meredithmathieson

Maldini wrote: "Fair enough if Rafa asked them not to protest at the game". Has anybody from SOS who met Rafa ever confirmed this? I just thought it was drivel dreamed up by those on TLW whose hatred for Rafa and SOS seems to dwarf everything else?

Any coincidence that statements like this: "Banks won't want to jeopardise growth through ­taking control," a source close to the situation said" and this: "A source close to Hicks responded that the Texan was "very relaxed" and "confident"" begin to appear as soon as the first concerted pressure is put on the RBS not to refinance?

Spirit Of Shankly Announcement Mon 08 Jun 2009 Spirit of Shankly (SOS) is aware that video footage has been posted on the internet from the SOS End of season party on 24th May 2009. This footage shows an unscheduled performance which the SOS Events Commitee had no prior knowledge of. The Events Committee will endeavour to increase back-stage security for future events to ensure impromptu performances like this do not happen again. We are sincerely sorry for anybody who has been offended by this footage, and we do not condone such behaviour. (Just to avoid confusion, the above statement is NOT from The Urchins website).

I presume he's referring to the end of season do?

SOS Statement: RBS and MPs - No to Refinancing Fri 05 Jun 2009 DIRECT ACTION NOW!! HICKS AND GILLETT OUT NOW!! NO TO REFINANCE!! Spirit of Shankly today launches direct action against Royal Bank of Scotland and seeks the support of all members and fans in a campaign to force RBS to refuse to refinance the loans taken out by our current owners. We have all seen yesterday's news, which while making us all angry, is not all that surprising. We have said time and time again, that the level of debt is unsustainable, and lo and behold, the Club’s auditors have said: These conditions, along with other matters explained in note 1 to the financial statements, indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on the Group's and parent company's ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include the adjustments that would result if the Group and parent company were unable to continue as a going concern. Tom Hicks and George Gillett are not 'fit and proper' owners of our club. They never have been and never will be. The problem we face is that RBS deem them to be. RBS need to be made aware, again, that we don't want Hicks and Gillett anymore, and we don't want RBS to re-finance the loans and increasing our Club’s debt. The time for action is NOW. We are asking all fans to write to RBS making clear our opposition to the refinancing and demanding information from RBS as to their current and future intentions relating to their support of the current owners. Your letter needs to be posted to: Richard Holliday Royal Bank of Scotland 135 Bishopsgate London EC2M 3UR Or an email sent to him at: richard.holliday@rbs.com We are asking for you to do both – we expect the volume of email traffic will be such that RBS will take immediate action to block and filter so please post a letter and be imaginative but polite with the subject heading of any email – “LFC” or “Liverpool” are quite likely to be filtered out pretty quickly. We are also asking all members and fans to write to their own Members of Parliament drawing their attention to the fact that as tax payers we are effective majority shareholders within RBS and as such demand that our voices are heard and that our wishes are heeded and acted upon. Not only are we as supporters of LFC paying the loan repayments for Hicks and Gillett, but as taxpayers who have a controlling stake in RBS, we are paying for the loans that have placed the Club’s existence in jeopardy. Encourage them to raise the issue in Parliament. It's our money and we don't want it going to them. We have drafted letters for use below (or by all means compose your own using moderate and restrained language) to go to the Account Manager at RBS dealing with the re-finance and to your local MP (if you’re not sure of who is your MP then search at http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/) We have a small window of opportunity now as the refinancing date approaches so please send your letter as soon as possible - please pass on details of this site and page to anyone you know who supports our aims urging them to write as well. Sprit of Shankly will be launching press releases all media outlets to highlight this campaign and seeking support across the LFC Supporter’s forums – spread the word!! Link: http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/RBS-an...efinancing.html

Zoob wrote: "Edit: now I'm really confused - they're worried about fans attacking branches if RBS don't re-finance the loans?" As I understand it, this is why SOS have called on fans to e-mail the RBS, politely, calling on them NOT to refinance, as the fear was that RBS WOULD refinance out of ignorance - i.e. they did not want to be seen to be the bad guys by not agreeing to extend the loans.

"Calling International Rescue, calling International Rescue, can anybody hear us out there?"...

QUOTE(CarraLegend @ May 29 2009, 10:44) "Tony Barrett Contrary to reports, Liverpool have not met the £25m valuation of Carlos Tevez." As interesting for what it does not say as for what it does, no? No 'There is no truth in Liverpool being interested in Tevez' etc. Just a factual statement of what has happened thus far, a one-liner tacked on right at the end of the article.

Apologies for the double post. Muleskinner beat me to it! Me and my fat fingers!!

