Liverpool Up Aly Cissokho Pursuit

July 8, 2011 by 6 Comments

Liverpool Up Aly Cissokho Pursuit

Liverpool have upped their interest in Aly Cissokho after missing out on Gael Clichy to Manchester City. The Reds are reportedly ready to make a £10m move for the Lyon left-back and would like him on board before the club depart for their tour of Asia next week. Clichy was believed to be Liverpool’s first choice to fill a problem position this summer, but the lure of instant success and, undoubtedly, money saw the Frenchman move to Eastlands for £7m. With Newcastle asking around £15m for Jose Enrique Kenny Dalglish has been forced to look further afield to identify a solution for the left-back spot. Despite his sketchy form last season Cissokho is still held in high regard and the club are confident in his ability to overcome his consistency issues. But a deal is by no means a formality as Arsenal are also rumoured to be interested in the 23-year-old as they look to replace the departed Clichy.

View the full story here: Kopsource

A news article on 2011-07-08 08:50:29 from: Kopsource

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Filed Under: Board, Media Watch, News Now Tagged With: , ,

Liverpool to Wrap Up Downing Deal Next Week

July 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Liverpool to Wrap Up Downing Deal Next Week

Liverpool will try to wrap up the signing of Stewart Downing early next week, our sources understand. The Reds are keen to ensure the majority of their new recruits are on board before they depart for their tour of Asia. Villa reportedly rejected a £15m offer from Liverpool earlier this week , but Kenny Dalglish is determined to get his man and negotiations will continue over the coming days. Recently instated Villa boss Alex McLeish is thought to be holding out for around £20m for his star player, but if Downing expresses a desire to move on that value could drop by several million pounds. David Ngog and Joe Cole are both being touted as potential makeweights in this deal, but their wage demands could deter Villa from following up on their initial interest. Whatever the finer details of the deal may be, it is likely to be concluded within the next few days as Kenny Dalglish will want as many of his key players on board the flight to Asia as possible.

View the full story here: Kopsource

A news article on 2011-07-08 08:06:56 from: Kopsource

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Filed Under: Board, Media Watch, News Now, Players Tagged With: , , ,

Liverpool Complete Charlie Adam Signing

July 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Liverpool Complete Charlie Adam Signing

Liverpool have completed the signing of Charlie Adam after the player passed a medical and agreed personal terms. The deal was wrapped up soon after Blackpool accepted a bid for their captain, thought to be in the region of £6.5m. Adam faces stiff competition for a starting spot at Anfield, but will be hoping his unparalleled passing range will warrant a regular starting berth as Kenny Dalglish looks to improve the service to his strikers. Being a left footer will work in the 25-year-old’s favour too, as the midfield is currently heavily unbalanced with an abundance of right footed players on board. One thing the Scot must work on, though, is his fitness as he looks to make a step up in class as well as division. He burned off much of his Championship paunch whilst playing in the Premier League last season, but he’ll have to step it up a notch if he is to stay up to speed with Liverpool’s new pass and move system.

View the full story here: Kopsource

A news article on 2011-07-08 07:29:37 from: Kopsource

This news item has been reproduced from today’s media. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of Kop That.

Filed Under: Board, Media Watch, News Now, Players, Premier League Tagged With: , , , ,

Damien Comolli Appointed by NESV

November 4, 2010 by 1 Comment

Liverpool FC & New England Sports Ventures (NESV) have announced the appointment of Damien Comolli as Director of Football Strategy.

The Frenchman, a former youth player at AS Monaco, Coach and Scout vacated his Sporting Director position at Saint-Etienne to accept the role at Anfield, as it begins a new era. Comolli s no stranger to the Premiership having played a similar role for Tottenham Hotspurs between 2005 and 2008 to a mixture of applaud and criticism.

Credited with the arrivals of Bale, Hutton, Kevin-Prince Boateng (now AC Milan), Berbatov (now Man Utd), Giovanni dos Santos, Taarabt, Kaboul, Modrić, Assou-Ekotto, Gomes, Bentley, Ćorluka, and Pavlyuchenko at White Hart Lane, a previous spell at Arsenal alongside Arsene Wenger also saw them sign Eboue, Clichy & Toure. As with any series of player acquisitions there have been elements of failure noted amongst those Comolli has targeted, even that of Gareth Bale until this season where he has found a level of form that Harry Redknapp could only ever of dreamed of.

NESV Principal Owner John Henry said of the appointment:

“Damien has a proven track-record of identifying exciting young footballing talent and we are delighted that he has agreed to join Liverpool. Working closely with Roy Hodgson and the coaching staff, I know he will make a valuable contribution to strengthening the Club and the squad as we move forward.

“Today’s announcement is just the first step in creating a leadership group and structure designed to develop, enhance and implement our long-term philosophy of scouting, recruitment, player development and all of the other aspects necessary to build and sustain a club able to consistently compete at the highest level in European football.

