Hicks Jnr walks alone in Anfield pub incident

The son of Liverpool's co-owner Tom Hicks insisted yesterday that his abrupt exit from the Anfield pub he visited after the side's match against Middlesbrough on Saturday would not deter him from engaging with fans again.

Tom Hicks Jnr's decision to step, besuited and surrounded by minders, into the Sandon pub on Anfield Road, where the club was founded, seemed reckless in the extreme and Hicks certainly made no attempt at maintaining a low profile when he arrived an hour after the match.

Stepping from a silver people carrier, he enjoyed a cigarette outside before pulling out a camera and taking pictures of the exterior of the pub. His attempts to talk to fans inside ended after he was showered with lager and spat at.

"I went to [the] Sandon with some friends because I have wanted to go for quite some time to see the birthplace of the club," Hicks said yesterday. "I also wanted the opportunity to have a direct talk with some of the supporters.

"I respect that some patrons have major disagreement with us, but that comes with the territory. I did have several constructive conversations in my short visit and look forward to following up with them next time I am in Liverpool."

Hicks avoided the crowded main bar and headed to the middle bar, where he had ordered a pint of lager for himself and soft drinks for his security guards before fans cottoned on to who he was. The suit – and the likeness he bears to his father – gave it away.

First, there were some questions from regulars about his father's intentions for the club and whether or not it was about to be sold to Dubai International Capital. But the approaches then became more indignant, and one of the anti-American protest songs which have become familiar in recent weeks was struck up. Insults had been flying at Hicks for several minutes before he found himself drenched by a pint.

Hicks has not made a complaint to Merseyside police and wants to play down the incident. Initial reports of £1,000 of damage to his vehicle seem unfounded. Afterwards, Hicks was taken back to the city centre Malmaison hotel, where he mixed with tourists and locals and had at least one prearranged meeting with a group of Liverpool supporters. On Sunday, he watched the Carling Cup final.

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