Source: Daily_Mail
John W Henry brands Tom Hicks and George Gillett desperate as Liverpool verdict nears
Boston Red Sox owner John W Henry has vowed pledged to fight Tom Hicks 'last desperate attempt' to hang on to Liverpool.[LNB]Henry said his New England Sports Ventures (NESV) company has a binding agreement to buy Liverpool.[LNB]His statement comes with Hicks looking likely to try to enlist Mill Financial - who already own George Gillett's 50 per cent of the club - to pay the £280million debt to the Royal Bank of Scotland by today's deadline and thwart the takeover by NESV.[LNB] Waiting game: Prospective Anfield owner John W Henry leaves the offices of a law firm in London on Thursday night as Liverpool's ownership battle rumbles on[LNB]NESV believe any such attempt by Hicks would have to be ratified by the Liverpool board and they would be prepared to return to the High Court to have their binding agreement upheld.[LNB]Henry said on his Twitter account this morning: 'We have a binding contract. Will fight Mill Hicks Gillett attempt to keep club today. Their last desperate attempt to entrench their regime.'[LNB]Time is running out for Hicks with a restraining order on the NESV takeover only in place until lunchtime today.[LNB]NESV are ready to send the money for their £300m takeover as soon as the restraining order by a Texas court is lifted - Judge Jim Jordan is due to return to the Dallas court at 1pm (BST) today. [LNB] 'Desperate': Tom Hicks and George Gillett are awaiting news from a court in Texas in their efforts to stall Henry's buy-out[LNB]In London yesterday a High Court judge imposed a 4pm deadline for the removal of a temporary restraining order by the Texas court.[LNB]Today is also the nominal date for Royal Bank of Scotland to be repaid a sum of £240m in loans plus a further £40m in fees. After today RBS could, if they wanted, put Kop Holdings into administration leaving Liverpool in danger of a nine-point penalty.[LNB]NESV believe they have the law on their side - their lawyers won a second successive significant victory yesterday when Mr Justice Floyd granted anti-suit injunctions to nullify decisions taken in the court in Dallas late on Wednesday.[LNB]The judge said his mandatory orders were not aimed at the Texas court but Hicks and Gillett to stop them taking further action there.[LNB]He was scathing in his remarks about the American co-owners' conduct, which he described as 'unconscionable'.[LNB] Victory for now: Lord Grabiner QC (left) won an injunction for RBS[LNB]Mill Financial, a hedge fund, now represent the only possible hurdle to NESV.[LNB]Liverpool's independent chairman Martin Broughton, who brokered the NESV deal, was positive as he left the offices of their legal team Slaughter and May last night.[LNB]'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.[LNB]'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.'[LNB] Dead and buried: High Court judge crushes Hicks and Gillett to clear way for Liverpool takeoverRoyal rumble: Froch promises to topple 'King' Arthur Liverpool takeover: What happens next? The three scenariosLIVERPOOL FC
