Liverpool FC in severe financial trouble

Well they don't care about us, and they know that if they keep on refinancing they will just make more money from interest every year until in the end, the two tw*ts sell everything and give them more than 350 mill.

Best run clubs financially are owned by multiple shareholders and by fans. Sharliverpool? I don't give a rat's ass about the name of the certain idea, but any idea leading to getting ownership back from single owners is the best. I would probably have a very educated and better studied opinion in a year from now. But this is my current conviction.

The manager still needs full backing in the transfer market, to make the correct signings at the correct price. Again, not silly money like Man City, but still tens of millions of pounds.

Much of this money could be raised through good business sense in marketing and sponsorship, and a new stadium would go a long way to bringing in more money through ticket sales. But even in the perfect system, investment in the continued improvement of a squad is essential, and we know the price of players at the top end of the market. And we haven't seen much of that business sense out of the owners so far.

Something I said a while back on this thread, and still a situation that needs addressing, certainly in a European and International sense.

Example: yesterday, I went shopping in my local shopping centre, a large supermarket surrounded by 100's of shops, one of the largest in France in fact. The wife and I were looking for school equipment my for son who is starting Primary School in September.

We enter the aisle with the school bags, and to my horror I saw a large area with Man Utd school bags, with 'No.1 Red Devil Fan' written across it. Not only that, pencil cases, text books, the works. Obviously I did my civil duty as a Liverpool fan and spent a good few minutes hiding all of this behind other bags the best I could, and hope I have spared at least some of the French kids from being corrupted, but this is besides the point.

If we want to be competitive financially, we need to not only catch Utd up in this kind of area, but surpass them. We need to be more aggressive, push the limits and have a much higher profile outside England. There's a huge market out there, almost untapped for the moment by ourselves.

It's time for the current CEO and owners to get their skates on if they're really serious about making us a successful, profitable club.

Something I said a while back on this thread, and still a situation that needs addressing, certainly in a European and International sense.

Example: yesterday, I went shopping in my local shopping centre, a large supermarket surrounded by 100's of shops, one of the largest in France in fact. The wife and I were looking for school equipment my for son who is starting Primary School in September.

We enter the aisle with the school bags, and to my horror I saw a large area with Man Utd school bags, with 'No.1 Red Devil Fan' written across it. Not only that, pencil cases, text books, the works. Obviously I did my civil duty as a Liverpool fan and spent a good few minutes hiding all of this behind other bags the best I could, and hope I have spared at least some of the French kids from being corrupted, but this is besides the point.

If we want to be competitive financially, we need to not only catch Utd up in this kind of area, but surpass them. We need to be more aggressive, push the limits and have a much higher profile outside England. There's a huge market out there, almost untapped for the moment by ourselves.

It's time for the current CEO and owners to get their skates on if they're really serious about making us a successful, profitable club.

True that, and i was also reading the article about Manures marketing in asia to, and that is something we need to take notice of to. Being a team also heavily supported in Asia, we need to tap into that aggresively like manure are, or risk being played out of it by manure's at the moment supperior marketing. I hate to say it, but they seem to be doing a better job of that at the moment. Same with there sponsorship deal, we just need to be more aggresive.

Nicely done with the bags, though

Nicely done with the bags, though

Thanks!

No shame, I was cramming them behind loads of others, same for all the pencil cases and other stuff, burying them under everything so they couldn't be seen!

It's thanks to me if they aren't signing any more players this summer.

Thanks!

No shame, I was cramming them behind loads of others, same for all the pencil cases and other stuff, burying them under everything so they couldn't be seen!

It's thanks to me if they aren't signing any more players this summer.

I can just here fergie grumbling "Effing didnt get Benzema 'cos of that Ayrton pr**k"

Liverpool owners agree to repay £40m of debt as part of refinancing package

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/5913618/Liverpool-owners-agree-to-repay-40m-of-debt-as-part-of-refinancing-package.html

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett will this week repay £40 million of outstanding debt as a condition of a refinancing package agreed with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia over the weekend.
 

By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter Published: 7:30AM BST 27 Jul 2009

Telegraph Sport understands that the details of the package have been agreed, with the American owners agreeing to repay £60 million of the outstanding loans as part of a deal with the banks that will ultimately reduce the debt to £230 million. The first tranche is expected to be repaid this week, with the remaining £20 million due later in the year.

