Russian at Chelsea or the sheikh at City. Mind you Usmanov never said that he would do anything like that but that was a small detail for them. In their impatience and in their hate they wanted all out.
A while ago the new shirt sponsorship was made public. Fly Emirates will be the short sponsor for the next 5 years and will pay up some £150M in 5 years. This deal started at the start of this season and will end in 2018-2019. So a rather short deal compared to our earlier deals. This will bring in some £30M each year that the manager can spend if he wants to.
And now this week the new deal with kit supplier Puma has been made official. Again a 5 year deal and also £150M in total that will come Arsenal their way. For those who can calculate a bit this also means £30M each year.
So both deals will bring an extra amount of money to the club of £60M each season. That is one Özil like signing each year if you look at it in players worth one could say.
Now the first thing I want to say is that…well it might not be needed to use that money in the next seasons. Because when you look at the age of some players like Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Walcott, …and yes Özil they are entering their best years and can be part of this team for the next 10 years. We have just discovered talents like Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gnabry and have high hopes that Zelalem might be the new Cesc in a few years time.
So my point is the talent is there for the next years. So we might not even need to spend that amount of money on new players.
And that is because our club has been building their youth academy in those barren years and we now are harvesting the fruits from our hard work. Good youth development now combined with a new massive spending power…the future looks brighter than ever.
After the announcement of the Puma deal Ivan Gazidis said: “We get criticism along the way, we don’t do everything right but, if you look at how the club has progressed, not from outside benefactors or state funding, but the efforts of people who love the club, when we do achieve success it will be incredibly meaningful to everyone on this journey.”
And I know that Tony has already mentioned it but I want to underline them again. Because they are so important. Gazidis accepts that people can be critical and that they make mistakes. But being critical is not shouting abuse. And that is something a lot of people forget.
When Gazidis talks about the progress we have made it is well visible not just on the field (on a tight budget) but also in the new sponsorships deals.
And then maybe the most important part. We did this without outside benefactors or state funding. And that is something that fills me with so much pride. Pride that is almost impossible to express. When we play along with the outside benefactors team it is despite hem taking financial doping but here we are. They may still have more money but they know it is an unfair advantage they have gained. And we know it is from slowly building and being patient all those years.
Sometimes it looked as if these days would never come. But here we are at the real start of a new era in the Arsenal history. And era that the rest of the world knows we have build it in a fair way. And the world will praise us for that and admire us. The rest of the world I mean. The one outside England. The one that lives in the real world without oil money ruining leagues.
And then think of his words when we do achieve success. As we have engaged ourselves full on the journey it will feel like heaven. For us who have had to endure all the abuse and being ridiculed it will be like arriving in heaven. We have never lost the faith in the long term project. Winning something this season would be an immense reward for us all. A reward for the board who has set us on this difficult road. A reward for Gazidis who behind the scenes is working on improving us constantly.
And of course for the players who have stuck with us and who haven’t put knifes in the back of our manager.
COYG!
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Great article Walter! I agree, I think we should use this additional income to further boost our already flourishing youth academy.
I disagree with you about Arsenal not having to buy players in the near or far future. Arsenal are good at developing attack minded midfieldersbut I haven’t seen a good defensive minded player come through Arsenals ranks since Ashley Cole. Gibbs is decent but there is room for improvement but thats about it. Also where are the centre forwards at Arsenal? Akpom is a centre forward but will he make the grade, I don’t know.
Agreed Walter! Excellent write up! In anything you do, it means so much more if you build it through your own hardwork (like Arsenal), than when it is just given to you (like the oil run teams). I’m proud of Arsenal and the way they built the team the right way, trophies or no trophies. The trophies will come sooner or later because of the way this team is built and age of many of our stars like you mentioned above.
While I agree that praise is due to the staff at Arsenal you mention, it is worth remembering that they have been paid handsomely to achieve it. I believe even more praise is due to the season ticket holders, the people who are not just fans but supporters. As such a high percentage of our revenue has been dependent on paying supporters over the last decade in comparison to other clubs, let us also commend the supporters who sacrifice many other things in life to purchase the most expensive matchday ticket in world football to keep the club competitive.
Yes TJ the tickets are expensive but I am afraid that is unavoidable in todays football environment. Maybe if the oil clubs had not distorted the market by hyper inflating the transfer fees and players wages we could all enjoy lower ticket prices.
@Mick,
You are so right. The oil derived riches have a lot to answer for and in professional football, the nightmare continues.
