Thames Sports Investment

[FiNeRaIn]

If you don't want to compete at the top of the pyramid in any walk of life, you are simply taking up space.

Every team outside the prem in the country wants to be in it.

[SCIAG]

A quick Google of Zingarevich throws this up:


In all seriousness, Mr Z's father is "only" worth about £400m. A fair wedge, but only about as rich as Peter Coates or Marcus Evans.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

If you don't want to compete at the top of the pyramid in any walk of life, you are simply taking up space.

Every team outside the prem in the country wants to be in it.

The problem with that is the stakes are a lot higher. We'll see fewer victories. I would rather chase promotion than battle relegation each season but each to their own.

Playing devil's advocate we could potentially do a Stoke but surely that would cost serious dough? I doubt these investors are benefactors ala the Coates family.

[Muguire]

McDermott said "Investors", so do we now assume it's daddy and son buying into the club? If so, daddy is a multi billionaire, and son has £330m.

Neither appears on Wikipedia's list of Russian billionaires:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ru ... _net_worth

Boris (father) was worth £1b in 2003.

If the Chronicle is right then the buyer is the son who's estimated wealth is $330m. Much of a muchness to John Madejski pre-recession.

Anyone expecting huge buys, like FineRain (Roman Pavlyuchenko LOL)(whatafuckingmong), are living in a different world.

[paultheroyal]

Chronicle confident it is Anton Zingarevich.

THE man behind the proposed take over of Reading FC is Russian tycoon Anton Zingarevich.

The 29-year-old looks set to close a deal that would see his newly-founded company, Thames Sports Investments, acquire a 51 per cent stake in the Championship club.

Royals boss Brian McDermott flew to Milan to meet the club's prospective owners on Tuesday to discuss team rebuilding.

It is beieved McDermott was told his job is safe, and that money will be available to use in the transfer market.

A statement released by Reading FC today says the club expects the deal to be completed in March.

It continues: "The transaction, as agreed with Sir John Madejski, includes providing Reading Football Club with some limited funding now to enable Brian McDermott and Nick Hammond (direcor of football) to strengthen the playing squad during this January transfer window."

Reading are being strongly linked with a move for Blackburn's out-of-favour striker Jason Roberts.

Zingarevich was educated at a private school in the Reading area and went to Reading University. He then moved to New York to continue his university studies.

The take over will see Madejski remain as chairman of Reading until at least 2014, with a view to becoming life president when he decides to step down.

The Autotrader founder has been at the helm for 21 years, and built the stadium that bears his name.

Zingarevich's management consultants PWC are currently going through the process of due diligence which they expect to run smoothly.

The take over will Royals chief executive Nigel Howe remain in his position along with director of football Nicky Hammond.

Limited funding perhaps but we can do better than Jason Bloody Roberts!

[Mr Cinema]

Whatever the future I think we can all agree that this news has resulted in the funniest Team board thread in absolutely ages.

Some serious and unintentional comedy gold on here.

[Maguire]

We all knew Sir John would sell sooner rather than later so the news is no surprise, all we can do is hope that he's selling to the right people rather than out of necessity.

As to whether they're the right people, nothing is going to answer that question except the fullness of time.

[muddyfeet]

Brian sounded very negative in that interview. I don't see how you can think otherwise. Yes we'd just been beaten, but that's happened plenty of times before & he's never sounded like that.

People are somewhat deluded if they think these new owners, having bought a majority shareholding will not start interfering.

Worried.

Exactly what I thought, always listen to him after the games, and yes we lost but he sounded worried to me

[Ian Royal]

Thought it was fairly well implied in the one which said we should abandon our morals and start spending stupid amounts of money like everyone else.

How does that equate to cheating exactly? We aren't breaking any rules.

Our morals have been our refusal to accept you need to spend money to compete with our competitors in recent years. We've suffered because of it and not been given one BIT of credit or reward for our efforts in our approach, not even the recognition of other fans or the FA for being a sound club setting a good standard in the football league for other clubs to follow.

