Liverpool FC Forum

[Igor Zidane]

Spirit Of Shankly – March on Saturday

Saturday is a massive day for us. We are playing one of our biggest rivals, a team who are one behind us in league titles. A team who are European Champions. And a team that we love to beat. Much of the talk at the moment, however, is about what's going on off the pitch – what Hicks and Gillett are up to, the stadium and the club's finances.

The world's media will be watching. So let's make ourselves heard on a march from the Liverpool Supporters' Club, Lower Breck Road, up to Anfield. Let's remind everyone what we want – Hicks and Gillett, out of OUR club.

Let's make sure they get the message. Bring yourself, your mates, anyone who wants Hicks and Gillett out should be there. Bring your banners and bring your voices. A passionate mob, directing their anger towards those ruining our football club.

What we need on Saturday is two resounding victories. Firstly, a march on a massive scale that tells the world that Liverpool has had enough of Gillett and Hicks. A march of passion, a march of anger, a march of Red Solidarity that roars its message loud and proud: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! GO NOW!

This is the biggest club game in football and the world will be watching. Our second victory on Saturday comes when we take all that passion and pride inside the ground and take the roof off in a way no Manc has ever seen or heard. They have 76,000 spectators. We've got 40,000 warriors. All together on Saturday - everybody. Every last one of us turn up at Liverpool Supporters Club on Saturday morning for a show of strength that can change our club's destiny.

Liverpool Supporters Club. Saturday, 11am. See you there!

Spirit Of Shankly.



Everyone who can make it , please do your best to do so . Even if your not going the match ,if you can ,go to the march and lets make our voices heard. Igor.

[figgis]

you could say that if DIC do takeover that just leaves another super rich club being held to ransom for average players Barry for example. there would be all the main teams all mega rich all trying to get the best players in at rip off prices. what would rafa do with the money. he would probably buy kaka and play him at left back. you could certainly see rafa being replaced within a year if DIC did take over.

[Reg]

Any good news out there Figgis ??

[NANNY RED]

you could say that if DIC do takeover that just leaves another super rich club being held to ransom for average players Barry for example. there would be all the main teams all mega rich all trying to get the best players in at rip off prices. what would rafa do with the money. he would probably buy kaka and play him at left back. you could certainly see rafa being replaced within a year if DIC did take over.

Doom an gloom

[Reg]

How you and Igor getting on Nan?   

[figgis]

  the good news is its rained for most of the summer and i had 2 root canals done today at the dentist which is comparible to watching my local team play. the missus keeps moaning and ive got a day off work. at least the groundsmen should be happy.

[NANNY RED]

How you and Igor getting on Nan?   

He jibbed me cause i wouldnt by the popcorn
Hell regret it though

[Reg]

Reg meets Tom Hicks Jr in the Sandon to decide whether H&G senior should sell up and move on.

Hicks Jr to go first...............

http://xpock.tv/play.php?vid=540

[lakes10]

I wonder what would happen if thw owners did not sell in this football but we won the prem? would we still be asking for them to go as much?

would it be a case of "look at what we can do with not so much money"

[NANNY RED]

I wonder what would happen if thw owners did not sell in this football but we won the prem? would we still be asking for them to go as much?

would it be a case of "look at what we can do with not so much money"

I would without a shadow of doubt. I dont care what we win theve got to go

[rafa09]

REG, you did,nt hit him hard enough the twots still alive

[Rush Job]

I wonder what would happen if thw owners did not sell in this football but we won the prem? would we still be asking for them to go as much?

would it be a case of "look at what we can do with not so much money"

I would without a shadow of doubt. I dont care what we win theve got to go

Agreed nan, we could do the treble it wouldnt make any difference to any real fan.

[tubby]

I wonder what would happen if thw owners did not sell in this football but we won the prem? would we still be asking for them to go as much?

would it be a case of "look at what we can do with not so much money"

I would without a shadow of doubt. I dont care what we win theve got to go

Probably the fact that we got to Athens made them think they they wouldnt have to put in much seeing as it was our 2nd final in 2 years.

[tubby]

Not sure if this has been posted yet but just saw it on GB's website.

08/09/2008 

The Liverpool takeover and the billion pound investment



Thanks to everyone who has been posting comments and asking questions in the blog, please keep them coming in.

Over the last week or so it seems that the majority of questions from Liverpool fans relate to news of a potential takeover at Anfield.

