John Henry bids for Liverpool FC

[LFCKEV71]

NESV will end interest in LFC if club is handed 9 point deduction.

 

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/1073239/HENRY-OFF-IF-LEAGUE-DOCK-POINTS.html

 

THE LIVERPOOL takeover is OFF if the Premier League carries out a threat to deduct the club nine points.

New England Sports Ventures will walk away from their ?300m deal if this week's court case ends with Liverpool being forced into administration.

 

The group led by John W. Henry are furious that both the league and bank appear to have shifted positions on this issue in the last 24 hours.

 

During their two months of negotiations in the purchase of the club, they believed they had guarantees that a nine-point deduction was not an option.

 

Only last month, Premier League sources told Sport of the World they would distinguish between Kop Holdings and the accounts of Liverpool FC.

 

And the RBS has often intimated it was not an option they were pursuing.

 

Now NESV are disturbed by the contradictory messages, making this week's court hearing on the club's future even more pivotal than it already was.

 

Liverpool supporters will be devastated that having believed their ownership ordeal is over, it may yet take another dire turn.

 

Sources closes to NESV insist they are as committed as ever to completing the deal and hope the court case will resolve any existing issues.

 

But they are not prepared to pay ?300m for a club which will be facing a fight against relegation, especially as they were informed this wouldn't be the case.

[Redguard]

Liverpool takeover: Red Sox owners consult former chief executive Rick Parry(s*** this can't be good)

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8053121/Liverpool-takeover-Red-Sox-owners-consult-former-chief-executive-Rick-Parry.html

 

Prospective Liverpool owners New England Sports Ventures have consulted Rick Parry, the club’s former chief executive who supported the takeover of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, over their own ?300 million bid to buy the Anfield side

 

John W Henry and Tom Werner, the principal figures behind NESV, the group which owns the Boston Red Sox, met with Parry in his capacity both as an expert on Liverpool and the Premier League.

The 55-year-old spent six years as the league’s inaugural chief executive before taking up his post at Anfield and helped negotiate a then-record ?700 million deal for television rights with Sky.

 

Parry, along with then chairman David Moores, elected to back Hicks’s and Gillett’s bid for Liverpool, rather than that of Dubai International

Capital, in February 2007. He retained his post at the club and is believed to have received a bonus of around ?500,000 for helping complete the sale.

Despite publicly clashing with Hicks in 2008, suggesting either he or his partner should leave Liverpool if they were unable to work together, Parry only left the club in May last year after losing a power struggle with then manager Rafael Ben?tez.

The club’s most recent accounts showed Parry, after 11 years at Anfield, had received a ?4.29 million pay-off.

Though he is just one of a number of experts consulted by NESV – who hope to complete their deal after a High Court hearing next week – it remains unclear whether he will be offered a role at the club should the takeover be completed.

Sources at Liverpool insisted this week that NESV have complete faith in the management structure already in place at the club and do not intend to make any immediate changes, though chairman Martin Broughton, brought in specifically to find a buyer, is likely to leave.

 

I wouldn't get too concerned. Nigel Boardman is batting for us next week and Broughton indicated that in 2007 G&H stated that there would be no debt on the club, which will be one of the submissions against G&H. That being the case it would not be unusual if Parry was contacted; as he may well be called as a witness, in which case all parties may well be interested as to what he has to say. The media may well have skewed the reason for contacting him. Of course - I may be completely wrong and they want Cocoa for the intervals.

[flred]

NESV will end interest in LFC if club is handed 9 point deduction.

 

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/1073239/HENRY-OFF-IF-LEAGUE-DOCK-POINTS.html

 

Dude, news of the world can fsck off and die.

[LFCKEV71]

only site that had the story

[flred]

Hello Flred, just to comment briefly on your last post first. Imo RH will not last long simply because he hasn't shown that natural 'charisma' and connection required. I don't doubt that he's a really nice lad but imo he doesn't have that natural 'presence' or commands enough expression required at the top level - finger definately not on the pulse.

 

You're right there! Hodgson has really lost it in interviews, considering he was the UK darling of the press. I bet it's just the "press" smelling blood and wanting to see another name fail to give them more pages of pap of fill.

 

We don't know what he's like with players, but I suspect he's more matey than a boss. We desperately need someone with a spine like Shanks, Paisley or Dalglish, to put the ponces and slackers in their place, or kick them out.

 

Hodgson's track reckon is about his strength of organizing mediocre players into a unit, something we are definitely not. I hope he comes good, or leaves very soon.

[flred]

only site that had the story

 

Says it all. Not your fault they're a bunch of w4ank3rs.

[LFCKEV71]

FINAL INSULT FROM HICKS

 

TOM HICKS has delivered the final insult to The Kop by arrogantly dismissing them as 'noise we are dealing with'.

The amazing jibe was made by Liverpool owner Hicks on his last visit to England.

