RIck Parry and Liverpool FC's commercial failings

Tom Hick's damning assessment of Rick Parry is spot on, in my opinion.

Parry has long been a figure who I have seriously doubted to take Liverpool from sleeping commercial giants to a global hit.

He has been at this club for 10 years. In that time we have barely increased our commercial activity in terms of merchandising and presence overseas. Our impact in the Far East has risen, but that is only a natural consequence of the Premier League and its international popularity.

In the same time, Man Utd have gone on leaps and bounds and Chelsea, in particular, have shown exponential growth in comparison to us.

Chelsea are a prime example of how to capitalise on their successes. After winning back-to-back Premier League titles it was evident that they were becoming a massive hit in the UK, and across the world. Chelsea blue was everywhere, and their revenues would inevitably benefit.

But, Liverpool won arguably the most prestigious title of them all, the Champions League. The pinnacle of club football and observed by a quarter of the world's population. But back in the aftermath of our victory on May 25th, 2005, all I can remember were a few flags and gimmicks being sold on the clubs online shop, none of which I could purchase because of stock issues.

There was little evidence of us reaching out to the emerging football markets like Asia and the USA—parading our European Champions status that we know full well Chelsea or Man Utd will do, come the final whistle in 2 weeks.

For all our successes in the last 10 years, and we boast more than most (the 2001 treble, CL 2005, CL Final 2007) we are seemingly being left in the wake of our three biggest rivals, whose commercial management is clearly, and undeniably superior.

Before Hick and Gillett bought the club, Hollywoodfilm producer Mike Jefferies claimed that Liverpool FC's market capitalisation was a staggering one-fifth of Man Utd’s, in the speculation surrounding his takeover bid.

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