Liverpool FC Forum

[Ciggy]

From this week's PR Week magazine:

Square1 to help with Liverpool bid

The bid team considering a takeover approach for Liverpool FC is using Square1 Consulting alongside retained agency Brunswick to brief journalists.

Square1, formerly Holborn PR, is working with a third party involved in the possible Dubai International Capital deal and has been talking to journalists about the bid.

Liverpool is currently under controversial American ownership, which has prompted protests from fans. DIC looked set to buy Liverpool 18 months ago and is rumoured to still be interested.

Brunswick was used during the initial bid and is DIC's retained agency.

The takeover by US duo Tom Hicks and George Gillett was seen in many quarters as a huge PR success. But since then, relationships between the owners, manager and Liverpool supporters have soured considerably.

[NANNY RED]

Steve MC explains


I only want return to Anfield values
Feb 16 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

ANYONE who read last week's Blood Red will know I wasn’t exactly too complimentary about comments made by ex-Liverpool star Steve McManaman after the recent Sunderland game.

In the interests of fairness, McManaman was given the right to reply, an offer which he has taken up in a bid to put the record straight.

In the immediate aftermath of the Sunderland game, McManaman told Setanta viewers that he wasn’t overly impressed by the post-match demonstrations which were taking place against club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and urged presenter Matt Scott not to discuss it.

Today McManaman admitted he could have chosen his words more carefully, but insisted his passionate outburst was born of a desire to see a return to the traditional values of Liverpool Football Club.

He also asked to be judged on all of his comments about the protests and not just those from after the Sunderland game.

He said: “Ever since it came out that the owners were speaking to Jurgen Klinsmann behind Rafa Benitez’s back, I have been openly critical of them, on TV and on radio, because that is not the Liverpool way.

“Anyone who has seen me on TV will know that is the case, so to judge me on just one set of comments after one particular game isn't particularly fair.

“As far as I am concerned there is nothing down for the owners because no-one is going to forgive them for some of the things they have done.

“I have supported the protests before and if anyone looks at the video of our coverage of the Aston Villa game I’m sure they will see that.

“Even at the Sunderland game, I was the one who passed on information about the protest and got it mentioned on the show.

“I made sure the leaflet put out by the protestors was read out just as I had done when I was asked to mention the Keep Everton In Our City plane which flew over Old Trafford when Everton played there recently.

“But there is only so much you can do.

“The thing that superseded all of this for me though was the fact that Steven Gerrard, the club captain no less, spoke out after the Villa game and said that all the ongoing speculation and problems off the pitch were affecting the players.

“So after hearing that, what I wanted to say was that everything that was going on was damaging the club and doing the team no favours.

“I may not have put it as eloquently as I would have liked and I hold my hands up if that is the case, but what I was stressing was the need for everyone to concentrate on the football.

“This is not the Liverpool that we know and love and, like everyone else connected with the club, I just want to get back to that.

“I have got mates who were protesting after the Sunderland game but I have also got mates who want the protests to stop because they don’t think they are doing the club any good.

“But what we all have in common is that we all want the same conclusion – we just want what is best for the club.

“The Americans are the owners and unless someone is going to come along with £400m or something that is not going to change for the foreseeable future.

“I am supportive of the reasons for the protest, but I just worry that demonstrating at the match is perhaps not the best way of doing it.

“But to suggest I don’t care is completely wrong.

“I am right behind the team and I will support them to the hilt.”

[dawson99]

i know a lot of you consider macca a traitor and cant stand the guy, but i like him, loved him as a player, and respect most of his views

[redmikey]

macca and rednap show very little passion towards the club that turned them into household names, and both sit on the tv fence on the big issues that affect our club.

i would love to see fowler commentating on things that are happening at the moment.

and as far as macca being a traitor, i just think that he got off scot free from any blame because he is a scoucer, were as owen got all sorts of sh!te for treating the club like a dirty rag when macca went on a bosman and played dreadful in his last season with no commitment

[NANNY RED]

macca and rednap show very little passion towards the club that turned them into household names, and both sit on the tv fence on the big issues that affect our club.

i would love to see fowler commentating on things that are happening at the moment.

and as far as macca being a traitor, i just think that he got off scot free from any blame because he is a scoucer, were as owen got all sorts of sh!te for treating the club like a dirty rag when macca went on a bosman and played dreadful in his last season with no commitment

Absolutly nail on head there lad And couldnt agree more regarding the Fowler commentating bit

[kopite_1232002]

Ciggy any news on the takeover need cheerin up ?

[Kukilon]

Macca is a tard that needs to be shot.

[TwelthMan]

Ciggy any news on the takeover need cheerin up ?

Ciggy's sources have dried up. She has more important things to do like rant at every other fan than speak to her contacts who are all really close to DIC/Rafa/MI6/TheQueen 

[account deleted by request]

Kop that
Pair to cash in on Liverpool sale
By Chris Bascombe

TOM HICKS and George Gillett will share a £50m bonanza when Dubai International Capital finally buy Liverpool.
That's an astonishing £65,000 a day EACH for 12 months of turmoil on Merseyside.

