What now for Liverpool fans?
Dan Roan | 16:39 UK time, Wednesday, 6 October 2010
For the thousands of Liverpool fans who marched upon Anfield in protest on Sunday, begging owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to sell up and leave, the remarkable events of the last 24 hours could well be a source of relief.
But the announcement that New England Sports Ventures (NESV), which owns illustrious baseball side Boston Red Sox, has agreed a deal to buy the club does not mean fans can start celebrating the departure of the despised American duo just yet. They have experienced too many false dawns - from China, Syria and Dubai - to get carried away.
For a club so impaired by the kind of boardroom brawl witnessed this week, key questions remain. Most fundamental is how and whether the club can be sold when its two shareholders - its owners - are adamantly opposed to any deal.
The club's three non-independent English directors - Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre - have agreed to sell the club to NESV, and the purchase could be concluded as early as next week. But the deal could be jeopardised if Hicks - and nominally Gillett - get their way and replace Purslow and Ayre on the board.
Broughton says the "written undertakings" he insisted on when he became chairman means the owners will be unable to frustrate any "reasonable deal" and that only he can make changes to the make-up of the board.
But what if the High Court disagrees with him next week when the dispute is ruled upon? What if the deal with NESV - which would result in Hicks and Gillett losing £144m of their own money - is not considered 'reasonable'? And what if the owners successfully argue through their lawyers that Purslow and Ayre are not acting in the best interests of the club and can therefore be replaced?
If that happens, Hicks will be allowed to sack Purslow and Ayre, secure a 4-1 majority on the board, reject the NESV bid, and once again seek to remain in charge.
As Broughton himself has admitted, nothing is certain.
Solicitors will now be pouring over the small print of various contracts, conditions and undertakings agreed when Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the club's principal creditor, agreed to previous refinancing deals that prolonged the American pair's ownership.
Broughton is a veteran of corporate tussles and will have been carefully advised by his legal team that he stands a good chance of winning a court judgement. His confidence is based on solid foundations.
Meanwhile, the Premier League has been impressed by NESV's business plan thus far and will approve the sale next week. But there is no guarantee that this process will beat the 15 October deadline, when RBS could call in the debt and send Kop Holdings, the club's parent company, into administration.
Administration would not mean a nine-point deduction for Liverpool as the club itself remains solvent but it may delay and potentially scupper a swift change of ownership. NESV would need to remain patient.
But even if the regime of Hicks and Gillett is to be brought to a swift end next week, Liverpool fans will be forgiven for fearing the arrival of yet another American with an interest in baseball.
Broughton would be unlikely to risk his reputation on another incarnation of Hicks and Gillett. But no-one has a crystal ball. Could former owner David Moores and his then chief executive Rick Parry have envisaged what would happen to Liverpool when they sided with Tom and Geroge over Dubai International Capital back in 2007?
NESV has been introduced to Liverpool by Inner Circle Sports, the deal-making company that brokered the arrival of Hicks and Gillett. There is a degree of deja vu.
On the face of it, John W Henry appears to be the kind of man who could bring some much-needed hope to Liverpool, who last won the title in 1990.
Supporters of the Boston Red Sox had been waiting since 1918 for a World Series triumph when the hedge-fund manager and his consortium bought the club in 2002. Investment in the team and its stadium duly followed and within five years the title had been won twice, with the value and prestige of the reinvigorated franchise soaring.
The NESV consortium, a profitable business that has no history of leveraged takeovers, says it will wipe out £200m of Liverpool's existing bank debt. Its carefully drafted statement said all the right things, pledging to "return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies".
Liverpool fans will be encouraged but they will also remember the promises of their current owners back in 2007 and reserve judgement.
Broughton admits that NESV has not decided whether to build a much-needed new stadium or just develop the crumbling Anfield. It is thought about £400m would be needed to transform Stanley Park into a glittering new home, way more than NESV spent on renovating Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
With a fortune of around £500m, Henry is on a par with the likes of Stoke City owner Peter Coates, so where will the money come from and how will it be raised? With debt secured against the club? At parent company level as Hicks and Gillett did with Kop Holdings? The issue of matchday revenue is central to the club's finances and the lack of clarity will be a source of concern for fans.
Fans of the Boston Red Sox have had to contend with steep ticket price rises at the redeveloped Fenway Park, so is the cost of a seat in the Kop about to increase?
Will the new owners invest in the team to help it rise from its current position in the Premier League relegation zone and emerge once again as a contender among the elite of the English game?
Will Henry and his associates agree to talk to the independent supporters group SOS-SL about giving the fans a meaningful stake in the club?
How often will Henry actually be at Anfield?
These are the questions that must be answered before Liverpool's long-suffering supporters can be sure that the corner has been turned. Time will tell.
For those who Never Walk Alone, there is now light at the end of the tunnel. But first the fans, like those of Portsmouth a few weeks ago, must wait for the outcome of legal arguments in the High Court before the fate of their club is decided.
[/quote]What now for Liverpool fans?
Dan Roan | 16:39 UK time, Wednesday, 6 October 2010
For the thousands of Liverpool fans who marched upon Anfield in protest on Sunday, begging owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett to sell up and leave, the remarkable events of the last 24 hours could well be a source of relief.
But the announcement that New England Sports Ventures (NESV), which owns illustrious baseball side Boston Red Sox, has agreed a deal to buy the club does not mean fans can start celebrating the departure of the despised American duo just yet. They have experienced too many false dawns - from China, Syria and Dubai - to get carried away.
