Liverpool Rumours And General Discussion 2007/2008

NotWormBoy

The rigger wrote:

NotWormBoy wrote:

Originally Posted by NotWormBoy View Post
Listening now.

When first asked about Liverpool his response "Oh, boy".

Interviewer: "Bluntly, has this partnership with Mr. Hicks become unworkable?"
Gillette:"Oh, it has been for some time".

That's horribly out of context.

Sorry, I didn't mean to associate the "Oh, boy" with the next part.

If you're saying that the second part was out of context in itself, I don't follow.

spockety

The interview is fascinating, absolutely fascinating. It confirms a lot of what people have been only speculating about up until this point.

* His relationship with Tom Hicks has broken down, and has been like that for a while.

* He gave Tom Hicks an opportunity to buy him out, and gave him plenty of time to do it, but Tom Hicks could not deliver on a buy out.

* Tom Hicks threatened to block Gillett's sale of his shares to DIC

* He feels DIC would be 'responsible owners'

* Based on fans feelings, he does not think that him selling to Tom Hicks is a possibility any more. He moots the possibility of buying out Tom Hicks.

* They are receiving 2000 emails a week from fans, 95% of which are aimed at Tom Hicks.

* Fans have phoned him directly, and he has discussed the situation with them, as his phone numbers are public knowledge.

Jesus Wept

NotWormBoy wrote: »

Sorry, I didn't mean to associate the "Oh, boy" with the next part.

If you're saying that the second part was out of context in itself, I don't follow.

Ah disregard what I said tbh.
Having another listen to what he said after that.

zing

Mr Alan wrote: »

"I'll ****ing murder you if ya dont sell up ya yanky bastard!" as opposed to genuine, "death" threats.

Still bang out of order regardless. Could also be a reason behind Foster & his wife leaving the city when they did.

Quite an interesting interview. He was naturally trying to be cautious as to what he said at the start and prob said far more than he would have wanted to in the end. He certainly comes across as someone who wants the club to be successful and isn't happy with how the last year has gone. He mentioned going to the Arsenal game - which one I wonder ?

So Hicks was given time to buy Gillet out and failed to do so - we pretty much knew that already from the media but always good to hear things direct. He now won't consider selling even one share to Hicks - this for me is great to hear. Hicks 'threatened' to block Gillet dealing with DIC - the use of the word threatened is interesting - threatened to and failed ? or threatened to but didn't need to follow through as it amounted to nothing anyway. And it sounds like the ownership saga is from from over.. he mentioned possibly buying out Hicks and spoke highly of DIC (which iirc he did last Feb as well when he snatched the club out from under them) so it sounds like he's being smart and not burning bridges with them. IIRC the latest DIC takeover rumour this week mentioned another minority investor - based on the way he's always spoken of the club it wouldn't at all surprise me if Gillet was looking to hold onto a minority shareholding.

Dave!

Call_me_al wrote: »

3rd time posted and it wasnt well received the last few times...:rolleyes:

Sorry mate

Chardee MacDennis

DaveMcG wrote: »

Sorry mate

dont worry that :rolleyes: was aimed at the people who gave out! you know who you are...:D:D

listening to Gillet i think he seems to have good intentions, although who knows - nice to hear something from him though and he will be at the Arsenal game.

to paraphrase, selling to Hicks is now not an option due to the reaction of the fans to this prospect.

lpool2k05

SSN:Mascherano admits improper conduct and requested a personal hearing on April 3rd!!

spockety

Call_me_al wrote: »

to paraphrase, selling to Hicks is now not an option due to the reaction of the fans to this prospect.

Don't be ridiculous, everyone knows that hard nosed business men don't listen to fan disquiet.

:rolleyes:

Tusky

He came across very well in that interview. Seems to be blaming everything on Hicks.

event

Mr Alan wrote: »

i havent listened to it yet, but i'd imagine the death threats are more along the lines of

"I'll ****ing murder you if ya dont sell up ya yanky bastard!" as opposed to genuine, "death" threats.

ah, so that makes it ok then, sure no one minds when threats like that are made against their family.

roar_ie

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2269074,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/7318780.stm

Some paraphrasing of the interview for those of you who can't listen to it

Mr Alan

ffs, how sensitive are some of the people on here?!

thats not wat i was saying event, i know any threat is wrong.

Its just i hate when the media and people go on with this "death threat" ****e. Glazers get death threats, Anders Frisk gets death threats, G&H get death threats, Beckham gets death threats, Avram Grant gets death threats etc etc, i dont believe for a second believe that these people ever thought their lives were in danger, like say the way, president of a country would recieve death threats, or a controversial artist, or controversial clerics etc....yet the media try and make out their lives are in "danger", which is bull****.

zAbbo

Is this another case of you trying to make some argument over an article you haven't read or listened to you? Is it Mr Alan? :rolleyes:

lordgoat

Mr Alan wrote: »

ffs, how sensitive are some of the people on here?!

thats not wat i was saying event, i know any threat is wrong.

