Ken Friar

Kenneth John Friar (born 13 August 1934) is a former board member, managing director and secretary of Arsenal Football Club. In September 2020 he was appointed life president of the club.

Life

Ken Friar was educated at St John's School, Highbury and Highbury County Grammar School after passing the eleven-plus. Friar began working at Arsenal part-time as a 12-year-old in 1946 after he kicked a football under the car of the Arsenal manager George Allison. Allison offered Friar a job as a matchday messenger boy at Arsenal after being impressed with his enthusiasm. He left school in 1950 and started work in the club's box office.

On 17 February 1983 he was appointed managing director by chairman Peter Hill-Wood, a role he lasted in until 2000. During this time, Friar has taken an active role in negotiating manager and player contracts as well as fostering Arsenal's links with the community and supporter groups, in addition to successfully arguing against crowd-fencing at Highbury. The London Borough of Islington also awarded him the freedom of the borough in 2004.

As at 27 March 2007 he owned 47 shares representing 0.07% of Arsenal Football Club after he transferred 147 to the then Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood.

As of 7 September 2015, he owned 1 share representing 0.0016% of Arsenal Football Club, Ivan Gazidis also owns 1 share, with the remaining shares being owned by Arsenal (AFC Holdings) limited.

On 14 April 2011, The North Bridge, which joins Arsenal's Emirates Stadium to Arsenal tube station, was renamed ‘The Ken Friar Bridge’ in tribute to Club Director Ken Friar OBE.

At a short ceremony attended by Friar himself, family, friends and Club staff, a statue was unveiled at the end of the bridge, opposite the Arsenal Museum at the north end of the stadium. The statue depicts Friar playing football as a youngster in 1945 in front of the old Highbury Stadium.

Personal life Friar married Gwendoline Maureen Deacon in 1957. They had a son and daughter. Gwendoline Friar died of pancreatic cancer on 29 December 2020, at the age of 88.