Liverpool hit out at late bid to delay NESV deal
LIVERPOOL slammed Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s last-ditch attempt to scupper their deal with New England Sports Ventures late last night.
Calling the move “unwarranted and damaging”, the club’s board vowed to remove the latest obstacle to completing a protracted sale.
Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton was preparing to announce that the £300m transaction had been validated by the board when Hicks and Gillett sprung their temporary restraining order.
Earlier he had celebrated the decision of High Court judge Mr Justice Floyd in ruling the board could sell to NESV, despite objections from Hicks and Gillett.
“Following the successful conclusion of High Court proceedings today, the Boards of Directors of Kop Football and Kop Holdings met tonight and resolved to complete the sale of Liverpool FC to New England Sports Ventures,” read a statement.
“Regrettably, Thomas Hicks and George Gillett have tonight obtained a Temporary Restraining Order from a Texas District Court against the independent directors, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC and NESV to prevent the transaction being completed.
“The independent directors consider the restraining order to be unwarranted and damaging and will move as swiftly as possible to seek to have it removed.”
Hicks and Gillett are uder pressure to sell from Royal Bank of Scotland, to whom they owe more than £200m.