John Henry bids for Liverpool FC

[Redguard]

Just purchased the monthly subscription to LFC.tv online today. Watched Henry's interview and couldn't help but notice the contrast between it and the interview Hicks gave to Sky Sports earlier today.

 

Hicks: Self-serving, litany of excuses, wants all the credit and none of the blame. Attitude: What is in it for me?

 

Henry: Reserved, focused on delivering quality to fans, service-oriented. Attitude: What can I do for you?

 

Two men who didn't grow up all that far from each other (Hicks in Texas; Henry part-time in Arkansas). But they are worlds apart in approach. Hicks viewed Liverpool as a get-richer-quick scheme. He's upset because he ended up with a loss on an investment whose debt he intended to load partially onto Liverpool and partially onto a future owner of his preference.

 

Henry views Liverpool as a long-term investment. NESV took up the acquisition debt for LFC instead of loading the purchase price onto the club itself. That shows a commitment to truly building something solid and lasting. In that scenario, you are going to be more committed to getting things done on the stadium, on personnel development, in marketing the club, and on improving the matchday experience for the fans.

 

Hicks said something to the effect that there were far better owners for Liverpool than NESV. To the extent that this has always been about what was best for Hicks instead of what was right for LFC, he is right. Hicks probably had a better deal for him set up or close to completion. What was best for LFC never entered his equation at any time he operated the club.

 

Thank God someone was in charge who had as his mission finding owners who would fit the bill for what was best for both the club and its main creditor. In another time and place, H&G could've gotten away with this and put this club at the mercies of an asset-stripper while laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Welcome to the family, Liverpool fans. I think you are going to like the approach and the activity your new stewards will bring to your club.

 

Thanks Virgil, good write up there btw.

 

Some free video links from the club .......

 

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/one-dramatic-day-8-videos

[Diaby does Gallas]

This is where Hicks got the idea from for the $1.6 billion

 

youtube.com/watch?v=jTmXHvGZiSY

 

if you put the W's before then you willsee the point.

[daveymac]

Its good news that the deal has gone through. Good riddance Tom Hicks. I just have to get over this hangover now.

[AJ2010]

Just like to say Welcome to Liverpool FC to NESV and the whole Red Sox Nation!

 

Please note that not all us Liverpool fans are arrogant, stupid or just plain immature unlike some of the so called "fans" who have posted such rubbish like "Im not sure I want Liverpool FC to be owned by someone who cant spell the word "socks" properly!"

 

If fans of either club want to break free of the old us v them stereotype, I think there has to be a certain level of maturity and I really hope the majority of fans take the time to teach each other about their loves of their respective games, if not why bother joining a forum such as this one just to wind people up!

 

Looking forward to a very bright future together!

[AJ2010]

Just purchased the monthly subscription to LFC.tv online today. Watched Henry's interview and couldn't help but notice the contrast between it and the interview Hicks gave to Sky Sports earlier today.

 

Hicks: Self-serving, litany of excuses, wants all the credit and none of the blame. Attitude: What is in it for me?

 

Henry: Reserved, focused on delivering quality to fans, service-oriented. Attitude: What can I do for you?

 

Two men who didn't grow up all that far from each other (Hicks in Texas; Henry part-time in Arkansas). But they are worlds apart in approach. Hicks viewed Liverpool as a get-richer-quick scheme. He's upset because he ended up with a loss on an investment whose debt he intended to load partially onto Liverpool and partially onto a future owner of his preference.

 

Henry views Liverpool as a long-term investment. NESV took up the acquisition debt for LFC instead of loading the purchase price onto the club itself. That shows a commitment to truly building something solid and lasting. In that scenario, you are going to be more committed to getting things done on the stadium, on personnel development, in marketing the club, and on improving the matchday experience for the fans.

 

Hicks said something to the effect that there were far better owners for Liverpool than NESV. To the extent that this has always been about what was best for Hicks instead of what was right for LFC, he is right. Hicks probably had a better deal for him set up or close to completion. What was best for LFC never entered his equation at any time he operated the club.

