Liverpool FC Forum

by **jymbojetset** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 10:18 am

Not sure how much truth is in this, as appears to contradict itself. Hoping the LFC board will blow it out of the water.

Indicates that the money isn't readily available anyway "start looking for partners", why not Steve Morgan - his offer is there?

Thai tycoon plans further Liverpool talks

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham, bidding to buy a stake in Liverpool, says he will meet representatives of the Premier League club later this month to try to finalise a deal.

"Around the end of this month I will go to talk to their executives and I think we should reach some conclusions," Paiboon told reporters on Wednesday, playing down last week's remarks by a Thai cabinet minister the deal might have fallen through.

Deputy Commerce Minister Pongsak Raktapongpisal, who opened negotiations for the government before handing over to Paiboon, told a Bangkok radio station Liverpool did not need the money as much as they did before selling Michael Owen to Real Madrid last month.

But Paiboon, chairman of Thailand's top music and entertainment company, GMM Grammy, said he had given Liverpool a detailed offer for a major stake and expected an answer by the end of September.

Paiboon said last week he had set up a holding company, Liverpool Thai Holding Co, to buy the stake and that a deal should be concluded by the end of this year if his offer was accepted.

He added that he would start looking for partners if Liverpool accepted his offer.

Paiboon took over negotiations after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to back out of his proposed $120 million (67.6 million pounds) deal for a 30 percent stake in Liverpool due to fierce criticism of his plan to use public money.

by **Leonmc0708** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 4:54 pm

Sky Sports have also latched on to the story:

Thai media mogul Paiboon Damrongchaitham insists his bid to buy into Premiership outfit Liverpool is still alive.

Damrongchaitham has confirmed that his representatives will meet with The Reds at the end of this month to discuss his proposed investment.

"Around the end of this month I will go to talk to their executives and I think we should reach some conclusions," he said.

Damrongchaitham has already set up a new company called Liverpool Thai Holding Co, which - if all goes to plan - will buy the stake in the English giants.

Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had opened the talks originally, but he handed over the proposed deal to Damrongchaitham after he received severe criticism over his plans to use public money to finance the proposed near £70 million deal.

by **Redrider** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 5:07 pm

Thai, pipe dreams !!

by **azriahmad** » Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:15 am

living in these parts of the world, I would have to say that the sum is simply a bit too large for any one individual as the currency in pounds sterling would have to be multiplied by the exchange rare to get the local equivalent. Thai is why they needed a consortium, and not just a single or two investors. Also, a football club is more a labour of love rather than a self-enriching investment as even the best financially run clubs make very little profit compared to their value. If I am not mistaken, manure is valued at some 450 to 550 million pounds but for the financial year 2003, it only made net profits of some 3 millions, the returns is a paltry 0.7%.

The key word is that this Thai tycoon will start "looking for partners" if Liverpool accepts his offer. This may prove to be a long-drawn exercise as finding one or a few like minded "partner(s)" is no easy task. It is much easier to get better returns from other kinds of business ventures in their own country, that is why they have asked for merchandising rightsd in Asia as this will generate some returns to them. i don't think Liverpool will allow this.

Lookong at the broader picture, I don't think it will come to fruition.

by **Shanti** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 10:33 am

No rush on new investment - Parry

Chief executive Rick Parry has insisted that Liverpool will not be rushed into a deal on new investment.

Parry confirmed for the first time Liverpool had been prepared to look into investment links with Thailand, but stressed many of the claims about deals in the pipeline have been wide of the mark.

He said: "It's enough to say it will happen when the right deal is there to be done.

"There has been a constant stream of different stories, not least about possible interest from Thailand. Most are a long way from the truth."

He added: "We continue to look at the opportunities but we won't be rushed into any deal."

Parry has also spoken of his delight at seeing new manager Rafael Benitez land his top transfer targets, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia.

He said: "Literally from day one Rafa made it clear that Alonso and Garcia were on his list of targets.

"Every time we discussed potential players to come in he spoke about those two.

"The refreshing thing as far as I am concerned has been the tremendous enthusiasm shown by those two players all along regarding their desire to play for Liverpool."

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