 

Hicks put the condescending 'noise' claim in writing as part of an outlined refinancing package. However, he still claimed to be 'sensitive' to the fans' desire to see him go.

 

Hicks met with fellow Anfield directors in a board meeting on September 15, although there is no suggestion he presented the explosive document to them.

In an astonishing insight into the Texan's erratic behaviour, he brazenly shrugged off the supporters' hatred under a section entitled 'noise we are dealing with'.

 

Hicks also backtracked from earlier claims he valued Liverpool as highly as ?800million.

 

He said the only reason he had pitched the club between ?600m and ?800m was because too many people were talking about selling just for the ?282m owed to RBS.

 

In fact, Hicks predicted the Reds would fetch somewhere between the RBS debt level and ?600m.

 

Liverpool have now agreed a ?300m sale to New England Sports Ventures.

 

The rest of the board - two of which Hicks tried to sack this week - are stunned by the American's bizarre antics.

 

The revulsion with which he is held by supporters has already reached fever pitch.

 

Alan Kayll, from the Kop Faithful group, said: "Hicks Jr was forced to resign for insulting one fan. Hicks Snr has now gone further by insulting all Liverpool fans.

 

"This underlines the utter contempt and disregard he has for how supporters feel."

 

Hicks goes to the High Court this week in an attempt to block the takeover by Boston Red Sox owner John W Henry.

[Virgil Stallcup]

Our youth system used to be quite good, as in feeding great players every now and then, rather than bulking up the squad, but Rafa killed it. There was a report not too long ago about local kids giving us the miss because they felt they'd never get passed the flood of foreign cheap signings, so they went bluenose. Whether it's true or not remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, we're not getting new local blood making the grade, and our youth is full of crap. SG and Carra are at the end of their game, Spearing isn't going to cut it, other than Kelly, is there anyone on the horizon, let alone local. What happened to the kids that won the youth FA cup in 06 and 07?

 

Damn, I remember the days when fans were screaming for Owen get some games because of his obvious ability, and he was still in diapers! How tiny he looked when he tried taking Schmeichel out, Smchuck being outraged was about to go for him but saw this little hamster character instead, did a double take, and looked on like a bemused parent. LOL!

 

You were on a roll turning out strong players from within. Fowler. Owen. Gerrard. It was up there with West Ham and Manchester United. Wolves at the time were developing future stars as well (Robbie Keane and Lescott).

 

I believe a strong club demands a solid foundation of personnel built and developed from within. You can sign any number of all-world talents from Holland, Spain, or Brazil who have performed well in other leagues. But you just don't know how well they are going to adjust to life in England. The football is played a bit faster and a bit rougher than what they are generally accustomed to. Some take to it well. Some do not.

 

When you have a core of home-grown talent in the side, you are better protected when the foreign imports don't come good.

 

No excuse for a club with Liverpool's history and drawing power not to have a top-level Academy.

[Virgil Stallcup]

FINAL INSULT FROM HICKS

 

TOM HICKS has delivered the final insult to The Kop by arrogantly dismissing them as 'noise we are dealing with'.

The amazing jibe was made by Liverpool owner Hicks on his last visit to England.

 

Hicks put the condescending 'noise' claim in writing as part of an outlined refinancing package. However, he still claimed to be 'sensitive' to the fans' desire to see him go.

 

Hicks met with fellow Anfield directors in a board meeting on September 15, although there is no suggestion he presented the explosive document to them.

In an astonishing insight into the Texan's erratic behaviour, he brazenly shrugged off the supporters' hatred under a section entitled 'noise we are dealing with'.

 

Hicks also backtracked from earlier claims he valued Liverpool as highly as ?800million.

 

He said the only reason he had pitched the club between ?600m and ?800m was because too many people were talking about selling just for the ?282m owed to RBS.

 

In fact, Hicks predicted the Reds would fetch somewhere between the RBS debt level and ?600m.

 

Liverpool have now agreed a ?300m sale to New England Sports Ventures.

 

The rest of the board - two of which Hicks tried to sack this week - are stunned by the American's bizarre antics.

 

The revulsion with which he is held by supporters has already reached fever pitch.

 

Alan Kayll, from the Kop Faithful group, said: "Hicks Jr was forced to resign for insulting one fan. Hicks Snr has now gone further by insulting all Liverpool fans.

 

"This underlines the utter contempt and disregard he has for how supporters feel."

 

Hicks goes to the High Court this week in an attempt to block the takeover by Boston Red Sox owner John W Henry.

 

Desperate acts from a desperate man. It is all about the $s. He doesn't have as many as he had before and is trying to come out of this with something he doesn't merit.

 

He never really got it. Liverpool to him was to be a funding mechanism for the Texas Rangers.

