Cheer up James, at least you have the league’s best board

Things may a little bit pony on the pitch for Aston Villa right now, but according to a study published today, Martin O’Neill’s side are top of the league when it comes to their owners and board members.

A “not-for-profit” research think tank called Tomorrow’s Company had nothing else to do, so they ranked the Premier League’s clubs according to something called “Stewardship”. Spokesman Mark Goyder explains:

“Stewardship means handing something on to the next generation in better shape than you inherited it, and not just the next quarter’s results.”

Essentially measuring whether owners consider their clubs a short term cash cow or a long term asset, Stewardship is assessed by five criteria: putting the club first (are owners using the club to make a quick buck or are they planning for the long term future?), long termism (youth policies, debt management, stadium improvements etc), clarity of purpose (can the board be trusted not to meddle with the team?), respect for fans and local community and passion (are the board doing the right thing for the club and the game in general?).

This all sounds like an incredibly subjective test that supports itself with pithy business jargon, but you can check out the Stewardship league table after the jump…

Gunners hoping to fill chief executive role with MLS man

Earlier this year, Arsenal welcomed Colorado Rapids owner Stan Kroenke to the board, and the club also appear to be poaching their new chief executive from the MLS.

Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis (pictured above) joined the American league in 1994, two years before anyone had ever kicked a soccerball, and has been instrumental in developing the game in the big country.

According to the Daily Mail, the South African-born lawyer  - a known supporter of Game 39 - could be north London-bound:

Gazidis, an Oxford University football Blue, has the credentials for the Arsenal role, having joined the MLS in 1994 as part of their founding management team. Now he oversees all aspects of the competition, as well as being involved in running football organisation CONCACAF.

Arsenal will have a problem attracting Gazidis, whose proposed move to the Premier League with Manchester City fell through when he was reticent to relocate to England.

What should be a greater problem for the Gunners, however, is how much he looks like Daniel Levy…

When the board support a manager, time is short…

Observe the following pattern:

Former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson on November 21, 2006:

“I will also be continuing talks with Alan Pardew on how he sees the future on the playing side. This is very much his domain and he has my full confidence and support.”

December 11, 2006: Pardew is sacked

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan on May 14, 2007:

“I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome [Chris Hutchings] as manager and give him my assurance that he will have my full and total backing as we seek to stay in the Premiership for a fourth season and keep establishing this club in the best league in the world.”

November 5, 2007: Hutchings is sacked

Newcastle chairman Chris Mort on November 26, 2007:

“Sam [Allardyce] is a very experienced manager, and I am sure he will work hard with his coaching team to turn the team around. He is working hard to get his best team, and how they can work together in the best way.”

January 9, 2008: Allardyce is sacked

‘Silent Stan’ given a voice at the Emirates

Arsenal this morning confirmed that American billionaire Stan Kroenke - the gent on the right in the picture above - has been invited onto the board to take a non-executive director role. The owner of the the MLS’ Colorado Rapids and the NBA’s Denver Nuggets has held a 12.4 per cent stake in the club since last year, and his invitation to the board appears to counter the takeover ambitions of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

On the club’s official website, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood says:

“We are delighted to welcome Stan to the Board of Arsenal. He brings with him a wealth of experience through his direct involvement in sports clubs in the US and we expect to benefit from his commercial insights and knowledge.”

It’s great that Hill-Wood is so welcoming, particularly as he once remarked of the American: “We don’t need his money and we don’t want his sort.”

Kroenke is not party to last year’s lock-down agreement (whereby directors can only sell their stakes to board-approved persons), but has agreed not to extend his shareholding beyond 29.9 per cent in the next year. If either Usmanov or Kroenke reach thirty per cent, they would have to launch a formal takeover.

Next week, Arsenal’s annual results will be formally announced, revealing a huge £225m turnover and record pre-tax profit of £36.7m.