Much like his Texan friend George Dubya Bush, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has the whole world laughing at him and his ridiculous claims that he isn’t attempting to sell to DIC and furthermore that he wants to buy the whole club.
It seems Hicks has been taking lessons from the old Iraqi Information Minister (who insisted the troops weren’t attacking Iraq but were literally coming around the corner as he spoke!). Hicks has continually denied having been in talks with DIC, and continually these denials have been proved to be, much like most of what he says, false.
The latest twist in the takeover saga seems to be point to DIC having found a way around Hicks’ claim that Gillett cannot sell without his approval’ and therefore Gillett will sell to DIC and thus gain 50% of the club. It is understood Gillett is keen not to sell his stake to Hicks which would be the nightmare scenario for Liverpool fans not wishing for the club to be no doubt plunged further into debt if Hicks gained full control.
It seems there could be hope on the horizon though with several positive newspaper reports this morning, The Telegraph write:
Whatever the outcome of the Liverpool talks between George Gillett Jnr and Dubai International Capital, the sovereign wealth fund believe it is only a matter of time until Tom Hicks is forced to open negotiations with them.
Hicks has repeatedly stated that he is not a seller and that he wants to buy Gillett out. But with investment bank JP Morgan struggling to launch a float of his company, Hicks Holdings, DIC sources believe the Texan cannot block their advance.
Oliver Kay writes in The Times:
Dubai International Capital (DIC) remains confident that George Gillett Jr will accept its improved offer for his 50 per cent stake in Liverpool. Gillett, the club’s co-chairman, was said to be considering his options and consulting lawyers and brokers last night, increasing DIC’s belief that he will accept its offer of a healthy profit rather than allow the process to drag on.
Tom Hicks, Gillett’s co-owner, claimed last week that his fellow American ‘œcannot sell without my approval’, but sources close to DIC, the private-equity investment arm of the Dubai Government, claim to have ‘œfound a way around that’ and that when, not if, Gillett agrees to sell, Hicks will have little option but to do likewise – a scenario that Hicks insists will not transpire as he looks to buy out his business partner.
The Daily Mail write today:
The Liverpool takeover shambles has reached such a warring state between the American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, that the Hicks camp were not even convinced that the ‘deadline midnight’ meeting even took place between Dubai Investment Corporation and Gillett’s representatives in London on Tuesday night ‘” despite Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry being present.
Liverpool fans group Spirit of Shankly (SOS) attempted to stage a half-time protest during the 4-0 win over West Ham last night, seemingly the tannoy at Anfield was louder than usual and while certain sections of The Kop got their message across, a large amount of the ground sat like muppetts not caring that the club is most definitely ‘in the wrong hands’.
Those fans who believe the PR Tom Hicks has spun need to read the truth about Hicks and realise why the feeling is so strong that he needs to be ousted from any control of the club.
