Tom Hicks: We will not sell any of our star players

We will not sell any of our star players, says Liverpool owner Tom Hicks

Liverpool owner Tom Hicks last night promised the club’s top players will not be sold.

The Merseysiders are on the verge of a Champions League exit, while five defeats in the Premier League have raised doubts about a top-four finish – which could have serious repercussions on Liverpool’s finances.

But Hicks insists Liverpool will not cash in on Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (above) and Javier Mascherano.

Hicks said: “None of our star players will be sold, regardless of results.

“The club is doing very well due to rapidly growing commercial revenues.

“We have significant investor interest and want to make sure that we pick high-quality partners. We are happy with the way things are going financially, but we hoped things would be better on the pitch.”

Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow has been tasked with finding investors willing to work alongside Hicks and Gillett.

There is a belief inside the Anfield hierarchy that a £100m investment could be forthcoming before the New Year to go with the £80m record shirt sponsorship deal that Purslow sealed in September.

Gillett was a guest of Hicks when the Texan’s National Hockey League team, Dallas Stars, played Calgary Flames last week – three years after the pair had their £218.9m takeover offer for Liverpool accepted.

Liverpool’s proposed new stadium at Stanley Park was on the agenda. And Hicks revealed that Liverpool believe a world-record stadium naming rights deal will help them raise the £250m required.

Hicks said: “Naming rights are a global market. The naming rights for the new stadium will be the most attractive in the world due to television coverage and the millions of Liverpool supporters around the world.

“We will likely partner with someone wanting global branding, unlike USA stadiums, which only worry about television appeal in the States.”

Current sponsors Carlsberg have declared an interest – but they will have to be prepared to eclipse the world-record £240m that Citigroup Inc are paying New York Mets over the next 20 years for the naming rights on the baseball club’s new stadium.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/We-will-not-sell-any-of-our-star-players-says-Liverpool-owner-Tom-Hicks-article214907.html?

Seem like the Owners are putting in work to make sure more money come in for LFC

Naming rights? FFS.

Its supposed to seem like that, he better bloody hope we don't sell any players, we can't afford to lose any our squad in done to the bones as it is.
bigvYNWA why don't youlike naming rights?? The Emirates stadium and Allianz arena are bot great stadiums and the names are good, f it brings in money who cares. We can all call it Anfield or Stanley Park between ourselves any way

I mean i like the idea of more money, not selling our players etc. But having a stadium with some brand name on it just isn't right IMO.

I mean I like the idea of more money, not selling our players etc. But having a stadium with some brand name on it just isn't right IMO.

Yeah, I don't want to lose our Liverpool-ness.

“We have significant investor interest and want to make sure that we pick high-quality partners. We are happy with the way things are going financially, but we hoped things would be better on the pitch.”

Cheeky b***ard.  It's your fault THicks that the team is in the predicament it's in right now, thanks to your total lack of investment.

Hicks said: “Naming rights are a global market. The naming rights for the new stadium will be the most attractive in the world due to television coverage and the millions of Liverpool supporters around the world.

“We will likely partner with someone wanting global branding, unlike USA stadiums, which only worry about television appeal in the States.”

Yeah, right, pay for a few more jollies for you and Georgie Boy wouldn't it?    

I mean I like the idea of more money, not selling our players etc. But having a stadium with some brand name on it just isn't right IMO.

I hate the idea too but if I'm brutally honest, as long as the two morons can't get their greedy mitts on the money, this does seem to be the way things are going with new stadiums.  If we could get say £100/200million for the naming rights then that's a fair few players worth.  Mind you, I'd hate to see us playing in, say, the Ronald McDonald stadium or other such bollux.

Yeah i would go for it as long as it was a seriously good amount of investment. But that would be reluctantly done, even. I just don't like the over commercialization of sport. In Australia it has really gone that way, then here in America where i am it is very much like that. I love that in England you go to grounds still with there original names. Some have already gone sponsorship though, and sadly it seems we may too. Just saddens me, tradition is a dying trend in sport. Just hope to god, like you said, we don't end up with some ridiculous sponsor.

If anyone should be transfered out of Anfield, it's the two Americans.

Shove your naming rights up your fat arse and get the f**k out of our club!

Naming rights? FFS.

I hate the idea too but if I'm brutally honest, as long as the two morons can't get their greedy mitts on the money, this does seem to be the way things are going with new stadiums.  If we could get say £100/200million for the naming rights then that's a fair few players worth.  Mind you, I'd hate to see us playing in, say, the Ronald McDonald stadium or other such bollux.

I know what you mean, bigv. I can't stand it when a new stadium goes up (like Citipark nere in NYC) and it has a corporate tag attached to it. I was very happy when the new Yankee Stadium remained Yankee Stadium. I just don't like the loss of identity that comes with being beholden to a faceless entity. whyohwhy makes good points, though. The money is out of H&G's hands that way.

God, can you imagine the Ronald McDonald Stadium... Makes me wretch.

Are we turning into another Newcastle? Desperate for cash and all.

If he has to be done, I'll be very relucant with it. The easiest way Tom and George, is to sell up and F**k off. Nothing needs to be on your minds then.