Fvck it, I don't care what they think anymore. Fvck them all. We'll never get out of this division again unless we invest in our side and it looks like that time has come.

Spending money which a club doesn't have and then failing to pay the debts is cheating IMO. I don't want to follow a club that just buys success either. Where's the satisfaction in that?

I don't know how you can say we haven't been able to compete when we've had one promotion, one top 10 top flight finish, 9 top 10 finishes out of 10 and 3 play off campaigns in 10 years.

I'll be quite happy to see us spend a bit more following the same approach as we've had for years otherwise. Which is what has been promised. That's not the same as just spunking endless amounts of money trying to buy short-term success like Leicester, for example.

[muddyfeet]

We all knew Sir John would sell sooner rather than later so the news is no surprise, all we can do is hope that he's selling to the right people rather than out of necessity.

As to whether they're the right people, nothing is going to answer that question except the fullness of time.

Wise words

[Ian Royal]

We all knew Sir John would sell sooner rather than later so the news is no surprise, all we can do is hope that he's selling to the right people rather than out of necessity.

As to whether they're the right people, nothing is going to answer that question except the fullness of time.

Wise words

Completely agree.

[Royal With Cheese]

Part of the reason I support Reading is because of our integrity.

Just one question Ian, when you started supporting Reading - how did you work this integrity stuff out?

FTR I've not been so excited since I worked out what my todger was for.

[grey_squirrel]

I swear the bloke who served me a burger before KO was a Rusky. Maybe the takeover has already begun? Still nice burger though, reindeer or not.

[Ian Royal]

Part of the reason I support Reading is because of our integrity.

Just one question Ian, when you started supporting Reading - how did you work this integrity stuff out?

FTR I've not been so excited since I worked out what my todger was for.

Part of the reason I continue to support Reading. It makes me love the club much more.

[Friday's Legacy]

Part of the reason I support Reading is because of our integrity.

Just one question Ian, when you started supporting Reading - how did you work this integrity stuff out?

FTR I've not been so excited since I worked out what my todger was for.

my sentiments exactly.

[Finch]

Stop moaning....lap it up and enjoy it. We are finally making an effort to COMPETE with everyone else spending stupid money. We got no extra points for taking a moral approach to football for the last decade so fvck them all.

I don't want to support another Leicester or QPR. Part of the reason I support Reading is because of our integrity. You might be happy for the club you support to cheat it's way to success, but many of us aren't like Pompey fans or you. Thankfully.

What a bellend

Will you back back sporting a hooped shirt now or are you sticking with your Man City shirt? Or does it depend on who's got deeper pockets?

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

I cant see any wealth linked to Anton at all.

From what i can see this doesn't look like just Anton investing in the club.

Thames Sports Investment makes believe it will a be a consortium of some kind, especially if Anton is (as some people mentioned) an investor himself with several ties in many different global companies.

I was thinking along the lines of weathly backers, who are associated with Anton investing in the club forming the basis of this consortium (TSI)

Anton Zingarevich
Founder

Mr. Zingarevich has substantial experience in finance, operational management, and customer service. He was recently named VP of Strategic Planning at Ener1 Europe, a subsidiary of Ener1, a U.S.-based publicly traded company that produces automotive lithium-ion batteries. Mr. Zingarevich has a bachelor’s degree from Regents Business School in London, England.

Aren't Tottenham run by a 'consortium' headed by Daniel Levy? they have prudently invested to become a strong force and i haven't heard many question marks regarding their financial plight, or concerns regarding the way their club is run.

Will it be any different with Madejski being a focal point within this investment and the club?

We should be extremely optimistic about this takeover. If someone had said we will be taken over by a wealthy owner/consortium who want to keep the management and hierarchy the same and invest accordingly we would have bitten their bl00dy hand off..

