Gillett Receives Death Threats, Mostly Over Hicks' Ownership
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Gillett Says He Will Not Sell Shares To
Co-Owner Following Death Threats |
English Premier League club Liverpool co-Owner George Gillett Friday "broke his silence to declare that death threats have forced him to drop his plan to sell out to [co-Owner] Tom Hicks over fears for his family's safety," according to Oliver Kay of the LONDON TIMES. Gillett, in his "first serious discussion on Liverpool since August," told Toronto's The Fan 590-AM: "The thing that angers (the supporters) the most is the prospect that I might sell even one share of stock to my partner. They don't want him to have controlling interest of this club. They don't want him to have any ownership of the club, based on what they're saying and sending to me. It has been a difficult time because we have received calls in the middle of the night ... death threats. And it's interesting that the calls aren't against us as much as they're against us selling to our partner (Hicks), so we're rethinking that. Frankly, I don't think it's fair for me to put my family in that kind of danger and, instead of thinking about selling, I don't know, maybe we will think about buying." Kay noted Gillett is in "no position to buy out Hicks, but it is feasible that he could become a minority investor if and when" Dubai Int'l Capital [DIC] buys Liverpool, as there is a "growing inevitability about a takeover, particularly with Gillett indicating that his partner had tried and failed to find the funds to buy him out." Gillett "seems certain to sell to DIC, which, he feels, would be a far more suitable owner than Hicks." Gillett: "Lord knows they have the money, especially with oil prices going up by the day. They certainly have the history and they are fans. I think they would have been very responsible owners." Hicks' spokesperson declined comment on Gillett's interview (LONDON TIMES, 3/29). Gillett: "We've gotten as many as 2,000 emails a week here and I would say that 95% of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner and 5% have been aimed at both of us, saying 'Go home Americans.'" Gillett admitted that the "notion of buying out Hicks at this stage was 'speculative' but such a move cannot be discounted" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 3/29).
MEETING OF THE MINDS: In London, Jeremy Wilson reports Gillett and Hicks Wednesday are "due to meet, along with a representative from [DIC], in the boardroom of the Emirates Stadium." The meeting is understood to be the "first time that all three parties have shared the same room." The pressure on Hicks "may heighten in the coming weeks due to the possible need for him to refinance other assets," as market sources predict that the "pressure of the global credit crunch could well force Hicks' hand" (London TELEGRAPH, 3/31). Liverpool CEO Rick Parry has called for a "quick resolution" to the dissension between Gillett and Hicks, insisting that there is "no way the pair could resolve the difficulties in their working arrangement." Parry: "My plea is that something happens this week. There is a need for a degree of urgency but it is urgent to get it right, not urgent to come up with the wrong solution" (London TELEGRAPH, 3/31).
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