Arsenal players wore black armbands during their Champions League match against Lille in memory of former managing director and club secretary Ken Friar, who died aged 92. The club announced his death just seven hours before kick-off, with further tributes planned for their next home match against Everton on Saturday, October 24.
Who was Ken Friar?
Friar became Arsenal's life president in 2020 after stepping down from his role as executive director. He had previously served as club secretary and managing director, leading the club's historic move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006.
What Arsenal said
Arsenal said in a statement: "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."
His long service to the club
Friar's remarkable journey with Arsenal began when he was just 11 years old in 1945, after a chance encounter with manager George Allison outside Highbury, who hired him as a messenger. He was paid half a crown a week to run between the stadium's front door and box office.
He rose through the ranks to become general manager in 1973, then managing director a decade later. In 2000, he received an OBE for Services to Football and was honoured with the Freedom of the Borough during Arsenal's move to Islington, where he was born in 1934. The South Stand Bridge has been named in his honour since 2014, featuring a statue of Friar as a young footballer on Avenell Road outside Highbury's Marble Halls.
