Slovenski nogomet

Mah...N'gog je imel nalogo zadržati kakšno žogo, da bi lahko Gerrard et co. frleli v kazenski prostor "iz drugega plana". Kakšne hude dodane vrednosti tu pač niti ni bilo moč pričakovati. Mulec ima devetnajst let in ni ravno Lionel Messi....

Habs could feel ripple effects of owner's loan
Gillett borrows $75-million against another sports asset, which might lead to pressure on storied NHL team

SEAN GORDON AND PAUL WALDIE

December 3, 2008

MONTREAL and TORONTO -- Montreal Canadiens owner and Colorado-based debt-financing king George Gillett is engaged in another financial high-wire act that could have an impact on Canada's most storied hockey franchise.

According to a lien filed in Delaware, Gillett has taken out a high-interest, $75-million (all currency U.S.) personal loan from a U.S.-based private investment fund, putting up his heavily-leveraged share of British soccer giant Liverpool Football Club as collateral.

Though the loan doesn't directly involve Gillett's separate ownership of the Canadiens, it's clear that the global credit crunch is having an impact on his other businesses, and could well splash onto the NHL team, which continues to carry an estimated $240-million in arena debt.

If Gillett's other interests begin to collapse, it will heap added financial pressure on the Canadiens and concert revenues from the Bell Centre, and only fuel speculation over his continued ownership.


As someone who also counts dozens of car dealerships and several up-market ski resorts to his name, Gillett may be in the wrong businesses at the wrong time.

That Gillett would seek the loan from a relatively obscure lender rather than a well-established bank illustrates the difficulty many monied, but leveraged investors are having raising capital.

It also shows he's keen enough to have the money that he's willing to incur steep interest costs, which could rise to as high as 19 per cent.

The five-year loan is from a Virginia-based company called Mill Financial, and was taken out on Jan. 25, 2008, according to the documents.

As security for the loan, Gillett's company, Delaware-incorporated Gillett Football LLC, pledged all of its "right, title and interest in Football Investments LLC," the documents show.

Gillett owns his 50-per-cent stake in Liverpool through Football Investments.

A spokesman for Gillett declined to comment on either the loan or his overall financial picture.

Though speculation was rampant in sports business circles earlier this year that Gillett was interested in taking on a partner, that talk has been strenuously denied, as have suggestions he is interested in selling the team outright (most recently floated in a newspaper interview quoting technology billionaire Jim Balsillie). "I don't know who would want to invent such a story," Gillett said of the rumours last month.

But it's clear Gillett is among the many NHL owners facing stormy financial seas because of the economic downturn.

Hockey industry sources say at least three other teams - the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Phoenix Coyotes - have recently taken out high-interest loans with distress lenders or private equity funds because of tightening credit in the United States.

But unlike most of his NHL peers, Gillett is an old hand when it comes to complicated, debt-laden financial deals.

Whether it was buying into his first sports team - the Miami Dolphins, at 28 - or using the money from his sale of the Harlem Globetrotters to buy a meatpacking plant, Gillett has rarely been afraid to spend money to make money.

In 1991, Gillett's businesses - then focused largely on ski resorts and television stations - went bankrupt after defaulting on $983-million in junk bonds.

The next year he filed for personal bankruptcy, giving his $5-million classic car collection to a creditor to settle a debt and selling his 250,000-acre ranch in Oregon. (He also had to buy his clothes back from the bankruptcy trustee.) Since then, Gillett has rebuilt his fortune, and bought into two of the world's most legendary sports teams.

Gillett and his partner Tom Hicks, who also owns the Dallas Stars and baseball's Texas Rangers, are in hock to the tune of more than $600-million over their purchase of Liverpool, and are facing mounting pressure from supporters to sell.

For the time being, the Canadiens and the Bell Centre, which Gillett bought in 2001 for roughly $180-million, are probably the strongest businesses in the Gillett empire.

But with the Canadiens spending $11.5-million annually on revenue sharing and the Canadian dollar sliding fast, the NHL team is bracing for difficult times.

Gillett is running into challenges at some of his other holdings as well.

Last year he sold his interest in Swift & Co., a Colorado-based meat company that had only one profitable quarter in four years.