“We intend to be bold and innovative. We will not rest until we have restored Liverpool Football Club to the greatness Liverpool fans expect.”

Roy Hodgson on the appointment:

“I am looking forward to working with Damien whom I have known for many years. We are engaged in an exciting project here and he will bring a lot to the table. We all want to see moves to strengthen the squad and support player development over the next few years. John Henry and I are totally united in delivering on that ambition.”

“It is something we have talked about with the owners and something they were very keen to put in place. The owners come from an American sporting background where the team manager is very much responsible for team affairs, but alongside him there is a person who can have all sorts of titles, a type of sporting director in European terms.

“It’s someone who obviously has a large input into the running of the football club and has an input and a part to play in a management structure.

“If you’re going to run a football club these days there are a lot of elements that need to be dealt with. Recruitment of players and scouting is a major, major aspect in this respect, as of course is the Academy and all the work you need to do to bring players through.

“All of this has a life of its own to some extent outside the life of a first-team squad.

“In Europe I am very used to having a situation where you have to work alongside people like that and I think it is becoming more and more common in England as well, so that’s something the new owners wanted to introduce to the club and I welcome it very much.

“I think it is going to be a great advantage to us to have a man of Damien’s qualities, knowledge and experience and I think we can only profit from it as a club. I am looking forward to working with him.”

“If you’re managing a Barclays Premier League team, organising training, coaching, dealing with the press and organising and preparing for all the games, that is a large body of work. On top of that if you’re also organising all the scouting, looking after the academy and reserve team and all the other numerous administrative things that are required to run a football club at this level, you are asking a lot of people.

“The days of the ‘dictator type’ English manager have long since passed anyway, where everything went through one man and no-one dared even buy a paper clip without that person’s approval.

“It is just a question of strategy which I think makes a lot of sense for all football clubs and certainly makes a lot of sense for our football club at this moment in time because we’re in a transition.

“We’ve got new owners who have a very clear vision and philosophy for the club and they want a management structure in place they can identify with. That means one they can identify with from American and European sporting models, not necessarily an archetypal, if somewhat outdated, English model.”

Damien Comolli on his arrival at Liverpool:

“I am delighted to be joining Liverpool and look forward to working with John and Roy.  I think we all realise there is a big job ahead, but we all share the vision that John has for rebuilding the club and bringing back the success that the supporters deserve.”

The position of Director of Football over the years in English football has long had a stigma attached to it of causing a divide in clubs, with managers typically feeling undermined by such an appointment, many preferring to see it as a lack of trust or respect as opposed to a heavy workload shared.

It is no major surprise that John Henry has made such an early move in his ownership of the club, a philosophy in line with that of the American sports he is already involved in and passionate about and yet another connection back to metrics, a strategy of statistical analysis he has great belief in. For Damien Comolli is also friends with someone Henry admires greatly in the form of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s who used a leading edge stats driven approach to achieve great success despite club financial constraints, which was portrayed in the Michael Lewis book Moneyball, presently being made into a film. Having been unable to lure Beane to his Red Sox side, Henry opted to hire Bill James, the analyst who was Beane’s inspiration and also Theo Epstein.

The apppointment of Comolli shows further dedication to such principals, principals that Henry is intent and happy to apply to the world of football, a world that is so far largely untried in such methods and one that could present more than a significant challenge.

Whether Commoli’s Liverpool career develops in to a stroke of genius or whether it causes fractions with manager Roy Hodgson as it did with Martin Jol remains to be seen but change is certainly afoot at Anfield and there is every sign that there is plenty more to come.

NESV have appointed Damien Comolli as Director of Football Strategy at Liverpool but is it a good move by the new owners?

  • Good thinking by John Henry (88%, 240 Votes)
  • I see trouble ahead... (12%, 32 Votes)

Total Voters: 272

Loading ... Loading ...

    You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
    Filed Under: Board, News, News Now Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

    Resignations – One Accepted, One Rejected, One Wished

    October 24, 2010 by 9 Comments

    Another “quiet” week at Liverpool saw the confirmed resignation of  Managing Director Christian Purslow, although he will remain as a Non Executive Director and will also act as a Special Adviser to the New England Sports Ventures (NESV). Purslow arrived at the club, with RBS interaction, in June 2009 as a replacement for the out going Rick Parry. For many months he had been heavily criticised by a large segment off the Kop faithful, for a lack of developments in the sale of the club or investment in it, as well as other matters concerning former manager Rafa Benitez and also transfers in and out of Anfield. However Purslow provided one of the votes that saw a 3-2 majority win in favour of selling the club to NESV, which led to the court proceedings that granted the removal of Tom Hicks & George Gillett from the club.

    Tom Werner, Chariman of new owners NESV said:

    “We are delighted Christian has accepted our offer to help us and the Club, given his great experience and love for Liverpool FC. We will now begin a global search process for a Chief Executive Officer.”

