Gillett and Hicks (ownership saga)

[ratcatcher]

Strange!? BBC local news reports claimed the Kuwati's are bidding for total ownership of the club by a man who's the 25th richest in the world. Sly Sports claim its at max a 50% buy out by a man who's 48th richest in the world.

 

Talk about mixed messages!

[JMARKH]

That cannon is a bluenose cunt, he was quoted at their shareholders meeting saying that he would like them to get their new stadium to get one over on us or something like that. I hope to see the disappointment on his face when we do get someone in who can deliver the stadium and take us further away from them.

[loadsoftrophies]

I want to know where i rank on the world richest list, they should have one that includes everyone in the world.

[Ted]

His wig might run off.

[HJohal]

This is a game of poker for all the players involved.

 

In my eyes the interesting points are the below.

 

1, Re-financing of the £350M debt is unlikely to be extended more so now that the taxpayer is the controlling owner of the debt and potentially RBS could be fully nationalised within the next few months to remain solvent. With an election due in 2010 latest, a number of seats in the Merseyside area may be key in what is expected to be a tight election with Labour desperately trying to cling onto power.

 

2, All business models which were built on a highly leveraged model are in dire straights with assets continuously being re-valued downwards as more bad debt is confirmed with no end in sight yet. Both Hicks and Gillette business interests are both being impacted by this situation severely.

 

3, The once great British pound is being beaten to a pulp as foreign investors withdraw money from the UK. We are now down to a 25 year low against the USD and currencies in the Gulf have gained significantly against the pound in the last 6 months. With the economy getting worse there appears worse to come for the £ before it turns the corner.

 

4, Liverpool FC is a recognised world wide brand whose commercial potential has even surprised Hicks and Gillette on the upside. Liverpool F.C has also reached the last 16 in the Champions League for the last 5 years and is currently established as a top 4 club in England and a top 8 in Europe and a G14 member.

 

If you put these likely events together you get a situation where the current owners need to sell a world-class asset in its field at a knock down price due to the current economic situation. I am absolutely positive that there are a number of big hitting investors who are interested in Liverpool F.C as this kind of opportunity does not happen very often.

 

The question is who shows their hand now and who holds on until July to try and get themselves an even bigger bargain. Hicks & Gillette are obviously try to drum up an auction and with the £ de-appreciating by the day it looks like the Al Kharafi family think now is the time to call.

[KevieG]

I want to know where i rank on the world richest list, they should have one that includes everyone in the world.

 

Oh but they do...

 

I'm in the top 0.9% in 54,039,829th place. Yay for me.

 

Global Rich List

 

For providing this service I would like an increase in green blobs

[KevieG]

Club is a circus.

[Fugitive]

Oh but they do...

 

I'm in the top 0.9% in 54,039,829th place. Yay for me.

 

Global Rich List

 

For providing this service I would like an increase in green blobs

 

Negged for placing above me.

 

I'm 69,554,783th place.

[KevieG]

Negged for placing above me.

 

I'm 69,554,783th place.

 

Neg Gordon Brown for letting yere currency slide not me

[RSM]

Kuwaiti group denies Reds reports

 

 

A Kuwaiti business group has denied reports it is in talks with the owners of Liverpool over a possible takeover.

 

Reds co-owner Tom Hicks had reportedly been in talks with Kuwait billionaire Nasser Al-Kharafi, who has an estimated £9bn fortune.

 

But Kharafi Group vice-president Loay Al-Kharafi has insisted no talks were held and the reports were incorrect.

 

Reports on Merseyside have suggested a prominent European businessman has also expressed an interest in Liverpool.

 

The reign of Hicks and his co-owner George Gillett, who value the club at around £550m, has been dogged by controversy since their £218m takeover in February 2007.

 

 

 

BBC Sport understands that even though the relationship between Hicks and Gillett has been troubled, they may be united in their desire to sell at the right price.

 

And they are clearly on the look-out for new investors at the very least, even if Hicks stands by his intention of retaining a stake in the club.

 

The pair have appointed rival banks to try and find potential buyers, Merrill Lynch are on board with Hicks and Rothschilds with Gillett.

