Arsenal’s vice-chairman Dein holidays in safe corner of the world |05 January 2005

Vacationers have been coming to Seychelles for their holidays during the festive season and they have not regretted coming here. Among the many foreign guests was David Dein, the vice-chairman of English Premiership defending champions, Arsenal Football Club.

The guiding spirit behind Arsenal’s transformation, both on and off the field, Dein chose Praslin for his holiday destination and he stayed at the Lemuria Hotel where he spent both Christmas and New Year.

The hotel’s general manager, Andrew Spearman, told Sports Nation Tuesday January 4 that Dein was joined by his son, Gavin, at the Lemuria Hotel when the tidal waves, resulting from the powerful earthquake in Indonesia on December 26, 2004, hit the Maldives.

“Gavin and his girlfriend were in the Maldives when the disaster occurred. A section of the hotel Gavin and his girlfriend where living in in the Maldives was destroyed and they had to evacuate. He (Gavin) phoned his dad and he (David) asked him and his girlfriend to join him at Lemuria,” said Lemuria Hotel’s general manager Spearman.
The Deins left Seychelles on Monday January 3.

General manager Spearman explained that despite the recent tidal waves and bad weather, the Lemuria Hotel had “suffered no damage” and “there was not a single cancellation and no one checked out early.”
The Lemuria Hotel “is in great shape” he added.

First brought into Arsenal in 1983, Dein, it is to note, recruited Arsene Wenger in 1996 when the Frenchman was unknown in England and the coach (manger in England) has led Arsenal to winning the double on two separate occasions in 1997-1998 and 2001-2002.

Vice-chairman of the English Football Association (FA) since 2000 but lost the post after it was scrapped in August last year, Dein remains a member on the FA board. He was also elected to the management board of the G14 group of elite European clubs in September 2004. He will serve two years in the role.

It is worth noting that Arsenal, winners of last year’s Premiership with an unbeaten record in 38 matches – 26 wins and 12 draws – have been drawn against German side Bayern Munich in the knockout stage of the ongoing European Champions League.

The club’s vice-chairman Dein told the media after the draw that he knew the Champions League clash against Bayern Munich won’t be easy, but is adamant Arsenal are aiming to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

“It was always going to be tough and Bayern Munich, who are top of their domestic league, have won the European Cup four times in their history, and it will be two exciting matches. Whoever it was, it would be two sell-outs and it will be great for television. We have a talented squad and I would like to think we could progress in the competition. We are looking forward to it.”

G. G.