Liverpool fans group Spirit of Shankly claim the Premier League has given its blessing to Liverpool fans to continue their campaign against the club’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Members of SOS, the Liverpool supporters union, met with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore at the league’s Gloucester Place headquarters in London yesterday to air their concerns about the way in which the club is being run.
And while the Premier League reportedly backed the ongoing protests, they claim the debts amassed by Hicks and Gillett are currently sustainable.
Liverpool is currently £237million in the red. Concerns grew stronger recently with the revelation the Anfield club registered record annual losses of £55m for the year ending July 2009 and is paying £110,000 a day in interest payments.
SOS spokesman, Jay McKenna, said: “Richard Scudamore suggested we keep on campaigning. He understood the fans are unhappy and want some answers. That was a positive to come from the meeting.”
The four-man delegation from the SOS executive committee met with Scudamore and the Premier League’s head of communications, Dan Johnson, and head of supporter relations, Cathy Long.
Although the Premier League admitted there is little they can do at present to help worried fans, Scudamore revealed steps have been taken to encourage responsible ownership of clubs in the future.
Added McKenna: “They were quite receptive to our concerns but it was clear that, as things stand, the Premier League’s powers are limited.
“The fit and proper persons test they apply to prospective owners isn’t subjective. What Tom Hicks and George Gillett are like as people doesn’t come into it.
“But they told us they have looked into some of the issues affecting, not only Liverpool, but other clubs in the league. They have come up with proposals to change the fit and proper persons test, which are to be heard at the league’s summer AGM.
“We told them we see the level of debt at the club as unsustainable. The Premier League response was that the future of the club is currently safe and they’re satisfied that Liverpool can fulfil its obligations to the league.
“That’s based on the current value of the club and the fact that, although we’re losing money, we are sustainable by the value of our assets such as players who can be sold down the line. This idea of sustainability it somewhat different from ours.”
Hicks and Gillett officially put Liverpool up for sale last month with British Airways chairman Martin Broughton being drafted in to help speed up the process.
While SOS are committed to the removal of the Americans they also requested guarantees from the Premier League that a similar situation will not be allowed to occur with new owners or investors.
“We want to make sure this situation wouldn’t happen again,” explained McKenna. “The Premier League have tried to give us assurances. But at the moment club chairmen have to agree to the changes the league would like to implement.
“It’s dependent on those who own football clubs to agree to the changes or not.
“Our plans now are to keep up the pressure on Hicks and Gillett to make sure we are listened to. We also want to make sure the Premier League take action to prevent this happening again.”
Members of SOS, the Liverpool supporters union, met with Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore at the league’s Gloucester Place headquarters in London yesterday to air their concerns about the way in which the club is being run.
And while the Premier League reportedly backed the ongoing protests, they claim the debts amassed by Hicks and Gillett are currently sustainable.
Liverpool is currently £237million in the red. Concerns grew stronger recently with the revelation the Anfield club registered record annual losses of £55m for the year ending July 2009 and is paying £110,000 a day in interest payments.
SOS spokesman, Jay McKenna, said: “Richard Scudamore suggested we keep on campaigning. He understood the fans are unhappy and want some answers. That was a positive to come from the meeting.”
The four-man delegation from the SOS executive committee met with Scudamore and the Premier League’s head of communications, Dan Johnson, and head of supporter relations, Cathy Long.
Although the Premier League admitted there is little they can do at present to help worried fans, Scudamore revealed steps have been taken to encourage responsible ownership of clubs in the future.
Added McKenna: “They were quite receptive to our concerns but it was clear that, as things stand, the Premier League’s powers are limited.
“The fit and proper persons test they apply to prospective owners isn’t subjective. What Tom Hicks and George Gillett are like as people doesn’t come into it.
“But they told us they have looked into some of the issues affecting, not only Liverpool, but other clubs in the league. They have come up with proposals to change the fit and proper persons test, which are to be heard at the league’s summer AGM.
“We told them we see the level of debt at the club as unsustainable. The Premier League response was that the future of the club is currently safe and they’re satisfied that Liverpool can fulfil its obligations to the league.
“That’s based on the current value of the club and the fact that, although we’re losing money, we are sustainable by the value of our assets such as players who can be sold down the line. This idea of sustainability it somewhat different from ours.”
Hicks and Gillett officially put Liverpool up for sale last month with British Airways chairman Martin Broughton being drafted in to help speed up the process.
While SOS are committed to the removal of the Americans they also requested guarantees from the Premier League that a similar situation will not be allowed to occur with new owners or investors.
“We want to make sure this situation wouldn’t happen again,” explained McKenna. “The Premier League have tried to give us assurances. But at the moment club chairmen have to agree to the changes the league would like to implement.
“It’s dependent on those who own football clubs to agree to the changes or not.
“Our plans now are to keep up the pressure on Hicks and Gillett to make sure we are listened to. We also want to make sure the Premier League take action to prevent this happening again.”
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