Liverpool FC and Hollywood United

 

Image Copyright BBC

The latest twist in the Liverpool Takeover saga has seen top Hollywood film director Mike Jefferies join the fight against Tom Hicks. Jefferies, born in Liverpool has promised to make a film documenting the protest and will fly to Liverpool on Sunday 3rd October.

His motive is clear cut. To oust Tom Hicks from Liverpool by embarrassing him in front of his business peers In America Europe and indeed, worldwide. Jefferies is also rumoured to be joined by Samuel L. Jackson as well as Mike Myers, both lifelong Liverpool fans.

Jefferies is quoted by several major news sources as saying:“You won’t believe who’s involved. I’ve been stunned by terrific reaction of so many celebrity Reds, and many, many fans want to be involved in the film too,” Jefferies said.

“It is important to get the message across that the fans want Hicks and Gillett out. There are millions of supporters who can not accept their club being touted as a product like a soft drink.

“The viral is already building massive momentum and there is a real feeling now amongst the fanbase. But they don’t care, they don’t care about our club – except its valuation.

“They don’t care about the players or the fans. Or our history, or our heritage, and they don’t care about our future.

“By trying to refinance instead of showing some class and cutting a reasonable deal with someone and cutting his losses, Hicks is saying 'f**k you' to the fans.

“So what should we say in reply? ENOUGH! The only way we can get him to change his arrogant mindset is to give him a bloody nose and embarrass him in front of his family, friends, business associates, investors etc.

“Therefore, I flew up from Cape Town last night to come to Liverpool to make a short film here this weekend in which Liverpool fans and stakeholders will tell Tom Hicks – and the world – what they think of him. We are going to shame him and hit him where it hurts.”

The frustrated Reds pair will be in Liverpool on Sunday filming sections of the video they hope to have uploaded to YouTube by Tuesday.

“Our aim is to work night and day so that we can have the film uploaded onto YouTube by Tuesday, and we would then like fans to email the URL to their entire address books,” Jefferies added.

“Imagine if we could get a MILLION hits. If we can achieve that, then we can rest assured that everyone who counts will know that Tom Hicks is utterly despised. And more importantly, Tom Hicks will know.”

Liverpool fans everywhere will no doubt be astonished at this latest turn of events, as the campaign against Hicks goes truly viral. Jefferies brings true Hollywood muscle to the table with a long list of celebrity contacts and smash Hollywood hits to his name such as Goal and Bourne Ultimatum.

One thing is for sure, this will truly make RBS turn their heads as they also have celebrity account holders worth millions to their business.

The sh*tstorm has truly begun.

Liverpool - Another Great Escape On The Horizon?

Any Liverpool fan can tell you. Liverpool are the pass masters of great escapes. Liverpool versus AC Milan, Istanbul 2005, Champions League final. Liverpool were 3-0 down at half time and looked like being sent packing with their tails between their legs.

The FA Cup Final 2006, Liverpool versus West Ham. 3-2 down with minutes remaining on the clock, then Steven Gerrard scored THAT goal from fully 40 yards out, to send the game into extra time, then penalties, and which Liverpool went on to win.

Today, the club faces a challenge about which even its most talismanic players can do nothing. No Stevie screamer, or Torres wonder goal, or Kuyt super strike can affect what is happening in the board room.

Instead, the duty of getting the club out of the mess it is currently in has fallen to two men and countless fans worldwide. Those two men are Martin Broughton and Christian Purslow. Both men are believed to be business purists. Broughton has said he does not want to sell the club to the wrong party, and stoutly maintains that his loyalty to Chelsea as a lifelong season ticket holder has no bearing at all on that decision.

Purslow meanwhile, has over 30 years business experience on his CV, namely buying and selling distressed companies. He however, is a Liverpool fan and insists that he looks forward to the day when Liverpool's considerable commercial revenue can be pumped back into the club instead of servicing ever increasing debts.

Despite looking so good, Purslow and Broughton have yet to deliver on the promise of "finding the right buyer, one that has Liverpool's interests at heart", as what many fans look upon as doomsday, draws near. October the 8th. This is when RBS will step in and take control of the club, forcing Hicks and Gillett out.

