US duo set to move in at Anfield today

[Jezzman]

Exciting times for the club....

 

US duo set to move in at Anfield today

Feb 6 2007

by Sam Lister, Liverpool Daily Post

 

LIVERPOOL Football Club is today expected to unveil two American sports moguls as its new owners in a £450m deal.

 

Just six days after a bid from Dubai investors spectacularly collapsed, the LFC board is believed to be ready to announce to the Stock Exchange at 7.30am that it has accepted a rival bid from George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

 

The pair continued negotiations with LFC executives yesterday, which progressed positively, and they were due to fly in to Liverpool John Lennon Airport last night in a private jet.

 

Barring any last-minute technical hitches, sources close to the deal last night confirmed it was likely that the new owners would be unveiled this morning.

 

The club is thought to have cancelled all museum and stadium tours today to prepare for the announcement at Anfield.

 

Only a contractual hitch would hold up the deal, but any last-minute niggles would still only be expected to push the announcement back by 24 hours.

 

Yesterday, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard backed the American investment plans.

 

He had been introduced to the Dubai International Capital group and expressed his support for that bid too, but now says the US consortium would be just as beneficial.

 

He said: ?I?m really excited. I?m told it?s really close and hopefully some time this week it will be sorted.

 

?The takeover is in good hands with our chairman David Moores and Rick Parry (chief executive) and I?m full of confidence they will make the right decision and get it signed and sealed.

 

?These are exciting times for the club.?

 

Once a deal is announced, there will be a 28-day period before the deal can be finalised, giving time for shareholders to decide whether they will also accept an offer of £5,000-a-share that will meet with Moores?s approval.

 

Moores needs to persuade 90% of shareholders to also take the offer to allow Gillett and Hicks to make a compulsory purchase of the rest of the shares, just as Malcolm Glazer did at Manchester United.

 

The two American tycoons, who both own National Hock- ey League teams, convinced Moores of their plans at a secret meeting last week.

 

They persuaded the Liverpool board to turn down a rival offer from DIC, which withdrew from negotiations, believing it was being badly treated by the club.

 

Hicks and Gillett will split the £470m cost of taking over the club on a 50-50 basis, with around £255m going to buy the shareholding and take over the £80m debt, and a further £215m on the stadium.

 

Gillett managed to persuade his old friend, Hicks, to join forces with him last week, which gave the bid the financial clout it needed to see off DIC.

 

Operating alone, the multi-millionaire had initially tried to put forward plans for a joint stadium with neighbours Everton, which did not impress the Liverpool board, but he has pledged to abandon that scenario in the joint deal.

 

But once billionaire Hicks added in his vast fortune, the duo were able to easily match the Dubai deal.

 

Hicks has also built up a reputation for developing state-of-the-art stadia for his teams.

 

Last night, representatives for both businessmen and the club declined to formally comment on the expected takeover.

 

 

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liv...-name_page.html

[McBain]

They're late then

 

Bad start to a relationship

[psl]

SSN just said its all expected to happen within the next hour.

[Mike]

i must have missed that bit

[psl]

Fraser Denton outside Anfield. Showed two silver Mercs arriving earlier this morning and said they think an announcement will be made, via the official website, within an hour.

[Stevie H]

what's this about them launching a JV called 'kop' or something?

[Guest Ross17]

what's this about them launching a JV called 'kop' or something?

 

What is this all about then?

 

Also as the club is split 50-50 what happens if they fall out, do we then need to look for someone to buy the remaining 50% of the club?

[Mike]

Fraser Denton outside Anfield. Showed two silver Mercs arriving earlier this morning and said they think an announcement will be made, via the official website, within an hour.

 

no he said that was a rumour

[Boca]

It should be interesting if they release that shareholders letter explaining the resons they accepted this bid, rather than DIC's.

[McBain]

Fraser Denton outside Anfield. Showed two silver Mercs arriving earlier this morning and said they think an announcement will be made, via the official website, within an hour.

 

That was just Kev and his entourage arriving at work

[M4TTA]

That was just Kev and his entourage arriving at work

 

[Stevie H]

What is this all about then?

 

 

i had radio 4 on on the way into work and that gobsh*te mihir bose said it. wondered if anyone else knew anything or had heard about it.

[Mike]

ssn just showed rafa going into anfield, in whatc can only be described as supermarket jeans and some sort of puffa jacket.

hardly the attire to meet your new pay masters i'd have thought.

[Stevie H]

ssn just showed rafa going into anfield, in whatc can only be described as supermarket jeans and some sort of puffa jacket.

hardly the attire to meet your new pay masters i'd have thought.

rafa's own personal tribute to american dress sense?

[Gomez]

ssn just showed rafa going into anfield, in whatc can only be described as supermarket jeans and some sort of puffa jacket.

hardly the attire to meet your new pay masters i'd have thought.

 

Elastic waistband jeans?

[McBain]

If he wasn't wearing a cowboy hat and sports jacket to go with those jeans then i wont expect any announcement today

[Buzz]

R4 said at 9.00am that they are meeting this very minute to finalize, that Hicks and Gillett have created a company called KOP to specifically deal with it all.

[Mike]

Elastic waistband jeans?

 

could have been. a whiff of stonewash and a definite tapering around the ankle.

[amokop]

Radio One also stated in their last bulletin that a board meeting is taking place right now to finalise the whole thing before an announcement at some point today.... don't you love the new world media day and age we live in....

 

drip... drip... drip....

 

(no chance of getting any work done today!!)

Edited February 6, 2007 by amokop

[Buzz]

ssn just showed rafa going into anfield, in whatc can only be described as supermarket jeans and some sort of puffa jacket.

hardly the attire to meet your new pay masters i'd have thought.

could have been. a whiff of stonewash and a definite tapering around the ankle.

I 've got some Greek and Spanish friends and they think Lidl's is Amazing!!

[Swagger]

If he wasn't wearing a cowboy hat and sports jacket to go with those jeans then i wont expect any announcement today

 

[charlie clown]

I 've got some Greek and Spanish friends and they think Lidl's is Amazing!!

 

Lidl's what?

[sean]

Lidl's what?

 

 

Lidl's brother Aldi.

[darucs112]

Why is Gillett and hicks only prepared to pay off £50m of our £80m debt. i'm cerain D.I.C were going to pay it off

[Frosty Jack]

ssn just showed rafa going into anfield, in whatc can only be described as supermarket jeans and some sort of puffa jacket.

hardly the attire to meet your new pay masters i'd have thought.

 

Already dressing himself at walmart