TTG has undertaken a new interview with Nigel Phillips of the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust to explore their recent activities and thoughts on current Arsenal matters.
TTG: We were fascinated to learn more about the work of the Trust a few years ago. What is occupying most of your time at the Trust at the moment ?
Nigel Phillips: It was back in the autumn of 2018 that KSE became the single shareholder of Arsenal by buying the 29.9% of the Club from Red & White Holdings (Alisher Usmanov) and forcing out the 500 “small” shareholders with a compulsory purchase order. This changed much of what the Trust campaigned on and represented as there was no longer any equity interest outside of KSE and corporate governance issues became a matter for a private company! No more Annual General Meetings for shareholders. At this stage the Trust was into its 15th year since formation so we weren’t going to disappear and have been active on a whole range of supporter issues such as ticketing matters (pricing, availability, touting and allocation), safe standing, matchday atmosphere, supporting community causes and much more.
The whole European Super League debacle in April 2021 led to the creation of the Arsenal Advisory Board (AAB) on which the AST has representation. This meets four times a year with a combination of the Owner, senior executives and Directors to discuss all things Arsenal. The creation of the AAB and other such representative bodies at all Premier League clubs was an early pre-emptive action to demonstrate “fan engagement” to the then emerging Independent Football Regulator.
Underneath the AAB there are four working groups, on which the AST also has representation:
- Ticketing forum
- Match day forum
- Woman’s match day forum
- Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability Forum
The AST is also active within the Football Supporters’ Association and the Football Supporters’ Europe organisation. The AST has proposed motions opposing the increasing inevitability of Leagues / clubs wanting to play domestic matches overseas.
It’s been an incredibly hectic close season especially in relation to the transfer window! Did you expect Arsenal to be this active in the window?
It was an amazing summer window with an extraordinary spend of almost GBP 300m with negligible funds coming in from player sales. To bring in EIGHT players that one could call “prem ready” in one window provides significant squad strengthening and is a sure sign that the Owner has gone “all-in” on getting the Club over the winning line this season! Whilst much of this spend has come from paying for players in stage payments over several years (current future obligations to other clubs is now over GBP 300m) the money owed to the Owner is about GBP 325m.
Are you comfortable with the PSR headroom the club has following their spending spree and are they similarly positioned financially in European terms?
Of course Arsenal monitor closely its compliance with both the Premier League and UEFA financial regulations. The massive increase in club revenues from being back in the Champions League and growing commercial revenues have given Arsenal scope to increase its player cost base – both transfers and wages. We won’t see figures for the year ended 31st May 2025 until late February 2026 and we already know the summer of 2025 was “busy”. One signing that did show spending restraint was the late window loan arrangement for Piero Hincapie from Leverkusen but with options on both sides to make this deal permanent at a later stage.
When we first met several years ago (at the Oval!), the topic on all supporters’ minds was whether Arteta could survive the disastrous start to the season. Nevertheless, a lot of supporters are now suggesting that Arteta ‘has to win silverware’ if he is to keep his job. Is this the Trust’s view?
The Trust doesn’t have views on such matters but on a personal basis this does seem to be the season that we have to take that final step towards silverware. Whilst competing on four fronts and with a squad to support that, it is clear that 2004 is far too long ago and the Champions League trophy last season was within touching distance. As for Arteta’s job security given another trophy-less season one can only assume that the pressure will be intense.
We understand KSE are looking at potential plans to increase our ground capacity. Do you think this is possible at the Emirates and have you had discussions with the club about this?
It is clear that this is being taken very seriously and many options are being considered to increase revenue from matchdays. Commercial revenues are growing and TV / performance money is increasing due to Champions League participation and larger centrally negotiated TV contracts yet matchday revenues only tick up gently with inflation / low single digit % increases. Whilst there have been reports of an extra 10,000 seats to meet ticket demand there is also work being done on seeking to get a higher “revenue per seat” from the existing 60,000 capacity. This would naturally lead to some higher price hospitality seats, actions that have been aggressively taken recently at both Manchester United and Chelsea. The Club have shared no plans and say “all options are being explored”. The additions to the Arsenal Board of Otto Maly and Dave Steiner in late September gives an indication of the direction of travel. Both are long term Kroenke / KSE people with direct experiences of building and running the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (described by Josh as the “greatest stadium on the planet”) and with significant real estate experience.
It is right that Arsenal are reviewing all their options. Every week there is huge demand to watch the team play. They should ensure they consult with fans on any firm plans. We would remind the club of its important role as a community institution and stress that any changes to the stadium layout must ensure no loss of space allocated for general admission ticket prices
A lot of supporters were very concerned that the club continued to play Thomas Partey despite police investigations which have eventually developed into formal charges. They also started discussions about extending his contract. Where does the Trust stand on this issue?
