Ken Friar OBE, 1934-2026 [www.arsenal.com]

AN outpouring of tributes has been paid to “Mr Arsenal” Ken Friar OBE, who died aged 92 this week.

Flowers, scarves and notes were left on a statue outside the Emirates Stadium, as fans joined players and managers to their respects.

The monument represents a life-changing moment when Mr Friar was given a part-time job by George Allison, the club’s legendary manager of the 1930s and 40s.

Then a boy playing in the streets with his friends, Mr Friar kicked a ball under his car in Avenell Road, sparking the conversation which led to the role as a messenger.

Islington-born, he later took a full-time job with Arsenal after he finished studying at Highbury County Grammar School – and stayed with the club for the rest of his working life, eventually becoming its “life president”. For this service, many people regarded him as “Mr Arsenal”.

Behind the scenes, he played an instrumental role in keeping the Gunners in the borough of Islington, their home since 1913. While other options were looked at for a new stadium, Ashburton Grove was identified as the right opportunity when it was clear Arsenal was outgrowing the Marble Halls of Highbury.

Speaking in 2011, Mr Friar said: “It was very emotive for everyone, possibly more for me than most because I’d spent my whole life in that building. It was clear we couldn’t compete with the big boys unless we had a new stadium. It transformed the business in no time at all.”

Ken Friar OBE played an instrumental role in keeping Arsenal in the borough when the club moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium [Arne Müseler CC BY-SA 3.0]

In a tribute statement this week, Arsenal said: “His vision saw him move into a new role as director responsible for the club’s relocation from Highbury to a new stadium, just a stone’s throw away in Ashburton Grove.

“Ken was the perfect candidate, alongside fellow director and long-time friend Danny Fiszman, to drive forward this immense project in Islington, his Islington.

“He worked indefatigably, with immense passion and diplomacy to make sure every hoop was jumped through and obstacle cleared until the stadium opened – on time and on budget – in July 2006.

“Since our formation in 1886, there have been many inspirational individuals who have driven our club forward, but no one has had an influence on Arsenal Football Club quite like ‘Mr Friar’ and he leaves an extraordinary life of service to the club as his legacy. One that will surely never be matched.”

He was awarded an OBE for his “services to football” in 2000, and the local authority recognised his transformative work in Islington – in 2004 he was given Freedom of the Borough by the Town Hall.

Speaking after Arsenal’s win against Lille on Tuesday, manager Mikel Arteta dedicated the victory to Mr Friar. He said: “There are people in football clubs who have a role and they fulfil that role.

“But there are others who are there to create an identity, they create values and they have a vision to create a future for the football club. And I think that the legacy that Ken is going to leave is forever. I want to pass on all our love to his friends and family. So they know the way we feel about him cannot be anything but extraordinary.”

The stadium’s statue of Ken Friar as a boy [Matt Brown] has been decked out in Arsenal regalia by fans

Every matchday, jubilant fans travel over the “Ken Friar” bridge on their way into the ground, and pass his statue on the concourse.

Double-winning defender Lee Dixon said Mr Friar – and to many he was known simply as ‘Mr Friar’ – had been a “bedrock” of the club, and told how he had been in the room and offering support when he moved to north London.

Goalkeeping legend David Seaman said he had been an “icon” whose achievements would never be forgotten.

Charlie George, a goalscorer when Arsenal won their first double in 1971, said: “Ken was a man that spoke little but did a lot – and he did a lot.”

And former captain Tony Adams said: “What a class act he was – the epitom­isation of all that Arsenal stands for: Victory through together­ness.”

Arsenal will play in black armbands when they take on Nottingham Forest this weekend, in a mark of respect for “Mr Arsenal”.