This year Arsenal Football Club celebrates its 125th birthday. One extraordinary man, Ken Friar, has worked for Arsenal for almost half of the club’s existence.

He has served Arsenal from postboy to company secretary and now as a Board Director and was a key part of the team that made the Emirates stadium happen on time and on budget. In recognition of the club’s 125th birthday Ken kindly agreed to be interviewed by AST member Darren Epstein, a well known Arsenal collector and historian.

Additional questions and info provided by @thegoonerholic, @yogis_warrior and @timpayton. For more information about all things Arsenal follow Darren on twitter at @darrenarsenal1

Q1. You very much followed a path laid by Bob Wall, the original Mr Arsenal. You have both seen enormous changes in the scale and nature of the club, but of course Bob left us over thirty years ago now. What do you think he would have made of the club if he were here today?

Although Bob Wall grew up in a different era, I am confident that he would have embraced the many changes that have subsequently taken place.  He was an Arsenal man and would be proud of the Club’s many achievements.

Q2. Speaking of Bob, in 1969 he wrote his book ‘Arsenal from the Heart’, which was a fascinating insight into the way the club was run during his time. Are you ever tempted to commit your insight to print for the benefit not just of fans today, but future generations of Arsenal supporters?

No.  I have received several offers to write a book, all of which I have declined.  The Club is about its fans, players and managers etc, not about promoting an individual, which undoubtedly writing a book would do.  For any publication to be successful, it needs to sell in great volume and to do that would necessarily involve disclosing confidential information which I will never contemplate.

Q3. And now for something completely different. If there is no breakaway League set up in the meantime, can you envisage a time anytime soon when the big English clubs follow the lead of the big two in Spain and sell off their own television rights rather than maintain the collective Premier League agreement?

No. This would not be good for football in England as a whole. The collective approach enables clubs throughout the league to have the resources to be competitive and this is the beauty of the Premier League. Football is all about competition and if we end up with a handful of super-rich clubs in Europe it will not be good for fans or the game.

Q4. For many years you were considered the leading football administrator in the country and the right person to run the Football Association. Were you ever approached and were you tempted?

I was approached many years ago, but my life and my heart is and remains with Arsenal.  It would have been like a divorce.

Q5. How has the signing of a star player in terms of paperwork/agents/checks changed nowadays compared to signing a star player in the 70s/80s?

Transfer deals have changed enormously over the years.  In the 1970s a transfer was often completed in less than 48 hours between two clubs and the player.  One now deals with not only the other club and player, but with numerous agents and a myriad of professional advisers including accountants, lawyers, financial advisers, not to mention the governing bodies – The Premier League, The Football Association, UEFA, the Home Office, the Immigration Service, work permits etc.  The list is endless.

Q6. Which club did you enjoy visiting most for the welcome they gave the Arsenal directors and the general set-up behind the scenes

This is a difficult question to answer as there were and still are many good clubs.  However, Ipswich Town must rank very high on that list.  It was run by the Cobbold family, the stories of which are legendary.

Q7. What has been your favourite moment in your history with the football club, on the pitch wise?

Again it is difficult to pick out one favourite moment as there were many, but those that do stick in my mind are winning at Tottenham Hotspur in 1971, when we went on to win the Double under Bertie Mee,  The other was at Liverpool in 1989 when Mickey Thomas scored in the dying moments enabling us to win the League under George Graham.

Q8. Do you feel that the history of the club, and how its fostered some great people behind the scenes, Joe Shaw, George Allison, Bob Wall, yourself has meant that the club has been pretty stable over the course of its history.

Stability has been the central plank upon which the Club has been built.  The Board have always taken time in appointing people, whether on the field or off, and then allowed them to do what they are best at.  They have never panicked when things have not been going quite so well and have never got carried away when great success has come to the Club.  Stability does mean everything.

Q9. Without betraying any confidences, has there been any player that over your time with the club that you were disappointed that the club lost. Particularly thinking of Frank Stapleton era, and how that impacted the following seasons.

I have always been a little disappointed to lose any great player, but the Club has always to move on and there is no profit in looking at the past.  We have had many great players then and we have them now, and I am sure we will have many more in the future.

Q10. Arsenal as a club has always stayed close with supporter groups, even when they have been critical. From the Billy Wright protests, to the Arsenal Action Group all the way through to today and the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust. It seems to have been a conscious decision of the club to try and foster good relations with fan groups. Do you believe that this will become stronger as time moves on?

Don’t forget that everyone on the board and working for the club are fans at heart so we are acutely aware that the football club is about the fans. That’s why we have worked hard to foster good relationships with our supporters through the years. Obviously we have highs and lows but I am confident fans will always be very much at the heart of our thinking and we will continue to work hard to maintain strong relationships.

Q11. When you read up on transfers the club has made over the course of the years, from the likes of Brynn Jones, Brian Talbot and Dennis Bergkamp as an example, they all say the same thing, that signing and playing for Arsenal was a privilege to play for such an institution. How important do you feel that The Arsenal as an institution is when we are approaching players to join the club?

The Club’s history and reputation are still very important although the wages are a big factor nowadays too! Under Arsene the team has become famous for giving young players a chance and developing them into world-class talents. In addition players like the style of play and also the fact we are based in London which has its attractions. Our stability is also important. Players want to know where they are and the fact we take a sensible long-term approach rather than responding immediately to the fluctuations of footballing life are important.

Q12. Who has been your all time favourite Arsenal player and all time favourite players that didn’t play for the club.

Again, this is an impossible question to answer as there have been so many good players over so many years.  It would be wrong of me to single out one Arsenal player out of the vast numbers that I have known over so many years.  I must admit that as far as a player for another club is concerned, then Pele must come very high on that list.

Q13. You have joined a select band of few to have a bust of yourself produced for display, how did you feel when the club told you about the plans for the bust?

In a word, embarrassed.  I had absolutely no idea that the Board had decided to honour me in such a way and once I was over the initial shock, I must admit I did feel very proud for my family.