Most Hated Men in Football – Hicks and Gillett

Last week brought the news every Liverpool supporter has been pining for: Tom Hicks and George Gillett are set to end their ill-advised, hapless, three-year association with the club.

Since stealing into Anfield in February 2007, the American businessmen have suffered relentless abuse from the home fans. Failing to live up to their initial heady promises, the pair’s financial misgivings have alienated the supporters. But it doesn’t stop there. A series of bumbling sound bites and embarrassing incidents have proved what everyone already knew: Liverpool ain’t like Dallas.

Back in May 2007, after losing to AC Milan in the Champions League final, Tom Hicks publicly promised that serious funds would be made available to Rafael Benitez for squad strengthening. That particular promise failed to materialize. But at least the incident gave birth to Tom Hicks‘s most infamous quote this side of the Atlantic, “If Rafa said he wanted to buy Snoogy Doogy we would back him.” How about if Rafa said he wanted to buy Gareth Barry?

But things turned from bad to worse later that year. After publicly falling out with Benitez over his targets for the 2008 Winter transfer market, Hicks and Gillett admitted to an approach to Jurgen Klinsmann with a view to replacing the Spaniard. While Benitez was left fuming, and the relationship between manager and owners has never healed, Hicks’s feeble excuse that the meeting was an insurance policy just in case Rafa nipped off to Real Madrid even made Pinocchio laugh.

Having alienated the fans and the manager, there wasn’t anyone left for Hicks and Gillett to bicker with… except each other. In April 2008, media reports revealed that Hicks and Gillett are barely on speaking terms, and the rest is history.

While Liverpool supporters, who formed the supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly, regularly descend on Anfield, rounding on the American owners before, during and after each match, the hatred might soon be coming to an end. And to think Liverpool fans have a Chelsea season ticket holder (BA chairman Martin Broughton has recently been tasked with overseeing the formal sale process) to thank for their liberation.

Most Hated Men in Football