Topic: Liverpool Supporters Union - A Call to Arms

[bospheros]

I really don't understand this apathy and indifference towards DIC.

They are owned by one of the richest men in the world, rather than some tinpot yanks who can't even secure loans and have a track record of fucking up their sporting ventures.

DIC / Dubai have a track record of ensuring their projects are world class, forward thinking and ambitious.

How can there be any doubt who would be better???

DIC will take out dividends and will secure loans, but they come from incomparably better economic background and there would be no risk of the club going bust, with these current clowns we have, there is every chance of that happening. 

We have to get rid of G&H.  For me DIC have been the only ray of hope, but they seem to be fading fast into the background and its leaving a horrible empty void which forces me to contemplate these horrible yank c*nts as owners for a number of years and totally destroying the impact Rafa would have had with decent funding.

We have one of, and in my opinion THE best manager in world football, but without supporting him properly our club is shooting itself in the foot.  We have waited too long for the real deal to now just piss it all away.

We need action.  I remember a story about DIC saying how pleased they were when we had those DIC SOS banners.

We need to show them that we want them here.

Is it possible to have a 24/7 protest at Anfield/Stanley Park/outside the Albert, like they did in London at Westminister for the Iraq war.  If not then regular and large scale protests during the summer.

We only have one and a half months to make our voices heard.  On the 29th June the Euro Champs finish and this ugly season ends and the new one starts.  We don't want to be protesting during games and distracting our players, so we have to make our voices heard from now until August.

We need to have focused aggression and action against these c*nts in charge.  We hoped things would change, we had hopes that Gillett would sell and then the wheels of motion would start rolling, but they havent.  There was a lull.  Now we don't know if anything is happening.  We need to show these c*nts that we will NOT TOLERATE them being in charge.

[firing squad]

so are those membership packs ready or what??

It's said that they will be ready "next week" and that was about 10 days ago.

[coffeehead]

Question why is it only hicks and not the dirty snide gillett who get the brickbats , yes we all agree Hicks's big Texan mouth gets him into trouble , but its all hicks this and hicks that , when since day one gillett has been the nasty one in the board room , siding with parry telling benitez to coach and manage the team so on and so on , this is my gripe with any of the pressure groups involved its a unbalanced view its all one way directed at hicks and gillett gets away with it .

It's a fair point but I think you have to just accept that when most of us say 'hicks' we mean Hicks and Gillett - it can get a bit tedious writing their full names or G&H every time. That's certainly the case with me unless I specifically state otherwise.

Besides, as Hicks tends to be the one who opens his gob he elicits the most reactions, esp. as his style is so confrontational.

[coffeehead]

Genuine questions to Liverpool fans. Where were the protests before the takeover?

My genuine answers (others' views may differ):

Many of us were unhappy about Gillet and Hicks but our voices were drowned out in the general positivity. And we were right, I think, not to attempt small scale protests at that stage. We were, in short, showing solidarity with the rest of the fanbase even if though we had grave misgivings.

I don't blame the majority for welcoming G&H initially. We're warm, welcoming, decent people - unless you cross us. And we were getting tired of the long drawn out search fr new owners. I think some were even feeling a bit ashamed that the greatest club in the world was finding it hard to find a buyer; surely they should be queuing up round the block? So when Moores and Parry said 'Trust us', most people did. It's not a crime.

After that, of course we had all those extravagant promises from the Americans, which seemed to auguM a bright new future. I remember getting a fair bit of stick at that time for being a voice of dissent (not here, I wasn't a member back then) and I can't deny that I genuinely hoped that the pair would do us proud. That's why I was ecstatic when the new stadium designs were leaked. Maybe things were going to be alright after all.

Later, when Bascombe and a few others also started saying that things were not so rosy (and got slaughtered for it) the misgivings came back and they've never gone away.

And now that you've seen what the Yanks have done, why do some of you want DIC? Do you really think they'll be any different?

As it happens I do think DIC/Dubai will be different. Not sure where this idea that every potential owner is as bad as any other has come from, esp. as we have evidence  from the football world that the range of owners is very broad, going from really bad ones whose heads fans are always calling for to really good ones loved by the fans.

