Liverpool FC Forum

[DZed]

I'm also skeptical because I've lived in the States for the last 9 years and the teams they own are looked upon as the Boltons, Tottenhams, Newcastles of their respective leagues.

Yer, great comparisons.   Gillett's Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times in their history, more than any team in the league.  Just like Bolton, Newcastle or Spurs.  Hicks's Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and have been one of the league's best teams for going on a decade.  Definitely the Bolton/Newcastle/Spurs of the NHL, they are! WTF? 


(But, you are right about Hicks's Texas Rangers baseball team, though...they do tend to make up the numbers Bolton/Newcastle/Spurs style.  So, 1 out of 3 there lad. )

I would say 2 out of 3. Yes, Montreal Canadiens are one of the best hockey teams but they have been underachieving and still are under Gillett. Perhaps I'm wrong with the Stars as they have been coming first in their standings but 1999 was a long time ago to win the Stanley Cup, minus the strike. And yea, the Texas Rangers are just plain !

[Bad Bob]

Hey guys,

I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan (and I kinda like liverpool too) and I was reading through this entire thread. You guys are basically reacting the same way we did 6 years ago.

Gillett took over here a while ago and he really wasn't welcomed for various reasons:
1-He was American (anti-Americanism is extremely popular in francophone Montreal).
2-He had no proper experience.
3-The Canadiens are the most successful hockey franchise in the world, and the last thing we fans wanted to see was a no-name takeover the club.

However, Gillett has really managed to silence his critics. Over the years he has given direction to a team that has been struggling for over a decade and for the first time in 13 years, the team is beginning to look like a Cup contender (or atleast in the process of becoming one).

He knows to keep his nose out of club affairs (does not meddle "a la Abramovich style"). He makes sure the fans are satisfied with their product (cause after all, we're paying for it). And he has a good habit of surrounding himself with really capable, knowledgeable people.

So give the guy a chance. Maybe, like us, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

ps: in response to D-zed who posted last page: Gillet has owned this team for only 6 years. He took over in 2000, and this team was TERRIBLE. Their future looked terrible as well. Gillett took over and brought in the best scouts, medical staff, coaches, managers... And within 6 years, he has managed to get this team back on the right path.

As for Tom Hicks, he owns the Dallas stars which have been EXTREMELY successful in the last decade.

So I don't know where you get the impressions that their respective teams have been doing bad under their ownership.

Let me clarify my point. Montreal Canadiens are a lot like Liverpool in respect to thier glorious history and many championships. However, since 1992, the Canadiens have not won the Stanley Cup. This is similar to Liverpool's inability to win the league since 1990. Gillett has been owner of the Canadiens since 2000 yet still they finish 4th and 5th in league standings as they were prior to his ownership. While he may have improved certain things, there is still no Stanley Cup. I certainly do not want to wait 6+ years for our Premiership title. I do want apologize for comparing the Canadiens to such average teams as their past clearly shows they are one of the best, if not the best. But in the past 15 years they have been underachieving in the league, like Liverpool. Their average overall finish of 4th place has relatively been the same since Gillett took over.

You're comparing apples and oranges, lad.  See my earlier post in this thread about the different format of the NHL playoffs and about the upheavals caused by the lockout 2 seasons ago.  You can't just look at the Stanley Cup as the only gauge in assessing Gillett's success there.  Besides, as dammahom points out, the Canadiens had a lot more work to do to get back into contention after Gillett arrived than we'll have so your comparison is doubly misguided.  Suffice to say that the Canadiens have improved markedly under Gillett and that their fans are now quite happy with him as owner.  He's been great for the Canadiens and he's got every potential to be great for Liverpool as well.

[NiftyNeil]

I've been working all day, so like jonnymac, I've missed all the hoo-hah.

I've had mixed feelings over this whole thing for the past week (since the DIC collapse). Now that its come to it, we need to trust the new owners in getting our team back to where it belongs.

COME ON REDMEN!!

[lakes10]

What does everyone think about Gillett considering selling the naming rights of the new stadium?

Glad to know everything's finally sorted, this saga had went on long enough. Looking forward to what will hopefully be a successful era with the Yanks   

As takeovers goes this was not a bad move by our board, the guys seem to be s*** hot at what they do and its not in any way like the manc takeover. as for the name change of the new ground being sold off. well i am not happy about that but we did know this looked like it was going to happen from the start, dotforget RED BULL were looking to have the name. (dont think that will happen now and there is more chance of a sports wear company having the name, like the Nike.

[davo_LFC]

They certainly seem to be making all the right noises and we now have the resources to really challenge the chavs and co. Its looking positive and am pleased to see moores and parry are staying involved with the club.

Am really sad to see moores go, hes done a brilliant job in my opinion. He loves the club and he is one of us, a scouser.  A mention has to go to moores and parry; the abuse they got sometimes from mindless idiots borded on ridiculous; and they seem to have got it right on the investment lark despite being under extreme pressure. Liverpool won every trophy bar number 19 under moores chairmanship and he conducted himself brilliantly and he made the greatest signing in liverpools recent history by signing rafa benitez. I for one thank the man for all he's done.

[Lando_Griffin]

David Moores:

Thankyou for everything. It's a sad day for me, but I understand your reasons.

You are a Scholar and a Gentleman.

       

[crazyhorse]

They certainly seem to be making all the right noises and we now have the resources to really challenge the chavs and co. Its looking positive and am pleased to see moores and parry are staying involved with the club.

