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Revealed: Why Tom Hicks told Rick Parry to resign from Liverpool FC

scousepie

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scousepie

scousepie

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Posted (edited)

AS LIVERPOOL FC chief executive Rick Parry last night defiantly refused to resign after a request to stand down from co-owner Tom Hicks, the Daily Post can reveal the reasons for the sensational demand.

 

In a statement, not dissimilar to quotes given by manager Rafael Benitez at the height of a fall-out with the club’s American owners last year, Parry said: “It is my intention to remain focused on the job of serving Liverpool Football Club to the best of my abil- ities at this very important time of our season.”

 

The unprecedented stand-off comes on the same day it is learned a deal between Dubai International Capital and LFC’s owners is reportedly just a phone call away.

 

Comments made by Sameer Al Ansari, CEO of Dubai International Capital, to a Middle East business magazine about with-drawing DIC’s offer for LFC were said to be a plea for Hicks to sort his affairs and agree to sell.

 

Al Ansari has said he “would love to own the club”, but wanted to have control over Liverpool’s destiny before investing.

 

It is understood that the letter sent, but not yet received by Parry, called on him to “voluntarily resign” because of “commercial under-performance” and “frustrations” at the way he had handled player transfers.

 

One insider said: “This is just not the Liverpool way, especially after the success of the team on the pitch this week.”

 

The three-page letter was sent to Parry as Hicks’ 50% share in the club would not allow him to unilaterally dismiss Parry.

 

It has been circulated to mem-bers of the board, and he is expec-ted to refuse the request after con-sulting lawyers over his position.

 

A source said: “The basic con-tents of the letter are the commer-cial performance of the club since Rick Parry has been on the board.

 

“In particular how the club has fallen behind to the big players – [Manchester] United, Arsenal, and Chelsea. He also cites frustration in terms of how some of the player transfers have been handled.”

 

A report by Deloitte accoun-tants is thought to be the source of Hicks’s belief that Liverpool are failing to capitalise fully on commercial opportunities.

 

Deloitte's Football Money League, based on revenues gener-ated during 2006/7, places Liver-pool eighth in the list of richest clubs, with revenues of £133.9m.

 

Real Madrid topped the list with revenues of £236.2m, Manchester United were in second position with £212.1m, Chelsea were fourth with £190.5m, and Arsenal came in fifth by generating £177.6m.

 

The sensational outbreak of warfare in the Anfield boardroom follows the snubbing of Parry and former owner David Moores in the original allocation of tickets for Liverpool’s first Champions League Quarter Final with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

 

They originally were told they did not have tickets for the match because Hicks and co-owner George Gillett had taken the allocation. Parry and Moores were later found tickets after behind-the-scenes turmoil.

 

Last night, claims emerged that Hicks’s son Tom Jnr has been sending texts to fans’ groups over the issue of Parry’s continued involvement at the club.

 

It is believed Parry’s legal team will also be investigating these allegations.

 

Contrary to a report in Arabian Business magazine that DIC were pulling out of bidding for the club, Sheikh Mohammed and Al Ansari were last night said to still be keen on completing a deal.

 

Their £500m offer for the club is understood to remain on the table. That would pay off the club’s £350m debt and leave both Hicks and Gillett with £40m apiece.

 

A deal could apparently be struck as soon as Hicks’s lawyers call DIC’s London-based chief negotiator, Amanda Staveley.

 

Although relations with Hicks broke down more than a month ago, Staveley is said to be on good terms with Gillett and in “constant discourse” with him.

 

The only sticking point on a deal, insiders say, is Hicks.

 

He has recently been in London with American investment bank Merrill Lynch seeking credit with which to buy out Gillett.

 

It is thought a “first refusal” agreement between the Americans, in which one must offer their slice of the club to the other before selling to a third party, comes to an end in about six weeks’ time.

 

After the pre-emption rights expire, Gillett would be free to sell his share to DIC.

 

Although DIC would likely make an offer, sources close to the Dubai consortium say they will not rest until they have secured 100% of the club.

 

Both Sheikh Mohammed and Al Ansari are fervent supporters of the club. Al Ansari will almost certainly attend the Moscow final of the UEFA cup if the team fend off Chelsea in the semi-final.

 

Al Ansari was quoted in Arabian Business saying: “We will continue to be interested and would love to own the club but we are not going to put ourselves in a difficult situation where we make the investment but we have no control over the destiny of the club and we cannot influence the success of the club.

 

“Unfortunately, the terms that have been put on the table do not allow us to do that.”