But let me ask you this: if we agree we want G&H out, then what other realistic options are there? The queue round the block still hasn't materialised and G&H have made LFC are far less attractive proposition. At the moment only DIC/Dubai are interested.

So we can either ignore them or hang 'em before they even come on the scene or we can do what many of us have done. Look deeply at their past, their general behaviour and practices and ambitions and then make tentative contact, as SoS have done, not just to facilitate dialogue but also to keep a better eye on them.

[Aldridge 8]

It's a fair point but I think you have to just accept that when most of us say 'hicks' we mean Hicks and Gillett - it can get a bit tedious writing their full names or G&H every time. That's certainly the case with me unless I specifically state otherwise.

Besides, as Hicks tends to be the one who opens his gob he elicits the most reactions, esp. as his style is so confrontational.

I agree hicks has an all mighty big Texan mouth , but it seem to me that hicks we all know is no good for the club but gillett gets this uncle George comments ,IE he will sell to DIC he is the good one well no he isn't he is the snide instigator of all of it  , it was gillett not hicks who phoned benitez telling him to coach and mange the team not hicks , hicks in his way has backed benitez , gillett and parry wanted klinsmann as manager , that's why i don't believe SoS or who ever have a balanced voice .

[a former tribune of the plebs]

"Yanks out" "We want them out" "They've lied"

?

[coffeehead]

it was gillett not hicks who phoned benitez telling him to coach and mange the team not hicks , hicks in his way has backed benitez , gillett and parry wanted klinsmann as manager , that's why i don't believe SoS or who ever have a balanced voice .

How do you know this? Did Gillett admit it to you? Or are you simply taking Hicks's word for it? Hicks was quoted in the press telling Rafa to shut his mouth; Gillett to my knowledge wasn't.

I'm not here to defend Gillett but far too many people are simply believing Hicks's PR about Gillett without verification.

[kingjari]

Seriously now Aldo, are you Jim Boardman like ?? You both hold remarkably similar views re: Hicks and Gillett. Excuseing Hicks but  criticiseing Gillett, DIC and Spirit of Shankly.

just askin like.

[Aldridge 8]

Seriously now Aldo, are you Jim Boardman like ?? You both hold remarkably similar views re: Hicks and Gillett. Excuseing Hicks but  criticiseing Gillett, DIC and Spirit of Shankly.

just askin like.

just askin  my view is both americans are bad , but to single out hicks and not give gillett the abuse and stick he deserves just makes me think that any of the pressure groups views are not balanced , its open knowledge it was gillett who phoned benitez and vetoed signings , in hicks cockeyed way he has stood by benitez not saying hicks is good because he isnt , but the dirty snide gillett has sided with parry who wants benitez out and has for a while , but i read and hear comments about hicks and gillet and hicks gets made out to be the devil himself and gillett its good old uncle george he is the good one out of the two , well not in my opinion he is the worst one out of the two bad men , he brought in hicks he fueled it all  .

[HarryLabrador]

just askin  my view is both americans are bad , but to single out hicks and not give gillett the abuse and stick he deserves just makes me think that any of the pressure groups views are not balanced , its open knowledge it was gillett who phoned benitez and vetoed signings , in hicks cockeyed way he has stood by benitez not saying hicks is good because he isnt , but the dirty snide gillett has sided with parry who wants benitez out and has for a while , but i read and hear comments about hicks and gillet and hicks gets made out to be the devil himself and gillett its good old uncle george he is the good one out of the two , well not in my opinion he is the worst one out of the two bad men , he brought in hicks he fueled it all  .

Will you be happy if both Hicks and Gillett receive equal measure of abuse from the fans?

[coffeehead]

just askin  my view is both americans are bad , but to single out hicks and not give gillett the abuse and stick he deserves just makes me think that any of the pressure groups views are not balanced

That's rubbish. SoS is targetting both owners. You're making these accusations up out of thin air

, its open knowledge it was gillett who phoned benitez and vetoed signings ,

If it's such open knowledge why don't you prove it - using any source other than Hicks - as I asked you to? You're big on talk but can't really back it can you?

in hicks cockeyed way he has stood by benitez not saying hicks is good because he isnt , but the dirty snide gillett has sided with parry who wants benitez out and has for a while , but i read and hear comments about hicks and gillet and hicks gets made out to be the devil himself and gillett its good old uncle george he is the good one out of the two , well not in my opinion he is the worst one out of the two bad men , he brought in hicks he fueled it all  .

