FRIDAY 15
	Hicks: We were swindled The protracted takeover saga at Liverpool has taken another twist, with former co-owner Tom Hicks vowing to fight his corner. In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, the American businessman has made it clear that he does not consider the matter to be over, with further legal proceedings set to take place. Hicks feels the manner in which the Reds board have acted throughout the takeover wrangle has been unprofessional, claiming he has been 'swindled', while he has also revealed that he attempted to clear the club's debts on Friday but was prevented from doing so. (Sky Sports)     Hicks and Gillett drop Texas lawsuit Tom Hicks and George Gillett have dropped their Texas lawsuit against RBS and Liverpool's directors but could still launch action in England. Having spent the last week dragging his case through the courts to oppose a £300million sale to New England Sport Ventures - which went through this afternoon - the American former co-owners dropped the US $1.6billion (£1bn) claim initially lodged in a Dallas court. However, they are considering their next move and a statement from their lawyers suggests they may bring the fight to England - where they lost a High Court battle to retain control of the club this week. (TEAMtalk)  Hicks and Gillett ‘face uphill struggle’ in any Liverpool compensation claim With the sale of Liverpool to NESV complete and John W Henry, one of the world’s leading sports tycoons, promising ahead of this weekend’s Merseyside derby to restore the club to its former glories, sportingintelligence can reveal Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s legal battle for $1.6bn compensation is likely to be undermined by the fact they were given details in the last 48 hours about how to repay their debt to RBS bank – and made no move to repay the cash. (Sporting Intelligence)     Hodgson relief at Anfield takeover Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has welcomed the takeover by NESV, admitting it is a relief a "bad time" appears to have come to an end. Following Hodgson's Friday press conference, the club later confirmed they have been bought by New England Sports Ventures, owners of the Boston Red Sox, after Tom Hicks and George Gillett were defeated in their legal battle to stop the takeover. "It is a very positive situation, if that is the case, and a very good day for the club - a day everyone at the club will welcome and the new owners will welcome," said the Liverpool manager ahead of Sunday's derby at Everton. "It is a relief. It has been a very difficult couple of weeks. "All people and clubs need stability, all managers and players need stability and it is becoming a very hard thing to find," he added. (TEAMtalk)  Liverpool takeover: Hard work starts now for NESV After one of the most bitter and drawn out legal battles in the history of English football, the hard work now starts for Liverpool's new owners, who must contend club’s slide towards relegation, a new stadium, and the fight for the hearts and minds of sceptical fans. (Telegraph.co.uk)   NESV and Liverpool FC statement in full TEAMtalk brings you the joint statement from New England Sports Ventures (NESV) and Liverpool Football Club, confirming the sale of the club. New England Sports Ventures (NESV) today announces that it has completed the purchase of Liverpool Football Club. NESV wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the board of Liverpool FC for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of the club and its supporters. The transaction values the club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the Club's debt servicing obligations from £25m-£30m a year to £2m-£3m. New England Sports Ventures is committed to winning and currently owns a portfolio of companies, including the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing. (TEAMtalk)   NESV close in on final deal for Liverpool FC John W Henry emerged triumphant as Liverpool's new owner having finally secured the £300 million takeover of the club in time to take his place at the weekend's Merseyside derby, insiders have informed ESPNsoccernet. Henry now plans to bring back the "passion, dedication and professionalism" to Liverpool and most importantly a "winning culture'' once the deal is signed and sealed. Henry was told of the news on Friday that Tom Hicks and George Gillett had 'folded' in their bid to cling onto the club, and would be now pursuing only a legal action for £1 billion ($1.6 billion) damages - which will be rigorously defended in court. (ESPN) Mill Financial 'refused Premier League owners test' amid Liverpool takeover The Premier League have effectively blocked any attempts by Mill Financial to secure a takeover of Liverpool Football Club after reportedly rejecting a request from the American investment group to take the fit and proper persons test. The dispute surrounding the ownership of the Anfield club rages on today, with current co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett due to attend a court hearing in Texas over an injunction they filed earlier this week. According to the latest reports, the legal document is due to be rescinded by the judge in Dallas - opening the way for John W Henry and his NESV group to take control of Liverpool. (Metro.co.uk) Reina craves derby