    Christian Purslow added:

    “I came to LFC to lead the Club through a sale process to get the best overall deal including, vitally, the removal of the debt.  I am immensely proud of what we have all achieved.  I now look forward to assisting the Owners in any way I can at this exciting time as they drive the Club forward to a bright future.”

    Christian Purslow wasn’t the only person to provide a letter of resignation with commercial director Ian Ayre also providing his. Ayre was believed to have been unsure as to how the future lay for him at Liverpool under the new american ownership, but it is reported that he has been dissuaded from leaving the club, with John Henry & NESV insisting that he still very much has a role to play in their long term strategy for the Reds. Ayre had been heavily influential in securing the club sponsorship by Standard Chartered.

    As the Liverpool board is reshuffled to start the new era, Principal Owner John Henry and NESV Chairman Tom Werner have brought in David Ginsberg and Michael Gordon alongside them.  Although John Henry is kept from making his first Anfield appearance due to illness. Werner and other senior NESV personnel will join LFC officials in L4 this Sunday as the club face one of Roy Hodgson’s former employers, in the form of Blackburn Rovers.

    John Henry commented ahead of the game:

    “Sunday promises to be a special day at Anfield in more ways than one. I’ll be watching the game from home and although I have only been here for a few days, I already miss Anfield. We are hard at work setting a course for the future including the search for a chief executive officer.”

    “I wish the club and the fans all the best for the match against Blackburn.”

    The third resignation of the week was hoped to come from manager Roy Hodgson by an ever growing number of Reds, following his latest round of questionable comments in interview which are becoming as thoughtless as his tactics and the sides performances. For a man believed to be “media astute” he will shortly be able to boast a top 10 hits list, ready to be in the shops before Christmas, although the book itself you will probably find lingering in the bottom of the league when it comes to success.

    Hodgson has been quick to add to early comments in his tenure about not knowing who half the players linked with the club in the transfer window were, to comments on Rafael Van Der Vaart, Torres an option for Man Utd, not being outplayed at Everton and defending his Blackburn career, to name but a few. But as they say actions speak louder than words, so ignoring the PR bloopers, allowing for the stress that any manager in his position must be feeling and just working with the results and performances, sadly the situation just doesn’t improve, arguably its worse.

    Liverpool fans and the club are known for its unrelenting support of those in charge of the side, whatever the circumstances or however bad the day, or result. There are also times in life when you are just totally convinced you are backing the wrong horse, or wonder how your manager actually got his job, Liverpool fans are at this crossroads right now with Hodgson, many are past it. There remains of course those wishing to urge patience, provide Hodgson with the support and patience to allow him to turn the good ship around, stating such talk of a new charge is not the Liverpool way. Support comes in many ways though, supporting what you believe to be in the best interests of the club does not have to have Roy Hodgson as part of its future, praising the man for generating a stunning performance and 3points against Blackburn equally does not mean you should change your overall opinion. Sometimes you can be wrong but sometimes you know you are just delaying the inevitable.

    Unity is described as 100% at the club, rumour would ask you to consider to think other wise, body language tends to agree with rumour and the gates of Anfield say please move on, nothing to see here… to a degree thats football. Hodgson was appointed by a board that was favourably arranged in the banks interest but sorely lacked football credibility and experience, the reasons for which are a separate debate of their own. The football aspect of their decision at present however, is not really a debate but more a damning verdict of mistakes and misunderstanding from players and their deployed positions, through to tactics and over caution. Improvement, heart, invention, change, motivation, creativity and belief remain on the subs bench.

    Hodgson remains admirably committed to the long haul at Anfield, you would not expect any less from a proud man, especially one of his generation. The definition of long haul could well be decided for him by the board though, if come 6pm this evening it is the smiling face of Sam Allardyce that leaves Anfield. Coincidence it maybe that Kenny Dalglish, one of the men that he failed to emulate at Blackburn, lies waiting in the shadows for many, destined for bigger and better things according to Martin Broughton – perhaps that time is now. Should it evolve in time that Hodgson also leaves by “mutual consent”, Liverpool don’t need to rush a decision on the Hiddink’s, Rijkaard’s and Laudrups of this world, they just need to get it right.

    Sometimes boards make the wrong decision, sometimes things just don’t work out for good managers, sometimes other factors play a huge part but right now after 8 games and for whatever reasons you prefer, Liverpool lie 18th in the league, playing poorly home and away and they pretty much deserve to be there.

    That alone is just unacceptable.


      You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
      Filed Under: Board, Fans, News, News Now Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

      LFC, NESV, Red Sox – A Fans View

      October 23, 2010 by 2 Comments

      As Liverpool start life under the ownership of John Henry’s New England Sports Ventures (NESV), we have been catching up with a few Reds recently, whose love also extends to that of the Boston Red Sox baseball team, another jewel in the NESV portfolio. Under NESV ownership, the Red Sox saw World series wins in 2004 and 2007 end a run of 86 years of waiting.