Both Gillett and Hicks are to blame but you're concentrating as much on Gillett as you accuse others of focussing on Hicks.

Can't we just agree: we want them both out, regardless on whom people vent their anger most on?

[Gilly La]

so are those membership packs ready or what??

It's said that they will be ready "next week" and that was about 10 days ago.

Patience is a virtue mate.

[kingjari]

Hicks and Gillett equally are both twats, they should both do one. simple as.
Hicks made Himself a target by continuing to be the public gob of the ownership. Gillett is a sly arsehole.

[The Flying Pig]

Hicks and Gillett equally are both twats, they should both do one. simple as.
Hicks made Himself a target by continuing to be the public gob of the ownership. Gillett is a sly arsehole.

Clear,concise and accurate.

I like it.

[Aldridge 8]

Will you be happy if both Hicks and Gillett receive equal measure of abuse from the fans?

the hicks/gillett thing is not is hicks better than gillett its this uncle george nonsense ,IE when hicks was coming to the match in the CL it was war , but when people hearsd gillett might be coming it was less intense like it was a long lost uncle coming the game , when gillett has been the biggest snide ever , and as for the knowledge it been in the public domain for months and months about gillett being on parry's side and phoning benitez to tell him to coach and manage the team , yes both must go but the attacks on the owners seem to me be one sided .

[Tyler Durden]

the hicks/gillett thing is not is hicks better than gillett its this uncle george nonsense ,IE when hicks was coming to the match in the CL it was war , but when people hearsd gillett might be coming it was less intense like it was a long lost uncle coming the game , when gillett has been the biggest snide ever , and as for the knowledge it been in the public domain for months and months about gillett being on parry's side and phoning benitez to tell him to coach and manage the team , yes both must go but the attacks on the owners seem to me be one sided .

If you'd been to a SOS meet you would know that its clearly said BOTH Americans all the time, i dont think Ive once heard 'Hicks out'. As for Gillett not getting as much of a bollocking well what do you expect, there were rumours he was/is prepared to sell and he also wasn't the one in the press every 2 days.

[coffeehead]

the hicks/gillett thing is not is hicks better than gillett its this uncle george nonsense ,IE when hicks was coming to the match in the CL it was war , but when people hearsd gillett might be coming it was less intense like it was a long lost uncle coming the game , when gillett has been the biggest snide ever , and as for the knowledge it been in the public domain for months and months about gillett being on parry's side and phoning benitez to tell him to coach and manage the team , yes both must go but the attacks on the owners seem to me be one sided .

Are you deliberately trying to sound obtuse? The only reason anyone might have seemed happier when Gillett came to the game is they thought his presence here might be to do with the sale of the club; conversely Hicks, adamantly averring that he would NOT sell, naturally received more immediate flak.

Why not look at the context?

[HarryLabrador]

the hicks/gillett thing is not is hicks better than gillett its this uncle george nonsense ,IE when hicks was coming to the match in the CL it was war , but when people hearsd gillett might be coming it was less intense like it was a long lost uncle coming the game , when gillett has been the biggest snide ever , and as for the knowledge it been in the public domain for months and months about gillett being on parry's side and phoning benitez to tell him to coach and manage the team , yes both must go but the attacks on the owners seem to me be one sided .

I don't think that's still the case. Now that we 'know' Gillett could have sold his shares all along without waiting for the 90 day make believe clause, you may have noticed that SOS and most of us have concentrated on both owners.

HICKS & GILLET GET OUT OF OUR CLUB.

[manifest]

Many of us were unhappy about Gillet and Hicks but our voices were drowned out in the general positivity. And we were right, I think, not to attempt small scale protests at that stage. We were, in short, showing solidarity with the rest of the fanbase even if though we had grave misgivings.

I don't blame the majority for welcoming G&H initially. We're warm, welcoming, decent people - unless you cross us. And we were getting tired of the long drawn out search fr new owners. I think some were even feeling a bit ashamed that the greatest club in the world was finding it hard to find a buyer; surely they should be queuing up round the block? So when Moores and Parry said 'Trust us', most people did. It's not a crime.

