For those Liverpool fans that watched new Chairman Martin Broughton's slick inauguration speech last Friday with renewed optimism concerning their beloved club, it may be pertinent to question the new boy's claims.
As an adopted scouser myself, I feel the optimistic side of me pulling my heart strings to Mr Broughton's tune. My pessimistic rationale, however, worked overtime to scrutinise his attempts at adding vigour to this ailing club during his live broadcast for BBC Sport. (Which can be seen below)
His biggest claim for fan support was his insistence that current Liverpool owners Hicks and Gillett will at last sell up, to the euphoria of the vast majority of Reds fans, and that Mr Broughton will only seek to sell to the "right new owners".
This earnest statement seemed only to raise more questions than it answered. The "right new owners" for who? Broughton now heads a 5-man board at Anfield that includes Hicks and Gillett, but when the decision of selling is to be made, I doubt the "independent" chairman's influence.
Broughton insists that he will "make it very clear what the buyer needs to do from the point of view of the supporters", but what obligation do the American duo owe to the fans that have been so hostile?
Imagine a £400m offer arrives on Broughton's desk from a deep-pocketed life-long Liverpool fan who insists a new stadium will be up before the next solar eclipse and that Fernando Torres will have a new strike partner before David N'Gog has to return to his real day job. Meanwhile, Hicks' and Gillett's valuation of £600m+ is met by a consortium that will borrow against the established name of LFC and will issue promises to raise the cash for the stadium. Which one would be accepted, really?
Why should Hicks and Gillett take a £200m pay cut to enhance the lives of the fans that have effectively forced them out? I very much doubt Broughton's influence on the men when dollar signs can be seen on the horizon.
And lets not forget that Broughton comes to us as Chairman of a British Airways organisation that is notoriously unpopular with its workforce. Hope, however, lies with the fact that Broughton, as British American Tobacco Chairman, alienated himself from the tobacco industry by striking an internal blow , declaring: "I want never to see my own children smoke". Costing companies millions and disregarding his own name to potentially save lives, not bad.
Is he prepared to take this mutinous stance at Liverpool, and if so would Hicks and Gillett allow him to spoil their pay day?
looks like we're heading into a vicious cycle doesn't it? very knowledgeable once again, i always enjoy your humour too, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletevery interesting stuff, i feel your strongest point is your views on Mr N'Gog
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