Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Nick Simmonett 
Date:Friday February 9 2007
Time: 1:52AM
UK time is: 02:24:06
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Arsenal In Talks With Billionaire?
There are claims in this morning`s newspapers that American Billionaire Stan Kroenke is in talks with Arsenal regarding a potential 'technical partnership` with his football team, MLS side The Colorado Rapids.
According to reports The Colorado Rapids would change their name to incorporate 'Arsenal` into it as well as changing their kit colours to the maroon worn by Arsenal last season.
Arsenal striking a technical partnership with foreign clubs is nothing new. The Gunners have links with Beveren and Celta Vigo as well as ploughing money into youth academies in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and The Ivory Coast.
Any partnership between the clubs would likely involve an exchange of training techniques, an annual friendly, and Arsenal youngsters being sent on loan to the MLS side.
It would be a fantastic opportunity for Arsenal to raise their profile in The States as 'soccer` starts to increase in popularity and with the arrival of David Beckham in the MLS there could be no better time for an English club to strike any such partnership.
With a population over 300Million, there`s a potentially massive market in the U.S, football just needs a bigger profile over there. Chelsea, Manchester United and AC Milan all make annual tours of America which raises between 5 and 10 Million pounds for each club, so any potential partnership could be very lucrative.
Kroenke is also believed to be interested in a potentially investing in Arsenal. I want to stress that there is no takeover being proposed, merely a cash injection. He has shares in several sports team`s in America and he`s a huge sports fan. Jeff Plush, Rapids MD and close friend of Stan Kroenke is also believed to be a big Arsenal fan.
Watch this space!
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Your Comments
all these takeovers , investments are really getting on my tits ! when the yanky doodles took over liverpool this week they called it a franchise, A FRANCHISE ! next there will be dolly bird walking down the aisles and gangways selling hotdogs during the game !
PUREGOLD
Interesting. Arsenal looking to raise thier profile, fan base and cash flow without actually selling thier club to the higgest bidder. Nicely done.
Rocky7
Just seems like more media nonsense to me. There may be truth in some kind of technical relationship like we have with Celta Vigo but the rest is just made up. As if a billionaire is going to pump money into arsenal without at least owning part of the club or without the real prospect of taking over. Give it a couple of weeks & all this nonsense will go away its just the media are jumping on the bandwagon because arsenal haven't been taken over!!
Ashburton Gooner
It's amazing that Spurs don't get these stories every week. You'd have thought that a club with a pony ground, a rubbish team and a crap fan base would be a very attractive proposition for a would-be foreign investor.
hatespur
AG - Considering this american has registered the domain names "Coloardo Arsenal & Arsenal Colorado" may suggest there is more truth to this than your dismissive manner makes out. Billions of £'s a year are spent on advertising, which is essentially what this geezer would be doing. £5 million a year (for instance) could secure a team in one of the most tactically inept leagues in the world, help and advice for the greatest manager in world football, not to mention the loan of young players who would probably be better than anyone in their team. Just for a change I think you're being negative about something.
Rocky7
R7, Its my opinion, I dont ever remember coming on here & attacking you!! I thought this was a website for all but obviously its only for people who agree with what you say!!
Here is a link to their official website!! They will be training at Colney from early march (their pre season) & yes it talks about a major link up with a european team (clearly arsenal) but it doesn't say anywhere that their owner wants to buy arsenal, just that its another link up like we have with Celta Vigo!!
http://www.coloradorapids.com/News/newsdetails.asp?ID=2271
Ashburton Gooner
I never said you attacked me man, just that you were being a tad dismissive. And you'll notice that in our article it clearly states that this is not a take over bid.
Rocky7
I've just had alook at that website and it states that they will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce a major partnership with another club and alsosome major image changes. So to me that suggests that the article is very accurate.
Rocky7
Yeah I was being dismissive of takeover talk that is in all the papers. As you say this is going to be a technical relationship, not a takeover attempt. I have re-read my original comment & I still don't see where I have been negative?? Of course I could understand it being viewed as negative if you are in favour of a takeover but judging by the response on here by arsenal fans the other day (re: Liverpool takeover) then I wouldn't have thought you wanted that. You also intimated that I am always negative & again I don't see this at all. I dont like Flamini but thats one player, him aside how have I been negative about arsenal????
Ashburton Gooner
AG, Take is easy. I think there is a little misunderstanding. Read each other's posts again and you will see there is no malice whatsoever meant by Rocky7.
I rarely post, but do read a lot of your posts and you guys are two of my very favourite intelligent posters among others, please dont fight! Especially when ther eis absolutely no reason for it
TeamSpirit
Also, the partnership sounds exactly like what Arsenal would do instead of that outright take over. I think our owners and genuine fans and will not sell off Arsenal unceremoniously like that.
TeamSpirit
There is no talk of a take over (there is a filmsy comment in the independant, but that was just an off the cuff remark) yet you dismissied it as rubbish, asking why would any inject money into our club without wanting to take it over, I gave you reasons why. That's all.
