If your subject matter is Liverpool Football Club, the task of being a writer has been no easy task in recent months, not least during the last 48 hours. On each occasion that you begin writing, you have to refer back to your news sources between paragraphs to ensure that your content is still accurate!

John W Henry: From the Red Sox to the Red Men?

Supporters have experienced the same roller-coaster of emotions which sees the club precariously balanced, with its immediate future very much in the hands of the High Court.

Whilst there are few that are unaware of this, it is important simply to summarise the club’s current status in light of the last few days. Effectively, the Board of Directors at Liverpool Football Club consists of the following members:-

Tom Hicks
George Gillett
Martin Broughton
Christian Purslow
Ian Ayres

On Tuesday, the board entered into a meeting to discuss offers for the club from New England Sports Ventures and an unknown Asian bidder. By a vote of 3-2, the board agreed to the sale of the club for £300million to New England Sports Ventures. However, Hicks and Gillett objected to this, and as owners, attempted to oust Purslow and Ayres from their positions, replacing them with Mack Hicks and Lori Kay McCutcheon of Hicks Holdings.

Martin Broughton, given undertakings from Hicks and Gillett that they would not obstruct the reasonable sale of the club and similarly that only he could remove board members, continued the meeting to a conclusion that the sale could proceed given the 3-2 vote under the assumption that the owners could not make boardroom changes without his approval.

In the aftermath of this, Hicks and Gillett have launched proceedings in the High Court claiming that they stopped the sale with their removal of Purslow and Ayres, thus rendering any decision null and void.

At this point, is it me alone that would prefer to be writing and reading about footballing matters?

It really is fairly black and white at this point in that the High Court can either rule with Broughton and ratify the sale, or with Hicks and Gillett to negate it. They could, of course, adjourn and instruct both parties to provide further information or any ruling can be appealed by either party.

However, in the scenario of an adjournment or appeal, it would certainly NOT be heard before Friday 15 October, which brings another key player to the table in the form of the Royal Bank of Scotland. RBS has it in their power to foreclose on any moneys owed to them by the current owners, which stands currently in the region of £280million.

What this means, is that unless The High Court gives Hicks and Gillett an immediate ruling in their favour – and even then they would need to find the finances to pay their debtors – RBS have it in their power to put the club’s parent company, Kop Holdings, into administration, thus removing Hicks and Gillett from the equation altogether, at which point RBS could then sell the club to New England Sports Ventures.

I would suspect that Martin Broughton has considered this in making the decision that he did to push through the provisional sale in these circumstances. Whilst pleased and surprised at the positive stances of Christian Purslow and Ian Ayres, that of Broughton was less surprising. Beneath the rather soft, public school type,veneer lies a shrewd, resilient and ruthless business brain.

Having fought with the somewhat militant Trade Unions during his tenure with British Airways and with a senior post within the Confederation of British Industry, he is credible, has powerful backing, and is successful. He would, under no circumstances, put his reputation on the line were he not convinced of his success. Crucial to this success is Clause 81 in the Company Articles of Liverpool Football Club, which states:-

Each director appointed to the office of chairman of the board of directors of the Company may appoint any person as a director of the Company and may remove any director (other than George N Gillett Jnr and/or Thomas O Hicks) Any appointment or removal shall be made in writing and signed by the then current chairman.

Not being a legal expert, I can only surmise, but indications are that Broughton has not attempted to remove either of the owners from the board, whilst Gillett and Hicks have not given written notice of the removals of Purslow and Ayres, and not had it ratified by the chairman, Broughton.

Without looking too far ahead of ourselves, and any scepticism is perfectly understandable, New England Sports Ventures potentially represent exactly the type of owners that Liverpool supporters crave.

They have a very strong track record, having purchased the Boston Red Sox for £430m in 2002. Having not won the World Series since 1918, the Red Sox returned to prominence winning the Championship just two years into their tenure in 2004. Fans should respond well to an owner who has constantly emphasised the historical traditions of the Boston Red Sox whilst making significant investment into the club and presiding over 2 championship seasons. John W. Henry is known for being passionate, but very reserved, and unlikely to interfere in technical sporting areas. Upon arrival in Boston, he famously said:-

“Win a World Series? That’s not my choice, it’s my role, it’s my obligation to New England, that’s what I’ve been charged with. When you bid on the Red Sox, the challenge you’re undertaking is nothing short of winning the World Series.”

If his commitment is to be nothing short of Premier League success, then most Koppites will engage with him. They have invested highly in attracting star names to Fenway Park, to include David Ortiz, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka. In terms of the stadium, they spent over 200m to refurbish Fenway, which remains the smallest in MLB but one which is notorious for being a difficult place for opposing teams. In this regard, although the Red Sox remained at Fenway, Henry has shown that he will invest appropriately, and in the case of Anfield this would hopefully be the new stadium.

It is clear that John W. Henry and NESV have the pedigree to become very successful and highly regarded owners of Liverpool Football Club. However, they have much to prove to the supporters of the club, who are understandably sceptical and are passionate to protect the future of their club. They need to engage and communicate with supporters from an early stage, and must prove not only that they have the club’s best interests at heart, but also that they are committed to it as a real priority.

I doubt that even Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte had as eventful a 48 hours as those experienced by Liverpool supporters. They have become accountants, lawyers, judges, sceptics and baseball fans in the space between sunset and sunrise. The future of the club remains in doubt but there is hope on which to grasp.

Rohan Kallicharan

I am the editor of hetoreahamstring.co.uk and also have a personal site at rohankallicharan.co.uk. I am passionate about all sports and would probably pay over the odds from a tout to watch the world tiddlywinks final. I was fortunate to grow up inside the dressing room of the legendary West Indian cricket team of the 1970/80s - this has, I hope, given me a real insight into sport as a whole and the mindset of successful sportsmen. I played cricket and rugby at representative level as a youth, and also have a UK College Bowl winning medal in American Football! My real passions are West Indian cricket and Liverpool Football Club but I will write about much more! I hope you enjoy the site.

More Posts

Follow Me: