Rob Harris of the Associated Press reported on twitter this morning that Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal's chairman of the board for the last 31 years, and the third generation of Hill-Wood to serve in that capacity, is stepping down from his role:
Sir Chips Keswick is new Arsenal chairman. Peter Hill-Wood standing down for health reasons
— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) June 14, 2013
UPDATE: Here is the full article from the club's official website.
Hill-Wood has presided over arguably the best period of Arsenal's history, although day-to-day operations were never really his jam, as he preferred to leave those to folks like David Dein and Ivan Gazidis. He is rightly and most famously remembered for his remark after Michael Thomas' late late late late title-winning goal at Anfield, when after the game finished, he popped a cigar into his mouth and said, "Never in doubt".
Hill-Wood and Keswick are good friends going back to their banking days, and if you think there's a better name for an English gentleman than Sir Chips Keswick, you're wrong. There isn't. Alan Davies of the Tuesday Club podcast loves referring to Keswick's "ear trumpet", too, which is the best thing.
Unfortunately, Hill-Wood's health has not been very good lately, as he suffered a heart attack this past December. We all wish him the best recovery, and thank him for his years of service heading up the club we all love.