Gillet Interview

[el matador]

Given that the banks effectively own G&H's shares, the buying part might mean that he is thinking of pumping in some money to clear some of the purchase debt and therefore own a portion of shares outright - with DIC buying the majority (again, by clearing the debt)

10% say would cost him about £25-30m. Given that the club's value still has huge growth potential that would be quite a clever move - and would allow him to take some of the credit for 'fixing things', thereby repairing his reputation to an extent

wasnt he quoted as being interested in buying an MLS Soccer franchise recently ? Im not sure he would have enough money to buy an american club and to buy out hicks totally.

someone mentioned earlier that he might have already done the deal with DIC and is looking forward to investing his gains into another football investment.

[MattB]

I was referring to the possibility of him retaining 10%, not buying out Hicks. Interesting that the reported profit on any sake to DIC would cover a 10% stake very neatly. He may even be negotiating, or have negotiated, an option on 10% as a condition of him helping DIC to get Hicks share

[Lecter]

Pablo, there is a bit towards the end of the interview which kind of indicates that DIC have not gone away. I know initially he talks about 100% ownership but I do get the impression that the DIC thing is still prominent.

What's clear is he said that the relationship with Hicks has totally broken down. Also made a comment which indicates Hicks was talking rubbish in the press and made him a scapegoat.

I'm relieved that he's not going to allow Hicks to control Liverpool ever

Hopefully someone can confirm but is Gillett hated by the fans of the clubs he owns like Hicks is? Just to me it seems like Gillett isn't such a bad guy. I might be wrong but he doesn't contradict himself like Hicks does when Hicks talks about the fans then deliberately pisses off with his comments

I dont for one second believe DIC have gone away

His comment about "The fans deserve better. We will support that in whatever role we have" suggests to me that he might even be the mystery minority partner with DIC

[MattB]

If DIC is offering £400m, which will pay off the loans and give G&H a profit of around £50m each (assuming that the 60m for the stadium is untouched - which leaves 290m debt and around 100m profit between G&H), then G could quite conceivably negotiate his profit in equity (10% costing about 29m) and have enough left over in hard cash (about 20m) to still pay for his share of the MLS franchise.

Just a thought. He does sound like a man who wants to stay involved

[Roboklopp]

Makes sense. Very interesting interview, I tend to agree that GG may well be sticking around in a reduced capacity along with DIC.

But I go away for 2 weeks & it's like I never left.

-More DIC speculation/ conterspecualtion.
-Annual bottyage by the Scum. (How painful it is to think if we'd done the double over them rather than the other way round, we'd only be 2 points behind them & they'd be 3rd not 1st).
-Discussions of what we need to take the "next step".
-Abusive texts from my Manc "mates".
-****e weather.
-Noisy neighbours.
-Inability to sleep properly.
-Cat chucking pre-slaughtered mice around the hall in the morning.
-Missus screaming cos of the above.

BTW, Barbados is amazing. I recommend it to anyone with taste.

[Jayesh87]

George Gillett: My Liverpool dream is over

Mar 28 2008 by John Thompson, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL co-owner George Gillett today admitted his partnership with Tom Hicks had completely broken down and was beyond repair.

And he told of the death threats he and his family had been receiving from fans amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Anfield.

Gillett revealed he had also recently offered Hicks the chance to buy out his half share in the Reds but that he had run out of time.

He also declared that Hicks had tried to veto him selling to Dubai International Capital – whom he said would make ‘very responsible owners’ of the trouble-torn club.

The Dubai company has already had a recent £400m bid for Anfield turned down by Hicks, who insists he is not interested in selling his stake.

Gillett spoke at length for the first time of the crisis at Anfield in an interview in Canada with radio station Fan590, where he admitted he may now pursue an interest in establishing a soccer club in Montreal which would play in America’s MLS.

The owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team did not reveal what he planned to do with his half share of Liverpool now, but said there were ‘pieces on the chess board moving’.

Said Gillett: “There are things going on - there are pieces on the chess board moving but it would not be helpful for us to comment.”

Referring to Hicks revelation in the Echo last month that the pair had approached Jurgen Klinsmann to line him up as a potential successor to Rafael Benitez, he added: “We get as many as 2,000 emails a week.

“Ninety five per cent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner.

“The fans don’t want him to have even one share of my stake in the club, based on what they are sending to me.

“As a result of that we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives – death threats.

“A number came to the office and my son Foster and daughter-in-law Lauren have received them.”

Referring to his joint ownership with Texan billionaire Hicks, Colorado-based Gillett admitted: “This partnership has been unworkable for some time.

“We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out.

“We didn’t put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line.

“Because of the things he said, the fans’ reaction has been so negative to him that if we sold to him it has been made untenable for us.

“He threatened to block me selling to Dubai - that was certainly one of the things that made the fans upset.

“Lord knows DIC have the means with the oil prices going up every day that money was not even an issue.

“I think they would have been very responsible owners.

