Match of the Day: Spirit of Shankly Versus Gillett and Hicks Part Two

To mark the anniversary of last year's protest march against Liverpool's American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the Liverpool supporter group known as the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) marched to within a mile of Anfield to voice their concerns for the club.

Many Liverpool supporters are extremely worried by the size of the clubs growing debt and how the loan with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is financed.

Last summer, the bank came very close to forcing Liverpool into administration and only an 11th hour intervention by RBS board members who feared reprisals by Reds fans throughout the world stayed their hand.

In the end Hicks and Gillett paid £60 million off their £350 million debt and re-financed the remainding £290 million to be paid off in June 2010, or face the prospect of administration.

The turnout was quite disappointing for leaders of the SOS group who had hoped that some 10,000 fans would show their support, last year thousands of fans marched on the famed Shankly Gates at Anfield. However, only a couple of hundred fans chose to voice their concerns about the American owners, despite the club's worst league run in 22 years.

Spokesman for the group James McKenna said supporters had not been appeased by recent comments from Mr Gillett, who said that manager Rafa Benitez had his backing.

"Tom Hicks and George Gillett say a lot of things. The problem with them is that they fail to act upon that," said Mr McKenna.

"When they first took over the football club they promised no debt on the club. We've since been put into a lot of debt.

"They promised they'd back the manager and time and time again they've failed to do so.

"And they promised a new stadium and if you go and look in Stanley Park we are no nearer to a new stadium now than we were when they first took over the football club.

"So whilst Tom hicks and George Gillett might want to say these words, until they start carrying out the actions Liverpool Football Club fans won't be appeased and we won't quite believe them."

Their fears will not have been sated as Chief Executive Christian Purslow recently stated that neither businessman had any plans to sell their stake in the club, despite rumours that one or the other were looking for a quick get out.

Both men, Hicks and Gillett, own 50 percent each and relations between the pair have been strained for some time. Most notably when Tom Hicks vetoed Gillett's sale of his share to DIC.

"There has been a huge amount of interest in the club from some extremely wealthy and expert investors but it will take three to six months to pull that together," he said.

"It means there will be new investment into the football club. Mr Hicks and Mr Gillett have no plans to sell their shares."

This news will come as something of a hammer blow to many SOS members were had hoped that they were on the verge of seeing the last of George Gillett following the rumours he was about to sell his 50 percent to Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud.

With Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benitez, under pressure to turn results around, and with many supporters offering him their full backing, it would seem that the real games at Liverpool will be played off the pitch for the foreseeable.