The first AST member’s meeting of the year will take place on Monday 20 February. We hope as many members as possible will be present, as we will be debating the important policy issues facing the club, and setting out the AST Board’s proposed activities for the remainder of the season. Among the issues we will discuss and seek members views on are:

1. The AST’s position on ticket prices for  the  2012/13 season

Last year the AST wrote to the club urging them not to increase ticket prices.

Ivan Gazidis responded with a detailed explanation of the club’s position and rationale for an increase of 6.5%.

While the AST was very disappointed that the club pushed ahead with an increase of 6.5%, we were encouraged that Ivan expressed his own concerns at the impact this increase would have and promised a full review of ticketing ahead of this season. We believe this review is extremely important and must include the introduction of a much improved ticket exchange system and some form of incentives or home credits to reward those who ensure their seat is always filled. We plan to write to the club on this issue after our February meeting and will canvass members’ opinions first as to what our position should be on price increases. There is also course considerable concern that the club may seek to charge full price for entry to the Europa League next season shoud that scenario occur and we will review the financial implications of this for the club and for fans.

2. Arsenal’s financial position

Nigel Phillips and Simon Hill will present a paper reviewing the club’s finances and look ahead to the interim financial results of Arsenal Holdings PLC, which will be released in late February. This analysis will answer many of the questions AST members have about the real financial position of the club and consider how the club needs to act going forward to ensure that Arsenal are in as strong a financial position as possible to maximise the chances of success.

3. AST Members’ survey 2011/12 season

The AST Board has decided that we will further improve on the members’ survey we conduct in the close season to make it on-line. This will make it easier for members, including overseas members, to reply to. We intend to complete the survey before the end of May so that it can feed into key decisions the club’s Board and Chief Executive might take in the summer. Last year’s survey and results can be found here and we would like members’ feedback on areas they would like to see covered this year.

4. Arsène Wenger

There has been lots of debate about the position of Arsène Wenger recently and the AST is often asked to give media comment, which we decline. The AST does not believe the Trust should discuss the employment situation of the manager publicly mid-season. Any discussion and opinions should be given at the end of the season when matters can be viewed with greater clarity and more dispassion. Our end of season survey will of course give all members an opportunity to comment on the football infrastructure at Arsenal, including the performance of the manager.

5. The role of the Board and the club’s business model

The AST is aware of the concern expressed by members at the current Arsenal Board composition and both the business and football philosophies held by the club. This is compounded by the widespread feeling that Stan Kroenke has not explained his vision for Arsenal.

We continue to put these matters to the club and are in regular dialogue with the Chief Executive and other Board members. In the summer we published two articles that set out the position of the AST Board at that time and these remain both relevant and a good summary of our position.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/tim-payton-two-billionaires-no-buys-arsenal-must-smarten-up-2307444.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/tim-payton-we-want-arsenal-to-rethink-the-business-model-we-have-fallen-behind-2345900.html

We also asked questions at the Arsenal Holdings AGM last October, which we have reproduced below so that there is wider awareness of the public challenges we are making, and we continue to impress on the club the importance of these issues being addressed.

6. Stan Kroenke’s engagement with supporters

The AST is disappointed that despite promises by Stan Kroenke that he would meet with supporters’ groups, including the AST, no meetings have taken place since he assumed control of Arsenal last April. After pressure from the AST there was even a commitment to undertake this action made in the formal offer document.

This is the first time in Arsenal’s history that ownership does not rest in the hands of committed Arsenal fans and with people who attend matches. The AST plans to write to Stan Kroenke pointing out the commitments he made and asking that he keeps them and also makes a more comprehensive statement on his plans for Arsenal in the short, medium and long term.

Red and White Holdings continue to buy shares as they become available and is very close to achieving its desired 30% shareholding. We will also comment on this situation at the meeting and remind the club that our members beleive that all shareholders shoudl work together in the best interests of the club.

Questions asked by the AST at the 2011Arsenal AGM

Q. The Arsenal Fanshare scheme is just over a year old and has been a great success. It has empowered almost 2,000 supporters to own a part of the club and strengthen their sense of belonging to Arsenal. During the takeover 95% of Fanshare members voted to keep the shares the scheme owned as they want to play a small part in the club’s future. As a result of the takeover it is harder for the scheme to buy more shares. The scheme, which was set up by the AST, has of course been widely praised across the football world and by the Government. Will the Board reiterate its support for the concept of Fanshare and review carefully how it can provide greater assistance to the scheme including options for a small placement of shares specifically to the scheme? One great advantage of this is that money put into the scheme would find its way directly to Arsenal.

Q. Nearly 30% of the club is owned by Red and White holdings. They rejected the opportunity to sell their shares during the takeover and are clearly keen to remain involved in the club. In the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust annual membership survey 70% of respondents said they thought they should be offered a seat on the board. Arsenal will be a stronger institution if all shareholders work together and particularly at present everyone needs to pull together to face the challenges we have on and off the pitch. Will the Board enter into meaningful dialogue with Red and White to see what contribution they might be able to make to the club’s future?

Q. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust has always been supportive of the club being run on a sound financial footing. But we also believe that the club needs to constantly review all options open to it to move forward. Will the Board consider a potential equity injection now to plug the gap we have in commercial funding until 2014. We believe that this may allow us to remain competitive and attract some top quality players while we see whether Financial Fair Play actually works and may gear us up ahead of the new commercial deals which we hope will deliver the sort of revenue other clubs are obtaining from their deals?

Q. The running of a modern football club is a huge endeavour compared to even 15 years ago and yet Arsenal’s football infrastructure in terms of personnel has changed little. Many members of the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust believe it has suffered since David Dein left and it certainly appears that too much control and decision making is centralised with just the manager who has to carry a huge burden. Can the Board tell us what governance control they exercise over the football side of the business and what greater assistance can be given to the work of the manager so that he can delegate more, similar to how Alex Ferguson now operates at Manchester United?