Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is determined to battle for control at Anfield after refusing to conform to chairman Martin Broughton's authority. Broughton, who was instated in April to oversee the sale of the club, revealed on Wednesday that Hicks tried to sack managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre and appoint his own people in an attempt to obstruct a £300million deal with New England Sports Venues (NESV), owners of the Boston Red Sox. The internal strife at the club continued as Broughton blocked that move, insisting Hicks signed agreements not to oppose the sale when they received an extension to their refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland earlier this year. If the NESV deal goes through, Hicks and co-owner George Gillett stand to lose a total of £144million. Hicks' New York-based spokesman, Mark Semer, said the Americans are disputing Broughton's claim. Semer told Bloomberg News: "There were no such undertakings given to Broughton, the board has been legally reconstituted, and the new board does not approve of this proposed transaction." After rejecting the attemped coup, which would have seen Hicks' son Mack and Lori McCuthcheon, of Hicks Holdings replace Purslow and Ayre, Broughton continued with the conference call board meeting even though Hicks had put the phone down. Broughton maintains he and the other two England-based members of the board have acted appropriately, but will have to wait for that to be confirmed, with the issue set to go to the High Court next week.
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