I know. It's been a while. And I haven't vented my spleen on the season as it's unravelled And now I'm here I feel my spleen in need of a major air conditioning.
But of course today is a day to talk turkey. In just over a months time the residents of our neighbours across the pond will be sitting down for their traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. Today could be the day that Liverpool fans give thanks for being rescued from one group of American's by another group of their compatriots.
But hold on one goddamn second. Is this merely a case of out of the frying pan into the roasting tray. Wouldn't we rather be celebrating American Independence Day instead. What is the difference between the Boston Red Sox owners and the Texas Rangers owners. What makes John W. Henry the man that Tom Hicks isn't?
When Tom and George arrived on Merseyside, they came with promises of a new stadium, investment into the team and the big promise of no debt on the club. Of course there is always the working capital debt that all major use to pursue their projects. Who can honestly believe that a new Anfield can rise from the foundations without borrowing to deliver it. The Emirates is as close to a blueprint to follow as you could get in this country. To build the new stadium, Arsenal had to borrow but they have done the sums and this debt is being repaid as promised in the same way that you or I would pay of our mortgage.
What really rankles is that Waldorf and Stadtler didn't use their own money to purchase our family. They borrowed heavily to acquire the club (the now famous acquisitional debt). NESV have assured the Board (the non yank ones any way) that the only debt on the club will be the working one. This doesn't necessarily mean that the debt goes away, but one option is that the debt will be spread across the NESV portfolio, so is assured against The Red Sox as well as The Reds.This flies directly in the face of the Hicks tactics of syphoning profits from Liverpool to finance his other interests.
What pleases me is the precedence that has been set with The Red Sox. They realised the link between success on the field and profit. If the team is successful then the supporters will want to put their hand in their pockets to support the team which can be invested to make the team successful which means the fans are willing to ...... you get the idea.
But how will that profit be made? Well it has been suggested that ticket prices will be increased to try to offset the costs and provide an instant return. Boston's famous Fenway Stadium has tickets that cost in advance of $300. But, it also has tickets that cost less than $12 providing a real opportunity to bring in the whole family for an affordable price for the majority of working class supporters.
It has been well documented that NESV, which is part owned by the New York Times, turned round Boston red Sox from a heritage brand with considerable history but no recent success, into a twice championship winning side. And although the company ain't skint, they are not in the same financial league as the Sheiks and Oil Barons. Wouldn't it be so much sweeter to win silverware knowing that we have done it without the help of a sugar daddy?
So I am, like has been said on a multitude of TV and Radio stations about Liverpool fans today, cautiously optimistic for the future. The much maligned Christian Purslow and Chelsea fan Mr Broughton have at last raised their head above the parapet and rather than being shot at by the masses, they have only angered their paymasters. That I can cope with.
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