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An Epic Swindle by Brian Reade


Dougie Do'ins
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So how did you end up selling to a leverage buyout king in Hicks? Did you and Moores take him purely on Gillett's word?

 

“Effectively, yes. We'd known George for six months and thought we'd got a decent feel for him. So when George said: 'Trust me, Tom's a decent guy', we thought: 'Well, you obviously know him far better than we do, you've decided to give him 50% of the club, so you must have done your checks.' That's essentially what we relied on.”

 

Well Mr Parry, you are the biggest fucking idiot that has ever been associated with our club then. Fucking unbelievable that he would just “take his word”.

 

 

 

And while it might not be popular, I can certainly say that an awful lot of club legends went down a wee bit in my estimation during the last year of Hicks and Gillett’s time here when the club was on the verge of bankruptcy. An awful lot of people who should have spoken out seemed to have been more concerned with what they might lose by speaking out. I don’t mind saying that at times I was very annoyed with the silence from Rush, Dalglish, Gerrard, Carra, Smith, Evans, even Thompson and Aldridge who it seemed were going to stay quiet until towards the end. It’s a bit sad that the former player who was the biggest critic of the former owners was Stan bloody Collymore. I don’t buy excuses about keeping things in-house or been worried what the fans might think. The club was dying on its knees yet not enough fans knew about it or were willing to believe and act on it, and a proper public voice of any kind of club legend, current or in the past, would have hugely helped. I had feelings at the time that when the chips were down and we really needed our most famous sons, they were nowhere to be seen. I really feel uncomfortable saying that in particular about Dalglish because he stood up to be counted during our darkest hour, and while he did come out with one or two snippets in the press, I know that at times over the previous year I was questioning and wondering would we ever hear anything substantial from the likes of him or the Captain and Vice-Captain as the fans needed galvanising. Standing at the ground chanting against the owners, only to be told to sit down and shut up by other Liverpool fans was so disheartening when you knew that if any of legends spoke out then these fans telling us to shut up would all of a sudden be in the minority.

 

But I can happily say now that it seems like I’ve never been more happy to be a Liverpool fan. I think you have to look into the abyss to appreciate what you have and I love the fact that we’ve come out of this awful period with our greatest ever legend at the helm and with two local lads with over a thousand games between them as our Captain and Vice-Captain. I just hope that the owners are decent lads, and so far they have started ok, and then we can continue down this road of only having to be concerned with on pitch matters again.

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“Also, if I go, Reina, Arbeloa, Mascherano and Torres would all leave too. Xabi Alonso will go anyway, because he wants to go back to Spain.”

 

So it seems that Rafa knew in December 2007 that Xabi wanted to go back to Spain

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So how did you end up selling to a leverage buyout king in Hicks? Did you and Moores take him purely on Gillett's word?

 

“Effectively, yes. We'd known George for six months and thought we'd got a decent feel for him. So when George said: 'Trust me, Tom's a decent guy', we thought: 'Well, you obviously know him far better than we do, you've decided to give him 50% of the club, so you must have done your checks.' That's essentially what we relied on.”

 

Well Mr Parry, you are the biggest fucking idiot that has ever been associated with our club then. Fucking unbelievable that he would just “take his word”.

 

Was "take his word" Parry-speak for "due diligence"? After trawling the globe for years looking for a buyer, it seems amazing that "take his word" could sell the family silver. It was Ricko's responsibility to do his OWN checks, checking every dot and comma on the deal before approving it.

 

:wallbutt:

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And while it might not be popular, I can certainly say that an awful lot of club legends went down a wee bit in my estimation during the last year of Hicks and Gillett’s time here when the club was on the verge of bankruptcy. An awful lot of people who should have spoken out seemed to have been more concerned with what they might lose by speaking out. I don’t mind saying that at times I was very annoyed with the silence from Rush, Dalglish, Gerrard, Carra, Smith, Evans, even Thompson and Aldridge who it seemed were going to stay quiet until towards the end. It’s a bit sad that the former player who was the biggest critic of the former owners was Stan bloody Collymore. I don’t buy excuses about keeping things in-house or been worried what the fans might think. The club was dying on its knees yet not enough fans knew about it or were willing to believe and act on it, and a proper public voice of any kind of club legend, current or in the past, would have hugely helped. I had feelings at the time that when the chips were down and we really needed our most famous sons, they were nowhere to be seen. I really feel uncomfortable saying that in particular about Dalglish because he stood up to be counted during our darkest hour, and while he did come out with one or two snippets in the press, I know that at times over the previous year I was questioning and wondering would we ever hear anything substantial from the likes of him or the Captain and Vice-Captain as the fans needed galvanising. Standing at the ground chanting against the owners, only to be told to sit down and shut up by other Liverpool fans was so disheartening when you knew that if any of legends spoke out then these fans telling us to shut up would all of a sudden be in the minority.

But I can happily say now that it seems like I’ve never been more happy to be a Liverpool fan. I think you have to look into the abyss to appreciate what you have and I love the fact that we’ve come out of this awful period with our greatest ever legend at the helm and with two local lads with over a thousand games between them as our Captain and Vice-Captain. I just hope that the owners are decent lads, and so far they have started ok, and then we can continue down this road of only having to be concerned with on pitch matters again.

 

Some good points there Johnny. Especially the bit in bold.

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Looking at that Hillsborough flame motif on the top right, it not only represents a memorial to those that died in the tragedy, but also a message that no matter how much people try to bring the club to its knees or wipe it off the map, the club will never die. It means too much to too many people, and that is something the two shitehawks never did and never will understand.

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“Also, if I go, Reina, Arbeloa, Mascherano and Torres would all leave too. Xabi Alonso will go anyway, because he wants to go back to Spain.”