 

Thank God someone was in charge who had as his mission finding owners who would fit the bill for what was best for both the club and its main creditor. In another time and place, H&G could've gotten away with this and put this club at the mercies of an asset-stripper while laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Welcome to the family, Liverpool fans. I think you are going to like the approach and the activity your new stewards will bring to your club.

 

Good post there Vigil couldn't have said it better, it's just a shame this has become such a blood bath over the last few years and as a lifelong Liverpool fan I can honestly say I was really worried H&G would block the sale to NESV and somehow sell to the Mill Financial, it really does feel like a weight of our shoulders.

 

Not sure if you guys have heard about our "not a penny more" campaign on all LFC merchandise during the last year or so, but now we have new owners, the official website http://www.liverpoolfc.tv is currently offering 20% off everything in the online store! that means a 42 pound shirt is now only 33.60 ($53.70) (just in case anyones interested) we also have a decent range of polos, hoodies, dress shirts etc etc, check it out.

 

Catch ya later

 

Andy

[daveymac]

Good post there Vigil couldn't have said it better, it's just a shame this has become such a blood bath over the last few years and as a lifelong Liverpool fan I can honestly say I was really worried H&G would block the sale to NESV and somehow sell to the Mill Financial, it really does feel like a weight of our shoulders.

 

Not sure if you guys have heard about our "not a penny more" campaign on all LFC merchandise during the last year or so, but now we have new owners, the official website http://www.liverpoolfc.tv is currently offering 20% off everything in the online store! that means a 42 pound shirt is now only 33.60 ($53.70) (just in case anyones interested) we also have a decent range of polos, hoodies, dress shirts etc etc, check it out.

 

Catch ya later

 

Andy

 

 

 

 

YES PEOPLE, the boycott of club merchandise is over. Its going to cost me a fortune now getting the kids kitted out in the new gear. But am glad to see the discount that's being offered though. :thumbsup:

[flred]

YES PEOPLE' date=' the boycott of club merchandise is over. Its going to cost me a fortune now getting the kids kitted out in the new gear. But am glad to see the discount that's being offered though. :thumbsup:[/quote']

 

Same here, although we might be disappointed, the club is lousy at having merchandising available in a timely manner. Did you try to get any memorabilia for Istanbul? The club were woefully out of touch with demand and products. This was the kind of commercialization I was hoping H&G would bring to the club, after the pathetic efforts from Moores and Parry. *sigh*

[Virgil Stallcup]

Good post there Vigil couldn't have said it better, it's just a shame this has become such a blood bath over the last few years and as a lifelong Liverpool fan I can honestly say I was really worried H&G would block the sale to NESV and somehow sell to the Mill Financial, it really does feel like a weight of our shoulders.

 

Not sure if you guys have heard about our "not a penny more" campaign on all LFC merchandise during the last year or so, but now we have new owners, the official website http://www.liverpoolfc.tv is currently offering 20% off everything in the online store! that means a 42 pound shirt is now only 33.60 ($53.70) (just in case anyones interested) we also have a decent range of polos, hoodies, dress shirts etc etc, check it out.

 

Catch ya later

 

Andy

 

Had it gone to Mill, I think it would have been an unmitigated disaster. Mill's interest would've been the same as H&G's--only they would've squeezed every last penny possible out of the club. Liverpool's best players would've been sold without money being put back into the playing side. In the end, Mill Financial would've made H&G look like Jack Walker. It says much about Hicks that he would consider such a transfer.

 

I'm familiar with the boycott efforts. Had to be painful because you really want to help your team out in any way possible. The club is smart to time the sale at the shop around the sale of the club.

[flred]

Had it gone to Mill, I think it would have been an unmitigated disaster. Mill's interest would've been the same as H&G's--only they would've squeezed every last penny possible out of the club. Liverpool's best players would've been sold without money being put back into the playing side. In the end, Mill Financial would've made H&G look like Jack Walker. It says much about Hicks that he would consider such a transfer.

