The Future of Liverpool Football Club

What Is It Like To Be The Managing Director of Liverpool FC
Christian Purslow said that the job begins and ends on the pitch. He said that it was important that football remained the most important part of the fabric of the club. Christian (if I may call you that) also indicated that he was looking at further ways of enhancing the ways that revenue was generated for the club. This would he hoped, allow us to finance the purchase of new players.
Christian finished this question by saying that you need a unity between the football and business side of the club.

I talk regularly with a lot of fellow supporters who seem to have adopted me as a spokesperson and their main question at the moment is, why is it so hard to get tickets. Most of us are now members of the new All Red scheme, which when marketed was supposed to improve our chances. Christian I know that Liverpool Football Club is oversubscribed but, spending eight hours on the phone (2 days of continuous dialling) and still not getting a ticket is simply not good enough. The online situation is even worse if you don't log on by 8.15 a.m. you have no chance of even getting access to the page. Since the season started I have spent most night's telling people not to use the touts or some of the travel sites, where unfortunately the hotel and ticket deals are overpriced.
I have fortunately managed to get a ticket for the Hull game on my beloved kop, but it is the first time in ages. I have even had people asking me if they can buy the tickets on match day. One young man I spoke to the other night was shocked that this system was not available. I did of course try my best to explain why this no longer happened.

Christian, we are the bread and butter of the club and should be able to purchase tickets without these continual problems. They also need to be kept at level that most fans can afford. There are people who, like myself - once I relocate to the city will want to go to whatever games are available. It would also be nice to know when the season ticket list becomes available. I for one would like to add my name to it.

Another small niggle of mine is trying to get books about Liverpool Football Club and its players in London. I wanted a copy of The Secret Diary of a Liverpool Scout when it came out. I approached Waterstones in Canary Wharf who had not even heard of the book. Surely you are aware when book deals etc are done. I have worked in the publishing trade and know that you ensure the publisher is aware that books need to be sent to shops outside the Merseyside area. I spend a lot of time chasing Royal Mail for deliveries as I have to either order them from the club, the merseyshop website or Play.com . I am persistant but I am sure supporter's outside Merseyside get fed up. This is another way of generating monies for the club. Consequently when I come up next week, I know that there are at least three books I want - suitcase room will be made - I should not have to do this. Talking of books, it would be nice if you could get Trinity Mirror or one of the other publishers to do a series of books for 5-10 years olds about the club's history. I have to bring my granddaughter of 6 back something from Anfield , she is an avid reader and would thoroughly enjoy reading them.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett
Mr Purslow was asked about his relationship with the American owners. He said that he has a good working relationship with everyone involved in the workings of the Club. One point he did touch on was that the business side of the club should remain private.
This I totally agree with to a point. Yes it would be lovely if things went back to what us older supporters know as the Anfield way, but Christian, there are certain things that I feel supporters should know. We need to know what is happening regarding the stadium, tickets, their availability and prices, transfers if and when they are happening. If these things are given to the press immediately then the summer of rumours that I have just witnessed would be curtailed to almost nothing.

Liverpool FC And It's Financial Position
Mr Purslow was asked about the financial position of the club and what effect it would have on such things as transfers in the future. He said that we have generated enough money to able to spend in the transfer market, although we have a debt to service.

Christian, if that is the case then why did we only buy fringe players, not the extra striker that we need to support Torres, so that Stevie can play through middle. My main concern is that the funds raised by selling Alonso and Robbie Keane in summer , appear to have been used to increase players wages plus the servicing of the debt. I understand that a debt has to be serviced, but that should be done by Tom Hicks and George Gillett out of their own funds, after all one of the reasons that they became owners was on the condition that no debt would be placed on the club. This is something that I and most of my fellow supporter's find totally unacceptable and needs to be rectified as soon as possible.
New Stadium

When asked about the building of a new stadium, Mr Purslow said that it will happen as and when the funds are available and the market conditions are right.

Christian, we were promised that the sod in Stanley Park would be turned within six weeks of Tom Hicks and George Gillett becoming owners. We are still waiting - In fact I shall be walking through Stanley Park next week - will I see what should be a stadium nearly built or at least a building site. The answer to that is no. You say that risks should not be taken whilst the market in turmoil.

The point is when the American owners took over the market was not turmoil and the investors would probably have had quite a good return on their investment already. There is no doubt a larger Anfield or Bill Shankly Stadium (that is my preference for a new name) would generate much need finance for the club. There are rumours that it will not be built and ready until 2018 in time for the Olympics. Sorry Christian, that simply is not good enough. If Arsenal and Manchester City along with Manchester United who keep adding extensions to their stands can do it then so can we.

Disunity
Mr Purslow was asked about the turbulent 2 years that have preceded his appointment. Mr Purslow has said that they are all working together to ensure that everyone, playing staff, players and staff on the administrative side are happy.

Christian, That may be so within the club itself, but we the supporter's see things in a totally different way. Unfortunately, all we the supporter's can see is chaos, we have two owners who appear to have no understanding of the English Premier League. When they are at Anfield, they do not show any true unity whatsoever. You would not know that they were business partners, let alone, supposed supporters of club. My granddaughter is more enthusiastic than they are. They have alienated most of the club's supporting base, with their methods and lies - we need an explanation as to why things have unfolded as they have since their take over - not from you, Christian but from both of them in front of a television camera in a no holes barred interview in this country. To be honest Christian I would love to interview them myself - a lifelong supporter v the owners of the club . I would be outright and honest and expect them to be same.