Hicks demands Parry resignation

[Cantona007]

Independent.co.uk
Hicks demands Parry resignation

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/hicks-demands-parry-resignation-807452.html

By Paul Walker and Martyn Ziegler, PA Sport
Thursday, 10 April 2008

Liverpool's season of boardroom turmoil took another astonishing turn today when co-owner Tom Hicks asked for the resignation of chief executive Rick Parry.

It is believed that a letter arrived at Anfield today - just 48 hours after Liverpool's triumphant passage into the Champions League semi-finals - demanding Parry's departure.

Parry is currently in London at a Premier League meeting but he has been made aware of the communication and is expected to refuse to quit by return of post.

This shock move from the Dallas-based co-owner is just another twist in the embarrassing saga over control of the club, which reached a peak last month when talks between Hicks and Dubai International Capital broke down.

Hicks was in London last week and watched both the Liverpool matches against Arsenal at the Emirates.

But on Tuesday, Hicks was back in Dallas watching his Texas Rangers' baseball team while co-owner George Gillett was shown on TV world-wide sitting next to Parry in the Liverpool directors' box.

They were watching boss Rafael Benitez's team beat Arsenal 4-2 to progress into another semi-final showdown with Chelsea later this month.

And this current development does nothing for the stability of the club ahead of Benitez's attempts to reach a third European Cup final in four years.

Gillett's son Foster was also in attendance on Tuesday, as was Hicks' son Tom Jnr, both sons also being directors of the club.

And it is also believed that Liverpool fans groups have received e-mails telling them that Hicks wants Parry out.

However, with the club ownership split 50-50 between the two Americans, Hicks would not have been able to have got sanction for Parry's dismissal, hence the letter received at Anfield today.

Hicks was believed to have been enraged by Parry's interview recently on BBC Five Live in which the chief executive pleaded with both co-owners to end the war between them and come to an agreement that would allow the club to move forward.

It was Parry who was largely involved in bringing Gillett to the club 18 months ago, with the American bringing in Hicks for financial muscle to get the deal through.

At that point DIC believed they were on the brink of buying former chairman David Moores' majority holding, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute when Moores - now life vice-president and still a board member - changed his mind.

Since then DIC have patiently worked towards a deal to buy out both Americans. It is believed that Gillett has agreed to sell his stake, but refuses to sell those shares to Hicks.

However, Hicks spent time last week in London trying to raise capital to buy Gillett's shares and to re-finance loans on his own sports empire.

He will soon be expected to come up with further loans to fund the building of Liverpool's new stadium.

The relationship between Gillett and Hicks has spectacularly broken down, with Parry at times finding himself in the middle trying to run the club effectively on a day-to-day basis.

Now Hicks' camp clearly believe that Parry is siding with Gillett as the uproar rumbles on, which has prompted the request for his resignation.

[dinho]

only in Liverpool..


Fixer 'kept gangster off Gerrard' 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/7341485.stm
 
Steven Gerrard respected 'fixer' Kinsella, his father said
Steven Gerrard's father has said he turned to an underworld "fixer" to stop a gangster from terrorising his son and threatening to shoot him in the legs.

The information was in a letter Mr Gerrard wrote to a court where the fixer, John Kinsella, denies being part of a gang involved in a robbery.

Paul Gerrard said the Liverpool captain's car had been smashed up and he was chased home from training.

He said it was after he asked Kinsella for help that the trouble stopped.

Paul Gerrard said that Liverpool Football Club had provided extra security, and he had also contacted police but claims it was only after he contacted Kinsella that the threats ended.

Mr Gerrard's letter read: "I would like to say that in 2001 my son Steven was being terrorised by a notorious Liverpool gangster known as The Psycho, who was threatening to maim my son by shooting him in the legs.

"Also, he was trying to extort a large amount of money from Steven. We immediately contacted the police and asked for protection.

  Steven and I have total respect for John

Paul Gerrard, Steven's father

"This went on for a long time, during which Steven's car was smashed up and the gangster chased him while he was driving home from training.

"We were introduced by a friend to John Kinsella. John then reassured me and my family he would resolve our nightmare.

"We have never had any more problems from the Liverpool underworld. Steven and I have total respect for John."

Kinsella is on trial with two other men accused of stealing £41,000 of goods from a lorry depot in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 19 March 2006.

Their alleged haul included £8,000 of Easter eggs and another £33,000 of crisps and detergents.

But the jury was told on Thursday that Kinsella had been "hoodwinked" in to taking part in the robbery.

"He (Kinsella) said he was hoodwinked and there's a lot of evidence to back up his case that in advance of this robbery he did not know what was going to go off."

Kinsella, of Liverpool, denies robbery and a charge of dangerous driving. Two other men - James Muldoon, 28, and 49-year-old Stephen McMullen, both of Liverpool - deny robbery.

A fourth man, Thomas Hodgson, 29, of Liverpool, has admitted one charge of robbery.

The trial continues.