             I think that there were no protests at the time cos it happened so quickly, that even the new owners didn't get their act together, eg. to write in terms of sale in the event they fell out. It was a whirlwind, dic for months then in 4 weeks gillett, and two weeks later hicks and two weeks after that they owned it. I don't have the exact times right, but it happened so quick, we would have been protesting what? nobody knew anything, as is evidenced by the fact that the two people whose job it was to "know something" , moores and parry, have spent the last few months huddled in shame for their terrible lack of due diligence in letting hicks in. heck, gillett didn't do his homework either or he would have realised that he and hicks don't see any kind of eye to eye before getting into bed with him. ( eoo )
           personally, I was a bit in shock and disappointment, that DIC walked away more than anything else.
           
               The truth is, as a fanbase, we weren't that politicised. Now we are, and that is a good thing. One thing that has dawned on us is that if hicks and gillett can take out a mortgage to buy the club, why the fuck can't we. I'm sure that a few visionary people had dreamed of the ShareLiverpool concept, but until the plague descended on us, the idea was doomed to pub talk. No longer. 

[manifest]

I don't think that's still the case. Now that we 'know' Gillett could have sold his shares all along without waiting for the 90 day make believe clause, you may have noticed that SOS and most of us have concentrated on both owners.

HICKS & GILLET GET OUT OF OUR CLUB.

         you're right Harry. As we get information, we adapt our posture appropriately. But it is a bit of a false lead. I do believe that Gillett realised
1. He was prepared to sell: that he hadn't the cash for this kind of venture, although unless the collapse of the world economy is his reason you'd think he might have worked this out before buying us.
2. He was prepared to sell: he realised that he had unwittingly brought in a partner who he couldn't work with, and that he had further burdened the club with him.
3. I believe that he was prepared to sell, but that He and Dic were trying to get hicks to sell too, and after hicks dug in over the last months, it became clear that the strategy had failed, and it became less and less attractive for DIC to just take 50%, and I think that is why Gillett hasn't sold.

           Between one millionaire and another it is perhaps splitting hairs, but I remain sure that Gillett is nowhere near as culpable as Hicks. Take a moment to consider their respective postures with their fans for their hockey teams. Gillett sits regularly with fans, is gentle and receptive and generally well liked, with the obvious exception that owners get shit when their team does poorly.
           Hicks on the other hand, sits removed, alone, much like he did when he had his grandchildren up early to watch a sport they couldn't give a fuck about just for a photo op to make us believe he is sincere. To treat his own grandchildren as objects for his PR speaks of the kind of lack of humanity in his core, and his relationships, it seems to me, center on maintaining his power....at the texas rangers he sits usually surrounded by a bunch of empty seats. He is above us all. His attitude to our club reinforces this at every turn.
           Why have Gillett and Hicks fallen out? Over What? Why do moores and Parry side with Gillett and not Hicks? In the arsehole stakes Hicks is right up there, and I think Gillett is more like moores, basically a descent guy, who made the mother of all bad business decisions teaming up with Hicks.
           At the end of the day it doesn't matter, they must both go, but I can't get angry with the guy who held up his hands and said I'll go, when the guy standing next to him is digging in.

           Hicks is saying NO, and Gillett is saying Yes.....DIC just don't want half a club, and who would blame them. Anyone out there wanna be a business partner with Hicks? All applications to:
Corinthians. Brasil.

[phoenixblood]

         you're right Harry. As we get information, we adapt our posture appropriately. But it is a bit of a false lead. I do believe that Gillett realised
1. He was prepared to sell: that he hadn't the cash for this kind of venture, although unless the collapse of the world economy is his reason you'd think he might have worked this out before buying us.
2. He was prepared to sell: he realised that he had unwittingly brought in a partner who he couldn't work with, and that he had further burdened the club with him.
3. I believe that he was prepared to sell, but that He and Dic were trying to get hicks to sell too, and after hicks dug in over the last months, it became clear that the strategy had failed, and it became less and less attractive for DIC to just take 50%, and I think that is why Gillett hasn't sold.

