Hicks Mail on Sunday Exclusive

[Randy Marsh]

Breaking point in fight for Anfield as co-owner Hicks wants chief executive Parry thrown out

EXCLUSIVE By JOE BERNSTEIN

 

Last updated at 21:13pm on 12th April 2008

 

 

Liverpool joint owner Tom Hicks has escalated the battle for control of Anfield to breaking point by insisting that he wants to introduce a new team to run the club's finances within the next six weeks.

 

The Texan's declaration of intent is the latest round in his increasingly bitter stand-off with fellow American owner George Gillett and the club's chief executive, Rick Parry.

 

Hicks called for Parry's resignation last week, a demand that the chief executive described as 'offensive', coming as it did just 48 hours after Liverpool's epic Champions League win against Arsenal.

 

Now, in a wide-ranging interview with The Mail on Sunday ahead of Liverpool's home game against Blackburn today, Hicks says he wants Parry removed from the job he has held for 10 years and a new CEO to be in position before the end of May.

 

Hicks is understood to favour the promotion to chief executive of commercial director Ian Ayre, a Liverpudlian who was brought in to the club last year to try to boost Liverpool's revenue-making operations around the world.

 

Hicks accuses Parry of holding back the development of the club, both in its commercial growth and on the pitch, and of having been actively involved in the controversial talks with Jurgen Klinsmann last year that effectively started the civil war at Anfield by undermining the position of Rafa Benitez as manager.

 

The American claims that Parry has 'refused to interact' with Ayre and his commercial team and that only the chief executive's removal from his job would enable Benitez to sign the players he wants in order to mount a credible title challenge.

 

Hicks said: "Rick Parry has been Liverpool's CEO for 10 years and we haven't won a league championship under his leadership. Our commercial revenues have not kept up with other top clubs during that time, which has made it very difficult to compete for the Premier League.

 

"After watching him operate, I came to the conclusion it was time to ask him to resign, due to his inability to manage an organisation, his seemingly arrogant attitude to our supporters and his lack of communication with Rafa.

 

"I reached my decision a few weeks ago but waited until after the games against Everton and Arsenal. It is important to try to have a new CEO in place by May so we can begin working with Rafa on player transfers."

 

Parry, who has the support of Gillett as the two Americans jostle for control of the £400 million Liverpool empire, is understood to be astonished that question marks could be placed against his record as an administrator both with the Premier League, where he was also chief executive, and with Liverpool.

 

He says a meeting of the six-man Liverpool board should be called to discuss Hicks's accusations.

 

As the board consists of Hicks, Gillett, their sons, Tommy Hicks jnr and Foster Gillett, Parry himself and former chairman David Moores, Parry is confident that the Gillett camp would win any vote of confidence in him by a 4-2 majority.

 

Parry said: "I stand by my track record in English football and as chief executive of Liverpool Football Club. It would be inappropriate for me to comment in detail on these allegations — that should be a matter for the Liverpool board.

 

"In fact, I would welcome an opportunity to discuss these matters with our co-owners and board colleagues. This continuous airing of issues in the media is clearly not helpful at this crucial stage of our season."

 

Helpful or not, Hicks is intent on setting his version of events before the Liverpool public. He is known to be particularly annoyed at being blamed for going behind Benitez's back to meet Klinsmann when he claims the meeting was primarily set up by Gillett, with Parry's knowledge.

 

Parry does not deny having been at crucial discussions with Klinsmann, the former German World Cup player and coach, but says he was there at the instruction of Hicks and Gillett.

 

Hicks insists Liverpool need a single strong owner at the helm.

 

He promised that if he takes full control Benitez would be given a long-term deal, and he vowed to eliminate the majority of the club's debt before they run out in a planned new stadium at Stanley Park in 2011.

 

Hicks said: "It's time for Liverpool to have one strong owner to give Rafa the support he needs to win trophies, grow our commercial revenues worldwide and build the best stadium in the world. I believe I am that owner.

 

"Under my ownership, Ian Ayre, Philip Nash [the finance director] and Rafa Benitez would make an outstanding management team. As we prepare to move into our new stadium in 2011, we will have the resources to be competitive year in and year out, and restore Liverpool Football Club to its position as the No 1 club in the world."

 

Benitez, who wants to sign three players in the summer, has complained in the past that the club have risked losing stars because of a lack of urgency in the transfer market.

 

Parry was also heavily criticised for not letting regular fans know the details of how tickets for last season's Champions League final in Athens were allocated. Hicks said he would ask Gillett to support the ending of Parry's contract.

 

"If he chooses not to, the record will be clear," said Hicks.

 

He is aware that he and Gillett are not popular with sections of the Liverpool fan-base who are fed up with the ownership saga dragging on for months. "I can certainly understand the fans' concerns," said Hicks.

 

Meanwhile, Moores, the man who sold the club to the two Americans 14 months ago, has hit out at their feuding. "It makes the club a laughing stock and that's not acceptable," he said. "This is not what the club is about. It is embarrassing and not an acceptable way of doing things. It needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. The two owners have got to stop thinking of themselves and start thinking of the club, its values, traditions and heritage."

 

Fuck sake. make it fuckin end someone

[BRAP]

It wont end until fat twat gains full control

[Domasall]

Yet more bad news and people will read this and think - He isnt that bad - Forgeting the bollocks and lies he has previously told us. Parry has to go - But after these bastards

[rebel23]

as if anyone is going to fall for his crap

[Walton Park]

Hicks is a fucking shithouse. He is bringing the manager in to it. Is this fella trying his very hardest to do everyones head in. Could we of got a worse person in tho run the club. Thanks Mr Moores. I see he has come out and said it brakes his heart to see the club being run like this.

