Liverpool FC sold to New England Sports Ventures
New England Sports Ventures (NESV) and their owner John W Henry have completed a takeover of Liverpool Football Club.
The move comes after days of intense legal battles between the club and their unpopular former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, and will come as a welcome relief to supporters who were concerned about the threat of administration due to the masses of debt heaped upon the Reds by their former owners.
NESV have removed all of that debt, and Henry can’t wait to get started. “On behalf of the entire NESV partnership,” he said, “I want to express how incredibly proud and humbled we are to be confirmed as the new owners of Liverpool FC.
“We regard our role as that of stewards for the club with a primary focus on returning the club to greatness on and off the field for the long-term. We are committed first and foremost to winning. We have a history of winning, and today we want LFC supporters to know that this approach is what we intend to bring to this great club.”
Reds chairman Martin Broughton, a key figure as the club sought to rid themselves of Hicks and Gillett in what became a complicated legal wrangle, was equally delighted with the sale.
“As every Liverpool fan knows,” he said, “the most nerve wrecking way to win a match is in a penalty shootout. But as long as you get the right result, it’s worth the wait.
“I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive.
“The board decided to accept NESV's offer on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a new owner. NESV is buying Liverpool in order to put it on an excellent financial footing and continue to develop it internationally. This is a good deal which comprehensively resolves the pressing issue of the club's debt and should give staff, players and fans great confidence regarding the future of Liverpool FC.”
Thomas Werner, NESV’s chairman, has outlined the approach that the company will bring to the club, and it is one that is likely to go down well with supporters.
“Our first step as new owners will be to listen,” he said.
“We want to hear from the manager and the players and those who are part of the daily operation of the club. We will be visible at Anfield and will embrace and listen to those who have stood by this club and who are the rock on which its future success will be built. We want to hear from the fans, local leaders and the local community. We want to hear from those who know LFC best, who have made it the best and share our desire to return to a culture of winning.”
Henry met assembled reporters in London alongside Broughton, and didn’t take long to mock former owners Hicks and Gillett.
When asked how he would fund the deal – with a mind on the leveraged buyout of the previous owners – Henry simply replied that he would fund it “with pounds,” while when pressed on Hicks and Gillett’s claim for £1billion of damages from the club, he responded by asking “why is it only that much?”
http://www.senore.com/New-England-Sports-Ventures-to-complete-takeover-of-Liverpool-FC-a34123
http://www.senore.com/Hicks-and-Gillett-lift-restraining-order,-now-for-Liverpools-sprint-to-the-finish-a34088
http://www.senore.com/Courtroom-drama-as-NESV-look-to-prise-Liverpool-out-of-Hicks-and-Gilletts-dead-hands-a33934
http://www.senore.com/More-dramatic-twists-in-Liverpool-ownership-saga-a33884
http://www.senore.com/Liverpools-ownership-saga-finally-reaches-the-end-of-the-storm-a33647
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