Imagine that you, as a fan, decided to drop your club an e-mail asking about potential signings. You wrote the e-mail in good faith and asked questions about the amount of money the manager had, would it be bolstered by additional monies raised by selling deadwood and the long term investment. You then copy an article from the Liverpool Echo arguing that Benitez shouldn’t have to manage the debts brought on to him.
Imagine your surprise to the receive a response to that e-mail from Tom Hicks Jr, who launches in to a foul mouthed tirade with the fan and invites him to “Blow Me F@@@-face. I’m sick of you.” The e-mail was also addressed to “Idiot”. This story broke on Saturday evening, but had been doing the rounds all day until the British media picked it up and ran with the story.
Suddenly and shockingly, Liverpool fans had finally managed to pin down the arrogance that they have had to deal with over the last 34 months since Hicks and Gillett saddled the club with £350 million worth of debt. Cue all manner of critical articles began to appear and the Spirit of Shankly fans group rode in to quite rightly demand that Tom Hicks Jr resign with immediate effect. They correctly pointed out that Hicks Jr’s position had now become untenable.
So this afternoon, he finally resigned with this statement by numbers: “I am very sorry for my harmful words. To the fans and club, please accept my sincerest apologies,I have great respect for Liverpool Football Club, especially the club’s supporters. I do not want my actions to take away from the club’s future, therefore I am resigning from the board.”
Now this for me makes things even worse, because he’d denied it for nearly 48 hours, so can anyone actually take a word he says as honest? He abused a fan, who made a valid query and then denied it calling the fan a liar. Only when the criticism became so vocal and major newspapers began to cover it did the story change to the truth. Yes, sometimes fans can give as much abuse but the e-mail was polite and simply wanted some points answering.
At no point did that justify Hicks Jr’s actions, which if anything simply smack of deluded arrogance. The spoutings of someone who has spent too long living in an ivory tower with nothing but disdain for the fans of the club his father and business partner have crippled with debts.I have a lot of sympathy with the fans over the way the club has been weighed down with so much negative equity.
Yet this mess has now come back to haunt the Spirit of Shankly group as this footage of their end of season party has now surfaced.Now at some point someone, somewhere has to get a grip of this situation. The last 48 hours were bad enough for Liverpool Football Club, but this video could complete unravel all the good work that S.O.S are doing to try and fight the Hicks and Gillett regime at Anfield.
If anything it’s all so depressing to see the same level of vitriol celebrated over something a hell of a lot more offensive than an e-mail from a silly little man. Celebrating the deaths of anyone is beyond reproach. Now is anyone from Spirit of Shankly going to make a statement or resign over this? Can Liverpool’s name be dragged through the mud anymore?
Liverpool is like a poplar bad soap opera. It gets ratings, you love to watch it even though it’s trash. But if it got cancelled would you really miss it?
James…Blow me F**k-face.
SOS are a hypocritical bunch of idiots. They have some nerve instigating this shit storm. They have their own agenda obviously. B.M.F.F.!! Good grief! I may have said that to my wife once! (She had an equally scurrilous reply, at which time I considered firing her and finding a new backer, but I though better of it)
I have sympathy for the plight of LFC who are in the grips of unscrupulous money grubbing thieves, HOWEVER. A fan club attempting to bring down these detestable hustlers in this manner does them and all other true supporters (or supporter groups) of any football club, no good. They are ruining their own reputation. Spirit of Shankly?? I think not.
no justifying Hicks Jrs. response–given he’s (was) a board member–but was that really all that was in that email to Hicks? Maybe you’re only getting one side of the email, and maybe their email was a bit more animated than just asking simple questions. Some of these Liverpool supporter groups (or a few of their members) can get quite nasty and vile when unwarrented (e.g. the aforementioned video you posted). I also don’t agree with signs reading “Yanks out!” Gillette and Hicks out fine, but referring to a nation of people is xenephobic and gives us Americans a worse image. Aston Villa are owned by an American, and they’re breaking into the top four. Although at the end of the day the board is making the financial descisions, they HAVE given Rafa money to spend: he’s just bought sh*%.
Really? You think it was just a light hearted email asking simple questions? Liverpool supporters are, for the most part, the biggest bunch of douche bags in the world of soccer. How in the hell do you know what REAL email he received? I could come up with a fake email myself, give me 2 minutes.
Bravo Mr.Hicks Jr!
If the Hicks family bought Fulham, I would welcome them with open arms.
