Fans' bid to buy Liverpool

Supporters' group out to follow Barcelona model

Last updated: 31st January 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Fans' bid to buy Liverpool
It is time to answer the concerns that football fans have about the patterns of ownership developing at our major football clubs.

Rogan Taylor
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A group of Liverpool supporters is to unveil an ambitious plan to buy the troubled Anfield club from its US owners.

A group calling themselves Share Liverpool FC aim to create a stakeholder base of 100,000 fans to raise enough cash to oust Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

It comes after weeks of worry about the financial future of Liverpool, sparked when the pair took out a £350 million re-financing loan.

There have also been tensions between the owners and club manager Rafa Benitez.

Rogan Taylor, a Kop season ticket holder and a director of the Football Industry Group at the University of Liverpool, is leading the buy-out campaign.

He said: "It is time to answer the concerns that football fans have about the patterns of ownership developing at our major football clubs.

"Thousands of Liverpool fans have already demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.

"Large amounts of debt is often laden onto newly-bought clubs and the fans know that in the end, it will be them who will have to pay it off through increased ticket prices and other schemes.

"In such a case, why not simply buy the club yourselves?"

Purchase

The model proposed by Share Liverpool FC will be a 'member-share' scheme, aimed at raising £500 million to purchase the club from Hicks and Gillett and build a new stadium.

The group have pointed to Barcelona as an example of how the system works. Barca currently has more than 150,000 culis - members who own the club.

Mr Taylor added: "What many don't realise is that there are other ways of financing and taking ownership of big clubs.

"In Germany and Spain, most top-level football clubs are simply 'Not For Sale'. They are owned by many thousands of 'member fans'.

"The Champions League has been won on six occasions in the last 15 years by clubs owned and run in such a way."

The plan will be unveiled at the School of Management of the University of Liverpool.

Liverpool FC have so far refused to comment.

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Comments (26)

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Stuart Mcqueen (Portsmouth fan) says...

I think this is a great idea, clearly lots of finer details have to be sorted out, like how 100,000 people share 71,000 seats, who does what, who decides what and what happens to the average joe supporter but the 2 yank guys have to go before they totally mess your club up and there are lots of very goodsuccessful partnerships out there, not just in football (barcareal madrid) but in the business world, whats the worse that could happen? DIC come and bail you out if it goes wrong!

Posted 13:52 31st January 2008

Jon Davies (Liverpool fan) says...

I think it's a brilliant idea. Obviously what has been outlined hear is just the foundations, so I don't know why everyone is naming all the problems because no doubt the people trying to arrange this have considered most of the things mentioned

Posted 13:26 31st January 2008

Jim D (Manchester United fan) says...

And who will make the decisions? who will be appointed for the board ?, and who will be purchased next? , how much to pay for this player?. Couples struggle to decide what to have for lunch or what name to give a child, how do u think 100,000 will come to a compromise. and Barcelona is not run by 150,000 people, 149,985 of those people vote for certain things like who will be appointed president of the club but there vote only counts for about 10 % of the main vote so dont be fooled to think that its run by 150,000 that is just plainly naive

Posted 12:27 31st January 2008

Brendan C (Manchester United fan) says...

I think it's brilliant that Liverpool fans are trying to do something good for their club. But in the case of both Real Madrid & Barcelona who have the structure Liverpool want, both clubs receiver huge amounts of money from the government for several reasons. Do you see that happening with Liverpool?

Posted 11:50 31st January 2008

Dhiresh Bhatt (Manchester United fan) says...

Personally I think that this shows how true Liverpool fans are, Man Utd were lucky to have a good owner and same as Chelsea but unfortunately Liverpool got the bad one. If this works it will be the greatest acheivement in footballing history and I think the Liverpool fans are doing a great job in rebelling against a bad oner and good luck to them, to raise £500 million pounds is a huge amount of money but I say if you really beleive in it, go for it!

Posted 11:43 31st January 2008

Brian Oliver (Liverpool fan) says...

