Mar 12

Kraft’s Irene Rosenfeld: other unpopular bosses

Want to be loved? Don’t own a football club

Kraft’s Irene Rosenfeld is not alone in receiving a frosty reception after a takeover. Nowhere is this more apparent than in football, where fans have a public platform to make their feelings known.

The Glazer family faces huge pressure to sell Manchester United. Fans have unfurled “Love United, Hate Glazer” banners at Old Trafford and thousands have reverted to wearing the club’s former green and gold colours. Some 10,000 have signed up to an anti-Glazer Facebook page in the last two months and are threatening to boycott matches.

Mike Ashley’s stewardship of Newcastle United – which saw him sack local hero Kevin Keegan – caused such anger that the tycoon said it was too dangerous for him to go to matches, and he put the club up for sale. With United leading the Championship wounds have healed and Ashley is back at St James’ Park.

In Liverpool, angry fans have launched a billboard campaign against the club’s US owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. Hoardings around the city are emblazoned with “Tom and George: debt, lies, cowboys. Not welcome here.”

KraftCadburyManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedMike AshleyLiverpoolZoe Woodguardian.co.uk

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Mar 12

Liverpool fans target RBS in email campaign to starve owners

• RBS chief executive receives hundreds of messages
• Threat of boycott if the club’s loans are extended

Liverpool supporters have begun a coordinated email campaign to the Royal Bank of Scotland warning of a product boycott if the taxpayer-owned bank provides a long-term extension to the club’s £237m loans.

The bank confirmed there had been correspondence from fans but declined to expand on its nature. The business wire service Bloomberg reported that the bank’s chief executive, Stephen Hester, has received hundreds of messages, each with a different individual’s signature.

“It is my understanding that, if the refinancing deal is renegotiated beyond July 2010, then a campaign in protest against the Royal Bank of Scotland will take place which will include billboards with anti-RBS messages encouraging Liverpool fans to boycott RBS,” the emails say. “As a British tax payer and a lifelong Liverpool fan, I can assure you that I am not happy that my hard-earned money is being used to pay for the purchase of Liverpool Football Club for George Gillett and Tom Hicks.”

Although RBS did not express any opinion about the messages, the banking sector has always had concerns about the effect on retail operations of a fan backlash if institutions’ corporate lending arms make life difficult for clubs. That did not appear to be the case, however, as fans were quiescent when Barclays made a stand over the stricken former Southampton owner, Southampton Leisure Holdings, closing off the club’s overdraft and effectively pushing it into administration.

Paradoxically this time the pressure from Liverpool fans is for banks specifically to cause financial problems for the club. The campaign is an attempt to starve the club’s American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, of credit and, if the bank refuses to roll over the club’s borrowings, it could precipitate a financial crisis at Anfield.

Few lenders are willing to offer new facilities in the current climate and Hicks and Gillett have so far shown no great enthusiasm for injecting their own equity.

Hicks last year suffered the indignity of defaulting on the $525m (£345m) debt in his Hicks Sports Group holding company, leading to the sale of the Texas Rangers franchise and much of its surrounding real estate to an investment group including the club’s president, the former pitcher Nolan Ryan, in January.

Despite that successful transaction – reportedly worth £310m – Hicks’s personal wealth is estimated to have slipped in the past 12 months. Forbes calculated in its most recent rich list that Hicks had lost his billionaire status over the course of the year, now being worth $950m. Liverpool are currently exploring the market’s appetite for a £100m third-party investment.

LiverpoolPremier LeagueBusinessMatt Scottguardian.co.uk

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Mar 12

Squad sheets: Liverpool v Portsmouth

Having played more games than all their rivals, Liverpool desperately need a win if they are to maintain their challenge for the fourth Champions League place. With a trip to Manchester United to come next week, anything less than three points could be disastrous for Rafael Benítez. Portsmouth, who took a horrendous mauling themselves at Old Trafford the last time they visited a big-four club, do not appear likely candidates for causing an upset but their stirring form in the FA Cup belies their lowly league position. Richard Flower

Venue Anfield, Monday 8pm

Tickets £35-37 (0844 844 0844)

Last season Liverpool 1 Portsmouth 0

Referee S Attwell

This season’s matches 12 Y48, R1, 4.08 cards per game

Odds Liverpool 1-4 Portsmouth 14-1 Draw 5-1

Liverpool

Subs from Cavalieri, Aquilani, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Rodríguez, Babel, Ngog, Spearing, Degen, El Zhar, Darby, Kelly, Ayala, Pacheco

Doubtful Benayoun (ankle)

Injured Aurélio (thigh, 18 Mar), Skrtel (ankle, Apr)

Suspended None

Form guide LWDLWW

Disciplinary record Y49 R5

Leading scorer Torres 13

Portsmouth

Subs from Ashdown, Mullins, Webber, Vanden Borre, Owusu-Abeyie, Utaka, Smith, Basinas, Diop, Kanu, Ritchie, Wilson

Doubtful Mokoena (knee), Smith (groin), Utaka (groin), Vanden Borre (hamstring)

Injured Boateng (ankle, May), Yebda (knee, May)

Suspended None

Form guide LWLDLL

Disciplinary record Y60 R4

Leading scorers Dindane, Piquionne 5

Match pointers

• Avram Grant has faced Liverpool five times as a manager and has yet to lose a match

• Only three teams have finished in the top four after losing nine or more of their first 29 games (Chelsea in 1997-98, Leeds in 2000-01 and Arsenal in 2005-06)

• Portsmouth last won consecutive away games in December 2007 and have managed seven wins in 43 trips since then

• Liverpool have not lost at home to Portsmouth in any competition since August 1951, a run of 14 matches without a defeat

• Portsmouth have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the Premier League for nine matches

Premier LeagueLiverpoolPortsmouthguardian.co.uk

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