[LFCKEV71]

Hicks goes all 'Comical Ali' as he tries to hang on to power

 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Liverpool-co-owner-Tom-Hicks-is-determined-to-fight-to-hang-on-to-control-of-the-club-and-is-refusing-to-recognise-chairman-Martin-Broughton-s-authority-article595749.html

 

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is determined to fight to hang on to control of the club after refusing to recognise chairman Martin Broughton's authority.

Broughton, appointed in April to oversee the sale, revealed yesterday that Hicks attempted to sack managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre and install his own people in order to block a ?300million deal with New England Sports Ventures (NESV).

That was blocked by Broughton, who insists Hicks signed agreements not to oppose the sale when they received an extension to their refinancing deal with Royal Bank of Scotland earlier this year.

Hicks and co-owner George Gillett stand to lose a total of ?144million if the NESV deal goes through.

Hicks' New York-based spokesman Mark Semer said that Broughton's claim was disputed by the Americans.

"There were no such undertakings given to Broughton, the board has been legally reconstituted, and the new board does not approve of this proposed transaction," Semer told Bloomberg News.

After rejecting the attemped coup, which would have seen Hicks' son Mack and Lori McCuthcheon, of Hicks Holdings replace Purslow and Ayre, Broughton continued with the conference call board meeting even though Hicks had put the phone down.

The chairman is confident he and the other two England-based members of the board have acted appropriately but they will not be able to have that confirmed until the issue is thrashed out in court next week.

[aussielfc79]

I guess that means Americans are more patient and have a longer attention span than Brits, then.

 

If I need my gerbil-twitch attention span validated, there's always hockey. Now there's a fast-paced game, at least when it's done right. Hockey is soccer on fast forward with sanctioned fistfights, what's not like to love?

 

never understood it, but I always enjoyed as a kid going to watch a fight and seeing a hockey game break out!

[Redguard]

Forget Hockey, unless you want to head the ball.

 

Here's Caroline Wozniacki, World Tennis No 1 - also LFC fan ..............

 

http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/?p=23029

[LFCKEV71]

new owners should not expect red carpet – the fans are still too angry

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/8053085/Liverpool-takeover-new-owners-should-not-expect-red-carpet-the-fans-are-still-too-angry.html

 

By Jay McKenna, spokesman for Spirit of Shankly

 

They will arrive at the club after three years under probably the worst owners in our history and one of the most unpopular regimes in football.

Fans are hurt, damaged, angry and upset at what Tom Hicks and George Gillett have done to our club, and it is only natural they will be cautious that whoever replaces them may yet do the same.

 

Related ArticlesBroughton: points loss fear 'catastrophic'

Liverpool debt at heart of court battle

Why would anyone want to buy Liverpool?

We have had promises for the last three years. Now what matters is that we have owners whose actions back up their words.

 

So they should not be surprised if doors are not opened for them, if we do not roll out the red carpet straightaway.

 

We listened to Hicks and Gillett. We are not going to make the same mistakes again.

We have learned from Tom and George, and from the errors we have made.Liverpool's fan base has become well-informed, not just on football but on debt, leveraged buyouts and the rest. We will be watching carefully to see how our club is run.

We know we do not want, and do not need, owners who are going to mortgage the club to the hilt, as their predecessors did.

 

We know we are not asking for a Roman Abramovich or a Sheikh Mansour figure, who will lavish millions on transfer spending.

We also know that if you take the debt and the interest repayments away from Liverpool, they are a self-sustaining club.

 

All we ask of the new owners is that they make sure all of the funds it generates can be reinvested into player recruitment and player development.

We know the new stadium is a key issue. We know the argument for a new home for the club on Stanley Park is that we need to keep up with the match-day revenues of Arsenal and Manchester United.

 

What we also know is that the name Anfield resonates around the world as much as the likes of San Siro, the Nou Camp and the Bernab?u. We do not see any reason to throw away that history.

It is a matter fans would like to be engaged on. We know the new owners, whoever they may be, must respect Liverpool, must understand the fans, must allow the club to move forward, must show us that not all foreign owners are the same and must right the wrongs of Hicks and Gillett.

 

It was because of the previous regime that Spirit of Shankly was formed, but we have always said we will hold new owners to account, and we will.

We will always have queries and concerns. Even if Tom and George finally leave, we know we are not going anywhere

[LFCKEV71]

CONFLICTING REPORTS

 

Deal under threat http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6437201,00.html

 

Deal will go through even if 9 pts are deducted http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=831246&sec=england&cc=5739

[caseball]

Spokeperson for SOS - Here we go again! Go away you irritating little pricks. You speak for a 'tiny' minority of LFC fans. Look at the recent surveys you mutton heads! 90% of LFC fans polled SUPPORT a takeover from NESV and would welcome them regardless of whether they are American or not. Go back into the crack in ground you appeared from with your racist & xenophobic bretheren, WE dont want you, YOU dont speak for us. If you cantget back down your hole, go to the nearest mirror and have a strong word with yourself.

