Liverpool FC Forum

by **NANNY RED** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:36 pm

s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Not heard nothin Saint but hope your wrong

(sounds like Bamaga givin me the silent treatment at the mo must of got his hands on someone elses pension ) :laugh:

by **Redman in wales** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:31 pm

Ciggy wrote:George Gillett:

“I’ve been married over 40 years and have first hand knowledge about how to solve an argument!

by **lakes10** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:33 pm

s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

I have seen that said on other forums, i can not see it as being true

by **Sabre** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:43 pm

Yeh, that line about the 40 years of marriage was a good one.

Probably it's more diplomacy than sincere words, but it's ok he acknowledges whose the club is in the "This is your club" bit.

I think that lines should bury our concern about Rafa being sacked for a while.

by **RUSHIE#9** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:46 pm

s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Hoping that could be another load of bollox Saint just like alot of whats come out in the past couple of weeks. I think though that a lot of us are doing exactly what Rafa is doing in Saint's avatar when it comes to the Americans now!

This sorry episode with Rafa has done a lot of damage to the reputations of the americans and I can only see it getting worse with the scaling back of the stadium plans again.

I personally am starting to fear that we've all been taken for a bunch of chumps by these two and it's gonna take a lot to repair that trust. A good start would be for them to finally put their hands in their own pockets (and not the clubs) and back Rafa in the transfer market and get rid of Bobo the Clown (Parry).

by **lakes10** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:14 pm

RUSHIE#9 wrote:
s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Hoping that could be another load of bollox Saint just like alot of whats come out in the past couple of weeks. I think though that a lot of us are doing exactly what Rafa is doing in Saint's avatar when it comes to the Americans now!

This sorry episode with Rafa has done a lot of damage to the reputations of the americans and I can only see it getting worse with the scaling back of the stadium plans again.

I personally am starting to fear that we've all been taken for a bunch of chumps by these two and it's gonna take a lot to repair that trust. A good start would be for them to finally put their hands in their own pockets (and not the clubs) and back Rafa in the transfer market and get rid of Bobo the Clown (Parry).

I can not see it being true, they come over to see him.

by **zarababe** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:01 pm

Ciggy wrote:looks like its sorted out

George Gillett: We're right behind Rafa

Dec 17 2007 by Tony Barrett

GEORGE Gillett gave Rafa Benitez his unequivocal backing after Liverpool’s American owners held clear the air talks with the Reds boss at Anfield.

Benitez met with Gillett, co-owner Tom Hicks, Foster Gillett and Rick Parry for three hours following the 1-0 home defeat to Man United and the outcome was positive with all involved agreeing to bury their differences and work together for the good of the club.

And Parry today told the ECHO the club is still totally committed to delivering a stadium which the fans can be proud of, despite having to axe the futuristic design launched in the summer because of rising costs.

In an address to the Liverpool Former Players Association at a city centre hotel - just hours after talks with Benitez - George Gillett spoke of his regret over the fall out with the Spaniard but insisted his immediate future at the club is secure.

He told an audience of Liverpool playing legends: “This wasn’t supposed to happen, but it has happened, and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation.

“Rafa is the one we want as a manager further on, and we have faith in him.

“I’ve been married over 40 years and have first hand knowledge about how to solve an argument!

“We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that.”

Gillett was guarded about the imminent opening of the transfer window but spoke again about his role as a custodian of the club.

He added: “The transfer window opens soon and we might use the option that gives us, or we might not.

“Liverpool is a great club. We are well aware that we have something very valuable on our hands.

“Liverpool is not our club, it’s your club. The supporters’ club. It’s always been that way, and it will always be that way.”

Meanwhile, Rick Parry today admitted Liverpool have had to shelve their futuristic stadium design for Stanley Park because of spiralling costs, not due to the credit crunch in America, as reported elsewhere.

Liverpool are now considering their options but Parry moved to reassure fans that the club remains confident that a new stadium will be delivered in time for the start of the 2011/2012 season, in keeping with the original timescale.

He said: “We are now considering two schemes but the stadium will be a 70,000 seater.

“The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones.

“And it will be a massive improvement on where we were 12 months ago, if not quite as dramatic as the plans unveiled in the summer.

“The single tier Kop remains fundamental to the design and we are not expecting any delays – it should be on schedule for 2011.”