My opinion anyway...

[Finch]

I cant see any wealth linked to Anton at all.

From what i can see this doesn't look like just Anton investing in the club.

Thames Sports Investment makes believe it will a be a consortium of some kind, especially if Anton is (as some people mentioned) an investor himself with several ties in many different global companies.

I was thinking along the lines of weathly backers, who are associated with Anton investing in the club forming the basis of this consortium (TSI)

Anton Zingarevich
Founder

Mr. Zingarevich has substantial experience in finance, operational management, and customer service. He was recently named VP of Strategic Planning at Ener1 Europe, a subsidiary of Ener1, a U.S.-based publicly traded company that produces automotive lithium-ion batteries. Mr. Zingarevich has a bachelor’s degree from Regents Business School in London, England.

Aren't Tottenham run by a 'consortium' headed by Daniel Levy? they have prudently invested to become a strong force and i haven't heard many question marks regarding their financial plight, or concerns regarding the way their club is run.

Will it be any different with Madejski being a focal point within this investment and the club?

We should be extremely optimistic about this takeover. If someone had said we will be taken over by a wealthy owner/consortium who want to keep the management and hierarchy the same and invest accordingly we would have bitten their bl00dy hand off..

My opinion anyway...

What one says and what one does.....

[ZacNaloen]

I cant see any wealth linked to Anton at all.

From what i can see this doesn't look like just Anton investing in the club.

Thames Sports Investment makes believe it will a be a consortium of some kind, especially if Anton is (as some people mentioned) an investor himself with several ties in many different global companies.

I was thinking along the lines of weathly backers, who are associated with Anton investing in the club forming the basis of this consortium (TSI)

Anton Zingarevich
Founder

Mr. Zingarevich has substantial experience in finance, operational management, and customer service. He was recently named VP of Strategic Planning at Ener1 Europe, a subsidiary of Ener1, a U.S.-based publicly traded company that produces automotive lithium-ion batteries. Mr. Zingarevich has a bachelor’s degree from Regents Business School in London, England.

Aren't Tottenham run by a 'consortium' headed by Daniel Levy? they have prudently invested to become a strong force and i haven't heard many question marks regarding their financial plight, or concerns regarding the way their club is run.

Will it be any different with Madejski being a focal point within this investment and the club?

We should be extremely optimistic about this takeover. If someone had said we will be taken over by a wealthy owner/consortium who want to keep the management and hierarchy the same and invest accordingly we would have bitten their bl00dy hand off..

My opinion anyway...

This is basically what I said earlier, Anton is an investment fund manager by trade. Says so on his linkedin account. He may not be wealthy himself, he doesn't even need to be if he's good at his job. But as the indications are that he is no more wealthy than Madejski it is not in his interests to be irresponsible and piss money up the wall.

I have a feeling a lot of money will go into turning the Academy into one of those Category A academies btw, this is why we voted for EPPP.

[RoyalBlue]

Thought it was fairly well implied in the one which said we should abandon our morals and start spending stupid amounts of money like everyone else.

How does that equate to cheating exactly? We aren't breaking any rules.

Our morals have been our refusal to accept you need to spend money to compete with our competitors in recent years. We've suffered because of it and not been given one BIT of credit or reward for our efforts in our approach, not even the recognition of other fans or the FA for being a sound club setting a good standard in the football league for other clubs to follow.

Fvck it, I don't care what they think anymore. Fvck them all. We'll never get out of this division again unless we invest in our side and it looks like that time has come.

Spending money which a club doesn't have and then failing to pay the debts is cheating IMO. I don't want to follow a club that just buys success either. Where's the satisfaction in that?

Every club buys success to some extent or do players play for nothing?

Had we been able to afford to pay all the wages of our best stars etc., we wouldn't have had to be a selling club. We then would have been successful. As McDermott said today, where would we have been now if we had been able to afford to keep Shane Long?