Published: 13 June, 2013
by TOM FOOT

ARSENAL Football Club is too profit-driven and run by an unrepresentative board of ageing white men, according to reports commissioned by supporters.

The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) – with 850 members owning 4.5 per cent of the club’s shares – has published findings from a probe into Arsenal’s boardroom structure and recommended a major shake-up.

The twin reports, carried out by independent consultants on behalf of the AST, found that the average age of the board is 72.6 years and none have any footballing experience.

They found that the board was “lacking professional skills required to run a modern club” and recommended appointing a distinguished former player and a woman who held an “affinity to Arsenal”.

The reports concluded that the board was too focused on profits and not on footballing “success”.

The findings were presented to chief executive Ivan Gazidis who responded at a meeting with the AST on Monday night.

Tim Payton, on the AST board, said: “These are two serious reports from independent experts. It was heartening to not only hear that Ivan Gazidis had read them but talked positively about them. He confirmed that the club recognises the issues and that change was needed in the boardroom.

“It is about freshening up – bringing in new ideas, a skill set for modern football. It is not just the age of the board – there are also no women, no black or Asian people. If you look at the make-up of our supporters it isn’t representative.”

Responding to the concerns, Gazidis reportedly said: “It is not a secret that we have an ageing board that will need refreshing.

The board acknowledges and understands that, and board succession is something we are looking and thinking about.”