Pack your bags Roy

[Lecter]

Bloomberg

Arsenal’s Property Business Becomes Debt-Free on Highbury Sales
September 24, 2010, 6:04 AM EDT
By Tim Barwell



Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Arsenal Football Club’s property business generated 156.9 million pounds ($246 million) of revenue in the year through June, allowing the top-flight English soccer team to repay all of its real-estate debt.

Built into the former stands of its Highbury Stadium in north London and bracketing a garden converted from the old field, the 724-unit Highbury Square development includes apartments and penthouses. The company sold 362 private homes in the year through May, up from 208 a year earlier, Arsenal Holdings Plc said today in a statement.

“The most pleasing aspect of these results is that the returns generated in the property business during the year, particularly at Highbury Square,” Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said in the statement. “We now have a debt-free property business which is accumulating surplus cash as further unit sales are made at Highbury Square.”

Arsenal, which has won England’s top league championship 13 times, played at Highbury from 1913 to 2006 before moving to its new 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium nearby. League rules set for the 1993 season forced teams to convert to all-seated stadiums, cutting capacity at Highbury to 38,000 from 57,000 and driving the search for grounds that could generate greater revenue.

Instead of selling the Highbury site, the team decided to redevelop the stadium itself and sell apartments. The ground was first opened as a residential development in September 2009.

Arsenal holds the record for the longest uninterrupted period in England’s top league, having been there since 1919. In the final match at Highbury, Arsenal beat Wigan Athletic 4-2, with club-record goal scorer Thierry Henry getting three. Before moving to Highbury in 1913, Arsenal played in Woolwich, south London.

--Editors: Ross Larsen.

[destinydude]

I certainly think it's very rare for any side to win a title without a good base of experience in its squad, and a couple of 'leaders' with a strong mentality. Arsenal have neither, and they provide a good example of my point.

Again, if you dont think that it's very rare for any side to win a title without a good base of experience in its squad, and a couple of 'leaders' with a strong mentality, then fair enough. I think you'd be incorrect, but it's your perogative.

My area of concern has been with the talk of NESV not being interested in players of a certain age. Age has been mentioned quite emphatically in what i've heard.

Again, they'll buy experienced players but not for the kind of money that they spend on younger players.

And we have enough experienced good players/leaders in Gerrard/Reina/Torres(if he stays). Add Kuyt and Carra to that too.

There is nothing that suggests that they won't buy experienced players or that we don't have experienced players at our disposal right now.

Honestly, it makes sense in buying Torres when 23 for £26.5m than Milito at 31 for £16m and I'm fully with them on that.

[danperkins]

The most expensive players aren't always the best players, its about buying the right players and the best deals.

Evra
Agger
Vidic
Ozil
Sneijder
Van Der Vart
Vermalen
Richard Dunne
Arteta
Ivanovic
Bale
Ronaldo
Higuin
Forlan
etc

Messi/Xavi/Iniesta three of the best players on the planet cost nothing. Real Madrid go out and spend 300 million and win nothing, including 80 million on Ronaldo and sure a 13 million player in Higuin is their star man last season, go figure!!. Now Mourinho comes in makes some shrewd aquisitions like Ozil/Kheidra/Caravalho, and only spends big on Di Maria and Real look a completely different animal. Not about the most expensive players, its about the right players for the club.

[destinydude]

They won't have zero debts for at least 20 years and must qualify for the CL every year to meet their financial targets. This formula has led them to being uncompetitive with no trophies for six seasons and even finishing behind us in three of the last five

When I say they'll have ZERO debts I mean negligible debts which wont hinder them buying players or shelling out good money on wages. Paying back £10m a year in loans won't hurt then 3-4 yrs down the road but it will with the kind of finances we generate.

Bloomberg

Arsenal’s Property Business Becomes Debt-Free on Highbury Sales

Editors: Ross Larsen.

I know they made a one off on their Highbury apartment sales, but the point I was making is, they generate around £280m a yr while we, £180m. They can use the extra £100m over the next 3-4 yrs to reduce their debt as much as they can and still be as competitive as we are.

[TheElephantMan]

Can we get back to hating Roy?

[destinydude]

The most expensive players aren't always the best players, its about buying the right players and the best deals.

Evra,Agger,Vidic,Ozil,Sneijder,Van Der Vart,Vermalen,Arteta,Ivanovic,Bale,Ronaldo,Higuin, Forlanetc

Messi/Xavi/Iniesta three of the best players on the planet cost nothing. Real Madrid go out and spend 300 million and win nothing, including 80 million on Ronaldo and sure a 13 million player in Higuin is their star man last season, go figure!!. Now Mourinho comes in makes some shrewd aquisitions like Ozil/Kheidra/Caravalho, and only spends big on Di Maria and Real look a completely different animal. Not about the most expensive players, its about the right players for the club.

My point too. You don't always have to spend more than that is needed, You can look for good value deals around and if necessary spend a bit more when you need the player is right for the club.

