View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
June 11, 2009

Liverpool boss Rick Parry sues Daily Mirror for libel

By Sarah Limbrick

Liverpool football club chief executive Rick Parry has begun libel proceedings against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.

Parry is seeking libel damages of £100,000 for a story published in March headed: “Kop at War: Why Chief Executive went: Buy Buy Parry.”

He claimed the story, illustrated by a photograph of him looking forlorn and another of manager Rafa Benitez, was defamatory and damaged his reputation.

Parry said he suffered substantial distress, hurt and embarrassment as a result of the story, and an identical story on the paper’s website headed: “The Real Reason Why Liverpool Sacked Rick Parry (And it has nothing to do with Rafa).”

According to the high court writ, the story claimed he had spent a month conducting surreptitious negotiations with a mystery Arab group to buy out Liverpool’s current owners.

Parry said the story also claimed he had acted disloyally and in breach of duty of good faith to his employers, and that as a result he had no option but to quit his role at the club, despite having been chief executive for 12 years.

He claimed in his writ that the paper failed to check the allegations with him first or to give him a chance to respond, and if it had done so, would have discovered that the allegations were completely untrue.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

He has accused the Mirror of choosing to publish its claims in a highly sensational manner, promoting its story as an exclusive, falsely claiming to reveal the real reason why he was leaving the club.

Parry said that although his solicitors had written to complain, the Mirror had failed to apologise or mitigate the damage caused to him.

He said he feared that unless the high court grants an injunction against the paper, it may repeat its allegations, and he is seeking damages and an injunction preventing repetition of the claims.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network