The question being asked here is: should Hicks fail to refinance and ultimately lose possession of the club to RBS, the bank who financed the buyout originally, what will happen to LFC? Will the club be sold to any old buyer displaying the credentials of "having enough money to buy the debt"? Or will Broughton and Purslow be allowed to continue their job of seeing Liverpool into the hands of responsible custodians, and not just a pair of cowboys out to turn a profit?

Fan pressure is being applied to any financial institution even remotely associated with LFC, in a bid to prevent the American owners pulling off a great escape of their own, and retaining control of the Anfield club.

With Liverpool maintaining that they have ample financial facilities to meet monetary requirements over the next season, and with Gillett and Hicks looking to be on their way out of the door, maybe the combination of those two men, and Liverpool's legendary 12th man, is a winning one.

With any luck, Liverpool will pull off a Great Escape of their own, come Doomsday.

Liverpool Early Exit Highlights a Need For Change

Northampton fans will be singing and dancing all over the city for the next decade it seems, after shockingly dumping Liverpool FC out of the Carling Cup in the third round. It's a game that will live in the memories of the Cobblers for a long, long time to come, and will most certainly be a story told to grandchildren in front of a roaring fire.

However, footballing life goes on and Liverpool must now go about the task of reshaping and restructuring a new look squad, that so far hasn't really gelled, save for the game against Steua Bucharest, in which Liverpool hammered four in.

One big win against a Europa side however, simply isn't enough for the cup-hungry Anfield faithful. Already there are mutters of dissent over Rafael Benitez's departure and the appointment of his successor, Roy Hodgson.

Several comments were observed around Liverpool Forums during the Northampton game to the tune of: "hodgson won't last ten minutes" and "Should have given the job to King Kenny". Given Liverpool's poor start this season, such sentiment is almost understandable, however it is perhaps a little early to be judging a man who isn't used to dining at the top tables in Europe.

One thing is clear though, a change is needed, and a drastic one at that. Simply sitting 10 men behind a ball and playing cagey counter attacking football will no longer work in the top flight, as clubs spend more and more on outrageously overpriced players. The premiership has changed drastically over the last 5 years, with more mid-table teams than ever jostling for a place in Europe.

Money won't always be the deciding factor. Eventually, every club in the Premiership will have a foreign investor, and the likes of Chelsea and Man City will be averagely wealthy in the grand scheme of things.

In an exclusive interview with LFC TV, the club'f official TV channel, Christian Purslow confirmed that once Liverpool were eventually bought out, they would in fact be the most profitable club in the Premiership. He also said that current profits were being used to service debts loaded onto the club by it's American owners, and that he worked every single day towards one goal: ploughing those profits back into the pitch, the players and the facilities.

However rich a club is though, it needs a special person at the helm to make a difference, or indeed a very patient one who doesn't mind occasionally being used as a scapegoat. Avram Grant was a victim of such at Chelsea having lasted only a season before being sacked for failing to achieve the results desired by it's billionaire owner.

And so we swing back to Liverpool. If Liverpool are sold and are suddenly as cash rich as any other top flight club, will Roy be the man to take them forward? Or will he also face the axe (a 'la Rafa or Grant) for one bad season?

Or is Roy capable, or more more to the point, confident enough to ring the changes at Anfield and actually take some risks?

Liverpool Takeover Latest

Christian Purslow has gone some way to reassuring Liverpool fans worldwide, that the takeover process is still underway. In an exclusive interview given to the club's own TV channel (LFC TV), he stated that there were still a small number of parties carrying out due diligence.

He also answered many other probing questions, sent in by fans, the best of which were chosen and presented to him. Perhaps the most pressing question though was whether Tom Hicks was actively seeking to refinance his loan to RBS once again, the repayment of which is due in 2 weeks time.

Purslow moved swiftly to reassure fans that the rest of the Liverpool board were opposed to such an action where it involved borrowing against the club's assets such as the players or grounds. This should come as great relief to most of the fans who are already seeing their beloved club being dragged around through one saga after another.

Another question was why Rafael Benitez, the clubs former coach had been sacked. Again Purslow had a very swift response stating that it was a parting of the ways, and that nothing could be more cut and dry in his eyes.

Let's hope then, that this 'parting of the ways' as he called it does not prove to be one more nail in Liverpool's coffin.

