Liverpool agree takeover.
February 7th, 2007 by EoinWhile I needed a bit of time to digest this information the real reason I’m a day late with this post is because I couldn’t decide if anyone who frequents this site would be interested in reading this. Please let me know if you would like to read more posts like this or if you never want to see the word football on the site again. Thanks!
Yesterday Liverpool Football Club was sold to a company called Kop Football Ltd. Kop Football Ltd. are American business men George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
For over 50 years Liverpool have been under the ownership of the Moores family, but outgoing chairman David Moores felt he no longer had enough money for the club to challenge in the modern game.
Moores has endured much criticism during the three years Liverpool have been looking for investment as the former Prime Minister of Thailand - Thaksin Shinawatra, Steve Morgan, Robert Kraft, the L4 consortium - who kept a low profile but were headed by Goal writer/producer Mike Jefferies along with Stuart Ford and Robert Kraft (with unconfirmed links to Liverpool Legend Kenny Dalglish), and Dubai International Capital , came and went.
This latest development looks like a good deal for Liverpool FC. Unlike the Malcolm Glazer takeover of Manchester United the Kop Football deal will not put any debt on the club, they have agreed to fund the development of the new stadium, they have taken on board the club’s debts of £44.8m and have promised to back the manager, Rafael Benitez, in the transfer market.
It appeared that DIC were to win the race up until late last week but as Liverpool Chief Executive, Rick Parry, explains Gillett wouldn’t go away. It is this determination to gain control of the club, along with my impressions of Gillett and Hicks in yesterdays press conference, that make me think that Moores made the right decision. It is hard to know why the Liverpool board chose the Kop Football deal (or if they indeed were the ones who made the decision after DIC walked away) but Moores has shown over his time at the helm of Liverpool FC that he is a man who does what is best for the club. The fact that the Kop Football deal was priced at £5,000 a share, instead of the £4,500 a share DIC were offering, gives ammunition to those who want to cause trouble for Moores but at the end of the day the deal looks to give Liverpool FC everything they need.
There is now a 28 day period for the shareholders to decide if they want to sell up or not. Kop Football will be hoping to acquire 90% of the shares within that time so that they can force the sale of the final 10% and take full ownership.
Only time will tell if the decision is the right one and if indeed it is a decision that can end Liverpool’s hunt for the one trophy to elude David Moore’s in his time in charge, the Premiership title. Whatever the future holds all Liverpool fans should follow Rafael Benitez’s lead and give a big thank you to David Moores for his work.
David Moores has accepted the offer to become Honorary Life President and stay on at the club. Rick Parry will continue as Cheif Executive and oversee the day-to-day running of the club. Both Gillett and Hicks will have a seat on the board along with a son from each family and Rick Parry.
For more information go here and check out the links on that page.
Former player reactions are here.
There’s an interview with the outgoing owner here and the incoming men here.
Entries (RSS)
February 7th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Of course, you can post about football. Better than all that artsy, nancy boy crap Frank keeps posting.
It looks like a good deal, as deals go, but if Gillett keeps talking about the Liverpool Reds and calling them a franchise, I’ll fucking flip.
February 7th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Ya, I know what you mean. I try to ignore those comments with a Fawlty Towers-esque “he’s from America.” See his Goaltender moment when he realised he had said the wrong thing? ha, ha.
In a way it might be good to have someone pushing the club in a franchise way, but they have to remember they’re a football club first and foremost.
February 7th, 2007 at 2:46 pm
What’s football?
February 7th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Eoin, while it’s in the interest of the club to expand it’s commercial strength, the whole idea of a sporting franchise, in the form they have in the US, should really be the death-knell of the sport.
Tom, you remember that game you were always last to picked for in school?
February 7th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
I’m with you on that one Bif. The Americans have taken it too far! Sell a few more jearsey maybe some mugs and consider a tv station to show the European Cup triumphs over and over again, but don’t go mad.
Tom…football is
Or else click on the Liverpool Legend link above.
February 7th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Rafa wants to mirror RealThe headline had me worried but when I read the comments I relaxed a little. Interesting times ahead. Let’s hope they know where to draw the line.
February 7th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Ah yes, but what would Bif have said if it was a football post that didn’t have a big Liverpool crest attached to it…
February 7th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Depends on if it was replaced with a Cork City crest or not…
February 7th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
And who would have written the post if it didn’t have a big Liverpool crest attached to it?
February 7th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Defo…first time on your page and seeing that makes me wanna come back to it…
February 14th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Latest on this here. I think that they are just waiting to get the major shareholders that are left first, but still you’d think they’d move a little quicker.
February 15th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
George Gillett’s son Foster, 31, is to become head of the club’s commercial operations according to Koptalk. Foster is to run the marketing and commercial side of things while the football side of things is run by Parry. Considering the commercial failings of the club under Parry’s watch I guess this makes sense. Only time will tell if Foster is the right man though.
March 9th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
It’s official
March 4th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
ROBTTTTTTTTT
March 6th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
i love this team because we r the champeions
March 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Is a new champions for europe.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
INTERNAZIONALE MILANO-FC LIVERPOOL
0-2 GERRARD
TORES
March 14th, 2008 at 10:37 am
liverpool is shite……………
March 15th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
hi im uvejs i love liverpool
March 26th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
hello
i love liverpool.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Hello…! I am fans from indonesian,I am love liverpool fc.let’s go winner champion league…?
April 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Hope you all enjoyed my post about the Champion’s League game against the Ars. Don’t forget to check back on Tuesday for the next one.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
liverpool r gr8 best players …………….gerrard torres ……………………
April 10th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
i was really pleased about the score on asrenal on friday the 11 of apirl 4.2 very good. say well done to the team.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Ha, ha, I will but you should probably have put this comment here. YNWA
April 26th, 2008 at 1:27 am
i love Gerrard very much,,
of course Liverpool too……. and not the girls of Liverpool
April 30th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
liverpool can beat chelsea to night if they belive in themselves
April 30th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
yes liverpool can win tonight if they play well especially the defence.liverpool should play with 2 forward.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
ı lowe you liverpool seni seviyorum liverpool your never vool kelon
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 am
well liverpool is the best team in the world. all the players are good excpecially gerrard , torres and carra . i love they very much . i hope i will see them in my life it’s my dream . it was unfortuniatellu that liverpool didn’t win the champions league but it doesn’t mean nothing/ it’s a good team . you will never walk alone . im liverpool supporterr in all my life . i love you torres and gerrard . you are the best players in the world. i am albanian som i’ll say a word in this language wich means ‘ i love you torres anda gerrard and carra : te dua shum torres gerrard dhe carragher
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
i love you liverpool torres gerrard carragher you are the best ma te mirte ska me juve ju dua shum
May 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Liverpool is shit
May 24th, 2008 at 7:55 am
liverpool rocksssssssss and they’re gona do good next season. i hope that…..i’m a fan from ktm nepal and i love liverpool………
May 31st, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Liverpool the best .
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I hate liver pool
In mlatese it is fwidpixxina
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
liverpool’s the best
gerrard rocks
unbeatable
July 4th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Ben Türkiye’den Yazıyorum Liverpool’un Büyük Hayranıyım Bu Kulüpte Oynamak İstiyorum 20 Yaşındayım Seni Seviyorum Liverpool I Lowe You Liverpool Mehmet TANRIVERDİ
July 25th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
liverpool for the league
July 26th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Am a nigerian fan of liverpool and admirer of gerrand cos is d best
August 26th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Hi !
I am from cambodia. i love liverpool. Excpecially torres and gerrard. because he is a best player. I hope that liverpool will win in champions league. CHAMNAN PRAK