 

Sorry Redsox fans for my little outburst, but these dickheads really are making a noise out of all proportion to their numbers....<_>

 

Respects to you all in Boston

 

Caseball, Walton (district of Liverpool)

[caseball]

By the way - its these Spirit of Shankly lot who like to arrange the burning of the Stars n Stripes for the TV - be aware of them! They have been warned on quite a few posts over here about repeating such behaviour outside the High Court in London next week

[Virgil Stallcup]

This ownership group has a track record of doing for their sports operations what SoS seek for Liverpool. The testimonials from Red Sox fans should help. I doubt Hicks (who I consider the driving force behind the H&G bunch) ever received that level of support from fans of his teams.

 

What Liverpool need in the worst way are experienced, proven hands at sports management who can put in place a series of processes that will get LFC back to their place among the European elite. What you've had in place are people who played at running sports operations as a side hobby to their other business interests. That is not what Henry and his group are about.

[caseball]

Virgil-

 

Couldnt agree with you more. A lot of the genuine fans have taken the time to research NESV deveolpment philosophy and approach. I'm into my 5th decade as a supporter of LFC. My only desire is for them to be given time to put appropriate development/investment in place. Some people expect an overnight fix, and it isnt going to happen. These SoS lot will then start agitating again, aggravating not only the new owners, but also LFC supporters.

 

I have already written to NESV requesting supporter engagement, but stressing the importance of speaking with balanced, forward looking supporters rather that the self appointed, self absorbed, and self important busibodies that are SoS.

[Intact]

Hi there,

I really hope people don't mind me coming on here as I am one of the many Liverpool fans, who in all honesty knows little to nothing about Baseball.

 

Once I read what had been written I felt I should respond to (hopefully) clear some things up.

 

First off, largely violence in Soccer - especially the Premier League is a thing of the past (thankfully). All of the stadiums are very pro-family and long may it continue.

 

I also understand why it’s easy to look at individual incidents and presume we are anti - American.

 

Honestly this is 100% untrue.

 

Yes there have been a couple of incidents (by morons) one of which an American flag was burned - but I assure you this offended the majority of Liverpool fans too. In fact the Club and the supporters union (Spirit of Shankly) were very quick to distance themselves from it as we as Liverpool fans, and English men were disgusted by it. Local fans are also constantly aware that the Club has many fans from America.

 

You've obviously seen some of the banners too: "Yanks Out" etc - whilst I don't agree one bit with using that terminology it was directed at the 2 we had/have in charge. I can understand why it would offend (it would me) but I promise you Liverpool fans are loyal, hard working and respectful supporters who are incredibly passionate about the football club (Much like the Red Sox fans).

 

The past few years, under our current ownership has been the worst time ever to be a Liverpool fan - we should be a healthy club - if we are not paying ridiculous loan installments put on us by our current owners to buy the club - we still generate millions of pounds in net profit per year. The sponsorsip on our shirt alone is worth ?20 million per year.

 

Because things have been so bad SOME fans have dug in and used what is essentially unacceptable slogans etc and I really have no excuse for that.

 

But please, take it from a life long Liverpool fan, we are not and will never be "Anti-American".

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this - I really hope if the sale of LFC goes through the 2 sets of fans could form a unique bond.

[Ride The Walrus]

@Liverpool

 

How utterly predictable.

 

I'm a Red Sox fan. I also follow Aston Villa - a club proud of it's American connection - not that it has anything to do with anything...

 

Believe you me, as a Sox fan I would be totally outraged if we were to be connected in anyway to Liverpool football club. I urge any Sox fans to look at the anti-American hatred that this club has been spurting out over the past few years.

 

If the Sox were to kook up with Liverpool it would totally destabilize our progress this past decade. We would be signing ourselves up to bailing out a sports club, deep in cancer, looking for a quick fix.

 

Liverpool's suppoters have been harrassing their current owners for two years now, because things haven't been going their way. If Henry offers no quick fix do we want them to plague him, too? No. As I say, Liverpool are a club with many, many problems - if we bail them out those problems will simply spread over to us.

 

No offence "Liverpool", but the Sox are a genuinely legendary sporting institution built on fair play. Your club has a history of hysteria, violence, arrogance and anti-American xenophobia. The Sox should steer WELL clear.

 

Firstly, hello everyone, yes I'm from England, and a Liverpool supporter.

This post is absoloute bogus. You obviously aren't a real follower of English football if you say we've "Liverpool's suppoters have been harrassing their current owners for two years now, because things haven't been going their way. If Henry offers no quick fix do we want them to plague him, too? No. As I say, Liverpool are a club with many, many problems - if we bail them out those problems will simply spread over to us." That's crap, Hicks and Gillette came into the club, and promised the Earth to us, a new stadium, money for players, and that they'd only buy the club with their own money.