TYKE THAT: LIVERPOOL 1 BARNSLEY 2

The Arabs are closing in on the deal which will end the Americans' reign.

Negotiations have reached a key stage, with Gillett now most likely to be first to end his association with the club.

Hicks remains the main obstacle as the Arab investment group seek a swift conclusion.

The club is now valued at around £400m, but £350m of this figure forms recently incurred debt.

That means if both Americans were to sell now, they'd share a £50m profit for a year of disarray.

Hicks has first option on Gillett's shares under the terms set when the duo joined forces in 2007.

The nightmare scenario for all parties has been for Hicks to take up this option and assume sole ownership.

However, with Liverpool still facing major financial concerns as they look to fund a £300m stadium on Stanley Park, even Hicks' hardline stance has softened in recent days.

[LegBarnes]

Kop that
Pair to cash in on Liverpool sale
By Chris Bascombe

TOM HICKS and George Gillett will share a £50m bonanza when Dubai International Capital finally buy Liverpool.
That's an astonishing £65,000 a day EACH for 12 months of turmoil on Merseyside.

TYKE THAT: LIVERPOOL 1 BARNSLEY 2

The Arabs are closing in on the deal which will end the Americans' reign.

Negotiations have reached a key stage, with Gillett now most likely to be first to end his association with the club.

Hicks remains the main obstacle as the Arab investment group seek a swift conclusion.

The club is now valued at around £400m, but £350m of this figure forms recently incurred debt.

That means if both Americans were to sell now, they'd share a £50m profit for a year of disarray.

Hicks has first option on Gillett's shares under the terms set when the duo joined forces in 2007.

The nightmare scenario for all parties has been for Hicks to take up this option and assume sole ownership.

However, with Liverpool still facing major financial concerns as they look to fund a £300m stadium on Stanley Park, even Hicks' hardline stance has softened in recent days.

well this is very good news indeed i hope it sound source.

I for one havent been very impressed with rafa but i do really feel for him having to deal with these 2 looneys.

Still  at them walking away with 50 mil profit but if it only way to get rid of the greedy then you gotta do what you gotta do.

Still scary tho we dont know what is over the hill yet even with DIC we think they are here to save us i hope they do i really do.

Liverpool as been made a laughting stock in last 3-4 months and i never wanna see this happen agian in my life time.

YNWA

[john1992]

The thing that anoys me the most is the 50 mill profit they will make for not alot of work

any true liverpool fan would donate it to help pay the debts.

These two men have enough money to live there lives there just being greedy

[god_bless_john_houlding]

If, just to be me usual optimistic self, DIC turn out to be bigger jokes than the yanks, what then? Go back to the yanks with our tails between our legs, or bring Mr Moores back, or look for another option?

If it gets any worse than it is now, I'd find 500 million pound mesef.

As for these yanks walking away with 50 million in their back pocket. Have no fear lads, they've got to leave through Speke airport and nobody gets through Speke without a good mugging (sorry to anyone from Speke)

[account deleted by request]

Pic of the meeting yesterday

[NANNY RED]

Speke Airport i called it the same name  to someone the other day and got looked at like i was an idiot : Never heard of Speke Airport in Liverpool i thought they only had one called John Lennon:: i laughed for hours just shows you what awl .es we are John

[account deleted by request]

DIC eye Newcastle United

By Rob Stewart
Daily Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:17am GMT 18/02/2008

The future direction of Newcastle United was the subject of heightened speculation last night after fresh rumours surfaced suggesting owner Mike Ashley is willing to sell the club less than a year after his £134 million takeover.

The Dubai International Capital (DIC) consortium are said to have been contacted by Ashley's representatives about a £300 million sale.

The link with a Middle East consortium frequently mooted as Liverpool's suitors emerged after it was reported that a Tyneside-based group of businessmen were putting together a £250 million takeover bid and they want former club captain Alan Shearer on board.

"Alan has been contacted by a group who want to try to buy Newcastle," a source close to the talks said yesterday.

"They're from the North East. What they want from Alan is not his money but his support, his blessing."

Newcastle have regularly been at the centre of speculation suggesting Ashley is ready to sell up.

The club have undergone major upheaval since he took over last summer. As well as sacking Sam Allardyce and replacing him with Kevin Keegan, the sports retail tycoon appointed Dennis Wise as the club's director of football.

Over the weekend Ashley and club chairman Chris Mort were the subject of a thinly veiled attack from Allardyce.

"Huge businessmen, multimillionaires in their own right, very clever men, but never been shouted at," Allardyce said.

"They can't stand the pressure, their knees buckle, they don't stand strong and they use the easy option to take the pressure off themselves. They have to be the strongest ones and often they're the weakest ones."


Hopefully nothing in this one, as I have heard the deal with Gillett is just about ready to be revealed as done and dusted. Should be soon now(touch wood)