It's like being in the playground all over again.

Well you would remember that with you only being there a few hours ago.

ha ha very grown up reply bluey!!! wot you gonna do call someone fatty or foureyes next!!!

Anyway how did my joke hit me back in the face?? You didn't reach the quarters in Europe and we have.

Steely, who doesn't support Everton, mentions our FA Cup defeat, you back him up when your boys made a quicker exit to an even lower team. Don't quite get it somehow!



Anyway, enough of all this bitchy [beep!], in all seriousness, Everton were dead unlucky last night, and I really do mean that. They played well and did well to come back. Its gonna be great fight til the end of the season for that chapions league place, so may the best team win!

Topic please.

Liverpool FINANCE EXPERT EXPECTS DIC DEAL

Hicks - broke off talks.
Football finance expert Professor Chris Brady has dismissed Tom Hicks' termination of Liverpool takeover talks with Dubai International Capital (DIC) as a "negotiation manoeuvre" and expects the deal to be wrapped up by June.

Hicks ended discussions yesterday, insisting in a statement he was not interested in jointly running the club "by committee" with DIC and vetoed their proposal to buy out 49% of co-owner George Gillett's 50% stake.

It has led to speculation that the proposed £400million deal is dead in the water, but Professor Brady, who is the Dean of the business school at Bournemouth University, believes Hicks is angling for a better price.

He told Football Insider: "Clearly Hicks wants out now. He probably thinks he can get £450 million by stalling and they (DIC) will probably go to £450 million.

"My guess is that this is a manoeuvre in a normal negotiation. Hicks will wait and try to get as much money as possible by frustrating DIC, but it's obvious from the dialogue he will sell.

"From what I've heard there is no rush of alternative buyers out there and DIC are keen.

"Dubai (DIC), presumably, will want to wrap the deal up by the middle or end of June so they have time to prepare for the new season."

Earlier reports - since denied by Hicks - suggested Hicks and DIC had disagreed over the Dubai group's plans to install a fan with full voting rights to the board.

Brady, who thinks DIC will eventually assume total control of the club, believes the scheme would help any new owners avoid the same popularity issues suffered by Hicks and Gillett.

"If Dubai buy 90% of the equity at some stage or another, then a group, possibly Rogan Taylor's (Share Liverpool FC Group), can take 10% for the fans with board membership," he added.

"I suspect that's what Rogan's group are aiming for, and I reckon DIC will take that.

"They would get the majority and controlling stake, and it keeps the fans quiet for five years or so, which is important.

"No matter how much due diligence they (foreign investors) do, they do not quite understand how involved and awkward fans can be over here."





This is interesting in a business sense.

It's all gone very quiet, what is Tom up to ????

Question for anyone with any Financial brain. (or anyone who can be arsed)

With the crisis affecting the good old USA, what damage (if any) has this done to T Hicks companies.

Will this make him sell LFC quicker?

Liverpool stalkers DIC believe the credit control crunch across the Atlantic is now seriously impacting on Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks' businesses and that he will soon be back at the negotiating table.


Or he may sell he's other sports teams to concentrate on Liverpool

ps, Thats if he can find a buyer for them....

This is going to lead to murder. I can feel it.

Here is the latest from the Independant.

DIC to seal £400m deal for Liverpool in 'three to four weeks'

By Jason Burt and Ian Herbert
Tuesday, 25 March 2008

The long pursuit of Liverpool by Dubai International Capital is set to end within the next "three to four weeks" with the investment group taking full control of the Premier League club, according to a source close to the proposed deal.

DIC is understood to be confident that it will finally buy the club for £400m – and is looking to involve a "third party" investor, who would take a minority stake, as part of its business plan. The company is believed to already have an agreement in place with the club's co-owner George Gillett Jnr to buy his share. It is also confident that Tom Hicks, who owns the other 50 per cent, is now close to agreeing to sell to them even though he cut off negotiations earlier this month insisting he would not sell even a minority stake. Hicks also said he would block any attempt by Gillett to sell.

Although DIC, which is the private equity investment arm of the Dubai government, realises it is paying a high price for Liverpool – Gillett and Hicks bought the club for £219m 13 months ago – such is its determination to succeed that it wants to push ahead. "It's not a cheap deal and Hicks is holding out but there is confidence that it will now finally happen," a source said. Matters have not been helped by the strained relationship between the two Americans.

DIC, whose chief executive Sameer Al-Ansari is a life-long fan of the club and who will join the board, has ambitious plans which could include involving some of its other investment vehicles in an attempt to raise its profile. The hotel group Jumeirah could be used as part of the development of a new stadium. A wide-ranging review of the club, and its revenue streams, will be conducted.

DIC came close to buying Liverpool before the Americans' acquisition and has tried to resume negotiations, on and off, ever since. The reason for the apparent confidence now could be that several of Hicks' loans are due for refinancing within two or three months. This may be the trigger for his main lender – believed to be JP Morgan – to force him back into talks with DIC and accept its offer for Liverpool.

The full level of the Texan's debt is unclear. But DIC sources believe he has been hit badly by the state of the financial markets in the United States, which has seen the value of assets which he has borrowed heavily against drop – in some cases by between 30 and 50 per cent. Were Hicks unable to refinance loans when, at a time of severe anxiety among financial institutions, they are due, JP Morgan could take over the assets Hicks has borrowed against or force a sale. Since bankers would tend to sell on such assets anyway the presence of a prospective buyer like DIC would be attractive to them.