For a club so impaired by the kind of boardroom brawl witnessed this week, key questions remain. Most fundamental is how and whether the club can be sold when its two shareholders - its owners - are adamantly opposed to any deal.
The club's three non-independent English directors - Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre - have agreed to sell the club to NESV, and the purchase could be concluded as early as next week. But the deal could be jeopardised if Hicks - and nominally Gillett - get their way and replace Purslow and Ayre on the board.
Broughton says the "written undertakings" he insisted on when he became chairman means the owners will be unable to frustrate any "reasonable deal" and that only he can make changes to the make-up of the board.
But what if the High Court disagrees with him next week when the dispute is ruled upon? What if the deal with NESV - which would result in Hicks and Gillett losing £144m of their own money - is not considered 'reasonable'? And what if the owners successfully argue through their lawyers that Purslow and Ayre are not acting in the best interests of the club and can therefore be replaced?
If that happens, Hicks will be allowed to sack Purslow and Ayre, secure a 4-1 majority on the board, reject the NESV bid, and once again seek to remain in charge.
As Broughton himself has admitted, nothing is certain.
Solicitors will now be pouring over the small print of various contracts, conditions and undertakings agreed when Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), the club's principal creditor, agreed to previous refinancing deals that prolonged the American pair's ownership.
Broughton is a veteran of corporate tussles and will have been carefully advised by his legal team that he stands a good chance of winning a court judgement. His confidence is based on solid foundations.
Meanwhile, the Premier League has been impressed by NESV's business plan thus far and will approve the sale next week. But there is no guarantee that this process will beat the 15 October deadline, when RBS could call in the debt and send Kop Holdings, the club's parent company, into administration.
Administration would not mean a nine-point deduction for Liverpool as the club itself remains solvent but it may delay and potentially scupper a swift change of ownership. NESV would need to remain patient.
But even if the regime of Hicks and Gillett is to be brought to a swift end next week, Liverpool fans will be forgiven for fearing the arrival of yet another American with an interest in baseball.
Broughton would be unlikely to risk his reputation on another incarnation of Hicks and Gillett. But no-one has a crystal ball. Could former owner David Moores and his then chief executive Rick Parry have envisaged what would happen to Liverpool when they sided with Tom and Geroge over Dubai International Capital back in 2007?
NESV has been introduced to Liverpool by Inner Circle Sports, the deal-making company that brokered the arrival of Hicks and Gillett. There is a degree of deja vu.
On the face of it, John W Henry appears to be the kind of man who could bring some much-needed hope to Liverpool, who last won the title in 1990.
Supporters of the Boston Red Sox had been waiting since 1918 for a World Series triumph when the hedge-fund manager and his consortium bought the club in 2002. Investment in the team and its stadium duly followed and within five years the title had been won twice, with the value and prestige of the reinvigorated franchise soaring.
The NESV consortium, a profitable business that has no history of leveraged takeovers, says it will wipe out £200m of Liverpool's existing bank debt. Its carefully drafted statement said all the right things, pledging to "return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies".
Liverpool fans will be encouraged but they will also remember the promises of their current owners back in 2007 and reserve judgement.
Broughton admits that NESV has not decided whether to build a much-needed new stadium or just develop the crumbling Anfield. It is thought about £400m would be needed to transform Stanley Park into a glittering new home, way more than NESV spent on renovating Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox.
With a fortune of around £500m, Henry is on a par with the likes of Stoke City owner Peter Coates, so where will the money come from and how will it be raised? With debt secured against the club? At parent company level as Hicks and Gillett did with Kop Holdings? The issue of matchday revenue is central to the club's finances and the lack of clarity will be a source of concern for fans.
Fans of the Boston Red Sox have had to contend with steep ticket price rises at the redeveloped Fenway Park, so is the cost of a seat in the Kop about to increase?
Will the new owners invest in the team to help it rise from its current position in the Premier League relegation zone and emerge once again as a contender among the elite of the English game?
Will Henry and his associates agree to talk to the independent supporters group SOS-SL about giving the fans a meaningful stake in the club?
How often will Henry actually be at Anfield?
These are the questions that must be answered before Liverpool's long-suffering supporters can be sure that the corner has been turned. Time will tell.
For those who Never Walk Alone, there is now light at the end of the tunnel. But first the fans, like those of Portsmouth a few weeks ago, must wait for the outcome of legal arguments in the High Court before the fate of their club is decided.
Hicks on the offensive
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Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is determined to battle for control at Anfield after refusing to conform to chairman Martin Broughton's authority.
Broughton, who was instated in April to oversee the sale of the club, revealed on Wednesday that Hicks tried to sack managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre and appoint his own people in an attempt to obstruct a £300million deal with New England Sports Venues (NESV), owners of the Boston Red Sox.
The internal strife at the club continued as Broughton blocked that move, insisting Hicks signed agreements not to oppose the sale when they received an extension to their refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland earlier this year.
If the NESV deal goes through, Hicks and co-owner George Gillett stand to lose a total of £144million.
Hicks' New York-based spokesman, Mark Semer, said the Americans are disputing Broughton's claim.
Semer told Bloomberg News: "There were no such undertakings given to Broughton, the board has been legally reconstituted, and the new board does not approve of this proposed transaction."
After rejecting the attemped coup, which would have seen Hicks' son Mack and Lori McCuthcheon, of Hicks Holdings replace Purslow and Ayre, Broughton continued with the conference call board meeting even though Hicks had put the phone down.
Broughton maintains he and the other two England-based members of the board have acted appropriately, but will have to wait for that to be confirmed, with the issue set to go to the High Court next week.