      LFCTV recently released a commercial overview on their new owners but we caught up with LFC & Red Sox fans Eleanor Kennedy and Stephen Brandt to get their views on what life could be like at Anfield moving forward.

      What similarities do you see between LFC and the Red Sox at the time NESV came in to take over ownership?

      Eleanor: I can honestly see many similarities between LFC and the Red Sox in many ways. First of all, both sets of supporters can arguably be referred to as the best in their sport. Since 2003, Fenway Park has had a sellout every single game. Both sets of fans are very passionate about their teams and want nothing but the best players and the best efforts coming from their players. I suppose an example for the Red Sox would be Mike Lowell, he was traded to the Red Sox in 2006, in 2007 he was crowned World Series MVP and retired at the end of the last season. The Red Sox held a “Thanks Mike” day to honour his efforts. That shows the respect John W. Henry and Tom Werner have for their players. Comebacks are also in both history books. On route to winning the World Series in 2004, the Red Sox pulled a miracle comeback, being down 3 games to none against the rival Yankees, the Red Sox won 4 games in a row to win the AL. And we all know Istanbul 2005! Entering the 2004 season the Red Sox hadn’t won a World Series in 86 years. It has been 20 years since Liverpool last won the league, obviously not as long but long enough. The owners will have experience in dealing with these areas. The season ended, Boston failed to make the postseason. Their season was a very difficult and frustrating one as injury after injury came up on the best Red Sox players, for example Dustin Pedroia or Kevin Youkilis, the heart of the team. This experience will most likely help the owners this year with LFC. Overall both clubs are very historic and passionate.

      Stephen: Well let’s look at it this way, both teams are simply legendary in their sport. Boston isn’t Liverpool, but as far as importance to the game, it is the same. The Red Sox hadn’t won a title in almost 90 years and they had a  manager who just couldn’t manage (Read Grady Little v Pedro Martinez).

      How long, from the point of takeover, was it before noticeable progressive changes in a fan’s view were made and what were they?

      Eleanor: Immediately after John W. Henry bought the Red Sox, an impact was made. Just 2 years after the sale the Red Sox (as I pointed out above) won the World Series for the first time in 86 years, breaking the curse of the Bambino as was known. A couple weeks after the owners took over they replaced manager manager Joe Kerrigan with Grady Little, and before the 2004 season current manager Terry Francona was hired. A move which to this day is a pleaser! Also current general manager Theo Epstein was hired in 2003 (only 28 at the time). This shows that the owners are capable of making decisions that are long lasting.

      Stephen: Within two years. Henry got them two World Series Title pretty quickly, after buying the Red Sox in 2002 they went on to win their first World Series in 2004.

      Fenway Park is an iconic stadium in America’s Baseball history, after careful review NESV opted to refurbish instead of replace it. How extensive was the overhaul and how well did this show NESV’s understanding of what was in the best interests of the Red Sox?

      Eleanor: I believe the owners made an excellent decision in refurbishing Fenway Park rather than knock down the iconic stadium to build a new one with zero history. Part of NESV’s decision to refurbish rather than build was the fact that in 2012, Fenway Park celebrates its 100th year anniversary. Because of their decision to keep Fenway Park around, not just Red Sox fans, but MLB fans get to celebrate this. This was a very clever decision by the owners. I don’t think any Red Sox fan wants to see “America’s beloved ballpark” knocked down to nothing. This shows that the owner not only care about the history of their team, but the fans too.

      Stephen: Here’s the thing, You can’t replace or demolish Fenway, it’s a national moneument. Henry, if he wanted to, couldn’t legally tear it down. He’s improved a lot of it, but the foundation is there. They won’t replace something if it’s not in the best interest of the fans.

      There is a general consensus out there that NESV are exceptional owners at the Red Sox, backed passionately by the fans who they listen to. This is something that has been missing at Liverpool for some years now but how true is this in your opinion at the Red Sox?

      Eleanor: I haven’t been a Sox fan that long but from my time as one it is definitely evident that NESV are exceptional owners and do listen to the fans. It all comes down to the success in Boston since the owners took over. You just look at our playoff record, 2 World Series’, and as pointed out above their plans to refurbish Fenway. They are willing to go hunting for the best players and are not afraid to let go of ones that are nothing but a bad distraction to teammates i.e Manny Ramirez who despite being one of the best players in baseball, obviously wasn’t giving 100% and wanted out of Boston. In my opinion this backs this consensus.

      Stephen: Fans in America, aren’t as rabid as football fans. The only thing the Red Sox fans wanted, was to win the World Series, and Henry has given them two World Series Rings. That’s all that matters. I figure if the fans tell Henry, we want to become what we were in the  80′s, he would make it possible.

      NESV replaced their manager within a week of their takeover and made significant changes to the playing staff. How good were the decisions that they made from the off in these areas and were they strongly publicly supported?

