Friday, April 11, 2008

Liverpool Crisis: George Gillett Backs Rick Parry


Rick Parry has received reassurances from Liverpool co-owner George Gillett over his position following the demand from Tom Hicks that he should resign as Liverpool chief executive.

"Rick Parry retains our full support," said Gillett. "Any decision to remove him would need the approval of the full Liverpool board which, it should be remembered, consists of six people - myself, Foster (Gillett's son), David Moores, Rick himself, Tom Hicks and Tom junior.

"We have not seen the document in question and we were not party to it. We are not able to comment on the detail because we have not seen it. But I would reiterate that Rick retains our full support."

Parry only learnt of the three-page letter from co-owner Hicks that requested his resignation late yesterday afternoon following meetings at the FA and Premier League. He has sought immediate legal advice, but is clearly most furious about the timing of the latest move in Liverpool's embarrassing civil war.

"I haven't seen the letter, you guys know a lot more about it than I do which says something," he said as he arrived for work this morning.

"This week I shouldn't be the story, the story should be the team. It's offensive to the manager, the players, and the fans in a week when we've had another great European triumph there's more dirty linen being washed."

The request for Parry's resignation came less than 48 hours after the epic 4-2 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final.

But hopes that the on-field achievements might overshadow the off-field turmoil, however, were short-lived. The splits in the boardroom would have been certain to dominate the agenda at manager Rafael Benitez's scheduled press conference today and it came as little surprise that it was duly cancelled.

Parry, though, insisted that the club would emerge without lasting damage from the current drama.

"No individual is bigger than the club, certainly not me," he told Sky Sports News. "The club will be fine. But once again it shows that there is a little bit of a lack of unity at the top. I'm just getting on with the job, there's work to do."

Parry intends to fight on in the knowledge that Hicks does not have the power to force his departure after almost 10 years as the club's chief executive. Gillett is supportive of Parry, as is former chairman David Moores, who remains on the board.

Although Gillett was understood to have agreed a deal in principle with potential buyers Dubai International Capital to sell his stake, he has insisted that he will not sell to Hicks under any circumstances.

It leaves the club in bitter stalemate, though DIC remain optimistic that Hicks will sell by the end of the season. Hicks has retained the American investment bank Merrill Lynch and has met with other City institutions and potential investors in a desperate effort to raise the money needed to bring an end to the current situation.

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