Fellow scribes, pick this to pieces..

[owenthomas]

I've never felt compelled to write to a media outlet before but i've found myself so p'd off with the last few days football and reports of stadia etc that i've penned something i'm thinking of firing off to a number of people at different papers etc.. if you read through this and tell me i should wind my neck in and get a grip then fair enough.. if you read this and think 'yeah, i might do something similar and see what goes off' then, again, fair enough.. what i would like, particularly from some of the more respected posters (not naming names here!) is some advice - would you send it off? what would you add/take away? have i missed the point somewhere?!.. any decent comments noted.. ta.. ps: some words changed to fit for the viewing public..

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As fellow Liverpool supporters I wonder what your thoughts are on the current debacle enveloping the club? When Gillett and Hicks first rode into town with their boundless enthusiasm and Liverbird-logo’d boots the majority of us fell for their kind words about becoming custodians of our club hook-line and sinker. Any initial scepticism of them was swept away under a tirade of dollar waving and promises of Snoogy Doogy along with the small matter of us focussing on a European Cup Final.

 

In the summer the manager got money to strengthen the squad, later plans were unveiled for an outstanding futuristic stadium (“the best in the World” no doubt) and, despite a few blips in the early stages of the Champions League, the team remained unbeaten domestically. All was seemingly well at Anfield. But ever since Rafa Benitez decided to concentrate on training and coaching his team a different picture has not only started to emerge, it had practically occurred under our noses.

 

If we go back to the summer, and if we take into account what was brought in through sales, we didn’t exactly break the bank with our outlay, despite what is reported and despite the inaccuracy of Torres’ fee. After Rafa’s ‘training and coaching’ mantra was repeated to a bemused media subsequent reports of a bust-up between manager and owners seemed to indicate that Tom Hicks felt the level of spending was acceptable. In truth more money was needed for Liverpool FC to take the required steps forward to not only keep pace with the other top clubs but to overhaul them. Considering the head start the others had from their own Sugar Daddies this was going to take more than an outlay of just over £20m, particularly as this is the kind of outlay we’d come to expect each season anyway and considering other top teams spend more than that per player.

 

That bust-up also threw up a glaring issue that was passed over by the media in their seemingly frenzied attempt to see Rafa Benitez sent packing. That issue is long distance ownership. Despite their obvious lack of knowledge of football the initial enthusiasm of Gillett and Hicks seemingly told us that they were going to do all they can to get up to speed with what owning LFC really means. A few platitudes to us fans glossed things over and we thought they were alright. Saying the manager can have a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ then saying 5 months later that he can’t have a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ til mid-December and then saying that well, actually, maybe, we don’t need a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ is quite a change of heart. If they weren’t so far away, and only capable of flying in for the big games, maybe this wouldn’t have come to a head. Maybe Rafa Benitez should have called in a favour from the Premier League and asked them to move the Man Utd game til mid-November so he knew he was guaranteed an audience with his new bosses?

 

And now today we’ve got the Echo reporting that we’re not going to get that futuristic ‘best stadium in the World’, another promise seemingly broken. Despite rumours doing the rounds about the stadium for last few weeks nothing concrete has been reported and so the usual amount of scepticism was afforded. Well, it was until Rick Parry’s carefully worded statement on Saturday 15th December (can be found here) – that’s when the alarm bells started ringing. We’re now told that, although we’ll get a stadium, it won’t be the one we were shown. It will be a cross between the “old new stadium” and the “new new stadium”. Now personally, if these guys build a new stadium then great, I’ve got no problems with that. What I do have a problem with is being told one thing and then watching them do another. We’re told that spiralling costs mean the new plans have to be shelved. Surely businessmen, worth billions, can factor in costs to a design? How on Earth, in the space of 3 / 4 months, can a building reportedly shoot up in price by £300m?! It’s crazy. It’s illogical.

 

Have Moores and Parry sold us down the Mersey?? That may seem slightly unfair on David Moores but he got more bucks for his share as well as keeping a place in the padded seats and Rick Parry kept his job, something that reportedly wouldn’t have happened had another bid for LFC been successful.

 

Why is the media, and in particular the local media like the Echo, not all over this like a rash? When the plans for a new stadium were unveiled they were front page news. Todays announcement regarding the stadium gets put into the middle of an article about Benitez staying on as manager and the line begins “Meanwhile….”.

