George Gillett, the former co-owner of Liverpool FC, has died at the age of 87. The club confirmed his passing on Tuesday, stating he had been battling Alzheimer's disease.

Gillett, born in Wisconsin in 1938, took control of Liverpool alongside fellow American Tom Hicks in March 2007. Their £174 million buyout of the Moores family's shares began a three-and-a-half year tenure defined by fan protests and boardroom conflict. Manager Rafael Benitez publicly clashed with the owners over transfer policy, while a promised new stadium at Stanley Park, which Gillett vowed would see 'a shovel in the ground' within 60 days, never materialised.

A controversial legacy

Their ownership ended in October 2010 after a bitter legal fight. Gillett and Hicks attempted to block the club's sale to New England Sports Ventures, the company that became Fenway Sports Group, by obtaining a US court order. A High Court judgement later overruled it, allowing the £300 million sale to proceed, a price the outgoing owners believed was far below the club's true value. The period remains a stark contrast to the stability Liverpool now enjoys, with the current squad sitting sixth in the Premier League standings with nine points from five games. The team has scored 13 goals, averaging 2.6 per game, and conceded 8, with an average of 1.6 per game. Their next challenge is a Premier League fixture against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, September 27th.

Tributes from beyond football

Gillett's sporting interests extended far beyond Anfield. He was the owner of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens from 2001 to 2009 and held stakes in the Miami Dolphins and the Harlem Globetrotters. Geoff Molson, the current owner of the Canadiens, led the tributes. "On behalf of the entire Canadiens organization, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to George’s family," Molson said. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman added that Gillett's "passion for the Montreal Canadiens and commitment to the city of Montreal were demonstrated throughout his tenure." His business ventures also included meatpacking, ski resorts, and television stations, building a diverse portfolio long before his foray into English football.

His passing follows that of his former business partner Tom Hicks, who died in December 2025. Liverpool FC's statement expressed the club's condolences to the Gillett family and his friends. The news arrives as the modern Liverpool squad, under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group, prepares for its next challenge in the fixtures list, having won four of its last five matches. The club's current form is a world away from the turmoil of the Gillett and Hicks era, which is now a chapter in the club's long history.

First reported at Daily Mirror Football