RBS have won an interim injunction preventing Tom Hicks from firing chairman Martin Broughton and two other board members.
Hicks can't sack Broughton, Purslow & Ayre
The Royal Bank of Scotland have won an interim injunction preventing Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett from firing chairman Martin Broughton and two other board members.
As the ownership row at Anfield prepares to go to the
High Court on Tuesday RBS have revealed they have won an injunction that prevents the American owners from sacking independent chairman Broughton, managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre.
Hicks tried to remove Purslow and Ayre from Liverpool's board last week after the duo along with Broughton agreed the club's club to New England Sports Ventures
The deal is being opposed by Hicks and Gillett who have brought the case to the High Court to try and prevent the sale to NESV.
RBS, which holds the bulk of Liverpool's debt is claiming "breach of contract" and says it obtained an interim injunction ahead of a further hearing on Tuesday at London's High Court.
RBS said in a statement: "RBS in its capacity as lender to the Kop group of companies received the benefit of various contractual undertakings from Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett in relation to the corporate governance arrangements that Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett agreed would apply to the Kop group of companies with effect from April 2010.
"Those undertakings provided for the appointment of Mr Broughton as chairman of the board and the appointment of the chief executive and commercial director of LFC to the Kop boards.
Prevented
"As is well known Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett purported to make changes to those corporate governance arrangements on 4 October. This was in breach of those contractual undertakings.
"In light of that purported breach of contract RBS sought and obtained on Friday 8 October 2010 an interim injunction against Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett until a further hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
"Among other things, that interim injunction prevents Mr Hicks or Mr Gillett taking any steps to remove or replace Mr Broughton from his position as chairman of the board of the Kop companies or from taking any other steps to appoint or remove any directors from the board of the Kop companies."
Broughton insists he had the right to sell the club to NESV as Hicks and Gillett had signed agreements not to oppose the sale when they received an extension to their refinancing deal with Royal Bank of Scotland earlier this year.
The Premier League is understood to be ready to approve the sale and, if the NESV deal goes through, Hicks and Gillett stand to lose a total of £144million.
It is feared, however, if Hicks and Gillett win the High Court battle, that Liverpool could be placed into administration and docked nine points if RBS decide to call in the £237m acquisition debt owed, due for payment in full on Friday 15th October.
