Who was Ken Friar? Arsenal mourn club icon who left extraordinary legacy

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Arsenal announced the death of their life president Ken Friar OBE on Tuesday, and players will be wearing black armbands during their Champions League match against Lille in his memory.

There will be further commemorations and tributes to Friar’s life when Arsenal host Everton in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, October 24.

Friar, who was 92, was a former board member, managing director and secretary of the club who was appointed life president back in September 2020.

Born in Islington in 1934, Friar’s association with Arsenal lasted nine decades and began with a chance meeting with the then Arsenal manager George Allison, who gave an 11-year-old Friar a job as a messenger and runner for half-a-crown-a-week in wages.

When he had completed his studies at Highbury County Grammar School five years later, Arsenal hired Friar full-time and convinced him to turn down a better-paid job elsewhere.

He began in 1950 as a junior in the box office before becoming assistant secretary to the administrator Bob Wall in 1965. Friar was involved in Highbury hosting the world title fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper in 1966 and by 1973 had been promoted to club secretary.

Friar’s rise up the ranks of one of England’s biggest clubs only continued. In 1983, he was appointed managing director and became the person who was running the club on a day-to-day basis.

In post during the hugely successful George Graham era, Friar had important decisions to make including how to tackle the rise of hooliganism and the remodelling of the stadium.

Club icon: Life president Ken Friar was associated with Arsenal for nine decadesGettyFriar spent decades leading the charge of Arsenal’s proposed move to a new stadium — whether Wembley or Alexandra Palace or elsewhere — and became director, responsible for the move away from Highbury. The Emirates Stadium opened in July 2006.

He was involved in Queen Elizabeth II officially opening the stadium and the first team travelling to Buckingham Palace to meet her.

During Arsene Wenger’s reign, Friar was board member, and he continued to be a titan at Arsenal. He was awarded with an OBE for services to football in 2000, honoured with the Freedom of the Borough of Islington in 2004, and in 2014 was informed the South Stand Bridge was to be renamed The Ken Friar Bridge.

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A statue was constructed that depicted the 11-year-old Friar when he had that chance meeting with Allison on Avenell Road back in 1945.

In 2020, he stepped down as executive director and was appointed life president, taking more of a back seat but still working at the club from time to time.

He is seen as being one of the most important figures in Arsenal’s 140-year history.