Hicks "wants to sell up"

[kop-al-74]

Can we please merge the return of DIC thread with this

[The Preacher]

I would personally welcome a total DIC buyout.I feel they would be better equipped to run a football club with the traditions of Liverpool.

This isn't just any old football club,this is Liverpool,among the top 5 most famous football clubs in the world.

We really need owners who understand football and i believe DIC have an advantage over the Americans in that department.

apparently the sheikh is waiting for the green light from liverpool fans before he makes a move if the papers are to be believed. A man in the know is Mihir Bose who works as a journalist for both sky and bbc. If anybody happens to catch an interview with him then please share it with us.

Like you I believe that the DIC philosophy matches ours - they want to win - but they dont mind investing resources to achieve this. Whereas it appears that our current owners wanted to win when they bought the club but now appear to be settling for a little bit less.

I was gutted when DIC pulled out and thought that we had missed out badly and still believe it to this day. Several issues were fudged over in the takeover like

- the level and responsibility for the debt (G+T said we wouldnt be burdened with it but it looks like we will be)
- the level of investment in the squad (not what we thought it was going to be)
- the fact that none of Tom Hick's teams are doing extremely well (but the 'franchises' all have massive stadiums and big ticket prices)
- the fact that hicks is an unpopular owner with the fans


these are the sorts of issues that should have been looked at closely but werent.

[Tatterdemalion]

Hicks spoke to the echo last night and appears to allay most fears

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2007/12/01/tom-hicks-i-m-not-selling-100252-20188051/

[mick the click]

Why does everyone hate Hicks all of a sudden? Do we always have to hate someone??

At the end of the day Rafa was wrong in publicly demanding money after the CL, and he got backed, I am sure he was told not to do it again. He did it again and got a dressing down. All of it far too public and not in keeping with the fine tradition of our club. Far too many people wanting a lynching on here. On the positive side we've had some good results of late!

I think that many people, myself included, have harboured suspicions over G&H from the start, but whoever bought us would have suffered the same. Times, sadly, have changed and we're no longer a family-run club. We were sold, allegedly, so that we will have a chance to continue competing with the others, and unfortunately LFC has become a business concern that must make money.

As long as the club's success is not hampered by the need to generate profits for owners (and the fewer trophies we win the less cash we will generate...) we can't grumble too much. Ha!

Rafa might have been 'breaking the LFC rules' with his outburst, but my take on it is that he was letting us, the fans, know that G&H were beginning to treat the club in a way they said they wouldn't.

[Cormack74]

I'm sceptical about the return of the Sheikh TBH.

If DIC did put in a bid, I hope they could prove that the whole exit strategy thing from last time was without foundation.

[The Preacher]

I'm sceptical about the return of the Sheikh TBH.

If DIC did put in a bid, I hope they could prove that the whole exit strategy thing from last time was without foundation.

The exit strategy document was real and this is because the DIC group were looking for investment to buy the club. When people invest in the business the questions they ask are - how much money will I make each year from dividends and what will my investment be worth in the future if I decide to sell or to keep.

The exit strategy highlighted the fact that this club was a gold mine waiting to be discovered. By the move to a larger stadium, better commercial awareness and more lucrative TV contracts and thus much higher turnover the investors would have made a serious return on their investment.

As to selling LFC - i dont think that would happer. Liverpool Football Club is one of the greatest teams in the history of the game. We would be the jewel in the dubai crown.

[StevieG08]

I remember DIC releasing a statement when they were linked with buying Arsenal, they said we were a special club and an opportunity which only came around once in a lifetime. They seemed genuinely pissed at missing out on buying us, so i would not be surprised if they were sniffing around now there seems to be unrest within the yank camp.

[Johnny]

Hicks spoke to the echo last night and appears to allay most fears

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-20188051/

Tom Hicks: I'm not selling
Dec 1 2007 EXCLUSIVE by John Thompson, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL Football Club co-owner Tom Hicks is not interested in selling his half of the club, he revealed today.

In an exclusive interview with the ECHO, Hicks also rubbished claims of a rift between himself and co-owner George Gillett.

The Dallas-based multi-millionaire spoke after attending a two-day National Hockey League owners’ conference in California with close friend Gillett.

Both men have clearly been taken aback by recent stories in the British media, including one that Rafael Benitez is facing the sack, which as far as they are concerned have no foundation in fact.

Another report claimed Hicks had instructed financial brokers to get him out of Anfield and stated there was renewed interest from Dubai.

But, speaking to the ECHO from his private jet, Hicks said last night: “I just want to clear up with you that I am not selling any of my shares to anybody.

“I have no idea why anyone would think that. It was just rubbish.”

Regarding the furore over Benitez’s job and the fans who marched in his support on Wednesday, Hicks said: “The fans are very passionate and that's what we love about them.

“It's been a big misunderstanding blown very much out of proportion. George and I are happy to see that it has settled back down.

