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發表於 2010-10-16 01:38:07
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Premier League - NESV complete Liverpool takeover
The American firm, led by John W Henry (pictured), completed their £300 million takeover just minutes before the 16:00 deadline imposed by Royal Bank of Scotland, who were owed £237m by previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The sale came after a bitter and protracted legal fight contested on both sides of the Atlantic, with Hicks and Gillett vowing to pursue a damages claim worth $1.6 billion.
Emerging to face a frenzied press pack in the lobby of solicitors Slaughter and May, new owner John W Henry said: "We're here to win and we'll do whatever it takes."
Henry said in a separate statement: "On behalf of the entire NESV partnership, I want to express how incredibly proud and humbled we are to be confirmed as the new owners of Liverpool FC.
"We regard our role as that of stewards for the Club with a primary focus on returning the Club to greatness on and off the field for the long-term. We are committed first and foremost to winning. We have a history of winning, and today we want LFC supporters to know that this approach is what we intend to bring to this great Club."
Club chairman Martin Broughton added: "I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive. The Board decided to accept NESV's offer on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a new owner.
"NESV is buying Liverpool in order to put it on an excellent financial footing and continue to develop it internationally. This is a good deal which comprehensively resolves the pressing issue of the Club's debt and should give staff, players and fans great confidence regarding the future of Liverpool FC."
Regarding the cancelling of the debt owed to RBS, a joint statement reads: "The transaction values the Club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the Club's debt servicing obligations from £25-30m a year to £2-3m."
A Texas judge provided the breakthrough earlier on Friday by lifting a restraining order that had prevented the company behind Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox ousting Hicks and Gillett.
Liverpool, the five-times European champions who are one of England's greatest clubs and possess a brand of global stature, still face a an extensive legal battle in a saga that has overshadowed their troubled start to the season.
Lawyers for Hicks and Gillett vowed to fight on "with all of their legal energies" in a claim for damages of £1 billion after a sale the owners slammed as "illegal" and "an extraordinary swindle".
A statement also said that the pair had offered to pay outstanding debt to the Royal Bank of Scotland but that attempt was rejected. A spokesman for the bank was not immediately available for comment.
"This outcome not only devalues the Club but it also will result in long-term uncertainty for the fans, players and everyone who loves this sport because all legal recourses will be pursued," said their Texas lawyer Steve Stodghill in a statement.
The pair had been granted the temporary restraining order on Wednesday, pouring cold water on euphoric fans who had been celebrating a High Court ruling that the owners could not block the sale by sacking board members.
Hicks had been linked to a separate deal with US hedge fund Mill Financial, who had sought to take a Premier League 'owners' and directors' test as a preliminary to their own takeover.
A Premier League spokesman said the application had been turned down because the body, who have already approved ownership by NESV, would only deal with the club's legally constituted board.
Reuters
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發表於 2010-10-9 11:56:41
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