Liverpool owners insist 'our work isn’t done' on 15-year anniversary of takeover

Fenway Sports Group admitted that off the field, "there have been times we’ve got things wrong".

Liverpool owner John W Henry. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group insist they have learned from their mistakes running the club as they celebrate 15 years at Anfield.

Principal owner John W Henry, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner and FSG president Mike Gordon also thanked fans “for telling us when we’ve fallen short”.

Under the Americans’ ownership the club won the league for the first time in 30 years, adding another title last season, and added a sixth Champions League to their tally – and they have pledged “our work isn’t done”.

It has not all been plain sailing, with significant mis-steps including an ill-advised involvement in the European Super League, which prompted an apology and u-turn from Henry within 48 hours such was the backlash, hiking ticket prices to £77 and furloughing staff during Covid – also both overturned after outcry from fans.

“Off the field, there have been times we’ve got things wrong,” the management trio said in a joint statement.

“We know that and we have learned from it. All our decisions are made with the best, long-term interests of the club at the centre of our thinking.” 

Addressing the fans, they said: “Thank you for welcoming us, for believing in this team through every high and low, for telling us when we’ve fallen short and for showing the world what it truly means to be part of Liverpool Football Club.

“Today is a day to look back with gratitude. But it’s also a reminder that our work isn’t done. There’s still so much more ahead of us — more to achieve, more to win, and more memories to make, together.” 

Under FSG there has been considerable investment in infrastructure, with two new stands built at Anfield at a cost of more than £220million and a new £50m training ground constructed.

But what has mattered most is the success they have enjoyed on the pitch, with the women’s team also winning back-to-back league titles early in FSG’s reign.

“When we first became involved with Liverpool, we knew we were joining something extraordinary and we hoped we could restore such an incredibly storied institution to standards it had previously set — but we could never have imagined exactly how the next 15 years would unfold,” added the statement.

“From the outset, our primary aims were simple: to bring success back to Anfield and to ensure the long-term health and stability of this great club.

“We understood the responsibility that came with being its custodians, and we’ve tried to honour that every single day.

“We also understood the scale of the challenge but recognised the potential that could be realised if everyone pulled in the same direction.

“Looking back now, it’s not only been quite a journey; it’s also been an incredible adventure that we, as owners, have been privileged to be a part of.”