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news

Edited by Snorky
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drdooom

drdooom

Posted
Posted

POOL IN TURMOIL AS PARRY CALLS IN LAWYERS

Posted 11/04/08 08:15

 

All-out war has been declared in the Liverpool boardroom after chief executive Rick Parry rejected the demand of co-owner Tom Hicks that he resign and instead took legal advice over the behaviour of the Texan.

 

Hicks demand was made in a letter sent to Parry, but the chief executive was in London yesterday attending Javier Mascherano's appeal against his two-match suspension and is understood to have first learnt that Hicks wanted him to leave Anfield via Sky Sports News. Although Parry has yet to expand on his short statement published on Thursday afternoon in which he announced his intention not to stand down, it is believed he has taken legal advice after Hicks failed to first discuss his demand at boardroom level.

 

There are also claims in this morning's newspapers that Tom Hicks Jr sent a series of text messages to Liverpool supporters groups, in which, to quote The Guardian, 'Parry's future presence at the club was called into doubt.' It is from those sources that Sky Sports News are thought to have first learnt of Hicks' demand.

 

What a shambles.

 

Although Hicks cited Parry's relationship with Rafa Benitez and his dissatisfaction with the commercial performance of the club, his demand that he leaves the club is believed to be motivated by Parry's perceived bias towards George Gillett junior. In an interview with the BBC two weeks ago, Parry pointedly failed to endorse either co-owner and admitted that "If they're not able to co-exist then there needs to be a solution where one buys and one sells, or both sell."

 

The irony of Hicks' demand is that it is set to be vain because Gillett has shown no desire to oust Parry. 'His resignation would have to be approved by the Liverpool board - a body that comprises Parry, the former chairman David Moores, Hicks, Gillett and their sons, Tom Hicks Jr and Foster Gillett - and Parry believes he has enough support there to fight,' reports The Guardian. An 'Anfield source' told The Times that Hicks had "tried to flex his muscles and ended up showing that he is a lot less powerful at this club than he likes to think."

 

The source went on to describe the atomsphere inside the boardroom "as poisonous."

 

"Hicks cannot stand Gillett. Gillett cannot stand Hicks. Hicks cannot stand Parry. Parry cannot stand Hicks. On the pitch, things are going great, but off the pitch, it's meltdown."

 

Nonetheless, Hicks apparently remains determined to take full control at Anfield, even though Gillett has made clear he would not be willing to sell his 50% stake to his fellow American. In any case, Hicks currently lacks the financial muscle to buy out Gillett's stake and the BBC claims that at least six banks have rejected his request for a loan in the past month.

 

To add to the sense of turmoil, DIC, the Dubai-based group touted as potential saviours of the club, yesterday declared they had decided to "pull out completely" of the bidding process because of the boardroom strife.

 

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8...3409645,00.html

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Gomez

Gomez

Posted
Posted

So who was this first time poster on RAWK who had the details (albeit with a bit of spin - ie, Parry WILL be sacked rather than asked to resign)

 

Given the stories of junior texting fan groups, is it a stretch that they are just posing as fans on forums posting spin as rumour?

 

Does anyone know of anyone on any of the main sites, here, RAWK, TLW, 6CM etc who has had any contact with TFC?

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Leo No.8

Leo No.8

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Posted
Apparently the first parry heard of this was when one of his family called him after seeing it on sky sports news

 

Incredible, absolutely f'ckin incredible.

 

What on earth is tom hicks thinking, what is he trying to acheive.

 

He is an absolute blithering idiot. It'd be comical how stupid he is were it not so f*cking tragic for this football club.

 

What on earth was this impotent, yet destructive and horribly timed threat meant to achieve? Any bank that loans this fatheaded moron hundreds of millions of pounds is just as stupid, so hopefully they'll see sense and he'll be gone.

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fyds

fyds

Posted
Posted

Read up on him Huyton - this 'balls first brains poor second' approach is how he does things when it gets a bit tough. He's abouit as subtle as a brick diving in a duck pond. What he's done (unintentionally, I'm sure) is galvanise the troops and the board against him while managing to make himself look impotent.

 

It is also looking more and more likely that there is now no-one out there, bank or otherwise who is mad enough to lend to a low yielding LBO king with a big gob in this climate.

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MFletcher

MFletcher

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Posted

Hicks is an idiot though.

 

In one swoop he's managed to fracture the positivity around the club following the Arsenal result, drive a bigger wedge in the board, turn the media on to off field matters and make himself look powerless after Parry told him to f*** off.

