“The socialism I believe in isn’t really politics. It is a way of living. It is humanity. I believe the only way to live and to be truly successful is by collective effort, with everyone working for each other, everyone helping each other, and everyone having a share of the rewards at the end of the day. That might be asking a lot, but it’s the way I see football and the way I see life.” – Bill Shankly
Over the course of my love affair with Liverpool Football Club it would be fair to say that the relationship with its working class background has been tested, particularly during the Premier League era, where many a club has become a plaything for rich businessmen or sovereign wealth funds.
As with most things to do with Elon Musk this entire thing is a non-story blown out of all proportions until it becomes a story. In an interview on Times Radio, Kait Borsay asked Errol Musk the question, “Does your son want to buy Liverpool Football Club?”. Errol laughed back “I can’t comment on that, they’ll raise the price.”
Kait then pushes further and asks him if his son has expressed a desire to buy the club, to which Errol responds “Yes, oh yes, but that doesn’t mean he’s buying it. He would like to, yes. Obviously. Anyone would want to. So would I.” He then continues detailing his family’s links to Liverpool, his mother had lived in Mossley Hill but moved to South Africa before the end of the war, and that his family knew “quite a few of The Beatles”.
United fanbase
Interestingly this isn’t the first time Musk has been linked to buying a Premier League club, in 2022 he tweeted a claim that he was going to purchase rivals Manchester United, reportedly his favourite team growing up.
It’s rare that any fanbase is 100% united on any matter, but across the web forums and social media groups I have yet to see a single positive response to the idea that Elon Musk taking over Liverpool FC would be welcomed. In an age where any thought expressed via social media can be amplified within traditional media this should be quite instructive.
“We’d lose our soul if this egotistical billionaire takes over….”
“He’s a narcissist, ego driven, power hungry, racist idiot. Goes against everything this club stands for and was built on.”
“I’d rather get relegated than have him own the club.“
“I’d switch to Everton…”
Not for sale
Thankfully it appears that FSG are not interested in selling the club, even if Musk’s interests were something more than rumour.
FSG, Liverpool Football Club’s current owners, have managed a couple of controversies since purchasing the club in 2010, but few can argue that they haven’t steadied the ship following the disastrous Gillett/Hicks years. From a purely business perspective FSG have focused on growth, compliance with PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules), and are now seen as a financially well managed club. A long way from the days of Gillett and Hicks putting the club £350 million in debt due to their leveraged takeover along with losses of £55 million. Fans might be crying out for new players, but it’s hard to argue that FSG haven’t had success in their approach.
It should be noted that the power of the people, the solidarity of the fans, can override capitalist tenancies amongst club ownership. Following the pushback against the setting up of the European Super League, John W. Henry apologised to fans, the players, and manager Klopp for “the disruption”.
Walk on
Does anyone for a moment think that Musk has it in him to admit that he is wrong, or to change direction on something he sees as in his interest based on public perception?
Musk follows the playbook of Silicon Valley, the way of the disruptor. Following his takeover of Twitter he sacked around 80% of the staff. Since taking over Tesla, he has overseen fraud allegations, claims of workers right violations, deceptive marketing and union busting.
Money undoubtedly talks in football, fans will happily urge their club to spend ridiculous sums on new players, cheering on players who earn more in a week than they do in a year, but even though we are now 60 years on from the abolition of the £20 per week maximum wage for players the same values remain. Fans love those who work hard for the team, there’s a reason for the weekly mantra from your goalscorer that it’s about the three points, and the win for the team, not their personal glory. Everyone working for each other, everyone helping each other, and everyone having a share of the rewards at the end of the day.
Elon Musk is the antithesis of this. All of the businesses that he has taken over ultimately become about him and his personality. He comes accross erratic, inconsistent, and divisive. Where clubs need stability he would bring chaos, ego-led tantrums, personal control over matters he has no understanding of. Everything in Elon Musk’s world revolves around Elon Musk. The problem with vulture capitalism is eventually you run out of corpses.
There is neither alignment with the values of the club nor the city. Hopefully the media hype over this non-story will go the way of most of Musk’s claims over the years.