      Eleanor: I pointed out above that the owners have made decisions that are long lasting. They hired manager Terry Francona who to this day could be considered one of the best in baseball. Also they hired general manager Theo Epstein who has been a stronghold in the Red Sox front office in dealing with players and bringing the best players into Boston. Obviously mistakes have been made but what team can say they haven’t. The whole backroom staff today are very good, from pitching coach to catching coach and beyond. They have brought in people with a true knowledge of baseball.

      Stephen: You had to get rid of Grady Little. Great man, been in the game long time, well thought of. Strangely, I’ve heard that about a certain manager wearing red right now.  They’ve kept the new manager since, then again it’s easy when you win 2 World Series. They will only get rid of players or staff if they are hurting the image/winning chances. They won’t sell a player just because it’s cool. Henry will study the game more than any owner, I really recommend a read of the book “Moneyball”, it’s about them really.

      NESV have opted for an “actions speaks louder than words” strategy at Anfield which is wise to a degree but at the Red Sox they announced an early 5 point plan of change. Do you they have opted not do something similar because of the previous H&G failings on their promises, or because of differences in American and UK culture and the sports of course, also being different?

      Eleanor: I believe the owners went for an “actions speak louder than words” strategy because of the state the previous owners left us in. Hicks and Gillett promised us things that never came and I believe that had Henry and Werner drew out a list of promises, Liverpool fans would have been cautious and would not have taken full trust in the owners. It was clever by the owners to do this as they were aware of this and wanted to send out a message to the fans that they understand what position we are in in terms of trust and that they owners realize they have to work for our trust. The more promises you make the more promises you are capable of breaking. You can draw up as many lists of promises as you want but it doesnt mean anything until you act on those and make them happen.

      Stephen: American sports are only different in that they haven’t been around as long. Like in the UK, alot of owners make promises and don’t keep them. It’s almost second nature. They only are doing this to win, and win the fans. They aren’t concerned about their image, because their a bunch of white business men, who don’t need to see themselves. If they can make the team the best using the least amount of money (not that they don’t have it, because they do). Everything this ownership group will do, will be thought out, and researched. If there’s any chance of it not working, they won’t do it, they’re not cocky like other American Owners. Plus they are used to dealing with idiots to a degree in sports (Yankees owners are jerks, Mets ownership is laughable, and the rest of the league is not run well.) They know what won’t work, they studied this before doing it. A five point plan will seem to the UK as something stupid, but they would have followed it at LFC to the bone.

      John Henry and Tom Werner are perceived to be “winners” something they advocate as a strength of NESV. Was it very clear early on that NESV had made their investment very much with a passion for the sport and the club as well as a commercial interest?

      Eleanor: I think NESV are the type of owners that take a passion in what they invest in. Obviously everyone invests in something looking for a profit but I honestly don’t believe Henry and Werner will be the type that JUST invest in something for the money. I don’t think that had they zero interest in LFC or the sport they would have bought us. They are plenty busy with the Red Sox and other New England deals. I think this shows that they do care about our well being, not just because it will effect them financially but because they really do have an interest in Liverpool Football Club.

      Stephen: I can’t say it anymore than this, NESV is the best to happen to LFC since Kenny came from Celtic. They wouldn’t have bought Leicester or Scunthrope, they buy clubs and business that have fans who love the team and will worship. Of all the ownership groups out there, which could buy the club, NESV is the best thing to happen. They’ll make the club right. It wont be overnight, but top four finishes and Cup wins will be coming. It’s not going to be the seventies and eighties again, but LFC will be back. NESV will bring back the legends, and you’ll also have a true American audience now.

      You can follow Eleanor on Twitter at @hangingsox and Stephen at @kingkennyfanlfc


        You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
        Filed Under: Board, News, News Now Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

        The Future Is Red, The Future Is NESV

        October 16, 2010 by 6 Comments

        John W Henry, the principal owner of New England Sports Ventures (NESV) and the Boston Red Sox baseball team is now also the proud owner of Liverpool Football Club.

        As expected the news early this morning was that the temporary restraining order obtained from the Texas court by Tom Hicks and George Gillett, preventing Liverpool FC from completing a sale of the club to NESV, would be lifted when the court re-opened in to ensure compliance with the High Court in the UK. This process when complete would allow New England Sports Ventures (NESV) to be able to complete the takeover process and satisfy the RBS debt on the club in what Tom Hicks has since referred to as an “epic swindle” by people that he trusted and believed to be loyal.

        Despite reports of Mill Financial approaching the Premier League to complete the “Director & Owners” test, an effort that was rejected as the Premier League would only enter dialogue with, and take direction from Liverpool Football Club on such a matter, at just after 420pm, it was confirmed by Martin Broughton that John W Henry and his NESV team were the new owners of the club. The saga likened to a penalty shootout by the Liverpool chairman as he stated ”As long as you get the right result, it’s worth the wait. We’ve got the right result.”

