Liverpool FC Forum

by **Lando_Griffin** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:41 pm

To be fair, Charmlessman, Arsenal won their titles before Sh*tski started spending obscene amounts of money.

I imagine that every fan wants us to do things the old way, but that's the thing about the World - it stops for no one.

If we don't adapt to the times, we will get left behind. Our reputation and formidable history have kept us within touching distance for years now - it won't last forever.

Investment, provided it is utilised correctly, will rejuvinate this club and see us sitting where we belong - at the top.
(I certainly would prefer to do things "our" way, though, but it's obviously not working anymore.)

by **67-1161385641** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:03 pm

My biggest fear about investment is the owner/owners won't understand our club, they won't respect the traditions of the club, and they will ignore the history and change us. I don't want Liverpool to become a global brand name, because we are a club, not a brand name. I don't want to see people wearing the Liverpool shirt because it’s the in thing. I don't want to see us spending huge amounts of money on individual players. People will say "Rafa's not stupid" what happens when Rafa leaves? If we can find an investor who has the same love for the club us fans do and knows the traditions and history and will obey these then I welcome the idea of a new chairman/chairmen, but I doubt these Dubai fellers are supporters. The fact they want us to be on par with Chelsea and Real Madrid, shows this. For many this is an exciting time, for me it’s a worrying time, I know Moores will try and find a suitable owner, but once Moores has gone the Investors can change their stance and change the club. I’m worried we will become another club who makes the transformation from a working class people’s club to a business made up of prawn sandwich eaters. I’ll guess we will see, I know I’m being pessimistic, but I’ve always been proud to say to people, Liverpool won things through hard work, honesty, guts and determination, I was proud to say to people that we didn’t need a chairman to throw money into the club, I want to keep on saying that even when we win number nineteen, twenty, twenty one and twenty two and so on, I fear I won’t be able to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see some of (not all) but some of Europe’s finest joining the club, but not if it means we are branded the new Chelsea and Real Madrid, because anything we win will be worthless without the respect of others. We are a club that demands respect and we earned the respect, I don’t want to see that vanish. Would I still support Liverpool if we became the new Chelsea? Yes, I will forever stand by the club I love and most fans will do the same, will I cheer when we score, yes I will, will I be truly happy when we win trophies? I don’t think so, not if we’ve bought twenty two of the world’s best players for about £400,000,000. I don’t feel nights like Istanbul would be as magical if we have a billionaire owner in charge of the club. I can understand the need for Investment, but I don’t want it, not if it means we become just another club. We’re different, we’re unique and we’re the best club to ever grace the game, I’m so proud to be a Liverpool fan, to say I’ve stood in the kop, to have watched someone of the best games in history, I don’t want that to change. If the investor/investors come in and does all the right things, keeps us as Liverpool Football Club, supplies Rafa with the funds he needs, helps us get a new stadium, then I will happily eat humble pie and say that I was wrong.

by **red37** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:34 pm

The clubs new owners...

by **67-1161385641** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:39 pm

They look like Liverpool fans.

by **madred** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:43 pm

CharmlessMan wrote:My biggest fear about investment is the owner/owners won't understand our club, they won't respect the traditions of the club, and they will ignore the history and change us. I don't want Liverpool to become a global brand name, because we are a club, not a brand name. I don't want to see people wearing the Liverpool shirt because it’s the in thing. I don't want to see us spending huge amounts of money on individual players. People will say "Rafa's not stupid" what happens when Rafa leaves? If we can find an investor who has the same love for the club us fans do and knows the traditions and history and will obey these then I welcome the idea of a new chairman/chairmen, but I doubt these Dubai fellers are supporters. The fact they want us to be on par with Chelsea and Real Madrid, shows this. For many this is an exciting time, for me it’s a worrying time, I know Moores will try and find a suitable owner, but once Moores has gone the Investors can change their stance and change the club. I’m worried we will become another club who makes the transformation from a working class people’s club to a business made up of prawn sandwich eaters. I’ll guess we will see, I know I’m being pessimistic, but I’ve always been proud to say to people, Liverpool won things through hard work, honesty, guts and determination, I was proud to say to people that we didn’t need a chairman to throw money into the club, I want to keep on saying that even when we win number nineteen, twenty, twenty one and twenty two and so on, I fear I won’t be able to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see some of (not all) but some of Europe’s finest joining the club, but not if it means we are branded the new Chelsea and Real Madrid, because anything we win will be worthless without the respect of others. We are a club that demands respect and we earned the respect, I don’t want to see that vanish. Would I still support Liverpool if we became the new Chelsea? Yes, I will forever stand by the club I love and most fans will do the same, will I cheer when we score, yes I will, will I be truly happy when we win trophies? I don’t think so, not if we’ve bought twenty two of the world’s best players for about £400,000,000. I don’t feel nights like Istanbul would be as magical if we have a billionaire owner in charge of the club. I can understand the need for Investment, but I don’t want it, not if it means we become just another club. We’re different, we’re unique and we’re the best club to ever grace the game, I’m so proud to be a Liverpool fan, to say I’ve stood in the kop, to have watched someone of the best games in history, I don’t want that to change. If the investor/investors come in and does all the right things, keeps us as Liverpool Football Club, supplies Rafa with the funds he needs, helps us get a new stadium, then I will happily eat humble pie and say that I was wrong.

