JimmyF

Well done lads, really happy to hear the news about Rafa

From The Times April 18, 2008 Tom Hicks 'creating turmoil' in power struggle Oliver Kay Tom Hicks sought to strengthen his grip on Liverpool yesterday during an interview in which he demonised his enemies inside and outside Anfield. But the Texan tycoon has only six weeks to raise the funds he needs if he is to achieve his goal of buying the club outright. Having continued his assault on Rick Parry by calling his tenure as chief executive a disaster, Hicks admitted that his joint-ownership venture with George Gillett Jr had proved unworkable, but he is looking for the funds that would help him to buy Gillett's 50 per cent stake and to fix the entire financial structure of the club while overseeing the construction of a new 70,000-capacity stadium. However, Gillett responded last night with a strongly worded statement in which he accused his co-owner of destabilising the club. I am saddened at this latest outburst, he said. Here we are, a few days away from a vital Champions League semi-final, and Tom has once again created turmoil with his public comments. Tom should stop. He knows that Rick Parry has my support and that airing his comments in this way will not change my position. Tom needs to understand that I will not sell my shares to him. Hicks was typically bullish about his prospects of raising the money - or, perhaps more realistically, finding the financial backing - but while he continues to explore his options with Merrill Lynch, his latest financial adviser, the clock is ticking. Hicks has denied persistent rumours that he is under pressure to refinance his Hicks Sports Group, which holds his stakes in various sports franchises in the United States, but a deadline is looming over his bid to buy Gillett's stake, which is the subject of a rival bid from Dubai International Capital (DIC). Under the terms of their ill-fated takeover 14 months ago, Hicks has pre-emption rights on Gillett's stake in Liverpool and vice versa, but sources have disputed his claim that this option extends to the power of veto to which he has referred. His pre-emption rights are understood to expire 90 days after he was informed of DIC's £200million offer to Gillett, which was made on February 27. That period would expire on May 27, six days after the Champions League final in Moscow. Hicks, though, maintains that he will be in charge of Liverpool for the long term, which would be bad news for Parry. What has happened under Rick has been a disaster, Hicks told Sky Sports News. We have fallen so far behind the other clubs. We have still got the top brand in the world of football, but that's no good if you don't know how to commercialise it. Rick needs to resign. You have to be able to work with the manager and Rick has proved he can't do that. Parry, who responded with a rigorous defence of his record, will not resign and is under no pressure to do so, given that only two of the club's six directors - Hicks and his son, Tom Jr - want him to go. Parry, though, has been severely undermined.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/premi...EAMHD=liverpool FANS' GROUPS JOIN PARRY IN HICKS BLAST By Paul Walker, PA Sport Liverpool fans' groups have criticised co-owner Tom Hicks' latest attack on the way the club is run as "destabilising" ahead of next week's Champions League semi-final. The club has been plunged into civil war as the boardroom power battle rages on, with Hicks, his estranged partner George Gillett, chief executive Rick Parry and manager Rafael Benitez all involved. Hicks demanded Parry's resignation in a letter last week, and went public in his condemnation of the chief executive's decade of control at the weekend. On Thursday, Hicks launched another attack on Parry. He called Parry's reign "disastrous," and claims he will soon be able to buy out Gillett and have the money to fund the new stadium and finance Benitez's summer spending. But fans' groups are angry at the timing of Hicks' latest attack, with Neil Atkinson - chairman of the Spirit of Shankly group set up to fight the Americans' ownership - insisting: "We have a European Cup semi-final coming up in a few days time and this is a terrible time to do