        As Martin Broughton introduced John Henry to the cameras, the Red Sox owner gave his commitment to listening to those around him as they settled in at the club as well as being happy to guarantee that the purchase of the club was not a  LBO “leveraged buy out”, three words that should make any football fan shudder with caution. As Liverpool fans welcome NESV into the fold, albeit with an element of caution and rightly so, hope deeper in the soul will be for sight of the same winning mentality and development that has seen Red Sox fans proud of the leadership that they are under.

        Christian Purslow expanded on just how convinced he was that Liverpool FC was now under the right control;

        “We’ve sorted out our financial issues once and for all and we can now get back to football,” he said.

        “It was incredibly civilised and it’s just a pleasure to work with people like Martin Broughton. We have the best lawyers in London…it was tranquillity.”

        “The most important thing is that NESV have cleared us of all the debts which, frankly, shouldn’t have been on the club in the first place.”

        “They’ve done so in a way which leads me to believe that they will learn the lessons of the past and approach the challenge of owning Liverpool Football Club in a way which I think our fans will judge over time and which I’m optimistic will prove to be a very positive improvement on what we’ve been through recently.”

        Liverpool can now look forward to a period of development and re-energisation under their new ownership, free of the acquisition debt that the previous American owners had burdened the club with to almost the point of administration. Liverpool FC staff and fans alike, may now find themselves starting to sleep a little easier at night and hope that todays success is emulated on the pitch in the form of results and improved commitment. First up, the short trip across Stanley Park to the home of rivals Everton on Sunday, of which John Henry will not be making an appearance, citing his preference to make his entry at Anfield.

        Liverpool fans can take great heart from their own unrelenting efforts to remove H&G from the club, which certainly has played its part over time. From the organisational efforts of the Spirit of Shankly Supporters Union, the Mike Jefferies You Tube Video through to awareness raising over social media as to the suffering of the club on all sides.

        You’ll Never Walk Alone is the heartbeat of Liverpool Football Club, a unity that doesn’t know how to quit, despite the trials and tribulations that are placed in front of it, it always moves on. Hicks and Gillett failed to embrace that almost religion, they couldn’t comprehend its values or the belief in it. That ignorance and arrogance of failing to understand people as well as their financial failings has now cost them to a level they could never have comprehended when they walked in the door. The song that those take hope and heart from, will now haunt them forever and rightly so.

        Image Source: Daylife


          You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
          Filed Under: Board, Fans, News, News Now Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

          Broughton Still Confident Of NESV Sale

          October 15, 2010 by 3 Comments

          Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton continues to remain hopeful and reiterate to Liverpool fans to “keep the faith” as he hopes that the proposed takeover by New England Sports Ventures (NESV) will be completed on Friday, ahead of the weekend’s Merseyside derby. A match which could see a new owner in the form of John W Henry attending the game.

          Following two victories in court over present owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, both Broughton and his team, as well as John Henry of NESV, who remains in England, await a verdict from the Texas court hearing, which was adjourned yesterday evening until later today. Martin Broughton spoke very briefly with SSN following the latest verdict given by Justice Floyd in their favour at the High Court.

          He commented; “Not yet, we’re still in court in Texas trying to get the temporary restraining order overturned. We still have to do that.” when asked if NESV were now indeed the new owners of the club as well as advising ”I think probably sometime tomorrow” in regards a likely completion date.

          “We’re nearly there. We’ll have to see, we’ve still got to take away the restraining order.”

          “Mr Henry (NESV) is still very committed. We’ve got lots of bidders who are very committed.”

          “My guess is we’ll have it done and he’ll be there, but we’ve got to get rid of this order first.”

          While this evening brings somewhat of a quiet night compared to recent events, the servers of the Guardian, Empire of the Kop, Anfield Road, This is Anfield and Twitter are probably grateful for the time to breathe. Meanwhile the excellent Dan Roan (BBC), Tariq Panja (Bloomberg), Owen Gibson/Steve Busfield/Sachin Nakrani (Guardian) and Bryan Swanson/Gary Cotterill (SSN), probably clocked a time Usain Bolt would have been proud of in heading to bed.

          Will October 15th bring an end to the madness?….


            You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
            Filed Under: Board, Fans, News, News Now, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

            Liverpool FC Grab Second Victory In High Court

            October 15, 2010 by 1 Comment

            Following the late night events of Wednesday and the temporary restraining order gained in the Dallas 160th District Court, Liverpool FC under the guidance of Lord Grabiner returned to the High Court once more in an attempt to get it removed, of which Justice Floyd returned a verdict in their favour just before 530pm UK time.

            Mr Justice Floyd announced that Hicks and Gillett have until 4pm GMT tomorrow to comply with the order and withdraw their actions in Texas, USA, which prevented the sale of the club to NESV. Liverpool FC were made aware of the restraining order just 5 minutes prior to the commencement of their board meeting on Wednesday night, following their initial court victory. John Henry of New England Sports Ventures (NESV) was also at the meeting, hoping to conclude the sale for an unveiling alongside his NESV Chairman Tom Werner today in London, Werner delayed his flight to the UK for the present time.