“But making that not possible or difficult didn’t endear him to the fans.

Pledging to do what was best for the club now, Gillett promised: “What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better – and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that.”

Despite the threats and the furore Gillett revealed he and his son Foster - a club director - intended to travel to England to attend one of the upcoming games against Arsenal.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-20686746/

Misleading headline

[Rafa Shankly]

just listened to it.

i like gillett and i wouldnt mind him staying,but how can that happen,do we seriously think hicks is gonna sell to gillett?

one thing is for sure,the relationship between both H&G is so strained that its impossible for them to remain partners.

this is the way i see it from what gillet said.

hicks will never own the club 100%,i think the same applies to gillett as i cant see hicks selling to him either.

so that only leaves a buy out in one way or another,either a full buy out or a buy out of one of the partners.

from what he said it would also suggest that either the 90 days is up or their never was a 90 days,just a sufficient amout of time for either partner to try and find funds?

[Lecter]

just listened to it.

i like gillett and i wouldnt mind him staying,but how can that happen,do we seriously think hicks is gonna sell to gillett?

one thing is for sure,the relationship between both H&G is so strained that its impossible for them to remain partners.

this is the way i see it from what gillet said.

hicks will never own the club 100%,i think the same applies to gillett as i cant see hicks selling to him either.

so that only leaves a buy out in one way or another,either a full buy out or a buy out of one of the partners.

from what he said it would also suggest that either the 90 days is up or their never was a 90 days,just a sufficient amout of time for either partner to try and find funds?

The time limit was up if you read this quote

“We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out.

“We didn’t put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line.

[gparr]

“I think they would have been very responsible owners."

“But making that not possible or difficult didn’t endear him to the fans."

Hope I'm not reading to much into that.....

[Rafa Shankly]

The time limit was up if you read this quote

“We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out.

“We didn’t put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line.

if you were a betting man lec,what would you bet the out come of this is gonna be?

[Lecter]

George Gillett: My Liverpool dream is over

Mar 28 2008 by John Thompson, Liverpool Echo

LIVERPOOL co-owner George Gillett today admitted his partnership with Tom Hicks had completely broken down and was beyond repair.

And he told of the death threats he and his family had been receiving from fans amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Anfield.

Gillett revealed he had also recently offered Hicks the chance to buy out his half share in the Reds but that he had run out of time.

He also declared that Hicks had tried to veto him selling to Dubai International Capital – whom he said would make ‘very responsible owners’ of the trouble-torn club.

The Dubai company has already had a recent £400m bid for Anfield turned down by Hicks, who insists he is not interested in selling his stake.

Gillett spoke at length for the first time of the crisis at Anfield in an interview in Canada with radio station Fan590, where he admitted he may now pursue an interest in establishing a soccer club in Montreal which would play in America’s MLS.

The owner of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team did not reveal what he planned to do with his half share of Liverpool now, but said there were ‘pieces on the chess board moving’.

Said Gillett: “There are things going on - there are pieces on the chess board moving but it would not be helpful for us to comment.”

Referring to Hicks revelation in the Echo last month that the pair had approached Jurgen Klinsmann to line him up as a potential successor to Rafael Benitez, he added: “We get as many as 2,000 emails a week.

“Ninety five per cent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner.

“The fans don’t want him to have even one share of my stake in the club, based on what they are sending to me.

“As a result of that we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives – death threats.

“A number came to the office and my son Foster and daughter-in-law Lauren have received them.”

Referring to his joint ownership with Texan billionaire Hicks, Colorado-based Gillett admitted: “This partnership has been unworkable for some time.

“We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out.

“We didn’t put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line.

“Because of the things he said, the fans’ reaction has been so negative to him that if we sold to him it has been made untenable for us.

“He threatened to block me selling to Dubai - that was certainly one of the things that made the fans upset.

“Lord knows DIC have the means with the oil prices going up every day that money was not even an issue.

“I think they would have been very responsible owners.

“But making that not possible or difficult didn’t endear him to the fans.

Pledging to do what was best for the club now, Gillett promised: “What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better – and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that.”

Despite the threats and the furore Gillett revealed he and his son Foster - a club director - intended to travel to England to attend one of the upcoming games against Arsenal.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liver...0252-20686746/

Misleading headline

Not really

Because it is

[Rix007]

Gillett promised:
“What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better – and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that."

Go on and prove it...I like GG and I think he has a soft spot for the club..Go on GG do the right thing.

[cled the red]

We have entered "end game" - for about the 200th time!!!!!

[Lecter]

if you were a betting man lec,what would you bet the out come of this is gonna be?

I believe DIC will own us or at the very least have controlling interest in us

How long before that happens remains to be seen but I think we are talking weeks rather than months imo

[ARIMAN]

Why would he speak now after so much silence?

Unless he just wants to look good (to the fans) compared with Hicks (pretty easy)

The impression suggests that things are pointing towards some sort of conclusion, but it is still unclear what that is