@TJ,
I agree that the season ticket holders who are supporters of the club should be applauded as well. The only part I disagree with is the most expensive matchday ticket in world football. Walter and Tony have pointed out many times in the past in regards to why the Arsenal ticket actually isn’t the most expensive considering the season tickets include 7 FA cup/ Champions League games as well. Another article I found stating similar is http://shewore.com/2013/09/12/arsenal-no-longer-most-expensive-premier-league-club-to-watch/
(Sorry, didn’t know how to find the links to the Untold articles in regards to the Arsenal ticket prices)
Panther,
I didn’t say that we didn’t need to buy any more players. We just can spend it wisely on what we really need. That is players we don’t have in our academy ourselves like you say mostly defenders
Excellent article, a lot of excellent news, and our management teams have done excellently. Ivan must be in his own field,as,not a property as Ramsey now.
One thing, can we use this money to buy the best preventive injury specialist the world has ever seen? These injuries cost, they maybe have led to buying players we ultimately did not really want or need.
It is said tables don’t lie….unless it is Riley Utd winning them, but we have been top of the injury table for a long time, we must be doing something wrong that some others are not. And yes, I know about the lack of protection from refs
This club has done great in the lean years, are we have been putting things right in so many areas. Let’s put reducing these long term injuries to key players, often as they are coming back near top of the list.
Sorry about the rant, but this injury thing is getting to me, surely there is grounds for improvement here?
Above….Ivan as HOT a property as RAmbo now…in his own field of course!
Great article, i for one can’t wait for the club to win a cup, it would be the perfect start to the last phase.
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I don’t know if preventive injury specialists can prevent the injuries footballers get, i think the rules need to be more more rigid so there can be no misunderstandings, like the many we get today. But maybe this is intended.
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When i hear the commentators back down on saying their real opinion on the incidents, stuttering some pacifying garbage as if afraid to make a critical comment on the ref, i rage for a micro second, then kick myself for forgetting to turn the volume off.
We are going to have to BEAT city in March, and do not lose any more games that’s all. We seem to like to do things the hard way recently.
Nice , Walter , we have waited for quite a long time for this and the summit is near .I do hope we go from strength to strength and stay at the very top for a long time .The foundations are strong !
Most cannot comprehend investing for the long term ,and the difficulty that goes with it . You may sway ,you may bend but the strong never break .
We may not all agree evertytime on everything Arsenal , but try not to divert attention from acheiving the goal by repeating unsubstantiated ‘facts’ ad nauseam .Give credit when its due .
A truth told with bad intent ,beats all the lies the mind can invent .
To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness – these are the gifts which money cannot buy.
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Two years agon gazidis in one of his yearly media interviews said , we (him and marketing) are working hard for this club behind the scenes, and they have proven that with these new deals. If they can sell 4th place finishes and potential for trophies for 30m pound each in shirt and kit deals. Imagine what we will generate when we realise the potential and build even more potential.
It really puts other commercial teams in shame that even after winnig both European cups and domestic cups and the league albeit 4 yrs before) once they can only sell their kit deals for exactly same amount as us. And while the team that dominated the league for 3 of the 5 yrs are discussing a new deal >60m pounds per yr. Goes to show the PL is the golden goose even sponsorship wise. Hope this team realises its potential soon.
nice article walter and i got to agree with mandy most of our players gt injured when they are almost in top gear e.g walcot,wilshere,ramsey,chambo…imagine their immense contribution if they are fit and fully firing
There is overwhelming evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity.
Nathaniel Branden (1930)
Canadian Psychotherapist And Writer
Mandy I think it’s more if how to escape a bad tackle without getting injured. They can watch dive specialist Rooney Ashley young ramires videos.
Or sponsored the refs 100 million a year on a 5 year deal like man shitty have taken over from manaure
Hear hear.
Great article Walter.
The pride and love I feel for this Club is immeasurable. The way we go about our business. The way we try to play the game.
The way our manager holds his head high, maintains his humour and most of all stays stoically loyal to my Club, despite the sometimes vile and nearly always unwarranted criticism from the media, ex players, and sadly even supposed fans, never fails to amaze me.
I truly hope we are standing on the brink of a new era of success. Success that will bring, in addition to the pride and love, some much deserved joy.
Walter, oh! Walter!
Your cash is in a pickle. First, the new Puma deal is actually £30 millions less the Nike £8 millions, currently earned. We also have to deduct “goods or services in kind”.
Nike supply the shops that sell the kits and also kit out the team. Stock – retail merchandising is £2 millions in the last accounts. So, I would pencil in £30 millions (Puma) less £8 millions (Nike) less stock (cost of kits sold in the year) £3 millions??
Emirates Airlines £30 millions less £5.5 millions (previous sponsorship) less air charters rerouted to Luton Airport, etc., etc, say £2 millions ??
Walter, never, ever over estimate the cash. Too many juvenile supporters will crucify you.
A new stadium, staying in the CL because of the derided 4th place in the EPL, all kudos to the Arsenal Board of Directors and Mr. Wenger, in particular.
Last, but by no means least, Untold Arsenal.