Former-Disney duo attack Eisner

WAR has been declared on Walt Disney chief Michael Eisner by the company's largest shareholder Roy Disney and former director Stanley Gold.

Disney, a nephew of the company's founder and the last family link to Walt within the company, was forced to resign because of a rule barring board membership over the age of 72. Gold, a long-time Disney ally, also quit.

Their opposition to Eisner is the biggest threat to his leadership in the 19 years that he had been at the helm. The two former directors said their departure gave them the freedom to criticise the chairman from outside the company.

Gold added: 'It would be our hope to put pressure on the board to bring in new management.'

The two men appear intent on a campaign to change institutional investors' view of Eisner, who has led Disney longer than any other chief executive has headed a Dow Jones index company.