None of this came off, they've loaded 300 million pounds (don't know the dollar translation) onto our club, they're refusing to leave without a fight, and called our support "An annoyance that won't go away". What do you expect?

 

" arrogance and anti-American xenophobia" This is also crap, we've grown a bit of a annoyance at these owners, but who can blame us, the crap they've put us in, and them running us as a business, nothing more. We've had Brad Frield, y'know .

 

We're (history-wise) the biggest club in England, one of in the world, and we're a great club. I would like us to get along, as clubs with history. :thumbsup:

[HCallumH]

another comment from a liverpool fan here - the majority of us actually hate the xenophobic, awful image that a small few are putting across with the burning of the american flag and racist comments.

believe us, we have millions of faithful fans across the world, who want nothing but success and are not idiotic racist morons.

your very own Samuel L Jackson and Mike Myers are supporters of our passionate club.

please welcome us to the NESV family should the deal go through, and I'm sure that as two of the world's biggest sporting institutions we will do nothing but help eachother progress.

best of luck to the red sox from a passionate liverpool fan! You'll Never Walk Alone.

[HCallumH]

Firstly, hello everyone, yes I'm from England, and a Liverpool supporter.

This post is absoloute bogus. You obviously aren't a real follower of English football if you say we've "Liverpool's suppoters have been harrassing their current owners for two years now, because things haven't been going their way. If Henry offers no quick fix do we want them to plague him, too? No. As I say, Liverpool are a club with many, many problems - if we bail them out those problems will simply spread over to us." That's crap, Hicks and Gillette came into the club, and promised the Earth to us, a new stadium, money for players, and that they'd only buy the club with their own money.

None of this came off, they've loaded 300 million pounds (don't know the dollar translation) onto our club, they're refusing to leave without a fight, and called our support "An annoyance that won't go away". What do you expect?

 

" arrogance and anti-American xenophobia" This is also crap, we've grown a bit of a annoyance at these owners, but who can blame us, the crap they've put us in, and them running us as a business, nothing more. We've had Brad Frield, y'know .

 

We're (history-wise) the biggest club in England, one of in the world, and we're a great club. I would like us to get along, as clubs with history. :thumbsup:

 

this post pretty much tells the true, blunt side of things.

[Virgil Stallcup]

The anger is understandable, gentlemen. The owners weren't good for the club at all.

 

Hooliganism. We're not immune. You see, we have this place called Philadelphia where jail cells and a municipal court are installed inside of stadiums for quick processing of our idiot elements.

 

We have another place called Comiskey Park which often seems to draw more than its share of Darwin Award winners. There was a father/son combination who one time went on the field and attacked a coach.

 

There is one other place called Baton Rouge. Think Millwall--even though the food during the pre-game tailgating is incredible and the natives will either share it with you or throw it at you depending on their level of civilization.

[GilloYNWA]

I'm an American based (Chicago) Liverpool FC fan. I'm also a sox fan, (White Sox). Ive have followed Liverpool since the mid 70's when I was old enough to understand the game. Liverpool has a rich history that is equaled by none. The most decorated club in English football history. The 2 current owners has done nothing but lie and load debt on this club over the last 3 years. Liverpool as an entity is one of the most profitable clubs in the sport, but because of the 300 mill loans that hicks and gillette lumped on the club the club operating profits goes towards servicing these clowns loans and not on investment in the squad and infrastructure. John W. Henry didn't hurt the Red Sox Nation when he got involved in building the #1 Nascar team in stock car racing. No and most of Red Sox Nation didn't even know he was involved in that enterprise. It didn't hurt the Red Sox as they snuggle up as tight to the Luxury Tax in MLB as they possible can and sign and cut players as they see best to give them the best chance to compete. Liverpool FC fans need to understand that Red Sox are in the same division as the win at all cost yankees, who spend 50-70 million more that the top teams there competing against. The reason the Red Sox have been so successful since NESV took over in 2002 is because they have a great GM (Theo Epstein) and Head coach (Terry Francona). This year was a freak injury laden year but these guys make moves every year to bring in key players and to be competitive.

 

They also have a great fan base and when they play in Chicago they bring thousands with then for what is always a 3 or 4 game series. Fenway is alot like Anfield, steeped in history and home field advantage is really home field advantage. I've been to both stadiums (Anfield 40+ times Fenway 5 times) and this could be a great deal for NESV. Buying Liverpool for $477 without the debt will have the club vlkued at $700 million by 2015. The return to greatness is around the corner for Liverpool FC. just a side note there was an agreement between the yankees and Manchester Utd 5 years ago where they entered into a merchandising agreement that enabled each club to generate between 15mill and 20 mill ayear through eachothers pro shops.

[Redguard]

http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/prince-charles.jpg

 

Sorry Charles, the real cups are in the trophy cabinet.

