Liverpool fans have been urged to be patient as the sale of the team hangs in balance. Angry fans have been contacting the Royal Bank of Scotland since March this year to restrict the club's credit facilities as the club owes RBS and Wachovia £237 million. Americans George Gillett and Tom Hicks had put the club up for sale in April and brought in former British Airways chairman Martin Broughton to oversee the process. Broughton had said in an interview at the time that he was hopeful a sale could be completed before the start of the new Premier League season in August.

But in an emailed response to fans, RBS's head of public affairs Roger Lowry said: "This process needs to be allowed sufficient time to maximise the chances of the club being sold to ownership capable of realising its long-term potential.

We are confident that the chairman and the board will be mindful of the need to avoid any unnecessary delay in the concluding a sale, as it's in no one's interest to risk deterioration in the performance of the club prior to it being sold.

"I appreciate that the club's finances have been a source of frustration for many supporters but it is in the interest of the fans, the club and the bank that we continue to support it through this process to ensure its longevity for all concerned."