Latest financial figures, from the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/...at-Anfield.html By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter Last Updated: 10:24PM BST 29 May 2009 Telegraph Sport can disclose that the club’s financial results for the year to July 2008 will show a 50% increase in profit before tax and depreciation at £37m, up from £25m in 2006-07 and turnover of £159.1m, a club record. They are also thought to show that the club’s net debt has almost doubled from £43.9m in 2007 to £86m last year. This is largely the result of the refinancing deal struck with RBS in February last year and the club drawing down a £19m loan to help develop plans for a new stadium. The club and its American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks will argue that the level of debt is comfortably serviced by the club’s increasing profitability. The club’s debts cost £10m to service in 2007-08, though around £3m of that is thought to be bank charges arising from the re-financing. The accounts are also expected to reveal that the owners have also injected almost £80m in the club since the start of the 2007-08 season, around £35m of it to finance player acquisitions. Telegraph Sport understands that Hicks and Gillett provided around £58m in cash and other guarantees to their banks RBS and Wachovia when refinancing their £350m loans last year, effectively increasing their equity stake. They then provided £12m directly for players in 2007-08, and a further £21.3m last season. It is unclear whether this was fresh capital or drawn from loans secured against Liverpool’s parent companies. Hicks’ and Gillett’s £350m loan from the banks is split between the club’s parent company Kop Football Holdings Limited, which is responsible for £245m, with the remaining £105m secured against the club. In addition the club is also liable for a £79m inter-company loan, although it cannot be recalled if there is any danger that repaying it would make the club insolvent. Hicks and Gillett maintain that this financial structure makes Liverpool’s debt position more sustainable than their immediate rivals, and will point to the club’s improving commercial performance as evidence as they seek fresh investment ahead of refinancing talks with the banks in July. Talks with RBS have been ongoing for some months and it is thought that the bank will issue fresh terms to the Americans in the coming weeks. The owners will be optimistic that these accounts, combined with encouraging performance in the season just ended, will satisfy concerns over the club’s viability. Any questions will address the owners’ ability to service the debt at the holding company level. Both men have sought to sell portions of their US sports businesses in recent months in order to defend their postion in Liverpool, which now looks to be their prime sporting asset. The pair are also looking for third party investment to help them pay down debt and finance stadium plans and will hope these accounts help that search. The increase in revenue was largely due to a 60% increase in the Premier League TV deal but there were increases in merchandise and commercial income in 2007-08. The clubs is also expecting a boost from its online division Liverpool.tv, which it now owns outright having bought Granada’s 50% stake in March last year. It contributed £5m to profits in 2007-08 and the club is are forecasting that it will generate upwards of £10m annually.

.. like Van der Saar, we'd never hear the end of it. Criminally underrated is Pepe.

Book due out in 151 days. https://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/....do?sku=6738392 Should be a quality read, bearing in mind the absolute legends that he brought to the club. The list of tributes to Geoff Twentyman in itself is a 'Who's Who' of the great Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s. And all of them know that they owe their careers to Geoff Twentyman. His son, Bill, has worked really hard to get this done, and to make it a good read. It has extracts from his Dad's diary, which reads, for example :'Toshack, 18, Welsh. Good in air. Worth a second look' and so forth. Or the tale of how he knew that the Mancs were secretly watching Ian Rush, and convinced the club to buy him straightaway. All proceeds to Alzheimers, which sadly affected Geoff in his later years. As an aside, Bill Twentyman is planning to do a book launch at the Tower Thistle in Liverpool [Date to be confirmed]. The idea at this stage is to have approx. 100 people, at £30 per head, to include a meal and a talk from an assortment of players brought to Liverpool through his Dad. Who turns up obviously depends on the date, work commitments etc. but there are a lot of absolute Liverpool legends who have promised to help out in this respect, so regardless it will be a quality line-up. The publishers aren't sure re. the venue and general idea, so support would be appreciated. Bill Twentyman can be contacted at his Gentleman's Barbers establishment on 0151 949 0220 (Oxford Road, Waterloo).

Haven't I read elsewhere that, when the SOS contingent went to see Rafa, he said to them that the asking/selling price for Xabi was £20m. Nobody met that, so he stayed. If so, fair enough. Fantastically pleased that he stayed, though.

Another from Powell: "Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, well-intentioned in his attempt to ease the crush but fatally misguided and persecuted thereafter, sanctioned the re-opening of those gates to hell." Shouldn't that read "maliciously intentioned in his efforts to save his own skin by lying that the fans had broken the gate down, minutes after, in fact, HE gave the order to open them"? Oh, and then took early retirement on a full pension, on medical grounds. B*****d.

The moment he mentioned being there on behalf of the Prime minister was were it went wrong, in my view. If he had kept it to his memories and so forth, fine, but he then made it political by mentioning that he was there at the behest of the Prime Minister, and therefore the Government, the same Government that has done little or nothing to help. Genuinely felt sorry for Andy Burnham, though, I think he's a good guy.