To see the interview in detail for free, follow this link: Christian Purslow's Interview

Breaking News - Tom Hicks Sighted At Deutsche Bank New York

A New York Liverpool fan has Tweeted the news that Tom Hicks has been sighted going to Deutsche Bank in New York.

The news has already caused a flurry of activity around the web with supporters groups already planning the next email campaign.

This could be bad news for Liverpool Supporters everywhere as Tom Hicks continues the grim fight to retain control and possession of Liverpool Football Club, the most successful club in British football.

However, the news may not be all bad. With Hicks' growing list of enemies, and his poor performance in obtaining credit recently, he may find that fewer and fewer banks or credit institutions are willing to take him seriously.

One can only hope.

Fan Power Stage 2

Ok, lets get stage 2 under way!

Taken Directly from http://www.lfcreds.com/reds/index.php?topic=33070.new#new

Hi all - again, the Kop Faithful guys and also the staff at YNWA.tv have prepared draft email text and have asked if we can help them - if you can, please send emails as instructed below. Your help's much appreciated.

The email, as you see, challenges the premise of any refinance to the current owners. If you've any questions for Kop Faithful please ask them here:
http://kopfaithful.org/

------------------

To: stephen.hester@rbs.co.uk; john.hourican@rbs.com; roger.lowry@rbs.co.uk; rebecca.oliphant@rbs.com; richard.holliday@rbs.com; tommy.mclean@rbs.co.uk; customer.service.alerts@rbs.co.uk; online.service@rbs.co.uk; invoicefinance@rbs.co.uk; investor.relations@rbsir.com;tom.mckillop@rbs.co.uk; fred.goodwin@rbs.co.uk; guy.whittaker@rbs.co.uk; millermclean@rbs.co.uk; richard.oconnor@rbs.co.uk; info@rbsspreadtrading.co.uk; ellen.alemany@rbs.com; elaine.hunter@rbs.co.uk

CC: gngillett@bcmgt.com; ian.ayre@liverpoolfc.tv; philip.nash@liverpoolfc.tv; thicks@hicksholdings.com; tohjr@hicksholdings.com; martin.broughton@ba.com; mhicks@hicksholdings.com; stephen.schwarzman@blackstone.com; bennett.goodman@blackstone.com; timothy.white@gsocap.com; marketing@gsocap.com; jon.laycock@barcap.com; kopfaithful@hotmail.co.uk

Dear Mr Hester

Following revelations today that the private equity firm The Blackstone Group has ended talks with Tom Hicks regarding a £280m, two-year refinancing package, we ask that you finally take the appropriate action and call in the loans now and end the disastrous ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

We urge you to take the sale process out of the hands of the owners and their appointed representatives Barcap and focus on selling the club to suitable custodians who can bring stability to the football club, who will invest in the playing squad, and finally deliver the new stadium in Stanley Park on which the future prosperity of the club and the local area depends so much.

The Royal Bank of Scotland have previously stated that they wish to act in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club and that the long-term future of the club will be at the centre of any decisions. Well as a lifelong supporter of LFC and a British tax payer, clearly the best interests of all parties cannot be served by providing further extensions to the current financing arrangements, or by enabling Hicks and Gillett to remain in charge by any other means.

What we want

• Hicks and Gillett out now. RBS to call in the loans with immediate effect and oust the current owners.
• RBS to take over the club in the short-term and retain the current management team of Martin Broughton, Christian Purslow, Ian Ayre and Philip Nash who will continue to run the club on a daily basis until the club is sold.
• RBS to take control of the sale process from Barcap and seek suitable custodians who will: a) clear the current debt and not borrow against the assets of the club; b) run the club with a sensible business model; and c) Construct the new stadium in Stanley Park as soon as is reasonably practicable.

What we don't want

• RBS to extend the refinancing with Gillett and Hicks.
• RBS to sell the debt to a faceless investment bank who will load yet more debt onto LFC, increase the interest repayments, extend the disastrous ownership of Hicks and Gillett and put the final nail in the club's coffin.

Liverpool supporters worldwide are very concerned at the actions of RBS in recent days and get the impression that the bank want to wash their hands of the problems at LFC. While supporters are relieved that Blackstone appear to have pulled out of negotiations with Tom Hicks, inevitably it means that RBS' actions will once more become the main focus for the millions of LFC fans who've joined the successful email campaigns.