There is nothing to suggest that they won't buy experienced players but they won't pay ott when it comes to experienced players on mega wages and transfer fee.

[Craig_H]

The most expensive players aren't always the best players, its about buying the right players and the best deals.

Evra
Agger
Vidic
Ozil
Sneijder
Van Der Vart
Vermalen
Richard Dunne
Arteta
Ivanovic
Bale
Ronaldo
Higuin
Forlan
etc

Messi/Xavi/Iniesta three of the best players on the planet cost nothing. Real Madrid go out and spend 300 million and win nothing, including 80 million on Ronaldo and sure a 13 million player in Higuin is their star man last season, go figure!!. Now Mourinho comes in makes some shrewd aquisitions like Ozil/Kheidra/Caravalho, and only spends big on Di Maria and Real look a completely different animal. Not about the most expensive players, its about the right players for the club.

Cheers for that dan, much appreciated. I didnt actually say 'always' though, so it's a bit unnecessary.

Using the examples of Mess/Xavi/Iniesta is hilarious btw. They were all nobodies when they were acquired. I'm not talking about acquiring no-mark kids and hoping they become the world's best 10 years later.

And nobody said 'it is about the most expensive players', i said the best players cost a lot. Not when they were kids and nobody knew them, i mean when they're established as the world's best.

This XI are among the best in the world in their positions at the moment - you could argue about some of them perhaps, but that isnt the point. How much do you think they'd cost to buy? I imagine it'd be a ****ing ****load.

Reina
Maicon
Coentrao
Vidic
Pique
Mascherano
Xavi
Iniesta
Bale
Messi
Ronaldo
Villa
Torres

[Arn]

The most expensive players aren't always the best players, its about buying the right players and the best deals.

Evra
Agger
Vidic
Ozil
Sneijder
Van Der Vart
Vermalen
Richard Dunne
Arteta
Ivanovic
Bale
Ronaldo
Higuin
Forlan
etc

Messi/Xavi/Iniesta three of the best players on the planet cost nothing. Real Madrid go out and spend 300 million and win nothing, including 80 million on Ronaldo and sure a 13 million player in Higuin is their star man last season, go figure!!. Now Mourinho comes in makes some shrewd aquisitions like Ozil/Kheidra/Caravalho, and only spends big on Di Maria and Real look a completely different animal. Not about the most expensive players, its about the right players for the club.

You can't only look at the price tag. You will need to look at how much the player is worth off the pitch for the club. Real will easily earn back their £80m and whatever they pay in wages. The sum mentioned is around €300m in five years or so IIRC. That is what they expect to get back on the Ronaldo deal.

[Fernandinho]

Scary to think how much Arsenal will have to spend in the future.

It would be quite legitimate that they continue to operate in a business manner and spend some of their profits on investments to increase the value of the club further. Arsenal could become a genuine business creating dividents payments to its owners!

[destinydude]

Can we get back to hating Roy?

Aftet tomorrow's game if we lose. Thank You

[TheElephantMan]

Aftet tomorrow's game when we lose. Thank You

[destinydude]

This XI are among the best in the world in their positions at the moment - you could argue about some of them perhaps, but that isnt the point. How much do you think they'd cost to buy? I imagine it'd be a ****ing ****load.

Reina
Maicon
Coentrao
Vidic
Pique
Mascherano
Xavi
Iniesta
Bale
Messi
Ronaldo
Villa
Torres

You could buy the whole lot if you are looking for a quick fix to win things, they said they'll be patient and build things as they go around. You can half the lot you mentioned when they were young and develop them properly and buy the half in parts over 3 yrs and still put up a winning team, which is what they want to do.

And it would be really unfair of us to expect them to spend 100m at a single go just to satisfy the fans quickly.

Also, you can buy the whole team that you mentioned, today, and 5 yrs down the line, half of them will be looking at retirement. What do you do then? Go out and buy another half a dozen players for crazy money?

[DannyMan2006]

Two things...i wasnt saying you should have old players and make no plans for the future. And i didnt say we had to be spending £80m, i was just using that as an example of how overpriced the best players can be. Kaka is another example, Buffon for £32m yet another.

I wasn't arguing with you mate, just agreeing with the post I quoted.

[danperkins]

My point too. You don't always have to spend more than that is needed, You can look for good value deals around and if necessary spend a bit more when you need the player is right for the club.

There is nothing to suggest that they won't buy experienced players but they won't pay ott when it comes to experienced players on mega wages and transfer fee.

[destinydude]

You can't only look at the price tag. You will need to look at how much the player is worth off the pitch for the club. Real will easily earn back their £80m and whatever they pay in wages. The sum mentioned is around €300m in five years or so IIRC. That is what they expect to get back on the Ronaldo deal.

That is what I've been trying to say, they'll look at financially good deals than emotionally good ones. If it takes 60m to buy a player who can generate that much back over 5-6 yrs, they will buy him unlike buying a 30m players who'll retire in 3-4 yrs and won't recoup the money back and will command high wages.