In January last year Hicks and Gillett had agreed a £350 million loan with the banks that according to the most recent club accounts was due to expire on Friday. Sources with knowledge of the deal told Telegraph Sport that the £350 million figure has already been reduced to £290 million since last summer, and will come down by a further £60 million as a condition of the new deal.

The banks, negotiating with club managing director Christian Purslow, are understood to have demanded the repayment as a condition of extending a loan facility that is fundamental to the club's future as a going concern.

In the most recent accounts for the club and its holding company Kop Football Ltd, auditor KPMG warned that there was "significant doubt" that the club would remain a going concern if refinancing was not secured.

Kop Football made a loss of £42.6 million in the year to July 2008, £36.5 million of which was interest payments on the £350 million loan. By paying off £120 million of the outstanding debt the American's should have reduced their annual interest payments, but the banks may also have demanded a higher rate to extend their line of credit.

It remains unclear how the repayments will be distributed, how the American owners raised the capital required to reduce their exposure or what other guarantees they have provided. Under the original RBS deal they had guaranteed £185 million between them.

Both owners face significant challenges as a result of the financial crisis and Hicks is seeking investors in both of his US sports franchises.

Gillett recently sold ice-hockey team the Montreal Canadiens for more than £300 million, and may have used some of this windfall. Sources with knowledge of the deal said the pair's 50-50 ownership remained unaffected by the latest refinancing.

The original £350 million financing package was split between the football club, which was legally accountable for £105 million, and the holding company, against which the remaining £245 million was secured. The bulk of this was used to repay the acquisition loan taken out by the owners to buy the club.

Supporters' groups will want to see the debt directly relating to the club, which includes a significant amount of transfer spending, reduced. Two such groups, Share Liverpool and Spirit of Shankly, announced proposals for a supporter-led buy out of the American's last week.

News that the refinancing package has been agreed will frustrate those plans for now, but resentment at the debt burden, albeit reduced, is likely to remain

Although we all want rid of these two clown owners, twit and tw@t, getting the refinancing sorted has to be a positive in terms of settling the team before the new season.

40m pounds a year in interest is never positive.

Why don't they pick up their tent and F**k off back to the USA....

Of course everyone wants these clowns out but as it looks as though we're stuck with them I guess this refinancing package is a positive for the year ahead. At least we know financially we are ok for the next year at least and the fact that £60 million is going to be knocked off is encouraging. The more debt that is knocked off, the more attractive a proposition this club is for investors

40m pounds a year in interest is never positive.

Fair point but a) it's a hell of a lot less than Manure have to pay and b) it means we don't go into administration, those are the positives.

Something I said a while back on this thread, and still a situation that needs addressing, certainly in a European and International sense.

Example: yesterday, I went shopping in my local shopping centre, a large supermarket surrounded by 100's of shops, one of the largest in France in fact. The wife and I were looking for school equipment my for son who is starting Primary School in September.

We enter the aisle with the school bags, and to my horror I saw a large area with Man Utd school bags, with 'No.1 Red Devil Fan' written across it. Not only that, pencil cases, text books, the works. Obviously I did my civil duty as a Liverpool fan and spent a good few minutes hiding all of this behind other bags the best I could, and hope I have spared at least some of the French kids from being corrupted, but this is besides the point.

If we want to be competitive financially, we need to not only catch Utd up in this kind of area, but surpass them. We need to be more aggressive, push the limits and have a much higher profile outside England. There's a huge market out there, almost untapped for the moment by ourselves.

It's time for the current CEO and owners to get their skates on if they're really serious about making us a successful, profitable club.

I also live in France.

Despite the fact that Toulouse is just a spit from us (and I saw the lads play there in 07) everywhere here is Marseille.
Its  miles away!

The Mankers do have their merchandise in the stores.
As they've a few French players we have a bit of the Arse thrown in from time to time.

If I ever see a lad in a Liverpool shirt I fall down prostrate on the floor in a homage to the good and the great!

AS for merchandise, the Manker shirts get thrown by me to the back of the display.
I always forget to take the box of matches to the store.
I wont though, if I find one with Little Mickey O on the back!

We are never financial safe with these 2 clowns in charge of the club and if financial safe means us having f'ck all of a transfer budget and no movement on a new stadium then I'm hardly happy with the news.

