Thames Sports Investment

[exileinleeds]

Saw it, and thought SJM doesn't like talking about business in public. Hardly a change in behaviour. I strongly suspect we only know about this because the press got hold of the story and releasing the information was preferable to having press speculation potentially upsetting the team.

We were told to expect a conclusion in March. My immediate thought was "end of the tax year." There are all sorts of implications and impacts of this sort of deal, many of which we cannot begin to comprehend. There is all sorts of work that has to be done to extract the hotel from the RFC company- it is much much simpler to do that at the begining of a financial year.
One thing I am pretty sure of, you dont plan a multi-million pound investment with the intention of creating conflict in the boardroom with your partner- especially if your partner is chairman.
SJM is an astute and successful businessman, RFC is a very public face of his success, his legacy. It has taken him a long time to find what he has been looking for, and nothing in his demeanour gives me the slightest pause.

The deal is not yet finalised.

The league is not yet won.

[winchester_royal]

Madjeski hardly looked worried when he walked onto the pitch to deliver the match ball.

As has already been said, it's probably more to do with interviewee fatigue.

[RoyalBlue]

I would have thought that it was fairly obvious why SJM was pissed off. As a businessman he has undoubtably realised that he has probably sold too early. He could have got a lot more for a prem club...........

If he has 'realised' that then he is either incredibly arrogant or dumb. There would have been no prospect whatsoever of us being a Premier League club but for Anton's backing in December/January. We wouldn't have signed either Roberts or Connolly, Kebe would have gone along with, I suspect, at least one other of our best players. McDermott would have had enough of the cloth cutting and would now be manager of Wolves.

[Royalee]

Honestly, I do not care if the deal falls through.
If we go up and JM is still the owner - then that is even better. We know what JM stands for and he wants only the best for the club. He is not a risk-taker, he won't gamle the clubs future on stupid wages, and he is patient with managers- he only sacks them when it is absolutely necessary.

So for me it is win/win, if we go up and the deal fails, fine, I'm happy with that.

How is it better? We have less money to spend and will come back down if the deal falls through.

[jonboy29red]

im not worried about the length its taking to do this deal, for all we know the deal could of been completed our end but in the wake of the pompey situation the league could be taking longer then normal

[Friday's Legacy]

Honestly, I do not care if the deal falls through.
If we go up and JM is still the owner - then that is even better.

how exactly? we would barely spend anything and be relegated in record time with this squad. then we would have summer after summer of player sales to keep the club afloat, while we desperately hope to avoid relegation down to league one.

"that is even better" - no it isn't.

if this club wants to realise its dream of being a regular fixture in the top flight then the tsi deal must go through. it will not happen under john madejski's stewardship!

[royalp-we]

Why wouldn't SJM be cautious in his sale? He's selling a huge part of his worth and brand, he's got every right to say 'its not done, till it's done'

For me, like the news of BMc & Gibbo signing new deals, the later they leave it to make an announcement, the better. Might give the players and management that reassuring boost to get over the finish line.

I would oxf*rd love to see SJM, AZ & BMc sharing round and lifting that championship trophy for us next month.

But even if AZ's takeover doesn't go through, we could always sell kebe to cover the black hole; be calm people the mad man will have a Plan B

[PieEater]

I think the thought of losing something he's built over the past 20 years has sunk home.

He's no longer excited about passing it on the AZ, more resigned to giving away something he loves.

[Friday's Legacy]

I think the thought of losing something he's built over the past 20 years has sunk home.

He's no longer excited about passing it on the AZ, more resigned to giving away something he loves.

agreed, and from the very first statement he made on pg1 he has always aired on the side of caution.

"I am pleased to announce that I have today entered into an initial agreement with Thames Sports Investment that may lead to an investment in Reading Football Club."

the biggest problem with this from a fans perspective is that we all found out far too early, and once the dust settles and we all calm down, suddenly we feel we are waiting forever for the deal to go through. tsi said march, and there's 20 days of that left, and it may very well be april. no news is good news.

anton was the match yesterday, so that for me means all is well and the ratification will come all in good time.

ralax, enjoy the sunshine. we could go level top tuesday night.

[Uke]

Honestly, I do not care if the deal falls through.
If we go up and JM is still the owner - then that is even better. We know what JM stands for and he wants only the best for the club. He is not a risk-taker, he won't gamle the clubs future on stupid wages, and he is patient with managers- he only sacks them when it is absolutely necessary.

So for me it is win/win, if we go up and the deal fails, fine, I'm happy with that.

How is it better? We have less money to spend and will come back down if the deal falls through.