Rocky7
Cheers TS, Of course I didn't intend any malice, I fully appreciiate all the memberson this site, and am gratefull for the Gooners (and non) who post intelligentlly rather than submitting mindless bollux (ala the Spurs site)
Rocky7
It is quite easy to be misinterpreted with comments on these things as we are all generally typing in a hurry and trying to use as little words as possible. So time for a big Gooner love-in and we'll live happily ever after.
hatespur
R7, I am still lost as to how I am always negative?? I don't know how long I have been registered on this site but certainly over a year & in all that time I have never once attacked you, so I dont see why just because you don't like a comment of mine you feel the need to attack me personally (by claiming I am always negative). Arsenal are clearly setting up a technical link with this team so why would their owner need to invest money in arsenal to get the advice of Wenger?? He wouldn't as Wenger is happy to give advice for free about football & certainly to a team we are linked up with. I have been dismissive of takeover talks, not just this one but any of them. I have never said anything about the technical relationships which I happen to think are a great idea. Without Celta Vigo we wouldn't have been able to sign Vela & I am sure their will be others!! Arsenal don't need to sell, we have a big debt (albeit a well thought out debt) & the board would each want mega money to sell their stake which means teams like spurs or man city are a much more attractive financial proposition.
Ashburton Gooner
TS. I also thankyou, I just don't see why rocky felt he needed to attack me!!
Ashburton Gooner
AG, don't be so sensitive mate. It's a debate, they can get a little heated, but we all have a common goal.
hatespur
AG, that comment was supposed to be a jokular remark and if it offended then I apologise as it wasn'tmeant to, and it certainly wasn't a personal attack mate, seriously. I might be a bit daft but I'm not daft enough to attack an ex-pro boxer ;) Back on topic, I think the exchange of tactics (in their case) the use of our facilites, the loan of our young players and the general interest it will create around the world will be worth millions in itself, well worth pumping a few quid into. This geezer isnt a billionaire for nothing, he knows you have to speculate to accumulate, and rather than spunking his cash on an overrated, over aged midfielder who will retire in a few years, he's decided to spendhis money on something more constructive. To take a Tim Stillman stance on this........"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, give he the knowledge to catch a fish and he will feed for a life time"
Rocky7
Get your handbags handbags girls.... Jesus! love the oxfam quote by the way Rocky
kenny lunt
Rocky, did you get my mail on Liverpool?? I wouldn't bother posting it, you'll get a million scousers over here again. You'd be about a foot behing Boris Johnston and The Sun newspaper in their hit list.
hatespur
Oh I've posted it mate.....That was the funniest thing I've read for yonks!!!
Rocky7
You are a glutton for punishment.
hatespur
Hatespur, thats me all over I'm afraid. Tell me I talk s*** it wont bother me, but tell me I am negative & it will. Its just the person I am. Rocky7, apology accepted & I apologise if it seemed I was being negative towards the club or fans!! Now we have had the morning love in, did you really have to post that article it means another day spent arguing with scousers & just at a time when I wanted to go & attack the boro mob after their chairman slammed arsenal (& liverpool for that matter).
Ashburton Gooner
Oh don't worry AG, an article slamming the Boro cheif is on the way!
Rocky7
AS I said the other day, people from Liverpool are supposed to be able to take a joke. Perhaps this reinforces Arteta's view that all true scousers are Evertonians.
hatespur
I don't understand where they all come from. If you go to the vital Liverpool site & look at the articles they barely get any comments at all, yet one article on here & they inundated the site!!
Ashburton Gooner
Perhaps they just like a good barny. Merlin and the Chelski lot are renowned for chucking the bait out to them and they get a huge haul of willing little biters.
hatespur
The Yankee's will ruin football
cyjax
the yankees will ruin football? thats because they are a baseball team and is a term used for americans from the north east of the country....but thats besides the point - i see nothing put positive things coming from the partnership with the MLS team, MLS is pony but there is money to be made and the USofAs youth LOVE football to the extent your average family 'soccer mom' spends up to $6000 a year for their kiddies to play in the various football leagues - where as in england you join a team and play baby 8's, play through school and then...you turn 15 discover alcohol and never play again - no wonder the scouse national team are so bad, oh scousers are just people from liverpool and shouldnt be used as a term to describe all english people? whod have known!
bootoo
........bloody hell, who needs scousers have a barny, when the gooners go at it with each other....LOL...........it's the start of the end lads......once the rich yankee billionaire gets his toe into the setup at Cashburden Grove, he'll be buying you as well......He has already gone on record as saying that he would like to buy into Arsenal, but at the moment none of the major shareholders are selling..........but as you know...money talks......
McChelski
Hahaha, how about.....Arsenal Colorado Football Club?It sounds lovely!Oh, hatespur , it works with spurs at well.
k_chelski
cashburden, hillarious - guess you all live in flats or council houses then? never heard of a mortgage? does the company you work for flat out own the buidling you work in?
bootoo
.........ever heard of someone getting a mortgage they can't afford........LOL............and yes the company I work for does own the building, and has done so without a mortgage since 1853.
McChelski
Gillet is a pretty good owner. He owns the Montreal Canadiens. There is a salary cap in hockey so he can't really go over the budget (mind u, before there was a cap he didn't go on buying sprees like Abrahimovic). But he makes sure he keeps the captain and if some of his overpaid players are doing bad, he lets them go. Also, a lot of the players are brought up from the youth team. And the coach and assistant coach are very popular ex-players of the team. All the Mtl Canadiens fans like him and I"m sure he will be just as good for 'pool. After all, he wants to make money and u can't really do that by *****ing off the fans.
thenry009
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