Lucas was chased by the Mancs? Hadn't heard that before, I thought it was AC Milan we were supposed to have 'pipped' for his signature? "Only last week Benitez let it be known that Manchester United tried desperately to sign the Brazilian Lucas, with the Liverpool boss insisting that Parry signed a fax confirming the deal while a United agent was in the air flying to Brazil to do the deal himself." Source: Irish Independent. http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/pre...al-1677811.html

Maddock gets in on the act in today's Daily Manc: It is a virus creeping across the Premier League, infecting with hate everything it touches. Hardly a new phenomenon, true, but the poison of derision, where angry supporters turn violently on their own players, seems to have become nastier and more sinister with each passing week. Fans have always vented their fury – but rarely at their own idols – and then for the briefest of outbursts. But ask Emmanuel Eboue of Arsenal, Liverpool’s Lucas, Gabriel Agbonlahor, almost the entire Middlesbrough team, and they will tell you it is a different story now. Indeed, just about every club has a whipping boy treated to ‘verbals’ that would never have been heard a few years ago. Eboue was so abused by his own Emirates crowd against Wigan in December, Arsene Wenger was forced to replace him – even though he had only played part of the game as a substitute himself. Agbonlahor must have been shocked by his treatment at the hands of the Villa faithful. He is a local boy, passionate about his club and still learning the game at just 22. Agbonlahor has enjoyed a magnificent campaign, capped by a call up into the England squad because of his consistent performances. Yet against Spurs on Sunday he was jeered and ridiculed by those fans he used to stand alongside as a kid. The striker admitted his “surprise” at the reaction of the fans, and pointedly suggested they have short memories, but stopped short of returning a salvo of his own. Lucas has openly wondered whether he might have to leave Anfield, such is the force of criticism that has eroded his confidence at Anfield. The Brazilian midfielder, only 22, has already represented his country at international level. Yet at Liverpool, where they always prided themselves on support for their own men, no matter what the circumstances, now there is only venom. The midfielder was booed by his own fans when coming ON as a sub against Sunderland earlier this month. Even by modern standards, that takes some beating. Lucas's confidence is clearly affected, but he somehow motivated himself sufficiently to make a big contribution in the 4-1 win at Manchester United on Saturday. It is hard, I try not to think about what some of the fans say, but I know some people don't trust me yet,' said Lucas. 'That is difficult, but I must try to concentrate on the team, and not let it affect my confidence. 'I have had support from the rest of the team, from Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. Javier Mascherano is my room-mate and he always has advice. 'They have a lot of experience of this and they tell me to play with confidence because I have quality. I try to do that, and I think I am winning.' So why is this phenomenon so widespread? Why, when their young team full of local talent needs all the support it can get in their desperate relegation battle, do Middlesbrough fans sing 'We've only got one player'? Why is even Anderson at Manchester United booed by his own fans when the club is still actively pursuing another three trophies this season? After a career spent at the peak of his profession, Robbie Fowler was subjected to similar treatment during his brief spell with Blackburn at the start of the season. He has noticed the trend, and believes it is a combination of economic times being hard for fans who pay a king’s ransom to watch their club – and society simply becoming increasingly vicious and cynical. “It can be pretty horrific these days, and I think a lot of the players have noticed it,” said Fowler. “Every club seems to have a player or players who get dog’s abuse, no matter what they do. “I got a bit and I was surprised because it doesn’t help the team. But I guess they pay their money and have the right to criticise. When you pay so much to watch, and times are tough, you’ve got to be able to ask for something in return. “You look around, and maybe society is a bit more aggressive these days, so it’s probably no surprise fans are a bit more impatient. “It does nothing for a player’s confidence, and as a huge part of the game is about confidence, then the fans are probably not doing any good for their club in the long run.” To boo or not to boo: Do supporters have the right to turn on their own players? Yes say Middlesbro fans Booing players who live in “ivory towers” is the only way fans can show their feelings, the Middlesbrough Official Supporters’ Club chairman said last night. Sue Gardener was at the Riverside on Saturday as home supporters slaughtered Gareth Southgate’s strugglers. Gardener insisted: “Booing is the only ways fans can vent their frustration with their team on the pitch if they are not performing as they should be. And a lot of people believe Middlesbrough are not performing as they should be. “They have paid good money to go to a game and the team did not play well. The majority of fans are feeling frustrated and footballers are not around in the community like they used to be. You can’t tell a player what you think when you see him on the bus or in the pub any more. They live in ivory towers. “How else, apart from booing on a Saturday afternoon, can you let them know you are not happy? “It is equally true when we chant a player’s name. You are then saying we appreciate what you are doing. Booing is the other side of the coin. And I hope it works. I hope it gives the team a kick up the backside and helps us stay up.” No says Mark Lawrenson You only have to look at Stoke City’s home record to realise the importance of fans getting behind their team. Stoke fans are passionate, committed and 100 per cent behind their players and it is their excellent home form which gives them hope of staying in the Premier League. Their fans deserve nothing but respect whereas some Aston Villa fans seem to have short memories. Gabby Agbonlahor was treated like a god a few months ago when he was helping Villa get into the top four. Now he’s going through a difficult spell, fans are giving him stick. I hear all the arguments about how much they earn and that they should be able to take abuse. But I don’t care how much you earn. if someone is telling you that you’re useless all the time, imagine how it would affect your confidence. It’s the same in any walk of life. Middlesbrough fans have also been jeering their team. But opposition fans will seize on this, knowing the team are nervous at home because of the abuse and it will make things 10 times worse. Which brings me back to Stoke. The club may not have a wealth of talent but they have committed players who draw on the fans’ passion. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/200...15875-21206417/