 

Why are no questions being asked or sought of the new owners of Liverpool Football Club?! Why the clamour to see Benitez axed rather than find out the true issues at the heart of the matter?! Benitez has earned the trust and respect of Liverpool fans. Gillett and Hicks started out on a fanfare of goodwill but have slowly started chipping away at that to the point where there’s now little or, for the majority, no trust. At the moment there are questions for Gillett and Hicks that need answering. As the days go by all we get are more questions.

[Guest JV]

My head hurts

[Rimbeux]

I'd recommend the method Knox put forward a few weeks back. Rather than write with your opinion of what has gone on, distill it down to a set of questions you believe should be being asked about the running of Liverpool.

[Falconhoof]

I thought Molby was running some sort of campaign with websites and such ?

 

Is that developed into something we can all get behind ?

[owenthomas]

i remember that mentioned - is there something ongoing?

 

Rimbeux - good idea, i'll see if i can find Knox's questions..

 

JV - sorry lid!

[Knox_Harrington]

Questions is the one, I reckon. Good summation there though Owen.

 

Regarding websites etc., my view is that there are already a number of fora which can essentially do this job without a website going "we're in charge" and possibly ostracising (sp?) people/communities in the process. As long as word is spread from one to another quickly it can be done. Plus it means it's a constant conversation. I'm sure I've got on a lot of people's nerves and people have got on mine but it's important to have differing opinions. A website with the specific role it's likely to have could too easily turn into a hateathon and probably wouldn't have the sort of useful, helpful conflict of opinions.

 

So Owen, and anyone else who wants to, can send emails/make phonecalls to the media (local and national), the club or anyone else useful asking questions, making points. People don't need anyone to tell them to do that. If/when there's the need for things to be centralised then I'm sure someone will step into the breach then.

 

I could be wrong with my view, mind.

[Knox_Harrington]

That bust-up also threw up a glaring issue that was passed over by the media in their seemingly frenzied attempt to see Rafa Benitez sent packing. That issue is long distance ownership. Despite their obvious lack of knowledge of football the initial enthusiasm of Gillett and Hicks seemingly told us that they were going to do all they can to get up to speed with what owning LFC really means. A few platitudes to us fans glossed things over and we thought they were alright. Saying the manager can have a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ then saying 5 months later that he can’t have a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ til mid-December and then saying that well, actually, maybe, we don’t need a ‘Snoogy Doogy’ is quite a change of heart. If they weren’t so far away, and only capable of flying in for the big games, maybe this wouldn’t have come to a head. Maybe Rafa Benitez should have called in a favour from the Premier League and asked them to move the Man Utd game til mid-November so he knew he was guaranteed an audience with his new bosses?

Just to add here - suddenly he wasn't allowed to sort out Snoogy Doogy on a free. That's the massive issue and indicates that there could be/was/is a medium term view that he won't be here to play said Snoogy.

[Guest prophet]

i remebered writing this

 

a) Americans know zilch about "soccer" except its BIG Biz

 

b) To them any venture is a BIZ.

 

c) A lotta things have changed since the takeover. Some of the that with most impact are

 

- devaluing of the dollah

 

- credit crunch- Americans Biz is being squeezed the life cos of this- dare they venture anymore?

 

- speculative is cos of the credit crunch, they maybe having prblems in their own sporting backyards

[fyds]

Questions is the one, I reckon. Good summation there though Owen.

 

Regarding websites etc., my view is that there are already a number of fora which can essentially do this job without a website going "we're in charge" and possibly ostracising (sp?) people/communities in the process. As long as word is spread from one to another quickly it can be done. Plus it means it's a constant conversation. I'm sure I've got on a lot of people's nerves and people have got on mine but it's important to have differing opinions. A website with the specific role it's likely to have could too easily turn into a hateathon and probably wouldn't have the sort of useful, helpful conflict of opinions.

 

So Owen, and anyone else who wants to, can send emails/make phonecalls to the media (local and national), the club or anyone else useful asking questions, making points. People don't need anyone to tell them to do that. If/when there's the need for things to be centralised then I'm sure someone will step into the breach then.

 

I could be wrong with my view, mind.

Good advice and overview, that.

[owenthomas]

heard a bit on City Fm news this morning saying the new ground will now open a year later than planned? i haven't had a chance to catch up on the news on the web etc yet - did i hear right?!

[Rimbeux]

heard a bit on City Fm news this morning saying the new ground will now open a year later than planned? i haven't had a chance to catch up on the news on the web etc yet - did i hear right?!

 

 

Seems to be part of the spin. Summer time it was announced the ground would open for the 2010/11 season, as part of this latest news management it's now still on track to be open for 2011/12.