spoils Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina admits this weekend's Merseyside derby is of the utmost significance and insists it is vital the Red side of the city are triumphant. Reina and co make the short trip to Goodison Park on Sunday when they lock horns with local rivals Everton as Premier League action swings back into force. Reina accepts the stakes have rarely been higher heading into the latest Merseyside tussle. The Spanish custodian told The Daily Express: "This is the biggest in terms of needing the points for both teams. We are not in the best situation and we both need three points desperately. "For whoever wins, it will be so important for the fans and for the optimism of the club. We have to win." (Sky Sports)  Mill Financial approached Premier League to seek approval Mill Financial, the secretive US hedge fund attempting an 11th-hour takeover of Liverpool, approached the Premier League yesterday to seek approval under the owners and directors test. The Premier League declined to consider whether Mill's representatives would be suitable directors because they did not have the authorisation of the Liverpool board. Mill looked to seek pre-approval so that they were in a position to complete a deal for the club today. A spokesman for the Premier League said: "We will continue to deal directly with the board of Liverpool Football Club and take direction from them with regard to any ownership issues." (Telegraph.co.uk)   Roy shocked by Gerrard snub Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson admits he was surprised Fabio Capello took the England captaincy off Steven Gerrard. Capello gave the armband back to Rio Ferdinand for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro in midweek after he returned from a long injury lay-off which saw him miss the World Cup and subsequent games. Hodgson believes his Anfield skipper Gerrard should have kept the captaincy for his country after impressing in the role in the opening two Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland. "I was disappointed to see that he had the England captaincy taken away from him - I've got to be honest and say I don't really understand that decision," said Hodgson. "As much as Rio (Ferdinand) is a great player as well, I think if you have been out for a long time through injury and you're making your first England appearance for a long, long time, someone who actually had the captaincy for three games and had done brilliantly deserves to keep it." Hodgson added: "I haven't spoken to Steven about the subject but I just hope he is not too disappointed about it. "At the moment, in his form and with his ability and desire to take responsibility, he plays a true captain's innings for us and I think he did it for England in the three games before [Tuesday night]." (Sky Sports) Carragher pens new Reds contract Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher has signed a new two-year deal to keep him at the Anfield club until the summer of 2013. The 32-year-old put contract talks on hold earlier this year, but new Reds boss Roy Hodgson made it one of his top priorities to sort out Carragher's situation and now the long-serving defender has agreed the extension. Carragher has established himself as a key member of the Liverpool side and a big fans' favourite since breaking into the team in January 1997. The former England international enjoyed a testimonial against Everton last month as reward for his services to the club. Carragher has made 641 appearances for the Reds and he is currently in his 15th season with the Anfield outfit. News of his new deal will come as a major boost amid the ongoing takeover talk surrounding the Reds and this weekend's Merseyside derby. "I want to play football until I'm about 35 or 36," said the Reds vice-captain. Carragher is taking his coaching badges and the assumption is he will join the backroom staff at Liverpool when his playing days are finally over. There are no provisions in his new contract for that to happen but former manager Rafael Benitez tipped the defender as a potential Reds boss one day. Carragher said last month: "I think it would find it very hard not to have football in my life. "If I go down that road I might be coaching, scouting...I don't know. "Here would be great. But Liverpool always have top managers and you would have to earn your stripes." (TEAMtalk) Hicks and Gillett lift restraining order Tom Hicks and George Gillett have lifted the Texas court restraining order preventing the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) from completing the sale of Liverpool and have completed a deal with Mill Financial in order to pay off the £280 million debt. (ESPN) Henry vows to fight Reds duo Prospective Liverpool owner John W Henry has vowed to fend off George Gillett and Tom Hicks' desperate attempt to keep the club. Henry and his company New England Sports Ventures (NESV) have already won two battles in the High Court in London, which have cleared the way for their £300million purchase of Liverpool. Now seemingly the only hurdle remaining is a restraining order that Hicks and Gillett took out in Dallas on Wednesday to prevent the club being sold. This was dismissed by the High Court in London on Thursday and Hicks and Gillett were given until 4pm BST to comply with that order. Liverpool and NESV have now taken up the battle in Texas and Henry is confident they will defeat Hicks, Gillett and their financial backers Mill Financial. "We have a binding contract," Henry said on his Twitter page. "Will fight Mill, Hicks, Gillett attempt to keep club today. Their last desperate attempt to entrench their regime." (Sky Sports)
