Reds fans attend takeover meeting

The fans want to take control from Liverpool's American owners

About 100 Liverpool Football Club fans have attended a meeting to discuss a supporter takeover of the club.

The fans packed into the Lighthouse Theatre near Anfield on Wednesday night to explore the possibilities of them buying the club.

A supporters consortium, called ShareLiverpoolFC, wants 100,000 fans to pay �5,000 each into a takeover kitty.

They want to take control of the club from its American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The US millionaires are trying to raise money to refinance their own loans as well as the �400m needed to build a new stadium.

Good idea

Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, also attended the meeting and backed the idea.

The Leigh MP and Everton supporter said: "I think it would be good for any football club.

"I think the principle is a good one, that the people who have built up these clubs over the generations and have invested millions of their money should control their future."

ShareLiverpoolFC founder member Dr Rogan Taylor said he believed financial pressures would call into question the Americans' ability to carry on as owners.

He said he thought there would also be further interest from Dubai International, who have been waiting in the wings to mount a bid for the club after losing out to the Americans in 2007.

ShareLiverpoolFC has relaunched its website, and has called on the 28,000 fans who initially registered their interest to sign up again.

The group currently has 9,500 supporters who have signed up, another 9,000 who have registered interest but cannot afford �5,000, and a further 9,000 who want to be kept informed.

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