Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:53 amby Jesse
It is gonna be good as when DIC take us over, we will be able to get the qualities players we have only been able to dream of in the past such as Archie Thompson and Danny Allsop along with brazilian Leandro love
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:09 amby ivor_the_injun
I've just scrawled out a quick transcript of the highlights. Has to be said, it's absolutely fascinating stuff. About time some of this stuff bubbled to the surface.
Q: What's going on at Liverpool?
Gillett: Oh boy. I think we're at that point where there are things going on...there are pieces on the chessboard being moved, or being contemplated to be moved that I don't think it would be helpful for us or people at the club to comment on it.
Suffice to say, however, that our goal from the beginning was to try and be supportive and add to the lustre of this magnificent sporting franchise, and what's happened this year has not done that, we certainly haven't done it on the pitch yet, although we're playing very well in the Champions League, but we've had a marginally good year in the Premiership. Our loss to Man U last Sunday 3-0 was a heartbreaker, because we played 11 on 10 - we had Mascherano thrown off - for...I'm unclear on what happened, but clearly they sent a referee in with a no tolerance programme and we happened to make the wrong comment to the new tough referee at the wrong time, and you just can't play Man U...it's tough enough playing them 11 on 11. So I think we're at a point now where we want to finish the season out...we want to finish it strongly, play well in the Champions League...
Foster and I are going to be going out to the Arsenal game next week, and we've just decided that this is an extraordinary time and we're going to enjoy it and we're gonna be there, and by god we're gonna try and be a positive influence on this process.
We get as many as 2000 emails a week here, and I'd say that 95% of them have been directed as some of the comments made by my partner. 5% have been frankly aimed at both of us - you know - 'go home Americans'. But for the most part... as recently as today - we've had 25 emails - I've had several conversations with fans who represent important blog sites and so forth. They've invited me to come to famous pubs as a guest, see how they sing the songs or get ready to sing the songs, and there's none of the animosity that seems to be directed at others within the ownership group.
I must say however that the most difficult part for us has been that... because of the things that have been said by the fans towards one or both of us, the fact is the thing that angers them the most is the prospect that I might sell even 1 share of stock to my partner. They do not want him to have a controlling interest in this club. They don't even want him to have any ownership in the club based on what they're saying and sending to me. So as a result of that - and it's been very difficult for my wife with the amount that I travel - we receive many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives... death threats. They've come to the office, and to Foster and Lauren - my son and daughter-in-law - have received them themselves.
A number of the blog sites have... you know, we're very private people, but my number's in the phone book and I'm not shy - if I make a mistake I'm prepared to take the hit for it. The private phone numbers and the cell phone numbers are apparently on some blog sites and we've received a number of calls. And again it's interesting that the calls are not against my wife or myself or my son or my daughter-in-law, as much as they are against us selling to my partner. So we're rethinking that - frankly I don't think it's fair for me to put my family in that kind of danger, so instead of thinking about selling, maybe we'll think about buying.
Q: Bluntly, has this relationship with Mr Hicks become unworkable?
Gillett: Oh it has been for some time. Not because of us. Oh we've tried to be cooperative, we've tried to be supportive, but when your public persona is more important than the facts, that makes it difficult to have a rational relationship.
Q: So where we are now is the exit strategy or the entry strategy, if you will?
Gillett: It's really hard to say until you get something in writing or you put money in the bank.
We were very fair, we gave our partner a long period of time to make arrangements to buy us out - we didn't put pressure on him, we couldn't have been a better partner, and he ultimately didn't get to the finish line. In the meantime, because of things that he's said, the fans' reaction has been so negative toward him, and toward us if we sold to him, that that has made that an untenable alternative to us.
Q: I just want to clarify...The Dubai interest was with you and that he effective blocked that possibility for you. Is that accurate?
He threatened to.
Q: Do you think that deal could've and would've gone ahead?
Well I think that's certainly one of the things that made the fans upset. Lord knows they had the money, and with oil prices going up every day, that's not an issue, and they certainly have the history with the fans and I think they'd have been very responsible owners. So I guess not making that possible, or making that difficult didn't endear people to the fans. There's an awful lot going on here... what I know is that the fans and the great fabled history of this club deserve better and we're going to do everything we can to provide that in whatever role we play.
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:20 amby ruskiy playmaker
Who said that supporters can't make a difference? It's just sad that some chose to send death threats to him and his family. That's totally out of order.
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:48 amby AussieKopite
I would like to hear Hicks version (not sure it would change my low opinion of Hicks) in the interests of balance. I think that if we miss out on Champions League action next season, they will both sell to DIC.
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:12 amby LFC2007
A VERY interesting insight.
Good work Mikopool.
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:39 amby maguskwt
great stuff... I guess the heat's on hicks now...
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:37 amby AussieKopite
I'm all for protesting, I just don't think it should be personal. Jesse seems very similar to simon because (Barry Belfast). Can the mods ban his IP?
Posted:
Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:52 amby The Manhattan Project
Wow.
It doesn't sound good at all.
The death threats are way out of order though.
retard.
