Ray Parlour and Robbie Lyle clash over Arsenal fan channel AFTV

Ray Parlour called AFTV an ’embarrassment’ (Getty/AFTV)

Ray Parlour and the owner of Arsenal fan channel AFTV, Robbie Lyle, clashed during a live radio interview with the former Gunners midfielder accusing the YouTube show of profiting from the club’s negativity.

The Arsenal-based YouTube channel, which has over 1.3 million subscribers, has strongly voiced its disapproval of the club’s plan to become one of the founding members of the Super League.

Lyle, who founded AFTV in 2012, has now called on Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke to leave the club and claims the broken trust between the hierarchy and the fans is irreparable.

‘I want rid of the owners,’ Lyle said in an interview with talkSPORT on Friday morning.

‘For me it goes deeper than just a season on the pitch, it’s the way they look after the club. I don’t trust them anymore. Now the trust is completely gone, I just don’t trust them with the future of Arsenal football club. This is beyond our performances on the pitch.

‘His only ambition is to make money. For years and years we saw that their only aim was to get into the top four, because the Champions League gets them money. They have never had any ambition to win things.’

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But Parlour accused Lyle of wanting Arsenal to lose so that AFTV’s viewership and subscription rates increase.

The former Arsenal midfielder asked: ‘Robbie what’s your reaction when certain fans say, and I’m probably one of them, that Arsenal Fan TV wants Arsenal to lose because you get more hits on your YouTube channel?

‘Because, what it is, all the other fans want to see Arsenal fans having a meltdown when we lose a game.

‘I look at Arsenal Fan TV and say sometimes you’re quite an embarrassment to look at it.

‘As an Arsenal fan I want them to win every game, I think sometimes you look at it and think, ‘if we lose we’re going to get more hits this week and make more money’.’

Lyle replied: ‘What’s this got to do what we’re talking about? Ray, with all due respect, you’re talking rubbish.

‘I want my team to win absolutely every game and I know you’re very close to the club and maybe you find it very difficult to speak out on this situation. But I’m saying to you that this is beyond performances on the pitch right now, we’re talking about an owner who doesn’t care. We’re talking about an owner who doesn’t care, I care about this club, I’ve supported this club since the 80s. I don’t think these owners are suitable to run this club. Simple as that.’

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke was keen for the club to join the Super League (Getty)

Parlour: ‘Yeah but it’s hard to get rid of owners. Manchester United are in the same situation, sometimes you’ve got to just hope they can put the money in because owners don’t walk away for the sake of it.’

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Lyle: ‘But Ray, do you trust these owners?’

Parlour: ‘Well, at the moment no because they shouldn’t have ever done what they did and they have apologised.’

Parlour then turned the conversation back to his idea that AFTV are feeding off Arsenal’s negativity.

Parlour asked: ‘Honest question, did you get more hits this week because Arsenal are having a nightmare?’

Lyle replied: ‘This week… of course. Have talkSPORT had a lot more hits? You’re asking some ridiculous questions, Ray.

‘Are talkSPORT, are Sky and all these channels going to get more hits because what has gone on with the Super League? It’s a big talking point.’

Parlour: ‘I bet you more Tottenham fans follow you than Arsenal fans.’

Robbie: ‘Oh, you’re talking absolute rubbish, Ray.

‘Ray, this is the problem, you’re trying to protect your job at Arsenal [Parlour denies this] instead of talking about a very serious thing, the owners of our clubs and various other clubs trying to sell out a history, the fans and even the players of these clubs. And you’re asking me about hits? It’s nothing to do with hits, this is about Arsenal Football Club, a club that I love.

‘This is to do with the guys who do the Man United channels, they love the clubs, they go to watch them week in, week out with their own money.’

Parlour: ‘Oh come on Robbie, you like it when they lose as well. I’ve seen your videos when you lose and everyone’s having a meltdown.

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Lyle: ‘Have you seen it when we win? What is this? I’m sorry, but you’re so out of touch, Ray. You’re so out of touch is unbelievable.

‘I respect you as a player, you were a great, great player for Arsenal but listen, you need to understand this is bigger than hits, this is bigger than wins or losses, this is about our football club that is being ruined by the owners who don’t care and this week they proved that.’

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Parlour: ‘I know, I totally agree with that and it’ll take a long time to get trust back with the owners, if it does [ever] get back I don’t know.

Lyle: ‘What would you like them to do?’

Parlour: ‘Well first thing they can do is give a little bit of discount on season tickets and say, ‘sorry, we’ve made a bit of a mistake’. But we’ve still get behind the team.’

Lyle: ‘We are behind the team, 100 per cent. I go to every single game. I was there in Baku, UEFA, don’t take them out of this, they made us play a final in Baku, I was there. I’ve been to every single game, I’ve been to Ukraine, I follow this club everywhere. But right now this is bigger than what’s on the pitch, we’re talking about an ownership that doesn’t care.

Parlour: ‘I totally agree but I think we’re a bit of a laughing stock with your channel. I think people look at it and crack up when they see you going mad outside the stadium or whatever.

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‘Robbie, I’m so pleased you’re doing well, and it’s all great, don’t get me wrong, it’s all about business and all about making money, and good luck to you.’

Lyle: ‘You sound like Stan Kroenke… ‘it’s all about business and making money’.

Ray Parlour denied the accusation from Robbie Lyle that he has a job with Arsenal (Getty)

Parlour: ‘Well you’re making a few quid out of it by having a meltdown. I’m not Stan Kroenke, I want the best for Arsenal Football Club.’

Lyle: ‘I think I want the best for Arsenal Football Club at all times. I think you’re there protecting your job at Arsenal.’

Parlour: ‘What job? Let’s get this straight, I haven’t got a job at Arsenal, Robbie.’

Lyle: ‘We can agree to disagree but all I want is good ownership of Arsenal Football Club. This is a great football club with great history. It doesn’t matter if you agree with me or not, but the owners have let the fans down.’

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