Well it brakes our hearts more Mr Moores but we didnt get a fucking penny, YOU DID.

[Rashid]

Using the fans hatred of Parry and love of Rafa to gain full control. You fat mother fucker, we aren't that thick.

[Mr T]

Cunt.

 

Some fools will fall this shit though, mark my words.

[coop]

He sounds like he is running for President.

[Rashid]

He is an utter cunt and now we know who has been feeding the Mail.

[taliesin08]

I'm sorry but we have to get a bit more direct with letting our feelings known, this fucker is doing my head in and I for one will let his lackeys know exactly how I feel when I see them about town.

 

Should of lynched his scumbag son when we had the chance.

 

Death to the great Satan.

[BRAP]

At the end of the day Imagine if we won the European cup, this cunt will be here for fuckin ever,thank god we have Rafa a genius my only hope is Rafa stays with us.

[Redwooly]

Its been said a million times but this whole situation is unbelievable! Hows it got this far?! The thing that continues to baffle me is just how tightly Hicks is clinging onto the club, particularly when considering he didnt really want to buy the club in the first place.

 

It was Gillett who was desperate to buy us and Hicks was simply (if simply is the right word) the money man. I really dont understand why Hicks just dont fuck off. Of course the answer to such a question could be the profitablity of Premier League clubs, but he would have made millions in profit by selling to DIC and deep down he cant be happy with this situation on a personal level (this whole saga is savaging his reputation) and would be better off disappearin into the texan wilderness.

 

I dont believe a word any of them say, although Hicks although its difficult to argue against him in reference to Parry and to counter any questions defending Parry just remember WE ARE LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB, ENGLANDS MOST SUCCESSFULL CLUB AND STILL EUROPES PREMIER TEAM, yet we still langusih behind clubs like Arsenal in the rich list and lose out on transfer targets coz we are out bid by Newcastle (Owen went to Newcastle coz we couldnt afford him). Surely this is wrong!

 

Either way its a complete shambles, from the out n out lies of Parry n Hicks to the sheer cowardice and year long silence of Gillett, the spineless twat. Its also quite obvious Hicks n Gillett have always hated each other as surely such a "strong relationship" could not have broken down so quickly, which makes the selling of the club to them all the more baffling.

 

It doesnt look good. Hicks is supposedly tight with Bush, and nearly 8 years on were still waiting for him to get out of Iraq!

[Guest Kenny]

Putting a Hicks yes man as CEO will be bad news for us.

[Domasall]

Loads will beleive this shite when they read it. Maybe not the ones on here but you will hear people saying - He is a winner and wants whats best for the club, or he didnt make millions by being shit. He is striking a blow in his war with the other gobshite and we are the victims. Get him and his little cunt faced robber co-owner out and leave us to battle Parry.

[rebel23]

if Hicks stays I reckon Rafa will walk. he must be livid with what is going on

[RoboRiise]

Hicks can keep playing his fiddle if he wants but I'm fucked if I'm going to dance to his tune.

[Zambian_Red]

It wont end until fat twat gains full control

 

How on earth is he going to eliminate the 350m debt before we move in to our new stadium. Where will he find 300m to build a new stadium as well as becoming an outright owner he will have to buy out gillete for around 200m thats about 500m pounds needed.

 

All this talk in the daily mail is his personal ego with being macho and all bravado. He has failed to get any financial backing in the states be it banks or investors and he has currently changes his financial advisors Merill Lynch to provide him with financial backers/loans in UK which is almost inlikely due to the current credit crunch facing global economy.

 

The 90 day pre-emtive rights on gillets ownership comes to an end towards end of May and after that gg can sell his 50% share to anyone he likes most notably DIC.

 

Its complete shambles the boardroom wrangles are going on in the media and the public, its a complete face and shambles. I am afraid this will go on and on into the summer and this might hamper Rafa's summer transfers.

 

What was surprising to me was that Parry was also involved and knew about the Klinsmann fiasco. I wouldnt be surprised if Rafa tenders his resignation and leaves end of season.

[cochcaer]

Some fools will fall this shit though, mark my words.

 

Of course they will. Just seen the same post on raotl and a couple have fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

[cochcaer]

if Hicks stays I reckon Rafa will walk. he must be livid with what is going on

 

I think Rafa will be safe for a while, providing he says nothing critical of the fat fuck.

[Zambian_Red]

He is an utter cunt and now we know who has been feeding the Mail.

 

 

I tend to agree with you on this Rashid. Having read the articles on Daily Mail recently, this tabloid has been hick's mouthpiece, cunts iof the highest order.

[StevieH]

Vote Hicks.

[bigredruss]

we all hate parry, but not as much as the yanks. a public charm offencive won't work now

[cochcaer]

a public charm offencive won't work now

 

Or an idea from his new PR company after reading a few forums...:whistle:

[theRedHorse]

we all hate parry, but not as much as the yanks. a public charm offencive won't work now

 

It will though.

 

The same way it worked when Hicks first came in, the club span that "DIC were bullying us" bullshit, that people still fucking believe.

[Alias75]

It will though.

 

The same way it worked when Hicks first came in, the club span that "DIC were bullying us" bullshit, that people still fucking believe.

 

The hardcore fans know the score now, we took them on their word and they have both proven to be liars, now Hicks is trying to tell the same lies again, about investing in the team, backing Rafa, building a new stadium, reducing the debt but this time we know hes a liar.

 

Also to some extent its irrelevant if some fans do fall for this again, because the key people he needs to convince are Gillett, Parry and Moores. And however incompetent they are im sure they wont fall for this crap.