Again the Trust did not have a view on this matter but presented views of many members to the Club. Clearly it was sensitive matter and subject to the police investigation. And it should be remembered that no formal charges were made until after his Arsenal contract had expired.
Has the culture changed at the club since Josh Kroenke has effectively assumed ultimate control? Do you feel the club genuinely listens to fan concerns and especially do they recognise the large supporter organisations like the Trust?
It is clear that Josh (born on Cup Final day 1980) is the voice of his father who himself is now 78 years old. The appointment of Ben Winston to the Board shows how Josh is seeking to connect with the supporter base given Ben’s long standing season ticket holding status and familiarity with Arsenal fans.
The AAB and the various Forums are the vehicles for representation, and these can only be as strong as the supporter reps sitting on them and views they share. It is a time to challenge and influence and be the critical friend that seeks to drive improvement and fairness.
The executive team engage well with supporters and it is through these interactions and making a coherent case that improvements can be achieved whether these need Owner consent or not.
Join the AST at www.arsenaltrust.org and get your voice heard.
Finally, speaking as a supporter are you optimistic about the new season? What are your expectations?
Expectations or hopes? We would all love to go one step further in the Premier League after three consecutive runners-up spots and the opening games and unbelievable defensive record give great confidence that this could be the season. However, with 15/17 games in the Champions League maybe this is the easier one to win? My preference if such a thing is possible would be the Premier League.
COYG
Christmas is on the horizon and, for those who celebrate it, is a time for giving. Willow would be an excellent recipient of your generosity. Whatever you can donate in the week beginning 2 December will be doubled. If you are able to donate during that week, please contribute what you can to this extremely good cause founded by Arsenal’s very own Bob Wilson. Here is an extract from Willow’s notice about this opportunity.
This year, Willow is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, running for one week only from Tuesday 2 December. During this time, every donation you make will be DOUBLED, yes, doubled, thanks to our generous funders who have agreed to match your donation.
That means your gift will have twice the impact on the lives of seriously ill young adults.
Save the date and keep a look out for more details on how you can be part of this wonderful week of giving. Check out the Willow Foundation here.
Thanks for that, TTG. A helpful insight into how the AST keeps the fans’ voice alive — a necessary calling.
The wall of silence around the stadium redevelopment spoke volumes in itself. It reinforced the points we made in July that (i) nobody outside the club has a clue about the plans, (ii) that the So-Fi Stadium and other KSE-owned venues will provide inspiration, and (iii) that increasing the take per seat is one of the targets.
A minor quibble, but I thought the first response was a bit disingenuous as the Companies Act allows a 90%+ shareholder to buy out minority shareholders after a takeover. It is common practice, and not as nefarious or unique to the Kronkes as it reads.
Separately, the club has announced that the Visit Rwanda sponsorship will not be renewed when its term concludes at the end of the summer. I doubt this was a decision taken on ethical grounds, and the club is not making any such claim. I would imagine a more lucrative replacement is already in the works.
An interesting read, TTG with some fine builds by Ned.
Thanks for that, TTG. I have been an inactive subscribing member of the AST since its early days, attracted by the prospect of owning an infinitesimal part of a share and disappointed when the outright purchase of shares by the Kronkes vaporised that dream. However it’s gratifying to know that they are a rational fan voice in the structures created after the Super League debacle. And, of course, the outright ownership has transformed the investment in the club to great effect.
This is very good. I didn’t know Adam Clery has roots in God’s own country:
Bath@4: Bailed out against the odds by Belarus in Copenhagen and then KT3 at Hampden, if Scotland’s luck continues like that, the only question is who they will beat in the Final in July?
Ned @5, Scotland have benefitted from an extraordinary run of luck in this campaign. Right from the start with the draw in Copenhagen, the extraordinary victories against Greece and Belarus at Hampden despite execrable performances and then the unbelievable draw for Belarus in Copenhagen. Denmark were indubitably the better team in possession last night and man for man technically superior but nonetheless four magic moments sealed the victory plus a couple of saves by Gordon and a couple of missed chances for Denmark. I have to add that it’s compensation for a catalogue of misfortune in World Cup qualifiers that I can attest to witnessing since 1969. Sadly I can’t believe that fortune will not desert them in the Finals.
Thanks for the interview TTG, and thanks to Nigel for his concise
explanations and occasional neat sidestep.
Thanks Bath @4 for the link, an enjoyable review by Adam as usual and
a good shout on the KT substitution. I heard KT has been struggling a
bit, unsurprisingly given so much time out, but I hope this will give him
a lift as he rebuilds.
@1 good news for me at least that the sponsorship with Rwanda will end. I am fairly sure the club would never say that the reason for stopping was ethical even if it was, such an announcement might scare off the next iffy sponsor along.
OM@8: Half the PL shirt sleeve sponsorships are for financial firms or tourism promotion, so we’ll probably end up with a dodgy crypto exchange or somewhere virtually no one has heard of, like Kissimmee, the city in Florida that sponsors Brighton’s shirt sleeves.
