DIC have pulled out

[kurtangle01]

I know that mate but come on...it's the last thing you wanna hear when you've been dealt a footballing body blow!

NO woman who knows nothing about football can say ANYTHING that will make me/us feel better!

I couldn't agree more.

[desertscouser]

I wonder how Rafa feels about all this. I'm pretty sure he was gearing up to work with DIC. Didn't they sit down and discuss future plans?

[Shaggy]

Except "fancy a blow job to cheer you up?"

Well, there is that....but I fear those days are behind me.

[desertscouser]

He was in favour of a groundshare, something I and 99% of LFC fans are against. Hopefully he has changed his stance.

As for the Canadiens...They were good until he bought them and he also went bankrupt a few years ago... This doesn't bode well for us as we will be up to our eyes in debt if he buys us. We'll end up like the scum.

Jesus Christ. We may as well have Bill Kenwright take us over.

[anfieldanfield]

He was in favour of a groundshare, something I and 99% of LFC fans are against. Hopefully he has changed his stance.

As for the Canadiens...They were good until he bought them and he also went bankrupt a few years ago... This doesn't bode well for us as we will be up to our eyes in debt if he buys us. We'll end up like the scum.

Well that's nice and reasuring.

Seriously, is there ANY EVIDENCE whatsoever, that this lad knows how to run a successful sports team.

Plus point: He's quite rich

Negative points: Yank, scattered history, initially favoured groundshare, ugly, took him about three seconds to look over the paperwork to buy the club, has been declared bankrupt in the past, yank....er...

[Red Chilli]

Well, there is that....but I fear those days are behind me.

Get away with you. You're younger than me.

[Kopite_Colin]

He has Doug Ellis written all over him.

F**K me! That must have been one feckin bender to get him into a state to let a tatooist do that to him......

[kurtangle01]

I wonder how Rafa feels about all this. I'm pretty sure he was gearing up to work with DIC. Didn't they sit down and discuss future plans?

Yeah, they did. I assume that after agreeing to put his plans in place with DIC he's probably a bit pissed off at having to do it all again.

This guy has tightfist written all over him where as DIC would, IMHO, have put money in to the team.

[Shaggy]

Get away with you. You're younger than me.

But I'm married.

[Red Chilli]

But I'm married.

Oh yeah

Your wife might surprise you

[kurtangle01]

Well that's nice and reasuring.

Seriously, is there ANY EVIDENCE whatsoever, that this lad knows how to run a successful sports team.

Plus point: He's quite rich

Negative points: Yank, scattered history, initially favoured groundshare, ugly, took him about three seconds to look over the paperwork to buy the club, has been declared bankrupt in the past, yank....er...

I'm not sure what his record with the Globe Trotters was either but that didn't last, did it?

Gillette is wrong IMHO for the club and I honestly think that we'd be better with the current board in charge.

[desertscouser]

Just pulled this from the BBC...

Dubai or not to buy?
Premiership | Liverpool
by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 31 January 2007

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

Dubai International Capital's decision to walk away from its proposed takeover of Liverpool is the end of a love affair that grew cold with astonishing speed.

It was only a fortnight ago that Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was in bullish mood about the arrival at the Shankly Gates of the investment arm of the Dubai government.

He told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek: "A huge amount of work has been going on, we'll have something to say soon.

"Yes, the deal is looking positive and yes, I'm confident it will go through. This will take us to the next level.

"But it's not a quick fix, a rich man's plaything. It's a long-term model for success, based around the new stadium."

Not any more it isn't.

It appears hesitation on the part of the Liverpool board, led by chairman David Moores, to formally accept DIC's bid in the wake of a second offer from American George Gillett has killed the deal stone dead.

This was meant to be the dream scenario for Liverpool. The deal that would see the Sheikhs of Dubai lavishing riches on Anfield that would put them alongside Chelsea.

It was never going to be work of a maverick benefactor on a Roman Abramovich scale, DIC is too shrewd and businesslike for that, but it seemed a perfect fit.

Now it appears that, as far as Moores and Parry are concerned, Gillett is the best a man can get.

Gillett may prove a palatable alternative - and do not rule out interest from other parties waiting in the wings as DIC pulled out.

DIC was welcomed with open arms by both Liverpool Football Club and their fans.

Serious people with serious investment and serious lovers of sport. There was even talk of some of the DIC hierarchy having Liverpool screen-savers on their mobile phones.

Boyhood fans and all that.

But it is clear this trail has been going cold over the last few days as the shadow of Gillett, owner of Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, suddenly re-emerged.

Gillett appeared to have been seen off by DIC, and initial suggestions that Liverpool may take his renewed takeover bid seriously were swiftly sidelined by sources within Anfield.

But Gillett has made crucial moves in the last week that forced Liverpool to reconsider him as a serious proposition.

He completed his due diligence programme within three days - after DIC had taken the best part of a month over the same process.

He happily agreed to personally underwrite the potential £200m-plus cost of a new stadium without hesitation.

Was DIC reluctant to underwrite in such a fashion? If it was, it may have suggested to Liverpool a slight dent in their enthusiasm.

He delivered guarantees on future transfer funds.

And, crucially, Gillett was able to reject what some previously saw as a key plank of his proposal - namely a groundshare with neighbours Everton.

Liverpool chairman Moores, who owns 51.6% of the club, would get £8m more from the Gillett deal, but it would be unfair to suggest this would sway a deal.

Moores has never been motivated by personal gain from Liverpool - which suggests he was having serious reservations about choosing DIC ahead of Gillett over and above financial considerations.

I understand Moores has recently come under pressure from minor shareholders to consider Gillett's offer, which is worth £500 a share more than DIC's.

Now DIC have made that decision for him and only time will tell if Moores' hesitation to rubber-stamp a deal at a London Docklands hotel on Tuesday will be fatal.

Gillett covers many bases for Liverpool.

He is rich. He is a sports lover.

But Liverpool have trumpeted the merits of the DIC proposal so loudly, it will be interested to see how they pitch Gillett as the new dream ticket.

One thing is certain. Any deal must be done quickly and DIC's withdrawal has hardly accelerated the process.

Building work on Liverpool's new stadium is scheduled to start in March - and finance from a new owner is at the very heart of the foundations.

Liverpool cannot delay further. And Gillett is now in pole position to exploit DIC's withdrawal.

[Shaggy]

Please keep up DS

[TheStig]

Same here. Wasn't he in favour of groundshare?!

And have the Montreal Canadiens even been successful under his ownership? I don't think so.

He's been owner since 2000.

In that time they've made the conference semis twice, and the quarters once (plus the 2 from when they made the semis of course).

They failed to reach the playoffs twice (or three times if you count 99-00).

The 2004-05 NHL season wasn't played.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Canadiens

[anfieldanfield]

We're just going round in circles now.

11 minutes....