           Between one millionaire and another it is perhaps splitting hairs, but I remain sure that Gillett is nowhere near as culpable as Hicks. Take a moment to consider their respective postures with their fans for their hockey teams. Gillett sits regularly with fans, is gentle and receptive and generally well liked, with the obvious exception that owners get shit when their team does poorly.
           Hicks on the other hand, sits removed, alone, much like he did when he had his grandchildren up early to watch a sport they couldn't give a fuck about just for a photo op to make us believe he is sincere. To treat his own grandchildren as objects for his PR speaks of the kind of lack of humanity in his core, and his relationships, it seems to me, center on maintaining his power....at the texas rangers he sits usually surrounded by a bunch of empty seats. He is above us all. His attitude to our club reinforces this at every turn.
           Why have Gillett and Hicks fallen out? Over What? Why do moores and Parry side with Gillett and not Hicks? In the arsehole stakes Hicks is right up there, and I think Gillett is more like moores, basically a descent guy, who made the mother of all bad business decisions teaming up with Hicks.
           At the end of the day it doesn't matter, they must both go, but I can't get angry with the guy who held up his hands and said I'll go, when the guy standing next to him is digging in.

           Hicks is saying NO, and Gillett is saying Yes.....DIC just don't want half a club, and who would blame them. Anyone out there wanna be a business partner with Hicks? All applications to:
Corinthians. Brasil.

I don't buy into that - if DIC REALLY want the whole club, the only way is to buy half the club first, and force Hicks' hand by forcing him to come up with the cash to equal their continuous invesment (players, stadium).

Do you think they can wait forever for Hicks to dick around with our club?

DIC need to ACT, and by that i mean they to put up their loot, buy Gillette, and financially CLOUT Hicks out the club.

On another note, why the hell is everything gone so quiet? Lets hope it means something is going on in the background.

[LFCLife4Life]

I don't buy into that - if DIC REALLY want the whole club, the only way is to buy half the club first, and force Hicks' hand by forcing him to come up with the cash to equal their continuous investment (players, stadium).

Do you think they can wait forever for Hicks to dick around with our club?

DIC need to ACT, and by that i mean they to put up their loot, buy Gillette, and financially CLOUT Hicks out the club.

On another note, why the hell is everything gone so quiet? Lets hope it means something is going on in the background.

to true. if dic were to buy out gg i cant see how hicks would hold his position with the financial pressures dic would put on. I'm hoping this quiet is a good thing but i cant see hicks goin. at least with 50% dic have there foot in the door and im sure they could oust hicks. for one they would have a 4-2 split on the board (assuming dic have 2 on the board)

[manifest]

I don't buy into that - if DIC REALLY want the whole club, the only way is to buy half the club first, and force Hicks' hand by forcing him to come up with the cash to equal their continuous invesment (players, stadium).

Do you think they can wait forever for Hicks to dick around with our club?

DIC need to ACT, and by that i mean they to put up their loot, buy Gillette, and financially CLOUT Hicks out the club.

On another note, why the hell is everything gone so quiet? Lets hope it means something is going on in the background.

          The only move is to buy half the club? Then what's stopping them? We don't know. Gillett is apparently willing to sell, but, and I hope you are right that they are comin in cos I'd rather see DIC in under any circumstances, it looks to me like the 50/50 deal was either a strategic plan to pressure hicks into selling at the same time as Gillett, or DIC have come to see what we all see, that Hicks is not someone you wanna be in business with. If it was up to you and me, we'd have DIC come and buy them out and remove the tumour. DIC have their own wider agendas, we are 'in' the circle in pain, they are 'outside' of the circle, and in no 'pain'. Its us who can't wait forever, for them its just a missed opportunity.
         The only certain move DIC have is to offer Hicks his asking price of a billion, and DIC can't do that, their business credibility would go out the window. Hicks owns the club and won't let go, the one thing that 4pool has been right about all along.
         Without fully understanding the financial stuff, there's been several people who have suggested that even if DIC were to acquire half the club, it is far from certain that they could do as you suggest, to leverage him out. From our perspective, it is worth the protracted and bitter fight that would ensue after taking gilletts 50%, cos we hate hicks with a vengeance, but if you were DIC, why would you choose to walk into such a fight?
         Sorry to make such a literal response to your points. I understand that the energy behind you post was anger at Hicks. An anger I share.  For months I have waited for the DIC helicopter to come rescue us, and maybe they will, but I think now, only if the financial pressure on Hicks increases....from the banks. He clearly isn't listening to us, though in the end, he will rue his deafness. We are far more powerful than we yet realise. 

