Liverpool FC Forum

by **Leonmc0708** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:15 am

What do you reckon boys ?

Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra claims Liverpool have accepted his £60m bid to buy a 30% stake in the club.

The Liverpool board have to choose between Thaskin's offer and a rival £73m bid from building tycoon and lifelong fan Steve Morgan.

David Moores, whose family has had control of Liverpool for half a century, owns 51% of the club and television company Granada have a 9.9% share.

The board have claimed Morgan's offer does not represent the true value of the club.

Morgan aimed to raise £61m with a rights issue and £12m through a share issue, but directors branded the plan "unattractive" after a board meeting on Thursday.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon before he turned to politics, has said he wants to promote Thai football and employ Liverpool coaches to lift the lacklustre national game up to international standards.

"In principle they agreed to give it to us and now we are working on details," Thaksin told the BBC.

Spokesman Santiparb Tejavanija said: "I am flying to Liverpool. Our proposal has been approved."

Santiparb, whose Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) was appointed by Thaksin to work on the details of the investment, added: "What I will sign in England would be something of a memorandum of understanding or letter of intent.

"After that we will work on the legal details of the investment.''

Thailand's dubious human rights record has prompted criticism of Liverpool's willingness to do business with Thaksin.

But the deal would provide a financial boost for the club, allowing them to compete with the Premiership's richest clubs, buy new players, and help finance an £80m proposed new stadium in Stanley Park.

Thaksin's motivation appears less clear, however. His representatives say it is because of a love of the game, while more cynical voices have said it may be to boost his political popularity in the soccer-mad nation.

by **ckay** » Tue May 18, 2004 8:24 am

I hope it's not true!!!!

How can the board kick Morgan back saying that a £75 million bid for 30% under values the club but a bid of £60-65 million ( depending which paper you read ) is a fair deal. This whole thing stinks.

If it does go through I just hope that it's money only and all the Thai bloke wants is dividand and not a say in the club.

by **Redtribe** » Tue May 18, 2004 9:10 am

Morgans bid wasnt for just 30% though as things stand it was to increase the amount of shares and lower there current price which did under value the club!
They were to essentialy different proposals from what i could see!
But untill Liverpool announce it as official i wouldnt read too much into it!
Rarely would one party announce the deal before another!

by **ckay** » Tue May 18, 2004 9:12 am

But doesn't this Thai guy, chow yun fat or what ever his name is, want merchandising rights in the east?

by **daddyo** » Tue May 18, 2004 10:58 am

Try another take on this.

In an ideal world we would take both of the offers on the table, double our money, and be laughing all the way to the new stadium with a host of top quality signings on board-and the dead wood all paid up and gone.

Now, the Thai PM has (to the best of my knowledge) refused to be taken along with any one else in this deal. That is to say if we take his money thats the deal. Period.
Morgan has apparently adopted the same stance.

Would it be too cynical to suggest that the board have taken a slightly "crafty" view to this situation?

The Thais are offering money up. We take the cash and settle things down.

The Thais have already said if we dont accept their offer they will simply go elsewhwere. The board are reluctant to see potentially 60m walk away so they take it.....with the view that Morgan, as a LFC fan will NEVER take his money into another fooball club and at some stage in the future when things (maybe) change he will be ready to invest.

He may not invest money at the level that we are talking about today, but lets say that in 4-5 yrs time he invests about half of his proposed investment, it would at that stage be most welcome.

This may have been covered in another thread somewhere, and if it has apologies for raising it but it's something that went through my mind.

by **ckay** » Tue May 18, 2004 11:03 am

Very crafty mate, your more cunning than a fox whose just been voted the headmaster of cunning at the school of cunning.

by **Redtribe** » Tue May 18, 2004 12:11 pm

Yep very good point daddyo

As for merchandising rights yeah sure i expext he will want an amount but 30% which = his stake in the club!

Its not been made public but i would imagine thats how it will work!

He will have to get some returns for his investment otherwise he wouldnt have put the money in!
If he has yet anyway, i still have read no official announcements!

by **stmichael** » Tue May 18, 2004 12:29 pm

breaking story........

THAI Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must revise the £63million offer to invest in Liverpool if the Anfield board are to embrace his controversial proposal.

Liverpool directors have yet to give their verdict on the bid discussed at a board meeting last Thursday, when Steve Morgan's £75m share rights issue was rejected.

But it is understood Shinawatra's offer is not acceptable in its current form and must be changed in order to gain approval from the Anfield hierarchy.

Chief among Liverpool's concerns is the issue of the club's commercial rights in Asia.

Liverpool are unwilling to meet Shinawatra's demands and relinquish control of those rights, which are set to become even more lucrative as Asia's economic fortunes improve.

And despite pressure from the Thai government to reach a final decision over their offer this stumbling block must be resolved before further progress is made. Shinawatra's representatives have revealed he will announce the outcome of his bid on Friday but Anfield officials have put no such timescale on the proposal.

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