            The day had began with reports that Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks had taken the steps of selling his shares to Mill Financial, who already control the stake of George Gillett in the club, following default on his borrowing from them which was secured against his 50% share holding, the Associated Press later reported that this was not in fact the case and that Hicks continued to retain his shares.

            Prior to the 2pm start of todays matters in High Court, Singapore businessman Peter Lim arrived back on the scene but this time to confirm via a statement that he had withdrawn his bid for the club, a bid that he had recently increased and publicly announced whilst Liverpool battled it out in court the first time. His reasons given for the change of mind based largely around his belief that Liverpool were intent only on selling the club to NESV and also their lack of response to his contact.

            Peter Lim (Meriton) Statement:

            “It has become clear to me that the Board is intent on selling the club to New England Sports Ventures (NESV) to the exclusion of all other parties, regardless of the merits of their bids, in these circumstances, I am not able to proceed with my intention to acquire the club.”

            “I have tried to engage constructively with the board and Royal Bank of Scotland based on an offer, funded from my existing resources, providing greater value for Liverpool Football Club, more cash for players, full repayment of all bank debts and a long term personal commitment to build a better future for the Club and its supporters.”

            “The board and RBS have chosen not to respond or to discuss my offer with me. My representatives even offered to meet the board last night. This was ignored, although NESV was invited to attend that meeting.”

            Lim also said his interest in buying Liverpool could be revived if “current events cause the circumstances to change”, leaving the door very slightly ajar.

            Whilst Lord Grabiner  worked on the “outrageous” behaviour of Tom Hicks and George Gillett, preventing the club from being sold, no representative from the H&G camp attended the High Court due to apparently “being out of the office for the afternoon”. Whilst QC Snowden, speaking for RBS, remarked “Texas court appearts to have been told remarkably little about yesterday’s verdict. This is the most outrageous abuse of process.”, news broke that Hicks & Gillett were also in court but over in Texas.

            Mr Justice Floyd commented on the previous nights event that “it is plain that the owner’s case in Texas had been in preparation for some considerable time” and described the summary of the High Court case detailed in the owner’s temporary petition to the Dallas court as “impoverished”. Just after 520pm Justice Floyd presented a second victory to the Liverpool board and RBS when he ruled that the anti-suit injunction sought by RBS and the Liverpool board against the owner’s action in Texas was granted. “This case has nothing to do with Texas.”

            Mr Justice Floyd head earlier added that on the face of the information presented to him that it amounted to “unconscionable conduct on the part of Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett”.

            Just prior to a court hearing getting underway in Dallas at 7pm UK time, the Liverpool board issued a further statement on the events at High Court.

            “The Independent Directors of Liverpool Football Club are delighted with the verdict of Mr. Justice Floyd in the High Court this afternoon which now requires Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett to withdraw their Texas Restraining Order by 4pm tomorrow.

            We are glad to have taken another important step towards completing the sale process.”

            Over in Dallas a result was not obtained as Judge Jim Jordan, who issued the temporary restraining order 24hrs previous, adjourned the hearing for the day, asking all parties to return in the morning Stateside, which leaves only a matter of hours before the well documented RBS deadline and that also of the directives of Justice Floyd in the High Court to prevent Hicks & Gillett being placed in contempt of court.

            The date of October 15th 2010 has long been in the mind of many a Liverpool fan, the club itself and journalists alike but it is unlikely that anyone could have foreseen just how many twists and turns this roller coaster was going to deliver.

            Image Source: Daylife


              You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
              Filed Under: Board, Fans, News, News Now Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

              Hicks & Gillett Secure TRO From Texas Court To Slow Sale

              October 14, 2010 by 5 Comments

              John W Henry, the principal owner of New England Sports Ventures (NESV) and the Boston Red Sox baseball team continues to wait to become the proud owner of Liverpool Football Club.

              The highly regarded American businessman made a somewhat surprising appearance this evening as he arrived at 1 Bunhill Row, London, just before 8pm, the offices of Slaughter & May, who have been advising and handling the legal process for Liverpool’s board members Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow and Ian Ayre.

              Earlier in the day, following their victory at the High Court over Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Martin Broughton advised that a board meeting would take place this evening at 8pm to progress the sale of the club. The arrival of John Henry immediately suggested that process was even closer to conclusion than first expected.

              However as has been the case at many steps of both the Hicks & Gillett reign at the club as well as with the sale process itself, controversy lay just after 10pm, it was confirmed that the present American owners had filed a temporary restraining order (document here) with Judge Jim Jordan of the 160th District Court of Texas, to prevent the sale of the club at present. In addition to what they call an “epic swindle”, a term they should be familiar with from their own financial transactions, they also claim that they will sue Liverpool’s independent board of directors, RBS Plc who control the club’s debt and it’s prospective buyer in the form of John Henry’s New England Sports Ventures (NESV) for a total of $1.6bn (£1bn) in damages.