 

How the f*** can this guy even tie his own shoelaces? He really is thick - thick beyond comprehension.

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HL5

HL5

Posted
Posted
So who was this first time poster on RAWK who had the details (albeit with a bit of spin - ie, Parry WILL be sacked rather than asked to resign)

 

Given the stories of junior texting fan groups, is it a stretch that they are just posing as fans on forums posting spin as rumour?

 

Does anyone know of anyone on any of the main sites, here, RAWK, TLW, 6CM etc who has had any contact with TFC?

 

In chronological order, here are his posts, and make that what you will, especially his latest post:

 

--------------------------------------------------

April 9, 2008, 01:50:19 PM

First post here, so im probably going to get shot down or ignored

 

The announcement is coming tommorow. Something along the lines of Hicks is going to buy out Gillet's shares, and that Ian Ayre (Commercial director) is going to become the CEO, Parry will be sacked

 

Also....Gillet wasn't stuck in snow in colorado...he was in London in the same hotel as Ayre

----------------------------------------------------

 

April 9, 2008, 04:51:58 PM

Sorry i haven't replied for so long, busy day in work. But that is what i have been told. I hope it isnt true, but my source is quite reliable, he is in the hicks camp. Unless they have been given an order to bluff everyone or something

 

Not happy about it, but there isn't anything we can do. If we boycott, its not good for the team, and loads of people will jump at the chance to get a ticket. Hicks knows that our fans our too loyal, therefore they will always buy the merchendise and always go the game

----------------------------------------------------

 

Yesterday at 04:18:49 PM

What did i tell you guys?

 

----------------------------------------------------

Yesterday at 04:21:42 PM

We should support Parry, Moores, Gillet....everyone apart from that ..edited.. obese yank

 

----------------------------------------------------

Today at 08:48:10 AM

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news....we are getting another announcement at some point today from the PR machine. Probably when the fat texan wakes

-----------------------------------------------------

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mooks

mooks

Posted
Posted
So who was this first time poster on RAWK who had the details (albeit with a bit of spin - ie, Parry WILL be sacked rather than asked to resign)

 

Given the stories of junior texting fan groups, is it a stretch that they are just posing as fans on forums posting spin as rumour?

 

In chronological order, here are his posts, and make that what you will, especially his latest post:

 

----------------------------------------------------

Yesterday at 04:21:42 PM

We should support Parry, Moores, Gillet....everyone apart from that ..edited.. obese yank

 

----------------------------------------------------

Today at 08:48:10 AM

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news....we are getting another announcement at some point today from the PR machine. Probably when the fat texan wakes

-----------------------------------------------------

Well, if it is Hicks Jr. he doesn't like his dad too much!

 

PLTBT :)

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gkmacca

gkmacca

Posted
Posted
Apparently the first parry heard of this was when one of his family called him after seeing it on sky sports news

 

Incredible, absolutely f'ckin incredible.

 

What on earth is tom hicks thinking, what is he trying to acheive.

 

 

What a hypocrite. When Staveley allegedly leaked his letter, he said: "She should also know better than to release actual copies of my private correspondence to the press." Pathetic.

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Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymus Bosch

Posted
Posted

Thanks. This guy does seem genuine, having predicted that Hicks would try to get rid of Parry. Crossing my fingers he's wrong about Hicks buying out Gillett. While Gillett appears to have nailed his colours to the mast where Hicks is concerned, there are supposedly clued-up posters who believe Gillett to be as untrustworthy as Hicks in all of this.

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Hassony

Hassony

Posted
Posted

It could be that Hicks buying out Gillet might be a good thing for the future of the club, having one owner rather than two (who are at each other's throat all the time), and It might mean that it will be easier in the future for DIC to negotiate a deal with only one buyer

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honourablegeorge

honourablegeorge

Posted
Posted
It could be that Hicks buying out Gillet might be a good thing for the future of the club, having one owner rather than two (who are at each other's throat all the time), and It might mean that it will be easier in the future for DIC to negotiate a deal with only one buyer

 

 

Hicks having total control of the club would be a disaster. He's already shown himself to be impossible to negotiate with, he's a boorish idiot, and any time spent under his sole charge would ultimatly cost the club millions.

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johngibo YPC

johngibo YPC

Posted
Posted
It could be that Hicks buying out Gillet might be a good thing for the future of the club, having one owner rather than two (who are at each other's throat all the time), and It might mean that it will be easier in the future for DIC to negotiate a deal with only one buyer

 

Can't see that at all

Ok it may be MARGINALLY better in the short term, but once Hicks has full control he won't sell

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