[LFCKEV71]

Lord Grabiner Off The Bench In Liverpool Fight

 

http://blogs.news.sky.com/kleinman/Post:1865d5d5-ad2e-4352-aa8b-de00c61e750b

 

Lord Grabiner QC, one of Britain's most eminent legal brains, is being lined up to represent Liverpool Football Club in the court battle that could determine the club’s future.

 

I have learned that Martin Broughton, Liverpool's chairman, is set to call on Lord Grabiner to help secure a so-called declaratory judgement from the High Court that last week's deal to sell the club was legitimate.

 

The case, which is likely to be heard on Tuesday or Wednesday, has acquired additional significance since New England Sports Ventures (NESV) indicated this weekend that it may pull out of the deal if Liverpool are docked nine Premier League points as a consequence of going into administration.

 

To recap the drama since I revealed last week that Liverpool was to be sold to the owner of the Boston Red Sox: Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the club’s current owners, are seeking to block the ?300m sale to NESV on the grounds that the agreement to do so was not valid; and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Liverpool’s main creditor, is working frantically on a way to avoid placing the club’s parent company into administration even as it prepares to call in the loans it is owed by the two Americans.

 

It’s far from clear whether NESV, owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, would walk away from a deal about which it says it is passionate to complete.

 

Let me explain why. Liverpool’s torrid start to the season has left it with just six points and in the relegation zone. While it’s still early days, a nine-point penalty would leave it on minus three points.

 

That would clearly make qualifying for next season’s Champions League a tall order. But I would still wager that few football experts would expect Liverpool not to escape relegation over the course of another thirty games.

 

In that case, the immediate quantifiable cost of administration may be the ?20m of revenue or so that clubs derive from Champions League participation. And it may be that NESV is able to negotiate with RBS and Broughton some form of price cut which still makes the deal economically attractive to it.

 

Still, it would be foolish to dismiss the idea that NESV will walk away, a move that would plunge Liverpool into even further chaos.

 

So it’s certainly possible to argue that Liverpool’s most important player during the next week will be a 65 year-old lawyer, rather than its talismanic 26 year-old Spanish striker Fernando Torres.

 

Liverpool fans will be hoping that Lord Grabiner is more successful in the High Court than Torres has been on the pitch so far this season.

 

Liverpool declined to comment today.

[LFCKEV71]

PURSLOW interview, Sunday 10 October 2010

Garry Richardson: “Christian, good morning to you.”

Christian Purslow: “Morning Garry.”

.

GR: “Take us through how you set up this deal with NESV. Did they approach you? How did it happen?”

CP: “Yes, they approached us, there’s nothing particularly unusual about that. As is widely known, the company has been for sale since Easter and NESV, with their advisors, approached us, as many have done. But unlike many others, their approach was serious from the first minute and they have done their work and ended up making a binding offer for the club.”

.

GR: “You say serious from the first minute. So when you’re starting negotiations, you get that feeling straight away that the deal has potential?”

CP: “Yes, I think you do. They met our chairman [Martin Broughton]. He was immediately struck with the seriousness. I’m a great believer that actions speak louder than words and the entire senior management team of NESV came to Liverpool, spent a large amount of time in the club doing their work, and those are important signs of people’s seriousness in the transaction business.”

.

GR: “You said to me before on this programme that the buyer had to right for Liverpool. You were adamant that you wouldn’t sell to someone who might be offering lots of money if you didn’t feel they were the right person to run the club. Why do you think [NESV’s] John Henry and Tom Werner are the right me to deal with?”

CP: “Well, it’s not for me to do a commercial for them. They will speak for themselves if and when this transaction completes. But yes, there are important ingredients. I think I’ve also said to you in the past, speaking personally, my total priority in the last year or so has been to try and find a way to reduce or remove the debt which has been put on this club, and which has been a cloud since February 07.

“I think it’s wrong that a football club, it’s not like another business, I think it’s wrong that we should have so much of the money that comes through the turnstile or through our commercial activity go to pay interest on loans, particularly loans that were used to buy a business.

“So for me, a bidder who has been willing to, with cash, rid us of all this long-term debt is by far the largest and most important priority in evaluating bids. And I know our fans have been very concerned in the past that perhaps that was not known when the last sale was done.

“I can assure you: we’ve done our homework and NESV are buying this business with cash and clearing us of this debt, which transforms our financial position overnight.”

.

GR: “It’s good to hear that and I’m sure the Liverpool fans listening will be encouraged by that line you’ve given us. John Henry and Tom Werner, though – why do they want to buy Liverpool?”

CP: “Well I think it’s a combination of business and maybe emotion. They are a very successful company and they have a number of sporting interests but it’s been well documented that they purchased the Boston Red Sox nearly 10 years ago, and I think they see a number of parallels with the Red Sox when they purchased them, and Liverpool today.

