By Myles Palmer

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THERE were ten people onstage at the AGM.

Arsene Wenger was on the left and Secretary David Miles was on the right and all the others were directors.

Now we see that two new directors have joined the board of Arsenal Holdings.

The addition of Sir Chips Keswick, formerly chairman of Hambros Bank, and Lord Phil Harris of Peckham, a big man in carpets and furnishings, means there are ten directors.

Sir Chips was a director of the Bank of England.

Yes, a board is often 12 directors.

Each may have an area of expertise and several are always non-executive.

But do Arsenal need more directors?

How strange is this unexpected boost to the squad?

What does it mean?

Does this signal the departure of Peter Hill-Wood and David Dein ?

Arsenal has always been in the Hill-Wood family, but Peter is not a football-lover like Dennis, his father, whose favourite player was Peter Storey.

Danny Fiszman does not want to be chairman.

We know that for a fact.

If he did, he would have been chairman long ago.

We doubt if Hill-Wood wants to be chairman for much longer.

Would it suit Hill-Wood to leave Arsenal when the club leaves Highbury?

Historically, and personally, would 2006 be the perfect moment for old Etonian Peter to bow out?

If so, Arsenal would need a chairman and Sir Chips may the man for the job in an era of big finance.

That would explain why Sir Chips is coming on board now.

But not why Lord Harris is coming on board now.

Harris has 38 shares and is said to be worth £350 million, so he could comfortably buy Dein's shares at £4,700 each.

I've heard for the last six months that the club was looking for a major investor and Harris could be the man.

MEANWHILE, RUUD GULLIT has said he thinks Henry will go to Barcelona.

Did his mate Rijkaard tell him to say that ?

I DON'T THINK THIERRY WILL GO.

I never have done.

But I reckon Arsene has realised that a French dressing room will never win the European Cup, so he is planning to have a Swiss, a Dutchman or two, some Spaniards and a few classy South Americans in the team that plays at the Emirates Stadium.

November 17th 2005

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