Dubai International to make bid for Liverpool FC

[AFII]

The thing about the Arsenal thing is that the project cost ~£410m with loans being taken out for over £350m if people I have talked to are believed but with solid sources of incomes such as the Highbury housing project making it look less risky and making some of loans appear to not be 'on' Arsenal as it appears is the phrase these days (whether it was appears to be a matter of conjecture).

I haven't heard anyone talk about what is happening with the ground Anfield used to be on, any possibility of naming rights on a distinctive stadium for one of the worlds biggest teams or anything else.

Who ever took us on (including DIC) was always going to look to get the purchase cost back. Most companies feel that loans are the most cost effective way of doing this sort of thing as far as I can tell. Therefore I don't really see what else any one was expecting. It has always been a financial gamble and I think people are only now really realising this.

I'm no big fan of G&H but I do need to be persuaded that any one else would have taken us over on vastly different terms. I think there are valid questions about the way they presented things and questions of honesty and about their lack of understanding of football which are far more valid IMO than some of those being asked about the debt.

Although obviously if they are deceitful arseholes with no real plan for the club long term other than make a big fat stadium then any debt under their stewardship is too much debt.

Well, it is very expensive apartments.

[Revo]

The thing about the Arsenal thing is that the project cost ~£410m with loans being taken out for over £350m if people I have talked to are believed but with solid sources of incomes such as the Highbury housing project making it look less risky and making some of loans appear to not be 'on' Arsenal as it appears is the phrase these days (whether it was appears to be a matter of conjecture).

I haven't heard anyone talk about what is happening with the ground Anfield used to be on, any possibility of naming rights on a distinctive stadium for one of the worlds biggest teams or anything else.

Who ever took us on (including DIC) was always going to look to get the purchase cost back. Most companies feel that loans are the most cost effective way of doing this sort of thing as far as I can tell. Therefore I don't really see what else any one was expecting. It has always been a financial gamble and I think people are only now really realising this.

I'm no big fan of G&H but I do need to be persuaded that any one else would have taken us over on vastly different terms. I think there are valid questions about the way they presented things and questions of honesty and about their lack of understanding of football which are far more valid IMO than some of those being asked about the debt.

Although obviously if they are deceitful arseholes with no real plan for the club long term other than make a big fat stadium then any debt under their stewardship is too much debt.

or the very least been able to afford it without robbing peter to pay paul

[paulcooper4]

18 months ago - Chairman : David Moores

The club was £60m in debt and needed a loan of around £200m if he was to build us a new stadium. We could not afford to buy top class players, not unless we done something crazy and took out loans to do this.

Present Day - Chairmen : Tom Hicks & George Gillett

The club is £305m in debt. (directly and indirectly) and needs a loan of around £200m if they are to build us a new stadium. We can not afford to buy top class players, not unless we do something crazy and take out loans to do this.




Difference :

We are now in a hell of a lot more debt than 18 months ago yet we still have to borrow £200m to build a stadium and we still dont have the money to buy top class footballers without borrowing money.

Personality Difference :

Moores loved the club and still does. As much as it hurt him to relinquish control, he only done so because he didnt have deep enough pockets to move us on to the next level. He chose (in hindsight) the wrong people in the americans. But to be fair, he only did so because they lied to him, and in public. They said they would not put debt on the club, they said they would fund whatever players rafa wants, no matter what the price and they said they would follow the traditions of LFC.


Final Analysis :

The yanks are a pair of cunts. But it looks like we may be stuck with the *******s for a while so we may have to grit our teeth and put up with it, hope for the best and hope they completely change the way they have ****ed us about so far. Unless David Moores suddenly finds a couple of billion he forget he had stashed around the house we are going to have to learn to live with these pricks.

They have ****ed us over big time up to now and we have let them know what we think of them. Let that go now. Dont trust them, but just give them a chance to show they can change. I doubt they can but I dont really have any other option than to give them a chance to redeem themselves.

[Jayesh87]

We won't be like Liverpool, say Derby
By GRAHAM HILL - More by this author » Last updated at 21:26pm on 28th January 2008

New Derby County owner Andrew Appleby moved into Pride Park [B]after completing a £50million buyout[/B ] and vowed to avoid the mistakes made by his fellow Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks at Liverpool.

Appleby heads up the Michigan-based General Sports and Entertainment company, providing fresh investment needed for a Derby side suffering a terrible season cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League and facing inevitable relegation.

And he makes no secret of the fact he will be following the example set by Randy Lerner at Aston Villa rather than the disruptive one of Gillett and Hicks at Liverpool.

Appleby, 45, also insists his takeover will not leave Derby owing more money than they do already — compared to the £350m debt taken on by Gillett and Hicks, who also fell out with Anfield manager Rafa Benitez.

Appleby plans to maintain the authority of manager Paul Jewell and former chairman Adam Pearson, who retains a small shareholding in the club.

"The Liverpool situation is different to what we face here," said Appleby. "My guess is they made some mistakes that we don't want to repeat. We have no intention of undermining anyone on the football side.