It is time for RBS to give something back to the Liverpool fans that contributed towards the £500bn taxpayer bailout, without which you wouldn't have a bank to manage.

Yours faithfully

The Kop Faithful - No to RBS refinance - Liverpool FC
http://kopfaithful.org/

Fan Power

Sticking It To ém
Tom Hicks must have finally realised that his time is running out once and for all. The news of his attempted refinancing of the 237m loan initially secured against the club was greeted with universal worldwide anger.

Several companies courted by Hicks were mailed repeatedly and told to expect a backlash from millions of extremely disenchanted Liverpool fans. These companies quickly moved to distance themselves, without reason, from talks with the Texan.

In the next two weeks, many Liverpool fans may find themselves holding their breaths, as they wait for the final decision from RBS on whether to force the Americans out, or refinance again. This looks increasingly unlikely however, owing to the fact that RBS themselves have quoted Liverpool FC as a "distressed asset".

A refinancing offer from RBS would also be unwise in the face of the recent increasing numbers of protests and public outcries at the behaviour of Hicks and Gillett.

This goes to show what is possible, when enough people are united in a common belief. With any luck, the ownership saga of Liverpool FC may be concluded within the next few weeks, and the fans can actually be proud to say that they were a part of stopping the demise of the worlds greatest footballing institution.

Fan Power!

Tom Hicks Suffers Major Blow

Tom Hicks has suffered a major setback in his attempt to regain control of Liverpool Football Club. Blackstone GSO have reportedly snubbed his request for aid in refinancing the clubs debt to RBS.

Over the weekend, following the news of his board meeting in London with Martin Broughton et al, Liverpool fans all over the world reacted angrily and voiced their displeasure at the Texan's latest plan.

The owner of Blackstone GSO, the American Billionaire Steve Schwarzmann, is a close personal friend of Hicks, and is the third richest man in America. This latest move was seen by some as a last desperate attempt to cling on to Liverpool for a further 2 years, while new owners were being sought out.

However, The Guardian has reported that Schwarzmann has walked away from the deal without comment and this can only mean that Hicks has failed.

There are still two weeks remaining until the current loans against Kop Holdings mature, however it seems unlikely that any buyers will come forward in that time. Indeed, it is estimated by many that there are many buyers waiting in the wings in order to get the club at the knockdown price of the club's debt, as opposed to the ridiculous asking price put in place by Hicks and Gillett.

Get Behind The Reds Now!

Over at http://www.empireofthekop.com, a storm is brewing. A letter, drafted by the site owners aims to keep Tom Hicks from refinancing his debt to RBS by using an outisde institution called Blackstone Associates.

They would like all red fans with access to email to send a copy of the letter to show that we will no longer sit down and take it. By putting pressure on Blackstone and letting them know what we are capable of (The Sun Boycott for example), we hope to prevent Hicks from taking full control of Liverpool again.

Click the link above and get in on the action now!

Lets do it!

UPDATE 20/09/10
Do not send any more emails. See this post instead.

Tom Hicks Strikes Again

Image Copyright nerdsonsports.com


Once again Tom Hicks is in the media spotlight after reports emerged that he is trying to retain control of Liverpool FC by reappointing his son Foster as a board member. Foster was reported to have told a fan to "blow me fuck face" after a heated e-mail exchange regarding frustration at the then current ownership issues.

Various major newspapers like The Sun and The Mirror are reporting that any attempt made by Hicks to try and regain complete control at Anfield will be blocked by the rest of the board members (excluding perhaps George Gillet, who has remained strangely silent in the last couple of months).

This latest debacle, which will be seen as yet another insult to the club by it's fans around the world, will undoubtedly do more harm to Hicks's already tarnished repuation, than good. Liverpool fans were absolutely outraged at the behaviour of Foster Jr, and rightfully so. Said one Liverpool fan: "Any person in a responsible position of authority in an institution of the calibre of Liverpool Football Club should not be making remarks such as that".

It remains to be seen whether Hicks will be successful in his latest adventure, however, such a move will not win him any support, one suspects, either in the boardroom or outside its walls.