what he has done. "He thinks he can rattle out this sort of stuff and leave everyone to get on with it. Rather than be silent and stay in the background over the next four or five weeks. "He had one big go in the week between the Arsenal semi-final and the Hillsborough memorial service. "There were huge numbers of supporters grieving for loved ones. It was a time to be respectful and understand what this football club is all about. "But Mr Hicks seems to have no respect for anyone. He didn't say anything on the day of the service, but straight afterwards he is up and running again. "Tom Hicks has got no respect for football or this club. The man cannot be trusted at all. He said there would be no debt on the club, but that is not what has happened. "The situation with Rick Parry is really an irrelevance. He is good for one thing only, and that is his vote at board meetings to keep Hicks at bay. "Apart from that, it looks as if whoever ends up owning the club, be it Hicks or DIC, Rick Parry probably won't be in a job any more." Les Lawson, spokesman for the Liverpool supporters' club, believes that nothing Hicks has said will change the view the fans have of him. He said: "We've seen what Hicks has said and we still want him out. For all this to come out again as we are about to play Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final has angered the fans more." Hicks, speaking on Sky Sports News, again criticised Parry and warned Gillett that the stalemate over the club's future will continue until he agrees to sell his stake. "Look at what's happened under Rick's leadership. It has been a disaster," he said. "We have fallen so far behind the other leading clubs. "We should have the stadium built three or four years ago. We have two or three major sponsors when we should have 12 or 15 and we are not doing anything in Asia. "We have still got the top brand in the world of football but that's no good if you don't know how to commercialise it. "Rick needs to resign from Liverpool FC. He has put his heart into it but it is time for a change." Hicks admitted his relationship with Gillett is now "unworkable". "We started this as friends but 50-50 is a difficult business proposition because you cannot do anything without your partner's approval. "If George doesn't sell - because I am not going to sell - I guess we stay in this position that we are in. "I am planning to make him a very attractive offer. If I had a majority on it (ownership of Liverpool) I could put more capital in. "My goal is to take all the debt off the club except the working capital needed and get the permanent financing totally in place for the stadium." Hicks insisted that Dubai International Capital - who have been trying to buy out both Americans - "do not have a seat at the table". DIC believe Hicks is running into a financial brick wall in the knowledge there is "no appetite" in the City of London for his plans. A source said: "DIC will not rest until they own Liverpool Football Club. However long it takes." DIC also made it clear that Benitez's position - he has two years of his contract still to run - is safe if they do eventually take over, and that he will be given funds to spend in the transfer market. Parry has the support of Gillett - who says he will not sell his stake to Hicks - and a majority in his favour among the six-man board. Parry told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's for the board to ask me to resign - and they haven't. "It is clear that this is a matter for the board. I'm accountable to the board and this is not something the board has discussed with me. "There's a Liverpool way which I will stick to and clearly there's a different way. "I think I have a responsibility, indeed a duty, at the moment to try to keep things on an even keel when there's a degree of turmoil off the pitch. "I just want to do my best for the club. The club will survive, we've got a Champions League semi-final coming up, there are a lot of important things to be done at the club." In a later interview with Sky Sports News, Parry branded Hicks' outburst a "side-show" and added: "There needs to be a resolution between the owners but in the mean time we're focusing on trying to run the club."

