SEPTEMBER 24
Reds refute takover talks

Liverpool Echo

Liverpool are not discussing a £100m takeover of the club with an American consortium, the ECHO can confirm.

And the Reds have no meetings planned with the Hollywood-based group.

Liverpool-born filmmaker Mike Jeffries, and Stuart Ford, the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Miramax Studios, claimed today they were in talks with Chairman David Moores.

The duo did approach the club to offer help in attracting investment to the club.

However, the club has already appointed its own financial advisors, Hawkpoint, who are currently analysing different options.

Reds officials were bemused by reports suggesting a £100m takeover bid from the US group is imminent. There has been no contact between Liverpool and the consortium beyond an initial approach from Jeffries.

No arrangements have been made at this stage for a second meeting.

Earlier Jeffries, chairman of LA firm Milkshake Films, said: "We have one of the best managers in the world and he needs some quivers on his arrows to get this club back where it belongs.

"It's essential that the club get investment before January, so that the manager can strengthen the squad."

SEPTEMBER 24
Morgan doubt over Reds bid

BBC Sport Online

Steve Morgan has questioned a possible rival bid of £100m for Liverpool by two US-based entertainment executives with Merseyside roots.

Building tycoon Morgan is the third largest shareholder in the Anfield club and has a £70m offer on the table.

"It seems rather a lot of money and from people nobody has heard of before," said a spokesman for Morgan.

"It's interesting that the speculation comes when a film is being made on football by them."

The new offer for Liverpool is the fourth from a potential suitor this year.

The club has been targeted by a Thai media mogul, the Thai Prime Minister, Morgan and now Mike Jefferies.

Complications with Morgan's bid caused it to fall through in August, while Jefferies said he has been talking to the club for the last six weeks.

He is in partnership with Stuart Ford, an entertainment lawyer also based in the USA.

"We would like to be able to contribute to helping Liverpool become the most successful club in the world again," Jefferies told The Financial Times, which reports the bid is worth £100m.

Jefferies told BBC Radio Five Live he has not put a time frame on any potential bid but says that if Liverpool want to capitalise on the transfer market in January then they have to act now.

The duo are said to be keen to buyout the Moores family, who own 51.6% of the club, but they are reported to be keen to retain the involvement of chairman David Moores.

Jefferies is chairman of Milkshake Films, the company making 'Goal!' - a movie about a South American footballer who comes to the English Premiership.

The film is being shot partly on location at Newcastle's St James' Park and is due to be released in August 2005.

SEPTEMBER 24
Latest suitor lines up Liverpool FC

By Bill Wilson - BBC News Online business reporter

Hollywood film executive Mike Jefferies could become the fourth suitor to bid for Liverpool this year. BBC Business News Online looks at the latest courting of one of the world's most famous football clubs and global brands.

 Merseyside-born Mike Jefferies
 in the battle of Anfield.

What does this latest bid involve?

According to reports, Los Angeles-based - but Merseyside-born - Hollywood film executive Mike Jefferies says he is ready to put together a new consortium to buy the club.

He says he has been talking to the Anfield club for six weeks.

What is known about Mr Jefferies?

He is chairman of Milkshake Films, the company making Goal! - a movie about a South American footballer who comes to the English Premiership.

It is being filmed on Tyneside and due for release in 11 months.

Mr Jefferies says he conceived the film idea at the 2002 World Cup in Japan, and wrote up the story on his return.

How did he make his money?

Before filming Milkshake in 2001, he "excelled as an entrepreneur and business executive in the media and entertainment businesses".

He founded European-based Mondiale Corporation Group in 1990, which he sold to Daily Mail Group in 1999, after winning the Queen's Award for Export.

He subsequently moved to the US.

What did he get up to over there?

Before moving into film production he was a player in the new media boom at the turn of the millennium, specialising in business-to-business e-commerce from his US base.

He founded successful B2B group Line56, which he also sold, via a management buy-out in early 2001.

Before that he owned a website, print magazine, and conference business.

At the time he was referred to in Los Angeles as a "serial UK entrepreneur".

Is he making the bid by himself?

No, Mr Jefferies has teamed up with Stuart Ford, an entertainment lawyer who is also based in the USA.

How much does he plan to pump into the club?

According to a report in The Financial Times, he plans to pump in £100m.

The duo are said to be keen to buy out the Moores family, who own 51.6% of the club, but they are reported to be keen to retain the involvement of chairman David Moores.

Have we not been here before?

Three times already this year. Liverpool seems to be a plum prize for those looking to invest in English soccer, but so far no deals have been finalised.

First up was Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced to back out after fierce criticism of his plan to use public money.

Then came Steve Morgan, another Reds supporter and a building tycoon who has made numerous offers to inject new capital into the club - all of which have met with rejection by chairman David Moores.

And then there was Thai media mogul Paiboon Damrongchaitham's, whose bid was also turned down.

Why are Liverpool inviting so many approaches?

Like every English club, with the possible exception of Chelsea and Manchester United, they need a large injection of cash.

Traditional methods of raising money are becoming less available to clubs, as the sector is out of favour on the stock market, and financial institutions are becoming less keen on lending them cash.

Any other reasons why it needs a deal?

The club is also hoping to move from its spiritual home at Anfield to a new stadium in Stanley Park, and the cost of that is estimated in excess of £80m.

There is also a feeling that Liverpool has fallen behind arch-rival Manchester United on the merchandising front. A US deal may well raise its profile in that country.

What has the club got going for it?

It is a traditional brand name that has fallen on less-successful times in the past decade - a kind of football Marks & Spencer, but is a name which still attracts great affection and loyalty around the world.