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpo....0260743

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpo....0260268

This is positive news indeed. However why has there not been the 'dreaded vot of confidence' statemnt on the clubs official site - given all that Rafa has had to deal with on his own in the public press it would have been nice to see a statemen on the official site.

For now I'm happy - but lets see where we go with this - no doubt Rafa's own confidence will have been shaken by the lack of support from that P.rick Parry !

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:53 am

The papers seem split on whether Rafa will be allowed to buy or sell any players in the transfer window.

Liverpool's belt tightening leaves Benitez in a squeeze
By Sam Wallace
Published: 18 December 2007
Rafael Benitez's difficult relationship with Liverpool's American owners will be severely tested after it emerged that George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks will refuse to sanction even a free signing during the January transfer window. The Liverpool manager was made aware of the embargo long before Sunday's long-awaited peace summit at Anfield immediately after the defeat to Manchester United.

The Americans did not wait until they arrived last week to inform Benitez of the limitations imposed on him. It is understood Benitez has been told he will be not be able to sell, or buy at all during the transfer window and two free signings he had hoped to make would not be considered by the board either.

It came as a major blow to Benitez whose long-term future at the club has been under serious doubt ever since his first fall-outs with the Americans last month. Although Liverpool and Gillett have attempted to put a more positive spin on the events of the last two days it is not how Benitez sees events in private. He is disbelieving at the limitations placed on him by the board who will have seen first hand on Sunday the need to strengthen the Liverpool squad.

Whether the Americans' position changes in the next few weeks is not clear but Benitez certainly went into Sunday's meeting on the understanding no funds would be made available for transfers in January. Yesterday Gillett, who spoke at a meeting of former Liverpool players, was ambiguous about January signings saying only, in terms of the transfer window, "we might use the option that gives us, or we might not."

A statement released by the club on Sunday night claimed that the meeting between Hicks, Gillett, his son Foster, Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry had been "amicable". Gillett attempted to keep the mood upbeat once again when he said that after the fallout between the two parties the "focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation."

He added: "Rafa is the one we want as a manager further on, and we have faith in him. I've been married over 40 years and have first hand knowledge about how to solve an argument. We concentrated on getting an overview over the situation, and I felt we accomplished that."

The dispute between Benitez and his bosses began with his criticism of them for lacking understanding of the workings of the transfer market last month and escalated with Hicks warning his manager "to quit talking about new players and coach the ones that we have." That message would appear to have been reinforced over the last few days.

Parry also warned that Liverpool have had to revise their ambitious plans for the new 70,000-capacity stadium planned for the 2011-2012 season. He said: "The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones."

Or the slightly more upbeat Daily Mail

Benitez told by Liverpool owners to sell before he can spend
By IAN LADYMAN - More by this author »

Last updated at 23:23pm on 17th December 2007

Comments

Rafael Benitez's future at Liverpool remains delicately poised after he was told by the club's American owners that he will have to raise his own transfer money next month.

Liverpool moved to present a united front on Monday after their Spanish manager emerged from Sunday night's meeting with Tom Hicks and George Gillett with his job safe for the time being.

• More Liverpool news

But although the three-hour meeting was understood to be amicable, Benitez is having to come to terms with the news that he will have to sell before he can spend significantly when the transfer window opens in January.

Benitez's prime target is AC Milan's Georgian central defender Kahka Kaladze but it appears that he will have to offload someone like midfielder Momo Sissoko, attracting interest from Everton and Juventus, or England striker Peter Crouch to generate the money.

The Liverpool manager has also been told that the £17million it will require to turn Javier Mascherano's loan deal into a permanent move will not be available until the summer, leaving the Merseyside club vulnerable to approaches from elsewhere.

Although Benitez was untypically sanguine about the matter as he left Anfield late on Sunday, it remains to be seen whether the dispute that continues to surface about the club's direction will crop up again soon.

In an address to the Liverpool Former Players' Association at a city hotel just hours after talks with Benitez, Gillett admitted: 'The transfer window opens soon and we might use the option that gives us, or we might not.

'But Liverpool is a great club. We are well aware that we have something very valuable on our hands. Liverpool is not our club, it's your club. The supporters' club. It's always been that way and it will always be that way.'

'This dispute wasn't supposed to happen, but it has happened and now the focus has to be on finding a common platform to continue our co-operation.

'Rafa is the one we want as a manager and we have faith in him. I've been married more than 40 years and have first hand knowledge about how to solve an argument. We concentrated on getting an overview of the situation, and I felt we accomplished that.'

