John Henry bids for Liverpool FC

[Redguard]

http://footballshirts.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Pope-in-liverpool-scarf.jpg

 

Court case today.

[Sunny]

Hello to all my new Red Sox mates I'm very glad we've been associated with the Red Sox - as I've kind of been a Red Sox fan by proxy for the last 5 years or so. I used to work for a small American software company based out of New Jersey and ended up talking to and hitting it off with an American colleague straight away on account I was wearing a Celtics t-shirt. I used to play basketball at a decent level (in the UK) and Larry Bird was my basketball hero as a kid. He was from Providence and a huge Celtics\Redsox fan. He was also a big Beatles fan and, me being from Liverpool, we had plenty to talk about. The friendship has continued ever since. He regularly sends me Red Sox caps and I send him Liverpool stuff - I've even taken him to a Liverpool game at Anfield. I'm hoping one day to go and see the Sox and Celtics live.

 

Anyway, I obviously asked him about John Henry when it was first mooted he was interested in buying LFC. This was his reply:

 

"I KNEW you would be the first to ask me about the Red Sox ownership team and their potential ownership of Liverpool Fc.

 

These owners are really quite good. They're as moral and ethical as any I've seen in sports and treat their players well and with dignity. They spend money to field the best team they can. They've been good for MLB and great for Boston Red Sox fans"

 

I trust this guy as a friend and thus take him at his word. If the sale comes off, I'll be proud to be associated with the Red Sox and their great fans. I even heard today that it was indeed a Red Sox fan who pricked John Henrys interest in Liverpool. This is from the Sunday Times:

 

"It started with a Dear John letter. Like many rich men, John W.Henry receives numerous requests for help but this was different. It came not from a desperate stranger but one of his own employees, at the Boston Red Sox baseball club, and was more romantic than just a personal plea for money. Addressed also to Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox president, the communication implored: 'Would you be interested in rescuing my football club?' That was two months ago; the club was Liverpool."

 

....

 

"He had bought the Red Sox through his investment vehicle, New England Sports Ventures (NESV) in 2002 and its analysts were struck by parallels between Liverpool now and the Red Sox then. The baseball franchise was an iconic but struggling team with a vast local and national fanbase whose loyalty was sustaining but underutilised.

 

'A group of [NESV] employees began seeing similarities between Liverpool and the Red Sox and eventually the owners were briefed and were intrigued by a number of things Major League Baseball [MLB] doesn't allow its clubs to do', says a well-placed source. 'MLB clubs don't control their own website or even their own kit. The Red Sox are limited to New England. All of these things are available to a global club like Liverpool FC.'

 

It was not only about business, however. The chance to do something different and the fun Henry felt could be had competing on the largest playing field in sport were central to Liverpool's attraction. 'It was a chance for NESV to go global', says the source."

 

If that's true the kudos to that fan and also to John Henry for taking it seriously and not on a whim.

 

Liverpool are a simply huge club globally. We have one of the largest fanbases in the world, which at times, is not fully leveraged. What can the Red Sox fans expect from Liverpool fans ? Three things - Friendship, loyalty and respect.

 

Liverpool is one of the friendliest cities in the world - we welcome people with open arms and have ethics of openness, friendship and humour. Whilst not being the most affluent cities in the UK - it's growing, friendly, and certainly vibrant. Liverpudlians instill those ethics into their fans as well. Essentially, you'll make friends, or mates as we like to call them, galore.

 

We're also fiercely loyal. Loyal to our club and loyal to our friends. We'll support you through thick and thin. I think you'll find Liverpool fans will embrace the Red Sox team and fans and you'll see an increase in Red Sox memorabilia and apparel sales. I'm expecting some of the local scalls will be wearing Red Sox hats already.

 

We also respect our friends, club and values. But, we expect respect in return. Especially from our owners - and something that's been notoriously lacking from our current owners. They are truly despised. It's nothing to with them being American or "Yanks" - that's just an easy, although incorrect, tagline they can be easily grouped under. We despise them because they've lied to us, constantly. They've not invested in the team and we're suffering badly because of it. And we're sick of it. Some to the point of not going to the game any more. Which pains us greatly as it goes against of principles of loyalty to our club. But if we have to take that pain and make our current owners suffer for the greater good - we'll do it.

