Dubai International to make bid for Liverpool FC

[Liverpool]

Posted by me 1/2/07. "I have never been so angry for many a year at the sheer incompetence displayed by Moores and the board of LFC in acting in such a way that DIC turned their back on the club. In spite of the assurances of Moores and Parry that they only had the interests of the club at heart it is clear that at the last greed triumphed and DIC were approached to up their offer for the club.Given that they had been given assurances that the deal they offered was to go ahead they viewed this as a clear breach of trust and reacted by withdrawing their offer.I don't nblame them. Honourable people do not go back on their word. Moores did and we all suffer the consequences. DIC are now barred by stock exchange rules from bidding again within the next six months. The club are now left with only the Gillett bid on the table. The new stadium building needs to start by March to fulfil the timetable of the NWDA and European money. They will have to accept this bid to proceed. DIC are a multi billion pound organisation whose employees shared a love of LFC. Gillett is a 70? year old American with no previous record of an interest in football and LFC in particular. I have no doubt he calls the sport "soccer". He has a fortune at most of £500 million but is bidding £450 million for the club. He will not spend his own money on this . He will borrow it all and when he takes total control of the club he will load all this debt onto the books of LFC. The fans, via the club, will take on the repayments. Gillett will sit tight for a few years then he will take the club to the stock exchange and hope to make a killing. This is a nightmare scenario. An old, not particularly rich,American with no known love of football or LFC takes total control of our beloved club. To allow this situation to develop is incompetence on a staggering scale and rememeber it took Moores and the board THREE YEARS to arrive at this outcome.Absolutely unbelievabe. And the root of it all-greed!"-I am not a happy man at subsequentlybeing proven correct but somehow feel a sense of smugness at being right

[Jimthered]

I hope so.
I think we the fans are pivotal in all of this too obviously, if we can make ourselves heard properly, make sure the yanks dont feel welcome. It will increase the likelyhood of them walking.
Although, at a guess, I would say Hicks is an extreemly proud man, and will hate to admit defeat after being bragging about us all over the states to anyone who would listen, but I guess, money talks too.
He was talking recently about trying to buy a $1bn business in the states.

My gut feeling on this and I have no idea how this will all work out...

If Hicks can make a 50 million dollar profit after just 12 months at the club he will take the money and the last we will hear from him is the screech of his plane tires leaving Liverpool airport.

[Manofthebog]

Arabs refuse to play down talk of buying into Liverpool FC
Jan 17 2008

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks could be on the brink of being offered a way out of the troubled club.

A year ago this month Dubai International Capital were stunned by the last-minute failure of their bid to take control of the club but it is believed they are now set to try to buy the American’s 50% stake in Anfield.

And DIC today made no attempt to play down speculation when a spokesman said: “We do not comment on such things, we have nothing to say on this.”

But as the turmoil over the ownership of Liverpool by Hicks and fellow American George Gillett continues it has become clear DIC have never given up hope of owning the club, with lifelong fan and founder and chairman of DIC Sameer al-Ansari believed to be at the forefront of new moves.

It is the 44-year-old Loughborough University-educated financier who was the prime mover in last January’s failed bid for the club, working on behalf of the real power behind DIC Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum.

A year ago then-chairman David Moores changed his mind at the last minute with DIC expecting to clinch their deal, and opted instead to sell to the Americans.

A board meeting at a London Docklands hotel hours before last January’s match at West Ham signalled the change of heart.

But Al-Ansari has maintained close links with Liverpool, and in particular chief executive Rick Parry, and still attends matches regularly with his family.

And it is understood he has persuaded Sheikh Mohammed to become involved in a second bid.

Al-Ansari has also recently been linked with Sir Richard Branson’s move to take over Northern Rock.

His Liverpool devotion was underlined recently when he said: “It took me two weeks to get over that (the failed bid), but it didn’t dent my passion, I still go to every match when I am here.”

The Liverpool Echo, in a report today, maintain an offer for Hicks’ shares is being prepared and may even have been agreed in principle.

It was Gillett who brought Hicks on board last year when he did not have enough money to mount a solo bid for the club. Exactly where it would leave Gillett if DIC did buy into the club is open to doubt.

