Liverpool FC Forum

[Boxscarf]

I look forward to FSG's reply to the Spirit of Shankly's letter.

[eds]

Fans union Spirit of Shankly calls on LFC owners Fenway Sports Group to appoint Liverpool-based chief executive

LIVERPOOL FC supporters union Spirit of Shankly have released a statement calling for American owners Fenway Sports Group to increase their presence on Merseyside and appoint a Liverpool-based chief executive.

The club face playing half the season with only two senior strikers after failing to replace loaned-out Andy Carroll before the end of the transfer window and principal owner John Henry yesterday wrote an open letter to supporters explaining the club's transfer policy and admitting to 'mistakes' made in the owners' first 23 months in charge.

The statement reads:

Following yet another summer where off the pitch activities at Liverpool Football Club have dominated the headlines, we once again find the club ownership attempting to explain away business decisions that have overshadowed footballing matters.

Spirit of Shankly reiterates its stance that the position of manager at Liverpool Football Club should be supported with all of the resources at the club’s disposal.

However, events of last Friday and the subsequent “open letter” from the club’s Principal Owner, John W Henry, indicate that almost two years into FSG's ownership of the club this is not yet the case.

As pointed out by the union in May, there remains no ownership presence on this side of the Atlantic. It is our opinion that this situation has led directly to the "mistakes" alluded to in Mr Henry's open letter.

Should the club’s absentee owners not wish to establish a full-time base in Liverpool, it remains imperative that they appoint a Chief Executive of a calibre commensurate with the club’s global status, to act with the full authority of the owners in their absence.

Without this Chief Executive, it is far from sufficient for a club of Liverpool’s stature to have a part-time Chairman, based on another continent, with various other interests, and from whom little or nothing of consequence is seen or heard.

In case FSG need reminding, they are now employing their third manager, have already dispensed with the services of their Director of Football and now accusatory fingers are pointing in the direction of their Managing Director.

The questions posed of FSG by Spirit of Shankly during the close season remain unanswered. If the board is based in Boston, why has no Liverpool-based Chief Executive been appointed to oversee the club’s affairs?

It is almost two years since Liverpool Football Club was sold to FSG, with the stadium development being a condition of the sale, yet still no decisions have been made and still communication with fans and neighbouring residents alike remains patchy at best.

Commendably FSG will not sanction the spending of money the club has not got, but why not increase the money available to the club through selling shares to supporters?

There comes a point at any football club where the Chairman has to step forward on behalf of the board and be held accountable for decisions that they have made and strategies that they have implemented.

With key questions continuing to go unanswered, Spirit of Shankly suggests it is time for Tom Werner to be held accountable as Chairman of Liverpool Football Club. After all, the buck stops with him, not with those acting with his authority and not with people no longer at the club.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2012/09/04/fans-union-spirit-of-shankly-calls-on-lfc-owners-fenway-sports-group-to-appoint-liverpool-based-chief-executive-100252-31765028/2/


Seems a reasonable request when you consider the breakdown in communication that transpired on transfer deadline day .

Word.

[parchpea]

+1 for SOS

Need to start putting some heat on Fenway and asking awkward questions, take
no messing about with the reputation and future of our club at stake.

[aCe']

I've given SOS sht in the past for the way they've dealt with a number of things but I can't fault that statement they put out. The appointment of a Chief Executive is a good suggestion and we also need a director of football with tons of experience as far as I'm concerned.

[SouthCoastShankly]

I've given SOS sht in the past for the way they've dealt with a number of things but I can't fault that statement they put out. The appointment of a Chief Executive is a good suggestion and we also need a director of football with tons of experience as far as I'm concerned.

As have I.

But to be fair this is the first SOS statement that makes sense.

[Reg]

And to be fair to the owners they have already communicated what they wanted to say to the fans so once again SOS reacted too slow. The owners are not answerable to SOS on their CEO policy though as recently pointed out they tried to appoint a senior Australian guy as DoF, so clearly the ARE trying to beef up the senior management.

I honestly feel the owners have explained all they need to and will politely decline to comment further.

[lakes10]

I just get the feeling that we are going to be sold again very soon.
should have been sold to them london bankers who where life long liverpool fans. they were willing to put fans on the board and to have open meetings.


saying that they might have all gone bust by now lol

[devaney]

I just get the feeling that we are going to be sold again very soon.
should have been sold to them london bankers who where life long liverpool fans. they were willing to put fans on the board and to have open meetings.


saying that they might have all gone bust by now lol

Lakes you'll  be telling us next that one of your well informed mates reckons that H & G are about to put in a bid 

[devaney]

I just get the feeling that we are going to be sold again very soon.
should have been sold to them london bankers who where life long liverpool fans. they were willing to put fans on the board and to have open meetings.


saying that they might have all gone bust by now lol

Lakes you'll  be telling us next that one of your well informed mates reckons that H & G are about to put in a bid 

[parchpea]

I just dont think Fenway have the resources to finance and run both the Red Sox and Liverpool and if
they did they dont anymore.

