Arsenal fans protesting against the Super League plans outside the Emirates Stadium

ARSENAL fans are calling for this week to be a “watershed moment” for football as they call for a change at the top of their club.

Furious supporters are expected to descend on the Emirates Stadium tonight (Friday) in a mass protest against the Gunners’ American owner Stan Kroenke, who they believe was one of the driving forces behind the club’s part in the European Super League fiasco.

Discontent with Mr Kroenke’s reign has surfaced repeatedly over the years, as he slowly took control of the club, but supporters think the humiliation of the botched breakaway attempt could prove a tipping point.

Tim Payton, a board member of the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST), met with Boris Johnson earlier this week as the prime minister launched a review into ownership models in the English game.

The AST is pushing for fans to “be put back at the heart of ownership structures”, whether that be a supporter on the board or a majority stake in the club’s shares, as is the case in Germany.

Mr Payton, who grew up in Islington and went to Highbury Grove School, told the Tribune: “Yes, this is a watershed moment.

“Everybody has a role to play, everybody has a member of parliament, everybody can protest. It is our job to hold the government to account.

“Of course it is a challenge and of course the clubs will push back, but this week has shown we can be successful.”

News broke on Sunday that Arsenal were one of 12 clubs in Europe who had allegedly signed contracts to set up an exclusive and lucrative European competition.

Fans led a wave of disgust against the scheme with politicians, Prince William and TV pundits also adding their voices to the chorus of condemnation.

What appalled fans most about the European Super League proposal was that the founding clubs would have been guaranteed a place, along with a huge payout every year – even if they lost every match.

Mr Payton said: “From local fans in Islington to across the world, this has united all Arsenal supporters. These appalling proposals would have killed the club we love. Our message is: Kroenke out and fans in. It’s about how the owner can be held to account.”

He added: “Football has become an arms race. Hearing Arsenal plead poverty because of what Madrid and City are doing doesn’t cut it – what about how West Ham or Fulham are doing?

“What you have actually got to do is keep the competitive balance and share the revenue so everyone can compete.

“I don’t want Fulham drawing with Arsenal, but the fact that they do is actually good because it makes the game worth watching.”

Top-flight English football was changed dramatically in the early 90s when a majority of clubs agreed a deal with Sky Sports which meant supporters watching from home on TV had to pay subscriptions.

This brought an influx of cash and soon foreign investors started buying up clubs and trading them as lucrative business assets.

Many believe the European Super League debacle was the logical next step for those pushing the commercialisation of English Football.

Steve Kell, an executive member of the Arsenal Football Supporters Club, said: “This is the time to push for change. It’s been long overdue.”

He added: “I genuinely think the Premier League was the root of everything that led up to this week. Everyone realised how much wealth there was in football and the American investors swooped in.

“I think this week was the culmination of what these new owners thought was their masterplan, to tap into a new revenue stream which they always planned to make mega-money from.”

The need to be a more marketable and profitable brand in the past 20 years saw Arsenal leave their spiritual home, Highbury, which was converted into flats. The team was moved to the 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium – named after an airline.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed the fans’ campaign for more involvement in the ownership of their clubs.

It was former leader and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn who pledged in his 2019 manifesto to give fans more of a say in their clubs by setting up a review and an independent regulator.

Arsenal’s board released a statement on Tuesday apologising to the fans for its role in the Super League plan.

It said: “The last few days have shown us yet again the depth of feeling our supporters around the world have for this great club and the game we love. We needed no reminding of this but the response from supporters in recent days has given us time for further reflection and deep thought.

“It was never our intention to cause such distress, however when the invitation to join the Super League came, while knowing there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to ensure we protected Arsenal and its future.

“As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days, we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.”

It added: “We know it will take time to restore your faith in what we are trying to achieve here at Arsenal but let us be clear that the decision to be part of the Super League was driven by our desire to protect Arsenal, the club you love, and to support the game you love through greater solidarity and financial stability.

“Stability is essential for the game to prosper and we will continue to strive to bring the security the game needs to move forward.

“The system needs to be fixed. We must work together to find solutions which protect the future of the game and harness the extraordinary power football has to get us on the edge of our seats.

“Finally, we know this has been hugely unsettling at the end of what has been an incredibly difficult year for us all.

“Our aim is always to make the right decisions for this great football club, to protect it for the future and to take us forward. We didn’t make the right decision here, which we fully accept.”