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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Liam Prenderville

Arsenal fans to set up breakaway club amid anger at Stan Kroenke ownership

Arsenal fans are planning to set up a new breakaway club amid discontent at the current ownership at the Emirates.

Gunners supporters have held many protests at the running of the club under the ownership of Stan Kroenke.

A new club, Dial Square FC, is set to be launched for the start of next season in the hope it can emulate AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester.

Dial Square references Arsenal's original name when the club was founded by the Woolwich munitions workers in 1886.

The breakaway club, who will play in a burgundy shirt and white socks, hope to enter in the ninth tier of English football in August.

Arsenal fans protest against Stan Kroenke (AFP/Getty Images)

Arsenal fan Stuart Morgan, who is leading the initiative, told the Athletic: "“The club has lost its identity in so many different ways. This Arsenal team, the club, the set-up, the stadium, is nothing like it was in its heyday.

"It’s so commercialised, I sit in club level. It’s soulless, it’s lifeless, it’s not Arsenal Football Club.

"The reason I wanted to do this project is to go back to beginning, to try and get back to that original Arsenal."

Arsenal wore burgundy for their last season at Highbury (Getty Images)

Dial Square have agreed to ground share with Abbey Rangers, who are based in Surrey but hope to move to the original home in Woolwich.

“Our aim is to get to play league football at our own purpose-built stadium in Woolwich within 15-20 years," Morgan added.

"We want to be as close to the old arms factory as possible. This has been done before and we can do it again."

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