LIVERPOOL FC co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks endured a torrid day on Merseyside as they ran the gauntlet of protesting fans.
The Americans were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling against them when supporters staged a demonstration at Anfield following the Reds’ 2-0 win over Chelsea.
Around 300 fans gathered outside the directors’ entrance, chanting for Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett to sell the club they bought from former owner David Moores two years ago this month.
The protest was entirely peaceful but noisy and the chants could be heard inside the stadium long after the final whistle had been blown on Liverpool’s victory.
Throughout the match, a group of fans in the paddock, right in front of where Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett were sitting in the directors box, displayed a banner which read “Thanks but no Yanks”.
Earlier in the day, members of the Spirit Of Shankly (SOS) fans’ group converged on the Crowne Plaza hotel at the Pier Head where Gillett was staying.
Mr Gillett, who had earlier declined an opportunity to be interviewed by the ECHO, was clearly unprepared for their arrival as a number of supporters got past hotel security to confront him.
But after quickly recovering his composure, the Colorado-based businessman agreed to speak with to SOS spokesman Jay McKenna in the hotel foyer.
The demonstrators were well-behaved and well-organised throughout, although police did arrive on the scene to ensure hotel guests could come and go unhindered.
Mr McKenna emerged from his impromptu meeting with Mr Gillett to inform those gathered outside of what he was just told.
Mr McKenna said: “I told him all the fans who were outside and thousands more were angry and upset at how he and Tom Hicks were running the club.
“He looked shocked and asked me why. I told him he knew why, because he met Spirit Of Shankly before the Manchester United game.
“I said ‘fans see it as you have made three promises and broken them’. So he asked me what they were.
“The first one was the debt on the football club. I told him his partner Tom Hicks promised it would not be like the Glazer takeover at Manchester United, and to fans that meant no debt on the club.
“He claimed to be unaware and asked what I meant. I told him they had bought the club and then placed the debt for buying the club onto the club.
“He claimed this was at the ‘request of the banks’ and they were in a ‘sound financial position’ with ‘revenue per pound or dollar in ratio to the debt’ better than at any other football club.
“When I asked about the extension to July, he claimed that was false and no-one else knew the true details because they were kept confidential.
“The second one was backing the manager and then not doing so. I said they said they would back the manager, so why had they approached Jurgen Klinsmann about the position of manager?
“He then went onto claim they had met with the manager, who told them he was to have discussions with ‘three other teams’ about joining them and they approached Klinsmann to have him in place to work as a ‘consultant at the club’ if Benitez left them.
“I asked why they had approached Klinsmann, because his pedigree was not one that immediately made fans sit up and take note.
“He claimed Klinsmann had a brilliant track record, and he had excellent marketing talent, having close links with those at Adidas, Nike and Reebok and the benefits of him being at Liverpool.
“I asked who the three clubs were, but he refused to answer.
“The third one was the stadium. I told Gillett the situation with the stadium angered fans, because Gillett himself had promised a spade in the ground in 60 days, and it still had not happened.
“He denied making this claim and said it was a ‘made-up quote by the media’and he would be interested to see such a quote.
“I asked why work on the stadium dragged on before they finally blamed the credit crunch for it not happening.
“He claimed they had spent £100m on the stadium so far and were still working with designers, architects and planners.
“I asked why they were spending the club’s money on this and he claimed it was coming from himself and Tom Hicks and not the club.
“I asked if the club’s accounts would show and support this when they are released, and he said yes. “Gillett then claimed all transfer fees to date had been met by himself and Tom.
“He said when they bought the club, they were told about the ‘Liverpool Way’.
“I asked if he felt they had been true custodians as they promised. Gillett told me he ‘had tried, but it had been difficult’ and they had ‘done what they could’.
“I asked why he could not speak for Hicks because he was his partner.
“He said that ‘husband and wife can say different things but one does not get the blame’.
“I explained they were both responsible, and he was not happy at being blamed.
“I asked why he was in partnership with Hicks. He said Hicks and himself had worked together well for six years in other businesses such as food, but this is different because the media are involved.
“I asked, would he or Tom Hicks, or both, be selling their stakes in Liverpool. “Again, he told me he cannot speak for Tom Hicks. I asked, had there been any offers for the club, and were they currently meeting anyone about it?
He told me: ‘Yes, there have been expressions of interest and some negotiation’.
“I asked who with, and he told me he could not tell me that. I asked would he sell, and he admitted he was ‘open to it’, but he could not speak for Hicks.
“I then went to walk away, and he came after me saying, ‘A few weeks ago, we were in first position, then a certain individual from the club attacked another individual from another club, and, since then, we have lost form and slid down the league.’
“I was stunned, and asked if he was blaming Benitez as a result, and in saying that, was he not backing the manager?
“Rather than confirm or deny as I expected, he replied ‘that’s your implication’, before I walked away and back outside to the real world.”