And under new manager Rafael Benitez the four-times European Cup winners will be hoping the glory days will return on the playing field.

SEPTEMBER 9
Morgan close to pulling out of Liverpool deal

By Mihir Bose - Daily Telegraph

Steve Morgan, the man who has coveted Liverpool for so long, is losing interest in buying the Anfield club after taking a close look at their accounts.

Morgan has been waging a battle for control of the club with current chairman David Moores and three weeks ago it seemed the pair had struck a deal.

Indeed at the beginning of the season it was noticeable that Moores kept away from Liverpool matches including the tour of America and the season's opener, while Morgan was very visible around the club.

Local businessman Morgan, who has made his fortune from the building industry, was prepared to pay £73 million for a 29.9 per cent share of the club after Moores failed to complete a deal with the Thai Prime Minister.

However, it seems Morgan has discovered that cost of building the club's proposed new stadium is £40 million more than the £80 million he thought.

The club had been hoping for a grant of £15 million from the European Union and that the Northwest Development Agency would provide the rest, but their chief executive has made it clear the money will only come if Liverpool groundshare with Everton.

Rick Parry, Liverpool's chief executive, rejects such a suggestion. "We philosophically feel it should be a single-use stadium," he said. "Our supporters are among the strongest in opposition to ground sharing."

This new stadium problem may explain why Liverpool are again looking east for money.

The Thai media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham says he will meet Liverpool later this month to try to finalise a deal.

Paiboon, chairman of Thailand's top music and entertainment company, GMM Grammy has set up a holding company, Liverpool Thai Holding Co, to buy a 29.9 per cent stake and took over negotiations after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to back out of his deal.

Across Stanley Park the situation is equally unstable as Everton search for new owners.

Tonight an emergency meeting of Everton shareholders takes place. The question they will most want answered is whether their supposed Russian investor is serious. The Russian is Christopher Samuelson who is the front man for the Zingarevich family, which is believed to be worth £400 million.

The young son of this family, Anton Zingarevich, is the one keen on buying Everton and has formed the Fortress Sports Fund based in Brunei with Samuelson. The fund was said to be ready to invest £15 million now and further £15 million in the future. But since the story emerged of their interest the Russians have cooled on the deal.

Ever since the Everton crisis erupted in the summer chairman Bill Kenwright has turned to friends. One, Philip Green arranged for a £15 million line of credit at very low interest. This was to pacify Everton's bankers Barclays who were getting very twitchy as Everton came close to breaching their overdraft limit. However, soon after this line of credit was arranged Manchester United bought Wayne Rooney and Everton have not had to draw on this line of credit.

It seems Everton have a contingency plan if the Russians pull out of a deal. Kenwright has another consortium, also international, which may invest.

But one group of investors appear to have fallen away. This is the group Kenwright's bitter boardroom opponent Paul Gregg was marshalling.

A few weeks ago Gregg was sure of injecting £15 million into the club with Lord Grantchester, a former director, leading the way. But although Grantchester has come into a lot of money via his share of the sale of the family business, Littlewoods, he, like the Russians, appears to be having second thoughts.

SEPTEMBER 8
Thai tycoon plans definitive Liverpool talks

Reuters

BANGKOK - Thai media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham, bidding to buy a stake in Liverpool, says he will meet representatives of the English Premier League club later this month to try to finalise a deal.

"Around the end of this month I will go to talk to their executives and I think we should reach some conclusions," Paiboon told reporters on Wednesday, playing down last week's remarks by a Thai cabinet minister the deal might have fallen through.

Deputy Commerce Minister Pongsak Raktapongpisal, who opened negotiations for the government before handing over to Paiboon, told a Bangkok radio station Liverpool did not need the money as much as they did before selling Michael Owen to Real Madrid last month.

But Paiboon, chairman of Thailand's top music and entertainment company, GMM Grammy, said he had given Liverpool a detailed offer for a major stake and expected an answer by the end of September.

Paiboon said last week he had set up a holding company, Liverpool Thai Holding Co, to buy the stake and that a deal should be concluded by the end of this year if his offer was accepted.

He added that he would start looking for partners if Liverpool accepted his offer.

Paiboon took over negotiations after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to back out of his proposed $120 million deal for a 30 percent stake in Liverpool due to fierce criticism of his plan to use public money.

SEPTEMBER 2
Liverpool soccer deal may fall through

Reuters

A bid by Thai media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham to buy a stake in Liverpool may fall through because the Premier League club is in better financial shape, a Thai cabinet minister has said.

"After Euro 2004, they seemed to be less enthusiastic on the deal," Deputy Commerce Minister Pongsak Raktapongpisal, who opened negotiations for the government before handing on to Paiboon, told a Bangkok radio station on Thursday.

Asked if Liverpool had become reluctant to sell a stake, he said: "It seems that way."

Pongsak said Liverpool did not need the money as much as it had after selling England striker Michael Owen to Spain's Real Madrid for 12 million euros (8.15 million pounds).

Earlier this week, Paiboon said he had given Liverpool a detailed offer for a major stake and expected an answer by the end of September.

Paiboon said he had set up a holding company, called Liverpool Thai Holding Co and which he owned himself, to buy the stake and said if the offer were accepted, the deal should be concluded by the end of this year.

The Thai government offered around $120 million for a 30 percent stake in Liverpool before Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to back out after fierce criticism of his plan to use public money.

Paiboon, the chairman of Thailand's biggest music company GMM Grammy, took over the negotiations, saying he was leading a group of private investors.

Pongsak said potential sticking points in a deal were merchandising rights and broadcast rights as the Thai group demanded a share of those businesses in Asia.

Thor Zakariassen ©