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Kenny Huang thread - part 2


dave u
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I'll clarify that situation for you Barry because the point you make is a good one. I have

no way of proving that BarCap or anyone else are looking at becoming lead bankers for a new consortium involving Hicks and Gillett. But there are a number of prominent people in the city who believe that is the case, which is why I used the word 'suggestions'. Also it is Huang who is 'appalled' by such suggestions not me, this is a news report not a comment piece and my duty is to report what people say, do and think. Such suggestions could turn out to be, to use Red Phil's turn of phrase, wide of the mark but they are so serious and would have such massive implications for us that it I'm sure most supporters would agree they would rather be informed that this is a possibility than not. I'm confused by the whole thing and I don't know what to think. The only reason I'm posting on here at the moment is I believe every Liverpool fan deserves as much clarity and transparency in this situation as they can possibly get so the least I can do is attempt to explain my own position and clarify anything that I've written if it is causing confusion or concern.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I know this must be doing your head in.

 

I understand you have a duty to report - I also knew you meant Huang was appalled - but if he was appalled, why isn't he saying it in his press release? It's complete bullshit (from him) covering up a joke of a bid imo - he has never been credible and the only time people took him seriously was when your paper effectively endorsed him as such.

 

As for this "prominent people in the city" being worried about barclays refinancing - one thing I can tell you is I have worked in the city (with the exception of the odd year where I've taken other projects) for 15 years. My work brings me in daily contact of many high profile people within non-retail banking and a I made a lot of friends when I was a younger man and playing footy with fellas then, who are now big hitters in many of the top banks in the city and some with the bank supposedly willing to put this deal together.

 

What I know for absolute certain is since barcap have been involved the silence from that bank has been incredible. It's what they do better than any other major british bank. They don't care what people in the media say about this and that (look at the whole Zimbabwe thing a couple of years back) and they are quite happy to let other people talk shit about what they are going to be up to (like in the banking crisis when they were supposedly going to go cap in hand to the government, but instead quietly and quickly turned to the arabs). I can't believe for one minute that if Barclays were putting a bid together on behalf of G&H, we'd have got a sniff of it till either it was done or it was blown out of the water. I can see certain people (living the other side of the atlantic), who might see a benefit in wanting people think they can refinance - what is there to lose? But I don't see any big hitters in the city having a fucking clue - there's no way barcap would let another bank know (if there's money to be made, they want to make it, not give others the idea of making it) and they are keeping things completely and utterly watertight in their own orgainisation.

 

I've got to be honest, I am sick to death of all the rumours and counter rumours that have been kicking round for I don't know how long and it's got to the point where it is impossible to trust a supposedly reputable paper like the times, because it's content is being filled with rumour and is completely lacking in fact. I know you are not the only paper to blame in all this (and you've actually had very little to say throughout this process), but you're paper has been more vociferous than the rest and your title carries greater weight for business stories than the others combined, which makes this all the more frustrating and some of the things your colleague is coming out with and the radio and SSN, quite frankly wreaks of desperation and deflection.

 

I am not saying all is rosey - in fact most who know what I've said on here know I said from day 1 in this sale process I believed it was the owners intention to hang onto the club. We are completely and utter at the mercy of RBS and Martin Broughton - and while I don't like that, I feel it's impossible to trust a word anyone is saying through papers and we need to trust the takeover regulations that will bind the board to at least need to speak honestly when they do open their mouths.

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I re-read the article and it is clear that this was in addition to the denial from the CIC who wouldn't go on record.

 

There has been no denial from CIC. FT said they were told by CIC that they didn't know who Huang was or about any bid. CIC have not denied it.

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No hurry, not like we're heading for administration or anything. It's all perfectly fine.

 

If he cant meet deadlines he shouldnt mouth off about them.

 

Hermes is right on this one. Broughton isn't responsible for the quality - or lack of - of potential club suitors. If anything, if SSN are right and Huang threw his toys out because they asked him to sign a confidentiality agreement, then Broughton has done his job well.

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Having had a night sleep and cooled down slightly, I am starting to think that right now Broughton might just be shitting himself. If speculated that Huang was the only offer then he will be awoken today by thousands of people asking/demanding an explanation and for the first time since he has been at this club, his collar is tightening on him. We have been pretty reasonable to Broughton well most people in giving him the room to do what is necessary for the club.

 

However last nights chaos, Huang has well and truly done Broughton here. Right now am thinking 2 things. This is all face value, he wont be returning and that is that or the one I am thinking is Huang is sitting there waiting for Broughton to ring to ask for more discussions whilst in the background Ayre, Purslow and maybe even the dickheads may be panicking a little if there is other bid.

