Arsenal Set to Honour Late Ken Friar With Black Armbands vs Lille

Arsenal will wear black armbands for tonight's Champions League clash with Lille in memory of Life President Ken Friar OBE, who has sadly passed away aged 92.

The club shared the news in a statement on Tuesday, paying tribute to a man whose service to Arsenal spanned more than seven decades.

The statement read, 'Since our formation in 1886, there have been many inspirational individuals who have driven our club forward, but 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. One that will surely never be matched.'

Born and raised in Islington, Friar joined Arsenal as a teenager in 1950 and went on to hold almost every senior administrative role at the club. He served as club secretary and later managing director, working alongside generations of players, managers and staff.

His time at the club stretched from the days of Tom Whittaker to Mikel Arteta, and he was part of the club through every one of its league titles since 1953. That included the Double-winning sides of 1971, 1998 and 2002, the Invincibles of 2003/04, and last season's triumph, which ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League crown.

He was also a central figure in the club's move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, overseeing the project that took Arsenal into their new home in 2006. In recognition of his contribution, the bridge leading supporters towards the stadium was named the Ken Friar Bridge.

Friar was awarded an OBE for his services to football, and was later named Life President, a role that reflected the deep affection and respect he held throughout the club.

He remained a familiar and much-loved presence at the club well into his later years, and his loyalty to Arsenal was matched by few in the history of the game.

Tonight's armbands will be the first of several tributes, with further commemorations to be held at the Emirates when Arsenal host Everton later this month, according to Simon Collings.