If 100,000 fans are found who can afford the £5,000 who is going to decide which 71,000 gets a seat to watch any particular match, because you can guarantee if they put up 5 grand they're going to want match tickets. Plus what happens to those supporters who can't afford 5,000, but can afford to go to every game possible. I take it it's tough luck. A recipe for disaster if you ask me. I agree with Matt. We have a squad of players that should be trouncing teams week in week out. The team's unsettled, it's different every game. You don't build confidence changing the team all the time. Look at the teams of the past, we won everything, without rotation, and they played more games in a season. The more they play the fitter they get, and confidence grows. Rafa needs to decide who his best 11 is and stick with it. Make rotation a thing of the past and lets get back to winning ways.

Posted 11:43 31st January 2008

Ritchie Moran says...

This won't work. At the end of the day Liverpool are playing ok, but not taking their chances if they did they'ed have at least another 10/12 points- the real problems start when they dont create anything. fans owning the club may have the clubs interest at hearts- but realisticly they'll never compete with the Mancs, arsenal or chelsea if this happens. The americans havent done too much wrong- the Rafa/ Klinsmann thing was a disgrace- but other than that they've spent fairly well, with a super stadium on its way. As long as Rafa gets 4th spot, and wins the FA cup or gets to another CL Final i think theres no reason why Rafa shouldn't stay and continue on what he's building- which is a team far better than the one he took over....just a shame that the Mancs/chelsea and arsenal (and even Man C, Everton and villa) have improved further in the short space of time. En Rafa Confiamos!! YNWA!!!

Posted 11:37 31st January 2008

Chris Ramsey (Liverpool fan) says...

About the last comment "this sort of thing never works" This sort of thing does work and as stated in the article, is how Barcelona is ran and look at them. They have one of the best teams in the world and most successful... I think this is a positive move and means the club will be ran by people that have the clubs success at heart and will back the team & manager fully. Then if the manager/players don't perform they only have themselves to blame and they will be shown the door. Liverpool FC should be winning the Premeirship and this is a positive step that will bring us the title.

Posted 11:11 31st January 2008

Mark Frost (Liverpool fan) says...

I think that Jordan James has missed the point. Clearly this type of ownership does work, if run correctly like Barcelona. For me. I am fed up with all of the politics surrounding Liverpool. It isn't the Liverpool way and were not used to it. All I care about is the team winning matches and winning trophies. Whoever the owners, chief exec or Manager are just pull together, and sort it out, so that we can get back to winning ways!!

Posted 11:10 31st January 2008

Dean (Manchester United fan) says...

i don't see how this can be possible if they say it would cost £500million to buy the club. Liverpool fans are again living in dreamland and again are thinking they are bigger than what they really are. You would need at least 1,000 000 fans giving large amounts of money with no gurantee of seeing a return and even if they do manage to do this whats to say the big donators are not going to have demands for tickets etc? its jut not possible to pull something off at a so called BIG CLUB!

Posted 11:10 31st January 2008

Aurora Murphy says...

I think that is a brilliant idea. Better late than never, but at least it will be covered by people that care more about the team than lining their own pocket. I would be willing to go in on it as well, given the right info.

Posted 11:07 31st January 2008

Josh Turner says...

what more can liverpool fans expect, Huge transfer fees? they were given huge money and dont forget they are paying ridiculous wages especially for Gerrard 120k???? , New stadium perhaps? in the pipeline. Liverpool will not win the premiership with their current wingers or full backs, they are not good enough! Pennant,kewell,finnan,riise,aurelio,benayoun would not get in the squads of the 3 top teams. Liverpool need some top class wingers otherwise they will fall further behind. Benitez rotation policy doesnt work yet he sticks with it.

Posted 11:02 31st January 2008

Damian Fox (Liverpool fan) says...

As good as it sounds I can't see it happening and it's just another distraction from what is going wrong on the pitch, which has to be the main priority. I think we should forget about take-over talks and get behind Rafa and the team. YNWA

Posted 10:58 31st January 2008

Mj Dolan (Liverpool fan) says...

