by GOAT_2.0 » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:10 pm
from liverpool echo forum.
Folks,
I have had private correspondence from Oliver Kay - I contacted him at the Times by e-mail today asking him for further clarification, regarding his article on the takeover in today's paper. It seemed simply a re-hash of old news to me, speculative, with little quotes from sources, new material or time-frames attached, etc. So I courteously and politely put this to him. It was good of him to reply. Here it is:
"Robbie
Thanks for your e-mail. I detected a note of frustration in what you wrote and I can understand that. Almost a year after the Dubai link resurfaced, you are clearly looking for hard evidence that something has changed, rather than a reporter simply saying that things are (or appear to be) changing. I understand why you may feel that you are reading the same old things over and again and that nothing ever changes.
BUT ... things are changing. I have it on very good authority (or authorities) that Hicks and Gillett are reaching or, in one case, have reached the point where they know they can't take LFC forward. I know that their financial positions are increasingly parlous, I know that they are coming under growing pressure from the banks and I also now know that they are genuinely unnerved by developments at Manchester City, which is something I merely hinted at yesterday.
Am I in a position to say exactly how this will play out? No. Am I able to say what their next move will be? No. Am I willing to name my sources? Absolutely not, sorry. The Arabs haven't spoken for months; it is not their style. We haven't heard a peep out of the Americans for months, but, significantly, we did not even get the usual and expected Hicks denial today. As for Staveley, she does not talk to the media -- or so I thought until I heard that she had been on BBC radio last night confirming that talks are ongoing etc and that Dubai remain interested "at the right price".
I really can understand you becoming cynical about this takeover saga, particularly after things happened so quickly at Manchester City, but everything I am hearing on this points to Hicks and Gillett reaching breaking point in the coming months (before that January 25 deadline) and selling to Dubai. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I hope I've answered most of your questions and allayed your suspicions that I was merely fantasising ...
All the best -- and fingers crossed it will get sorted out quickly because, believe me, I'm as sick of this as you are ..."
Oli
get the 
by