The term 'legend' gets bandied about willynilly nowadays. But what actually constitutes a legend? How do we define a Liverpool legend? Medals won? Goals scored in important matches? Length of service to the club? Crowd favourite?

Don't know whether or not it's just the shorter hair, but he seemed to look bigger in physique yesterday?

Newcastle come to Anfield on 2nd May. As we all know, Bobby Robson, a true 'Sir' if ever there was one, is very, very ill. As a proper football man, do you think that Liverpool FC should commemorate his visit somehow? Or if we, the fans, should have some kind of tribute for him? Not that it matters one jot, but he has always spoken very highly both of our club and the fans. I for one would like to get something sorted. Any ideas out there, or how to go about getting something started? [Mods - put this in the Liverpool forum because it is to do with what we the club/fans can do].

What I didn't like was that all the Manc players looked like junior Mancs, good on the ball, playing to a specific style. To be honest, ours didn't, by and large. Although we were hampered by a lack of options up-front, it didn't make for great viewing from a Liverpool perspective, I thought. I don't normally watch the Ressies though, so if anybody would like to point out that we were missing player X,Y or Z then feel free. Jay Spearing did make a big difference though.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/ben...ks-1671542.html Nothing particularly startling: Benitez vows to decide on Liverpool future 'in next two weeks' Friday March 13 2009 RAFAEL BENITEZ says he will decide on his future as Liverpool manager within the next two weeks after revealing he will meet the club's owners after tomorrow's Premier League clash with Manchester United. Benitez appears to have already ruled out the possibility of returning to Real Madrid, the club where he began his short-lived playing career and took his first steps as a coach. His stock has risen in Spain following Liverpool's 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night. That has rekindled rumours of a return to the Bernabeu -- a possibility that was all but ruled out after the first leg because of the coach's "defensive" style. But the Spaniard remains irritated at the criticism meted out and insisted: "People who see me leaving for Madrid are wrong. I can't predict my future. "Real Madrid are a great club but I am at another wonderful club -- one that really motivates me. I have a contract with Liverpool, I owe Liverpool and I am only thinking about Liverpool. I am happy here and there is a project under way. I have been here for five years and (if I did stay) from now on things would be easier. What I want is hard to find in Spain. Long-term projects don't exist there like they do in England." offer The message appeared a double-edged sword, however. Benitez made it clear that the offer at Anfield must be right for him to continue and he added: "I will work where I feel I can develop a project." Stability is the key and Benitez believes he deserves to be granted control, defending his record as coach -- and Liverpool's style since he took over -- as he prepared for a meeting with George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Benitez is a hero now but he is acutely aware that the situation was very different three weeks ago. "Next week I am going to study my present and my future with my bosses. I have to decide on my future in the next two weeks," he said. "I want a medium or long-term project. I don't want to be working day-to-day, always hanging on the latest result. I want to develop a club over a period of time. "Competing with Manchester United and Chelsea is very difficult. I am not a cry baby but they have enough money to sign five £20m players and if one or two of them don't succeed, they have three more. I can sign two of them and if one doesn't succeed or I make a mistake with one, then you really notice it," he added. (© Daily Telegraph, London) - Sid Lowe in Madrid Who do you think he could have been referring to in this bit? "Competing with Manchester United and Chelsea is very difficult. I am not a cry baby but they have enough money to sign five £20m players and if one or two of them don't succeed, they have three more. I can sign two of them and if one doesn't succeed or I make a mistake with one, then you really notice it," he added.

"If we win it 3 times in Rome, do we get to keep Rome?". Quality.

"Do you not think thst if in 1977 there were camera phones people would have been clicking away when Fairclough scored the third against Saint Etienne?" Not at all. The day of the day tripping tourist football fan had not been invented back then, I think.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-f...00252-23082399/ Some good points made by Tony Barrett.