Its just i hate when the media and people go on with this "death threat" ****e. Glazers get death threats, Anders Frisk gets death threats, G&H get death threats, Beckham gets death threats, Avram Grant gets death threats etc etc, i dont believe for a second believe that these people ever thought their lives were in danger, like say the way, president of a country would recieve death threats, or a controversial artist, or controversial clerics etc....yet the media try and make out their lives are in "danger", which is bull****.

Anders Frisk retired from his position. Maybe it was a coincidence. Do you think before posting or just hit reply for the sake of it?

ShiverinEskimo

Was just going to say about Anders Frisk - His life was nigh-on ruined by the abuse and death threats he received. He had to give up a job he loved and move his kids to their grand parents because of the risk to his safety he felt.

There was a docu on tv after it all died down and he was a changed man. Said he'd never get back into football. When the media are harping on about death threats its because its as serious as it is - its a death threat. Hardly easy to brush off when your getting a ton of annonymous letters through the door spouting god-knows what kind of hatred and disgusting threats - not just to you but to your wife and family. All because you made a decision on a patch of grass about a football game.

prendy

Mr Alan wrote: »

ffs, how sensitive are some of the people on here?!

thats not wat i was saying event, i know any threat is wrong.

Its just i hate when the media and people go on with this "death threat" ****e. Glazers get death threats, Anders Frisk gets death threats, G&H get death threats, Beckham gets death threats, Avram Grant gets death threats etc etc, i dont believe for a second believe that these people ever thought their lives were in danger, like say the way, president of a country would recieve death threats, or a controversial artist, or controversial clerics etc....yet the media try and make out their lives are in "danger", which is bull****.

thats a prity childish view on a serious matter. Anders Frisk retired because of the threats. who are you to question what people think when they recieve a threat unless you've had one sent to you? id imagine its fairly scary especially if you have a young family.
regardless of peoples views on the owners it IS only a football club and people sending death threats are moronic.

Drag00n79

Full Transcript of the Gillett interview for those who cannot listen:

Interviewer: Where are you now in terms of Liverpool?
George Gillett: (sigh). Oh boy. I think we're at that point where there are things going on, there are pieces on the chessboard being moved, or being contemplated being moved, that I think it would not be helpful for us or the club to comment on. Suffice it to say, however, that our goal from the beginning was to try to be supportive and add to the lustre of this magnificent, storied franchise, and what has happened this year has not done that. We certainly haven't done it on the pitch yet, although we're playing well in the Champions League, but we've had a marginally good year in the Premiership [sic]. Our loss to Man U [sic] last weekend at 3-0 was a heartbreaker because we played them at 11 on 10 because we had Mascherano thrown off for - it's unclear as to what happened, but clearly they sent a referee in with a no-tolerance programme and we apparently made the wrong comment to the new tough referee at the wrong time, and you just can't - It's tough enough to play Man U 11 on 11.
So I think we're at a point now where we want to finish the season out, we want to finish it strongly, play well in the Champions League, Foster and I are going to be going over to the Arsenal game next week, and we've just decided that this is an extraordinary time and we're going to enjoy it, and we're going to be there, and, by God, we're going to try and be a positive influence on this process.

I: How tough has some of the hostility directed at the owners been?
GG: You know, we get, or we have gotten, as many as 2,000 emails a week here, and I would say that 95 per cent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner, and five per cent, have been frankly aimed at both of us - saying, you know, 'Go home, Americans' - but for the most part, as recently as today, we've gotten 25 emails, and I've had conversations with fans who represent important blog sites and so forth, and thay are inviting me to come to the famous pubs, be their guest, see how they sing the songs, or get ready to sing the songs, and there is none of the hostility or animosity that, it is felt, seems to have been directed at others within the ownership group.
I must say, however, that the most difficult part for us has been that, because of the things that have been said that have upset and angered the fans as much towards one or both of us, the fact is that the thing that angers them the most is the prospect that I might sell even one share of stock to my partner. They do not want him to have controlling interest in this club. They don't even want him to have any ownership in the club based on what they're saying and sending to me. So as a result of that, and it has been very difficult for my wife, with the amount that I travel, we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night, threatening us, our lives - death threats. A number of them have come into the office, and Foster and Lauren, my son and daughter-in-law, have received a number of them themselves.