 

But I dont think this is the last of Huang just yet, as he said he is considering his options. I think he has taken a back seat and is waiting for a severly underpressure chairman to ring him. We all need to wait and see what develops i suppose.

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You'll still be on here in a year, "well a few months could be 14 or 15 months to be fair". The trust in this guy is truly mindblowing.

 

Not so much trust as understanding the virtually impossible job they've been given.

 

This goes back to how Moores and Parry have been shit on too. In 2007 they were asked to find people who would provide 300m for the club, 400m for the ground and 150m for the manager - but hey, no debt on the club!

 

Now we want Broughton to find someone to do the very same thing and yet somehow get around the massive debt to RBS and the vermin's insatiable greed.

 

The moon on a stick......

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Liverpool Echo - Liverpool FC - Columnists - Dominic King - Dominic King: Liverpool FC faces its biggest ever decision over ownership

 

THE champagne should be chilling, the red carpet should be being unrolled and a sense of euphoria should be swirling around The Kop.

 

It has been another momentous week at Anfield, one that has seen Fernando Torres reaffirm his commitment to the cause, but if Liverpool supporters felt a confident assurance at its start, the weekend dawns with an increasing apprehension.

 

For while there is widespread glee that the ham-fisted, debt-laden tenure of Tom Hicks and George Gillett will soon be over, it is tempered by the fact that, to borrow an old analogy, Liverpool could actually jump from the frying pan into the fire.

 

Up until last Sunday, the vast majority would have been blissfully unaware of the Chinese mogul Kenny Huang - fewer still would have known about the merits of the Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi.

 

Now though, their names are being rattled into internet search engines, as anxious Reds aim to discover whether they will be fit and proper people to run one of the globe’s most famous footballing institutions.

 

Without being overdramatic, this is the biggest decision that will ever be made surrounding Liverpool Football Club; one that will determine their position in the game for years to come. For that reason, judgements will be reserved for some time.

 

Unlike when Hicks and Gillett rolled into town, promising the earth but ultimately delivering nothing, Liverpudlians are not going to be seduced by sums of money that resemble international telephone numbers.

 

Caution has to – and must be – the watchword. If Huang and the Chinese Investment Corporation take control for instance, the figures with which Liverpool could end up dealing are mind-boggling but they will not guarantee nirvana for the club.

 

We are after all talking about businessmen. Hicks and Gillett did not get involved with Liverpool because they grew up idolising Billy Liddell and Albert Stubbins, they bought David Moores out because they spotted a chance to make big money.

 

Similarly, Huang and his associates – assuming they are successful – are not going to plough funds into Anfield fuelled by romance and nostalgia; this represents an opportunity for them to tap into the potential of the Far Eastern football market.

 

Of those who have shown their hands in recent days, Huang’s looks the most straightforward proposal even though Kirdi has made an offer that would enable Hicks and Gillett to depart with an eye-watering profit.

 

Inevitably, that means the pressure building around the situation becomes more intense by the day and the man at the centre of the action will perhaps be mindful of a quote issued by Liverpool’s former chief executive back in December 2004.

 

“We are evaluating our options in a measured way and we look forward to reaching the right conclusion,” said Rick Parry.

 

“It is about reaching the right conclusion for the next 100 years, not for the next few months as you only sell the family silver once.”

 

Martin Broughton dare not make the mistake Parry went on to make and, given his lifelong links with Chelsea, many will be viewing his role in the shaping of Liverpool’s future with great suspicion.

 

However, you do not occupy the roles he has in business if you are a fool and it is understood that Broughton has absolutely no intention of hurrying a deal through just to give the prospective new owners a chance to work in the current transfer window.

 

Broughton, Liverpool’s chairman, is acutely aware his efforts will be scrutinised years down the line and that is why he will not hoist a “sale agreed” placard up outside Anfield.

 

“There is no base line,” he said at the press conference held for Roy Hodgson’s unveiling as manager last month. “I’ve said it before and will say it again – this is an auction. When the winning bid comes through, we will do a deal with the best bidder.

 

“The best bidder may not be the highest bidder. This is more than just money. It is about the stadium development, it’s about the team – it’s about the whole piece. Once we have been through that process, the best bidder gets it.”

 

With that in mind, there should be some reassurance that just because Kirdi appears to be offering more than Huang –for obvious reasons, Hicks and Gillett favour his bid – he is not in the driving seat.

 

There is momentum for a decision to be taken in days but it is imperative that Liverpool’s executives pause to survey the bigger picture; they will not get another chance to make the coming decades as successful as the past.

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Not so much trust as understanding the virtually impossible job they've been given.