 

People will be cautious of NESV because of what's happened under the control of Hicks and Gillet on our club. In the same respect, they will be given a chance. They need to look at what Hicks and Gillet have done and take it as an example of how NOT to run one of the world best supported and most successful football clubs. As I say, we're very friendly and welcoming - but we're not easily forgiving.

 

Anyway, I'm rambling - it's great to be linked with you Redsox fans and I wish great success in the future for both our clubs, joined together by one mothership.

[Dojji]

I still would love to see it happen someday that Liverpool FC comes over and plays the odd exhibition against the New England Revolution. It would give the Revs a real boost into the spotlight, something they desperately need -- they're really not bad as American soccer goes, but I'm not even sure most Bostonians remember they're out there. And of course it would give us Americans a chance to see what all the fuss is about with LFC.

 

Even better, do it at Fenway Park for a real introduction for Liverpool fans to the kind of business Henry has been running over here in Massachusetts. Can't think of a better way to get us more used to each other. They already do Hockey at the Fens, and I believe they've played American football there so I bet it could be done.

 

EDIT: Yep, it can be done, and has been done in the past. Celtic FC has come over and the page about it is a nice little idea of how the Fens could accomodate a football pitch.

 

http://www.tickets.com/footballatfenway/

 

I imagine Henry will be for trying it, since he has a stable cash cow waiting and probably at least a littie curious and it wouldn't hurt anything to try to tap into it. Any revenue stream is a good revenue stream. I bet between the few Revs fans, the curious Sox fans and the LFC supporters that followed the team over, you could fill Fenway.

[LFCKEV71]

follow the court case here http://twitter.com/#!/danroan

[Virgil Stallcup]

Reading Sunny's post reminds me about Liverpool's official website. It is one of the best, if not the best, official website in the world regardless of what sport you follow. I've been a subscriber from time to time and it is value for money. Not just game highlights and interviews with current players and officials. But also historical footage and interviews with their legends.

 

I would love for the Red Sox to be able to go off on their own and develop a website like it. But the Sox are stuck on the MLB template.

[Sunny]

Reading Sunny's post reminds me about Liverpool's official website. It is one of the best, if not the best, official website in the world regardless of what sport you follow. I've been a subscriber from time to time and it is value for money. Not just game highlights and interviews with current players and officials. But also historical footage and interviews with their legends.

 

I would love for the Red Sox to be able to go off on their own and develop a website like it. But the Sox are stuck on the MLB template.

 

 

One thing as well - in a number of years time the individual team broadcasting rights will be up for grabs. If NESV have a broadcasting vehicle then this would be a simply immense money spinner bearing in mind Liverpool have millions of fans worldwide.

[Virgil Stallcup]

One thing as well - in a number of years time the individual team broadcasting rights will be up for grabs. If NESV have a broadcasting vehicle then this would be a simply immense money spinner bearing in mind Liverpool have millions of fans worldwide.

 

They do: New England Sports Network. I get the national channel on cable tv.

 

It would be interesting to see how that angle gets played out.

[Redguard]

Good write-up there Sunny. Dojji & Virgil - I'd love it if LFC could take on a team at Fenway Park.

 

LfcKev ..... also on here mate .....

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/oct/12/liverpool-fc-rbs-hicks-gillett-john-w-henry

[Virgil Stallcup]

Good write-up there Sunny. Dojji & Virgil - I'd love it if LFC could take on a team at Fenway Park.

 

LfcKev ..... also on here mate .....

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/oct/12/liverpool-fc-rbs-hicks-gillett-john-w-henry

 

It could be a quality relationship, Redguard--if you can get clear of the lawyers.

 

Apparently Hicks admits to breaking the contract he made with Broughton. Now all it may come down to is the judge. How much does he buy into the Hicks spin? Or does he throw it into next week in another court?

 

It should be a slam dunk. Hicks admits to breach of contract. And the only way he can claim there were better bids is to produce (or convince others to produce) offers after the fact.

 

If the judge can get past the lawyerly sophistry, then he will understand the time Liverpool's Chairman spent trying to get the best bid possible for the club. He will see Hicks for what he did to try to scupper it out of blatant self-interest. And he will rule in favor of RBS.

