afc Wenger "I'll spend it on variables if you won't give me assets"

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By Rob Kelly

Arsène Wenger wants to further the ‘Arsenalisation’ of Emirates Stadium to make it the “centre of the city”.

Over the past three years, the Club has turned the Gunners’ home into a visible stronghold of all things Arsenal through a variety of artistic and creative means.

Wenger is delighted with the progress made at the stadium, but feels more can be done over the coming years to make additional improvements.

“It is getting better and better. I still feel we have some more jobs to do on that front,” he told the Official Matchday Programme.

“I would like, especially at night, to have more lighting and for the stadium [to be] really the centre of the city. But I feel we have done a fantastic job and I would like to congratulate those people who have done that.

“They have come up with these ideas and it is absolutely fantastic. I still think at night we can make this place a little bit livelier and that is what we work on.”

Wenger would like to improve the whole matchday experience for Arsenal fans, by making Emirates Stadium a true hub of activity.

“We have to go further with ‘Arsenalisation’ and make sure it is not only a place where the game starts at 3 o'clock and finishes at quarter to five, but it is a place where you can spend the day there,” he says.

“You can talk, communicate, have remembrance of what has happened and be in touch with the history of the Club. You can have a good time with friends, and that is certainly vital in the modern game.”

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/-i-want-emirates-to-be-the-centre-of-london-

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Arsenal Football Club is to open its first flagship store in a major retail location after securing a 2,270 sq ft first floor unit at Brent Cross Shopping Centre.

The store, which is due to open in July and will be situated on the upper mall of the centre adjacent to Fenwick Department Store, will be the first Arsenal space to incorporate the Club’s new retail concept which is set to be rolled out across its other outlets this summer.

Located in a traditional heartland of Arsenal support, the Brent Cross store has been benchmarked against leading sports brands and will sell the Club’s Nike replica kit alongside a range of Arsenal training and leisure wear and traditional merchandise.

The new store will also feature a personalisation desk and a full 12-month events calendar including signing sessions and question and answer sessions with Arsenal legends. There will also be facilities for supporters to collect goods ordered online. This will coincide with the imminent re-launch of the Club’s mobile and online service.

Cushman & Wakefield and Lunson Mitchenall acted on behalf of Hammerson and Standard Life Investments with Harper Dennis Hobbs acting on behalf of Arsenal Football Club to advise on the new location. Brent Cross Shopping Centre is owned by Hammerson and Standard Life Investments.

Nick Peel, Retail Director, Arsenal Football Club, said: “The Brent Cross development is an exciting addition to our retail arm and further evidence of the Club expanding and investing. The new store will help the Club to engage with supporters from a wider area and reduce our reliance on supporters visiting shops on a match day. Our aim is to create a destination which is fresh and innovative and which fans will find appealing. ”

Sheila King, Hammerson Group Retail Leasing Director commented: “This is a fantastic new retail concept from Arsenal, with a sophisticated shop fit that takes the traditional club store to the next level. This is another unique offer for Brent Cross which strengthens our retail mix and importantly for our customers adds to the shopping experience.”

Jamie Strachan of Harper Dennis Hobbs said: “Arsenal is kicking off with its first major UK flagship store outside of Emirates Stadium at Brent Cross which will allow the club even wider access to its fanbase.”