Benitez has spoken publicly of his frustration over trying to communicate with Hicks and Gillett across different time zones when the pair are at home in America.

It is, however, understood that much of his frustration revolves around flexibility in the transfer market.

Sunday's dispiriting 1-0 home defeat by Manchester United only served to illustrate that Liverpool remain in the slipstream of the genuine title contenders. They are 10 points behind leaders Arsenal although they do have a game in hand.

Benitez sees the recruitment of a central defender to replace the ageing Sami Hyypia and a permanent deal for holding midfielder Javier Mascherano as critical, especially as the United result was Liverpool's second successive League defeat following a 3-1 reverse at Reading 10 days ago.

But Hyypia is refusing to be downcast as Liverpool bid to win their first title since 1990. The Finn is convinced they were United's equals and can haul themselves back into contention.

He said: 'It is not the end of the world. Of course, if you think about 10 points it is quite a lot but I don't believe it is a major obstacle to clear and it is certainly not impossible.

'It would have been an important game to win but we didn't manage it, so we have to remain focused on each individual game and see where we are in May.'

Sunday's meeting at Anfield was also attended by chief executive Rick Parry and he emerged to admit that plans for the club's new stadium have had to be slightly scaled down due to increasing costs.

Parry said: 'We are now considering two schemes but the stadium will be a 70,000 seater.

'The new stadium will be a significant improvement on the original plans and a slightly downgraded version of the new ones.

'And it will be a massive improvement on where we were 12 months ago, if not quite as dramatic as the plans unveiled in the summer.

'The single tier Kop remains fundamental to the design and we are not expecting any delays. It should be on schedule for 2011.'

by **maguskwt** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:59 am

if it is true that rafa cannot even SELL and get 2 free transfers... then it is indeed very unreasonable from the owners...

by **account deleted by request** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 9:08 am

With this ring, I thee Red . . . owner’s son proposes at Anfield
Dec 17 2007

HIS father had flown in with fellow Liverpool FC owner George Gillett to discuss their future relationship with club manager Rafa Benitez.

But for Alex Hicks, son of Tom Hicks, a different relationship was on his mind as he entered Anfield on Saturday, 24 hours before Liverpool played Manchester United.

According to the club, Alex proposed to girlfriend Portia Tuma in the centre circle during a private stadium tour.

Yesterday, he joined dad Tom in the directors’ box for Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.

Both Alex and Portia sported Liverpool scarves, with Portia also flashing what appeared to be a very expensive engagement ring.

He later exchanged it for a ring out of a "Lucky Bag" to offset rising costs.

by **66-1112520797** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:36 am

NANNY RED wrote:
s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Not heard nothin Saint but hope your wrong

(sounds like Bamaga givin me the silent treatment at the mo must of got his hands on someone elses pension )

No silent treatment treacle just playing hard to get.

by **lakes10** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:43 am

Bamaga man wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Not heard nothin Saint but hope your wrong

(sounds like Bamaga givin me the silent treatment at the mo must of got his hands on someone elses pension )

No silent treatment treacle just playing hard to get.

The only thing on tv about this was at about 6am, they said sky sports have learnt that Rafa only spent 10 mins in the room with G&h and was not spoken to.

as this report has not been back on sky i would say its 100% untrue, and we can forget about it.

by **66-1112520797** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:45 am

lakes10 wrote:
Bamaga man wrote:
NANNY RED wrote:
s@int wrote:Anyone else heard that Hicks never spoke one word to Rafa during the meeting, not even hi,goodbye or kiss my a$$.

Not heard nothin Saint but hope your wrong

(sounds like Bamaga givin me the silent treatment at the mo must of got his hands on someone elses pension )

No silent treatment treacle just playing hard to get.

The only thing on tv about this was at about 6am, they said sky sports have learnt that Rafa only spent 10 mins in the room with G&h and was not spoken to.

as this report has not been back on sky i would say its 100% untrue, and we can forget about it.

Why have you quoted me ?

Cant you see I'm in the middle of flirting with Nanny.

by **account deleted by request** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:33 am

Liverpool owners' staying power in question
By David Bond, Chief Sports Reporter
Last Updated: 1:07am GMT 20/12/2007

Having cleared the air with manager Rafael Benitez in the aftermath of the Anfield defeat by arch rivals Manchester United on Sunday, Liverpool's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr are hoping the conclusion of a £350 million refinancing deal this week will draw a line under a difficult period for the club.

