Hicks and this 5Live interview tomorrow

[dave u]

Don't believe a word. I listened to it, and it was pretty much all lies. One of the conditions of the interview was that they couldn't speak about the debt. He also said that any money Rafa wanted for a player, they would release the funds - bullshit.

 

Sums it up nicely.

[SimonGodders]

LOL!

 

Thought it was excellent! Hicks full of shit - yadda, yadda, new stadium, yadda, yadda..blah, blah...

 

Then after it's finished, the presenters basically said (in a nut shell) that he's a lying cunt and you can't believe anything he says!

 

:thumbsup:

[philyhamann]

I hated how he totally avoided the second loan, lots of people seem to forgetting about it. He even made out that now they had the refinancing in place, they can begin building the stadium - as if that loan was FOR the stadium.

[StevieH]

Alot of people are also forgetting that we have planning approval for a 60k seater stadium and not a 71k seater stadium, and that a further increased volume of people on a matchday would mean that we would have to improve local road and rail provisions.

[TommyW]

I imagine the second loan was one of the things he wouldnt talk about for obvious reasons

 

was funny though, everyone in the media seems to know he's a bullshitter so this charm offensive could be quite funny

[Rashid]

He said all the right things backed Rafa, said we will sign Mascherano and said the club has NEVER refused Rafa a player. Gary Richardson said after the interview that Hicks is plying about DIC and in fact he held talks with them on Friday.

[philyhamann]

Looking at some of the absolute cunts on RAWK, some of them actually believe him. Makes my blood boil.

[Dirk]

Looking at some of the absolute cunts on RAWK, some of them actually believe him. Makes my blood boil.

 

It doesn't matter how much perfume you throw on the cow, it'll never disguise the stench of bullshit.

[TommyW]

not surprising Philly, look at the Mancs, plenty of their fans worship the Glazers because they've bought them Nani, Hargreaves or whoever without realising they're actually being paid for by the loans that the real fans are subsidising through increased ticket prices

 

it'll be exactly the same here, just wait for the 'but they've bought Masherano what more do you want' arguments... no they havent you twats they just whacked it on top of a loan that we're paying off

 

aargh!

[dave u]

Looking at some of the absolute cunts on RAWK, some of them actually believe him. Makes my blood boil.

 

Unless DIC manage to get in, in a few weeks time there'll be a growing number of people swallowing the bullshit and we'll be back where we were a couple of months ago. Any negative story that comes out about them will have people shooting the messenger.

[Mr T]

It doesn't matter how much perfume you throw on the cow, it'll never disguise the stench of bullshit.

 

A bit of Lynx from down the market seems to have done the trick with some of them on RAWK.

[bigredruss]

when the stadium is built they will refinance the loan onto the club like the glazers did, lfc 500million in debt.makes my blood boil

[StevieH]

Dumb and dumber

timesofmalta.com - Dumb and dumber

 

Over the past few weeks Liverpool have given off all the signs of a club in crisis.

 

Not the heading-for-administration-and-quite-possibly-out-of-existence sort of crisis that plagues lower league clubs.

 

No, that would be far too working class for a Premier League team of Liverpool's stature. Instead they have opted for a more white collar sort of problem - an ownership crisis.

 

On Friday, worries of imminent financial meltdown were averted when current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett secured £350 million of new financing for the club.

 

The new deal covers what they paid for the club, the loans they took out to buy players last summer and enough cash to get the new stadium started.

 

For the Americans it signifies a new lease of life - without the package in place it was looking increasingly like they were going to be forced to sell the club to Dubai International Capital, the organisation they beat to the purchase last summer.

 

And it means work can finally start on the new version of Stanley Park, plans for which were also released on Friday.

 

But personally, I see this as no more than a stay of execution for Hicks and Gillett who are, let's pull no punches here, still only slightly more popular around Liverpool than a bucket of cockroaches.

 

Since they took over in a blaze of all-American glory, they have stumbled from one public relations disaster to another.

 

They came in promising Liverpool's fans the earth. They promised greater success on the pitch. They promised to deliver a world class stadium. They promised to make a good club great again. Sadly, those promises have proved as empty as their pockets.

 

They did have, as you would imagine, a brief honeymoon period when it looked like things were going swimmingly. But that soon morphed into a more divorce-like state when plans for the new stadium went pear-shaped.

