'Much missed': Former Arsenal chairman Sir Chips Keswick dies aged 84 as club pays tribute to him
Arsenal have announced the death of former club president Sir Chips Keswick at the age of 84.
Keswick took over as Chairman from Peter Hill-Wood in 2013, where he expertly led the club for seven seasons.
During that time, the Gunners won four FA Cup titles.
Fittingly, in his final year with the north London giants, Mikel Arteta's side won the FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2-1 in the 2020 final.
A Arsenal statement read: “It is with great sadness that the club announces the death of former president, Sir Chips Keswick.”
The club added: “Sir Chips will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him at Arsenal.
“And we extend our deepest condolences to his wife Lady Sarah and his sons David, Tobias and Adam.”
A lifelong Arsenal fan, Keswick regularly attended Highbury in his youth, before making a name for himself in the banking industry.
In 1993, he earned a knighthood as a result of his work in the banking sector.
Keswick, a former head of the Bank of England, was a close friend of former Arsenal chairman Hill-Wood.
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He eventually joined the club's board of directors in 2005, alongside Lord Harris, with Keswick being the natural choice to replace Hill-Wood eight years later.
After his retirement, Keswick was able to enjoy his second sport: horse racing.
As stated in Arsenal's tribute, the club said: “Retirement allowed him to spend more time with his beloved family, as well as enjoy his other great sporting passion, horse racing.
“He was a respected owner of numerous racehorses over the years.”
Keswick declared it was an “honour” to serve Arsenal after announcing he would step down as chairman four years ago.
He commented: “It has been an honor to be the chairman of this great football club. Arsenal has always held a special place in my life and will continue to do so in the future.
“I made clear to the board my plan to retire at the end of this season, before the global health crisis we are experiencing now.
“The club is in good hands with Stan and Josh (Kroenke), the board of directors and the executive team.
“I know that Arsenal will come out of this situation strong and I hope, like all our fans around the world, to see the team in action as soon as possible.”
