I am not much of a Gooner, but I have to admit that David Dein leaving the club did shock me. David Dein, for all those who did not know, was Arsenal vice president and the man who brought Arsene Wenger to Highbury.
David Dein is also president of the G-14 ( a group which consists of 14 of the most powerful clubs in Europe), and has been associated with Arsenal for close to two and a half decades now. The reason apparently is an disagreement with the other board members. Dein reportedly supported Stan Kroenke’s takeover of the club. Kroenke is an American billionaire, and the rest of the board members did not want the club to become another Manchester United.
Wenger was close to Dein, and although immediate reports suggested that he could be the next man to walk out, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill Wood has said that Wenger will not leave Ashburton Grove.
Dein currently holds a 14.5% stake in the club, while Kroenke has a little over eleven percent. Arsenal’s single largest shareholder is Danny Fiszman with a twenty four % stake.
The decision of brining Wenger to Highbury was a decision for which Dein was first criticised and then applauded. Small that move was, but it did herald the start of an era for Arsenal.
Some supporters are reportedly wondering whether Dein will team up with Kroenke to assume control of the club and return to be part of the board in a few months.