It’s a great privilege to be in Athens

May 22 2007 by John Thompson, Liverpool Echo

GEORGE Gillett spoke exclusively to the Echo as he prepared to head for Athens for tomorrow’s Champions League final against AC Milan.

Here he tells Echo Sports Editor John Thompson of his early impressions of the club, his view of the supporters and manager Rafael Benitez, and of his sheer excitement over tomorrow’s game in Athens.

GILLETT ON THE FIRST THREE MONTHS AS ANFIELD CO-OWNER - AND AT REACHING A EUROPEAN CUP FINAL

”What has struck me most about the club since February is the balance, the extraordinary leadership that Steven and Jamie provide; the intensity of the fans’ energy, support and knowledge.

“None of that surprises me because great sides need leadership.

“I don’t care what sport or business it is, when you get the kind of record Liverpool have had and the kind of success the side has enjoyed, it doesn’t surprise me.

“We are beneficiaries of an awful lot of hard work by an awful lot of people like David Moores, Rick Parry and Rafa and the boys. It's great good fortune that this happened in our first season, such a surprise and a privilege.

“We can enjoy the experience but I don't think we can take the credit.

“We did not expect to have this kind of early result and we appreciate what David, Rafa and Rick have done on our behalf – it’s been amazing

“So I don’t know that I really can communicate the pleasure, happiness and joy to be able to be part of this. It’s almost unparalleled in sport.

“And of course the fans must take credit too - this is really the result of an extraordinary amount of support from the fans.

GILLETT ON THE REACTION IN AMERICA TO FOOTBALL AND HIS REDS’ ADVENTURE

“Let me try and separate the family group from the outsiders, if you will.

“There is no more pure form of the measurement of men than athletics.

“There is virtually instant feedback. There are no excuses. The weather is the same for both sides; the pitch the same for both sides; the refereeing, good or bad, is generally equal.

“And we truly enjoy as a family the challenges of professional sport and being a part of that process.

“So I think we view it differently than people on the outside. They might view it as frivolous or say in an off-handed way, ‘oh, it’s sport’.

“But we think of it in a more intense way, as life.

“It really is the most accurate reflection of what goes on in many of our lives every day – the moments of joy, the moments of sadness, of success and the frustrations of failure.

So we enjoy and are willing to accept the risks of it in return for those rare moments of extraordinary success.

“We love it and love to be around the athletes and the fans.

“I mean that's the best. That's to me the purest form - to be involved in the emotion.

“I don't feel that same emotion when I go into a steel mill or a woodworking plant or watching timber grow.

“That may be economically a good business - but I don't think the owners of those kinds of businesses have anything like the kinds of pure pleasure and enjoyment that we as fans have when we are associated with our sports team. So it's a wondeful privilege.

“Many people would ask what does it feel like to own Liverpool and frankly I think that with that question they really misunderstand at least how our family - and I know the Hicks' - feel about this.

“It is not ownership - I suppose in a technical sense it is - but in a pure sense this is a rare privilege, an honour.

“David Moores has given us a level of respect and I hope we can live up to it.

“It really isn't ownershp - we hold this in trust for the fans. This is about the fans, this isn't about Hicks or Gillett.

“We are privileged to be trustees, of this extraordinary heritage and tradition that's called Liverpool Football Club.

GILLETT ON RAFAEL BENITEZ

“He’s a genius.

“For a single match, having a side prepared, having the competition analysed and having the boys ready, I don’t know I’ve ever seen or met a man who is more qualified.

“That skill set is a huge part of why Liverpool have been in two finals out of the last three years.

“There’s his genius, his approach, his style, his ability to analyse and to come up with solutions. “The teams we have played and ultimately conquered on the way to the final is like a who’s who of the sport - arguably some of the greatest sides ever put together.

“So it’s obvious that the man is on his game as we say.

“He’s fabulous and committed and dedicated.

“ I have never seen a man who works harder. We get emails at one o’clock. two o’clock, three o’clock in the morning.

“Foster and I get them at all times of the day or night. I mean the man is driven.

“His drive, in many ways coupled with his analytic genius, is clearly a huge factor in the club’s success.

GILLETT ON THE LIVERPOOL FANS

”What has surprised me the most is the fans. I am just amazed at their knowledge of the sport. Their passion and their commitment it is absolutely amazing.

“I have never seen anything like it. When the ball is near the Kop it’s almost like the fans create a magnet.

“It is just the energy, the passion, the sounds, the songs, the words. Something I have never seen before. It makes us far better and helps our performance a great deal.

Winning has a lot to do with the fans’ attitude and I think the successes this year have been positive for everybody.

“We appreciate it greatly.

“It’s really helped us to get off to a wonderful start and to understand what it is about Liverpool that makes it special and unique.

GILLETT ON HIS PLANS TO ATTEND TOMORROW’S FINAL IN ATHENS

“I have two of our sons travelling to Athens with me, including Foster, and their wives.

“My wife Rose unfortunately has a very serious form of asthma which makes it virtually impossible for her to travel.

“But she has become a huge, huge fan. It’s amazing what a fan she’s become but unfortunately she’s had to become a television fan because she can’t travel.

“I really am excited.

“As great as the sites in Greece are - and we may look at a few of them - I am particularly anxious to go and find a pub or two and enjoy a brew with our fans and have some fun and get their perspective.

“So I’m excited about being there and I know my sons are.

“I’ll tell you, I’ve not been through many things like Barca and Chelsea. I can’t imagine what it will be like on Wednesday night.

“Win or lose, it will be a great experience and we certainly want to do everything we can to help them win.

“We don’t want to get in the way of their winning.

“So you’ll see us there, cheering like everybody else and hopefully we won’t do anything to impair their ability to win.

• LISTEN to a pre-Athens podcast with George Gilett (MP3) - click here