 

Their regime has become deeply unpopular among fans after early optimism, and the US tycoons have just been given an extra six months to repay a £350m loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia.

 

The current economic climate has left both banks in desperate trouble and any further refinancing is unlikely, while no other bank would be willing to offer such a loan.

 

Manager Rafael Benitez had public differences with the owners, who admitted they met former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann when doubts emerged over his future.

 

Hicks also demanded the resignation of chief executive Rick Parry last season after labelling his time in charge "a disaster".

 

The pair's plans for a new stadium have also stalled after spiralling costs meant it would cost around £450m rather than the original estimate of £300m.

 

Benitez is currently locked in a contract wrangle with the Anfield hierarchy as he demands greater control over transfers at the club.

[RSM]

I'm the 48,417,310 richest person in the world and in the TOP 0.8%

richest people in the world!

 

If that's the case, why am I always broke?

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Don't know if its been mentioned, but it's been suggested that one of the Kharafi's is married to a sister of Sheikh Maktoum.

 

Not 100% whether the person in question was either Nasser Al Kharafi or his nephew Rafed Al Kharafi.

 

Either way it's an interesting caveat.

[Guest Kenny]

Don't know if its been mentioned, but it's been suggested that one of the Kharafi's is married to a sister of Sheikh Maktoum.

 

Not 100% whether the person in question was either Nasser Al Kharafi or his nephew Rafed Al Kharafi.

 

Either way it's an interesting caveat.

 

Ulysses Everett McGill, you are pretty much on the money on some things, whats your take on these events today?

[Brownie]

See?! Now here's a man who knows not to start new threads! Good man, Al. Have a cake.

 

P.S. I predict a denial from this Kuwaiti family tomorrow.

 

No-one likes a gloater, but I rule. ATK, you owe me.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Ulysses Everett McGill, you are pretty much on the money on some things, whats your take on these events today?

 

 

No idea mate

 

Just another day in the life of what is the mess of our club

 

What is clear is that they are obviously going 'round the middle east with the begging bowl well and truly out, as they did with Abu Dhabi when they tried to hijack the Man City deal.

 

The timing of this leak stinks though

 

IMO it's either been leaked with the idea of derailing any potentially sensitive negotiations

 

OR

 

It's been put out because the deal is only speculative and they are using them as a stalking horse, believing that their are people/groups in the background who are hoping to pick up the club on the cheap.

 

 

The timing of it, a week before the transfer window closes makes no sense at all

 

I agree it's entirely speculative, and it's only my opinion, so don't take it as anything more.

[Guest Kenny]

No idea mate

 

Just another day in the life of what is the mess of our club

 

What is clear is that they are obviously going 'round the middle east with the begging bowl well and truly out, as they did with Abu Dhabi when they tried to hijack the Man City deal.

 

The timing of this leak stinks though

 

IMO it's either been leaked with the idea of derailing any potentially sensitive negotiations

 

OR

 

It's been put out because the deal is only speculative and they are using them as a stalking horse, believing that their are people/groups in the background who are hoping to pick up the club on the cheap.

 

 

The timing of it, a week before the transfer window closes makes no sense at all

 

I agree it's entirely speculative, and it's only my opinion, so don't take it as anything more.

 

Cheers lad.

[Royal Family]

The timing of this leak stinks though

 

IMO it's either been leaked with the idea of derailing any potentially sensitive negotiations

 

OR

 

It's been put out because the deal is only speculative and they are using them as a stalking horse, believing that their are people/groups in the background who are hoping to pick up the club on the cheap.

 

 

.

 

Agree entirely - this isn't the way the Kuwaitis do business: they'll be mortified that there's been a leak, even if it were at all a serious story (and it's come out of nothing as far as I'm concerned) and on that basis alone they'd end negotiations. It's a question of trust.

 

This leak has Parry's grubby paws all over it, imho.

[Anny Road]

Buying Liverpool and not expecting to be mentioned in the paper?

 

Not a good sign.

[edinjapan]

I had a word with one of the lawyers today who deals specifically with debt transactions. What he said was interesting.