Spoken like a true scouser mate. I couldn't have put it better myself. Lets hope they make the right decision for the good of the club.

by **peterc1992** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:27 pm

(+)maybe if they came they would make us like chelsea,bring in world class players,pay huge wages and dump alot of the local players

(-)i dont want tthis to happen,i want liverpool to stay the way we are and i think we can still beat chelsea in the coming years,to the league title,WITHOUT BIG MONEY

i dont want liverpool to be taken over

by **Aaron** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:22 pm

Does anyone think that since this has come to light the team have played a lot better like today? Lets be honest, we havnt played anywhere near like we can since the season started but now that it seems Moore's is going to sell-up, the players have responded with the news the new owners may be in soon. The takeover talk might have affected the team and now it seems its been resolved, the players can finally focus on on-field matters.

by **67-1161385641** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:24 pm

It's probably down to pure coincidence.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 12:33 am

If this story is true then I welcome some movement on this front finally but like others I am also apprehensive about the possible new owners.
The best case scenario would be that they pump major investment into the club to fund the new stadium and to allow Rafa to manoeuvre more freely in the transfer market; whilst leaving the current incumbents in the boardroom to steer the LFC ship.
Like everybody else I don't want the soul of Liverpool Football Club being sold off to deliver the title but I accept that we need to start spending more in the transfer market to move the team up a notch from where we currently stand.
The name Liverpool adds a few million to the cost of any player that we show interest in and at the moment we struggle to meet these valuations for these players that we want instead having to settle for second best (cough,cough,pennant cough)

. Generating our own income is no longer enough unfortunately, we need a bigger stadium to helps us with generating money and currently you'd have to say we are struggling to get this off of the drawing board and into construction because we're struggling to generate the money to pay for it whilst not getting into massive debt and without hindering our transfer budget. We need to exploit the history of our club to help us generate income to allow us to move forward. Not accepting that you need big bucks to be successful at the top level in football these days is going to lead to us being left behind and that current 16 year gap since the last title win could grow to 20 or even 30 years.

The major difference between us and chel$ki is that we have been working on our reputation for 114 years gaining peoples respect through hard work and graft whereas the chavs are your typical nouvo-riche (sp?) who think that just because they've got money they are entitled to respect.

by **red37** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:31 am

Anfield in £450m Dubai buyout

By DANIEL KING

Liverpool are on the verge of falling into foreign ownership, just like Premiership rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.

But the deal with Dubai International Capital faces opposition from Liverpool fans and the football authorities, who are opposed to another English club falling into overseas hands.

The Anfield board have given the company ? the international investment arm of the Dubai government-owned Dubai Holdings ? exclusive rights to study the club?s books and complete a deal after rejecting the £450 million bid from American multi-millionaire George Gillett Jnr, as well as up to three other rival offers.

After almost three years of searching for investment to fund a £200m new stadium, to pay off £80m of debts and provide transfer spending, Liverpool have chosen a firm ultimately owned by the billionaire rulers of Dubai, the Al Maktoum family, best known in sport for their ownership of the Godolphin racing stable.

DIC already own British assets, including Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and the Travelodge chain.

It remains unclear whether the company would take over the club lock, stock and barrel, as Gillett would have attempted, or buy a smaller stake for an injection of cash.

It has been suggested that, under a Dubai-run regime, chief executive Rick Parry might keep his job and even chairman David Moores might retain a role, extending his family?s 50-year association with the club.

The bottom line, however, is that another of the greatest names in world football would be controlled from abroad and reports that DIC?s chief executive, Samaeer al-Ansari, is a keen Liverpool fan will not dispel concerns.