The sale came a few months after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Swift plants in six states and arrested more than 1,200 workers for having fake identification. Gillett bought the company in 2002 along with a private equity firm.

Gillett is also a car lover and last year he became the majority owner of a NASCAR team.

"Racing is in my blood," Gillett said at the time, noting his family's long history in the auto business.

But the team - Gillett Evernham Motorsports - is now in a state of flux.

A couple of weeks ago, Gillett's partner, former NASCAR champion Ray Evernham, said he wants to sell his 20-per-cent interest.

A spokeswoman for the team said yesterday that Evernham has had discussions with potential buyers but has yet to cut a deal.

Times are tough for NASCAR, in general, as the U.S. auto industry runs out of gas. Sponsorships are drying up and several teams have already announced plans to scale back (it costs roughly $25-million annually to run a competitive car). The Gillett Evernham team drives Chrysler cars but is trying to cut a deal with Toyota.

The Sports Business Journal reported this week that Mill Financial's parent company, Springfield Financial, is selling the $75-million note - which is subject to an interest rate as high as 19 per cent - and that it's expected that will be done by mid-month.

Citing anonymous sources, the publication said Gillett and a group of investors are negotiating to acquire the debt, as is another entity seeking control of Gillett's slice of Liverpool, which would presumably be available if he were to default on the loan.

Even if he doesn't succeed in acquiring the note, Gillett has the possibility of paying it off - assuming he can come up with the liquid cash - by Jan. 25, the magazine said.

Colorado-based debt-financing king George Gillett

STEVEN Gerrard has signed a deal in which an exclusive Dubai development will be named in his honour.

The Liverpool captain agreed to a £150m residential block in one of Dubai’s most fashionable districts being named the “Steven Gerrard Tower” and has accepted a plush apartment in return, understood to be worth £1m.

Gerrard is the first footballer to sign up to such a deal. He follows in the footsteps of sporting stars Michael Schumacher and Boris Becker, who also have apartments blocks named after them in Dubai.

At a launch in London, Gerrard said: “I am truly privileged to be part of such a pioneering project.” on the Palm Jebel Ali.

“Azizi Investments is fast becoming one of the top developers in the United Arab Emirates.

“The vision and quality of the Azizi brand was what inspired me to be a part of this new upcoming development.

“I would like to thank Mr Azizi for this honour and look forward to working with him on this project.”

A spokesman for Azizi Property Developments said: “It gives us great pleasure and is a huge honour to have Steven Gerrard endorse our most prestigious project.

“We look forward to developing such an iconic piece of architecture which has some of the most amazing views of Dubai.”

Ima neka, tajna veza......

The_Milkman napisal/-a: Ima neka, tajna veza......

Spirit Of Shankly, the Liverpool Supporters' Union, would like to know what the purpose of co-owner George Gillett's unannounced visit to Liverpool was on Monday. It would appear from the manager's comments, it was not to discuss the long promised new contract, nor do we believe was it a gesture of personal support to the Free Michael Shields Campaign. Was it, as some media reports suggest, connected to his impending deadline on repayment $75m of personal debt? Just as Spirit Of Shankly believed it was making progress in improving relations with the club following their magnificent support of our efforts to highlight Michael Shields' case ahead of his Judicial Review later this week, along comes Gillett swathed in secrecy.

As the deadline for the repayment of the loan to RBS looms, our message to him and his so-called partner is simple "What are you planning to do with our club? You were at a loss when we met you in September as to why we thought you had told us lies – well now's your chance to tell us the truth!"

Just 24 hours after telling Telegraph Sport of his desperation to lift the Premier League trophy , the Liverpool captain certainly showed his team-mates how much he meant what he had said.

The two players challenged for a 50-50 ball on a frost-covered pitch at Liverpool’s Melwood training ground, but Lucas fell heavily and clutched his shoulder in agony as manager Rafael Benitez and his medical team ran over to assist him.

Play was briefly halted as the Spanish manager helped Lucas walk to the treatment room.

Torres, 24, had been expected to be out of action for two weeks but has now been told by specialists that he will be out for at least four weeks.