At this point both of their clubs are having problems and they simply dont have the money to juggle
the two and meet fan expectation.

It was a brave venture going wrong and the best solution may be a sale here and focus on the sport
they love in Boston.

[Reg]

Sorry lads but you're talking complete and utter unsubstantiated garbage.

Fenway have a track record of demonstrable success built around sound financial practise and executed business plans. They are not emotional people. Does JWH look the sort of guy who's going to be impressed by a footballer's tantrum or a greedy player asking too high wages? No, he just crosses them off the list and moves on.

Sell the club? Give me a break.  Anyway, how do you lads can type if you're curled up in the foetal position? 

[7_Kewell]

Sorry lads but you're talking complete and utter unsubstantiated garbage.

Fenway have a track record of demonstrable success built around sound financial practise and executed business plans. They are not emotional people. Does JWH look the sort of guy who's going to be impressed by a footballer's tantrum or a greedy player asking too high wages? No, he just crosses them off the list and moves on.

Sell the club? Give me a break.  Anyway, how do you lads can type if you're curled up in the foetal position? 

Exactly.

FSG tried running the club as the fans wanted (spending big, hiring a club icon as manager) and it didn't work. They are now running the club their way and Im pretty sure they are in it for the long haul.

[stmichael]

there's clearly a disconnect between the ownership in america and the management over here. i just don't get the feeling of any sort of strategy being played out. what is FSG's long term aim? because whilst everyone plays their little games with one another it's the football club and the fans that ultimately suffer as a result.

so they've admitted that they've made mistakes in that letter. it's ok following an ideology but not at the expense of this season. yes they want us to be successful but the list is endless. they hired commoli, promoted him and sacked him. a disaster. they've hired ian ayre who's a joke (he was nowhere to be seen during the suarez affair but is always happy to jump infront of a camera when it suits him). he's not a football guy and we need a proper football man to run the football side of things over here.

[SouthCoastShankly]

I just dont think Fenway have the resources to finance and run both the Red Sox and Liverpool and if
they did they dont anymore.

At this point both of their clubs are having problems and they simply dont have the money to juggle
the two and meet fan expectation.

It was a brave venture going wrong and the best solution may be a sale here and focus on the sport
they love in Boston.

That's the point you seem to miss.

Neither Liverpool, Fenway Racing or Boston Red Sox are funded by FSG. Their business model is for each business entity to be self-sufficient.

Where investment is required the club (or franchise) borrow against their assets. The borrowing is justified like any loan, based on risk of default.

This is why John Henry recently stated that the club would not mortgage on risky business. The age of austerity is hitting football now, very few clubs have the ability to spend wildly to chase success. I don't want to be like City or United in terms of spending. Financial Fair Play will bit City in the ***** if they continue, I am sure. United are in debt to the tune of over £500M - ask united fans how happy they are with the situation.

[Reg]

there's clearly a disconnect between the ownership in america and the management over here. i just don't get the feeling of any sort of strategy being played out. what is FSG's long term aim? because whilst everyone plays their little games with one another it's the football club and the fans that ultimately suffer as a result.

so they've admitted that they've made mistakes in that letter. it's ok following an ideology but not at the expense of this season. yes they want us to be successful but the list is endless. they hired commoli, promoted him and sacked him. a disaster. they've hired ian ayre who's a joke (he was nowhere to be seen during the suarez affair but is always happy to jump infront of a camera when it suits him). he's not a football guy and we need a proper football man to run the football side of things over here.

Now unless I'm seriously mistaken the management mistakes have all been over this side of the pond in the 23 months of Fenway ownership.

1. Woy Hodgson was appointed on advice from over here who then bought the most useless set of 4th Division footballers ever to disgrace the red shirt.
2. They gave in to pressure having paid off Woy and appointed Kenny. They also brought in a first class coach in Clarke and Comolli, a noted DoF.
3. Kenny/Comolli squandered millions and Clarke failed to make the team perform leading to our 8th place position last year. Fenway's fault?
4. Fenway appointed Rodgers - first sign they are taking a leadership role. They gave him a further 25+million to spend.
5. Fenway agreed to take the hit on Adam, Carroll, tried to offload Henderson whilst re-signing key players.
6. Ayres had 2 players booked in for medicals at 6pm and 8pm. One didn't inform the club he 'changed his mind' the other did a U turn to Spurs on the M6. Anfield failure, not owners.

Lads - stop this 'blame the yanks' culture. Anfield, as a subsidiary company of Fenway screwed up, not the parent company.  If Ford's factory at Speke screws up, people don't blame Ford Detroit, its a local issue. Same with LFC - an independent subsidiary of Fenway.

The only blot on the landscape from Fenway so far is not coming up withy a stadium solution which one might say is understandable in the current financial climate. - and I say its Fenway's blot because JHW is clearly pulling the strings on that one, not local management.