[*]

force Hicks' hand by forcing him to come up with the cash to equal their continuous invesment (players, stadium).

They can't just force him to cough up money.

[Aldridge 8]

I don't think that's still the case. Now that we 'know' Gillett could have sold his shares all along without waiting for the 90 day make believe clause, you may have noticed that SOS and most of us have concentrated on both owners.

HICKS & GILLET GET OUT OF OUR CLUB.

That's my gripe all along gilllett has been give any benefit of any doubt and all blame has been put on hicks , they are equally bad and in my opinion gillett is the worst out of the two , at least hicks is up front with his nonsense  he spews out , but gillett is underhanded sneaky and a snide , and that's why i believe the pressure groups have had an unbalanced view from the start , it OK saying we thought this we thought that it should had been an attack from the start as gillett has taken the advantage like any businessman would ..

[coffeehead]

That's my gripe all along gilllett has been give any benefit of any doubt and all blame has been put on hicks , they are equally bad and in my opinion gillett is the worst out of the two , at least hicks is up front with his nonsense  he spews out , but gillett is underhanded sneaky and a snide , and that's why i believe the pressure groups have had an unbalanced view from the start , it OK saying we thought this we thought that it should had been an attack from the start as gillett has taken the advantage like any businessman would ..

Astounding; it's like you've got blinkers on and ear plugs in and a stuck record that just won't go off

[phoenixblood]

They can't just force him to cough up money.

Of course not, but, if they put in more money they are entitled to ask: What are you putting in? And if he can't put in cash, then his shareholding may get diluted, and it then may not be 50/50 scenario.

Anyhow, this is all supposition now, and it's just a frustrating waiting game. ARGH!!!!!

Come on Hicks. Come on Gillette. GTF out of our club. Now.

[kingjari]

Aldo,  why this obsession with Hicks "unfair" treatment ?? what's it to you anyway like ?, why does that concern you so?

 You have'nt really had a good word to say really about Spirit of Shankly since that protest in the main stand car park, as far as SOS are concerned Hicks and Gillett are equally culpabale, equally distrusted and should both piss off out of our club ASAP.

Hicks specifically caught a lot of flak, because he arrogantly took it upon himself to act as spokesman and effectively sole chairman when he should have just kept his fat gob shut , people ignored Gillett  while he was hiding, but hes just a sly gobshite too.

Hicks and Gillett out !! 

[Aldridge 8]

Aldo,  why this obsession with Hicks "unfair" treatment ?? what's it to you anyway like ?, why does that concern you so?

 

not saying hicks is unfairly treated because he isn't , my gripe is this good old uncle George nonsense , and don't come back saying it hasn't been said because it has, yes hicks massive Texan mouth has bought trouble on himself , but just look at the threads and posts from the recent past its George this and he isn't as bad as hicks its all Hicks's fault gillett is the good guy , well no that's why i don't believe the pressure groups have a balanced view , like what you have said i haven't had time for SoS or who ever since the main stand protest , well yes this is true, but i can say to you that i am not the only one who thinks this way , of course we all want proper people in charge of the club and these two jokers need to be gone fast but it seems if your not towing the SoS or who ever partyline you get classed as some sort of subversive , well i can tell you that is far from the truth .

[Tyler Durden]

What in gods name is your point, and stop talking bollocks about SOS not mentioning gillett because they say YANKS or AMERICANS in every soundbite. Im really struggling to find what the fuck it is your on about?? Your saying you want them to go but moaning about a nonsense. Neither yanks have got both barrells at anfield because they both went once at the end of the season for big games when people didnt want to protest.

[Tyler Durden]

And i havent seen a single person call him 'uncle George' since that banner from a year ago so i dont know where youve got that from either.

[ali]

Red letter day for the Spirit of Shankly

Jun 14 2008 by Tony Barrett, Liverpool Echo

ON Monday, the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) will celebrate six months in existence as the country's first ever football supporters union.

It has come a long way since the day it was formed on February 16 when around 1,000 Liverpool fans packed into the Olympia on West Derby Road ahead of the ill-fated FA Cup tie against Barnsley.