As one reader, KK, from Malaysia asks: "Surely the most important news that LFC fans would like to know if whether DIC is still interested and intend to buy LFC. Also we'd also like to know if USA are indeed willing to sell?"

And Lee in Liverpool makes a very valid point when he says: "Guillem have you heard anything about DIC? Now that Man City have had there influx of Arabian cash we could start to find ourselves struggling to finish top four!"

In fact,  the points that you guys have raised about Champions League qualification, the takeover at Manchester City and the position of Gillett and Hicks are all very relevant.


To begin with, we need to get away from the idea that it will be Dubai International Capital that ultimately takes control of Liverpool football club. DIC have, until now, been operating on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum as the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government. However, DIC represents just one of a number of financial vehicles available to Sheikh Mohammed and it is highly likely that an alternative one of those will end up leading the bid to take control at Anfield.


DIC had been leading the negotiations  over a proposed takeover of Liverpool - through  intermediary Amanda Staveley, of London based PCP Capital Partners - for the last couple of years.

However, the financial situation surrounding the club has changed dramatically since DIC's initial £220 Million bid 24 months ago, and the current climate is now less favourable for such a private equity fund to become involved.

To begin with, a new bid would have to cover the £350 million debt and Gillett and Hicks will also walk away with a profit of £75 million each from the sale. Add to those figures the costs of building a new stadium under the 'current global financial climate,' as Hicks put it last week, and it becomes clear that something close to a billion pound investment will be required to fulfill the club's ambitions. For an equity fund, like DIC, that would need to see a return on it's investment within 8- 10 years, rather than generationally, that kind of massive investment may be prohibitive.

However, while the talks have been low key, 'they have been ongoing'  with Dubai - as Staveley told an Arab magazine a couple of weeks ago - and both the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his right-hand man, Mohammed Al Gergawi, have been personally involved in negotiations.

Nothing has been agreed yet, and Gillett and Hicks are still resisting the sale of the club to Sheikh Mohammed, leaving it until as late in the day as possible - after all, that is their game as high level debt poker players. However, the pressure is mounting on them to sell as the credit crunch continues to undermine their ambitions for the club: it was only last week that they blamed the global financial climate for the postponement of building work on the new stadium at Stanley Park. The pair are now aware that they simply do not have the resources to deliver upon their lofty ambitions for the club that they promised when they took control in 2007.

They are also likely to come under pressure to sell from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, the banks with whom they secured a £350 million refinancing deal a little more than seven months ago. That deal is due for renewal this coming January and neither bank is certain to grant them the option of a six month extension: a situation that would force a sale as the banks would effectively become the club's owners and they would be looking to quickly sell the club to the highest bidder.

It is easy to understand the banks position in all of this. After all, with the club owing annual interest payments of £30 million, Liverpool's financial security, under Gillett and Hicks, is almost entirely dependent upon future Champions League qualification.  The Abu Dhabi takeover at Manchester City, and the increased competition for places in Europe's elite club competition that it will surely bring, makes Liverpool's future dependence upon Champions League revenue look even more precarious than it already was.

The irony is, that as the Americans at Liverpool appear increasingly more helpless in the face of the massive injection of Arab wealth at Manchester City, the new owner at Eastlands, Sheikh Mansour, is married to the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. Those family ties, however, are purely anecdotal and the fact is that the two Arab states are in competition with each other as rivals for status and international prestige. There is no collusion, and the Premier League could provide a platform for the two Arab states to go head to head on the world stage.

Nevertheless, the Abu Dhabi takeover at City could certainly help pave the way for a similar takeover at Liverpool from Dubai. The RSB and Wachovia have not yet put pressure on the Texan pair to sell, but they are aware of the bid from Sheikh Mohammed and if they fear that the Americans are unable to fulfill their pledges under the current financial climate - and with Arab wealth in Manchester jeopardising Liverpool's place at the top table of European football -  it may only be a matter of time before the banks have no other option but to force Gillett and Hicks to relinquish control at Anfield.

[RUSHIE#9]

Not sure if this has been posted yet but just saw it on GB's website.

08/09/2008 

The Liverpool takeover and the billion pound investment



Thanks to everyone who has been posting comments and asking questions in the blog, please keep them coming in.

Over the last week or so it seems that the majority of questions from Liverpool fans relate to news of a potential takeover at Anfield.

As one reader, KK, from Malaysia asks: "Surely the most important news that LFC fans would like to know if whether DIC is still interested and intend to buy LFC. Also we'd also like to know if USA are indeed willing to sell?"

