Liverpool FC Forum

[Effes]

Did anyone see the footage of when Gillet took over the Canadiens?

He said something like they had "the best fans in the world"

Im sure they're experts at paying lip service

[ckay]

I'm also a habs fan and he said vitually the same thing as he did yesterday. Virtually word for word.

I hope the team now push for the remainder of the season seeing as though there Liverpool career is on the line with Rafa having £120 mill to spend in the summer. There could be a lot of dead wood cut out of the team in the summer. Very very exciting times.    

[Leonmc0708]

I'm also a habs fan and he said vitually the same thing as he did yesterday. Virtually word for word.

I hope the team now push for the remainder of the season seeing as though there Liverpool career is on the line with Rafa having £120 mill to spend in the summer. There could be a lot of dead wood cut out of the team in the summer. Very very exciting times.    

Including the guy in your picture on yuor signature with any luck.

[ckay]

oh come on, not Arnie!!! If not first team, he'll make a good back up.

[dammahom]

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.

When did the Habs finish 4th or 5th in the standings prior to 2000? I must've missed those years... We could barely make the top 8 of our conference (which has 15 teams).

Prior to Gillett, habs fans like myself had absolutely no reason to believe that things were getting better. If anything, they were getting worse.

We had no proper management, no proper scouting/drafting, a half-decent medical staff. Gillett took over a broken team with no hope and no future.

Hockey isn't like football. You can't rebuild your team within a couple of years. It's a much longer process due to salary restrictions and certain rules and regulations that are put in place to make sure the wealthier teams cannot buy the best players.

You have to rebuild your team by drafting (scouting) new players at the end of each season. Those "drafted youngsters" generally take two to three years in minor leagues before they even start playing in the NHL.

So, it would be very unreasonable to expect to see results within the first 3-4 years.

According to most scouting rankings, the Canadiens are consistently ranked as one of the top teams in terms of future talent. THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE PRIOR TO 2000!

[The Ace1983]

Well yeehaw. We got ourselves a couple of yanky doodle dandys and y'all know what?... I'm quite happy about it. I kind of wanted the Sheik because he could have bought Roman Abramovich and made him dance for pennies, but these guys seem like a more realistic choice.

They're business men and these days football is a business. We all live for that 90 minutes of action, but it would be pretty dire if the rest of the time wasn't supervised by boring business men in grey suits. And these guys are a good prospect because DIC would probably have treated the club as more of an asset than a business, whereas Hicks and Gillett will make Liverpool successful off of the pitch allowing everyone else to make the team successful on the pitch. They certainly aren't like Glazer or Abramovich. Did Roman make Ken Bates a life-time president? Did Glazer meet with Roy Keane to offer his assurances? These guys seem to be really enthusiastic and even a little humble, which helps me to see them more as helpers than hinderers.

I'm glad Parry isn't leaving, but I still don't trust him, because he'll show them the ropes and impose his knowledge on them. The assurances about Everton and the new stadium were wonderful to hear and when they made that remark about how, if a big player becomes available somewhere else then we'll be in the running to sign them, well that just tickled me.

It is the end of an era, but not just for Liverpool. The Premiership is becoming a billionaire's playground and it's better to get in early and get a couple of guys who know money, sports and franchises, and who have a healthy wad of cash between them. The Moores' family will still have a voice in the boardroom and that's important, but as Bob Dylan once sang "The times they are a-changing" and you can either fight against it or get with the program. We've done the right thing.

And just one final point. I've spent various parts of the last 6 years either living in America, travelling to and from America, working with and for Americans and even sleeping with a couple of Americans. I've never met one that wasn't competative and determined and that is exactly what you need in club chairmen. They only ever play to win and if they think a Russian is getting the better of them, they'll work until that is no longer the case. Not all Americans are as incompetant as Dubya, in the same way that we aren't all like Blair. Hicks and Gillett may well be, if you'll excuse the rather obvious pun, the best a fan can get.

[Bad Bob]

Soccernet's got this little piece on our new owners, where some of their ESPN colleagues give their takes on Gillett and Hicks as owners in the context of the NHL and baseball...

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Gillett and Hicks uncovered
Dale Johnson
Archive

The arrival of US sporting tycoons George Gillett Jr and Tom Hicks at Liverpool this week has raised many questions over the direction the club will now take.

The new owners have spoken at length about their desire to retain the tradition and identity of the, for now, Anfield club.

Gillett and Hicks have a long and proud tradition of sporting excellence in North America, here Soccernet calls on two of ESPN.com's specialist writers to bring an insight into the way they have run their teams in ice hockey and baseball.

• SCOTT BURNSIDE
Scott is a freelance writer based in Atlanta. In this role, Burnside writes several stories each week for ESPN.com.

If there is angst in the soccer pubs of England about the pending sale of Liverpool to North American interlopers George Gillett and Tom Hicks, it could hardly be greater than the hand-wringing that accompanied Gillett's purchase of the storied Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League in late January 2001.

At the time Gillett became the first non-Canadian to own the most successful franchise in NHL history and a team that rivals the New York Yankees and Boston Celtics as the greatest franchise in all of sport.

The Canadiens had fallen on hard times and it was feared an American with little hockey background would further erode the team's cachet in Quebec or even worse, move the team to the United States. Gillett's chequered financial history, which included the loss of a prized Vail, Colorado ski resort that went bankrupt after the junk bond collapse in the early 1990s, only exacerbated the concern over the future of one of the NHL's cornerstone franchises.

But in a short period of time Gillett not only allayed the fears of legions of Montreal fans but has become something of a favoured son in the mostly French-speaking province.

Although the Canadiens have not returned to the Stanley Cup finals since Gillett's purchase he has allowed the Canadiens to spend competitively with other teams prior to the 1995 lockout after which the NHL adopted a salary cap.

Gillett returned Bob Gainey, a Hall of Fame player during the Canadiens' dynastic years in the mid-1970s, to the team as general manager. Gainey in turn has brought in popular former player Guy Carbonneau as head coach and the team will almost certainly qualify for the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five playoff years.

Beyond that Gillett, who was once the owner and CEO of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, has been a driving force in the team's continued observance of its traditions and heroes. The Canadiens are acknowledged around the league as one of the most classy organizations, especially when it comes to recognizing past heroes.

The team, which recently sent Hall of Fame netminder Ken Dryden's jersey to the Bell Center rafters, has even recognized heroes from other teams like the Boston Bruins with whom the Canadiens have enjoyed an emotional playoff rivalry over the years.

As for Gillett's partner in the Liverpool venture, Tom Hicks (with who Gillett teamed up with several years ago on the acquisition of a massive beef and pork operation) didn't have to contend with history when he took over the Dallas Stars in December 1995 but rather ensuring that pro hockey became more than a novelty in the Lone Star State.

The Stars had moved to Texas from Minneapolis at the start of the 1993-94 season. When Hicks took over as owner the Stars quickly became a league power. Hicks spent freely to bring in top-name talent and played an active role in recruiting such players as Brett Hull and Ed Belfour, both whom played a significant role in the Stars' march to the 1999 Stanley Cup. Dallas returned to the Cup final the following year, losing to New Jersey, but the Stars remain one of league's elite teams.

Although Hicks is far better known for his stewardship of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, which he has owned since 1998 and where he made headlines by signing Alex Rodriquez to a landmark 10-year, $252-million deal in 2001 he has quietly become one of the powerbrokers of the NHL. The team's support of grassroots hockey programs in Texas is seen as a blueprint for success by teams in non-traditional markets.

• JERRY CRASNICK
Jerry covers baseball for ESPN Insider. His book 'License To Deal' has been published by Rodale.

The consensus is that Hicks takes a more hands-on approach with the Texas Rangers than his hockey team, the Dallas Stars, largely because he's more familiar with baseball than hockey.

When the Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez for $252 million in December 2000 after no team offered him anything close to that, Hicks was portrayed nationally as a bit of a rube. He effectively outbid himself by a huge margin to land the player. Then the Rangers invested big money in pitcher Chan Ho Park, another Scott Boras client who was a complete disaster. After those two experiences, Hicks seemed more willing to back off and trust his baseball people.

He's considered a pretty congenial guy, and he likes to get involved when the team courts big-name free agents. Last year Hicks invited pitcher Kevin Millwood to play a round of golf at the home of the Masters, Augusta National, where Hicks is a member. In December, Hicks was at the table when the Rangers tried to recruit free agent pitcher Barry Zito over dinner. Zito ultimately signed with San Francisco.

Here's an interesting quote from agent Scott Boras that appeared in the Dallas Morning News: '[Hicks] has a recruiting style that is one of the best among owners,' Boras said. 'He lights fires. He creates sparks.'

While Hicks is actively involved, he now picks his spots and isn't as meddlesome as some baseball owners. For example, Hicks allowed his young general manager, Jon Daniels, to make the call when the Rangers fired manager Buck Showalter after last season.

With time, Hicks has come to realize that success is more a function of scouting, signing and developing players through the draft than spending huge money on free agents. Texas' Opening Day payroll of $65 million last year ranked 18th among the 30 big league clubs.

