New global corp sponsor revealed Sept 18th!!

[Neil Young]

They're big mouthed Americans. The stadium is going to be built, not now but it's happening. As for Snoogy Doggy, well we've had our Torres.

Is the stadium definitely going to be built? I must have missed that announcement. Who told you? Is it the same people who told you they weren't going to put debt on the club? And that the new stadium would be going ahead last summer?

Torres isn't our Snoogy Doogy. He's our Álex Rodríguez.

I'm not cool no. Is this acceptable? I don't care mate.

[Guest]

Is the stadium definitely going to be built? I must have missed that announcement. Who told you? Is it the same people who told you they weren't going to put debt on the club? And that the new stadium would be going ahead last summer?

Torres isn't our Snoogy Doogy. He's our Álex Rodríguez.

Of course it's going to be built! Want to bet? This is a crucial part of their business plan and I think it makes perfect sense to wait when the economy recovers.

[Neil Young]

Of course it's going to be built! Want to bet? This is a crucial part of their business plan and I think it makes perfect sense to wait when the economy recovers.

I admire your optimism but I can't help feeling uneasy at the idea of putting my faith into a couple of proven liars who are using the club's money to, um, buy the club.

[Guest]

I admire your optimism but I can't help feeling uneasy at the idea of putting my faith into a couple of proven liars who are using the club's money to, um, buy the club.

Read Purslow's interview in today's Echo. It seems he's been an instant success and to me this shows that the bulk of the American's work have been behind the scenes, actually building a team behind the team.

Rafa seems to be delighted and he's got much more of an insider look on things than us, so we should be confident.

[Bender]

Liverpool legend and now club ambassador Kenny Dalglish says the club’s Managing Director Christian Purslow “deserves a pat on the back” after the Reds clinched an £80million shirt sponsorship deal with banking giants Standard Chartered.

In the light of the news, Reds boss Rafa Benitez revealed this morning how he has a very good and productive working relationship with Purslow, who joined the club earlier this year following Rick Parry’s resignation as Chief Executive.

And now Dalglish has continued the praise for Purslow, adding, “I know as a managing director you are judged on many things.

“Christian Purslow and the club’s commercial director Ian Ayre have to take a huge pat on the back for getting this record shirt sponsorship deal into the football club.

“It shows we have men determined to push the club forward in the right direction.

“And it illustrates the standing of Liverpool Football Club that a company the size of Standard Chartered Bank have come to put their name on our shirts. It’s fantastic news.”

[dww]

Is the stadium definitely going to be built? I must have missed that announcement. Who told you? Is it the same people who told you they weren't going to put debt on the club? And that the new stadium would be going ahead last summer?

Torres isn't our Snoogy Doogy. He's our Álex Rodríguez.

I can see the logic in that argument. However I do wonder whether the differences in how money is distributed and how marketing can be worked from individual players will mean that that business model will have to be altered to account for what a single big name signing can do and the necessity to compete at the top level to keep revenues high.

Obviously this summer was ominous in the sense that when we were strong someone thinking long term would have wanted to strengthen in order to assure that at least that level was maintained and preferably bettered. However it is also possible to consider the fact that we had to pay for a lot of internal restructuring to establish a plan for the future and new contracts to even stand still.

Barring Real and Barcelona though no one has sought to invest significantly in players at the minute so possibly the obvious judgement here is overly critical?

Obviously none of this alters the fact that they have lied and have saddled the club with the debt used to purchase itself.

Of course it's going to be built! Want to bet? This is a crucial part of their business plan and I think it makes perfect sense to wait when the economy recovers.

Your points are sound ones. However the delays predate the economic crisis so you have to assume that their original strategy (which was probably based on income increases from a combination of a/ peeling off individual club TV rights and b/ a new stadium) was over ambitious and has had to be rethought. Either that or they lied from the off and just hoped they would luck out and find someone willing to give them a massive loan on good terms.

