Football: Liverpool Way of revolution; TONY BARRETT describes how club tradition was maintained on American Takeover Tuesday.

THEY may not speakthe language of football. They may even have used the kind of terminology that would have left the average Kopite grasping for the nearest economics handbook.

But despite the language difficulties, George Gillett jnr and Tom Hicks said all the right things as they ushered in an era of change at Anfield.

Alongside the Americanisms such as "the Liverpool Reds" and the business-speak -revenue streams and franchise the most regularly used - they spoke of Liverpool being the most important club in the most important sport in the world, and, of course, their desire to win trophies.

If it wasn't for the distinctive Texan twang - Rafa Benitez may have to get used to being called Roffa - Tom Hicks's verdict on his vision for Liverpool could just have easily have been uttered by David Moores.

He and fellow tycoon Gillett delivered the kind of sermon Anfield regulars of a certain vintage will be well used to. It was as if Moores had spent recent days lecturing them on Liverpool chairman-speak, a language passed on from club founder John Houlding to TV Williams, John Smith and the Littlewoods heir himself.

Anfield has changed a lot since Moores became chairman in 1991, and it was significant that, on the day when the club had its own American revolution, the announcement was made in the one part of the ground which has altered least during his stewardship.

The Main Stand is a throwback to Anfield days gone by, witnessing most of the club's glory years at home and abroad.

Surrounded by the seated Kop, Centenary Stand and renovated Anfield Road end, it provides a link with the past and a sense of history which permeates even football's ceaseless evolution.

It was as if the club was saying there may well be change at the top but Liverpool FC remains the same traditional club and retains the same family values which have served it so well over the years.

There was no fanfare, fireworks or razzmatazz. This was the Liverpool Way of doing things. Everything was low k key with no grand gestures, k outlandish promises or anything but a united front.

Takeover Tuesday, as it will inevitably be known in the US of A, was arguably the most significant day in Liverpool's recent history.

But, initially at least, it did not have the feel of such an important occasion. Rafa Benitez summed up the low key tone by turning up for a morning meeting with his new bosses dressed in jeans and leather jacket.

There were no fans congregating at the Shankly Gates eagerly awaiting news and certainly no protests.

The only sign something big was happening was the number of journalists from home and abroad hoping to hear that Liverpool's three-year search for new ownership had come to an end.

Word filtered out of Anfield around midday that, despite a computer glitch which had held up proceedings, the deal had been done.

There was no puff of white smoke or signs of celebration. Inside the ground, the first the protagonists knew of the progress was when a smartly dressed American informed them they could "push the go button".

The doors of the players' entrance were flung open to allow Her Majesty's Press to meet the new rulers of Anfield.

Hicks and Gillett certainly made the right impression as their good manners, business acumen, recently acguired knowledge of the club and sprinkling of humour made their first meeting with the press as straightforward as could be hoped for.

There were still a couple of clangers though. Gillett lapsed into the language of the hockey rink when he spoke of "goal tenders" and "defence men".

A little laughter broke out but what he was trying to get over had not been lost in translation.

The language barrier had been overcome.

CAPTION(S):

NEW JOINT BOSS: Tom Hicks; HISTORIC: George Gillett walks past a montage of famous Anfield faces and events past and present, including manager Rafa Benitez and the 2005 European Cup, the biggest recent triumph