NESV takeover brings a ray of hope for Liverpool fans
Finally the sale has materialised. For some people, the New England Sports Venture (NESV) would be a new name, but baseball fans would be quite familiar with this corporation. It is the same corporation that owns the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball.
Since their takeover, the trio of John W. Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner brought considerable success to the team. Therefore, Liverpool fans are hoping that they would repeat the same with their club, which has not tasted success in the English Premier
League for the last 22 long years.
When John W. Henry and his team took charge of the Red Sox in 2002, it had been 84 long years when the team won their last World Series title. However, things did change for Boston fans, as their team won the World Series twice after this takeover. At the
moment, the Boston Red Sox is placed amongst the top 10 teams in the rankings of the most valuable brands in sports. All these changes were brought in after the policies adopted by NESV in Boston Red Sox.
Similarly, Liverpool fans are also hopeful of a similar kind of policy for their club. They have not won any league title for the past 22 years, which is a long time for a club of Liverpool’s stature. On the other hand, Manchester United has covered the
gap, as they now stand shoulder to shoulder with Liverpool, as far as the number of league titles is concerned. In MLB, New York Yankees had a similar rivalry with the Red Sox; similar to Liverpool’s rivalry with Manchester United. Since the takeover, Henry
described the Yankees as an ‘Evil Empire’ and worked hard to end their dominance. A similar kind of attitude towards Manchester United would be appreciated by Liverpool fans.
Another major change brought in by Henry after taking over Red Sox was the expansion of the stadium. However, he kept in mind the history of the existing stadium and decided not to move to a new place. A similar kind of treatment would be demanded by the
Reds fans as they also attach themselves with Anfield. So, rather than moving to a new place, it would be highly regarded by Liverpool fans if efforts are made for the expansion of the current stadium.
A new stadium is the biggest requirement of Liverpool’s football at this moment. With a club of their stature, their stadium is not big enough to support all the fans around the globe. Henry also increased the profits from ticket sales by increasing the
amount on the ticket, which might be his policy for Liverpool as well. In this way, Liverpool would be able to make much bigger profits, from ticket sales, than what they are making right now.
Henry adopted a policy of getting relatively lesser known players and turning them into big names. Considering the price tags attached with football players these days, it would be a good policy for Liverpool as well. Apart from that, it would be even better
if Henry thinks ahead and tries to develop the youth academy at Liverpool, which would ensure his team a future supply of players, replacing the ones getting old.
John W. Henry has a great attitude towards sports, which makes him a better owner than any other businessman. When he joined the Red Sox, he declared that winning a World Series was not an option but an obligation. Due to this attitude, he was rewarded,
despite a dry patch of almost a century. The Reds fans would also admire this attitude, because their biggest requirement is an owner who associates himself with the club, rather than with the profits.
The job ahead, however, is not an easy one. Already some clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester City, are under billionaire bosses. This means that Henry would have to make heavy investments to take Liverpool at par with such clubs. However, he is still
a great choice as far as Liverpool fans are concerned. He has a history of bringing success to a failing venture, which is enough to give a ray of hope to all Liverpool fans.
Tags: