Kroenke won’t deal in sentiment

– US businessman and entrepreneur Stan Kroenke is unlikely to be upset by the outpouring of heated opposition from Arsenal fans following his takeover of the Premier League club.

The hard-nosed multi-billionaire from Columbia, Missouri, who joined the American invasion of English football over a decade ago, has absorbed a steady volume of abuse since he first bought into the club in 2007.

The level of opposition rose significantly this week however as the 71-year-old bought out the club by purchasing the 30% holding of long-time rival minority shareholder Alisher Usmanov for £550 million.

Adding to his 67% stake, the gambit took Kroenke well over the 90% mark that triggers a mandatory buyout of the remainder of the shares.

Usmanov bade farewell with a cryptic message saying Arsenal, without a league title since 2004, “could be the best club in the world”, but presumably not in the hands of Kroenke, who has been the target of his constant sniping

Eleven years earlier, Kroenke’s arrival at the north London club was greeted by a blunter message from then chairman Peter Hill-Wood. “Call me old-fashioned but we don’t need Kroenke’s money and we don’t want his sort,” said the Old Etonian after the entrepreneur brought 11.24% of the club.

“Our objective is to keep Arsenal English, albeit with a lot of foreign players.”

Supporters insist that Kroenke, JJ Henry of Liverpool, and Fulham’s Shahid Khan – who has bid £600 million for Wembley Stadium – are not fly-by-night opportunists seeking a quick profit.

They join a list of entrepreneurs hungry to invest in the world’s highest-profile football league. –