 

So it seems that Rafa knew in December 2007 that Xabi wanted to go back to Spain

 

Oh good, can we argue about Xabi again?

 

I miss those days...

 

Arbeloa and Alonso went when Rafa was there, Mascherano wanted to, Reina is still here and may be waiting for summer transfers before deciding further.

 

So maybe Torres has inside info about Rafa taking over at Chelsea?

 

Otherwise that sentence has the faint whiff of agenda and hindsight about it. It's certainly not the comment of a man who thought the club came first.

 

If Readey's book is to be treated as the definitive guide to the vermin's calamitous reign, good.

 

If it's also to be used for the same tiresome, pig-headed point-scoring on behalf of a manager who is no longer here, not so good.

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Guest TK-421
Oh good, can we argue about Xabi again?

 

I miss those days...

 

Arbeloa and Alonso went when Rafa was there, Mascherano wanted to, Reina is still here and may be waiting for summer transfers before deciding further.

 

So maybe Torres has inside info about Rafa taking over at Chelsea?

 

Otherwise that sentence has the faint whiff of agenda and hindsight about it. It's certainly not the comment of a man who thought the club came first.

 

If Readey's book is to be treated as the definitive guide to the vermin's calamitous reign, good.

 

If it's also to be used for the same tiresome, pig-headed point-scoring on behalf of a manager who is no longer here, not so good.

 

It's an opinion. Deal with it or don't read the book.

 

Quite ironic that people were scared about players leaving if Rafa stayed. Players like Gerrard and Torres, who have been injured, crap or both this season. Maybe, you know, they shouldn't have so much power when it comes to these decisions?

 

How many of the players in your quote are still here?

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Oh good, can we argue about Xabi again?

 

I miss those days...

 

Arbeloa and Alonso went when Rafa was there, Mascherano wanted to, Reina is still here and may be waiting for summer transfers before deciding further.

 

So maybe Torres has inside info about Rafa taking over at Chelsea?

 

Otherwise that sentence has the faint whiff of agenda and hindsight about it. It's certainly not the comment of a man who thought the club came first.

 

If Readey's book is to be treated as the definitive guide to the vermin's calamitous reign, good.

 

If it's also to be used for the same tiresome, pig-headed point-scoring on behalf of a manager who is no longer here, not so good.

 

my view too. I shan't be buying it.

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Priceless, isn't it.

 

"Hang on! That nasty man said something I don't agree with. I'm not buying it. I shan't buy it! Mummy, tell them I'm not buying it."

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It's an opinion.

 

Of course, and it won't be me on page 50 when this thread inevitably 'ignites'!

 

Certain Alonso signed a new contract way after that meeting took place, with the 'mutual friend' whose neutrality/record with the 'actualiteh' (c Allan Clarke) isn't the best.

 

Funny thing for someone who wanted to go back to Spain to have done.

 

Like I say, Rafa's presence didn't exactly work for Arbeloa Alonso or Mascherano. They wanted out anyway, as did others.

 

Stringy, you should; the rest of the book should be an excellent read.

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Like I say, Rafa's presence didn't exactly work for Arbeloa Alonso or Mascherano. They wanted out anyway, as did others.

 

It worked for the fickle cunts when they were winning medals and reaching finals. Oh, and when the pound was good against the Euro.

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I think its inevitable this thread is going to go like the rest of them. Benitez was manager here for all bar 4 months of Hicks and Gillett's time here. It was always going to cause difference of opinions. Especially on here.

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Of course, and it won't be me on page 50 when this thread inevitably 'ignites'!

 

Certain Alonso signed a new contract way after that meeting took place, with the 'mutual friend' whose neutrality/record with the 'actualiteh' (c Allan Clarke) isn't the best.

 

Funny thing for someone who wanted to go back to Spain to have done.

 

Like I say, Rafa's presence didn't exactly work for Arbeloa Alonso or Mascherano. They wanted out anyway, as did others.

 

Stringy, you should; the rest of the book should be an excellent read.

 

no - after being on the FF for so long I thought I'd adopt some of the common principles and slag it off from a distance while being ignorant of the facts. I can get all the pro-Benitez agenda I like on here without having to stump up for it. I did buy his earlier book though.

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Yes he does,

 

Dalglish,Gerrard and Carragher,SHOULD have spoke out against Hicks and Gillett,they chose not too and sat on their hands

 

Then so too should Rafa have spoken out properly against the owners: he didn't even do this after he was 'mutually consented' and just muttered that it would be 'disrespectful' (not a courtesy he extended to his replacement or to Christian Purslow). Instead he decided in 2008 that getting Rick Parry out of the club was the most important thing in the short-term and formed his ill-starred alliance of convenience with Tom Hicks to achieve this.

 

Personally, i would have liked to have seen the manager, coaching staff and all the senior players sign a collective declaration. It didn't happen, and in hindsight it's a shame, but it's not fair to single out one or two individuals on the playing staff as a result.

 

it's also very interesting to have it confirmed that Rafa was speaking off the record with journalists during his tenure here - something which we were vehemently told on here time after time he didn't do and he wasn't pally with any Fleet Street hacks and was disliked because he didn't 'play that game'.

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He is one of my favourite Journalists, for that reason I would want to know what he is saying.

It is on a subject that could have seen the end of this football club, for that reason I would like to read it.

In short I will buy it!

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Wow! A book about this, something that could have pretty much finished the club and the usual wankers priority is - Oh yes, Rafa Benitez. Stringvest and goatboy take a bow.

 

Oh, give it a rest - why no complaint about people talking on this thread about carra or gerrard? i also don't remember you being that interested about something that you now claim 'could have finished the club'.

 

maybe if you listened to your elders and betters like goatboy - whose love for this club goes back years - you might learn something and actually be able to contribute constructively to debates on here.

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