That rally was followed by a march to Anfield with all present united in their desire to see Liverpool Football Club rid of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Despite the good turnout and the clear and vivid passion on display SOS was not without its critics and there was no shortage of Nay’sayers who wanted to know what a disparate group of fans from Liverpool and beyond could do to challenge the corporate might of a pair of American millionaires based thousands of miles away from the Olympia.

In truth, it remains a forbidding challenge and one which may never be achieved in a football world where money doesn't just talk, it shouts, screams and hollers.

That doesn't mean SOS hasn't made progress though. Far from it.

In those six short months it has established a fully operative committee comprising of a chair, vice-chair, treasurer, secretary, club liaison officer and fans liaison officer among others.

Meetings are held regularly and continue to be well attended and in the near future a city centre office will be opened to process the membership applications which continue to flood in on a daily basis and a fully operational website will also be set up.

Increasingly, the union is starting to resemble a fans co-operative with issues which concern supporters of all clubs being tackled in an age of spiralling ticket prices and related costs.

A fortnight ago, I was invited to attend their latest gathering to observe their work at first hand and found it to be as professional as any council meeting with a full agenda established at the very outset and reports and updates presented by the treasurer, secretary and chair.

There was no shortage of debate and nor should there be in a movement which was set up to represent the best interests of all Liverpool fans and not just a local clique of like minded individuals.

The debate was lively and well informed but never threatened to get out of hand and although there were occasions when agreeing to disagree was the best course of action resolutions were passed and conclusions were arrived at, much as they are in any board meeting.

The level of professionalism on show should not come as a surprise though as many of those involved come from the kind of background where such meetings take place on an almost daily basis and their experience is telling.

Equally importantly though, there are those who do not hail from a professional background and who are ready and willing to try and break through the traditional constraints which have left football fans at the mercy of profiteers for far too long.

After the recent experience of Athens and Istanbul, not to mention just about every other European trip Liverpool have been involved in, SOS are now looking at ways of making European and domestic travel more affordable to the average Reds fan.

Talks are ongoing with travel operators aimed at chartering flights for Champions League away games and a coach is likely to be laid on for the Reds forthcoming pre-season friendly against Rangers at Ibrox.

These initiatives are a small step in the right direction for a movement which has come an awfully long way in a very short time.

Should the progress they have made in their first six months be repeated in the next six then there is no telling as to how far SOS could go.

But as long as they continue to have the best interests of fans at heart then no-one should bet against them achieving their objectives, even if their avowed determination to rid their club of a pair of owners they have no time for does remain the tallest of tall orders.

[Aldridge 8]

And i haven't seen a single person call him 'uncle George' since that banner from a year ago so i don't know where you've got that from either.

Its not they actually call him uncle George its the uncle George attitude , like gillett is all warm and fuzzy the nice one  but hicks is a complete tw@t  , well yes hicks is but gillett is worse with his sneaky underhanded way of doing business  , he has pulled the wool of peoples eyes again with this time limit thing and selling to the Arabs , its a load of sh1te from gillett , he is a very clever businessman who has drawn people in like the pressure groups who have give him all the benefits in the world that he has never deserved. 

[kingjari]

look Aldo mate I respect your right to an opinion, I agree with you that many people saw Gillett  as the 'good one', but that's not and has never been the case as far as Spirit of Shankly are concerned.

Who are all these 'pressure groups' your on about like ??
SOS, Share LFC, are there loads of others i'm unaware of ??
Show me examples of them favouring Gillett over Hicks if you can please.

Your agenda/bias against SOS et al is colouring your Views, incorrectly in my opinion.

[jonnygeeart]

but hicks is a complete tw@t

[Gilly La]

but hicks is a complete tw@t

It's spelt TWAT

[coffeehead]

It's spelt TWAT

No it's spelt FUCKING TWAT

[kingjari]

Aldo

See the flag in my avatar ? Its a Spirit of Shankly flag It has a message that is against the owners, both of them, not Just Hicks. I had it out at the Arsenal CL match, which was attended by Gillett. I had SOS blessing, SOS want both Hicks and Gillett out, always have done mate.

[eljazzen]

Can someone please provide an email adress to SOS?

Something to do with the match against Vaalrenga in Oslo later this summer

[No666]

PM them, mate.