 

I'm familiar with the boycott efforts. Had to be painful because you really want to help your team out in any way possible. The club is smart to time the sale at the shop around the sale of the club.

 

I read Mill use a tiny interest rate of 17% too! Yes, that's above no-questions-asked sharks. You can bet there are massive points too. For UK people, points are an additional arrangement type fee you pay with mortgages/loans in the US. A point is 1%. Had Mill taken over, I would have expected our club to go under. Not doing a Leeds, or a Pompy, or anywhere in the H.R. (brown envelope man) trail, but closed up for good.

 

Is the derby on the box tomorrow? FSC have the crappy blackpool v man c game listed.

[daveymac]

I read Mill use a tiny interest rate of 17% too! Yes, that's above no-questions-asked sharks. You can bet there are massive points too. For UK people, points are an additional arrangement type fee you pay with mortgages/loans in the US. A point is 1%. Had Mill taken over, I would have expected our club to go under. Not doing a Leeds, or a Pompy, or anywhere in the H.R. (brown envelope man) trail, but closed up for good.

 

Is the derby on the box tomorrow? FSC have the crappy blackpool v man c game listed.

 

 

The game is on Live in Holland on sport 1 digital. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[AJ2010]

I read Mill use a tiny interest rate of 17% too! Yes, that's above no-questions-asked sharks. You can bet there are massive points too. For UK people, points are an additional arrangement type fee you pay with mortgages/loans in the US. A point is 1%. Had Mill taken over, I would have expected our club to go under. Not doing a Leeds, or a Pompy, or anywhere in the H.R. (brown envelope man) trail, but closed up for good.

 

Is the derby on the box tomorrow? FSC have the crappy blackpool v man c game listed.

 

The derby is on Sky Sports 1 & HD1 tomorrow at 1.30 GMT, get yourself over to the lfc reds forum using this link http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php?topic=1288.2400 they usually find a decent live stream somewhere in asia for most games.

 

I read on Friday morning that Hicks had sold his shares to Mill, however they were unable to complete the deal as they still needed a majority board vote (of which H&G are outvoted 3-2) in addition the Premier League have a "Fit and Proper" test for owners and directors.

 

The details of the test are myriad but the most important points forbid anyone with unspent criminal convictions relating to acts of dishonesty or someone who has taken a football club in to administration twice from taking charge of a football club, which the PL refused to do as they did not receive any instruction to do so from the board.

 

I know this sounds cheesy and expected, but I am actually really excited at what I believe NESV can achieve at our club, John Henry seems like a genuine and passionate guy and thats just what we need right now.

[Virgil Stallcup]

I read Mill use a tiny interest rate of 17% too! Yes, that's above no-questions-asked sharks. You can bet there are massive points too. For UK people, points are an additional arrangement type fee you pay with mortgages/loans in the US. A point is 1%. Had Mill taken over, I would have expected our club to go under. Not doing a Leeds, or a Pompy, or anywhere in the H.R. (brown envelope man) trail, but closed up for good.

 

Is the derby on the box tomorrow? FSC have the crappy blackpool v man c game listed.

 

Do you have FSC+? I think it is on there.

 

As for Blackpool, I enjoy watching them. The try to play quality football. Adam is someone I especially like. And Holloway? He's an original.

 

ManUre? Unless they are getting done up "right good" as they say in my native East Tennessee, I avoid watching them.

[flred]

Do you have FSC+? I think it is on there.

 

Alas not, it's too dear and not HD the last time I checked. I'd be happy with BBC radio 5 live.

 

I can see the owners at the game. Here's a live stream (while it works)

 

EDIT: Well that was dire. Zero movement and hopeful hoofs into the box to a lone Torres against 3 thugs at the back. Clueless Hodgson tactics, lousy players? Let's hope we change it around for the 2nd half. And to top it off, I went to toilet and that's when they scored!

