体坛英语新闻：Liverpool co-owner Gillett reveals death threats

BEIJING, March 29 -- Liverpool co-owner George Gillett Jr. says he is being forced out of the club by death threats and that his partnership with Tom Hicks is "unworkable."

    Gillett has been trying to offload his 50 percent stake in Liverpool to a Dubai consortium, but Hicks has been vetoing a sale.

    "This partnership (with Hicks) has been unworkable for some time," Gillett told Canada's Prime Time Radio. "We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out.

    "We didn't put pressure on him, but he ultimately did not get to the finishing line."

    The duo's relationship has broken down since they bought Liverpool for 218.9 million pounds (then US$431 million) in March 2007.

    Gillett is concerned about the extent of Liverpool fans' opposition.

    "(Hicks) threatened to block me selling to Dubai - that was certainly one of the things that made the fans upset," Gillett said. "What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better, and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that."

    Gillett said he has received chilling death threats.

    "We get as many as 2,000 e-mails a week," he said. "Ninety-five percent of them have been directed at some of the comments made by my partner. The fans don't want him (Hicks) to have even one share of my stake in the club, based on what they are sending to me.

    "As a result of that, we have received many phone calls in the middle of the night threatening our lives, death threats. A number came to the office and my son, Foster, and daughter-in-law, Lauren, have received them."

    Gillett is determined to sell to Dubai International Capital. "Lord knows DIC have the means, with the oil prices going up every day, that money was not even an issue. I think they would have been very responsible owners. But making that not possible or difficult didn't endear (Hicks) to the fans."

    Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano admitted to a FA charge of improper conduct over the red card he received at Manchester United. The Argentine is suspended for tomorrow's clash against Everton but could now to be banned for another two matches against Arsenal and Blackburn.