A Marriage Come UNDONE: The full transcript of George Gillett's interview

George Gillett Jr reveals in a radio interview with radio station Fan590 in Canada that his relationship with Tom Hicks, his partner and co-owner of Liverpool, has completely broken down.

Nick Szczepanik From Times Online March 28, 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/liverpool/article3639926.ece

For the radio interview, please go to http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/videos-pictures/liverpool-audio/liverpool-fc-audio/2008/03/27/george-gillett-on-tom-hicks-and-the-end-of-his-liverpool-fc-dream-100252-20687033/


Interviewer: Where are you now in terms of Liverpool?

George Gillett: (sigh). Oh boy. I think we're at that point where there are things going on, there are pieces on the chessboard being moved, or being contemplated being moved, that I think it would not be helpful for us or the club to comment on. Suffice it to say, however, that our goal from the beginning was to try to be supportive and add to the lustre of this magnificent, storied franchise, and what has happened this year has not done that. We certainly haven't done it on the pitch yet, although we're playing well in the Champions League, but we've had a marginally good year in the Premiership [sic]. Our loss to Man U [sic] last weekend at 3-0 was a heartbreaker because we played them at 11 on 10 because we had Mascherano thrown off for - it's unclear as to what happened, but clearly they sent a referee in with a no-tolerance programme and we apparently made the wrong comment to the new tough referee at the wrong time, and you just can't - It's tough enough to play Man U 11 on 11.

So I think we're at a point now where we want to finish the season out, we want to finish it strongly, play well in the Champions League, Foster and I are going to be going over to the Arsenal game next week, and we've just decided that this is an extraordinary time and we're going to enjoy it, and we're going to be there, and, by God, we're going to try and be a positive influence on this process.

I: How tough has some of the hostility directed at the owners been?

GG: You know, we get, or we have gotten, as many as 2,000 emails a week here, and I would say that 95 per cent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner, and five per cent, have been frankly aimed at both of us - saying, you know, 'Go home, Americans' - but for the most part, as recently as today, we've gotten 25 emails, and I've had conversations with fans who represent important blog sites and so forth, and thay are inviting me to come to the famous pubs, be their guest, see how they sing the songs, or get ready to sing the songs, and there is none of the hostility or animosity that, it is felt, seems to have been directed at others within the ownership group.

I must say, however, that the most difficult part for us has been that, because of the things that have been said that have upset and angered the fans as much towards one or both of us, the fact is that the thing that angers them the most is the prospect that I might sell even one share of stock to my partner. They do not want him to have controlling interest in this club. They don't even want him to have any ownership in the club based on what they're saying and sending to me. So as a result of that, and it has been very difficult for my wife, with the amount that I travel, we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night, threatening us, our lives - death threats. A number of them have come into the office, and Foster and Lauren, my son and daughter-in-law, have received a number of them themselves.
We're very private people, but my phone number is in the phone book. I'm not shy, and if I make a mistake, I'm prepared to take the hit for it. But the private phone numbers, the cellphone number and so forth are apparently on some blog sites and we have received a number of calls. And again, it's interesting - the calls are not against my wife or myself or my son or my daughter-in-law as much as they are against us selling to my partner. So we're rethinking that. Frankly I don't think it's fair for me to put my family in that kind of danger, so instead of thinking about selling, I don't know - maybe we'll think about buying.

I: Bluntly, has this partnership with Mr Hicks become unworkable?

GG: Oh, it has been for some time. But not because of us. We have tried to be co-operative, we have tried to be supportive, but when your public persona is more important than the facts, that makes it very difficult to have a rational relationship.

I: So what is the exit strategy, or the entry strategy, if you will? Is it feasible to buy Hicks out, or more of a wish?

GG: It's hard to say until you put something in writing or you put the money in the bank. That's a speculative answer, any answer I give you. But what I would say is this. We were very fair. We gave our partner a long period of time to try and make the arrangements to buy us out. We didn't put pressure on him, we could not have been a better partner, and he ultimately didn't get to the finish line. In the meantime, because of things he said, the fans' reaction has been so negative towards him, and towards us if we sold to him, that that has now made that an untenable alternative for us.

I: To be clear - the Dubai interest was with you, and he effectively blocked that possibility for you. Is that accurate?

GG: Well, that's another one of the points. (Laughs)

I: Is it accurate, though?

GG: He threatened to.

I: And do you think that deal could have and would have gone ahead?

GG: I think that's certainly one of the things that made the fans upset. Lord knows, they have the money and with oil prices going up every day that's not an issue, and they certainly have the history and their fans. And I think they would have been very responsible owners, so I guess not making that possible, or making that difficult, again didn't endear people to the fans. So as you are saying, there's an awful lot going on here, and much too complicated for me to try and handicap, but what I know is that the fans and the great fabled history of this club deserve better, and we're going to do everything we can to try to provide that, in whatever role we play.