Source: Telegraph
Liverpool saga deepens with Rick Parry to leave club in summer
The move to unseat Parry came after Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks became disillusioned by the chief executive's performance. He will remain in post until the end of the season. [LNB]Parry, a former chief executive of the Premier League, has paid the price for siding with Hicks's partner, George Gillett, and failing to impress Hicks since the Americans bought the club in June 2007. [LNB]Parry's relationship with manager Rafael Benitez had also deteriorated to the point that the Spaniard was unwilling to sign a new contract if it meant having to allow the chief executive to be involved in transfers. [LNB]Hicks established what is effectively a shadow-executive, led by commercial director Ian Ayre and finance director Steve Nash, who operate out of a city centre office away from Anfield. [LNB]Ayre and Nash will be among the favourites to replace Parry.[LNB]Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks said: "Rick's commitment to Liverpool Football Club is epitomised by his desire to ensure that this transitional period is managed efficiently and we are grateful to him for his help. He will always remain a friend of the football club."[LNB]Fellow co-owner George Gillett added: "I would like to thank Rick for his significant service to the Club and the assistance he has given us since we joined Liverpool. He has been integral to the club's success over the past decade and leaves with our best wishes for the future."[LNB]Parry's removal marks a significant shift in the balance of power at Anfield, with Hicks now clearly the dominant force in a boardroom that has been divided for months. [LNB]The chief executive's departure ends an 11-year relationship with Liverpool that began in 1998 when he was hired by former chairman David Moores.[LNB]Parry said: "I have had 12 very exciting years at Liverpool and am extremely proud of what has been achieved by the club over that period. The victory in Madrid was a wonderful reminder of the many high points we have experienced and adds to the moments that make Liverpool and its magnificent fans so special. [LNB]"It has been a privilege to serve the club and as a lifelong supporter I wish the owners, Rafa, the players and the wonderful staff all the very best for the future. I will be leaving at the end of the season knowing that the Club remains strong and with a set of supporters who deserve success in all that Liverpool does." [LNB]Ironically it was Parry's search for new investors that culminated in Hicks and Gillett buying the club. Parry had initially brought Dubai Investment Capital to the table to buy the club from Moores, but when they prevaricated he facilitated the deal with Hicks and Gillett, receiving a £500,000 bonus when the deal was sealed. [LNB]His position became increasingly precarious in recent months as the breakdown in relations between Hicks and Gillett threatened stability at the club. [LNB]While Parry allied himself with Gillett, Hicks and Benitez established a strong relationship, to the chief executive's cost. Hicks is by far the more dynamic of the two owners and is actively looking for third-party investors to break the deadlock between him and Gillett, and Parry's position would have been untenable should that have occurred. [LNB]Parry considered leaving Anfield once already this season when he was sounded out about the chief executive's position at England's 2018 World Cup bid. [LNB]He turned that down, preferring to remain at Liverpool and fight his corner, but with Hicks and Benitez disdainful of his abilities he was on borrowed time. [LNB]A lifelong Liverpool fan Parry was born and raised on Merseyside, studying at the University of Liverpool before training as an accountant and moving into management consultancy in the 1980s. [LNB]He was a consultant on initial plans to found the Premier League in 1992 and was its first chief executive. Prior to that he was chief executive of the Manchester 1992 Olympic bid and a director of the 1996 bid. [LNB]