If the deal is done, it would raise two new issues on top of the concern expressed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter and others about Chelsea, Manchester United, Portsmouth, Aston Villa and West Ham all falling into foreign ownership in the past four years.

Later this month, FIFA will announce new rules which aim to increase the transparency surrounding club ownership. Although they insist they have no desire or power to stop rich foreigners investing in clubs, involvement of governments in football, even at arm?s length, will ring alarm bells with the ruling body.

Also, the involvement of Dubai investors raises a potential conflict of interest within the Premiership because of Arsenal?s relationship with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline.

Emirates, like DIC, enjoy the status of an independent company but are ultimately an offshoot of the same government.

Rival clubs could argue that such an arrangement would compromise the Premiership?s integrity as a competition.

Both the Premier League and Liverpool Football Club declined last night to comme

by **Redman in wales** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:06 am

CharmlessMan wrote:My biggest fear about investment is the owner/owners won't understand our club, they won't respect the traditions of the club, and they will ignore the history and change us. I don't want Liverpool to become a global brand name, because we are a club, not a brand name. I don't want to see people wearing the Liverpool shirt because it’s the in thing. I don't want to see us spending huge amounts of money on individual players. People will say "Rafa's not stupid" what happens when Rafa leaves? If we can find an investor who has the same love for the club us fans do and knows the traditions and history and will obey these then I welcome the idea of a new chairman/chairmen, but I doubt these Dubai fellers are supporters. The fact they want us to be on par with Chelsea and Real Madrid, shows this. For many this is an exciting time, for me it’s a worrying time, I know Moores will try and find a suitable owner, but once Moores has gone the Investors can change their stance and change the club. I’m worried we will become another club who makes the transformation from a working class people’s club to a business made up of prawn sandwich eaters. I’ll guess we will see, I know I’m being pessimistic, but I’ve always been proud to say to people, Liverpool won things through hard work, honesty, guts and determination, I was proud to say to people that we didn’t need a chairman to throw money into the club, I want to keep on saying that even when we win number nineteen, twenty, twenty one and twenty two and so on, I fear I won’t be able to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see some of (not all) but some of Europe’s finest joining the club, but not if it means we are branded the new Chelsea and Real Madrid, because anything we win will be worthless without the respect of others. We are a club that demands respect and we earned the respect, I don’t want to see that vanish. Would I still support Liverpool if we became the new Chelsea? Yes, I will forever stand by the club I love and most fans will do the same, will I cheer when we score, yes I will, will I be truly happy when we win trophies? I don’t think so, not if we’ve bought twenty two of the world’s best players for about £400,000,000. I don’t feel nights like Istanbul would be as magical if we have a billionaire owner in charge of the club. I can understand the need for Investment, but I don’t want it, not if it means we become just another club. We’re different, we’re unique and we’re the best club to ever grace the game, I’m so proud to be a Liverpool fan, to say I’ve stood in the kop, to have watched someone of the best games in history, I don’t want that to change. If the investor/investors come in and does all the right things, keeps us as Liverpool Football Club, supplies Rafa with the funds he needs, helps us get a new stadium, then I will happily eat humble pie and say that I was wrong.

I've read your whole post charless man and i do share your concerns. However a couple of points:

the bit i highlighted in bold: 'people wearing the Liverpool shirt because it’s the in thing' - this will always happen and has always happened. the crowd follow successful teams, glory hunters to be more precise, but do you think they'd be as many utd fans in this country right now if they hadn't have won all those league titles in the 90's? - i dont. Liverpool more than doubled their own worldwide fan base in the late 70's and 80's because it was the 'in thing'. money doesnt make people wear the liverpool badge - success does.

you made another point of the fact that we've been generating our own income for the past 100 years. But todays game is sooooo much different. 50 years ago you could buy someone for a 100quid. 20years ago you could buy a player for a few thousand. today - what does a worldclass striker cost? - kuyt looks like a bargin at £10million. Any proven addition to the first 11, be it a rightback, winger or striker would now be in excess of 10million. Without a takeover, liverpool would slowly slip down and down the ladder, with teams like villa, newcastle taking their place as they will be able to afford the quality players, then in 20/30years down the line could even face bankruptcy if no investment comes in (we're 80mil in debt now!). Its sad, it really is, but its the way things are going for top flight clubs.

Have faith in moores and Parry. one of the reasons this takeover talk has lasted so many years is that they were finding someone with the best interests of the club. morgan was knocked back how many times? - meetings have been held with kraft, with Gillett, with dubai holdings and probably with many other suiters. They are finding what is best for the interests of the club.