              The pair continue to cite that NESV’s offer to buy Liverpool is “hundreds of millions of dollars below true market value” and other alternative and suitable offers were “swept aside” and ignored by Martin Broughton.

              The statement issued by the pair is as follows:

              The owners of Liverpool Football Club today reported that a Texas State District Court has granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining the Board of Liverpool Football Club (LFC) from executing a sale of the Club to New England Sports Ventures (NESV). The court set a hearing date of October 25, 2010.The TRO request, signed by Judge Jim Jordan of the 160th District Court in Dallas, was part of a lawsuit filed today by the owners of LFC against Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow, Ian Ayre, NESV and Philip Nash. The lawsuit also seeks temporary and permanent injunctions, and damages totaling approximately $1.6 billion (over £1 billion).

              The suit lays out the defendants’ “epic swindle” in which they conspired to devise and execute a scheme to sell LFC to NESV at a price they know to be hundreds of millions of dollars below true market value (and well below Forbes magazine’s recent independent $822 million valuation of the club) – and below multiple expressions of interest and offers to buy either the club in its entirety or make minority investments (including Meriton and Mill Financial). It describes how the defendants excluded the owners from meetings, discussions and communications regarding the potential sale to NESV and interfered with efforts by the owners to obtain financing for Liverpool FC.

              The Club’s owners are represented by attorneys from the international law firm of Fish & Richardson.

              The following are some of the key points in the complaint, which details the roles of RBS and the other defendants, and also describes previously undisclosed offers to purchase LFC:

              “The Director Defendants were acting merely as pawns of RBS, wholly abdicating the fiduciary responsibilities that they owed in the sale.”

              “RBS has been complicit in this scheme with the Director Defendants. For example, in letters from RBS to potential investors obtained just within the past few days, RBS has informed investors that it will approve of a deal only if there is “no economic return to equity” for Messrs. Hicks and Gillett. In furtherance of this grand conspiracy, on information and belief, RBS has improperly used its influence as the club’s creditor and as a worldwide banking leader to prevent any transaction that would permit Messrs. Hicks and Gillett to recover any of their initial investment in the club, much less share in the substantial appreciation in the value of Liverpool FC that their investments have created.”

              “On or about October 4, 2010, Mr. Hicks received a letter of interest from a third potential purchaser represented by FBR Capital Markets (“FBR”), offering to purchase Liverpool FC for £375 to £400 million ($595 to $635 million). The letter informed Mr. Hicks that the potential purchaser would not need financing, possessed the funds to close the transaction, and intended to build a new stadium for Liverpool FC.”

              “Additionally, the Plaintiffs learned just days ago about another potential investor that made a similar offer in the £350 to £400 million range that was communicated to Defendant Broughton and another unnamed co-conspirator in late August. According to this investor, Mr. Broughton never responded to the offer. Moreover, when the purported sale to NESV was announced, this investor again contacted Mr. Broughton and informed him that the offer, which significantly exceeded the NESV offer, was still on the table. Again, Mr. Broughton brushed this offer aside without further discussion.”

              As the news broke that the TRO had been granted to the dismay of Liverpool fan’s who had started, with caution, to look to brighter days, questions reigned in as to the jurisdiction that a Texas Court could have in such a matter that had already been ruled on by the High Court in the UK. Whilst both NESV and RBS are believed to be respecting the TRO in order to protect their investments in the US and taking legal council on the situation, contact was made by Liverpool fans with the issuing Texan court which resulted in Judge Jim Jordan’s Facebook Page being removed and the courts telephone service becoming “unavailable”.

              Liverpool FC responded with a statement of their own in regards to the developments:

              “Following the successful conclusion of High Court proceedings today, the Boards of Directors of Kop Football and Kop Holdings met tonight and resolved to complete the sale of Liverpool FC to New England Sports Ventures.

              Regretably, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett have tonight obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from a Texas District Court against the independent directors, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and NESV to prevent the transaction being completed.

              The independent directors consider the restraining order to be unwarranted and damaging and will move as swiftly as possible to seek to have it removed.

              A further statement will be made in due course.”

              The latest developments place RBS in a tight spot with both US interests to protect as well as the Hicks & Gillett debt to call in on Friday of this week, closure tonight would have provided them with 48hrs to conclude arrangements and avoid further conversations around entering the club into administration. The Liverpool FC board remain hopeful that via legal process they can have the TRO removed shortly, ahead of the October 25th Texas court date but in the meantime Hicks and Gillett potentially wriggle free for a couple of days more yet.


                You can follow Justin Heron & Kop That on Twitter
                Filed Under: Board, Fans, News, News Now, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
                «Older Posts