A debate on ‘ anchoring ‘ , effectively a salary cap was due to take place among Premier League chairmen tomorrow but it appears likely to be cancelled . Apparently support for the proposal seems to have evaporated since the departure of Tim Lewis at Arsenal , who was its major supporter. It appears Arsenal have changed their position on the issue and this may indicate the, or one of the , reasons why Lewis is no longer at the club in that he may have had a disagreement with KSE and/ or Richard Garlick on the issue .
Lewis’s departure may have been more acrimonious than it appeared but it is clear that he was seen as one of the leading voices among club representatives in the PL and a man of influence . Henry Winter gave a very scathing opinion about him in an interview I heard . It would seem he didn’t suffer fools !
TTG@10: Interesting intelligence. I seem to remember that when Lewis’s departure was announced, there was speculation in this fine establishment that there was more to the story than we were being told at the time.
Ned@9: well at least I hadn’t heard of Kissimmee until you mentioned it. Do you have any recommendations on what to do there?
Potsticker @12. Kissimmee is close to Orlando and is theme park central. When our children were small we had several very happy family holidays there.
Slack jaw Palmer has broken a toe at home, presumably turning the heating up and will miss the Arsenal game.
Cheers TTG. Good stuff to see us through the interlull, but I’ll be pleased when the proper football is back.
I see the rumour mill is alive and well and we are now being reported as having interest in Scott McTominay! Albeit, as CER has observed, the beneficial effects of ‘La Cucina Italiana’ and ‘La Dolce Vita’ have transformed a rather agricultural defensive midfielder into a rampaging box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal, I require several salt cellars on this one. Good as he has been of late, I can’t see where he fits into a squad with multiple midfield options in that box-to-box role already. This is a rumour that would garner a high score on Blogs’ Poo-ometer, I suspect.
Potsticker@12: C100@13 has answered your question. It is just down the road from Walt Disney World.
Bath@16: Forget ‘La Cucina Italiana’, it is more likely getting away from the hard tack of OT that has nourished McTomminay in Napoli. Like you, I can’t name one of our midfielders for whom he would be an upgrade.
Wonderful BBC piece on the Supporters Club. Brief appearance from my maye Hungarian Alex who loves the place.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cpwvw5xwjwyo
C100
Thankyou for attaching that lovely piece . I haven’t been in there for years but it looks just the same . I got to know the lads who wrote Gunflash when I started writing for the Gooner and they were dyed in the wall fans who went back years . It had ( has) a very different atmosphere to a lot of places around the Emirates where fans are of more recent origin. It was the sort of piece you get about non- league clubs where devoted individuals do jobs for little recognition and takes me back to going to Arsenal in the sixties when it was a very different experience . They are the sort of people who like my Dad always referred to the club as ‘ The Arsenal’ .
Thanks TTG – two big efforts to fill another Interlullllll ……
C100@18: Thanks for the link. Lovely video, and the closing shots with NLF as the soundtrack just brought it all together.
And what Trev said @20.
What a lovely video.
Despite growing up in N1, going to primary school in N5, going to the Arsenal for nearly 55 years and having been in almost every pub in Islington over that period, I have never been inside the Gunners, the Bank of Friendship nor the Supporters Club. I vow to do all three this season, now.
#derelictionofduty
TTG@19- we’ve always called them “The Arsenal”. When I went to university (suspend your disbelief) people used to look at me oddly (more oddly) when we talked football. One of them asked me why I called them The Arsenal. I replied that I didn’t even notice that I did. It was just ingrained from birth.
There were also a few names for That Lot I introduced them to as well. University is, after all, a place of learning.
Re: CER @22. May I say, a highly outstanding as well as morally upright resolution. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I”m just sayin’ Bath, and have no agenda whatsoever in saying this but who the fuck wouldn’t be transformed by “La Cucona Italiana”?
Or the Cucina either. Blasted tiny keyboard not to blame the spillchucker of course. 🤣
@23 I always said the The Arsenal too for the same reasons, it had the added bonus of annoying the Chavski and Manyoo fans around me immensely. Jealousy I imagine that they will never be called The Cheatski
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/20/laurent-koscielny-lorient-arsenal-ligue-1-arsene-wenger
I know the manner of his departure annoyed some but I always liked Kos
Great Saka interview (well it takes my mind off the cricket)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c364gz4ekylo
OM @27, I always liked Kos. He always gave 100% and scored several important goals in big games too. Sadly he had to play in a team of much less reliable individuals. I think the club functionaries who precipitated his departure ‘under a cloud’ let him down massively.
Ain’t nobody
Like Koscielny
Makes me happy
Makes me feel this way!
There’s nowhere to hide in test cricket is there? You’re either bazball brilliant or bazball brainless.
>>>>>>>