We're very private people, but my phone number is in the phone book. I'm not shy, and if I make a mistake, I'm prepared to take the hit for it. But the private phone numbers, the cellphone number and so forth are apparently on some blog sites and we have received a number of calls. And again, it's interesting - the calls are not against my wife or myself or my son or my daughter-in-law as much as they are against us selling to my partner. So we're rethinking that. Frankly I don't think it's fair for me to put my family in that kind of danger, so instead of thinking about selling, I don't know - maybe we'll think about buying.

I: Bluntly, has this partnership with Mr Hicks become unworkable?
GG: Oh, it has been for some time. But not because of us. We have tried to be co-operative, we have tried to be supportive, but when your public persona is more important than the facts, that makes it very difficult to have a rational relationship.

I: So what is the exit strategy, or the entry strategy, if you will? Is it feasible to buy Hicks out, or more of a wish?
GG: It's hard to say until you put something in writing or you put the money in the bank. That's a speculative answer, any answer I give you. But what I would say is this. We were very fair. We gave our partner a long period of time to try and make the arrangements to buy us out. We didn't put pressure on him, we could not have been a better partner, and he ultimately didn't get to the finish line. In the meantime, because of things he said, the fans' reaction has been so negative towards him, and towards us if we sold to him, that that has now made that an untenable alternative for us.

I: To be clear - the Dubai interest was with you, and he effectively blocked that possibility for you. Is that accurate?
GG: Well, that's another one of the points. (Laughs)

I: Is it accurate, though?
GG: He threatened to.

I: And do you think that deal could have and would have gone ahead?
GG: I think that's certainly one of the things that made the fans upset. Lord knows, they have the money and with oil prices going up every day that's not an issue, and they certainly have the history and their fans. And I think they would have been very responsible owners, so I guess not making that possible, or making that difficult, again didn't endear people to the fans. So as you are saying, there's an awful lot going on here, and much too complicated for me to try and handicap, but what I know is that the fans and the great fabled history of this club deserve better, and we're going to do everything we can to try to provide that, in whatever role we play.

PHB

So it appears the fans have had an influence on him after all Mr. Alan.

It looks to me like he took those threats seriously, then again, who the hell wouldn't.

BaZmO*

Mr Alan wrote: »

please think about your posts before hitting the submit button in future!

Good advice that

PHB

Big news for Liverpool today, Cahill out for the rest of the season, big boost for their push for 4th

NotWormBoy

Now, if only Arteta and Lescott would go too...

yom 1

Very interesting interview

He comes across as someone who genuinely has the best interests for the club in mind. I think he has very realistic ideas of buying out Hicks, be it by himself or most likely with DIC. Seems strange that he would be silent for so long and not be seen near Anfield in ages to come out now and tell it all just before he makes an appearance at Anfield. He also wouldnt have commented about "maybe we'll buy it". Makes a welcome change from the Tom Hicks School of PR.

I'd say that radio station couldnt believe its luck to have the first interview from him on the subject of Liverpool, in months.

Mr Alan

he is being very complimentary about the great fans who deserve better if he genuinely thought that his life was in danager.

he, like me, knows that among any large group of people, there will always be a number of morons who send threats. Its hardly as if there is a militant wing of LFC fans that were planning his assassination.

its not that big a deal is all i am saying, but it will be focused on as being huge.

DeadSkin

Mr Alan wrote: »

its not that big a deal is all i am saying, but it will be focused on as being huge.

Someone take the shovel from him :pac:

When do death threats get taken seriously?

flanzer

Well Liverpool have fined Masch 2 weeks wages for admitting he did wrong. Nice touch though, with boths parties agreeing to donate the fine to charity, c£100,000.

Let's hope the FA do something similar and don't make him a scapegoat for all the sh*te going on over the last number of weeks regarding referees!

Mr Alan

DeadSkin wrote: »

Someone take the shovel from him

If i had a shovel i'd smack the lot of ye!





*disclaimer:this is not an actual threat of death or physical violence.

lordgoat

Mr Alan wrote: »

If i had a shovel i'd smack the lot of ye!





*disclaimer:this is not an actual threat of death or physical violence.

Don't worry after your latest string of posts in here no one would have taken it seriously.

Except maybe Anders. Seriously anyone in a position of power in football be it player/manager/ref/owner would have to take a death threat very seriously. To do or say anything else would be stupidity of the highest order.

astrofool

flanzer wrote: »

Well Liverpool have fined Masch 2 weeks wages for admitting he did wrong. Nice touch though, with boths parties agreeing to donate the fine to charity, c£100,000.

Let's hope the FA do something similar and don't make him a scapegoat for all the sh*te going on over the last number of weeks regarding referees!

so he's appealing the decision, in spite of his own club fining it for it, that's a frivolous appeal by any definition.

And I don't agree with the money going to charity being any sort of let off for a punishment.