Am really sad to see moores go, hes done a brilliant job in my opinion. He loves the club and he is one of us, a scouser.  A mention has to go to moores and parry; the abuse they got sometimes from mindless idiots borded on ridiculous; and they seem to have got it right on the investment lark despite being under extreme pressure. Liverpool won every trophy bar number 19 under moores chairmanship and he conducted himself brilliantly and he made the greatest signing in liverpools recent history by signing rafa benitez. I for one thank the man for all he's done.

I agree. Moores has brought stable leadership to the club, and has backed every manager that has come along.

[Ciggy]

End of an Era part of our club died today.

There was something special about winning all that silver from a family run club.

But heres to the future and what it may bring.

[Kornblume]

Hey guys,

I'm a Montreal Canadiens fan (and I kinda like liverpool too) and I was reading through this entire thread. You guys are basically reacting the same way we did 6 years ago.

Gillett took over here a while ago and he really wasn't welcomed for various reasons:
1-He was American (anti-Americanism is extremely popular in francophone Montreal).
2-He had no proper experience.
3-The Canadiens are the most successful hockey franchise in the world, and the last thing we fans wanted to see was a no-name takeover the club.

However, Gillett has really managed to silence his critics. Over the years he has given direction to a team that has been struggling for over a decade and for the first time in 13 years, the team is beginning to look like a Cup contender (or atleast in the process of becoming one).

He knows to keep his nose out of club affairs (does not meddle "a la Abramovich style"). He makes sure the fans are satisfied with their product (cause after all, we're paying for it). And he has a good habit of surrounding himself with really capable, knowledgeable people.

So give the guy a chance. Maybe, like us, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

ps: in response to D-zed who posted last page: Gillet has owned this team for only 6 years. He took over in 2000, and this team was TERRIBLE. Their future looked terrible as well. Gillett took over and brought in the best scouts, medical staff, coaches, managers... And within 6 years, he has managed to get this team back on the right path.

As for Tom Hicks, he owns the Dallas stars which have been EXTREMELY successful in the last decade.

So I don't know where you get the impressions that their respective teams have been doing bad under their ownership.

Let me clarify my point. Montreal Canadiens are a lot like Liverpool in respect to thier glorious history and many championships. However, since 1992, the Canadiens have not won the Stanley Cup. This is similar to Liverpool's inability to win the league since 1990. Gillett has been owner of the Canadiens since 2000 yet still they finish 4th and 5th in league standings as they were prior to his ownership. While he may have improved certain things, there is still no Stanley Cup. I certainly do not want to wait 6+ years for our Premiership title. I do want apologize for comparing the Canadiens to such average teams as their past clearly shows they are one of the best, if not the best. But in the past 15 years they have been underachieving in the league, like Liverpool. Their average overall finish of 4th place has relatively been the same since Gillett took over.

A Stanley cup is the championship, but you have to be in the playoffs to win it.
Before Gillet, the Canadiens were not playing in them. Now they are.

I have to agree, as a Canadiens fans myself, with dammahom on Gillett's ownership. Altho Hicks has a tendancy to interfere more in the club's affairs, but only in baseball, with the Rangers. Rarely will you see him trying to run his hockey club.

I'm guessing they'll let the football people handle the football operations.

[Paul C]

I have to admit I'm unsure about Gillett a bit hearing about his bankruptcy but from the interviews with Hicks he does seem like a winner and someone the fans could grow to like if he delivers what he promisses.

[Raoul]

Well, it has happened, and time will tell.  I'm glad it sounds like a good start.  I do have one concern and it is the 50-50 shareholding.  If the two of them fail to agree on an important issue, how are they going to work through that?  A lot of business people would advise a 51-49% split has being much safer.  I know from experience in a company that I worked in that 50-50 can lead to difficult situations.

I guess these guys have the experience to work though that, but anyway, there is my 2 cents.

Thanks Moores, I hope we can be as proud of our modern commercial club as we have been of the family-run Liverpool.

[J*o*n*D*o*e]

whilst they made all the right noises i still cant get my head around 2 americans talking about football.

plus im still not convinced they fully understand the feeling we have for our club, i guess there first big test will be naming the new ground, it cant be anything else but Anfield, or would you be happy to call it The Adidas Arena if they gave us 30 million.

i hope for all our sakes these guys are the real deal.

[RUSHIE#9]

whilst they made all the right noises i still cant get my head around 2 americans talking about football.

plus im still not convinced they fully understand the feeling we have for our club, i guess there first big test will be naming the new ground, it cant be anything else but Anfield, or would you be happy to call it The Adidas Arena if they gave us 30 million.

i hope for all our sakes these guys are the real deal.

Make it 30 million a season and we'll talk.   

[The Manhattan Project]

They seemed like two decent guys.

I had to smile when Hicks said "Leeeeverpooooool Reeeeds" and "we have to compete with Maaaanchesstaaaarrr!"

I think Gillett is right about the naming rights too. If it brings in the income to buy players, so be it, it's a sign of the times and we must change with them.


I am cautiously optimistic.

[barnesrush]

They seemed like two decent guys.

I had to smile when Hicks said "Leeeeverpooooool Reeeeds" and "we have to compete with Maaaanchesstaaaarrr!"

I think Gillett is right about the naming rights too. If it brings in the income to buy players, so be it, it's a sign of the times and we must change with them.


I am cautiously optimistic.

agree, and who was this rarfar hicks kept going on about