 

Nothing to do with the plans themselves, I might add. They were magnificent. More to do with the money needed to get the darned thing built. Money they couldn't find no matter how much they scrabbled down the back of the sofa.

 

That meant taking the stadium back to the drawing board to be 'rethought' and scaled down in an effort to cut costs. That's like showing fans a picture of Kaka and then saying you can only afford Andy Cole.

 

But the Americans were not content with shattering that particular dream. They had an even better plan for causing unrest among the fans - fall out with the manager.

 

Hicks and Gillett, the Laurel and Hardy of club ownership, decided it would be a good idea to have a very public spat with Benitez, one of the club's most popular managers in decades.

 

This culminated in Hicks meeting with Jurgen Kilinsman to see if he fancied Rafa's job "just in case Bentiez leaves". I don't necessarily disagree with the move. After all, safeguarding the team's future is an integral part of any owner's job.

 

But publicly admitting it? That's plain stupid. A popularity own goal so bad it would even have embarrassed Titus Bramble. In short, all the Americans have done is take a hugely stable club with a popular and relatively successful manager, a very good squad and exciting new stadium plans and turn it into a quivering mass of uncertainty.

 

Recently the situation has started having a meaningful bearing on results. Although you could argue that what goes on at boardroom level should have nothing to do with the players, it invariably does. And especially so when they see their manager being undermined and ridiculed at every available opportunity.

 

Four successive league draws are evidence that Hicks and Gillett have managed to spread unease not only among the fans but among the players.

 

Liverpool's title hopes are all but over and, in reality, they will now have a real fight on their hands to hold on to fourth place in the Premiership and the automatic Champions League spot that goes with it.

 

This week Steven Gerrard spoke out about the situation and admitted the uncertainty was filtering its way down to squad level. "I've got to be careful what I say, but it's certainly not helping the team," he said.

 

The approach of Hicks and Gillett proves one thing: when they took over they thought they were simply buying their way into a share of the Premiership cash cow.

 

They didn't buy the club because they loved it or because they had been fans since birth. They bought it because they thought there was money to be made. Full stop.

 

And, if you want proof, you need look no further than an interview Hicks gave to an American baseball website a few months ago, which has only this week been revealed this side of the Atlantic.

 

"People are worried that I might take money away from the Texas Rangers (his baseball franchise) to go to Liverpool. But it is just the reverse. Liverpool is going to throw off lots of extra money which, if I choose to, I can use for the Rangers or the Dallas Stars ice hockey team," he said.

 

There you have it, ladies and gentleman. Evidence, if any were needed, that when the Americans bought Liverpool they thought they were getting a little goldmine called Anfield. Gold that they could syphon off for their other sporting interests.

 

Instead they were in for a rude awakening and the fact they have had to refinance the whole deal shows just how rude it was.

 

Now the cash is in place the Americans have revealed the revised stadium plans. And, I have to admit they are still pretty decent. But if they expect the fans to forgive and forget the mess they have made in their 11 months in charge, they have another thing coming.

 

Liverpool supporters are a dedicated bunch. They are phenomenally loyal and devoted to their team. But once you have lost their trust, which Hicks and Gillett undoubtedly have, there is very little chance of winning it back. Not even with pretty artists' impression.

 

Whatever the owners do or say from now on will be treated with contempt and distrust. And rightly so because the whole situation leaves a distinctly bad taste in the mouth.

 

Foreigners investing in English football is one thing. Foreigners investing in English football looking to make a quick buck is quite another.

 

If you want an example of how it should be done, then take a look at Randy Learner at Aston Villa. His take-over has been quiet, dignified, organised and well thought-out with the club's best interest at heart.

 

No downgrading plans, no public arguments with his manager and no need to go round the banks with begging bowl in hand. A far cry from the two cowboys who rode into Liverpool a year ago.

 

Despite the new deal I still think Hicks and Gillett are living on borrowed time and, within the next 12 months or so, they will have sold up and moved on allowing DIC come in to run Liverpool properly.

 

And for the club's fans, I don't think that moment can come soon enough.

[kick316]

Was the interview full of "I"s or did Hicks answer with "we" (as in Gillett and him)?