 

EDIT2: Unbelievable. My feed dies and they score again. Come on Hodgson, subs now, not 10 minutes from the end!

[Virgil Stallcup]

Alas not, it's too dear and not HD the last time I checked. I'd be happy with BBC radio 5 live.

 

I can see the owners at the game. Here's a live stream (while it works)

 

EDIT: Well that was dire. Zero movement and hopeful hoofs into the box to a lone Torres against 3 thugs at the back. Clueless Hodgson tactics, lousy players? Let's hope we change it around for the 2nd half. And to top it off, I went to toilet and that's when they scored!

 

EDIT2: Unbelievable. My feed dies and they score again. Come on Hodgson, subs now, not 10 minutes from the end!

 

All too clear we're suffering the impact of poor transfer decisions made over the last half-decade. That isn't just on Hodgson. He's a good manager with considerable ability (Not easy to develop Fulham from certain relegation fodder to European competition.). But there are times when a situation just doesn't fit the man. Leeds weren't right for Clough. Hodgson may not be the right man for Liverpool.

 

You best know where you stand after a derby match. It should be fairly simple for RH to see the dead weight in the side and move to send them to exile. If he continues to keep some of these players in the starting eleven, then he's all but begging for the axe.

 

There was a vast gulf within our squad between players who were chasing the win and players who were just happy to collect a wage. Hodgson must go into action and do everything he can to help the workers or the bums will drag them down into the abyss with them.

[AJ2010]

I'm not sure yet whether getting rid of Hodgson will solve our woes at the moment, however I don't think it will do any harm as Torres had a dire game yesterday and had about 1 decent chance off the head from a excellent cross in from Cole which was tipped over the bar. Instead of taking off his star player, instead he takes off Lucas who had quite a good game and deserved to stay on, not to mention he had at least 2 shots which could have gone in IMO.

 

To summarise yesterdays game was simply not good enough from the players POV and the managers decisions made on subs, I hope Henry can see the prediciment we are in and gives us a decent transfer budget of about 40 Million pounds!

[Red_Success]

We dont get to see much televised MLB in the UK, i think we did a while ago, not seen any for ages. I think it was on pretty late too. However i'll attempt to start following the Red Sox now, even though ive not a clue around the rules, scoring etc... i'll have to do some googling and reading up, Im starting from a point of not having any understanding beyond seeing Homer and flanders at a game, and Homer had a Nacho Hat

[LFCKEV71]

John Henry Gets `Steal' as $476 Million in Liverpool May Double

 

John W. Henry’s New England Sports Ventures may double its investment in Liverpool Football Club in five years, according to bankers who work with English Premier League teams.

Henry, 61, purchased England’s most successful soccer team for 300 million pounds ($476 million), 81 million pounds more than Tom Hicks and George Gillett paid for it in February 2007. Hicks and Gillett were forced to sell to repay 200 million pounds of the club’s 351 million pounds of debt.

 

Henry, who owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, isn’t buying a broken business, said bankers who requested anonymity because they didn’t want to lose other teams in the league as clients. Hicks, 64, and Gillett, 72, raised revenue and operating profit at the 118-year-old club before being felled by debt and a credit crisis that made banks less willing to lend.

“This is a steal,” said Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based consultant who was a principle in a Chinese group negotiating to buy the club. “There is a reason John Henry was so eager to close this deal -- he got himself the bargain of the century.”

 

Two bankers who requested anonymity say that, under ordinary circumstances, the team would have been worth an additional 100 million to 150 million pounds. In five years, it may be worth twice as much, they said. Ganis agreed.

Forbes Magazine estimated Liverpool’s value at 533 million pounds in its April 21 edition.

Never Walk Alone

 

Liverpool, which has fan clubs in cities from New York to Bangkok, dominated European soccer for two decades, winning 11 of its 18 English championships and four of its five European Cups between 1972 and 1990, with players such as Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush and John Barnes. The team logo bears the words “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and fans sing the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein song before every home match.

