Who lent them the money

Liverpool FC’s American owners borrowed “too much” money when they bought the club, the boss of the bank which loaned them the cash, has said. The bulk of the Reds’ £237m is owed to the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).
Tom Hicks and George Gillett incorporated their borrowings into the club’s debt and the interest costs have seen the original figure soar. RBS and another lender, Wachovia, were originally expecting £100m to be repaid this summer. But in the spring, they allowed Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett another six months to find a buyer for the club and repay the debt.
The RBS chief executive Stephen Hester said before the credit crunch too many businesses, including Liverpool FC, took on too much debt. He said: “With hindsight, I think there are some businesses which borrowed too much money and Liverpool FC was one of them.”
His comments came less than 24 hours after Anfield chairman Martin Broughton admitted there had so far been no offers for the club. But he added: “There are a number of interested parties. There is no specific deadline. We are looking to the middle of July-ish for a first round of bids. This is an auction. When the winning bid comes through, we will do a deal with the best bidder. The best bidder may not be the highest bidder. This is more than just money. It is about the stadium development, it’s about the team, it’s about the whole piece. Once we go through that process, the best bidder gets it.”
So RBS lent the Americans the money, because it was a good investment, at the time. Now it is not. So who is at fault? The borrowers or the lenders? Do they care? NO. Why because they will get their money back: the fans will stump up the money eventually, through ticket sales, Club shop purchases and maybe, just maybe, buying out the club or part of the club with the right owners. More on this option later.
RBS will bet there money back, no doubt. They have made enough in fees and interest to make a profit. However, the objective will be to get the loan repaid anyway they can to save any embarrassment, oh, and their bonus.