---

my prediction, if this happens and/or the newcastle takeover happens, FIFA will introduce maximum player costs, maximum bonuses and maximum wages to stop the madness of escilation. 30mil for shevchenko, where next? - 50mil for david villa? - 60mil for the next pele.... 70...80....it could all get very silly very quickly with buyers wanting the best players for their own clubs.

how do we decide how much a player is worth? - kuyt 20years ago (1986) was worth £2million, now he's worth £12mil - 6 times that amount! So in 20years time will all clubs be buying stikers for £70million?...

anyway i digress - i slipped from the issue of the takeover there to a whole different kettle of fish, sorry.

--

in short, my point is, as much as we all dont want a forgein takeover - it kinda has to happen

by **parchpea** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:44 am

I am afraid that this is the way football is going and if Liverpool want to remain competitive they have to follow suit.

Change is never welcome but foreign ownership has proved successful and is now probably essential as we cannot raise funds elsewhere.

The simple facts are that the club with fall further behind should it stay still, as the current ownership does not have the money to build a stadium and fund the purchase of top class players.

I just want the whole thing signed and sealed so we can move on into a new and exciting chapter in the clubs history. Fantastic new ground and real class players back in Liverpool colours.

by **tubby** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:07 pm

CharmlessMan wrote:My biggest fear about investment is the owner/owners won't understand our club, they won't respect the traditions of the club, and they will ignore the history and change us. I don't want Liverpool to become a global brand name, because we are a club, not a brand name. I don't want to see people wearing the Liverpool shirt because it’s the in thing. I don't want to see us spending huge amounts of money on individual players. People will say "Rafa's not stupid" what happens when Rafa leaves? If we can find an investor who has the same love for the club us fans do and knows the traditions and history and will obey these then I welcome the idea of a new chairman/chairmen, but I doubt these Dubai fellers are supporters. The fact they want us to be on par with Chelsea and Real Madrid, shows this. For many this is an exciting time, for me it’s a worrying time, I know Moores will try and find a suitable owner, but once Moores has gone the Investors can change their stance and change the club. I’m worried we will become another club who makes the transformation from a working class people’s club to a business made up of prawn sandwich eaters. I’ll guess we will see, I know I’m being pessimistic, but I’ve always been proud to say to people, Liverpool won things through hard work, honesty, guts and determination, I was proud to say to people that we didn’t need a chairman to throw money into the club, I want to keep on saying that even when we win number nineteen, twenty, twenty one and twenty two and so on, I fear I won’t be able to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I wouldn’t like to see some of (not all) but some of Europe’s finest joining the club, but not if it means we are branded the new Chelsea and Real Madrid, because anything we win will be worthless without the respect of others. We are a club that demands respect and we earned the respect, I don’t want to see that vanish. Would I still support Liverpool if we became the new Chelsea? Yes, I will forever stand by the club I love and most fans will do the same, will I cheer when we score, yes I will, will I be truly happy when we win trophies? I don’t think so, not if we’ve bought twenty two of the world’s best players for about £400,000,000. I don’t feel nights like Istanbul would be as magical if we have a billionaire owner in charge of the club. I can understand the need for Investment, but I don’t want it, not if it means we become just another club. We’re different, we’re unique and we’re the best club to ever grace the game, I’m so proud to be a Liverpool fan, to say I’ve stood in the kop, to have watched someone of the best games in history, I don’t want that to change. If the investor/investors come in and does all the right things, keeps us as Liverpool Football Club, supplies Rafa with the funds he needs, helps us get a new stadium, then I will happily eat humble pie and say that I was wrong.

Well they have apparantly been in negotiation for over 2 years with Parry so i think that in itself shows commitment and perseverance.

And in regards to the history of the club I remember when Glazer took over Utd there were all sorts of stories in the papers about him wanting to change the club crest or name or stadium name but eventually they tuirned out to be paper :censored:

talk so id expect the same when we eventually go through it.

by **tubby** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:08 pm

Well all on newsnow.co.uk all i can see is the same story. Dubai Holdings and Liverpool.

I wonder if they can give us an advance now so we can get SWP.

by **67-1161385641** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:17 pm

Great, Shaun Wright-Phillips a greedy mercenary, excellent, I guess now we can go out and buy Belletti for £20,000,000, Ronaldinho for £120,000,000 and Kaka for £40,000,000, We could even bully Real Madrid into selling us Robinho for a bargain of £15,000,000. I can't wait.

Liverpool FC Forum

Possible buyout? - Just heard on the radio

Who is online