A Question or Two For Martin Broughton
6Monday, May 31, 2010 by Paul Grech
In reality, there isn't really anything particularly revealing in Martin Broughton's reported comments that he believes that Fernando Torres is at the stage in his career where he had to think about his future before deciding whether to stay at Anfield or not. If we're being honest, it is something that we have all thought ourselves. Indeed it was more interesting to read that he thinks that it will take three years to turn the club around. Given the pessimistic reports coming out of the club over the past couple of weeks, it is perhaps a better outlook than most have dared hope for.
Yet that does not mean that the whole story does not raise any questions. The first and most obvious one centres around what he was doing at Chelsea's Player of the Year award in the first place. For someone who felt the need to publicly claim that he wasn't going to attend the Liverpool v Chelsea game because he didn't think that it was fair on both himself and the club, it was quite a strange and questionable decision to say the least.
For all the lack of class that he showed in making that choice, the fan inside of us can understand his desire to be there. Much less excusable is the fact that he decided to share his opinions with someone who was at the same event. This is a man who publicly said that he didn't feel that it was appropriate for him to meet the Spirit of Shankly or any other suppoter group because it wasn't right to address one particular group privately. Yet apparently it seems that he feels it is right to address one individual at a party. And isn't expressing an opinion like that at an official event of a rival club - one that has publicly expressed an interest in Torres - tantamout to revealing insider information?
It certainly isn't beyond imagination that Chelsea, on hearing those comments, might get in touch with Torres' agent to put pressure on the player to move. Not to mention signalling to them that they can put in a lower offer than they might have thought because the decision about the player's future is out of Liverpool's hands. And that is without speculating what else he might have said to other people there. Either way, it certainly isn't going to help Liverpool.
When Broughton was appointed as chairman, the doubts over having in that role someone who was a fan of such a close rival like Chelsea were shouted down by claims that a professional like him wouldn't let personal allegiances come in the way of doing a good job. Sadly, his actions so far have shown that the faith of those who defended his appointment was misplaced.
Category Martin Broughton
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6 comments »
I agree mate!
Hicks - breach of (verbal) contract
Gillett - breach of contract
Broughton - insider trading
Lock 'em up I say!
I agree too.
There are 2 alarming aspects to Broughton's misjudgment here.
1. He should not make any public comment on the future of any player who is currently under contract to LFC
2. Even if he thinks it will take '3 years to turn the club around', that should not be public either. How does that help the club attract top talent? Come and join us son, we've still got 3 years before we stop our self-inflicted demise? And what a fillip to City and Spurs...our own bloody chairman sees us as uncompetitive for 3 years.
Frankly, these 2 errors of judgement show that this guy is not a leader. He may be a salesman, but not a leader. So in a club which is CRYING OUT for leadership, our top exec position is occupied by a salesman with no judgement. Well done H&G once again
Couldn't agree more. It's normal in business to declare an interest which in this case would presumably mean that Chelsea would be ruled out of doing any business with Liverpool as long as the conflict was in effect. However it transpires that you are allowed to buy a 'business' with someone else's money. Take out a loan to build new premises, use the loan top finance your life style and other interests and not for the purpose that it was taken out. Have the interest on the loan paid for by the 'business'. Include the loan in the new valuation of the club. Add on a profit margin roughly twice that of the original purchase price plus the loan. Then sell the 'business' on whilst passing the ownership of the loan onto the new owner. This is legal in what plane of existence an under which nations law? Allegedly. That was my take on things from day one and I couldn't seem to get anyone to see what I was trying to get across. Now at least I am no longer on my own but its still not being taken up by any legal bodies. Broughton and the current owners appear to be operating outside of what would normally be considered to be above board practices. We can only hope that Broughton is at least honest and upright when doing business on behalf of our beloved club. If he has been so open and unrestrained at this and any other functions or on any other occasion then I would consider he is perhaps not acting in the best interest of LFC.
But what's new? I've witnessed the whole of the UK being raped serially over the last 30 years to line the pockets of a sellect few. Its legalised crime why are we surprised that its moved on to our sporting institutions we've sat back and let it happen to our industry and our lives. After all it's not a matter of life and death is it.
He is going to destablise our beloved club than helping us. I think he is trying to discourage Torres to leave LFC so that LFC will be dead flat and heading to an irreversible path of decline n making Chelse happier n mightier.
How can the Yankee trust him? We should ask for his removal or his public apology of making such comments.
It would suit Chelsea lover broughton and the owners if torres was to go Chelsea!!
Broughton gets his man and a lovely backhanded and the the owners get another £70m wiped off the debt(making there price look tasty) and rafa doesn't see a penny from it...
Then everyone blames rafa next yr when we win nowt....
These people are thieves and should be treated as so!
Our club has been raped in broad daylight and all we can do is watch while the media has its fun blaming poor rafa...
There religion is money...
Not LFC!
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