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Your support makes all the difference.The Arsenal Independent Supporters' Association have issued a statement to the club's majority shareholder Stan Kroenke appealing to the American businessman to "take advantage of his opportunity to win over fans".
Last week Kroenke increased his stake to 62.89% as well as making a mandatory offer for the remaining club shares.
One fans' group, the Arsenal Supporters' Trust, have already said their minority shareholders will not sell as they seek to retain a voice, while Red and White Holdings, the investment vehicle of Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, are also unwilling to do business on their 27% stake in the club.
Now AISA have appealed to Kroenke to make a series of commitments which prove his intentions for the Gunners are in line with their own.
The statement calls for Kroenke to make a public promise that no debt arising from the purchase of shares will be transferred to the club, to freeze ticket prices and continue the Arsenal Fanshare initiative.
The AISA release read: "The sale of large tranches of the club's shares over the last few years has created a good deal of uncertainty amongst supporters, and together with the constant media speculation has had an unsettling effect. The announcement on April 11, 2011 marks the start of a new era for Arsenal, and the beginning of the end of that uncertainty.
"It is important that the new era starts off on a positive note, and Arsenal fans are very aware of what has happened at other major football clubs in recent years when changes of ownership have taken place. We therefore believe it is crucial that no debt contracted by KSE, and/or by Mr Kroenke personally, be transferred to Arsenal Holdings plc or any subsidiary now or in the future, nor secured against Arsenal revenues.
"AISA has been banging the drum, and will continue to do so, about the need for the club to recognise more fully supporter loyalty and recently presented 10 key proposals on ticket prices and supporter loyalty to the chief executive. We hope the new regime will embrace this document and look forward to dialogue on this crucial issue.
"We look forward to working with Stan Kroenke and KSE to maintain, develop and strengthen the voice of supporters within our great club, and we commit ourselves to act in co-operation to achieve the best possible outcomes for the club on and off the field."
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