Thames Sports Investment

[westendgirl]

Too good to be true. After watching all that. Bizarre that SJM appears to hae actually found the perfect buyer. Quite bizarre really

That is my worry - if it looks too good to be true ......

[Cripple Creek]

For a number of reasons I was impressed that Brian and Anton were up from 8pm until 1am talking football and then began where they left off the following day.

[Platypuss]

Successful, but not successful enough to get promoted to the Prem? Tough criteria, Uke!

It's hard to think of any foreign owned clubs with "rich owners" doing well and surviving outside the Prem though

Care to name any?

The new Messiahs have to perform some long lasting miracles before I believe in them with the blind faith some people have on here based on a press conference of platitudes

Not off-hand, but then again I'm singing from the same song sheet as you here.

As alluded before, I hope Mr Mad isn't relaxing his longstanding personal "fit and proper person test" criteria in order to get the sale through due to outside financial pressure.

The most reassuring thing for me so far isn't anything to do with what Mr Mad or Samuelson has said, it's that telephone interview with Anton and the Russian journalist.

[The Surgeon of Crowthorne]

Another +1 for the rational sceptics clique

[Silver Fox]

Anybody else see the Mad man nearly sh!t a brick when he gave the exact figures for the takeover......can just hear it now "er....we don't give out exact numbers around here!"

He didn't have to say a thing at all. The fact he did is worrying.

I took it as clearing stuff up rather than just letting any "facts" in the public domain be just speculation from the DaiLOly MaiLOL (and latterly on here)

I can see that this could go wrong if they don't actually have the money and if the full deal doesn't go through and if in a couple of years Anton gets bored but as ever if my Auntie had bollocks...

I did like from the press conference where Samuelson was actually fairly circumspect about europe and did in fact LOL slightly when the champions league was mentioned

All in all this still looks great at face value and until someone gives me evidence otherwise I'm happy. Now can someone tell Dirk it was just an acorn that fell on his head

[Barry the bird boggler]

For a number of reasons I was impressed that Brian and Anton were up from 8pm until 1am talking football and then began where they left off the following day.

Oh to be a fly on the wall during those conversations....

[Vision]

For a number of reasons I was impressed that Brian and Anton were up from 8pm until 1am talking football and then began where they left off the following day.

Oh to be a fly on the wall during those conversations....

Probably Brian trying to convince Anton that Milan would be better if they humped the ball down the channel. "Milan would win Champions League with my Shane"

[robinsfriday]

Successful, but not successful enough to get promoted to the Prem? Tough criteria, Uke!

It's hard to think of any foreign owned clubs with "rich owners" doing well and surviving outside the Prem though

Care to name any?

The new Messiahs have to perform some long lasting miracles before I believe in them with the blind faith some people have on here based on a press conference of platitudes

Would you prefer a nice British owner.... Mike Ashley, Simon Jordan- hell, why not Simon Cowell?

Whilst I share everyones concern that the new owners are not about to shaft us, realistically there are few people in the UK who have the necessary funds. Consult the Times rich list and select one whom you would prefer!

SJM - or Mr Ego as the clever ones here have called him- is a very far from stupid man. Hands up who here could have achieved a tenth of what he has, given the same background and circumstances? Or any others come to that.

He is justifiably proud of his achievements. Is it ego that made him name the stadium after himself? If it is, so what? He is synonymous with Reading. Everyone has heard of Madejeski and Reading because of him. How many football club chairmen can say that? In all honesty how many club chairmen (especially lower league) can you name? Yet everyone knows Reading = Madejeski. Pundits have even learned how to pronounce it.

Do you really think that he wants that reputation ruined? I cannot conceive that he would be naive or stupid enough not to have fully investigated the background and intent of his new partners. So much so that he is staying around to continue to give his experience and guidance. Samuelson may be an expert financier and business man, Madejeski is also an expert and very successful football club chairman, and I couldn't be more delighted we are not going to lose him.

If you consider Madejeski the man, not the money machine, he is into his 70's and must be IHT planning. Would you prefer that he made a planned, staged, considered handover to a suitable, solvent successor. Imagine where we would be if he had a sudden heart attack and his shares were handed to.....

I trust SJM that he has done the seemingly impossible- found a perfect successor in his own mould. Someone with the vision to see what Reading could be, and that with sensible prudent and timely investment management, a very good return can be made, while the fans are in for exciting times.

#partyinglikeits1991

Very rare to see a sensible post on here. Absolutely spot on.

[Vision]

He is justifiably proud of his achievements. Is it ego that made him name the stadium after himself? If it is, so what? He is synonymous with Reading. Everyone has heard of Madejeski and Reading because of him. How many football club chairmen can say that? In all honesty how many club chairmen (especially lower league) can you name? Yet everyone knows Reading = Madejeski. Pundits have even learned how to pronounce it.