Fans protested Hicks and Gillett’s ownership because of the debt loaded onto the team, holding marches and burning the U.S. flag. In the Kop, a section of the stadium that holds some of the team’s most fervent fans, supporters held banners that said “Thanks, but no Yanks.” During the hearing that cleared the sale to Henry at the High Court in London, scores of red-clad Liverpool supporters cheered and sang when Hicks and Gillett were ordered to sell.

 

Henry’s purchase came at one of the darkest times in Liverpool’s history: The club was off to its worst start in 57 seasons, and it has been two decades since it won an English championship.

Red Sox Success

Liverpool fans may take solace in Henry’s record with the Red Sox: The club has won two championships since his purchase in 2002; its most recent title before then was in 1918.

The sale slashed Liverpool’s annual debt payment to between 2 million and 3 million pounds from between 25 million and 30 million pounds, Henry’s investment group said in a news release last month. It didn’t say how it financed the agreement, and Henry didn’t return messages left at his office.

Hicks and Gillett increased sales 46 percent to 195.5 million pounds in three years through July 31 and raised operating profit -- which doesn’t include interest on debt or player acquisition costs -- more than threefold to 32 million pounds.

 

Liverpool may surpass 200 million pounds in revenue for the first time at the end of the current season, though audited financial reports for fiscal 2010 won’t be available until April.

Hicks declined to be interviewed, while Gillett wouldn’t comment on the potential value of the team under Henry’s group. Hicks, in a press release, called that sale to Henry’s group an “epic swindle” and tried to stop the sale in court.

‘Made Them Winners’

British Airways Plc Chairman Martin Broughton, who became Liverpool chairman in April at the request of creditor Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, said the board favored Henry because of his success with the Red Sox.

“They came in and made them winners,” he said in an interview last month. “That’s what we want to see.”

 

Liverpool today announced it has hired recruitment company Spencer Stuart to find a replacement for a chief executive officer following Managing Director Christian Purslow’s exit last month. Henry’s business partner Tom Werner was named chairman last week.

Broughton said the team’s problems were caused by a reliance on debt by Hicks and Gillett, not lack of operational acumen.

“The commercial revenue was way higher than what it was before,” Broughton said. “They’ve done some pretty good things. Without the leverage they could have been successful.”

Expansion Plans

With revenue up and debt down, the new owners are in a position to invest in the club.

Hicks and Gillett planned to spend 350 million pounds on a new 60,000-seat stadium, which would have added about 75 more hospitality suites and about 8,000 premium seats. Henry’s group hasn’t decided whether to adopt the plan or consider other possibilities, Liverpool spokesman Paul Tyrrell said.

Anfield, the team’s 126-year-old home, has 45,000 seats and 25 hospitality suites that generated 42.5 million pounds in fiscal 2009.

 

By comparison, game-day revenue at London team Arsenal more than doubled in a year to 93.9 million pounds after it moved to a new 60,000-seat stadium in July 2006, according to the team.

Revenue Trails

Liverpool’s match-day revenue ranks eighth in England and compares with 108.8 million pounds at Manchester United, 100.1 million pounds at Arsenal and 74.5 million pounds at Chelsea, Deloitte LLP said in its Football Money League report in March.

However, Liverpool’s revenue from sponsorships and merchandise for fiscal 2009 was the second highest in the Premier League at 67.7 million pounds, trailing only Manchester United (70 million pounds), Deloitte said.

 

As the business side stabilizes, the team is showing signs of recovery on the field. The Reds, who play at Wigan tonight, have lost once in five games since the takeover and they beat league leader and defending champion Chelsea 2-0 on Nov. 7.

“We’ve won four games in a row,” said striker Fernando Torres, who scored both goals against Chelsea, his first two- goal game of the season. “This is what we have to be doing more regularly because this is what Liverpool is all about. We are now moving in the right direction.”

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-10/john-henry-gets-steal-as-476-million-in-liverpool-may-double.html