Given how far apart DIC and Hicks seem to be, it would appear that any chance of the Arab consortium having a future role at Anfield would be through a complete takeover, with or without a junior partner.

I heard about this on Friday Xabi.

Apparently JP Morgan have been in close contact with Hicks for the last week & they are said to be pressuring Hicks to come to an agreement with DIC asap.

DIC's deal with Gillett is all done - barring the signing.

Fee's agreed, this add on & that - just waiting for the signatures to be exchanged.

This leak or source has come from JP Morgan.

As we speak there are parties representing Hicks in Dubai & negotiations are said to be advanced.

PCP Capital Partners are there as well as high level reps from DIC.

Its clear it is not now a question of if it happens but when.

I wonder though - when DIC come in & pump millions & millions pounds in to Liverpool - will the fans be as vocal as they were when Chelsea or ManU bought the title??

Unfortunately in this day and age if you dont "Compete" with the other big boys finacially you dont have a hope of winning the league.

A lot of people will no doubt point to Arsenal as an acception to the rule but not only have they not won the league for 4 years tehmselves but they've spent their fair share too along the way.

The Chelsea situation changed football in this country completely. before Abramovic arrived transfer fee's were starting to settle down again and while they would not have dropped right down creating an equal market there would have a been a better distribution of top players between the top four.

Most football fans outside of Chelsea we disgusted with thier actions but I suppose its a case now of toeing the line and swallowing pride or being left behind!

At the end of the day fans want to see their team winning on the pitch full stop. The only thing I dont want to see Liverpool do should we be taken over by the arabs is poaching everyone around them with total disregard for the rules in place like Chelsea did.

I think exactly that Xabi.

I am an old fuddy duddy who would love to see Leeds UTD players all from Leeds - but like you say, things change & have.

Like you say - ManU & Chelsea raised the bar, so I dont see anything wrong in matching that or bettering it if possible.

DIC are not coming into Liverpool to make millions of pounds.

They want it as many have said to be the diamond in there portfolio.

The Sheikh is very wealthy individual as are his chums & there will no be shortage of Arabs wanting to put there name alongside the Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum's at Liverpool.

It wouldnt or wont be the case - they would invest in the club for a % - just to be affiliates of the Sheikhs.

He's a very big fish in the Arab world & the wealth they all boast is scary.

But back to your point - Chelsea & ManU raised the bar - so your right - why not go with the flow if its offered to Liverpool on a plate.

Make the league more interesting.

Why cant one of his Prince mates divert the route & come say hi at Elland road?

Thing is that you get an English person or company (ie tesco) taking over or even just helping out building a new stadium and you get laughed at by idiots whos team are being taken over by Americans and now what could be Arabs and have not a clue about l,pool.

I'll stick with what I've got if no 1 minds.

Plus! he's an Evertonian.

Why would anyone laugh about having Arabs in charge? Most of the teams in the premier league aren't owned by an Englishmen now anyway.

It would only be jealousy.

So you're happy with Americanos at the moment? And they actually speak English!

Of course not. And i'm not saying anyone is jealous of them.

But if we got rich Arabs throwing money around and not destroying the club like Hicks, then if people like you made fun of that, it would simply be because you're jealous.

But while we have Hicks, go ahead, take the [beep!] all you like.

I'm not taking the p!ss at all mate. I'm just saying I'd rather have someone who owns or helps our club to be British or even better, an Evertonian. But we seem to get this p!ss taken out of us. So as you say... I think it all boils down to jealousy.

For starters blue - The Arabs all speak fluent English!!

They all studied over here at the top institutions, as do all the big boy Arabs.

Secondly - To say the Arabs havent got a clue - is just plain silly.

They are genius where buisness is concerned - not wet behind the ears at all.

But I agree it would be nice to have British players & owners at our respective clubs, but this football thing is a billions of pounds a year business and its getting bigger.

But what about your club Blue?

From what I hear Bill Kenwright is close to selling off Everton.

In my opinion - he is a stand up guy who like Mr Moores loves the club, but they understand to compete - they need mega investment - or get left behind.

But Everton would do a lot worse than offering the club to a business that puts 1 in 7 ££'s into the ecomomy.

Also I think it would be the best thing for Everton to go out of the city & once and for all get out of the shadows of Liverpool FC - make there own mark.

Thats whats being mooted around & I think it would make good sense.

But back to the Arabs - dont misunderstand how savy they are at building powerhouse businesses.

The day they eventually take over LFC & come into this country - the football map will change forever, some may say that dramatic - but its true.

I was saying to Xabi, the bar was raised a few years ago & its a dog eat dog business & luckily for Liverpool and unluckily for the rest, they are the rottweilers in the doggy park.

I have studied DIC & the Sheikh and the story of the UAE and its a phenomenal rise.

Dubai is the best example of business sense & obviously the best example of sporting prowess is Godolphin.

I say over & over to people - its not just a case of it being one guy - like Abramovich - The Sheikh is rich, but its all the others who mix in his circles.

Maybe this is for another time, but the Arabs are owed hundreds of billions of pounds by America - they say if the House of Saud demanded all the money back what they are owed - America would collapse - simple.

I find this whole DIC thing very interesting & again when I tell people they are not coming in to make money & is all about politics - its 100% true.

Dmjn100

I see what you saying... Mr Tesco himself is an Evertonian so I'm quite happy about that. There was a rumour a good few years back about someone putting a bid in but Kenwright knocked them back for some reason which was a bit weird.