But the two Americans have discovered they have lost the backing of the club’s supporters in recent weeks, compounded by the shocked outcry following Hicks’ confirmation the pair had met Jurgen Klinsmann and offered him boss Rafael Benitez’s job.

Hicks and Gillett have to reach an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland within six weeks to refinance the loan they took out to buy the club in the first place.

And there is major opposition from within the Liverpool board, believed to come from Moores and Parry, to any move that will see the club take on some of the debt from the loan.

Hicks could accept the bid and get out now with a profit, or continue with the refinancing plans, believed to be a matter of days from completion.

But with Liverpool fans preparing further demonstrations against the Americans at Monday’s home match with Aston Villa, Hicks and Gillett could decide that their problems will only escalate if they continue to control the club from their bases in Dallas and Montreal.

However, the fact is that plans for the new stadium have still to be agreed a year after the takeover and funds to allow Benitez to compete with Manchester United and Chelsea have not been made available.

Hicks recently said he did not want to sell his shares but the reaction to his and Gillett’s tenure this week from the fans could well see a change of heart.

[Armchairkopite]

Whats the RTK campaign ?

[bazza76]

You're right, the fans are the key to this. They can really make a difference. Having the RTK campaign come out with that ****ing brilliant statement also helps enourmously.

Not in long from work, will have to check it out

[Monty]

And they need to be preparing an escape route. By that I mean, Hicks surely wouldn't want to be deemed a failure and a muppet more than what he already is. They're preparing the terrain and the tide is against them.

RBS will put pressure for them to cash in.

Complete speculation but if they were looking for an escape route in the form of Klinsmann, then why not do the same with regard to the club.

[Manofthebog]

Whats the RTK campaign ?

Reclaim the kop

[bazza76]

Is this the statement? or is there a more refined version?

The events of the past few days have proved what, deep down, we've known for a long time. These two jerry builders are not fit to be associated with our club. Whatever we might have thought about their motives, their personas, their politics, we allowed ourselves to believe that they had a gut sense of Liverpool's special ness, and a good sense of what is the minimum acceptable requirement here in terms of honour and tradition. In short, they gave a good impression of understanding, and cherishing The Liverpool Way.

They said they would build a stadium fit for the world's most legendary football club.

They said they would never contemplate securitising their loans against the club.

They said they'd back our manager.

They lied.

We know this now

We know it for an absolute fact.

Our club is in the hands of disreputable men, men who, if they want success for Liverpool, want it solely in order to fatten up the calf for sale.

The current situation is unworkable. Rafael Benitez, with his ingrained sense of honour, dignity and morality, has been publicly humiliated by Hicks and Gillett (and while Hicks is far and away the baddie of the piece, let's not underestimate the smiling, twinkling George's complicity in all this any more than he has underestimated our intelligence, our nous, and our own ingrained ability to rat out a wrong 'un when they wheedle their way in.) Rafa would have walked away by now but for one small thing the Americans will never 'get'. He loves it here. He loves the club, loves the fans, loves the city, and loves The Liverpool Way. More than anybody at the club, he is desperate to deliver for us that which we long for so badly.

They will sack him in the summer. They have left themselves with no other option. If Hicks had come out on Sunday and said:

"Fair do's Rafa, we were itchy on the trigger, you weren't conforming to the chart flow on our business plan, we wanted you out... but we realise now we got it wrong. Go buy Drenthe, Daniel Alves and Sergio Aguero, and while you're at it, tie up Mascherano long term and here's a new 5 year contract..."

You'd possibly have given them a stay of execution. But he didn't. He gave the manager (and thus the fans, the club, the players) a vote of no confidence in front of, and to the delight of, the world's slavering media. He'll have to sack Rafa in the summer, just to keep face. Unless...

Unless he's not there. And he's not too far from doing one, you know. This whole madcap scheme that George has dragged him into is far, far madder, far more expensive, and far less fun than he'd thought it'd be. He thought it was going to be like planting money seeds and picking dollar bills off the tree in a few years time. He thought Liverpool fans were going to be like Dallas Cowboys supporters, if a little louder - but nonetheless grateful for his patronage, and a little bit cowed by his enormous wealth. What he's found here is that it's difficult, it's cold, it's expensive - and the fans care a little too much about their team. They care so much that they answer back to the owners.

That's what we have to do, comrades - answer back, loud and clear. We know the arguments, we know we're not Geordies, we know there's something very un-Liverpool about all this marching and protesting. But there's something very, very Scouse about the refusal to lie down and toe the party line, the refusal to swallow corporate ****e and the willingness to strike and fight back if we need to right a wrong.

Our immediate target needs to be Foster Gillett. In the way that these flinty oligarchs always send their disappointing offspring away to the furthest, most hostile outposts of their empire to try and toughen them up, Foster has drawn the Liverpool straw. He's only pretending to live here. He spends his time in London, comes up for the Monday meeting, pads around Melwood then vapourises. He doesn't really want to be here. A sustained period of invective targeted at Foster on Monday night will unsettle him further. He'll be straight on the phone to his Dad saying:

"Look what that idiot partner of yours has subjected me to. I'm out of here."

No matter how rich the magnates or how close their partnership, filial loyalty and the need for a father to protect his offspring will come ahead of everything. The splinters we're hearing about in Hicks and Gillett's relationship will become a chasm, with the effect of accelerating their exit strategy.

Be under no illusions. If DIC come in, they'll want to run it as a business, too. Whoever comes in next - and we could be bracing ourselves for a future where ownership changes hands every 5 or 10 years - will never have Liverpool's traditions running through them like we do. But there's a minimum acceptable standard in ownership too, and Hicks and Gillett have fallen badly short. It gives me no joy to recommend it, but we have to drive them out - starting with Foster on Monday night.

These are critical times for Liverpool F.C. If Hicks stays, Rafa goes - it's that simple. And if Rafa goes, the empire he's building crumbles - no-one would even bet against Carra and Stevie Gerrard walking out on the shell that used to be LFC. All and any other reservations and complaints we've got about ticket allocations, ground moves, and horrid purple ties have to be put to one side. Any feeling about Rafa's rotation and tactics. All to one side. This is Us against Them. The Liverpool Way against The American Way. We've got run the *******s, end of story. Monday night, let them know. Yankees, Yankees **** off home..."

THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT RAFA
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT FANS
LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB
IS IN THE WRONG HANDS

Please use this thread for ideas for next Monday night. Catchy ditties that can be aired by all. Get the message acoss vocally to young Foster in the stands and his guardians back across the Atlantic. Post anything you've got below – and we'll sweep through the best of them over the weekend and get them back up, ready for everyone to air on Monday night. Tuesday night against Luton was just the start. We need to flush this cancer out of our club. We can all play out part. Fighting for The Liverpool Way. We want our club back.

We'll fight for the boys in red,
We'll fight the fight for Liverpool,
The team that Shankly bred….

[Jimbob]

" Fingers crossed" That something positive happens soon. the negativity surrounding LFC is depressing to say the least.

[James]

You're right, the fans are the key to this. They can really make a difference. Having the RTK campaign come out with that ****ing brilliant statement also helps enourmously.

What statement Tom?

edit: I see it now.

[kurtangle01]

What statement Tom?

See Bazza's post above^^^^^^^

[robbielad9]

" Fingers crossed" That something positive happens soon. the negativity surrounding LFC is depressing to say the least.

Poor little yankee boys, fancy having to be humiliated in the press like this................ Now you know how Rafa fells you pair of cunts

[kurtangle01]

Poor little yankee boys, fancy having to be humiliated in the press like this................ Now you know how Rafa fells you pair of cunts

Loving your avatar.

[paulcooper4]

It's certainly Dunk-esque isn't it. Give the people exactly what they want, something to over. Where did it come from?

PS: If this turns out to be true, I promise I will blow Jules AND PurpleAki, have a straightener with Coops and enrol in Jay's online dating service.

[Steve101]

PS: If this turns out to be true, I promise I will blow Jules AND PurpleAki, have a straightener with Coops and enrol in Jay's online dating service.

Now thats a couple of steps too far!!!!