April 23, 1979
A mastermind of finance
Liverpool director Eric Sawyer, who died over the weekend, was the man whose financial expertise played a vital part in the club’s emergence from its Second Division days in the early sixties to its per-eminence to-day as one of the greatest clubs in the world.
Since he joined the Board nearly 20 years ago, Mr. Sawyer headed the finance committee. His report to the shareholders on the club’s cash position became an eagerly awaited annual event as he detailed the growth of the club into a multi-million pounds business.
Club chairman John Smith pays him the following tribute: “He was a financial genius whose contribution to the club helped us to our leading position in the world today.
“His death is the greatest loss to he club since the death of Thomas Valentine Williams (T.V. Williams), our late chairman and subsequently president. He and T.V. between them off field created the great club of the mid-sixties.
“He ran the financial side; he made sure that the money was there to buy players and he masterminded the fund-raising needed to re-build Anfield into a modern stadium it is today. He showed tremendous leadership and foresight and played a great part off the field in our development.
“He will be greatly missed by all at Anfield and particularly by me.”
(Source: Liverpool Echo: April 23, 1979; via http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) © 2018 Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited
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