Yanks and Rafa out. DIC and Jose in!!! Rafa has lost the plot lately were stareing 6th place in the face. Jose and a new John Barnes. Walk on Reds forever

Posted 10:55 31st January 2008

Marc Crane (Liverpool fan) says...

Unfortunatly the current squad isnt good enough to be challanging for the title and the situation off the pitch isnt helping the team. We need to get through this season, secure 4th, work hard in the FA cup and Champ league and then asses the situation at the end of the season. All of this press hype isnt helping anything.

Posted 10:25 31st January 2008

Jason Brimelow (Liverpool fan) says...

Last week the fans were shouting Rafa's name and demanding the americans leave town. Today the fans have woken up, smelt the coffee and are now wanting Rafa to go. However after the public displays of 'Rafa-love' the last few weeks, the americans daren't get rid of him leaving us struggling for euro qualification next season. Leave the americans alone, they have given rafa some money. We have the biggest squad in the premiership, why give him more money? let him sell some of the rubbish he has bought to finance any new deals ie a decent winger and striker. If we, as fans want to get involved then stop having a go at the americans, stop singing rafa's name and start shouting for Kenny to come back and settle the ship

Posted 10:24 31st January 2008

Chris Jago says...

It is all about liquidity. Hicks and co might have bought Liverpool, but they have little personal liquidity which forces loans to buy players. The plan to form a co op is good and works in Spain. The only issue is ensuring low gearing and cash to operate in a speculitive market; the purchase and sale of players. You can't capitalise footballers!

Posted 10:20 31st January 2008

Kevin Kane (Liverpool fan) says...

The £350m refinancing package consists of a £105m debt that will be tied to the club and of that total, £45m will be used for player transfers and to meet the club's working capital needs and the remaining £60m is thought to be free for start-up money for a new Liverpool stadium, when buying the club there was no mention of using the clubs money for building the stadium, don't forget that both owners are billionnaires. As for Rafa, the patience is wearing thin, the loyalilty of Liverpool fans towards him can only go so far before they realise that the existing crisis entails more than the uncertainty of the owners commitment and actions, ths simple fact is we were suppose to callanege for the league while Rafa ensure us that we still had a chance, we end up only taking 4 points from our last 5 games, all of which were mediocre. I for one think that this will be another trophyless seasons and if this is this case, I wonder how loyal the fans will be towards Rafa at the end of the season.

Posted 10:18 31st January 2008

Kuli Sidhu (Liverpool fan) says...

To the comment who would pay the players wages? The club would - Liverpool currently turns over a profit based on its Revenue and expenditure which includes wages for players, the owners are not paying this through loans or their own backpockets. With this scheme all profits generated by the club would be invested back into the club, so any profits would go towards purchasing new players and paying wages - improving fan experience. Currently the owners have saddled the club with debt are putting no money into the club from their own pockets so this scheme would actually give the club more to invest. I certainly would invest in this scheme - it would secure the future of the club and we would elect a President for the team just like Barcelona & Real Madrid do. Those standing for election would need to offer something to the fans to take control for a 3 year period and normally they would offer incentives such as money they are willing to invest in the club from their own finances and not through loans which would eventually be saddled on the club. Come on Reds lets do this - YNWA!

Posted 10:16 31st January 2008

Michael Harris (Arsenal fan) says...

I must agree wholeheartedly with Matt Wear's assessment. Arsenal are a case in point in this regard. A year or two ago we were being pilloried for the debt surrounding the Emirates development, now we are one of the richest clubs in the world on cash flow. It seems to have been a remarkable success that has lifted the club to another level. From what I have seen the Liverpool plans are of a similar nature but their success requires patience, not hysterical knee-jerk reaction. Thank your stars that you have intelligent businessmen at the helm rather than that fool that has bought Newcastle. Further, you should be asking your "incredible" manager why planks like Riise, Hyypia, Kewell, Kuyt, Voronin, Pennant play as many games as they do. These are not players who will ever win you a premier league.

Posted 10:09 31st January 2008
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