Jazzy

astrofool wrote: »

so he's appealing the decision, in spite of his own club fining it for it, that's a frivolous appeal by any definition.

nah he isnt appealing it. hes "owned up" to it apparantly.
sorta makes all the arguements about his sending off frivolous tho as he himself has basically admitted he was a gobsh1te for wat he did

DeadSkin

astrofool wrote: »

And I don't agree with the money going to charity being any sort of let off for a punishment.

That's not a let off, that's just the club's punishment, he still has to answer to the FA.

ShiverinEskimo

Jazzy wrote: »

nah he isnt appealing it. hes "owned up" to it apparantly.
sorta makes all the arguements about his sending off frivolous tho as he himself has basically admitted he was a gobsh1te for wat he did

The charge wasn't in relation to his sending off though - wasn't it to do with his reaction to same.

Some pool fans will forever say that his red card was an abomination (Mr. Alan, I'm lookin at you) but basically he's admitting that he acted like a child throwing his toys out of the pram after he was sent off - which is the charge laid down now.

The argument regarding the justification of his sending off will forever remain a non-frivilous discussion.

Tusky

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

The charge wasn't in relation to his sending off though - wasn't it to do with his reaction to same.

Some pool fans will forever say that his red card was an abomination (Mr. Alan, I'm lookin at you) but basically he's admitting that he acted like a child throwing his toys out of the pram after he was sent off - which is the charge laid down now.

The argument regarding the justification of his sending off will forever remain a non-frivilous discussion.

To be honest - its quite obvious that he is saying this now to lighten the punishment. Im sure he still feels that the sending off was unfair but he knows that he must have a cut in wages and publicly apologize to lessen the punishment that the FA hand out.

I think he acted badly during the game BUT I still feel the sending off was harsh.

mike65

Quite so, there is no point challanging a descision, see Boro or details.

Cahill out for rest of season, van der Meyde out I think, Johnson is out it seems. Yobo was a doubt.

Mike.

Thanx 4 The Fish

Well at least there is a bit of good news. Still, if they feed the Yak, he will score.

invincibleirish

Hi guys, i was reading about Gillette here

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2269074,00.html

And i have to say some of the tactics used against Gillette

'We receive many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives'

Have been rather nasty, but effective, but tell me with that piosonous atmosphere in the air, will things be any different for Liverpool fans if/when Gillette/Hicks go?, potential billionaire Arab owners i guess will surely have some autocratic tendancies so i cant see the hardcore element being too accepting?

Mr Alan

I miss this lad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ZVanFzSJU

still one of the best headers i've ever seen

Thanx 4 The Fish

Mr Alan wrote: »

still one of the best headers i've ever seen

You'll like this header. You will probably like the music too, you are a bit strange

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyqgMM5S_6U

Mr Alan

wat a ****ing goal. cheers for that.

tune is ****e though

jesus_thats_gre

meh

redspider

http://www.rte.ie/aertel/224-01.html

Gillet wrote:

This relationship has been unworkable for some time.

This is not q good situation for Liverpool as 50% owners should not be 'at loggerheads' with each other. Until the Gillet-Hicks and ownership rules are resolved, Liverpool as a footballing force will be held back.

Redspider

Jesus Wept

Here is to Arsenal dropping points so we can pip them for 3rd [/daydreaming]

\o/

Edit: Bolton 1 - 0 Arsenal - good start. [/not counting chickens]

Malice

The-Rigger wrote: »

Here is to Arsenal dropping points so we can pip them for 3rd [/daydreaming]

\o/

You might get your wish, they are 1-0 down. Matt Taylor after 17 minutes.

jesus_thats_gre

Diaby sent off too. My 20euro bet with mate isn't looking that crazy anymore

PHB

Don't tempt fate! Never underestimate the power of the internet jinx!

Chardee MacDennis

PHB wrote: »

Don't tempt fate! Never underestimate the power of the internet jinx!

it gets worse for Arsenal 2-0 Taylor again.

best time of the season to be playing them 3 times.

DeadSkin

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Diaby sent off too. My 20euro bet with mate isn't looking that crazy anymore

Not too shabby lookin' now, 2-0 to the Bolton.
Saw they were 4-1 this morning and jumped on it

Tusky

Call_me_al wrote: »

it gets worse for Arsenal 2-0 Taylor again.

best time of the season to be playing them 3 times.

If there is a good time to play Arsenal, this is it.

DeadSkin

PHB wrote: »

Don't tempt fate! Never underestimate the power of the internet jinx!

Stoopid internet . 2-2 Bolton game

Jesus Wept

PHB wrote: »

Don't tempt fate! Never underestimate the power of the internet jinx!

*shakes fist at PHB :mad:

PHB

What? It's not my fault, I never said anything, blame malice and jesus!