Liverpool Main Sponsor Carlsberg Criticises Delay in Building New Stadium
Liverpool's main sponsors Carlsberg have criticized the club for delaying the prospective building of a new stadium
Carlsberg, Liverpool's biggest sponsor, has criticized the club's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, for delays in building their new stadium and said it is an open secret the club is still up for sale.
Keld Strudahl, Carlsberg's international marketing director, said: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed. That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."
Work on a new stadium at Stanley Park, which began in June, has been put on hold because of the spiraling cost of finance. The club has denied reports that it is considering redeveloping Anfield or sharing the new ground with Everton and Hicks argues that while investment in the stadium has been postponed, he and Gillett have funded the purchase of both the £26.5m Fernando Torres and £20.3m Robbie Keane.
The Danish brewer, whose relationship with Liverpool stretches back 16 years, said it would be happy doing business with Dubai International Capital — the investment arm of the Dubai government — should it still be interested in a takeover. "We want the owners to say whether they intend to keep the club," Strudahl said.
Strudahl said because of the credit crunch only an organization such as DIC could afford to buy a Premier League club. Its attempts to buy out Hicks and Gillett were thwarted by the former's reluctance to countenance any sale, although Gillett is willing to surrender his 50% stake in the club.
"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them," said Strudahl. "We had a good dialog with them before Hicks and Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.
"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs. At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."
Strudahl felt Hicks and Gillett might be interested in selling Liverpool if they received the right offer. "That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now. The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit."
Carlsberg's shirt sponsorship deal with Liverpool, worth £7.3m a season, expires in 2010 and although the company has been disturbed by the amount of boardroom in-fighting at Anfield, it said it would be prepared to renew it. "We will renegotiate our deal with Liverpool in the summer," said Strudahl.
Keld Strudahl, Carlsberg's international marketing director, said: "While we have a good relationship with Tom Hicks, we are naturally unhappy that the planned new stadium has been postponed. That cannot be good for Liverpool as a long-term business."
Work on a new stadium at Stanley Park, which began in June, has been put on hold because of the spiraling cost of finance. The club has denied reports that it is considering redeveloping Anfield or sharing the new ground with Everton and Hicks argues that while investment in the stadium has been postponed, he and Gillett have funded the purchase of both the £26.5m Fernando Torres and £20.3m Robbie Keane.
The Danish brewer, whose relationship with Liverpool stretches back 16 years, said it would be happy doing business with Dubai International Capital — the investment arm of the Dubai government — should it still be interested in a takeover. "We want the owners to say whether they intend to keep the club," Strudahl said.
Strudahl said because of the credit crunch only an organization such as DIC could afford to buy a Premier League club. Its attempts to buy out Hicks and Gillett were thwarted by the former's reluctance to countenance any sale, although Gillett is willing to surrender his 50% stake in the club.
"If DIC become the new owners, I cannot foresee any problems working with them," said Strudahl. "We had a good dialog with them before Hicks and Gillett. As the main sponsor, we saw their business plan and it looked good.
"As far as I understand, DIC is as big a player in a potential Liverpool takeover as previously believed. You shouldn't underestimate the impact the credit crunch has had on clubs. At the moment there are not a whole lot of investors interested in buying Premier League clubs."
Strudahl felt Hicks and Gillett might be interested in selling Liverpool if they received the right offer. "That Liverpool is for sale is a badly kept secret but nobody has the money to invest right now. The only people who can invest are those not interested in making a profit."
Carlsberg's shirt sponsorship deal with Liverpool, worth £7.3m a season, expires in 2010 and although the company has been disturbed by the amount of boardroom in-fighting at Anfield, it said it would be prepared to renew it. "We will renegotiate our deal with Liverpool in the summer," said Strudahl.
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