Summer of discontent: Liverpool face plenty of
upheaval in the close season, supporters protest against the
club's owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett
Liverpool fans are weighing up
a season ticket boycott in protest against the club's American
owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
The duo are looking to sell the Anfield club and have brought in
new chairman Martin Broughton to that effect but supporters' group
Spirit of Shankly revealed fans would consider not buying tickets
in a bid to hit the owners in the pocket and hasten their
departure.
Broughton has said he expects the sale to take several months
but Reds fans are unhappy at the prospect of starting the new
season under owners who have burdened the club with £237million of
debt.
Liverpool recently revealed that the Kop Holdings, the company
set up by Hicks and Gillett to buy the club, had made a financial
loss for the year ending July 2009 of £54.9m, and supporters
are concerned the club's present financial situation is not
sustainable.
But, although Spirit of Shankly maintain an organised boycott is
being considered, as yet it has not been arranged.
'Fans are considering giving up season tickets to the games next
year if Hicks and Gillett are still in charge,' Spirit of Shankly
spokesman James McKenna told Goal.com.
'Fans are looking at what we can do to affect Hicks and
Gillett's ownership. 'A mass boycott is not something that's on the
agenda at the moment. But if their regime continues, I know that a
lot of fans will be asking serious questions whether they should go
to the games.'
McKenna added: '[The Premier League] are satisfied the long-term
future of the club is not threatened because we have saleable
assets such as players who can still be sold down the line.'
'But our idea of sustainability is different to theirs. We are
aware we could go down the path of Leeds United if the debt can't
be paid. When you are losing money, you can't move forward. It's a
very scary thought.
'Fans want issues resolved. We support the football team and
don't support the financial team.'