Liverpool FC Forum

by **Ciggy** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:00 pm

MP asks sports minister to stop Liverpool FC 'soap opera'
Apr 18 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

MP Peter Kilfoyle has written to the sports minister asking him to intervene in the bitter ownership battle for Liverpool FC.

Mr Kilfoyle, whose Walton constituency includes Anfield, has spoken of his fears about how the squabbles between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett is affecting regeneration.

Now he has stepped into the fray and asked minister Andy Burnham to help find a political solution.

With the future of parts of Anfield reliant on the long awaited building of the new stadium, the Labour MP believes it is time for the "soap opera" to come to an end.

He writes in the letter: "Although not a supporter of its team, I am the Member of Parliament for the club, and have had a long and positive relationship with it.

"It is, therefore, with sadness and regret that I have watched it develop into a soap opera.

"The club's iconic status in football means that the image of football is being damaged and the image of the city of Liverpool.

"Most importantly, regeneration in one of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the entire country, is being delayed.

"Large sums dedicated to regeneration projects in the neighbourhood of the club, are contingent on the development of their proposed new stadium. That appears to be as distant a prospect as ever.

"I write to you to ask you to intervene.”

by **account deleted by request** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 1:35 pm

Andy Burnham lives just round the corner from me (when he's home). I will have a word with him the next time I see him. I will have a word with him about the fkn police helicopter that he has circling his house every morning waking me up as well!

by **Judge** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:00 pm

laza wrote:
Judge wrote:
andy_g wrote:
peewee wrote:on a serious note mate hicks has stated he is here for the long term and the points i have been trying to make is to give him support while he is here, where is the benefit of protesting when he isnt going anywhere, it pointless

isn't that what a large proportion of the french said when the nazis invaded?

that has to be tongue in cheek andy

nazis invading france had far more reaching problems than that at football club

Yes more trees had to be planted on Champs-Élysées so Hitlers hordes could have some shade for their victory marches

laza is truly great

by **Reg** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:14 pm

Kharhaz wrote:
This post makes me very sad and shows that Hicks is a complete b.ullshitter that are finances are totally cocked up and that the press are having a field day printing anything and everything.

But as long as it makes people like you, who believe anything and everything, sad, they will always be there.

What a stupid comment that is. Maybe you dont understand the implications of buying anything on 360 day LC terms but others amongst us do. Dont judge others by your own uneducated standards laddie.

by **Kharhaz** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:48 pm

Reg wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
This post makes me very sad and shows that Hicks is a complete b.ullshitter that are finances are totally cocked up and that the press are having a field day printing anything and everything.

But as long as it makes people like you, who believe anything and everything, sad, they will always be there.

What a stupid comment that is. Maybe you dont understand the implications of buying anything on 360 day LC terms but others amongst us do. Dont judge others by your own uneducated standards laddie.

No you misunderstand, it wasnt meant as an insult or a dig, you said it yourself it makes you sad and that the press will print anything. But there are many who buy into everything little thing the rags publish, BS or not.

by **Ciggy** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:51 pm

Forget Calzaghe v Hopkins, if you want to see two old men knocking seven bells out of each other, Liverpool Football Club is the place to be.

And unlike most boxing matches, in which rivalries are more the product of promoters' imaginations than genuine animosity between fighters, this scrap between Tom Hicks and George Gillett is for real.

Let's see how the pair measure up in our alternative tale of the tape:

WEIGHT

Hicks has been tossing his weight around recently, apparently forgetting he owns only half the club by trying to force out Rick Parry. Gillett took longer to tip the scales but when he did, it was to throw himself squarely behind the besieged chief executive.

MUSCLE

Each has flattered to deceive where financial muscle is concerned. Both billionaires, they were welcomed as Anfield's answer to Roman Abramovich. The reality is the pair went cap in hand to the Royal Bank of Scotland for the cash to buy the club, while they also appear intent on making the new stadium a bigger white elephant than the Millennium Dome.

TACTICS

Offence seems to be Hicks' specialiality, the Texan having managed to upset just about everybody at the club, from writing Dear Johns to Parry to meeting replacements for Rafael Benitez behind the manager's back - all of which has infuriated supporters. Gillett is more of a counter-puncher and also has been known to employ the 'rope a dope', having convinced David Moores to sell to him and Hicks in the first place.

TRASH TALKING

Although unlikely to descend into 'yo momma' territory, both men have embarked on personal attacks in recent days. Hicks described Parry as a ``disaster'', while Gillett accused Hicks of causing unnecessary ``turmoil''. But it is a different kind of trash talking at which both men excel. They arrived at the club claiming, ``we fully acknowledge and appreciate the unique heritage and rich history of Liverpool and intend to respect this heritage''. They obviously missed the tradition of dealing with problems behind closed doors. The raging bull continued when their spokesman insisted stories they were planning to sell any portion of the club were ``categorically untrue'' days before Hicks admitted holding talks with Dubai International Capital.

SUPPORT

There can be only one winner in this unpopularity contest, with Hicks coming across as the bad guy from the moment a rift developed. His attempt to win the fans over in a television interview was cringeworthy in the extreme. But Kopites are not likely to be singing 'walking in a Gill-ett wonderland' any time soon either. If it's approval the pair are seeking, they'll have no trouble finding it in the blue half of Merseyside at the moment.

by **112-1077774096** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:56 pm

Bad Bob wrote:
peewee wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Has anyone got the link/story about the brazilian club that Hicks bought, promised the stadium to...never delivered and then fooked off ?
Or am i imagining that

never heard of that

Shocking. And you wonder why a geography teacher from Canada has a better grasp on the severity of the situation than you do. Let me paint a simple picture for you, Peewee, and then I'll go back to ignoring your drivel:

What happens at board level has and will continue to influence what happens on the pitch. Ergo, solving the board room problems (which are massive) completely and utterly overshadows everything else when it comes to Liverpool Football Club. Hicks must go, Gillett must go and Parry must go in that order. Once those exits have been orchestrated the minor problems on the pitch can be effectively addressed.

oh how expected, anyway bob are you ready to answer my earlier question, what is more important to you this season? Hicks out or winning the CL

keep having little digs all you want and I will respond with the same question

by **Ciggy** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:07 pm

Rafa has just said he intends on honouring his contract for the next two years. :buttrock

Great news, beyond that will depend on who owns the club he said.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:08 pm

ciggy he also has said recently "i'll consider my position at the end of the season"

by **Igor Zidane** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:12 pm

peewee wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:
peewee wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Has anyone got the link/story about the brazilian club that Hicks bought, promised the stadium to...never delivered and then fooked off ?
Or am i imagining that

never heard of that

Shocking. And you wonder why a geography teacher from Canada has a better grasp on the severity of the situation than you do. Let me paint a simple picture for you, Peewee, and then I'll go back to ignoring your drivel:

What happens at board level has and will continue to influence what happens on the pitch. Ergo, solving the board room problems (which are massive) completely and utterly overshadows everything else when it comes to Liverpool Football Club. Hicks must go, Gillett must go and Parry must go in that order. Once those exits have been orchestrated the minor problems on the pitch can be effectively addressed.

oh how expected, anyway bob are you ready to answer my earlier question, what is more important to you this season? Hicks out or winning the CL

keep having little digs all you want and I will respond with the same question

Peewee i bet you a pound to a pinch of salt 90% of match going fans will say hicks out is more important and they'd be right . I couldn't tell you what none match going fans would think ,as there's far to many to make a good guess . I'll make a guess anyway . I'd say if the fans are well informed ones like yourself and bob .it'would be 75% for hicks out . For the ones who are not well informed and are just along for the ride ,i'd guess at 50% / 50% split.

Now we all want LFC to win the champions league obviously ,but the vast majority of fans imo think that what the two americans are doing to our club is so serious that the very future of the club is at stake.

I know what your views on rafa are peewee (you let us know often enough

) and although i don't agree with them ,i accept and understand why you've come to this opinion .
Seriously though mate i wish you would get a grasp of the seriousness of the situation and i think you would if you were going the match still ,infact i know you would . I firmly believe you like alot of the fans have done ,would put your views on rafa to one side and concentate on getting our club back on an even keele. I would bet my mortgage on it that you would be one of the loudest calling for the yanks to go.

This is not an anti peewee post mate , it's not my style, i'm just trying to give you a heads up on the depth of feeling amongst the majority of fans imo.

YNWA.

by **Dundalk** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:13 pm

god_bless_john_houlding wrote:ciggy he also has said recently "i'll consider my position at the end of the season"

When did HE say that. I heard plenty of storys but as usual I didnt see any quotes

by **Reg** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:30 pm

Kharhaz wrote:
Reg wrote:
Kharhaz wrote:
This post makes me very sad and shows that Hicks is a complete b.ullshitter that are finances are totally cocked up and that the press are having a field day printing anything and everything.

But as long as it makes people like you, who believe anything and everything, sad, they will always be there.

What a stupid comment that is. Maybe you dont understand the implications of buying anything on 360 day LC terms but others amongst us do. Dont judge others by your own uneducated standards laddie.

No you misunderstand, it wasnt meant as an insult or a dig, you said it yourself it makes you sad and that the press will print anything. But there are many who buy into everything little thing the rags publish, BS or not.

Ok sozz for misinterpreting your message.

Buying on a 360 day LC implies (big style) we have cashflow problems basis time (needing the one year credit) and credibiliity in that the banks dont accept an open credit agreement, wanting the security of an irrevocable guarantee.

In few words "Ok here´s the cash but I want belt and braces to make sure I get it back".

Hicks saying that we have a warchest etc.. is ballony if this is how we buy players as not only do we not have cash, but we dont have access to open credit agreements either. All our lines are used up.

by **god_bless_john_houlding** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:33 pm

Dundalk wrote:
god_bless_john_houlding wrote:ciggy he also has said recently "i'll consider my position at the end of the season"

When did HE say that. I heard plenty of storys but as usual I didnt see any quotes

I can't provide any links or what not if that's what you're looking for, but I read on sky sports new a few days/weeks ago. Whether they've chopped and changed it to make out that's what he did say, I don't know, but that's where I got it from.

by **Bad Bob** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:36 pm

peewee wrote:
Bad Bob wrote:
peewee wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:Has anyone got the link/story about the brazilian club that Hicks bought, promised the stadium to...never delivered and then fooked off ?
Or am i imagining that

never heard of that

Shocking. And you wonder why a geography teacher from Canada has a better grasp on the severity of the situation than you do. Let me paint a simple picture for you, Peewee, and then I'll go back to ignoring your drivel:

What happens at board level has and will continue to influence what happens on the pitch. Ergo, solving the board room problems (which are massive) completely and utterly overshadows everything else when it comes to Liverpool Football Club. Hicks must go, Gillett must go and Parry must go in that order. Once those exits have been orchestrated the minor problems on the pitch can be effectively addressed.

oh how expected, anyway bob are you ready to answer my earlier question, what is more important to you this season? Hicks out or winning the CL

keep having little digs all you want and I will respond with the same question

Because asking the same irrelevant question deflects nicely from the fact that you fail to grasp even the most basic dimensions of this debate. I'm flattered you think so highly of my opinion, though. :;):

by **Reg** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:42 pm

Are Bad Bob and PeeWee married? If not, you´d make a perfect match...........

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Hicks on sky sports. - Claims he is buying the club outright!

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