Court ruling favors prospective Liverpool owners - 7M sport

Court ruling favors prospective Liverpool owners



I have a say

Posted Friday, October 15, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

The owners of the Boston Red Sox were claiming control of English Premier League club Liverpool on Thursday, following an extraordinary legal battle in Britain’s High Court.

New England Sports Ventures, which controls the Red Sox, thought it had completed a deal to buy Liverpool for $480 million on Wednesday before being temporarily thwarted by an emergency injunction granted to former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. by a Texas court.

More From Martin RogersMiles to go before Team USA reaps Oct 13, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT
 
Hicks and Gillett saw their control diminished when they defaulted on loan repayments to the Royal Bank of Scotland and were outfoxed by board members who voted to sell to NESV. Hicks and Gillett wanted instead to sell to Singapore businessman Peter Lim, who offered a higher price.

However, High Court judge Christopher Floyd ruled on Thursday that the Texas injunction did not stand up under the English legal system and ruled in favor of the Royal Bank of Scotland and club chairman Martin Broughton. That means Hicks and Gillett now have until 11 a.m. ET on Friday to complete the handover to NESV.

Legal experts immediately speculated as to whether Hicks and Gillett had any further recourse or delaying tactics at their disposal. It was expected, though, that NESV would be given the green light to assume full control.

Once the deal finally goes through, Yahoo! Sports understands that Red Sox chief John W. Henry is determined to quickly win over the Liverpool public. Morale at Anfield is at an all-time low, with the team mired in the relegation zone after having claimed only six points from seven games.

Henry attended a Liverpool supporters bar in Boston earlier this week and expects to spend significant time in the United Kingdom to get fans behind the new ownership group.


Rooney’s Real outlet may close

Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United future is the “other” hot topic of English soccer after the England striker claimed publicly that he has had no ankle problems all season.

That, of course, flew directly in the face of comments from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who insisted that an ankle injury was the reason why Rooney sat out recent games.

That situation smacks of the disagreement with Ferguson which prompted David Beckham’s United departure seven years ago – to the extent that Real Madrid is also touted as Rooney’s most likely destination if he leaves.

Rooney’s United contract expires at the end of next season and discussions over a new deal have been slow.

However, an agent that works closely with Real told Yahoo! Sports on Thursday morning that “perception in Spain is that [Madrid’s] interest has cooled, and they are concerned about [Rooney’s] mental state.”

Rooney has been desperately out of form since the end of last season; endured a miserable World Cup; and has seen his private life come under scrutiny following revelations he cheated on his wife, Coleen, with a Manchester prostitute.


Red Bulls looking for a midfield angel

Juan Pablo Angel’s career with the New York Red Bulls is nearing its end after the Colombian striker acknowledged on ESPN this week that he “probably won’t” be back for another season next year.

Angel’s departure has been the subject of speculation for some time, but the biggest point of interest now is how the Red Bulls will use the spare cash and designated-player spot that will be at their disposal.

The MLS club is likely to take its time and see which stars become available early next year. However, a few whispers on the European grapevine suggest that the side is hunting for a big-name central midfielder to complete a trio of stars as the spine of its team (Thierry Henry in attack and Rafa Marquez leading the defense).


Everton seeks Donovan return

Everton head coach David Moyes is hoping to persuade Landon Donovan to return to the English Premier League club on loan at the start of 2011.

Donovan enjoyed a successful stint at Goodison Park earlier this year but recently suggested a similar move would be unlikely over the coming months, given his post-World Cup fatigue.

However, an Everton source revealed that with the side languishing near the foot of the EPL table, Moyes – who has been restricted in his transfer activity by Everton’s financial status – will make “a concerted effort” to get Donovan back in January.


U.S. bid gets nasty

The bad blood between the United States and Australian bids for the 2022 World Cup hosting rights cranked up another notch this week as tensions mount with less than 50 days to go before the final decision.

Taking offense at what he perceived as recent criticism from his American counterpart, Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy sent a terse email to U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati.

When the Australian delegation was the only one of nine World Cup bidders for 2018 and 2022 to fail to attend last week’s Leaders in Football conference in London, Gulati cheekily asked reporters whether “Australia pulled out of the bid completely?”

That stoked Lowy’s ire, with the Aussie calling Gulati’s comments an “unwelcome snipe” and questioning whether the remarks fell outside FIFA’s strict regulations regarding discussions of rival bids.

 

Tag:
Liverpool


Attention: Third parties may advertise their products and/or services on our website.7M does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of their contents.
Your dealings with such third parties are solely between you and such third parties and we shall not be liable in any way for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you.