I'd rather RFC is a financially sound yo-yo club than a Pompey, WHU, Leeds, Leicester, Bolton, etc.

There are a lot of people who's employment depends on RFC; they are ultimately more important than the silverware

The deal is TSI's to lose, it's not like they've failed to take over a club before is it?

Until the paper's signed, nothing's happened

[Pseud O'Nym]

So, if they "loaned" us the money and are charging 1% interest they are not really the great benefactors that a lot of people on here seem to think they are. Most people seemed of the conclusion that they had GIVEN us the money didn't they? Certainly many trotted out the "they have given us the money to buy players, they wouldn't do that if they weren't series" line.

I am going to remain very cautious about this until it's a done deal.

I think the clue is in the I of TSI.

[cmonurz]

I don't think a nominal interest rate representing a loan of money prior to a deal being signed, that interest only payable if it goes tits up, is particularly surprising or unreasonable.

[PistolPete]

I think the thought of losing something he's built over the past 20 years has sunk home.

He's no longer excited about passing it on the AZ, more resigned to giving away something he loves.

+1

[Cypry]

So, if they "loaned" us the money and are charging 1% interest they are not really the great benefactors that a lot of people on here seem to think they are. Most people seemed of the conclusion that they had GIVEN us the money didn't they? Certainly many trotted out the "they have given us the money to buy players, they wouldn't do that if they weren't series" line.

I am going to remain very cautious about this until it's a done deal.

LOL - I've never seen anywhere that we've been "given" any money - the standard line has been "funds have been made available".
Never expected anything other than that - TSI ain't gonna bung us some cash in advance of the deal being done in any form other than a loan, and unless I'm much mistaken they've made the loan on the same preferential (and ridiculously low) interest rate as SJM makes his chairmans loans to the club (1% above base - try getting a loan for 1.5% from a high street bank, I'll wish you luck on that one....).

Never ceases to amaze me how some people can read a negative into everything....

[Friday's Legacy]

Honestly, I do not care if the deal falls through.
If we go up and JM is still the owner - then that is even better.

how exactly? we would barely spend anything and be relegated in record time with this squad. then we would have summer after summer of player sales to keep the club afloat, while we desperately hope to avoid relegation down to league one.

"that is even better" - no it isn't.

if this club wants to realise its dream of being a regular fixture in the top flight then the tsi deal must go through. it will not happen under john madejski's stewardship!

I don't buy into your predictions of doom and gloom!

right. i must have imagined that we are financially in the brown stuff without tsi's investment, and have to sell our best players every summer to raise the ongoing £4-6m shortfall.

As for this side staying in the premiership next season on a budget provided by john madejski only - i think you're bonkers.

[John Peel]

With Madejski's money we might stay up for a season, maybe two. With new backers we'd have every chance of becoming an established Premiership club (mid-to-low-table).

With only Madejski backing us you'd also have to factor in the fact that since we were in the Premiership last we've seen his finances mullered by the worst economic downturn since WWII.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Reading this article still makes me slightly nervous..

CSI as opposed to TSI

Antonov as opposed to Anton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17365351

I really hope the the owners are fit for purpose & due diligence is thorough. Everything seems so rosy at the moment I am waiting for something bad to happen.

[Dare to Dr£am]

Reading this article still makes me slightly nervous..

CSI as opposed to TSI

Antonov as opposed to Anton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17365351

I really hope the the owners are fit for purpose & due diligence is thorough. Everything seems so rosy at the moment I am waiting for something bad to happen.

The Due Diligence process isn't worth a scrote! Zingarevich will fly through it without any problems. I'm sure something would have been leaked had there already been a problem with Stage 1, and that was submitted over 2 weeks ago now.

We just have to hope and pray AZ and TSI are the real deal and do have our best interests at heart, but sadly that is rarely the case in football.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Agreed - watching the Rangers story unfold I just hope & pray it doesn't happen to us.

[Tinrib]

Reading this article still makes me slightly nervous..

CSI as opposed to TSI

Antonov as opposed to Anton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17365351

I really hope the the owners are fit for purpose & due diligence is thorough. Everything seems so rosy at the moment I am waiting for something bad to happen.

The Due Diligence process isn't worth a scrote! Zingarevich will fly through it without any problems. I'm sure something would have been leaked had there already been a problem with Stage 1, and that was submitted over 2 weeks ago now.

We just have to hope and pray AZ and TSI are the real deal and do have our best interests at heart, but sadly that is rarely the case in football.

Don't you think that JM would've already satisfied himself that all's Kosha about TSI, and the men behind it....