“We've a big game on Sunday against Bolton, a big game against Marseilles and a big game with our neighbours to the east and the main thing is the team is playing better.”

He addressed Liverpool fans’ concerns that the owners were in danger of being unavailable to communicate with Anfield as often as is necessary, and stressed Foster Gillett, George Gillett's son and an Anfield director, would be their hands-on representative.

Hicks said: “I guess we are absentee owners – there's no question about it. But Foster returned to Liverpool last week. He’s our day-to-day person to help facilitate communication – and we come as often as we can.”

On talk of a split with Gillett, Hicks laughed: “George and I have never been closer. We both were very disappointed and confused as to where that inaccurate information came from.

“It's a new experience for us because the UK media is very different. The ECHO has been great. But we're disappointed fiction has been treated as fact by others.

“Owning Liverpool has been great, we're still enjoying it.”

He said he and Gillett are looking forward to seeing Benitez when they go to the Manchester United game.

[sonsofthedesert]

I can't help but think a ot of this is caused by our club not talking to the press. This sumer confirmed to me that the media don't have the links they used to, even Bascombe got a lot wrong. So when Rafa had his outburst and Hicks responded the media jumped on it and made a lot of assumptions. I would not be suprised as someone else has suggested that the £1bn valuation is linked to when the new ground is built and part of H&G attempts to get funding. They are even making a big deal about the level of debt linked to our income (16 times) but forget when the new ground is built and if it gets the 76,000 + people in we could me making similar to Arsenal on match days.

[Skillz]

I can't help but think a ot of this is caused by our club not talking to the press. This sumer confirmed to me that the media don't have the links they used to, even Bascombe got a lot wrong. So when Rafa had his outburst and Hicks responded the media jumped on it and made a lot of assumptions. I would not be suprised as someone else has suggested that the £1bn valuation is linked to when the new ground is built and part of H&G attempts to get funding. They are even making a big deal about the level of debt linked to our income (16 times) but forget when the new ground is built and if it gets the 76,000 + people in we could me making similar to Arsenal on match days.

Interesting post

[Morph]

Something has never sat right with me concerning hicks, i've always thought gillett seemed genuine but hicks is another matter.

2 things bother me really, firstly gillett made the offer and we turned him down, so fairly quickly he came up with hicks as his business partner and they made another offer which was accepted - now it's not like these two fellas have been best buds for years or business partners in the past afaik, so things seemed to be a bit rushed imo, i know they had to be because of dic's interest, but still

Secondly Hicks didn't really want in to begin with and said it was only when he started reading about history he showed an interest, but anyone can read a story be entertained , it doesn't mean they'll have the same passion for it in the months or years that follow.

Also not parry's carefully noted comments yesterday - hicks wasn't selling up - 'as far as he was aware', well I'm not so sure parry in the loop with these things, and might only be between gillett and hicks so parry wouldn't be aware of him selling out if this was the case.

Anyway imo i don't think hicks is here for the long haul, but i do think gillett is if he can find a partner without the need for him to sell up completely.

[dom9]

I'm past caring to be honest.

Reading some of the stuff on this forum of late just makes me laugh. There are so many people getting on their high horse, ranting on about the yanks as if they actually know what is happening. The same people were singing T&Gs praises up until last week. It really is laughable. You lot come across as being exactly like those religious muppets in The Life Of Brian, where the the slightest rumour quickly gets distorted into some sort of fanatical fact. Sad.

[tomasjj]

Regarding the furore over Benitez’s job and the fans who marched in his support on Wednesday, Hicks said: “The fans are very passionate and that's what we love about them.

“It's been a big misunderstanding blown very much out of proportion. George and I are happy to see that it has settled back down.

“We've a big game on Sunday against Bolton, a big game against Marseilles and a big game with our neighbours to the east and the main thing is the team is playing better.”

Ha!

He does not come out and say that Rafa is safe.

Nope, he does not. This is more of the same.

[Cormack74]

The exit strategy document was real and this is because the DIC group were looking for investment to buy the club. When people invest in the business the questions they ask are - how much money will I make each year from dividends and what will my investment be worth in the future if I decide to sell or to keep.

The exit strategy highlighted the fact that this club was a gold mine waiting to be discovered. By the move to a larger stadium, better commercial awareness and more lucrative TV contracts and thus much higher turnover the investors would have made a serious return on their investment.

As to selling LFC - i dont think that would happer. Liverpool Football Club is one of the greatest teams in the history of the game. We would be the jewel in the dubai crown.

Interesting take.

My view was that they were in for a fast buck.

These are the sorts of questions that would need to be asked if they re-appeared.

[Morph]

“It's been a big misunderstanding blown very much out of proportion."



Ha!

He does not come out and say that Rafa is safe.

Nope, he does not. This is more of the same.

This bit in quotes does seem a bit more like what we want to hear tho