[Vlads Quiff]

I still would love to see it happen someday that Liverpool FC comes over and plays the odd exhibition against the New England Revolution. It would give the Revs a real boost into the spotlight, something they desperately need -- they're really not bad as American soccer goes, but I'm not even sure most Bostonians remember they're out there. And of course it would give us Americans a chance to see what all the fuss is about with LFC.

 

Even better, do it at Fenway Park for a real introduction for Liverpool fans to the kind of business Henry has been running over here in Massachusetts. Can't think of a better way to get us more used to each other. They already do Hockey at the Fens, and I believe they've played American football there so I bet it could be done.

 

EDIT: Yep, it can be done, and has been done in the past. Celtic FC has come over and the page about it is a nice little idea of how the Fens could accomodate a football pitch.

 

http://www.tickets.com/footballatfenway/

 

I imagine Henry will be for trying it, since he has a stable cash cow waiting and probably at least a littie curious and it wouldn't hurt anything to try to tap into it. Any revenue stream is a good revenue stream. I bet between the few Revs fans, the curious Sox fans and the LFC supporters that followed the team over, you could fill Fenway.

 

Given that Steve Nicol the Chief Coach of NER is a Liverpool Legend a match between Liverpool and NER at Fenway Park would be fantastic. I might even make it over myself

 

regards

[Dojji]

Simple justice really, he rules in favor of Henry and RBS and all debts get paid and all team financial obligations met and whatever is outstanding will be in the hands of someone whose financial standing and ability to meet those obligations is beyond question, or he can go with Hicks and Gillet and maybe that won't be the case. It's not a sure thing, at least, unless Hicks has definite proof otherwise and even then he's arguing against something far closer to a guaranteed discharge of all outstanding debts than anything he could offer. I don't think Hicks has a prayer here honestly.

[Redguard]

3.08pm: In Hicks's letter/witness statement to the court he writes that during telephone meeting the board had at the start of last week (the one which broke down at adjournment), Hicks Jr was involved. Lord Grabiner questions why this happened as "Hicks Minor" is not on the board.

 

I think that at this juncture they should enlighten the learned Judge exactly as to why T Hicks Jnr was removed from the board.

[Virgil Stallcup]

Simple justice really' date=' he rules in favor of Henry and RBS and all debts get paid and all team financial obligations met and whatever is outstanding will be in the hands of someone whose financial standing and ability to meet those obligations is beyond question, or he can go with Hicks and Gillet and maybe that won't be the case. It's not a sure thing, at least, unless Hicks has definite proof otherwise and even then he's arguing against something far closer to a guaranteed discharge of all outstanding debts than anything he could offer. I don't think Hicks has a prayer here honestly.[/quote']

 

Apparently the Judge has a third option: he can shoot the case over to Chancery Court. If that happens, then it will take weeks for the trial to begin again.

 

I don't think that will happen. Broughton and RBS appear to have done their homework.

 

Note to self: If I'm ever in legal trouble in the UK, then look up this Grabiner fellow.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

Apparently the Judge has a third option: he can shoot the case over to Chancery Court. If that happens, then it will take weeks for the trial to begin again.

 

I don't think that will happen. Broughton and RBS appear to have done their homework.

 

Note to self: If I'm ever in legal trouble in the UK, then look up this Grabiner fellow.

 

?3000 an hour, not very cheap.

[Ride The Walrus]

Follow it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/oct/12/liverpool-fc-rbs-hicks-gillett-john-w-henry

 

Judge says it's 'ambitious' that it would be completed by Friday.

[LFCKEV71]

judgement expected at 10.30am UK TIME make that 10.00am

[Dojji]

So add 5 hours to that and you should get it around 5:30 to 6 New England time.

[Dojji]

Given that Steve Nicol the Chief Coach of NER is a Liverpool Legend a match between Liverpool and NER at Fenway Park would be fantastic. I might even make it over myself

 

regards

 

That wound be fantastic. It sounds exciting to us fans and smells like money to the execs so as long as someone doesn't have an over-long stick up their "nethers" in one or another league office it'll probably happen at some point. Celtic FC have already broken the ground too. I would definitely watch.

[Virgil Stallcup]

?3000 an hour' date=' not very cheap.[/quote']

 

Value for money. He obliterated a good portion of H&G's case in that hour or so he had.