..........and a post match demo prohibits that how?

I wouldnt suggest protesting during the game but after the match I think we should show the fat b*****d he's not wanted, its a huge match but the future of our club is at stake, hate to be melodramatic but it is

Sunday Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtm...09/cclfc109.xml

Liverpool FC and the role of Amanda Staveley Last Updated: 12:22am GMT 09/03/2008Page 1 of 3 As Liverpool's American owners struggle, Dubai's ruler hopes to field the team that will secure the Premiership club, says Louise Armitstead As Fernando Torres, the Spanish darling of Liverpool Football Club, scored his third goal at Anfield on Wednesday night, the Reds roared their approval. Dejected West Ham supporters endured the usual taunts but were also bemused by a new chant being sung by the 40,000 home fans: "Amanda for Anfield, Amanda for Anfield." The night before Dubai International Capital (DIC), the investment arm of the Dubai ruling family, had officially offered to buy the world-famous club, and Amanda Staveley, a former girlfriend of Prince Andrew, was leading the bid. The deal was far from signed - Liverpool's American owners, Kop Holdings, insisted they weren't sellers - and Staveley seemed an unlikely hero for Liverpool. But there was no doubt where the fans' support lay: after months of uncertainty about the financial stability of the club and its future under Kop, they waved banners ranging from "Yanks go home" to "We want one DIC not two". Two hundred miles south in London, Staveley, who runs PCP Capital Partners, an advisory boutique, was juggling phone calls with Tom Hicks in Texas and George Gillett Jnr in Colorado. The American investors behind Kop, who bought Liverpool last year, had been offered a deal that valued both of their 50 per cent stakes in the club at about £500m. Talking to The Sunday Telegraph in the middle of the drama, Staveley, who will become a director of Liverpool if the deal is successful, says: "Of course the negotiations are complicated - the investment is very important to Tom and George, as it is to us. But it means a great deal to have the fans' support. Liverpool has a huge following in Dubai and the Middle East." advertisement On Friday evening Staveley had a breakthrough. Over the phone, Gillett agreed to sell his 50 per cent stake to DIC with an option for Hicks to buy 1 per cent of it. The plan is for the Merseyside club to be co-owned by Hicks and DIC. Staveley says: "The legal documents have yet to be signed but we're really pleased. Of course we want to own Liverpool outright but this large stake is a great start." It is the first Middle Eastern investment in a top English football club and it's not just Liverpool fans who are watching carefully. Despite the raft of foreigners who have bought English football clubs, include Mohammed Fayed at Fulham and Malcolm Glazer at Manchester United, there is still debate as to whether they can be considered a serious financial investment or just trophy assets. Meanwhile the fast-growing Gulf state has made no secret of its expansion plans in all areas of business - DIC, just one of the state's investment funds, has bought stakes in OMX, the Scandinavian bourse, EADS, the defence giant, and Sony. Insiders say sport is an extension of the growth plans. With its other investments, DIC has sought growth for its cash but also expertise that it can import and replicate at home. The bid for Liverpool is the first of several big acquisitions Dubai plans to make in European sporting ventures, both as an investment and to build a sporting legacy of its own. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, is no stranger to British sport. As the owner of the biggest stables in the UK, he has dominated horse racing and Newmarket in particular for years. Although the sheikh is said to be a follower of English football, the driving force behind Dubai's interest is DIC's Sameer Al Ansari, described by many as a "die-hard Red". DIC first launched an attempt to buy Liverpool this time last year but lost out to Kop at the last minute. In the meantime, football - and in particular the Premiership - has become big business in the Middle East. Liverpool is an attractive target with a large international following but an as yet undeveloped new stadium. In their second tilt at Liverpool, Dubai were determined not to lose again, but equally keen not to be seen to be overpaying. Dubai clearly has enough money to "do an Abramovich" and invest millions in the club. However, as in other areas, the investment vehicle wants to be seen as a considered private equity investor, not a wall of money. Staveley, 34, is in charge of achieving the fine balance. She says: "This is a serious investment and we will not overpay. But