I'd bite my tongue over any deal (Apart from selling our top players & Loans), that will invest in excess of £240 million into the club with the 2 deals all ready announced that would take the initial deals in excess of £327.5 million as much as I hate the yank bas**rds that's a long way to getting a spade into the ground on the new stadium. Which in essence is what we are all crying out for.

We are above corporate naming rights. WE ARE F***ing LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB.

We will never be that desperate. We will always remain pure. Anfield will always be our home. THE LIVERPOOL WAY WILL NEVER DIE!!

We will never be that desperate.

Mate we are heavily in debt and struggling to compete with teams outside of the top 4 let alone the ones in it, in the transfer market. We are £240 + million desperate, bearing in mind this is not naming rights on Anfield its the new Stadium that this article is related to.

Mate we are heavily in debt and struggling to compete with teams outside of the top 4 let alone the ones in it, in the transfer market. We are £240 + million desperate, bearing in mind this is not naming rights on Anfield its the new Stadium that this article is related to.

Never sacrifice The Liverpool Way. Never.

Never sacrifice The Liverpool Way. Never.

Never sacrifice the Liverpool way ever... Mate I'll take yo back to the great man himself Shankly, Now Shankly was a visionary that set the precedent for other mangers to follow shanks was playing the 70's game in the 60's, the 80's game in the 70's what Shankly and Liverpool did other clubs tried to replicate on the back of his success.

Liverpool are now playing catch up in that department we in the very early 90's when we were at the pinacle of our success should have taken advantage of our global name and marketed Liverpool FC as a global brand. This is a department where we fell behind Manchester United and its taken 18 years for the likes of some one like Purslow and Ayres to realise the potential of Liverpool as a global Marketing tool.

Clubs like Arsenal, Man City, Bolton to name but a few have got New stadiums Tottenham are about to start building theirs. Do you want to wait another 18 years for a new stadium as we did for the club to be marketed properly ? I know I don't and I know one thing for certain Bill Shankly wouldn't have been happy with the club he launched onto 2 and a half decades of unrivalled success, standing in the shadows and playing catch up to inferior clubs.

The Liverpool way is to set the precedents for others to follow... The Shankly way

If selling ground rights generates transfer money then im happy..

Yes it kills the Liverpool way but we got to remember we have to move forward with the world with the current economy... we need cash big time and if it means this then why not!

If we keep on dwelling on the old Liverpool way we will never match any big clubs... Im afriad how things are... we need to become The New Liverpool.. with the traditions of The Original Liverpool Way

Some people make me laugh, you either want money coming in or you don't, if you would rather us have more money then be happy about naming rights, if you want to maintain the Liverpool way as some people say, then don't moan about financial difficulties.

It is tough in business at the moment, meaning some times things have to be sacraficed for the greater good.

But whichever position you choose to see it from be reasonable, you can't have it all.

It is tough in business at the moment, meaning some times things have to be sacraficed for the greater good.

But whichever position you choose to see it from be reasonable, you can't have it all.

Sad but true, it's the only way forward if we want to remain competitive unfortunately.

I, like everyone else, don't want to see the name Anfield changed. But it will always remain a part of the club as long as we remember it, and cherish it in our memories. We have a glorious history, over 100 years of matches played at one venue, generations of supporters warming the same benches and seats, cheering on different teams and managers.

They will remain in our hearts and minds, and the stories we pass on to one another and the kids, the future supporters will ensure we never forget.

And, most importantly, it will be down to us to make whatever new stadium we have to be as memorable and legendary as Anfield is, and always has been. Instead of crying over the past we should be ready to celebrate what is was, and be prepared to take up the challenge of creating a new legend, for the decades to come.

While he is not selling any of our players would he do us a favour and F**k off....

Sad but true, it's the only way forward if we want to remain competitive unfortunately.

I, like everyone else, don't want to see the name Anfield changed. But it will always remain a part of the club as long as we remember it, and cherish it in our memories. We have a glorious history, over 100 years of matches played at one venue, generations of supporters warming the same benches and seats, cheering on different teams and managers.

They will remain in our hearts and minds, and the stories we pass on to one another and the kids, the future supporters will ensure we never forget.

And, most importantly, it will be down to us to make whatever new stadium we have to be as memorable and legendary as Anfield is, and always has been. Instead of crying over the past we should be ready to celebrate what is was, and be prepared to take up the challenge of creating a new legend, for the decades to come.

Excellent post sir. They can buy the naming rights of the proposed new stadium, but they can't buy people's memories.

YankWanks.Com@Stanley Park, Fuckshots.Com@Stanley Park, whatever the new stadium is called, the fans will always call it Anfield, that's the way it was, the way it is and the way it will always be. Anfield isn't just about the ground, it's about the people, the memories, the ups, the downs, the working class ethos, the unity, the passion, the fire, the family and the religion. Money can buy many things, but it can't buy basic fundamental values, that this club has in abundance.

240 million towards a new stadium, bring it on. 60 to 70,000 fans a game, can only be good for the club. Unfortunately with the 'naming rights', it's not something i'm too keen on, but we have to move with the times, as many other clubs are doing or have already done.

Like i said earlier, whatever it's called, it will always be Anfield to the fans.

I don't like to hear things like this.

What the owners do and what the owners say, are usually two completely different things.

'Carlsberg Arena' has a certain ring to it.. doesn't it? ¬_¬