“The word that jumps off the page every time we sit with them is ‘winning’. And I think they see, obviously, that winning on the field is very linked to how you perform commercially off the field. They go hand in hand. It’s extremely enjoyable to make sports clubs more successful. Whether you are poor or a rich sports fan, winning is great fun and I sense both of those things when we meet with these people.”

.

GR: “There is a suggestion this morning, as I’m sure you know, that if Liverpool were to go into administration and have nine points deducted, then NESV would pull out of the deal. A source close to the American investment group says the club going into administration would be a ‘deal breaker’. What’s your reaction to that line this morning?”

CP: “I’m not even contemplating administration and nobody should be. Last Monday, we had two very good offers to buy our business that would clear all our debts and I’m completely focused on making sure that the sale completes.”

.

GR: “So come what may, NESV will carry on with their purchase even if Liverpool were deducted [nine points]? You don’t think that will happen, but NESV, from your understanding, will carry on, Christian?”

CP: “I have not discussed that possibility with them. I am completely focused on the sale.”

.

GR: “And tell us why you think administration won’t happen. Just spell out that for the Liverpool fans listening.”

CP: “As I say, we are focused this week on making sure the sale of the club, for a very attractive price, completes, and that is our complete focus.”

.

GR: “Are NESV a company who will provide large amounts of money for signing new players? Give us what background you can on that, please.”

CP: “Well I think it’s simple. They want to win. They are not going to be making hostages to fortune, certainly not going to be giving numbers into the public domain, but a couple of things have come out in our discussions.

“Obviously the first and most important is, again, they see a parallel to their experience in baseball and whilst I think many of those comparisons might not work, I think it’s difficult to argue that investment in players is a key component of success in most professional sport. That was the approach they took with Boston and that is the approach I’m sure they will take with Liverpool. And you don’t spend ?300m pounds on buying a sports team for it to be a mediocre team.”

.

GR: “No, and having spent that much money, will they be owners that will want to attend quite a lot of matches, so you think?”

CP: “Well I think so. Again, for the same reason, I think if you have made such a serious investment and taken so much time, if they buy Liverpool I would expect them to be very visible around the business. They’re serious people, they’re deadly serious about wanting to succeed. I can’t imagine they’ll be hands off for one minute.”

.

GR: “How do you go about repairing the damage that’s been done by Mr Gillett and Mr Hicks, Christian?”

CP: “Well I think one area is that our fans have felt totally disenfranchised by the experience of the last three years. One thing I really liked about NESV the minute we met them is they’re really serious about the importance of engaging with their fans and I think when you look at their approach to their business in America that’s something that they take seriously.

“So I’ve asked them to consider a scheme at our club that will give our fans a real sense of ownership, a real sense of inclusion, the kind of voice, if you like, that frankly they deserve. And NESV have told us they’ll look at this very seriously if they complete.

“It’s not been easy with the current owners. Tensions have been high and so that side of things has been difficult. But now that we have potential new ownership, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to make sure our fans never again feel so disenfranchised. It’s the way forward for professional football in England.”

.

GR: “That’s a very interesting line. You say you want to give the fans a voice and a sense of ownership. Can you elaborate a bit more. What do you mean?”

CP: “Well, no more than that. There are various ways to do this, and I’m sure they’ll all be considered seriously after a transaction. But one or two clubs have gone down that line already. I was very impressed with what Arsenal recently announced. [More here on that story]

“As I say, the most important principle is that fans need to feel that they have a means to express their views and to be listened to. And the sense of ownership obviously is the most extreme example of that, but there are many forms and many shapes to these ideas. The important point is one of principle, engaging with our fans, particularly Liverpool fans, and, remember, that’s all I am. That’s a very important ingredient I think.”

.

GR: “How do you feel about what Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett have done to Liverpool?”

CP: “Well I’m sorry, I don’t personalise it at all. But I do feel right now that they do have an opportunity. One simple, short correspondence today can allow a sale to complete and that would clear the club of all the acquisition debt and would give us a massive lift before the Everton game [next weekend].

“[That would give] a really fresh start, frankly, and real hope for our fans and our players that we can get back to the top. That’s in their gift and that might enable them to leave with some dignity and some peace rather than precipitating a messy dispute. So I hope they’ll think about that.”

.

GR: “Unlikely, though.”

CP: “I don’t know.”

.

GR: “Really?”

CP: “I don’t know.”

.

GR: “How do you reflect on recent results for Liverpool, Christian?”

CP: “Well, it’s been a disappointing start to the season, there’s no doubt about that. We just haven’t been able to get any rhythm yet. But I must say there has been some important mitigating factors. It’s been a very unusual start to the season.

“We had a large number of our players back very late. We’ve had three international breaks already and it’s barely October. And of course we changed our manager and have some new players.

“So those three together mean that Roy just really hasn’t had much time with the players to do the week-in, week-out stuff that is his trademark. And so he’ll start to have that now.

“I think we also need to keep some perspective. We are five points behind Arsenal, who are in the Champions League spots. I would ask people to be patient and supportive. These are trademark qualities of Liverpool, both our fans and our management, and I urge people to provide those.”

.

GR: “No doubt that Roy Hodgson is an outstanding manager and you make a sensible point about being five points behind Arsenal. Also in many of the papers this morning there is a suggestion that Roy Hodgson has a clause in his contract that would release him if the new owners want to employ their own manager. Your comment on that, please?”

CP: “Well the first thing I would say is it’s absolutely wrong to discuss anybody’s contract in public on radio on a Sunday morning. But in case you think I’m trying to avoid the question, I must say there’s nothing in Roy’s contract that is not totally standard under the LMA guidelines.”

.

GR: “And you believe Hodgson will be part of the new set-up when NESV take over?”

CP: “Absolutely.”

.

GR: “Just a couple of final points. The situation with the new ground when the new people come in? What would happen there? Can you tell us that?”

CP: “Well a key part of their interest in Liverpool has been to try and improve the experience of our fans on match day. We all know that for far, far too long, too many of our fans have been unable to get in to watch the team on match day.

“Now we’ve shown NESV all the plans around the stadium that we have full planning permission for in Stanley Park. They know how strongly we as a management team believe this is the way forward. They’ve been very impressed by that. I think it’s been a key ingredient in attracting them to Liverpool.

“I think a bit too much has been made this week into the fact that when they bought the Red Sox in Boston they refurbished the existing stadium. In fact the very same ownership group in two previous teams built new stadia, in Baltimore and San Diego.

“So I think it’s simple. Given that a new owner will be paying for a new stadium, it’s entirely reasonable and their prerogative that when they get here, they want to pull up the carpets, look in fine-tune detail at what we’re proposing, and make their final decision. But one thing is crystal clear: they want to increase the capacity of Liverpool football club.”

.

Henry Winter [interjecting]: “Christian, it’s Henry, Good morning. I’m just interested to know your view on the current owners. In your long history in working in business, have you met such an unappealing character as Tom Hicks before?”

CP: “Henry, it’s nice to talk to you, and I fully understand the question but I’m not going to discuss or entertain personal questions.”

.

Henry Winter: “But you love Liverpool football club, and he clearly doesn’t.”

CP: “I do love Liverpool football club and I think there’s probably been times when our current owners loved the football club. But I’d rather speak for myself.

“I do and I have a wonderful set of colleagues at Liverpool who do as well, all of whom would like the cloud to be lifted over our club. And that cloud is one of uncertainty, our business being more talked about than our football and the biggest cloud of all which is debt, which is draining our club of resources that should be on the pitch.

“So yes, I came here to try and help lift that cloud. My colleagues – both my executive colleague and my chairman Martin [broughton] – have really stepped up to try and lift that cloud this week and I really hope we’re successful in doing so.”

.

GR: “So to sum up, Christian, in a crucial week to sum up, you definitely believe that the club will not go into administration?

CP: “I’m not in the prediction business but what I’ve told you is my focus this week is making sure a tremendous sale completes, as we sought to do last Monday.”

.

GR: “And you’re pretty confident that the deal with NESV, that will go through?”

CP: “Yes, I am

[flred]

The anger is understandable, gentlemen. The owners weren't good for the club at all.

 

Hooliganism. We're not immune. You see, we have this place called Philadelphia where jail cells and a municipal court are installed inside of stadiums for quick processing of our idiot elements.

 

We have another place called Comiskey Park which often seems to draw more than its share of Darwin Award winners. There was a father/son combination who one time went on the field and attacked a coach.

 

There is one other place called Baton Rouge. Think Millwall--even though the food during the pre-game tailgating is incredible and the natives will either share it with you or throw it at you depending on their level of civilization.

 

I might be confused, but wasn't it Sox "fans" that went nuts, smashing up cars or something after beating the Yankees? Or was that another club? (sorry, I'm not up to speed with baseball's underbelly).

[See Red]

I might be confused' date=' but wasn't it Sox "fans" that went nuts, smashing up cars or something after beating the Yankees? Or was that another club? (sorry, I'm not up to speed with baseball's underbelly).[/quote']

 

You're not wrong, but sadly, that's become something of a tradition among American sports fans. Get a bunch of drunk people celebrating in the streets and suddenly you have cars being turned over, stores being broken into, and fires being started. It's definitely not limited to the Red Sox fans.

[lfc-sox]

i have signed up to your forums as i now feel obliged to support the sox as a liverpool fan . Liverpool football club those not hate americans we just hate Tom Hicks and George Gillet . We are a historical club like the sox and hope to refind our glory days with your owners . You may be hearing lies about our fans but that is all coming from sad manchester united supporters determined to prevent this takeover going ahead . I hope that Liverpool and the soxs can form a strong affiliation . YNWA