Liverpool: Cautious Optimism From Fans and a Six Minute Message To Mr. Hicks

By now the entire footballing world will have read, re-read, and re-hashed the news of New England Sports Ventures' bid being accepted by Liverpool Football Club's board—or at least most of them—so I won't be going into detail on that.

But what of the fans' reactions?

In all honesty, Reds fans have been put through it so often and for so long by Hicks and Gillett that for now many are still expecting another spanner to be thrown in the works before the deal can actually be completed.

At this point, I'd like to make something perfectly clear, especially to American readers:

The "Yanks" so often referred to in disdain, anger or even hatred, are for the part of Liverpool FC supporters, George Gillett and especially Tom Hicks.

"Thanks But No Yanks," "Get The Yanks Out," and many other such banners, flags, and messages are pointed at those two, and those two only.

To say Liverpool supporters do not want, or do not appreciate American owners is wrong—we simply do not want those American owners. Let's be honest, before Roy Hodgson our previous two managers were foreign and most of the playing staff is from all four corners of the Earth, so we can hardly complain about having foreign owners can we? No matter where they are from.

The "Yanks" was simply a phrase coined for these two urchins who have caused LFC nothing but trouble and pain.

Our "new owners" have, over the course of the last year or so according to various news outlets, been Syrian, American, Chinese, Hong Kong-based, Canadian consortium—basically from anywhere and everywhere.

And Liverpool supporters don't care.

Our reservations begin with the owners, whoever they will be, understanding and embracing the Liverpool Football Club culture, and end with ensuring that they provide the Football Club with the respect and treatment it deserves and the means to challenge for titles.

Something which Tom and George, in their ignorance and their greed, failed wholeheartedly to do.

So if some supporters remain skeptical about more Americans coming in to take charge, forgive them—we have been blindsided by the arrogance, devilry and lies by the two people in charge of, for many fans, the most important thing in their lives outside of family.

It is not the American-ness of NESV, it is the similarity to the present situation which makes some fans pause.

Liverpool fans are—100 percent—absolutely delighted that a sale of the club may be close, and even more so that Hicks and Gillett stand to walk away with absolutely nothing. But they also know that there are still pitfalls ahead and until the court case, the Premier League ratifying and all paperwork has been completed and the whole deal signed off on, there will be little celebration just yet.

And so to the six minute message to Mr. Hicks. The people who read my article last week, or read about it in any other media outlet, will know that over the weekend two Liverpool FC supporting Hollywood directors set about to make a video message to the owner, featuring famous faces, everyday fans and well-known locals—all speaking with one voice and with just one message.

To hear that message, please watch the video above now.

Do one, Tom.