Source: Daily_Mail
Charles Sale: Fiszman's fight is worry for Arsenal
Arsenal director Danny Fiszman is fighting serious illness at a time when the ownership of the Premier League club is in a state of upheaval.[LNB] Diamond business multi-millionaire Fiszman, who lives in tax exile near Geneva in Switzerland, is responding well to treatment and specialists are confident of a full recovery. The medical condition is not affecting Fiszman's Arsenal duties and he was at the Emirates Stadium for Saturday's 2-2 draw with Everton.[LNB] Such is the sensitivity surrounding the on-going power battle that the health of Fiszman, 65, the pivotal figure behind the scenes, will be of great concern to Arsenal fans.[LNB] [LNB]Concern: Arsenal director Danny Fiszman (left) is fighting a serious illness[LNB]Fiszman, who owns 16.1 per cent of the club, is currently in acontrolling alliance with American Stan Kroenke, who has taken hisshareholding to 29.99 per cent - 17 shares short of the 30 per centthreshold of a full takeover. However, Russian rival Alisher Usmanov, who has a 26 per cent stake, continuesto pick up available shares, the latest costing him £9,500 each.[LNB] More from Charles Sale... Charles Sale: C4 pip the Beeb to Paralympic rights08/01/10 EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4 pips BBC to host the London Paralympics in 201208/01/10 Charles Sale: Retirement? Andrew Flintoff inundated with lucrative offers away from cricket06/01/10 Charles Sale: Sir Alex Ferguson's hairdryer after beating Manchester City06/01/10 Charles Sale: Sheffield steeled for court battle04/01/10 Charles Sale: Andrew Cole's tribute to his old enemy Teddy Sheringham18/12/09 Charles Sale: Sam Hammam's deal resolves Cardiff City dispute18/12/09 CHARLES SALE: BBC playing rough on England games at World Cup finals16/12/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Fiszman, who sold an eight per cent block of shares to Kroenke but has no intention of selling any more, has emerged as the all powerful presence on the Arsenal board, despite his image as a private man who shuns publicity.[LNB] A ruthless operator, Fiszman was mainly responsible for vice-chairman David Dein, managing-director Keith Edelman and board member Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith being ousted.[LNB] Fiszman's partnership with Kroenke - ironically both were introduced to the club by Dein - means Usmanov can be blockedfrom having the influence at Arsenal, including a seat on the boardthat his shareholding warrants.[LNB]lt does not say much for the confidence in the Premier League's fit and proper persons test for club directors that doubts remain about the existence of Portsmouth's shadowy owner Ali Al-Faraj despite him passing that inquiry, which included the supplying of his passport number and other documents. And the speculation will carry on from irate supporters until Al-Faraj's long-awaited first appearance at Fratton Park.[LNB]Birmingham's Alex McLeish, one of the more phlegmatic Premier League managers, was not best pleased that he could not gain entry through the tunnel at his home ground St Andrew's after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United because MUTV had blocked the entrance with a camera crew for their latest fawning interview with Sir Alex Ferguson. Also upset were Birmingham players Barry Ferguson and James McFadden, who could not get back to the dressing room after a warm-down.[LNB]Team Sky's chances of winning the Tour de France at the first attempt in July will not be anything to do with a lack of cash. It has emerged that Rupert Murdoch's company have invested £25million into their cycling ambitions.[LNB]Vaughan's tricky business Michael Vaughan's allegations of ball tampering by England's Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in the drawn third Test against South Africa, which have so infuriated the players, has an intriguing subtext. [LNB]Vaughan's varied roles following his retirement include being cricket business manager for the ISM sports agency, who lost both Broad and Anderson last year when former ISM employee Craig Sackfield set up an agency business. [LNB]To make matters even more sensitive, Sackfield is in partnership with Vaughan in an artballing project.[LNB] However, it is understood that Sackfield, who has added England wicketkeeper Matt Prior to his stable, has had friendly conversations with Vaughan since the former captain's accusations.[LNB]BBC and ITV will lock horns again in their fraught negotiations over the division of World Cup matches, which ended in deadlock before Christmas. Both sides had initially expected to reach agreement in the week after the December 4 draw in Cape Town. But BBC are playing hardball with their demands, knowing ITV are desperate for the two peaktime England group games against United States and Algeria in the knowledge that if both networks broadcast every England match, the BBC ratings will be four times bigger. [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] [LNB]
