Even just thinking for a second back to the days when Liverpool were owned by Tom Hicks and George Gillette is enough to make skin crawl and eyes roll — no one wants to remember near bankruptcy or Roy Hodgson in equal measure, but now that the club is moving forward under the steady hand of Fenway Sports Group, there’s cause for optimism.
“It is great for our supporters because they went through a difficult time and it is always devastating to see such a great tradition and establishment as Liverpool being in such great difficulty,” said Reds CEO Ian Ayre of the clubs return to steady ground. “It taught us the importance of sustainability and running the club properly. No-one wants to go back to those dark days again.”
We’re less than a week away from our first Champions League match since 2009 and that in itself is a testament to how far away from the abyss we’ve moved. “There was a lot to focus on: we had to improve the squad overall and that took investment at a time when we had little cash and a lot of debt. And it is testament to our new owners that they invested heavily and we started to improve the on-pitch side” he continued. “It was also important to put in the pieces to take the business of the club forward, because in a world of Financial Fair Play and sustainability they are the things which generate the revenue to buy the players.”
Liverpool have brought in a number of lucrative commercial partners with the club finding different ways to turn their worldwide popularity into extra revenue sources — something that is set to help the club in the long-term. “It is pleasing to know we are on a great footing, have fantastic owners who believe in sustainability, believe in putting the club where it should be and treating it with the respect it should have” enthused Ayre. “As long as we continue with those values we will be in good shape.”
