RED WATCH: It’s been a year we never expected

Feb 6 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

WHO would have thought 12 months ago that Liverpool Football Club would be in the position it is in now?

When George Gillett and Tom Hicks appeared on the scene last year we all watched their original press conference and they seemed to be the right people to take over our beloved football club.

Liverpool fans were all fully aware that major investment was needed if we were not going to be left behind our major rivals. The investment saga had been dragging on for years and the proposed new stadium existed only as an artist’s impression.

As “George and Tom” met the world’s press, they were keen to tell everyone that “they wanted what we, the fans wanted”, that they were “only custodians of this great club”. That they felt “privileged to be here”, etc etc. That this was “not a Glazer-style takeover”, i.e. no debts would be placed on the club.

We all thought that, at last, here was the major investment we needed to take us forward, to enable the stadium to be built, to make the step change required to move us to another level.

A year has passed and what has the reality been?

No building work on Stanley Park, in fact the stadium plans have been scaled down. The manager’s job has been placed under threat and a prospective – and highly unsuitable – candidate interviewed. Worse still the club is now laden with huge debt, with repayments of up to £30m per annum required.

Promises have not been kept and we still have to find the money to build the new stadium. We are now a club in turmoil. Performances on the pitch have suffered.

A season that we all thought may see us finally make a serious challenge for the Premiership title has descended into a scrap for fourth place.

There are chants against the owners and demonstrations at Anfield, even resulting in discord on the Kop itself.

It’s fair to say that the club has lost its way both on and off the field. Our rivals are revelling in our discomfort. We seem to be in serious danger of losing our identity.

Groups like Reclaim The Kop (RTK) had already taken it upon themselves to try and revitalise the now quieter, all-seated Kop.

Now another group has emerged to do battle with our new owners, the Sons Of Shankly (SOS). Many fans are looking to Dubai International Capital (DIC) to come in and rescue us.

The only three letter abbreviation I am interested in is LFC to be honest, but it shows the depth of feeling the supporters have.

Now another highly interesting idea has appeared. Rogan Taylor’s “Share Liverpool FC” concept may offer 100,000 supporters an opportunity to buy the club outright.

If Gillett and Hicks really have the best interests of Liverpool Football Club at heart, they should end this damaging farce now.