The Future of Liverpool
By Tom Dunmore • Mar 2nd, 2008 • Category: Politics and Economics • 6 responsesWho will “own” Liverpool this time next year? George Gillett and Tom Hicks, still? Just Gillett? Just Hicks? DIC? Who knows what’s really going on, when the motives and money behind each venture remain opaque.
I can offer you, though, two updates on the supporter-led efforts to rescue a vestige of Liverpool FC from the mess they’ve become embroiled in. The Share Liverpool FC plan was to find enough fans willing to put up £5000 each to raise £500m. So far, it’s had a pretty promising start. They’ve received around 10,000 expressions of interest with almost £50m pledged. They’ve also been endorsed by from two prominent former players, Phil Thompson and John Aldridge.
Anfield Road explains how it’s coming together.
SLFC now has an 18-strong steering group in place, which includes experts in areas such as finance and law. The financial director of Ethel Austin is one, alongside a senior partner from Price Waterhouse Cooper. One of the representatives of the Liverpool Supporters’ Union, Spirit of Shankly, has also taken up the offer of a place in the committee.
Dr Rogan Taylor has played a big role in getting this scheme off the ground, and has been delighted - if a little snowed under - with the response so far. He said: “This puts Share Liverpool FC on to a proper footing. We have brought together the different skill sets in areas such as finance, law and marketing that are needed if we are going to succeed in this venture.”
It seems unlikely they’ll raise enough to buy the club outright — but as I speculated initially, it looks like they may well be able to raise enough serious capital to buy a significant share of the club and get a seat on the board.
Meantime, the other main supporter venture to assert some kind of control comes in the form of AFC Liverpool, a new venture we reported on last month (see our interview with the founder, Alun Parry).
Since first floating the idea of founding a new non-League cub based on supporter control, Parry has received a strong and positive response for the most part. He told me yesterday that “We are in discussions with the [North West Counties] league. We haven’t yet undertaken a press campaign yet we have several hundred emails registrations. We are talking with clubs about groundshare. And we are squarely aiming to be up and running for the forthcoming season. We do need financial support though so it’s key that those who are keen on AFC Liverpool back it and make it viable.”
AFC Liverpool are now offering membership for just £10, which is of course something affordable for the ordinary supporter, unlike Share Liverpool FC.
Tom Dunmore is the editor of Pitch Invasion.
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Tom, sorry if this has been asked elsewhere, but is it known whether people buying into the SFLC plan would be allowed to invest more than £5000? I could see the goal being reached more quickly if the odd loony millionaire could toss in 20 times that amount, but it might also upset the principle of equality that seems to be a serious part of the venture.
Brian, I believe you can only buy one share and every share will cost the same. I don’t think they’re willing to sacrifice the principle of equality you mention, which seems to me important that they hold on to.
Hiya
Thanks for the coverage again Tom. Just wanted to point out that this is not in response to Hicks & Gillett.
This idea would be happening anyhow as its more a response to the fact that there are thousands of people who can never (or barely ever) afford to go to the game these days.
AFC Liverpool is for them primarily, so the ownership issue is irrelevant to us. Although it should be said that AFC Liverpool will be owned by its fans with equal voting rights as an Industrial and Provident Society.
Al
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The AFC Liverpool idea is a great one and a natural reaction to the money-obsessed Premier League. Going to a match these days is so far removed from what it was just 15 years ago that the emergence of these sides (FC United and AFC Wimbledon as well) is just an expression of the frustration the average fan feels nowadays after being priced out of the game and their club. It will be interesting to see how many other clubs follow suit in the years to come and look to get back to the grass roots instead of paying hugely-inflated prices watching average football by overpaid players who have very little loyalty to the club or its fans.
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