	THURSDAY 14
	Anfield club's future to be decided in Dallas court on Friday New England Sports Ventures’ prospects of taking control at Anfield before Sunday’s Merseyside derby rest on the verdict of a Texan judge expected to reveal whether the much-delayed deal can proceed after 1pm UK time on Friday. Representatives of NESV and RBS, whose loans of £245 million to Liverpool become due at the close of business on Friday, petitioned the Dallas District Court on Thursday night in the hope that the court would hear an application to remove the order. Liverpool’s current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who was said to be in London on Thursday night consulting his lawyers, secured the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) late on Wednesday night to frustrate NESV’s efforts to take control. Should the last-ditch efforts in Dallas succeed, a deal could be sealed on Friday, but were they to fail or be delayed Liverpool’s fate is likely to remain uncertain over the weekend, when they face Everton in the Merseyside derby. (Telegraph.co.uk) High Court rules against Reds owners Liverpool again moved to the brink of new ownership after a High Court judge dismissed an injunction preventing the sale of the club. Mr Justice Floyd criticised Tom Hicks and George Gillett as he granted anti-suit injunctions in a bid to nullify decisions taken in the court in Dallas. The judge said he had given a ruling in London on Wednesday that meant the English directors of Liverpool could agree a £300million takeover by John W Henry's New England Sporting Ventures (NESV). But before the board could make any decision, Tom Hicks, one of the American owners, secured a temporary restraining order from the Texas court. (TEAMtalk)   Dirk Kuyt injury update Roy Hodgson has quashed fears of a long term absence for Dirk Kuyt and revealed that he expects the forward to return within the next month. The Dutch forward landed awkwardly during Holland's 4-1 win over Sweden on Tuesday, prompting suggestions that he could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. However, after being assessed by the Melwood medical team, Hodgson is confident Kuyt's ankle injury is not as serious as it first appeared. "The initial rumours coming out of Holland were that it was going to be a really long injury, maybe months," Hodgson told Liverpoolfc.tv. "But our Doctor and our sports science people are much more optimistic. They think it is more likely to be one month - or if we are lucky three weeks. "He seriously twisted his ankle with ligament damage and we are going to miss him for some matches that's for sure." He added: "He does recover very quickly and the thing about Dirk is that he is always anxious to get back on the football field. If it can done in three weeks it will be three. If it can be two he'll do it in two - but we are looking at a lay-off. "It's disappointing because it is the second time he has gone away with the national team and come back and missed weeks for us." (LFC Official Website) Lim withdraws Reds offer Singapore billionaire Peter Lim has withdrawn his interest in gaining control of Liverpool. Lim has now left the path clear for NESV to secure control of Liverpool if they overturn the injunction after revealing Liverpool's board and RBS bank have "chosen not to respond or to discuss" his offer for the club. (Sky Sports)  Hicks quashes Mill Financial 'takeover deal' rumours Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has not sold his shares to Mill Financial, the American's spokesman claimed today. He insisted the Texan remained in control of his 50% stake in the club, as the future of the Reds remained mired in confusion. Mill Financial, an arm of US hedge fund Springfield Financial Company, based in Virginia, has reportedly done a deal with Mr Hicks to buy his shares at Anfield. But in the last 15 minutes, a spokesman claimed there was no truth to those reports, although he would not expand further on Mr Hicks' or Mill Financial's position. (Liverpool Echo) Keep the faith, roars Broughton Martin Broughton remains confident the takeover of Liverpool will go through despite Tom Hicks and George Gillett's bid to block the sale. Despite the latest twist in the saga, Broughton is optimistic that the sale will go through after accusing Hicks and Gillett of 'trying every trick in the book'. "They are trying every trick in the book, but keep the faith," Broughton told Sky Sports News HD. (TEAMtalk)  Do Mill Financial now own Liverpool? There are now rumours that Mill Financial, who already own George Gillett's shares, may have now also bought out Tom Hicks' shares and own 100% of the club. If that is the case, and they are willing to repay RBS by Friday's deadline, then that would put the NESV deal in jeopardy and they could be the new owners of Liverpool Football Club. Meanwhile, Chairman Martin Broughton is to request an injunction from Judge Justice Floyd to counteract Tom Hicks' restraining order served in Texas last night, enabling