Though spelling it seems to be beyond a lot of people still.

[Royal Rother]

Yep, good post EIL. My sentiments exactly. (Which is why it's good of course...)

[The Rouge]

Great post EIL.
Kind Regards
The Rouge

[The Rouge]

The conference was pretty thorough for this stage and extremely encouraging.

I suppose the remaining questions I have are:

- Around understanding the number of different investors putting up the £25m. The conference only talks about Zingarevich's investment whereas the translated Russian interview AZ gave mentioned 'his investors' (e.g. his investors would have made a good decision if Zenit played Reading). How many are there?

- They are under no obligation (I assume) to buy out the rest of the club but the talk of 'stage 1' suggests that they will buy a further chunk in the future? If so, is there any timescale in place etc.. ?

[Yorkshire Royal]

Just seen the conference." they'll be no change at reading, the only change will be that there ismoney coming in to support it"

In my wildest fishing dreams I never thought this possible.

Someone pinch me.

It's too bizarre....

[79Royal]

The new group is not like SJM - they are a faceless consortium (TSI) which can go broke just like any other limited Company - we only know two people who work for this "group".

By the same token though, having a group in charge spreads the load a bit. If one of the group is forced to sell for some reason (outside pressures or whatever), then the others can pick up the slack until another investor is found.

A different view of the same problem I grant you...

[Royal Lady]

We have six days left in which to buy/loan new players. So, I hope the money is already in place for Brian and he's not waiting on it.

I'm going to remain cautious at this point - as it could still go tits up.

Though, I did tell the little boy next to me at Saturday's game that we *could* be like Real Madrid within 10 years!

[Silver Fox]

We have six days left in which to buy/loan new players. So, I hope the money is already in place for Brian and he's not waiting on it.

Isn't that what has actually been said to be the case? In fact this seems to be one of the more concrete things mentioned so far

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

I don't disagree with you though, this could well be good for the club

Rich benefactors (whatever nationality) don't seem to work these days. In fact SJM is perhaps one of the few that did

The new group is not like SJM - they are a faceless consortium (TSI) which can go broke just like any other limited Company - we only know two people who work for this "group".

It is better he sold now and managed the transition, but as Baines also pointed out about 50 pages back, he may have been under pressure to sell from his interests outside the club.

I'm just more concerned about the greeting of the new Messiah. I'm happy to welcome him, but won't hail him as such yet.

He may just be a very naughty boy, given the track records of other Messiahs

TSI may be a "faceless consortium" to us, but I am guessing they are not to SJM.
It was suggested early that a DM scoop prompted the outing of this deal ahead of their intended release date- that is plausable. It is unlike SJM to conduct business in public, however it is great to know of the HoA. It also apparently has convinced JK to commit- and who knows who else it might be being dangled in front of....
For those unaware of the term, it is a statement of agreement of the deal they want. It will contain details of funds, responsibilities, expectations- and evidence based. I cannot imagine SJM signing on a promise that funds will appear.
He will also be around (as will everyone else) to oversee what happens. He is not known for taking excessive risks, and I can see no way he would be talking to people who think it a good idea to mortgage/sell the ground to have a pop at CL football. Nor can I see Nicky Hammond suddenly spending £5m on an unknown son of a arms dealer, who never seems to make the bench.

For the record, many on here seem to confuse "Due Diligence" with some sort of "fit and proper" test. It isn't. Due Diligence is a task undertaken by lawyers and accountants that is essentially going through all the books and contracts and ensuring that things are as they have been presented.
SJM will have valued the club based on the assets and liabilities- an army of pen pushers will be checking that these are accurate, making sure they are aware of add-on clauses, on-going payments due on previous transfers....that the photocopiers are owned and not leased. Both sides will be making sure that there are no nasty surprises.

Bloomin' 'eck, EIL, what did you have for breakfast. Two top posts. FTR, I'm cautiously optimistic and wildly excited.

[exileinleeds]

I don't often post on the Team Board. When it comes to football I am more enthusiastic than expert, and I prefer to say nothing and be thought ignorant/foolish, than post and prove it.

Others might try the same.

[Bandini]

- Anton will be at next Reading game he can get to, i.e. when he gets his visa

Not bothered about Anton.

When is his Mrs going to turn up?

[Royal Rother]

I don't often post on the Team Board. When it comes to football I am more enthusiastic than expert, and I prefer to say nothing and be thought ignorant/foolish, than post and prove it.

Others might try the same.

The Team Board would close down if everyone followed that advce.