Hicks and Gillett Officially Put LFC Up For Sale

[Paisley Red]

Statement just released - they're off. Good riddance you cunts.

 

Fresh start looms, onwards and upwards next season.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Liverpool Football Club (the "Club"), today announced that Martin Broughton has been appointed as Chairman with immediate effect.

 

The new Chairman will oversee a formal sale process launched by current owners, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

 

Following numerous expressions of interest from third parties, the Club has engaged Barclays Capital to advise on the sale process. The Club has the full support of its existing bankers for this process and has financing in place which will fully support the Club's operations.

 

Mr. Broughton, currently Chairman of British Airways PLC and deputy president of the Confederation of British Industry, will work alongside the club's existing management team of Managing Director Christian Purslow, Commercial Director Ian Ayre and Financial Director Philip Nash. The day-to-day running of the club remains in the hands of this team, who have overseen a significant improvement in the financial performance of the Club since 2007. During that time:

 

* The Club's revenues have increased by 55%;

 

* Commercial revenues have increased by 83%;

 

* Operating profit (before player trading and exceptionals) has increased by 60%.

 

The Club will continue to progress the well-advanced plans for a new, larger, and state-of-the-art stadium which will form an exciting part of the club's future development.

 

Thomas Hicks and George Gillett said: "Owning Liverpool Football Club over these past three years has been a rewarding and exciting experience for us and our families. Having grown the Club this far we have now decided together to look to sell the Club to owners committed to take the Club through its next level of growth and development.

 

"We are delighted that Martin Broughton has agreed to take the position of Chairman, working alongside the club's excellent senior management team. Martin is a distinguished business leader of excellent judgment and with a great reputation. He is a genuine football supporter and will seek to oversee the sales process in the best interests of the Club and its supporters."

 

Martin Broughton said: "I am excited and honoured to be taking up this position. Liverpool is a great club with a fantastic history. I will run this sale process in the right way, for the benefit of the Club and its fans. Liverpool is one of the world's greatest clubs and my aim is to try and ensure that we find new owners who are able to build on the Club's recent improved financial performance in order to help deliver sporting success."

 

From the official site.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Interview with the new Chairman

 

Liverpoolfc.tv eSeason area :: Martin Broughton interview

[john23liverpool]

Fucking brilliant news. I am actually made up.

[Monster Masch]

Liverpool Echo.co.uk - Liverpool FC - News - Liverpool Football Club put up for sale by Tom Hicks and George Gillett

 

Tom Hicks and George Gillett today officially put Liverpool Football Club up for sale.

 

The Americans confirmed in a 9am statement that they are to relinquish their ownership of the Reds as they appointed new Chairman Martin Broughton to oversee the sale of Britain's most successful ever football club to new owners.

 

Barclays Capital have been hired to lead the bid to find new owners.

 

British Airway Chairman Broughton will work alongside current Managing Director Christian Purslow and other existing Anfield board members to lead the Reds into a new era - which it is intended will still include the buiilding of a long since planned new stadium - after all the troubles of the past three years.

 

A press release issued this morning read: "Liverpool Football Club today announced that Martin Broughton has been appointed as Chairman with immediate effect.

 

"The new Chairman will oversee a formal sale process launched by current owners, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

 

"Following numerous expressions of interest from third parties, the Club has engaged Barclays Capital to advise on the sale process.

 

"The Club has the full support of its existing bankers for this process and has financing in place which will fully support the Club's operations."

[straight_red]

Hmmmmm. Still need to find a buyer of course, and there's no guarantee the new lot won't be worse. But, happy they're going. I just hope things are sorted out quickly and we're not left in limbo over the summer.

[Monster Masch]

Whoever buys us, please be decent people.

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Yadda Yadda Yadda, If these cunts told me black was black I still wouldn't believe them, I'm not interested in listening to anything the cancerous cunts have got to say, I don't like them, I don't trust them. The day the club is sold from these two will be the greatest day of my life, untill then I refuse to get excited despite how promising anything my seem to be. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the bastards are still here next season.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Ezekiel 25:17

[Original202]

They'll still be here in 12 months.

[melons]

Whoever buys us, please be decent people.

 

One can dream.

[Herp McDerp]

Stop. Pissing. On. My. Chips. They can't be trusted of course, but this is still better than nothing eh?

[Dracco]

Some Russians could come in and buy us now....it still can go worse...

 

Great news, but what now to the summer. They won´t probably give any money for players purchase when they want to sell it. I don´t think the deal will be done in about 3 months so then we´re fucked.

 

We´ll have to sell....

[Sangria]

It is a step in the right direction, let us see what happens. I like everyone else want it over quickly and hope that will be the case.

[Acid]

This has obviously been happening for some time, credit to them for leaving it until the day after rather than before.

[ZonkoVille77]

At least the ball is really rolling now. Let's hope the cunts are out by July so we may have some time (and funds - yup I'm a dreamer) to get a few decent signings and make a challenge next year.

[Tom R]

er, the club has been "for sale" for fucking beards anyway. That doesn't mean anyone will offer what the cunts want for it!

 

This hasn't changed anything.

[odris]

Good job we didn't get them shirts made.

[TommyW]

didnt Mike Ashley put Newcastle up for sale well over a year ago? he's still there

[Acid]

didnt Mike Ashley put Newcastle up for sale well over a year ago? he's still there

 

Then they started winning and no on cared.

[Original202]

Ashley couldn't sell because nobody was stupid enough to meet his asking price or take on a club in need of major investment...

 

Who will want to buy us with such a high asking price and then a need for further investment in terms of the stadium?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Yadda Yadda Yadda, If these cunts told me black was black I still wouldn't believe them, I'm not interested in listening to anything the cancerous cunts have got to say, I don't like them, I don't trust them. The day the club is sold from these two will be the greatest day of my life, untill then I refuse to get excited despite how promising anything my seem to be. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the bastards are still here next season.

 

I guess this post illustrates just how much these two pricks have screwed with us. They have stepped back from any involvement with the club, have released that they are looking to sell 100% of the club, have hired some of the most reputable business people in the world to sell the club and we (well, some) still don't see it as real or get excited.

 

As I said on the first day this news broke, it is real, it will happen and it is being dealt with by people that know how to get it done quickly.

[Troubadour]

The club has been up for sale for two years, effectively. But it's interesting why, this time, they've come out and said it's up for sale. They have, presumably, been told it's time to fuck off.

 

Major problem remains, though, which is how much they want for the club. Nobody's been willing to pay that yet, so hard to see why anyone would be willing to pay it just on the back of an announcement.

[jackofdk]

I understand a sceptical approach but some of the negative reactions in this thread to the latest development genuinely baffles me.

 

I am made up with this from a glass-half-full point of view, but even with a more critical reasoning surely we'd have to be extremely unfortunate to get worse owners than the current cunts.

[aws]

Interesting first step. Wouldn't count any chickens but the "sale team" looks to have the right pedigree and I can't see them lending their name to the process unless they were convinced it was real.

 

On the other hand the yanks could just be keeping their options open as long as possible as the process could easily take the rest of the year.

[Acid]

What do people think of the new chairman?

 

Liverpoolfc.tv eSeason area :: Martin Broughton interview