 

This goes back to how Moores and Parry have been shit on too. In 2007 they were asked to find people who would provide 300m for the club, 400m for the ground and 150m for the manager - but hey, no debt on the club!

 

Now we want Broughton to find someone to do the very same thing and yet somehow get around the massive debt to RBS and the vermin's insatiable greed.

 

The moon on a stick......

 

If its such an impossible task you've got to wonder why he bothered taking the job. Still, I suppose "Liverpool FC chairman" looks nice on the CV doesnt it whether he fails or not.

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As a total outsider it seems to me that the Yanks have still got plenty of influence over bids coming in despite the common rumour that they wouldn't or even couldn't stand in the way of reasonable offers.

 

In my opinion and mine only,a reasonable offer would simply be a deal to wipe out the debt and money to allow the club to continue operating on a day to day basis.

 

I realise this isn't a popular opinion but why are we even thinking about a new stadium when the finances at the moment are akin more towards a person having their home repossessed rather than buying a newer,bigger and better one.

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CIC never denied anything.

 

I think we've swerved a massive bullet to be honest in not having them anywhere near having an influence on the club. It could've turned out an absolute nightmare, to the level that Hicks and Gillett would've been fairies in comparison.

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Not so much trust as understanding the virtually impossible job they've been given.

 

This goes back to how Moores and Parry have been shit on too. In 2007 they were asked to find people who would provide 300m for the club, 400m for the ground and 150m for the manager - but hey, no debt on the club!

 

Now we want Broughton to find someone to do the very same thing and yet somehow get around the massive debt to RBS and the vermin's insatiable greed.

 

The moon on a stick......

 

That's the most important point of the lot for me. The salesmen may change but we're still chasing an impossible dream. The kind of finance we've been searching for for almost a decade will almost inevitably take us into the world of venture capitalists. They want to make money from us not put money into us. Swimming with sharks.

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That's the most important point of the lot for me. The salesmen may change but we're still chasing an impossible dream. The kind of finance we've been searching for for almost a decade will almost inevitably take us into the world of venture capitalists. They want to make money from us not put money into us. Swimming with sharks.

 

yet strangely a shit arse club like man city have ended up with owners who have spent £1bn in the 2 years they've been there and have a stadium little bigger than we have today.

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I posted it in the last thread but will put it again in here.

 

There is no way the club would have been sold quickly like Huang wanted to unless he was offering Hicks and Gillett a suitable profit for their (sarcasm mode) hard work.

 

Broughton has said he wants to get the best deal for the club but first and foremost his duty is to the shareholders, Hicks and Gillett.

 

Both the owners want to sell but if you think they are willing to walk away of their own free will without a profit then you are seriously deluded.

 

If for an example Broughton agreed a deal with Huang to sell the club for £237m purely to clear the debt owed to the bank then i can assure you legal action would have followed by Hicks and Gillett.

 

RBS want their money back but they want the minimum of fuss so the last thing they want is to be involved in a court case which could last many months.

 

If Huang is the only serious bidder then he has nothing to worry about as he can purely come back in late September when the refinance loan is due to expire and put a bid in for the club.

 

People attacking Broughton etc need to take a step back off the PR train and realise that he maybe in the long term be doing something that is the benefit of the club.

 

I have a lot of time for Tony Evans and if he comes on here then im more then happy to communicate via pm but he needs to have another word with Helen Power and ask her of the legal ramifications of what would have happened had Broughton accepted a bid by Huang at this stage in the sale process which would have left the owners out of pocket.

 

I can assure you it would have been no quick sale.

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yet strangely a shit arse club like man city have ended up with owners who have spent £1bn in the 2 years they've been there and have a stadium little bigger than we have today.

 

The owners of City were offered Liverpool but were put off by the asking price then of allegedly around £800m.

 

The difference with City is they had an owner willing to sell at a reasonable price and not try to get double the value of the club during an economic shitstorm.

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I've always thought a takeover was never going to be done cleanly. The Texas Rangers went into bankruptcy before Hicks' hands were off them. G&H don't care what it takes, but if you want them to fuck off without a profit, you'll have to take the club off their dead hands (here's hoping anyway).

 

They're holding the club hostage in their game of brinkmanship and it appears that Broughton does not have the power (or maybe the bottle) to force a sale against their will like it's been reported.

 

RBS won't put the club into administration, they'll get another refinance, from either them or another bank who will be happy to pocket the interest without doing anything.

 

Broughton has no ties to this club, the only reputation he cares about is his reputation amongst the sharks, leeches and thieves he works with on a daily basis, not the fan on the streets. It's naive to think he's come in here to "save" the club from two people who have agreed to his appointment.