Really? I agree about Liverpool supporters, but Hicks and Gillette bought into the club to turn a profit. Someone needs to get BIll Gates into football. He’s worth about 40 BIllion!
Yeah i agree, hicks and gillette will not be fondly remembered because they have talked such b/s since arriving.
That said the SOS group are a nasty sort – I saw this in the Fiver today – this is the end of season celebration – classless lot. Liverpool are currently plagued with some nasty fans and hopeless ownership. The vast majority of Liverpool fans thankfully are nothing like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlHMyp_jIyw
Well said Simon. Even as an Evertonian I know the actions of SOS are not representative of the majority of LFC fans.
I can say, as a Liverpool fan, that I am disgusted with that video. Nothing, absolutely nothing, excuses that. Disappointing, after all that fuss was made over Steven Cohen’s comments about the Hillsborough 96, the closest thing we have to a Munich. What makes it most disgusting is that they defame the name of the legendary Bill Shankly with their title. He, and the majority of Liverpool fans, would be and are repulsed by this.
Yes!! Exactly!!
Not excusing Hicks Jr’s behavior…but he was goaded into it. They released his name to the public, attempted to provoke a reaction and got one. Congrats.
Whether it’s Cohen, Hicks or whomever, not liking someone doesn’t justify using abusive mob tactics in retaliation.
Liverpool might be the new Leeds very, very soon.
Yes the email was shocking…. but you would have thought that he knocked down a pensioner or something
Drunken angry mobs will act like drunken angry mobs. Hicks is in a position of authority and isnt allowed to stoop to the rabbles level, even if provoked.
Hicks, Jr. was right. Too bad he backed down.
The true arrogance at Anfield is in the manager’s seat. Benitez’ Svengali talents are astounding, given that the Liverpool faithful have for the most part been convinced that the problem is ownership, not the charlatan with the Spanish accent.
What a joke of a once great club.
Most of you Americans on here talk shite.
Anyone who criticises SOS is an arsehole.
American sports are generally a cancerous moneymaking joke.And you want to export that disease over to England.(When you’re not staging fake terror attacks and commiting genocide around the world).
Do yourselves a favour.Actually bother to learn about what you’re talking about. And THEN express a comment, rather than looking like the morons you undoubtedly are.
Apart from acting like a xenephobic twat, you failed to actually back your claims with facts. You probably know nothing of the intricacies of their sports. I take it you’re a member of the SOS. How do you justify singing about the Munich disaster? You’re the epitome of a hypocrite when you generalize all Americans, yet when some Americans here generalize about all Liverpool supporters you’re quick to call them assholes. Other than Torres, name some players of quality that Rafa’s bought? Don’t give me shite about Rafa’s had no money to spend either (Babel 14 mill, Johnson 17 mill, Aquilani 20 mill, Riera 8 mill, and LUCAS!) He also never played Babel when he bought him, rarely used Benayoun, and bloody 19 mill for Keane and sat him on the bench!!! Look at these two links and get back to me… (one is a Liverpool supporter site)
http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/10/official-rafa-benitez-has-spent-over.html
http://soccerlens.com/benitez-to-take-liverpool-spending-to-120m-in-his-4th-year/1344/
Real Madrid bought Van Der Vaart for 13 mill, Higuain 13 mill, etc.. quality!
THE PROBLEM IS RAFA!!!!!!
I’m a Brit that was born near Liverpool you bigoted ignoramus. Good grief man! Where do you get off giving out opinion like that? People like you are EXACTLY what is wrong with SOS. Sigh, why do I get drawn into responding to people like you. I’m surprised you were able to summon up enough intelligence to construct a reply. You make ME embarrassed to be from England.
Red Truth you are a charming human i can tell. I guarantee Bill Shankley wouldnt condone any of what’s on that youtube video. I too am English you moron and I dont think it matters where you are from to realise that group is toxic and that your language casts you as a bigot.
p.s. he also alienated Xabi by A) getting his knickers in a twist when he left to be with his pregnant wife while she was giving BIRTH, and B) trying to buy Barry for Villa. Now you lot are missing him, and I bet you blame Americans.
*from
What happens to Liverpool’s finances if they end up 5th or 6th and don’t make the champions league for next season? I’m sure for 2010 they were planning to be in the knockout rounds of the c-league, and will need to go far in europa to make up for the lost revenue. I don’t think there are anymore billionaires looking to buy a soccer team, especially at the price that Hicks and Gillett would demand to get out without losing a lot their investment – or even all depending on how they structured their debt/equity.