Soccer: Film maker may bid for Liverpool

LONDON - American-based film producer Mike Jefferies has confirmed that he may make a takeover bid for Liverpool football club.

L4 Group, a consortium led by Jefferies and lawyer Stuart Ford, said it had approached Hawkpoint, financial advisers to Liverpool, over a possible investment in or offer for the club.

"These discussions are at an early stage and may or may not lead to an offer being made for Liverpool FC," L4 Group said in a statement.

Jefferies, originally from Liverpool, has been working on a soccer film, Goal!, which is due to be released next year. This had prompted accusations that a bid was just a publicity stunt to promote the movie.

But Jefferies, chairman of Milkshake Films, told the Daily Mirror on Saturday that his group was proposing a deal which could lead to as much as 100 million pounds being invested in the soccer club.

"Liverpool have a good manager but they are falling behind," Jefferies was quoted as saying.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have taken a march on Liverpool in recent years and Jefferies thinks new manager Rafael Benitez needs extra funds to bridge the gap while finance is also required to build a new stadium.

Jefferies' bid to invest in Liverpool is the third this year after businessman Steve Morgan's 70-million-pound offer was turned down and a bid from the Thai government, which was later taken on by Thai media tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham, stalled.

- REUTERS