Arsenal: Hundreds of fans descend on Emirates Stadium as protestors call for club owner to be ousted

Hundreds of Arsenal fans descended on North London’s Emirates Stadium tonight as protesters called for the club’s owner Stan Kronke to be ousted following the collapse of the controversial European Super League.

The protests came ahead of Arsenal’s Friday Premier League match against Everton, with fans gathering on the stadium’s concourse more than two hours before kickoff, banging metal screens above the main box office, lighting flares, setting off fireworks, blaring airhorns and chanting ‘We want Kroenke out,’ and ‘We want our Arsenal back.’  

Amid the chaotic scenes, one fan reportedly suffered a broken leg and a head injury after shocking footage showed the supporter falling from the top of the club’s ticket office during the Protests.        

The hundreds of Gunners fans hung banners over the edge of the concourse including ones that read, ‘Arsenal till I die. Kroenke out,’ and ‘Our club our home. Sell up Stan.’ 

After gathering on the concourse outside 60,000-seater stadium on Hornsey Road in Islington, the fans marched down stairs to the box office and team store to continue their noisy demonstration. 

One fan climbed on top of the box office awning and waved banners and flags, riling up the hundreds of fans gathered in front of him and leading them in chants against Arsenal’s ownership. 

American Stan Kronke and his KSE (Kroenke Sports & Entertainment) firm, that owns Arsenal and a number of other sports teams in the U.S. – including the Los Angeles Rams NFL team and the Denver Nuggets NBA team – has for a long time been unpopular with fans over a perceived lack of investment in the club.

But anger at Kroke has come to a head following Arsenal’s involvement in the doomed European Super League.

The protest against the American was still in full voice and could be heard inside the stadium as the teams took to the pitch to warm up and after the match kicked off as a police helicopter circled above the stadium. Officers didn’t attempt to move in to break up the protest amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

But the initially peaceful protests then took a shocking turn when footage showed one fan suffered a nasty fall from what appears to be the top of the ticket office, which is attached to the club’s stadium.   

The protester cut his face and reports on Twitter claim he suffered a broken leg but there appeared to be no other casualties as a strong police presence kept fans calm – but they could not prevent the hordes failing to adhere to social distance measures.

The Metropolitan Police responding to the incident said the injury sustained from the fan was not life-threatening at this early stage and that no arrests have been made.

Some supporters were overhead planning to block the team buses arriving but the PA news agency understands the Arsenal players arrived earlier than normal, with the Everton squad arriving via a bridge on the opposite side of the stadium. 

Fan anger has been brewing since Arsenal and five other Premier League clubs announced they would join a breakaway Super League last Sunday. And it hasn’t subsided even after Arsenal quit the 12-team Super League project on Tuesday night in the face of a growing public backlash, and apologized to fans. 

The competition received widespread backlash from fans, pundits and even UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Arsenal among the six English participants to announce plans to withdraw from the ESL on Tuesday night.

However, fans remain unhappy following the episode, and have gathered outside the Emirates Stadium in a planned protest ahead of their game with Everton to call for owner Stan Kroenke to leave. 

Kroenke’s son, Josh Kroenke, joined an Arsenal fans forum on Thursday, and supporters voiced their disdain at the decision to form a Super League without consulting them. Kroenke told them the family has ‘no intention’ of selling the club.

Just before kickoff, Spotify founder and chief executive Daniel Ek said he would be interested in buying Arsenal from Kroenke Sports and Entertainment.

‘As a kid growing up, I’ve cheered for (at)Arsenal as long as I can remember. If KSE would like to sell Arsenal I’d be happy to throw my hat in the ring,’ he tweeted.

Both teams’ buses arrived earlier than normal on Friday before the bulk of the protesters arrived outside the stadium in order to ensure the match would go ahead. On Tuesday night, kickoff in the Chelsea-Brighton match was delayed by 15 minutes after Chelsea’s bus was slowed getting into Stamford Bridge because of protests.

Friday’s protest appeared to be the biggest yet, with fans basking in the sunshine outside Emirates Stadium, many with beer cans in hand. It followed the protest at Chelsea and one outside Elland Road on Monday before Leeds’ match with Liverpool, another club that aimed to join the Super League.

The project crumbled when all six English clubs withdrew on Tuesday. The Super League was proposed to be mainly closed, and a split from the Champions League where qualification is determined annually from domestic competitions.   

The Gunners are understood to have been architects behind the ploy alongside the American owners of Liverpool and Manchester United, as well as Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. 

However, Josh Kroenke – son of owner Stan – and Arsenal CEO Vinai Venkatesham insisted the club was one of the last to join as the pair faced the music in a gruelling virtual Q&A with supporters on Thursday. 

Venkatesham reportedly said: ‘Arsenal were not the authors of this proposal, despite what many think. On this project, the train was leaving the station. We made the decision to join. We made a bad decision, a terrible one. 

‘Now we need to make good ones. I have been in touch with all the other 14 Premier League clubs to apologise for our part in this. We are working hard to rebuild our reputation.’ 

Kroenke Jnr also issued a grovelling apology during the stormy session and despite being asked to sell the club by prominent Arsenal Supporters Trust member Akhil Vyas, the American said that Kroenke Sports and Entertainment have no intention of leaving. 

‘I echo Vinai’s comments,’ Kroenke Jnr said. ‘Leadership is about recognising when you are wrong, correcting and apologising. We asked ourselves, what is worse: a Super League or a Super League without Arsenal? We also asked ourselves, what do the fans want?

‘The global fan wants Arsenal against Barcelona as often as possible. English fans want to see more big matches, but you also still want your cold nights in Stoke. Now we need to build a bridge and we will.’ 

Kroenke confirmed that KSE — the owner’s Kroenke Sports Entertainment company — will foot the bill for all costs associated with Arsenal’s ESL flirtation, which will run into millions. He also vowed to consult fans should another, similar Super League proposal emerge.

Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta described the furious fan reaction that triggered the collapse of the ESL plans as ‘probably the strongest message that has ever been sent in the football world’.

Asked if he found it embarrassing that Arsenal were involved, Arteta said: ‘My biggest concern now and my biggest aim is to get our people and our fans back towards the team and feeling proud of it.’