Burnham Backs Liverpool Fans Bid
Culture, Media and Sport minister Andy Burnham has given his support to a takeover bid of Liverpool Football Club by a consortium of fans.
The consortium want to buy out the club’s shares and they hope to take control from the current owners, the Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
Burnham lent his support to the proposals at a meeting before the Champions League qualifier with Standard Liege.
The supporters’ body, known as ShareLiverpoolFC, has a new website, and wants as many fans as possible to buy one share – at £5,000 each.
ShareLiverpoolFC founder member Dr Rogan Taylor will also address the meeting.
It is aimed at re-establishing the group publicly, as the current Liverpool owners try to raise money to re-finance their own loans as well as the £400m needed to build a new stadium.
Dr Taylor, director of the Football Industry Group at Liverpool University, said: ‘We want to make sure everyone realises that we are serious and intend to be around and ready whatever happens.
‘Whoever takes over the club, they are going to need a local partnership. We are here to stay, and have people signed up to help and support the plans we have. We want to be around when the next roll of the dice comes, and that could be very soon.’
ShareLiverpoolFC has re-launched its website, and wants the 28,000 fans who initially registered their interest to sign up again.
The group currently has 9,500 supporters who have signed up, another 9,000 who have registered interest but cannot afford £5,000, plus a further 9,000 who want to be kept informed.