I also live in France.

Despite the fact that Toulouse is just a spit from us (and I saw the lads play there in 07) everywhere here is Marseille.
Its  miles away!

The Mankers do have their merchandise in the stores.
As they've a few French players we have a bit of the Arse thrown in from time to time.

If I ever see a lad in a Liverpool shirt I fall down prostrate on the floor in a homage to the good and the great!

AS for merchandise, the Manker shirts get thrown by me to the back of the display.
I always forget to take the box of matches to the store.
I wont though, if I find one with Little Mickey O on the back!

This is exactly the point.

Just yesterday I saw lads with Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea shirts on (the Chelsea one was the first one I've seen here though), but I've never seen someone besides myself with a Liverpool one, and I've been over here since 2001.

If the same case exists all over Europe, then we're not helping ourselves money-wise, we need a higher profile regarding merchandise. It's a step in the right direction that we're trying to conqueor Asia as we have many fans over there, but our European record is fantastic, and we should be on the shelves over here too.

Have to say in Australia besides the obvious fact that manures crap is all over the place, Liverpool seems to be on top. Even my mum who knows not much at all about football says shes noticing lots of Liverpool shirts around, so its strange to me that from what you guys are saying we seem to be behind the 8 ball in Europe. If we are ever to achieve financial parity with manure then we need to be at least matching them where ever they go, and then trying to break new ground rather than catch up all the time.

This is exactly the point.

Just yesterday I saw lads with Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea shirts on (the Chelsea one was the first one I've seen here though), but I've never seen someone besides myself with a Liverpool one, and I've been over here since 2001.

If the same case exists all over Europe, then we're not helping ourselves money-wise, we need a higher profile regarding merchandise. It's a step in the right direction that we're trying to conqueor Asia as we have many fans over there, but our European record is fantastic, and we should be on the shelves over here too.

I think in France those three would be more popular because the mancs have evra, Chavs have got Anelka and Malouda, and as for Arse well half their team is french if we had a french international in our team I'm sure we'd get more recognition in France.

It's the same thing over here you dont see as many liverpool shirts around (although there are still a reasonable amount) since Kewell left.

Good points on the shirts.

Those three clubs do have a bit of French representation.  I've been to Spain a few times in recent years and seen loads of Liverpool shirts.

I think in France those three would be more popular because the mancs have evra

Fair enough, though the only shirts I have seen here are Ronaldo ones, maybe now he's gone they'll be on the decline.

That being said, it was the bags and school stuff that got to me: they're selling like mad, I don't think it has that much to do with the players, just better marketing from them.

We should have been making a bigger effort since 2001, when we have been a massive figure in Europe, going to several finals and winning both UEFA Cup and the CL.

I feel we've missed a good oppotunity, though like I say, this is based soley on what I've seen here in France. I'm sure we're doing better in Spain and other countries.

You would think with our heavily Spanish flavored squad we would have to be making some decent cash in Spain, if not then there's a major marketing opportunity not being tapped. The fact that Torres is not only Spains, but the worlds greatest striker, and is a very marketable type player it would be ludicrous for Liverpool not to use him to push their brand into the market more. This day and age you really can't rest on your laurels, the club has to be aggressive. Im sick of reading about manures smart marketing and yada, yada, yada...   

If youre in Oz ...................you have to turn your shirts upside down to read them first!

Geddit?






Oh never mind.

If youre in Oz ...................you have to turn your shirts upside down to read them first!

Geddit?






Oh never mind.

˙ʇsod ɹnoʎ pɐǝɹ oʇ ʇsnɾ uʍop ǝpısdn uǝǝɹɔs ʎɯ uɹnʇ oʇ pɐɥ ı

You would think with our heavily Spanish flavored squad we would have to be making some decent cash in Spain, if not then there's a major marketing opportunity not being tapped. The fact that Torres is not only Spains, but the worlds greatest striker, and is a very marketable type player it would be ludicrous for Liverpool not to use him to push their brand into the market more. This day and age you really can't rest on your laurels, the club has to be aggressive. Im sick of reading about manures smart marketing and yada, yada, yada...   

I think we're not getting a lot of good press at the moment over there.  In the same way our media kisses United's arse - their's does the same for Real Madrid - and Benitez perceived 'stubborness' over the Alonso fee is not doing us favours in their press.