[dww]

Read Purslow's interview in today's Echo. It seems he's been an instant success and to me this shows that the bulk of the American's work have been behind the scenes, actually building a team behind the team.

Rafa seems to be delighted and he's got much more of an insider look on things than us, so we should be confident.

I don't think anyone disagrees that G&H have done some fine things behind the scenes on the commercial side. The problem is how much of that filters through to the team.

It is clear that Rafa is happy that he has a financial contact point who he trust and seems more than competent in his job. The problem is that his appointment has helped Rafa make the best of limited resources as far as we can tell rather than resulting in him being alloted greater resources.

[Scratch]

Your points are sound ones. However the delays predate the economic crisis so you have to assume that their original strategy (which was probably based on income increases from a combination of a/ peeling off individual club TV rights and b/ a new stadium) was over ambitious and has had to be rethought. Either that or they lied from the off and just hoped they would luck out and find someone willing to give them a massive loan on good terms.

The original delays were caused by having to redesign the Parry Bowl, which was 55,000 with no chance of expansion...new designs meant new planning permissions, which meant a lengthy process of involving the locals and getting approval.

[The_weatherman]

Is the stadium definitely going to be built? I must have missed that announcement. Who told you? Is it the same people who told you they weren't going to put debt on the club? And that the new stadium would be going ahead last summer?

Torres isn't our Snoogy Doogy. He's our Álex Rodríguez.

That's what I'm afraid of, for them to keep up the illusion of us trying to win the title only takes one marquee signing a year (nevermind the players sold to balance the books) and they'll keep the attention on how they back Rafa with big signings.

The illusion of us competing is all they need. That stadium will not be built by them, that's certain IMO, it will not be practical, they'll be dead by the time it would be paid for and generating clear profits.

[Craig_H]

But truth be told, assurances to the fans, and to a major sponser holder, well they're a bit different...one is a legally binding document, the other is appeasing the masses....i'll leave you to work out which is which.

Would you not call a contract of employment also a legally binding contract?

Was it not said that Rafa was given assurances in his new contract?

Seems like they were broken too, no?

[Craig_H]

Let us wait and see. I don't think they're that bad. It's normal that they're in it for the money, who wouldn't? If we can be successful at the same time, then I don't have any qualms about it.

George Gillett could forcibly hold your mouth wide open while Tom Hicks takes an almighty **** into it - and you'd still say "Let's see".

They're big mouthed Americans. The stadium is going to be built, not now but it's happening. As for Snoogy Doggy, well we've had our Torres.

I rest my case.

And the 'no debt on the club' bollocks?

[Scratch]

That's what I'm afraid of, for them to keep up the illusion of us trying to win the title only takes one marquee signing a year (nevermind the players sold to balance the books) and they'll keep the attention on how they back Rafa with big signings.

The illusion of us competing is all they need. That stadium will not be built by them, that's certain IMO, it will not be practical, they'll be dead by the time it would be paid for and generating clear profits.

I'm pretty certain it will be. Sponsership will pay a big whack of it off (Standard Chartered Anfield Arena anyone?) and then the added revenue from the Stadium will pay the rest. Should pay for itself within 10-20 years, without affecting the club income. And it will add a big wedge onto the club value, which is what G/H want.

[Scratch]

Would you not call a contract of employment also a legally binding contract?

Was it not said that Rafa was given assurances in his new contract?

Seems like they were broken too, no?

Seems to me that if they were, Rafa would be kicking up a fuss, but he seems quite happy, so i'd say no, no promises were broken, and you shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers or on forums that hate the yanks.

[Kenneth]

Whatever your view of the owners, it has to be better having more money coming into the club than not. I really don't think it's reasonable to claim that they will completely pocket any increase in revenue.

[dww]

The original delays were caused by having to redesign the Parry Bowl, which was 55,000 with no chance of expansion...new designs meant new planning permissions, which meant a lengthy process of involving the locals and getting approval.

They were the ones who put the 60 day 'spade in the ground' deadline in place - they were either lying or incompetent.