Ian Ayre praises FSG for ‘saving’ Liverpool, with Asian expansion next on the agenda

Posted by

The Reds will look to step up the expansion of our global brand later this year. According to chief executive Ian Ayre, the club will be opening an office in Asia so that we can ‘get closer’ to commercial markets in the Far East.

SEE MORE:
Ranking five biggest aims for Liverpool’s season, as Jordan Henderson lays out his plans
Liverpool’s Academy XI next season, with three new signings completing impressive line-up
Ranking five other Liverpool target-men, as Christian Benteke rumours continue

We opened a London office last year and our owners are reportedly keen to continue expanding. Ayre has no qualms over the move, mainly due to the fact that FSG have already saved us from financial ‘freefall’ on one occasion.

The club was indeed in a dangerous position under the tumultuous reign Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who steered us to within touching distance of bankruptcy. John W. Henry took over in October 2o10 and life both on and off the pitch has been steadily improving ever since.

Brendan Rodgers has already guided the club to a second place finish in the Premier League and two domestic cup semi-finals, while the owners have pumped in several hundred million in player investment, something which Ayre has promised will continue over the coming years (via the Daily Mirror).

Speaking about our future plans, Ayre told the Mirror: “We opened the office in London last year to start the process of tapping into the key commercial growth markets, such as the US and Europe. The CEOs of the big organisations pass through London regularly on business, so it made sense to have a base there.

“The next step is to have a physical presence in Asia. We’ve had people working on the ground in Singapore for some years now and have engaged with our core partners, but we’re looking to expand that and get closer to our commercial market there.

“Our relationship with Garuda Indonesian Airlines, who are a big sponsor, is very important to us and they now fly into London. It’s not important to be first, it’s important to do it right. From my own experience of working in Asia I know that success will come down to having local people working in local offices, in local languages, doing business locally.

“We had a similar plan in place for our media business and now have 40 social media channels in 16 or 17 languages and 40 million regular followers. We now have a great team of people at Liverpool, who also brought with them skills from broad and largely non-football backgrounds. They are able to offer valuable different perspectives and fresh eyes.

“Through our owners, Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool has also benefited from a wealth of experience, best practice, people and resources from teams in other sports and sports media. We get together a couple of times a year with people from other parts of the Group to share our experience of what has worked in areas such as merchandising, ticketing, and buying and selling players, so it’s hugely beneficial to everyone.”