Soccer-Arsenal chairman warms to Kroenke

LONDON, Oct 05 (Reuters) - Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood hopes to get American tycoon Stan Kroenke to join forces with the club's directors to stop a Russian takeover of the club.

Kroenke, who owns 12 percent of the club's shares, received a hostile reception from Hill-Wood earlier in the year when it was thought he wanted to make a move for the club.

Vice-chairman David Dein left Arsenal because of his support for Kroenke, but now Hill-Wood appears to be trying to get Kroenke on board and held talks with him on Wednesday.

"I think it would be rather nice if he (Kroenke) would join the lockdown," Hill-Wood was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph. "It's obviously up to him but we would welcome it.

"He now sees the benefits from a long-term relationship with us and is not remotely interested in making a bid.

Arsenal's directors have agreed not to sell their 45 percent stake in the club to avert a takeover by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov who owns 23 percent of the shares.

Earlier this week Usnamov said he had not ruled out making a bid for the Premier League leaders, although not in the immediate future.