Texas judge holds key to Liverpool's complicated ownership
The club moved to the brink of being taken over by New England Sports Ventures (NESV) when a High Court judge in London dismissed an United States-based injunction preventing the sale of the club.
However, lawyers for co-owner Tom Hicks immediately went back to the 160th District Court in Dallas for another hearing with Judge Jim Jordan only for that to be adjourned without resolution.
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Hide AdThe legal team will go back at 7am local time (1pm BST) – just three hours before the deadline set by the High Court for the American's restraining order to be removed – when it is expected a ruling will be made.
Liverpool remain hopeful the 300m sale to NESV, whose head is Boston Red Sox baseball franchise owner John W Henry, will go through, with both chairman Martin Broughton and managing director Christian Purslow speaking positively last night.
"We're nearly there. We've still got to take away the restraining order," said Broughton, who added he hoped to have a deal in place for Henry to attend Sunday's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
"Mr Henry is very committed. My guess is we'll have it done and he'll be there – but we've got to get rid of this order first."
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Hide AdPurslow was also optimistic the restraining order would be lifted.
"I hope so, I hope so. Good day in court today," he said.
For the second time in just over 24 hours, the club's independent directors – Broughton, Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre – were given the go-ahead by Mr Justice Floyd to complete their agreement with NESV.
On Wednesday night a hastily-convened board meeting resolved to go through with the sale, only for Hicks and fellow co-owner George Gillett to inform the England-based directors they had attained a temporary restraining order preventing it and were also suing them for 1b.
That prompted Royal Bank of Scotland, the club's major creditors who are due to be repaid 240m today, to return to the High Court for a ruling on jurisdiction and they were given the answer they required.
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Hide AdMr Justice Floyd, in granting anti-suit injunctions in a bid to nullify decisions taken in the court in Dallas, was scathing in his remarks about the American co-owners' conduct which he called "unconscionable".
The judge said his mandatory orders were not aimed at the Texas court but Hicks and Gillett to stop them taking further action there.
David Chivers QC, who told the judge that his clients NESV already considered themselves the new owners of Liverpool, asked the judge for a speedy serving of his orders on Hicks and Gillett so the deal with NESV can be completed and money transferred from the US.
He said if the deal was not completed today, then Hicks and Gillett had succeeded in stopping the sale of Liverpool before repayment of the debt to RBS became due.
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Hide AdChivers described Hicks and Gillett as "the owners from beyond the grave who are seeking to exercise with their dead hand a continuing grip on this company.
"That is simply not acceptable."
Mr Justice Floyd gave Hicks and Gillett until 4pm today to comply with his orders.