Now the Rangers seem intent on taking a more grassroots approach. They've invested a lot of time and money in their academy in the Dominican Republic in hopes of producing more talent there.

Until the Rangers win anything, Hicks will be known primarily as the guy who overpaid big-time for A-Rod. The Rangers won 95 games in 1999, Hicks' first full season as owner, and they've finished above .500 only once since. It's not a very impressive track record.

ARTICLE LINK

[The Red Baron]

Obviously The  Liverpool Echo is full of quotes tonight,looks like Messers Gillette and Hicks are quick learners.

Gillett also had words of praise for Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, who he met on Monday night.


“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “They are special men and obviously two of the greatest athletes in the world.


“We started out and they said ‘what’s your impression?’


“And we said we were at West Ham the other night where we learned every single form of the use of the word that begins with ‘F’ that we had ever heard. It was very creative.

[Istanpool]

They're business men and these days football is a business.

I think above is the best quote of all thread and summarizes everything. And besides, this sentence also explains why I started to hate the way football progressed in last few years. I do not want it to be a business and I do not want it to be an industry.

I find myself a real football fan, watching even very lower league games, sometimes amateur games. "I love this game". So Abramowich, Gillete, Arabs, anyone who sees football as an investment can never share the feelings I have for football. Whoever calls football "soccers" sucks. Football is a game to me, and i love it the way it used to be, pure, mannish, honest and fierce. When they started to put lots of money in it, it became snob, dirty and dishonest.

This is the main reason I have difficulty in accepting the clubs, "real football clubs", sold to the "investors". I really do not need any cup or winning brought by the money.

I did not feel this way, in fact i did not care when Abra bought Chelsea or Kaddafi's son got the club in Italy. However, when it came to Liverpool, it meant lot to me. As I told, I am real football fan, but Liverpool has more meaning then being "another" football club in the world. I always took Liverpool is a group of people who stands for rights, honesty, to make the world a better place. Liverpool was a temple, no dirty hands could never reach. Liverpool was a symbol of solidarity of people who fight against inequity. Liverpool was a "stance" (if this is the correct word) of regular person.

I have seen another thread referring to an article of Chelsea fan claiming "Liverpool has killed football". This is a .

Football died yesterday.

[ckay]

Did anyone watch the ice hockey on five wednesday night?
There was an interview with Hicks and Gillette saying that after all there years in sport they've learnt that the best way to run a club is to let the managment team do there job and to make funds available. The guy in the studio used to play for the Canadiens and had nothing but respect for him.

When he bought the habs the everyone was up in arms about how dare an american by a canadien original six team but they all love him now. This isn't a Glazer deal or a Ramon type deal. I think/hope that things are going in the right direction.

[Robbie Fowler 2007]

Bad Move in my eyes. We should have sold to the Sheikhs. (DIC).

These yanks know nothing about football, and Rick PArry looked a sick  man at the press conference. Yes ok, give Rafa a load of wadge to spend in the summer, but who we gonna buy?

Unless, with all this money, we bid 30m for Ronaldhinio, then we should stop dreaming. I dont even think Rafa will do that.

I think Rafa is too sensible and will buy cheap.

3rd season in the job, no title!

enough said.

[A.B.]

Bad Move in my eyes. We should have sold to the Sheikhs. (DIC).

These yanks know nothing about football, and Rick PArry looked a sick  man at the press conference. Yes ok, give Rafa a load of wadge to spend in the summer, but who we gonna buy?

Unless, with all this money, we bid 30m for Ronaldhinio, then we should stop dreaming. I dont even think Rafa will do that.

I think Rafa is too sensible and will buy cheap.

3rd season in the job, no title!

enough said.

And the Sheiks know football? They claim to be Liverpool fans but pull out of the deal as if it's nothing.

F#cking wind up.

[Robbie Fowler 2007]

No one knows really why they pulled out.

I'll bet it had something to do with PArry's "conditions" of owning LFC.

he's talked about it often enough

[A.B.]

No one knows really why they pulled out.

I'll bet it had something to do with PArry's "conditions" of owning LFC.

he's talked about it often enough

You think that Parry pulled the plug?  Parry is the f#cking chairman you twit, Moores is the owner. Moores made the decision.

The DICs had months to buy the club that they're supposedly fans of [30 years they say] so they give us a 6 hour ultimatum to make a decision.

Load of bullocks.

[Robbie Fowler 2007]

It's codswallop.

Moores was scared to sell his share, as the "Run DIC boys", wanted this and that, and Moores did not want to give up his share after his family owning it for 5o years.