 

Potential buyers aren't lining up in numbers because they prefer to take the club when it will be cheaper and are willing to wait for G&H to fuck up.

 

For people who still think there are some shadow bidders on the horizon with pockets full of money, think again. We've been here before, and if I were a betting man, I'd say we'll still be here in January for some several more "most crucial week in the history of the club" nonsense.

 

That's the way I see it anyway. The club is either going to continue to be leeched off until it goes bankrupt, and only then will we be saved from those two tumors, or some nutcase will come up with the cash that will satisfy them.

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Here we go again.

 

Object to the lynch mob and you're giving him "God like status".

 

"Lynch mob" is about on par with "God like status" for exaggeration.

 

 

Question for anyone with far more understanding of the financial situation than me:

When did LFC become unable to service the debt?

I fully understand that not qualifying for the CL means profit took a huge hit, but I don't recall (or perhaps not understood) any figures or genuine suggestion that we couldn't afford the standard repayments???

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THE champagne should be chilling, the red carpet should be being unrolled and a sense of euphoria should be swirling around The Kop.

 

It has been another momentous week at Anfield, one that has seen Fernando Torres reaffirm his commitment to the cause, but if Liverpool supporters felt a confident assurance at its start, the weekend dawns with an increasing apprehension.

 

For while there is widespread glee that the ham-fisted, debt-laden tenure of Tom Hicks and George Gillett will soon be over, it is tempered by the fact that, to borrow an old analogy, Liverpool could actually jump from the frying pan into the fire.

 

Up until last Sunday, the vast majority would have been blissfully unaware of the Chinese mogul Kenny Huang - fewer still would have known about the merits of the Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi.

 

Now though, their names are being rattled into internet search engines, as anxious Reds aim to discover whether they will be fit and proper people to run one of the globe’s most famous footballing institutions.

 

Without being overdramatic, this is the biggest decision that will ever be made surrounding Liverpool Football Club; one that will determine their position in the game for years to come. For that reason, judgements will be reserved for some time.

 

Unlike when Hicks and Gillett rolled into town, promising the earth but ultimately delivering nothing, Liverpudlians are not going to be seduced by sums of money that resemble international telephone numbers.

 

Caution has to – and must be – the watchword. If Huang and the Chinese Investment Corporation take control for instance, the figures with which Liverpool could end up dealing are mind-boggling but they will not guarantee nirvana for the club.

 

We are after all talking about businessmen. Hicks and Gillett did not get involved with Liverpool because they grew up idolising Billy Liddell and Albert Stubbins, they bought David Moores out because they spotted a chance to make big money.

 

Similarly, Huang and his associates – assuming they are successful – are not going to plough funds into Anfield fuelled by romance and nostalgia; this represents an opportunity for them to tap into the potential of the Far Eastern football market.

 

Of those who have shown their hands in recent days, Huang’s looks the most straightforward proposal even though Kirdi has made an offer that would enable Hicks and Gillett to depart with an eye-watering profit.

 

Inevitably, that means the pressure building around the situation becomes more intense by the day and the man at the centre of the action will perhaps be mindful of a quote issued by Liverpool’s former chief executive back in December 2004.

 

“We are evaluating our options in a measured way and we look forward to reaching the right conclusion,” said Rick Parry.

 

“It is about reaching the right conclusion for the next 100 years, not for the next few months as you only sell the family silver once.”

 

Martin Broughton dare not make the mistake Parry went on to make and, given his lifelong links with Chelsea, many will be viewing his role in the shaping of Liverpool’s future with great suspicion.

 

However, you do not occupy the roles he has in business if you are a fool and it is understood that Broughton has absolutely no intention of hurrying a deal through just to give the prospective new owners a chance to work in the current transfer window.

 

Broughton, Liverpool’s chairman, is acutely aware his efforts will be scrutinised years down the line and that is why he will not hoist a “sale agreed” placard up outside Anfield.

 

“There is no base line,” he said at the press conference held for Roy Hodgson’s unveiling as manager last month. “I’ve said it before and will say it again – this is an auction. When the winning bid comes through, we will do a deal with the best bidder.

 

“The best bidder may not be the highest bidder. This is more than just money. It is about the stadium development, it’s about the team – it’s about the whole piece. Once we have been through that process, the best bidder gets it.”

 

With that in mind, there should be some reassurance that just because Kirdi appears to be offering more than Huang –for obvious reasons, Hicks and Gillett favour his bid – he is not in the driving seat.

 

There is momentum for a decision to be taken in days but it is imperative that Liverpool’s executives pause to survey the bigger picture; they will not get another chance to make the coming decades as successful as the past.

 

Don't really see the point in posting an old article it's only relevant at that time?

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