them to sell to NESV. Just when we thought that the club's future looked bright, it is certainly not yet the case. All will become clear as the day progresses. (LFC Online) Reds respond to injunction The temporary restraining order obtained by Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in an attempt to stop a takeover deal has been described as 'unwarranted and damaging' by the club's directors. Liverpool said in a statement on their official website on Wednesday night: "Following the successful conclusion of High Court proceedings today, the boards of directors of Kop Football and Kop Holdings met tonight and resolved to complete the sale of Liverpool FC to New England Sports Ventures. "Regrettably, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett have tonight obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from a Texas District Court against the independent directors, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and NESV to prevent the transaction being completed. "The independent directors consider the restraining order to be unwarranted and damaging and will move as swiftly as possible to seek to have it removed. "A further statement will be made in due course." (Sky Sports)
	WEDNESDAY 13
	Hicks and Gillett claim injunction to halt Liverpool sale Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, have tonight claimed that a Texas court has granted a temporary restraining order stopping the proposed sale of the club to the owners of the Boston Red Sox, calling the attempt to sell the club an "epic swindle". Hicks and Gillett claim they will sue the three Liverpool board members, the bank controlling the club's debt and prospective buyer New England Sports Ventures for a total of $1.6bn (£1bn) in damages. The pair said that NESV's offer to buy Liverpool was "hundreds of millions of dollars below true market value". (guardian.co.uk)    Henry arrives for Reds takeover talks American businessman John Henry looks to be one step closer to completing his takeover of Liverpool after arriving at the club's board meeting. Henry tonight travelled to the offices of Slaughter and May in London and, when asked what it was like to nearly own the Reds, gave reporters a thumbs up gesture. (TEAMtalk) Carra hails fans Jamie Carragher has hailed Liverpool fans for their efforts to unseat unpopular owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks. Speaking after a High Court decision supporting moves to have the Reds' board reconstituted to its form as of last week and the impending sale that will bring the vice-captain was also optimistic about the future on as well as off the field. Reflecting on three and a half turbulent years Carragher said: "To be fair to the fans, they've got a right to complain about the way it's gone. "They're so passionate about the club, and rightly so. All supporters are like that really. I think a lot of the protests and marches have happened before and after the game so I don't think it's affected things too much within the stadium. "The atmosphere this season hasn't been too great because the performances haven't been too great. When the team's playing well and scoring goals, the supporters are delighted to see that. "A lot of the supporters will be delighted with the outcome of today, and rightly so, because they've played their part and should be proud of that. "I'm sure this will give everyone a feel-good factor and that can only help us on the pitch and with the atmosphere within Anfield." (Shankly Gates) Gerrard hails court verdict Steven Gerrard has today spoken of his delight following the result of the court hearing held in London this morning. The Reds skipper believes the ruling is positive news for the club and is now focused on moving towards a bright future. Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.tv: "It's a fantastic result and credit needs to go to Christian, Ian and the Chairman who have worked so hard on this. "It seems things are nearly sorted off the pitch so we need to start getting them right on it by getting three points at Goodison on Sunday. "I know how frustrated the fans have been with what has been going on and I can understand their feelings. But we've all suffered in this, especially the supporters, and now it's time for us all to pull together and help move the club forward." (LFC Official Website) Kuyt injury latest – bad news Dirk Kuyt and Liverpool face an axious wait for test results to determine the full extent of his ankle injury, with Kuyt himself “fearing the worst”. Kuyt pulled up in the 29th minute of Holland’s 4-1 victory over Sweden last night with the ankle problem, and it looks as if it could be bad ligament damage. Kuyt said today, ‘The swelling is so bad that it will take three to four days to be sure. “But I fear the worst. You know your own body. It doesn’t feel good. In fact the doctors have the same feeling. I’ve probably torn ankle ligaments, they say. Lets hope that they and I are wrong.” Should Kuyt be suffering from ligament damage, he could face a spell on sidelines for at least three months, with some reports suggesting he could miss most of the rest of the season. Roy Hodgson also has injury worries about Daniel Agger, who suffered a reoccurrence of a groin problem whilst playing for Denmark last night, but Fernando Torres is winning his fitness race ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside Derby clash with Everton. (This is Anfield) Experts say Lim bid too late for Liverpool Experts are convinced Liverpool will sell to NESV. Financial expert David Buik of BGC partners believes there is no way Liverpool will not be sold to NESV. Yesterday's improved bid from Peter Lim had raised some uncertainly over whether the takeover process was as cut and dried as it seemed. But Buik believes Friday's upcoming deadline for the repayment of the RBS loan means time is of the essence and there is no time to carry out due diligence on another offer. (tribalfootball.com)  NESV claim agreement reached New England Sports Ventures (NESV) claim to have a binding agreement to buy Liverpool Football Club. The American company, who own the Boston Red Sox baseball team, have seen a £300million takeover bid accepted by the Anfield board. (Sky Sports)  Torres boost for Reds Liverpool have received a welcome lift after Fernando Torres returned to training on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby. The Spanish striker picked up a groin strain during the Reds' humiliating home defeat to Blackpool earlier this month, putting him out of action over the international break. However, Liverpool's head of sports science and sports medicine Peter Brukner says the 26-year-old is making excellent progress and could feature in Roy Hodgson's line-up at Everton this weekend. (Sky Sports) Malaga in contact with Liverpool winger Babel Malaga have made contact with the minders of Ryan Babel about a January move for the Liverpool winger. (tribalfootball.com) Purslow declares LFC “back to business” Liverpool Managing Director Christian Purslow says it is “back to business” after today’s court judgement ruled in favour of the club and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were told they did not have the power to remove Purslow and Commecial Director Ian Ayre from the club’s board, and so the board may sell the club to who they wish. Purslow said after the hearing at London’s high court, “RBS were granted a mandatory injunction which effectively means that the removal of Ian Ayre and myself was not valid and the board is exactly what it was before the Owners sought to do that. “We are absolutely delighted at this result. We can now get back to the business, as a board, of looking after our football club and that’s what we are going to do." (This is Anfield) Reds uncertainties remain on the pitch TEAMtalk warns Liverpool supporters that they still face a "long and winding road" back to the top despite Wednesday's High Court verdict. The unpopular pairing of Tom Hicks and George Gillett may not be the only losers from the changes now being proposed at Liverpool. The cheers from fans outside the High Court in London when they learned that Mr Justice Floyd had cleared the way for the sale of the club, spoke volumes for their support. But while they may have finally rid themselves of the duo, they have no guarantees that the incoming owners will provide them with the real salvation they crave and deserve. (TEAMtalk)  Reds board to discuss bids Martin Broughton has revealed that the Liverpool board will meet to discuss all bids for the club on Wednesday evening. The Reds chairman was speaking as he left the High Court following a ruling which has paved the way for a takeover of the club to be put in place. (Sky Sports) High Court rules against Hicks and Gillett A High Court judge has ruled against Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, paving the way for a takeover of the club by NESV. Hicks and Gillett asked a judge to delay the hearing of an application by creditors Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) for mandatory orders paving the way for a possible sale this week. But the plea was rejected by Mr Justice Floyd, sitting at the High Court in London. At RBS's request, the judge imposed injunctions on the two men requiring them to restore the original constitutions of the companies and managing directors. This removes the final stumbling block to a £300million takeover by New England Sports Ventures (NESV), which will see the RBS recoup its original £237million loan to Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett when they bought the club in March 2007. (TEAMtalk)  Gerrard frustrated with draw Steven Gerrard couldn’t hide his frustration after England were held to a goalless draw by Montenegro in their Euro 2012 qualifier at Wembley on Tuesday night. The dynamic Liverpool midfielder and Glen Johnson played the full 90 minutes and Joe Cole didn't make the bench, and it was a disappointing night for Fabio Capello's side. "You have got to give credit to Montenegro as they defended really well," he said. "The manager asked for a little bit more speed and tempo in the second half and to keep pushing. "We tried a few long balls in a bid to find the breakthrough but the goal never came; we had the penalty incidents and the keeper made a good save but I felt we were unlucky." The Reds skipper also felt England were denied a blatant penalty after several appeals in the second half. He added: "I saw the first one very clearly and the referee was really close to it, so I was surprised he didn't give it. "We are disappointed but we will move on again." (LFC Official Website) Thor Zakariassen ©