Who owns the Football Club?

When I was a lad, admittedly years ago, my club was Liverpool. I thought it as my club. I did not pay any bills or buy players but it was my club although owned with the other 45,000 people who turned up each week.

Much later I learnt of shareholders (at one point I tried to buy one at just under £6,000) and Chairmen and Directors. Now there are such people as Club Owners, Abramavitch, Glaziers and of course our Hicks and Gillette.

However, apart from Chelsea, the real owners are the Banks. Not so long ago I quoted the RBS chairman as saying Liverpool borrowed too much. LOL. I thought they lent too much, but they have made a few million in fees.

Now because of this borrowing the Football club that I support is up for sale. To the highest bidder? Maybe not. To the best qualified? Don’t make me laugh. To the most caring? Never!

So what will happen. In my opinion. Nothing. Why?

Hicks and Gillette want to make money on the deal. They have to. Its an ego thing. Just look at what has gone on across in America to clubs they have an interest in. Will Ken, the Chinese get it? Not at the moment. His deadline of the 16th August is a gun to heads which nobody likes and most important he wants to clear the debt only, leaving the Americans nothing. No way will they go for that. The ‘other’ so called bidders are unknown and if they exist at all, chancers, looking for a commission if they can conclude a deal.

So what then?

I see an impasse until the 31st August when the bidders will disappear and we the fans can get on with supporting “our” team. Later in the football year RBS will take over the Club as Hicks and Gillette cannot repay or roll over the debt and the current bidding process will begin again, but with no input from the Americans.

The Americans are hoping for a lucky break, or a relaxing of the lending process or something. They will take it to the wire. Why not, they have nothing to lose.

Its just another business deal, some come good some don't. They don’t care about the fans who really “own” the club. Football is an industry now, just like automobiles or aircraft. Unfortunately I can only see more of this l coming to more clubs in the future.