Barratt seals £128m development deal at Emirates stadium

Barratt Homes announced today that it has exchanged contracts on a £128 million deal to build 375 new luxury private homes next door to Arsenal football club’s Emirates Stadium in north London.
“The development will comprise three residential towers with units ranging from studios to 1,000 sq ft penthouses priced at more than £500,000,” Barratt told OPP.
Alastair Baird, Regional Managing Director of Barratt London, told OPP that the new homes “will be situated literally yards from the stadium and we expect them to become as sought after by Gunners fans as the properties at Chelsea Village are by Chelsea supporters.”
And, according to Arsenal FC Director Ken Friar, the new project is “the last piece of the jigsaw in our new stadium project which has delivered huge regeneration to the Borough of Islington. 2,500 new homes and 2,500 new jobs have been created over the past six years.”
The first units at the development, designed by CZWG architects, will go on sale in September of next year. The scheme will also comprise 440 sq m of commercial space and the build programme is expected to take three years in total.
Barratt is the only major national housebuilder with a significant presence in London. Its landbank of more than 7,000 units in the capital comprises 30 sites located in 16 London boroughs.

It used to be an honour to play for Arsenal…

I have been an Arsenal fan for the last 8 years and i am just 21 now, so yes my childhood, adulthood and rest of my life team has always been Arsenal. I just wanted to write to you and express a few things as to how it feels to be a Gooner in a far off land.
Gone are the days when Arsenal were the dominating club along with Man United in England, gone are the days when teams feared us, and gone definitely are the days when players used to feel playing for Arsenal is the ultimate feeling. Its tough for fans like me who have seen this team achieve glorious feats for a long time and now suddenly we hear snide remarks from other team followers who taunt us by saying what have you done now? Where is your team heading to?
This doesnt mean i am giving up on the team. I understand the nuances of running a successful club which has rich tradition steeped in it. For all those who crave for big signings and mega stars, i can tell you that it aint that easy it seems. It is not just about money. Remember this is a team which has had very few issues internally, we dont need superstars who are more news on the back pages or page 3 than in the sports pages. We also need to remember “the bigger the star, the bigger the ego”, even though i am not saying everyone is like that.
Arsenal need players who are proud to play for Arsenal. When we say all our legends names, the likes of Liam Brady to David Rocastle, Dennis Bergkamp to the Henry’s, the Viera’s to the Pires, it was just not talent which made them greats, it was their passion, attitude and commitment. I have my doubts if we have players in this present team who realize what an honour it is to play for Arsenal. When i hear Cesc wanting to leave us for his hometown club, i feel like telling him ‘mate you are the captain of Arsenal FC and do you realize what that means?’
I dont know who we will buy or not, i just want my team to be filled with players who are proud to wear the Arsenal jersey and remember that when they play there are millions of Gooners across the world who look at them with hope. Arsenal is not just a football team it is a way of life for me and for lot many more.

Gervinho set to join Arsenal by this weekend

Reports from North London claim that Lille’s Gervinho has agreed personal terms with Arsenal all that is pending is a paper to pen approval for a four-year contract. £10.6million is said to be the price that paved way for the deal to be completed.

Gervinho’s peformance last season caught the eyes of top European clubs. He was pivotal in Lille’s Double winning season, scoring 18 goals and making 10 assists. Arsenal move was imminent from the very moment when the French club rejected the bid from PSG a week ago. Gervinho himself  had declared that he wanted a move to England.

The arrival of Gervinho confirms the exit of Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner , who has admitted publicly that he wants to quit Arsenal for  first-team action. This should be a very big signing as Wenger can use Gervinho both as striker and a wing-forward, something which Bendtner was not comfortable with. He will be a readymade piece on Wenger’s 4-2-3-1 formation.