[Evil_Ways]

when the stadium is built they will refinance the loan onto the club like the glazers did, lfc 500million in debt.makes my blood boil

 

They will need another loan to actually build the stadium.

So that will be long before we have actually moved into it.

But hopefully they will be gone long before that.

 

Silent George have yet to make a comment, which tells it's on story.

And DIC seem to be as keen as ever.

[bigal]

Was the interview full of "I"s or did Hicks answer with "we" (as in Gillett and him)?

 

All about 'I' except for saying they got on well though have had disagreements. Gillette is out of there, I think that's becoming clear.

It was all stadium this and stadium that. Hicks wants this more than a team. Notice when asked why he wanted to own Liverpool specifically he coldn't answer but waffled on about his other teams. Money, money, money. And yet he wouldn't answer about the refinancing, why? Cos he's in the shit IMO. Fair play to Richardson who is normally full of shit himself but he made Hicks sound like the lying bastard he is

[StevieH]

BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | Liverpool | Hicks plans long stay at Anfield

 

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has insisted he plans to retain his stake in the club for the foreseeable future.

 

"There is no question in my mind that I will still be an owner of Liverpool Football Club in five years," he told BBC 5 Live's Sportsweek programme.

 

Liverpool have been the subject of speculation about a possible takeover by Dubai International Capital.

 

Hicks said that was never a "serious possibility" but the BBC understands he was in contact with DIC last Friday.

 

It is not clear what that conversation was about but Hicks said: "I can't think of a price where I would be interested in selling."

 

The Texan admitted speaking to DIC "a few months ago" about a "10% to 15% participation" in the club but DIC felt the price was too high.

 

"They would have been a minority investor and we would have used that capital to build a new stadium. We'll find other ways to capitalise the new stadium," he said.

 

Hicks, who along with fellow owner George Gillett took over the Reds in March 2007, confirmed a £350m refinancing package was put in place last week, with £105m of that as debt tied to the club.

 

Of that total, £45m will be used for future player transfers and to meet the club's working capital needs, while BBC sports editor Mihir Bose said £60m will provide the start-up money for the new ground.

 

There is no question in my mind that I will still be an owner of Liverpool Football Club in five years.

 

"The refinancing will provide the capital for the next year-and-a-half to take the stadium move forward," added Hicks.

 

He repeated his backing for manager Rafa Benitez despite revealing earlier this month that he held talks with German Jurgen Klinsmann in November about taking over as manager in case the Spaniard left the club.

 

"We have a great manager who has our support," he said.

 

"After our meeting on 16 December he has shown his strong intent to do the right thing by the club.

 

"Rafa's got a contract for two more years and hopefully he'll stay for longer."

[coop]

Hicks has got to come out and say he is staying. Its the same as when you are selling a player, you dont want to seem keen to sell so you can drive the price up.

 

I personally dont believe a word he has said today and i take interest from the Bascombe article that there is trouble brewing behind the scenes with Gillett and Hicks and i believe Gillett will sell his share to DIC which will result in Hicks doing likewise.

 

This soap opera is likely to drag on and on and until DIC actually come public and make an offer for the club its just going to be cloak and dagger stuff.

[cochcaer]

I love you, Tom Hicks!

[Mr T]

Hicks has got to come out and say he is staying. Its the same as when you are selling a player, you dont want to seem keen to sell so you can drive the price up.

 

I personally dont believe a word he has said today and i take interest from the Bascombe article that there is trouble brewing behind the scenes with Gillett and Hicks and i believe Gillett will sell his share to DIC which will result in Hicks doing likewise.

 

This soap opera is likely to drag on and on and until DIC actually come public and make an offer for the club its just going to be cloak and dagger stuff.

 

Yep, but in the time being the fanbase is going to rip itself apart.

 

I'm actually saddened that so many can be taken in by a few cheap promises.

 

I'd like David Moores to come out now and say 'I got it wrong' publically otherwise it's going to be political warfare on the terraces.

[Anny Road]

cant seem to find the podcast Anyone got a link. The only episode available is last weeks.

[philyhamann]

Here it is - RapidShare: 1-Click Webhosting

[nibbler]

Unless DIC manage to get in, in a few weeks time there'll be a growing number of people swallowing the bullshit and we'll be back where we were a couple of months ago. Any negative story that comes out about them will have people shooting the messenger.

