On this day in 2010, FSG’s ownership of Liverpool began with a dismal 2-0 loss at Everton, which sparked rumors of relegation.
On October 17, 2010, co-owners of Liverpool Football Club John W. Henry and Tom Werner arrive at Goodison Park for the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool.
John W Henry intended to wait 13 years after completing his £300 million purchase before attending his first game as the new primary owner of Liverpool FC.
After wresting the club from the hated Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Henry initially intended to enjoy his first taste of Premier League football at Anfield. However, after successfully completing a dramatic takeover in the High Court of London on October 15, 2010, the then-New England Sports Ventures chief simply couldn’t wait.
Henry and the rest of NESV made a last-minute alteration to their schedules so they could play in the 214th Merseyside derby versus Everton as their first game in English football after arriving on Merseyside the following day to meet the staff, players, and manager Roy Hodgson at Anfield.
One call from the home end occurred as Henry, NESV senior vice president Joe Januszewski, and the rest of the group left Goodison Park after witnessing Liverpool easily defeat their fierce local rivals 2-0. The Boston-based company could have been excused for quietly questioning what on earth they had inherited. Henry received a snide remark from an Everton supporter who said that he “had bought the wrong club” in his face.
