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Death of the Festival?
Martin Rowson
Planning Ahead
News in Brief
Alex Norton
Straight to the Point
Education
Abney Park Herbs
Death in Custody
Design in Stokey
Foot in the Town Hall?
Musical Meanderings
New Kids on the Block
Black History Month
Speak Out!
Blooming Stokey
Gigging
Arts & Entertainment
Eating Out
Surfing N16
South of the Border
Air Raid
The North Bank
Crossword

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Our Man in The North Bank

p37

• Arsenal may be double winners but that wasn't reflected in their accounts for the 2001-2 season. They lost nearly £20million (after tax) during the campaign. The deficit was partly caused by the transfer fees for Gio van Bronckhorst, Richard Wright (now at Everton) and Francis Jeffers. The club had profited from sales in the two previous years with the departures of Anelka, Overmars and Petit. Another factor was the huge rise in wage costs, from £36.1million in 2000-1 to £54.2million last season. Those wages were by far the biggest item in the Gunners' expenditure.

• The details of income show how the game has changed. When I was a lad, most of football's revenue came through gate receipts. The latest figures show that only £24.5million of Arsenal's £90.9million income was generated by 'gate receipts and match day revenues.' Nearly £32million came from broadcasting deals - with retail and commercial activities accounting for £34million.

• It's not just top players who are well-paid in modern football. Three Arsenal directors earned more than £200,000 in salaries and benefits last season. 'Directors emoluments' they're called. Managing director Keith Edelman received a package worth £380,000. Vice-chairman David Dein's salary was £250,000 while ex-managing director Ken Friar's salary and benefits amounted to £244,000.

• Freddie Ljungberg made a deadly impact against Borussia Dortmund on his quickfire return from injury. Arsene Wenger expects Robert Pires and Gio van Bronckhorst to follow in a few weeks. Both cruciate ligament victims are back in training. Footballer of the Year Pires is the closer to a run-out. Wenger said: 'The surgeon recommended that we shouldn't play Robert for six months. He had his operation on April 25. That leaves it until October 25. There needs to be some consolidation of the ligament and I'm not going to risk him for the sake of two or three weeks'.

• What do fans think of the new crest, everywhere now? Being a traditionalist/an old fogey, I much preferred the previous one; even with the Latin motto. The new one is true to the spirit of our age, dumbed down and banal. It looks more like a worldwide marketing logo than a football club badge.

• Freak goals continue to haunt David Seaman - Ronaldinho in the World Cup, Gianfranco Zola for Chelsea and Gareth Farrelly's amazing effort for Bolton. Seaman is 39 now and Wenger must be considering a successor. Turkey's World Cup star Rustu Recber was linked with both Arsenal and Manchester United after the finals, but decided to see out his contract with Fenerbahce. That contract ends next summer, when Rustu will only be 29. Expect an Arsenal approach.

• Arsenal's top target this season is the Champions League. The European Cup is the one competition they've never won. Quarter-final places in 1972 and 2001 are the closest they've come. In 1972, the Gunners went out to holders Ajax 3-1 on aggregate after George Graham scored an early own goal in the second leg at Highbury. In 2001, they lost on away goals to Valencia. European success is a magnet for Wenger too. His only appearance in a European final came with Monaco in 1992, when they lost the Cup Winners' Cup final 2-0 to Werder Bremen in Lisbon. The stunning 4-0 away win against PSV Eindhoven would seem to suggest that Wenger is beginning to find the winning touch in Europe.
  
  

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