Reds board want more time
Jan 31 2007
THE takeover of Liverpool was thrown into confusion on Tuesday night when the club's board met in a London Docklands hotel - ahead of the game at West Ham - and did not formally accept the bid from Dubai International Capital.The board, under chairman and owner David Moores, met to consider the second bid from George Gillett - the owner of Montreal Canadians ice hockey team - and it is believed decided they needed more time to make a decision.That, though, is expected to be by the end of the week with the board accepting that they cannot delay a decision any longer, with the need to start work on the club's new stadium in Stanley Park in March.The Liverpool board's lack of a decisive move has surprised DIC, who have completed due diligence and want to make their formal bid, via the Stock Exchange, for Moores' 51.6% majority shareholding early next week.They believed Moores was in favour of a bid which would have given the club's chairman £80million at £4,500 a share.
Gillett's original offer had been rejected before Christmas, but last week he submitted a new offer by letter to Moores which in effect upped the bid to give Moores £88million for his holding.
It is believed there are other board members - including representatives from Granada, who own 10% of the club - who also want to think again about Gillett's terms.
A DIC source said: "We have worked very hard over a long period with Liverpool to come up with the best possible offer for shareholders and for the long term of the club.
"Our deal is not just about buying some shares, it is about financing the stadium, getting the stadium built and making money available for players.
"We hope to make our formal offer very soon, and think it is an offer for everyone, not least one the supporters will be happy with."
The above was taken from the icLiverpool website,I don’t take much notice over media hype unless it is in the local media e.g Liverpool Echo.
What isn’t surprising is the board once again doing there best to cock things up! I agree totally that David Moores is a fanatical red with only our best interests at heart it’s the board members I don’t know to much about who worry me.
The paragraph beginning “The Liverpool board's lack of a decisive move” is a slight cause for concern but perhaps nothing new, and for me changes in the boardroom cannot come soon enough.
I agree with Pragmatic that the DIC take over will go ahead and will be the best thing for our club I just wish some of the dealings could be done behind the scenes and the first we know about them is when they go through, but I am probably stuck in a time warp and takeovers and signings now become public knowledge from the first minute there mentioned.