it is also a long-term investment, not a private equity play that we want to sell in a few years' time at profit. We want to ensure the club thrives." Blonde and bubbly, Staveley is an unlikely front for an Arab bid, but she has earned the trust of the sheikh and his family. She started mixing with the powerful Middle Eastern families while running Stocks, a restaurant she set up after studying languages at Cambridge, which became a hit with the high-rolling racehorse owners in Newmarket. In the 1990s, she branched into finance, trading stocks and investing in start-ups. She also founded Q.ton, the conference centre and restaurant business based at Cambridge Science Park. When she sold half the business to EuroTelecom and then raised £17m by floating it on the stock market in April 2000, her reputation soared. But it wasn't all easy. Just 11 months after flotation, EuroTelecom slid into administration. Then allegations of irregular share dealings followed, although Staveley herself was never suspected of any wrongdoing. She was badly battered by the storm and had to rebuild her career. Nonetheless, Staveley remained close to the sheikh and his advisers and it was to her that DIC turned when it was thwarted by Kop's swoop on Liverpool last year. "We started the day after DIC lost Liverpool," Staveley says. "At that stage we just wanted to know what had gone wrong." Over the spring and summer, Staveley pored over the figures but it wasn't until late summer that the idea of bidding again for the club surfaced. The trigger was the suggestion in the market that the US owners might need additional cash. As part of the deal with the Moores family, who had sold the club because they couldn't afford to build the desired new stadium, Kop had given assurances that they would not saddle the club with debt. Instead Hicks and Gillett put in equity - thought to be about £7m each - and took out a loan of £300m secured against their sporting assets in North America that would have to be renegotiated in a year. However, within months this cash was already stretched, eaten away by architect fees for the new stadium, the acquisition of star players Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel, the interest on the loans and bank fees. Insiders say the financial pressure strained the relationship of Hicks and Gillett who, by the autumn, were preparing to renegotiate their loan with Royal Bank of Scotland. In October, Staveley who had been watching from the sidelines, picked up the phone and asked for a meeting. Coincidentally, Hicks was part of a shooting party in Yorkshire close to where Staveley had been brought up. She travelled up to see him and explained that DIC was interested in Liverpool again. A few weeks later Hicks wrote to DIC offering it a 15 per cent stake for £150m, valuing the club at £1bn. Staveley refused, claiming the valuations were too high. Hicks and Gillett pressed ahead with their refinancing. Under the new deal, Kop planned to take on another £50m debt, placing £105m on to the balance sheet of the club and £245m on their own books. But observers quickly worked out that, due to a complicated structure, the club was in fact liable for the whole £350m - and for the £28m in interest payments each year. When fans reacted angrily to the plans, DIC again came back to the Americans and argued that the refinancing should be dropped and takeover talks between the parties restarted. But Hicks and Gillett decided the risk was too great. Their loan agreement, which would take months to iron out, would expire in February 2008. Instead they secured refinancing, which enabled the club to announce that it plans to move from Anfield to a new 71,000-capacity stadium in Stanley Park. Out of the £350m loan, £60m was set aside for start-up costs for the new stadium. Even with this new financing, which would need to be renegotiated in 16 months, the Americans realised that Liverpool would need extra cash. Liverpool's projected profits for 2008 is just £30m, most of which would be eaten up by interest payments, leaving little spare to build the new stadium. After more talks, 12 days ago Staveley put in an official bid for the club which included buying Liverpool's debt plus £60m in cash for both equity stakes. As an added sweetener Staveley included a facility whereby both Americans would benefit from a rise in the value of the club worth up to £20m each. At the end of last week, Gillett agreed. But it wasn't enough to persuade Hicks whose Liverpool investment is an integral part of his portfolio of sport investments. If the deal is signed Hicks will be the majority co-owner with 51 per cent of the club. But since they have the financial firepower, the club needs it is unlikely to be long before the DIC tries to score again.

How about Hicks continual telling of lies denying this that and the other, impughning DIC's reputation got exposed well and truely. At the end of the day the fat bastrad doesnt have a pot to piss in, he aint walking away from DIC not matter what the fat f*** says

AP NewsBreak: Co-owner Tom Hicks looks for outside backing to take control of Liverpool LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is exploring how to take control of the club by acquiring all or part of George Gillett Jr.'s 50 percent stake. The preferred option is to raise private equity, possibly for his entire sports group, a person familiar with Hicks' plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The duo bought the Premier League club for $431 million as 50-50 partners last March, but Gillett is seeking to sell his share and Hicks is trying to raise money to become the majority owner. Hicks alluded this week that Gillett was exploring a sale of his stake to Dubai Capital International. And in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Hicks publicly affirmed his power to block Gillett from selling his shares. Gillett's ongoing discussions to sell to DIC again were confirmed Friday to The Associated Press by a financial industry executive familiar with negotiations. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks. If Hicks could secure sufficient funding to become the controlling owner at Anfield, it would send a defiant message to fans that he will be a long-term fixture at English soccer's most-decorated club. DIC was in talks to acquire the club a year ago but withdrew. DIC - the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai government - is only interested in acquiring a controlling stake, the executive told the AP. Roy Winnick, a New York-based spokesman for Hicks, wouldn't comment on his client's options. Hicks could attempt to buy out Gillett's shares and personal guarantees, which were central to last month's refinancing of the loan used to purchase Liverpool. The price of a buyout by Hicks of Gillett would be about $300 million, the financial industry executive said. A person familiar with Hicks' plans ruled out a public offering of shares in Hicks Sports Group, which includes baseball's Texas Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars as well as the 50 percent stake in Liverpool through Kop Holdings. The person cited volatility in the global financial markets. The window of opportunity for that option may reopen before the end of the year, but isn't currently viable, the person added. But the executive, who has been in contact with JP Morgan Chase & Co., said Hicks has been looking into the feasibility of a private placement to raise money. Last month, Hicks revealed he had spoken to DIC about a "10 to 15 percent participation'' but that his valuation was viewed by DIC too high. Since then, Hicks has told the AP that he wants to take a "more active role'' at Anfield, while affirming his commitment to the club "regardless'' of Gillett's actions earlier this week. But DIC and Gillett are in constant negotiations, according to financial executive said. The Dubai consortium is only interested in gaining control of the Reds, the executive said. That would require Hicks to sell shares, something that isn't being considered. "He's not in the market to sell, but he's in the market to buy more shares,'' another person close to Hicks said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deal. Hicks said this week he is preparing to "fix the situation.'' "Not only am I not going to sell, my partner cannot sell without my approval,'' Hicks said in Thursday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "So, I kind of have the ability to determine the outcome of what is going to happen, and I am right in the middle of that.'' Since attending a December match against Manchester United, Gillett and son Foster Gillett have been less visible at Liverpool and Hicks has become the ownership spokesman. Many fans have turned against the American owners, who publicly feuded last autumn with popular manager Rafa Benitez over player transfers. Hicks has acknowledged he sought out former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann in November as a possible replacement for Benitez, which enflamed tensions. But last week Benitez spoke warmly about encouraging and motivational e-mails sent by Hicks, while stating that Gillett hadn't entered into similar electronic correspondence. A group of Liverpool fans is also hoping to buy the club from the Americans. Share Liverpool FC is trying to raise $990 million by asking fans to pledge $9,900 each. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/23416137/

Not being a lawyer but I seriously doubt Hicks could block any sale of Gillets share to DIC, maybe one for the courts though. Comments like these wont do anything but antagonise Gillet

Its been widely reported Hicks has tried to find the funds or a partner to buy Gillets share but has been unable to do so ... lets hope that remains the case

It was posted by the bloke who post on the football forum website, apparently he works in the press but is more a 50-50 type source, seems like a bit of whopper to me

Regarding progress on the takeover?

The difference would be you have 1 major shareholder as opposed 2 owning 50% each, the major shareholder as such would have control

I know last time out DIC were planning to sell 20% of the club to Zabeel investments, whose owner name I cant remember is meant to be a big fan of the club. Miskelly's loaded as well, seems like a sound move to me as long as DIC are the majority shareholders we've got nothing to worry about

Who knows they might actually start passing the the ball from back then

As if winning the f***ing cup would of been enough for some muppets. Fact is the whole club is in a f***ing mess right now and thats not Benitiez's fault - If as fans you dont recognise that then f*** off The man has done miracles here over the last 4 years and deserves more respect then some snide comments from an ugrateful pleb, man for man we arent even close to the likes of Man U or Chelsea and he is the sole reason we are evn mentioned in the same breath

While I share your skepticism to be fair he was the hack who broke the story of DIC's talks withG&H last year when everyone thought it was b******s

I dont think thats Pako

I dont think DIC will lose out to anyone this time around, from all the indications they have prioritised on acquiring us.

Agreed, look how its turned out. I dont which paper it was last week but there was aquote saying the very same people who last year were briefing the media about how the yanks were so much a better option compared to DIC are the same people who are briefing against the yanks today. Moores is the most culpable of all

Banks always make great decisions ........... umm yeah thats the truth

If you are using that analogy with buying a football club and the responsibilities that come with that regarding supporters then you are thick.

This was also posted on raotl by John Mackin who apparently has some serious connections at the club, it could be legit