And Lee in Liverpool makes a very valid point when he says: "Guillem have you heard anything about DIC? Now that Man City have had there influx of Arabian cash we could start to find ourselves struggling to finish top four!"

In fact,  the points that you guys have raised about Champions League qualification, the takeover at Manchester City and the position of Gillett and Hicks are all very relevant.


To begin with, we need to get away from the idea that it will be Dubai International Capital that ultimately takes control of Liverpool football club. DIC have, until now, been operating on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum as the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government. However, DIC represents just one of a number of financial vehicles available to Sheikh Mohammed and it is highly likely that an alternative one of those will end up leading the bid to take control at Anfield.


DIC had been leading the negotiations  over a proposed takeover of Liverpool - through  intermediary Amanda Staveley, of London based PCP Capital Partners - for the last couple of years.

However, the financial situation surrounding the club has changed dramatically since DIC's initial £220 Million bid 24 months ago, and the current climate is now less favourable for such a private equity fund to become involved.

To begin with, a new bid would have to cover the £350 million debt and Gillett and Hicks will also walk away with a profit of £75 million each from the sale. Add to those figures the costs of building a new stadium under the 'current global financial climate,' as Hicks put it last week, and it becomes clear that something close to a billion pound investment will be required to fulfill the club's ambitions. For an equity fund, like DIC, that would need to see a return on it's investment within 8- 10 years, rather than generationally, that kind of massive investment may be prohibitive.

However, while the talks have been low key, 'they have been ongoing'  with Dubai - as Staveley told an Arab magazine a couple of weeks ago - and both the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his right-hand man, Mohammed Al Gergawi, have been personally involved in negotiations.

Nothing has been agreed yet, and Gillett and Hicks are still resisting the sale of the club to Sheikh Mohammed, leaving it until as late in the day as possible - after all, that is their game as high level debt poker players. However, the pressure is mounting on them to sell as the credit crunch continues to undermine their ambitions for the club: it was only last week that they blamed the global financial climate for the postponement of building work on the new stadium at Stanley Park. The pair are now aware that they simply do not have the resources to deliver upon their lofty ambitions for the club that they promised when they took control in 2007.

They are also likely to come under pressure to sell from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, the banks with whom they secured a £350 million refinancing deal a little more than seven months ago. That deal is due for renewal this coming January and neither bank is certain to grant them the option of a six month extension: a situation that would force a sale as the banks would effectively become the club's owners and they would be looking to quickly sell the club to the highest bidder.

It is easy to understand the banks position in all of this. After all, with the club owing annual interest payments of £30 million, Liverpool's financial security, under Gillett and Hicks, is almost entirely dependent upon future Champions League qualification.  The Abu Dhabi takeover at Manchester City, and the increased competition for places in Europe's elite club competition that it will surely bring, makes Liverpool's future dependence upon Champions League revenue look even more precarious than it already was.

The irony is, that as the Americans at Liverpool appear increasingly more helpless in the face of the massive injection of Arab wealth at Manchester City, the new owner at Eastlands, Sheikh Mansour, is married to the daughter of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai. Those family ties, however, are purely anecdotal and the fact is that the two Arab states are in competition with each other as rivals for status and international prestige. There is no collusion, and the Premier League could provide a platform for the two Arab states to go head to head on the world stage.

Nevertheless, the Abu Dhabi takeover at City could certainly help pave the way for a similar takeover at Liverpool from Dubai. The RSB and Wachovia have not yet put pressure on the Texan pair to sell, but they are aware of the bid from Sheikh Mohammed and if they fear that the Americans are unable to fulfill their pledges under the current financial climate - and with Arab wealth in Manchester jeopardising Liverpool's place at the top table of European football -  it may only be a matter of time before the banks have no other option but to force Gillett and Hicks to relinquish control at Anfield.

Interesting read that. I say interesting cause it seems to be a case of GB (Guillem Balague I presume) has gone through all of the press clippings from the past week and just cut & pasted them with the odd edit or personal comment thrown in.
It doesn't really shed any more light on what we already supposedly know, which is:
1. We've got fuck all money compared to what we had just over 24 months ago.

2. Twit 'n Tw@t can't sustain the loan repayments in the current climate and should they remain and we fail to qualify for the Champions League we're fooked!

3. Every financial institution involved with T 'n' T are telling them to sell up.

4. Tw@t is pig headed and so we can't take it as read that he WILL sell up.

5. Every single red on here would probably give their left testicle (or boob for our female contingent  ) to see them out of our club.

6. The wait continues.