Liverpool: all quiet on the Texan front

In recent months, all talk of our soured American owners, their antics, problems and their ownership position has been subdued, if not totally silenced. Now whilst some may see that as a negative, in the fact that all issues now seem to have been forgotten about and disappeared into the night - come back Tom and George, all is forgiven - nothing could be further from the truth. We still all want them out of our club, and that will never change.

But I prefer to view the situation as a positive. For the first time in a while, it's allowed the players, fans and manager to concentrate on matters on the pitch. No distractions of buy outs and behind the scenes politics poisoning the club and washing our dirty linen in public. Just full concentration on our cup run, league position, player performances and managers decisions. Discussing issues that other other football fans do about their own team. It's made a refreshing change and allowed me to begin to enjoy watching football again.

The cynics may state that's purely because we're top of the league, but I felt the same before these new owners reared their ugly heads, when we weren't doing nearly quite so well in challenging for the league title. It's all to do with not having to worry about arguments and politics between Hicks, Gillett, Parry and Benitez and how it might affect the team. To do with everyone in the stands concentrating on the game and supporting rather than having to demonstrate and react to yet more damaging news that could impact the future of the club. I just want to put it to the back of my mind until the season is over.

Just last week it was announced that Hicks and Gillett have received a 6 month extension to their current loan from RBS, giving them until the end of July to refinance; something I genuinely believe they'll never be able to do.

When they bought the club around two years ago, they borrowed dollars from the banks and were handed the keys. If they wanted to sell the club now, and hopefully in July they'll have no choice, then the club will be sold in sterling. So when they convert the hand fulls of silver from the sale back into their native dollars, it's not going to look healthy. They bought the club with the dollar trading at almost two to the pound. If buying the club for £300m, they had to pump in $600m. If selling the club for the £300m they bought it for, they would now only receive around $450m due to the collapse of the pound. Sooner or later, it will come. Let's just hope we have a league title under our belts before it gets really messy in the summer months!

We haven't forgotten about them. We haven't forgiven them, and we'll never forgive them. They aren't fit to own and run OUR football club. They have tarnished the great name of Liverpool FC and dragged our reputation through the gutter since their arrival. The day they leave cannot come quickly enough, but I'm now resigned to letting the financial market take control and be in charge of their destiny. It'll happen when it happens. Hopefully at a time when it won't affect on the field matters. Roll on the refinance in July! Good luck trying to secure a new loan boys; you'll need it.

Does that mean we fall into administration when they default on the loan? Who knows. Are they other buyers waiting in the wings? I think so. A club as big and as popular as Liverpool will never be short of interest, especially when the current owners are backed into a corner and in no position to call the shots on any sale, or when the club is in ownership of the bank through default. Maybe even Share Liverpool could step forward with a proposal at a more realistic figure, as the £500m originally quote was pie in the sky.

Whatever the year may hold, lets hope it's a successful one on the field, and results in new owners off it.

Paul Jones

Comments

[Freddie]

Clive Byron - stop frothing at the mouth. No matter how much money you spend as a supporter it doesn't make it YOUR club. I used to go to the Odeon every week but can't claim ownership either. Get a grip man.

You rolled over and allowed your tummies to be tickled by the Yanks and you're now upset. Too late.

How convenient of you to ignore my other two points.

[Oli]

Stanley, I'm not a Liverpool fan but your comments "As for the financial situation rest assurred that the owners know what they are doing - they have been in this business for a long time" is absolutely ridiculous. The same could have been said about the experienced and respected chairmen of the sub-prime market and investment banks collapsing around us. If the banks call in the debts owed to them by football clubs they simply cannot afford to pay it off, whether it be the scousers or Man United. These people (it is irrelevent they are American, it is their agenda not their nationality) bought clubs out of self interest at the expense of the stability of those clubs, and it is not pompous to take issue with that.

[Clive Byron]

To the post made by Freddie.

What the author is referring to when he speaks of 'our' club is obviously not material possession. He means the club he has always supported since he was a boy, the club he has followed all over the world, the club he has given his hard-earned money to. You refer to this as 'emotional'.

However, what you need to understand is that without such fervent support there is no club, no TV rights, no sponsorship. Does that make it any clearer for you?

[Matt]

Love it, hope you go into administration, points deducted ... LFC vs Leeds ha ha....

[Dave Texas]

The loan extension is the best poosible event for LFC. Between now and then Hicks and Gillette will know what the financial options are and prospective new owners will have the time to negotiate with the cuurent owners and the Government regarding the new stadium. As LFC continue to win the brand value increases and that makes new ownership more possible.

[LFC2005]

If you really wanted the club to remain unsettled, you wouldn't have produced this article. Why bring up the ownership issue when we are just hitting our best form of the season?

[Nick]

What would Shanks say about these guys?

DIC SOS!

Chin up Redmen, this time next year we'll be billionaires!

[Alex]

One concern I have is that if they cannot refinance in July and have to use the summer as a means of finding a buyer, how is that going to effect Rafa's summer shopping, they are not going to ply him with cash to spend and then walk into the sunset are they....that my friends is a CONCERN!!

[Cally]

Yawn.

Focus on the football and leave the off field stuff to people who know what they're doing.

The last thing we should be doing is listening to anyone on the internet as to what it best for the club.

[stanley]

The club is doing well and we are on top of the league so why can't you pompous british assholes just stop bashing Hicks and Gillett.The season so far has seen the owners not interfering as much as last season so it does mean that they have at least learnt their lesson i think. As for the financial situation rest assurred that the owners know what they are doing - they have been in this business for a long time .

[Matt Dalton]

If the refinancing fails in July does that mean we have no money for transfers?

[Rob]

"We've made our point clear enough and those feelings still stand. But they are at the back of the mind for now while we embark on a title challenge, to resurface in the summer when the refinance is due."

Right. Expediency is first and foremost. After all, why stand by your principles when the club is doing well? Those messy ideals just get in the way.

The moment Liverpool slip up in the League, you can go back to complaining about the owners.

[Freddie]

What do you mean OUR football club?. It never was yours anything other than emotionally and that's the point - Parry was pimping it out to the Thai dictator who eventually bought Man City.It's not YOURS.

By the way, I live in Italy part of the year. LFC is already pretty tarnished as a name out there so don't worry about the Americans making it worse.

[Jim]

Well said Paul. You took the words rights out of my mouth. The Club has lost tens of millions of pounds in grants already because of the stadium delays and the long term would be a nightmare under the good for nothing yanks. Its important not to forget that getting rid of them is a priority........but at least its nice to be able to forget they exist for a while.

[Brian]

WHAT ABOUT RAFAS CONTRACT?

[Paul Jones]

Not contradictory at all.

I'm just merely enjoying the football for a change and not constantly worrying about the ownership issue.

We've made our point clear enough and those feelings still stand. But they are at the back of the mind for now while we embark on a title challenge, to resurface in the summer when the refinance is due.

The last thing we need during the run in is an off the field distraction

[Rafa The Gaffer]

Interesting column, I agree with alot of what was posted, but to say all the fighting has died down, and we can concentrate on football, and then go on, and on, about the owners and their troubles seems a bit weird and contradictory!