Tensions with the Spaniard over transfer spending, stuttering form in the Premier League and Europe and problems with the new stadium at Stanley Park have made December a month to forget.

But, even with the new loans from the Royal Bank of Scotland and investment bank Wachovia set to be confirmed in the next two days, uncertainty continues to cling to the American-owned club.

Hicks and Gillett had planned to not only refinance £298m of borrowings arranged with RBS at the time of their February takeover, but had hoped to raise all the money they needed to cover the £300m move from Anfield to their new "world class" stadium at Stanley Park.

Those plans have now been shelved until 2009, another victim of the global credit crunch.

Hicks and Gillett insist the delay is no problem. They point out that staggered funding of major stadium projects is commonplace in the United States, with banks more comfortable about lending large sums of money once they know lucrative contracts with naming rights sponsors and executive box holders are in place.

But that won't stop Liverpool fans from worrying about the prospect of being left with nothing more than an expensive hole in the ground in 18 months' time.

Already Hicks and Gillett have ordered a scaling back of the project after the designs by Dallas firm HKS, architects for the American Airlines Centre, home to Hicks's Dallas Stars Ice Hockey team, came in £50m over budget.

The mix-up led to a new firm, Manchester based AFL, being brought in this week to draw up a rival, slimmed down version of the stadium. The two architects are now working head to head to come up with a final version which will be chosen on January 9.

Once the design is selected, the club will go back to Liverpool City Council for new planning consent. If all goes well Hicks and Gillett plan to start work in the summer and remain confident the whole scheme can be completed by 2011.

The initial £60 m for the first phase of work on the Stanley Park project will come as part of the funding package set to be agreed before Christmas with RBS and Wachovia. The rest of the 18-month, £350m loan, will refinance borrowings used mainly to pay for the £220m takeover and to repay £25m of credit notes used to help fund the £26m purchase of Fernando Torres and the £11.5m signing of Ryan Babel.

The difference this time is that the loans are no longer just secured against the American assets of Hicks and Gillett.

Under the terms of the new financing at least £175m is to be guaranteed on the club and its parent company Kop Football Ltd.

The rest is being underwritten by Hicks and Gillett, who are putting in £20m in cash each along with £75m in letters of credit and £60m of personal guarantees, increasing the owners' obligations from £115m to £175m.

It is understood an earlier scheme to borrow £375m was rejected by senior club directors because it placed even more debt on the club's books. But, despite revising the agreement, Liverpool are still likely to face £30m annual interest repayments from 2008.

Amid so much financial uncertainty, there has been speculation that the relationship between Hicks and Gillett has broken down. There has also been talk that Hicks was preparing to sell his 50 per cent stake.

In fact Inside Sport can reveal that last month Hicks held tentative talks with Dubai International Capital, the investment company of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, about selling them a 15% stake in the club for £150m.

Under the terms of the proposed deal, Hicks and Gillett would each sell DIC 7.5 per cent, diluting their holdings to 42.5 per cent and giving DIC a minority, non-voting, stake in the company.

However, despite remaining keen to acquire the club, DIC turned the offer down, believing the £1billion valuation of the club to be unrealistic. Having been rejected by Liverpool at the start of the year, they remain keen to do a deal, but only if the takeover has the backing of the fans.

The fact Hicks was prepared to discuss selling a small stake in the club will have given DIC hope they can finally get their hands on the club. It will also set alarm bells ringing among supporters who fear the Americans are only interested in making a quick buck.

But Hicks has told friends that he has no interest in selling out to DIC and was only looking for an injection of cash. He remains convinced England's top four clubs will rocket in value over the next 10 years, fuelled by the growth of media and internet rights.

Failure to raise the money for the new stadium in 2009, however, may leave Hicks and Gillett with no choice to cut their losses and end Liverpool's American adventure.

Time for G&H to move over and let the big boys play

by **bigmick** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:02 am

Yeah I must confess though I didn't follow the ins and outs of the whole proceedure, my feeling was from the start that we might be better off with the Arabs. I remember when I was into horse-racing big time and worked in the bookies, the arabs were heavily involved in that and conducted themselves very honourably at all times. Also when it comes to pure, unadulterated, brutal wealth in it's undiluted form they are very hard to compete with.

Hopefully the Yanks might feck off, make a hundred mill each or so and the Arabs will come in with a blank cheque book and everyone's a winner.

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