 

I don't like the two of them but their main offence over recent weeks has been inaction in the face of swirling tabloid sensation about them. If they continue to put down negative rumours and actually deliver on someof their promises now then surely they deserve to get a little more support.

 

We have gone from slight concern to all out loathing in the last few weeks based off nothing but rumour and journalistic hyperbole. The one thing Hicks has said in that time got him in trouble was admitting the Klinsmann thing which everyone already knew - I still don't really understand why that alone got everyone so annoyed when we all knew it already.

 

I'm not saying things are all rosy but hopefully now they will start to get better. I think committing to Rafa for the next 2 years was an immense statement and will improve on-field performance. Everybody had decided Rafa was gone because he hadn't been supported before - therefore they must have been sacking him. I really believe he will stay!

 

If they build the stadium and we sign Mascher and a couple of quality attackers in the summer then I will not bne complaining.

[coop]

DIC 'still intent' on Liverpool takeover

 

Duncan Castles

Sunday January 27, 2008

The Observer

 

Dubai International Capital remain intent on a takeover of Liverpool, regardless of their disappointment with the nature of the £350million refinancing deal with which the club's American owners have secured their immediate tenure there.

 

Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr announced the new 18-month 'market-rate' loan on Friday, the former describing it as 'a strong vote of confidence in the club's financial strength'. DIC, however, regard it as an expensive holding measure that will cost the club around £28m a year in interest, yet fail to solve Liverpool's requirement for significant new capital.

 

Underwritten by the Royal Bank of Scotland and US bank Wachovia, the loan provides limited additional resources for a club in need of significant investment in the playing staff and a new stadium expected to cost a further £300m. As Liverpool's total debt stood at £297m before the refinancing package was agreed, it delivers a maximum of £53m of new money. Around £20m is thought to have been used up by the arrangement fee on the new loan.

 

While concerned club officials insisted that £245m of the debt was placed against Hicks and Gillett's holding company Kop Football Limited, it is understood that interest payments will be made entirely from club income. As such these will swallow up almost all of Liverpool's projected profits for the 2007-08 financial year.

 

Though the banks required Hicks and Gillett to increase their personal guarantees on the debt to £225m, it is understood that the Americans have not spent any of their own money on the club with the £20m equity each had to inject into the new deal coming in the form of personal loans, repayable by the club to them in the event of a further takeover.

 

The new 71,000-capacity stadium at Stanley Park will not be realised without another large tranche of debt. Though the stadium design announced on Friday has been downgraded from architects HKS' original proposal, it is still expected to cost a total of £350m. A spokesman for Hicks said that £50m of that sum has already been spent on consultancy and design. Further planning permission is required on the new structure.

 

DIC consider the refinancing a waste of club money that could have been spent on the team or the stadium and attempted to prevent it by offering to buy the club for £500m last week. Sources at the Arab investment group insist that Hicks and Gillett indicated their intention to sell during takeover talks, but only after the new loan had gone through.

 

Led by Liverpool supporter Sameer Al Ansari, DIC thought it had agreed a deal to buy Liverpool in late 2006, only for majority shareholder David Moores to sell to Hicks and Gillett. The Americans paid £174.1m for the shares, taking on outstanding debts of £44.8m and undertaking not to borrow any money against the club. On Friday, Kop Football Limited restated that debt at £60m.

 

Hicks also moved to reassure Rafa Benítez of his 'continuing and enthusiastic support' as manager, after earlier admitting that he had talked with Jurgen Klinsmann about replacing the Spaniard. Benitez has said little about the refinancing, though he suggested his desired £17m full transfer of Javier Mascherano would have to be partially funded by Mohamed Sissoko's proposed sale to Juventus.

 

Asked last night if Hicks now intended to sell Liverpool, his spokesman said: 'Tom Hicks is not a seller of Liverpool Football Club and he is certainly in it for the long term.' He declined to comment on how interest payments on the £350m would be funded, how much new money would be available to Liverpool, or whether the owners had invested any of their own cash in the club. Gillett, unhappy with some of his partner's recent actions, has yet to comment publicly on the revised plans.

 

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport...247773,00.html

[cochcaer]

If DIC make the right offer he'll go; it's all front. Think he might be gone by the summer.