 

Let's hope it was enough to convince the judge.

[JohnShaft]

Don't kid yourselves fellas, this will drag on for a very long time, lawyers making greenbacks (to use your venacular) is like Neil Diamonds Love on the rocks i.e. it aint no surprise

[Sunny]

I'm hoping the judgement is a step in the right direction anyway.

[AJ2010]

Hey guys, Liverpool fan here eagerly awaiting the verdict of the whole RBS V Hicks and Gillette case!

 

On a lighter note though, what's is the Red Sox fan's view on the NESV bid?

[Ride The Walrus]

Hey guys, Liverpool fan here eagerly awaiting the verdict of the whole RBS V Hicks and Gillette case!

 

On a lighter note though, what's is the Red Sox fan's view on the NESV bid?

 

Look through the thread mate, it's all in there

[Dojji]

Don't honestly care that much about soccer, but we know the owner isn't going to neglect his earlier investments to favor LFC so my opinion is it isn't likely to effect us.

 

Henry expects to make money running LFC, but not in the way people worry about -- he expects to make money by winning and putting a strong, fiscally efficient product on the field. This management group has turned the Red Sox, in probably only the 10th biggest market in the US, into the league's second greatest cash cow, and I think that even with the tremendous payroll he's still turning a profit. The only drawback from a fan perspective is that ticket prices are quite high, driven up by the positive aura of the team and huge corporate interest in the brand. That's the price of prestige though, and as long as the team wins and the product is exciting fans will keep their grumbling to a minimum.

[Ride The Walrus]

Don't honestly care that much about soccer, but we know the owner isn't going to neglect his earlier investments to favor LFC so my opinion is it isn't likely to effect us.

 

Henry expects to make money running LFC, but not in the way people worry about -- he expects to make money by winning and putting a strong, fiscally efficient product on the field. This management group has turned the Red Sox, in probably only the 10th biggest market in the US, into the league's second greatest cash cow, and I think that even with the tremendous payroll he's still turning a profit. The only drawback from a fan perspective is that ticket prices are quite high, driven up by the positive aura of the team and huge corporate interest in the brand. That's the price of prestige though, and as long as the team wins and the product is exciting fans will keep their grumbling to a minimum.

 

If he wants to make money, he's getting into the wrong sport. It's nigh impossible to earn from football.

[Red_Success]

We've all known for the best part of twenty years that lfc as a global brand has not been sweated which is why h&g wanted it in the first place. The club was commercially inept in the decades it should've been cashing in on it's global appeal. Fortunately after winning the c/l in 2005, this has once again highlighted to a new generation in the far east and asia what a massive successful club it is. With the current more effective commercial director (Ian ayre) in place we have started to realise this now. I think with nesv's expertise it can be taken to the next level.

But actions will speak louder than words with lfc fans for the next 12 months.

[Sunny]

Don't honestly care that much about soccer, but we know the owner isn't going to neglect his earlier investments to favor LFC so my opinion is it isn't likely to effect us.

 

Henry expects to make money running LFC, but not in the way people worry about -- he expects to make money by winning and putting a strong, fiscally efficient product on the field. This management group has turned the Red Sox, in probably only the 10th biggest market in the US, into the league's second greatest cash cow, and I think that even with the tremendous payroll he's still turning a profit. The only drawback from a fan perspective is that ticket prices are quite high, driven up by the positive aura of the team and huge corporate interest in the brand. That's the price of prestige though, and as long as the team wins and the product is exciting fans will keep their grumbling to a minimum.

 

When you say ticket prices are high - how high ?

[Spudboy]

When you say ticket prices are high - how high ?

 

The highest average price in Major League Baseball, I believe. I may be wrong, but not by much.

 

But you will have stable, responsible management and operation of the team. Firsts class everything.

[Dojji]

the team will be worth paying a lot to see, if Henry has anything to say about it.

[5timeshero]

in england there is a north south divide that i am not sure you guys know about its the south being a far richer and better paid jobs but that comes with higher house prices and general cost of living now when it comes to football this is the same were you pay to see a team like arsenal or chelsea it can cost 70-90 pounds but to watch lfc or man city it would only cost 35 pounds