The U.K.’s High Court ruled Thursday in favor of those trying to sell Liverpool to New England Sports Ventures, owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Liverpool’s current American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, were strongly condemned for taking legal action in the U.S. to try and block the sale of the debt-ridden English Premier League club.
The decision means Liverpool’s board of directors is free to sell the Reds to NESV for $480 million (£300m).
The club’s directors and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) went to London’s High Court for the second time in two days to overturn a temporary restraining order obtained by Hicks and Gillett in a Texas court Wednesday.
That order was nullified, with Judge Christopher Floyd describing the Americans’ conduct as “unconscionable.”
The judge gave the pair until 4pm Friday (local time) to comply with his orders, which he said were not aimed at the Texas court, but at Hicks and Gillett to stop them taking further action there.
His decision means a deal to sell the club is now likely to be completed. Liverpool owes the RBS $446 million (£280 million) but NESV has promised to wipe out is debts.
A statement issued by the club in the wake of Thursday’s ruling read: “The Independent Directors of Liverpool Football Club are delighted with the verdict of Mr. Justice Floyd in the High Court this afternoon which now requires Mr. Hicks and Mr. Gillett to withdraw their Texas Restraining Order by 4pm tomorrow.
“We are glad to have taken another important step towards completing the sale process.”
Liverpool has won the top division of English football on 18 occasions, a record it shares with its fierce northwestern rival Manchester United. It has also been crowned European club champion on five occasions, making it one of the most successful teams in soccer history.