 

1. Banks (like RBS) in the current climate are aggressively targeting borrowers who are at risk of defaulting.

2. Where the borrowers have an asset, they would rather have that asset sold to a third party than take control of it when the loan expires. The reason for this is once a loan expires, if they have to take control of the asset, it is almost always then worth LESS than the amount of the loan.

3. So if H&G sell to a 3rd party before July they should be able to pay the debt back in full to RBS/Wachovia. If they don't they'll stand to lose whatever they put up as collateral, adn RBS Wachovia will be stuck with an asset they don't want. Therefore it'll be a buyers market, RBS will want to shift it as fast as possible and they may well not end up getting full market value.

 

The long and short of it is RBS/Wachovia have got H&G' balls in a vice. Unless they sell before July, they stand to lose the club and the chance of making any profit whatsoever.

 

To what is interesting about the last 24 hours is whether Dubai have given the nod that they are no longer interested. The new interested party must know if Dubai are out of the running, they only need to let the clock tick down to July, and the price will continue to come down.

[taliesin08]

Can't someone merge this with the other takeover load of bollocks thread and lets make it the longest thread ever.

 

I'm bored with all these rich gobshite knobhead propaganda media games lets get with the programme and support our team while we make our first genuine title challenge in a long while.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

Buying Liverpool and not expecting to be mentioned in the paper?

 

Not a good sign.

 

 

When the deal is done fair enough

 

But your talking about the same fellas who reputedly hours from buying the club in the summer, and bar a few people, no one had a sniff of it.

 

The fact that their was no denial from the club that Nash and Ayre were in Kuwait, plus other various snippets that have came out, would point to there being at least an element of truth in the reports.

 

It's all about professionalism, which as has been proven time and time again, from DIC, Echo "TRUST US" headlines, bringing H&G in and now todays headline, evidently it's not something that we are paticularly good at.

 

And as a result, it now looks like whatever possbility of any investment whatsoever from Kuwait has now evaporated into the Ether

 

Thanks DM

[coop]

I think Andy (UEM) is pretty much spot on with what he has already said.

 

From the snippets ive be given (and they are only snippets) is that whilst Kuwait and Hicks/Gillett have had contact in the past the talk of a full takeover has never been on the cards, although Oli Kay seems to think otherwise so who knows.

 

I personally think like Andy has already put that both Ayres and Nash are over in the Middle East purely with the begging bowl out trying to initially find a minority investor who could potentially buy the whole club at a later date.

 

The problem with that is Abu Dhabi turned down the opportunity to buy Liverpool as they said we were too expensive.

 

Contary to what some people may tell you Hicks asking price is not just enough so they cover the loan but he is still asking for £500 million +

[Dr.Filth]

They're selling postcards of the hanging

They're painting the passports brown........

[The Dude Abides]

I think Andy (UEM) is pretty much spot on with what

 

The problem with that is Abu Dhabi turned down the opportunity to buy Liverpool as they said we were too expensive.

+

 

See, that i don't get. They're going to have to build a whole team at City, paying huge fees for players reluctant to join a small club and pay way over the odds in wages. Its gonna cost them big.

[Guest Ulysses Everett McGill]

See, that i don't get. They're going to have to build a whole team at City, paying huge fees for players reluctant to join a small club and pay way over the odds in wages. Its gonna cost them big.

 

 

I can't figure that our either

 

But then again, they haven't got to commit the best part of £650-700 million for a new stadium.

 

Also consider this, for all the bluster, they've been "knocked back" (If there ever actually was a deal on the table, as opposed to a fantastic pr stunt) by not only Kaka but Ronaldinho.

 

I'm convinced that thier is no way they would have paid the money that was being quoted for Kaka, but it was a brilliant way of psuedo flexing their alleged muscle.

 

For all the talk of fantastic projects and all that shite, they've bought Robinho (A lad who wasn't playing regular for Madrid), Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong.

 

The Liverpool project, realistically, taking into consideration the debt, you are talking about a total spend of about a billion, or ten Kaka's if your a tabloid hack.

 

And that's before they put any money into the squad and assuming they aren't paying H&G a premium for their stake, which is unlikely.