"I feel we have a dream team of people here and we're in the smile business. It's the beginning of a new era."

Appleby is unlikely to splash out in the short term, with the initial budget realistically focused on Championship football. But he left fans in no doubt that he is very passionate about the club.

"The family got a new dog at Christmas and we've even called that Derby," said Appleby.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...=1779&ito=1490

[Steve101]

And whats the relavence of this Milky? Totally different scenario, with some soundbites from a small time investor. Some people need to get a perspective round here, or get on with thier homework instead of surfing the net so much.

[tomasjj]

18 months ago - Chairman : David Moores

The club was £60m in debt and needed a loan of around £200m if he was to build us a new stadium. We could not afford to buy top class players, not unless we done something crazy and took out loans to do this.

Present Day - Chairmen : Tom Hicks & George Gillett

The club is £305m in debt. (directly and indirectly) and needs a loan of around £200m if they are to build us a new stadium. We can not afford to buy top class players, not unless we do something crazy and take out loans to do this.




Difference :

We are now in a hell of a lot more debt than 18 months ago yet we still have to borrow £200m to build a stadium and we still dont have the money to buy top class footballers without borrowing money.

Personality Difference :

Moores loved the club and still does. As much as it hurt him to relinquish control, he only done so because he didnt have deep enough pockets to move us on to the next level. He chose (in hindsight) the wrong people in the americans. But to be fair, he only did so because they lied to him, and in public. They said they would not put debt on the club, they said they would fund whatever players rafa wants, no matter what the price and they said they would follow the traditions of LFC.


Final Analysis :

The yanks are a pair of cunts. But it looks like we may be stuck with the *******s for a while so we may have to grit our teeth and put up with it, hope for the best and hope they completely change the way they have ****ed us about so far. Unless David Moores suddenly finds a couple of billion he forget he had stashed around the house we are going to have to learn to live with these pricks.

They have ****ed us over big time up to now and we have let them know what we think of them. Let that go now. Dont trust them, but just give them a chance to show they can change. I doubt they can but I dont really have any other option than to give them a chance to redeem themselves.

Stellar work, Coops.


I can't believe you got your missus to type all that.

[kurtangle01]

18 months ago - Chairman : David Moores

The club was £60m in debt and needed a loan of around £200m if he was to build us a new stadium. We could not afford to buy top class players, not unless we done something crazy and took out loans to do this.

Present Day - Chairmen : Tom Hicks & George Gillett

The club is £305m in debt. (directly and indirectly) and needs a loan of around £200m if they are to build us a new stadium. We can not afford to buy top class players, not unless we do something crazy and take out loans to do this.




Difference :

We are now in a hell of a lot more debt than 18 months ago yet we still have to borrow £200m to build a stadium and we still dont have the money to buy top class footballers without borrowing money.

Personality Difference :

Moores loved the club and still does. As much as it hurt him to relinquish control, he only done so because he didnt have deep enough pockets to move us on to the next level. He chose (in hindsight) the wrong people in the americans. But to be fair, he only did so because they lied to him, and in public. They said they would not put debt on the club, they said they would fund whatever players rafa wants, no matter what the price and they said they would follow the traditions of LFC.


Final Analysis :

The yanks are a pair of cunts. But it looks like we may be stuck with the *******s for a while so we may have to grit our teeth and put up with it, hope for the best and hope they completely change the way they have ****ed us about so far. Unless David Moores suddenly finds a couple of billion he forget he had stashed around the house we are going to have to learn to live with these pricks.

They have ****ed us over big time up to now and we have let them know what we think of them. Let that go now. Dont trust them, but just give them a chance to show they can change. I doubt they can but I dont really have any other option than to give them a chance to redeem themselves.

Agreed.

Stellar work, Coops.


I can't believe you got your missus to type all that.

[Kaip]

18 months ago - Chairman : David Moores

The club was £60m in debt and needed a loan of around £200m if he was to build us a new stadium. We could not afford to buy top class players, not unless we done something crazy and took out loans to do this.

Present Day - Chairmen : Tom Hicks & George Gillett

The club is £305m in debt. (directly and indirectly) and needs a loan of around £200m if they are to build us a new stadium. We can not afford to buy top class players, not unless we do something crazy and take out loans to do this.




Difference :

We are now in a hell of a lot more debt than 18 months ago yet we still have to borrow £200m to build a stadium and we still dont have the money to buy top class footballers without borrowing money.

Personality Difference :

Moores loved the club and still does. As much as it hurt him to relinquish control, he only done so because he didnt have deep enough pockets to move us on to the next level. He chose (in hindsight) the wrong people in the americans. But to be fair, he only did so because they lied to him, and in public. They said they would not put debt on the club, they said they would fund whatever players rafa wants, no matter what the price and they said they would follow the traditions of LFC.


Final Analysis :

The yanks are a pair of cunts. But it looks like we may be stuck with the *******s for a while so we may have to grit our teeth and put up with it, hope for the best and hope they completely change the way they have ****ed us about so far. Unless David Moores suddenly finds a couple of billion he forget he had stashed around the house we are going to have to learn to live with these pricks.

They have ****ed us over big time up to now and we have let them know what we think of them. Let that go now. Dont trust them, but just give them a chance to show they can change. I doubt they can but I dont really have any other option than to give them a chance to redeem themselves.

[Venton]

18 months ago - Chairman : David Moores

The club was £60m in debt and needed a loan of around £200m if he was to build us a new stadium. We could not afford to buy top class players, not unless we done something crazy and took out loans to do this.

Present Day - Chairmen : Tom Hicks & George Gillett

The club is £305m in debt. (directly and indirectly) and needs a loan of around £200m if they are to build us a new stadium. We can not afford to buy top class players, not unless we do something crazy and take out loans to do this.




Difference :

We are now in a hell of a lot more debt than 18 months ago yet we still have to borrow £200m to build a stadium and we still dont have the money to buy top class footballers without borrowing money.

Personality Difference :

Moores loved the club and still does. As much as it hurt him to relinquish control, he only done so because he didnt have deep enough pockets to move us on to the next level. He chose (in hindsight) the wrong people in the americans. But to be fair, he only did so because they lied to him, and in public. They said they would not put debt on the club, they said they would fund whatever players rafa wants, no matter what the price and they said they would follow the traditions of LFC.


Final Analysis :

The yanks are a pair of cunts. But it looks like we may be stuck with the *******s for a while so we may have to grit our teeth and put up with it, hope for the best and hope they completely change the way they have ****ed us about so far. Unless David Moores suddenly finds a couple of billion he forget he had stashed around the house we are going to have to learn to live with these pricks.

They have ****ed us over big time up to now and we have let them know what we think of them. Let that go now. Dont trust them, but just give them a chance to show they can change. I doubt they can but I dont really have any other option than to give them a chance to redeem themselves.

[Rashid]

Paul that is a class post fella... and leaves me scratching my head at Moores.

[Rafa Shankly]

any news rash?

[Rashid]

No new news. Its the same, Gillett and Hicks don't get on. DIC trying to work out a way to break them up even more and start buying shares. DIC won't go away until they get us is what I have been told.

[Slinky Skills]

No new news. Its the same, Gillett and Hicks don't get on. DIC trying to work out a way to break them up even more and start buying shares. DIC won't go away until they get us is what I have been told.

Is there still negotiations going on at the moment, even now after the refinancing has gone through Rashid?

Find it a bit strange that they're keeping so quiet about it that's all.

[Alpha]

Hicks admission casts doubt on Benitez plans

By David Bond
Last Updated: 1:11am GMT 29/01/2008

Liverpool's American owners have admitted for the first time that the football club will have to finance around £30 million in annual interest payments on new loans taken out to pay for their takeover of Anfield last February.

Despite announcing last Friday that only £105m of a new £350m refinancing package was at "club-level", a spokesman for co-chairman Tom Hicks admitted last night that the club would also be responsible for servicing the remaining £245m, which had been placed on the balance sheet of Liverpool's parent company Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd.

A spokesman from Financial Dynamics, the City PR company which represents Hicks, said: "The holding company debt is supported by the assets it acquired and should there ever be any shortfall in cash flow at the club or anywhere else in Kop in any given year, Kop's ownership, under the terms of the financing package, is prepared to fund whatever is required.

"The debt is being handled exactly as it is handled at the vast majority of professional sports teams."

The admission is significant because Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry and former chairman David Moores, who remains a director, have resisted attempts by Hicks and his co-owner George Gillett Jr to transfer the £220m cost of last February's takeover on to the club's books.

They voted against the proposal at a board meeting last autumn and their continued opposition to the move was one of the key factors in slowing the new £350m deal with Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, finally announced last week.

Under the terms of the new deal, Kop Football said £105m would be placed on the club, including £60m for the start of work on a new 71,000-seat stadium at Stanley Park and a further £45m to cover other club debts, including money for past and future player acquisitions.

The remaining £245m was split into two tranches; £60m of so-called existing debt which the Americans say they inherited at the time of their takeover, and £185m, which they say relates to the cost of acquiring their shares in the club.

Liverpool sources say they remain comfortable with the £8m-a-year interest fees which are likely to accompany the £105m club debt.

But Hicks's admission last night that the whole debt would have to be serviced by the "asset", namely Liverpool Football Club, appeared to confirm that cash flows from Anfield would have to cover the whole interest cost, likely to be in the region of £30m at current market interest rates of eight per cent.

There are fears among club insiders and fans that the annual interest costs will wipe out Liverpool's operating profits, which are expected to be in the region of £30m for the financial year ended June 2007, applying a further brake on manager Rafa Benitez's plans in the transfer market.

[AFII]

So now it's official. We are ****ed if G&H stays.

Our last hope is that DIC will buy us.