Thames Sports Investment

[melonhead]

A) they want the fans to like them
B) if the reason you are investing is because you think the club is well run... why would you change the management of that well run club?

What's in it for them is that Anton gets to say he owns a significant share in a premier league club (hopefully) and perhaps even a club playing in Europe?

The guy is 29, and like most entrepreneurs probably has a massive ego to stroke. And he recognises the profile that comes with it, Would Madejski be a Knight if it wasn't for reading fc putting him on the map?

As Mr Mad said once owning a football club is more like a hobby than running a business. But you'd still try and be responsible with it, I doubt they'd want to lose that hobby to bad practise.

maybe they see the opportunity of building a small club up to be great as giving them more kudos than making an already big club better.


all noises so far from TSI are extremely positive, and in line with what i want to hear
have to wait and see what actually happens though before judging.


what id like is to be able to keep players, and also be able to strengthen the squad as Mcdermot/hammond see fit,

neither of them are going to go mental with the money,they just arent the type

and from what theyve said TSI agree with that approach.


last thing i want is for our good young players to be frozen out by big signings, or be pissed off as loads of new players come in on much bigger wages.
i just dont see that happening though
i can see us being able to ship out some of the players who are getting on a bit, or are just not good enough, and replace those with young/hungry players we would always have been interested in before, but been short of the cash to actually get them in.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

However the prestige that it should bring could serve them well globally, as there is no profit to be made from owning a football club what else would you look for.

However it has to be a success or the prestige does not follow.

[Royal Rother]

Do you take that at face value, Rother?

No,I am not taking anything at face value but it's the nearest we have to a meaningful answer to RL's question. And the quote did surprise me as I read it a few minutes ago whilst catching up on the thread. It seemed a little un-SJM like...

[ZacNaloen]

If we get promoted he can advertise himself to future business partners as the owners a reasonably successful and well run premier league football club

Therefore I'm your man etc etc.

All that jazz.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

And only down the road from Chelsea too.

[ZacNaloen]

I also fully expect the Academy to be turned into one of those Cat A academies to allow us to produce the best players we can. I know those are expensive to run, but when you are producing players worth the amount it costs to run it must pay itself back right?

That just seems like one of those solid investments a smart business man would invest in.

[Bandini]

Do you take that at face value, Rother?

No,I am not taking anything at face value but it's the nearest we have to a meaningful answer to RL's question. And the quote did surprise me as I read it a few minutes ago whilst catching up on the thread. It seemed a little un-SJM like...

I don't think it's an answer to the point about pumping money in now - as the backers are remaining anonymous until March.

[rfc2001]

"What's in it for the investors?"

From what we know the guy investing is a huge football fan and is a fan/admirer of Reading FC because he was educated here!!

[Red]

How did these Russian chaps come up with the name Thames Sports Investment?

Are they also in talks with Redingensians Rams and Reading Hockey club?

[Uke]

"What's in it for the investors?"

From what we know the guy investing is a huge football fan and is a fan/admirer of Reading FC because he was educated here!!

But did he go to Elm Park?

[Uke]

How did these Russian chaps come up with the name Thames Sports Investment?

Are they also in talks with Redingensians Rams and Reading Hockey club?

Because they want to invest in Oxford too?

[ZacNaloen]

How did these Russian chaps come up with the name Thames Sports Investment?

Are they also in talks with Redingensians Rams and Reading Hockey club?

Shades of Maxwell?

[Bandini]

How did these Russian chaps come up with the name Thames Sports Investment?

Agreed, it's a bit of an affront to the Kennet & Avon.

[Norfolk Royal]

I have one question.

Why are they willing to spend money this month despite the fact that they haven't officially taken over the club yet? What if the deal collapses and they've paid out £2-3m already?

oxf*rd, that's two questions.

I presume because they're pretty sure that due diligence etc will prove ok.

What I just don't understand is, why would you buy the majority shareholding in a company and pump money into it - with no cast iron guarantee you're going to make your money back very quickly - AND not put your own man in charge? What really is in it for them? I'm not trying to be downcast about this - just truly don't understand why. Even if we went up to the Prem, yes we'd get more bums on seats, parachute payments etc, but equally we have to spend more on wages, players to keep us there etc etc - so what really is in it for them?

It's pretty clear from one of the statements on the OS what is in it for them. Clearly if they gain a foothold in the UK and prove after due diligence to be as good as their word, it leads onto other business opportunities and more investors.

[melonhead]

im not sure we can take too much from being educated in reading, or knowing about the game
thats all just PR imo

better than not having any affiliation with reading, and knowing bugger all though i suppose

[Royal Rother]

Do you take that at face value, Rother?

No,I am not taking anything at face value but it's the nearest we have to a meaningful answer to RL's question. And the quote did surprise me as I read it a few minutes ago whilst catching up on the thread. It seemed a little un-SJM like...

I don't think it's an answer to the point about pumping money in now - as the backers are remaining anonymous until March.

It was the "What's in it for them" part I was answering.

[Yorkshire Royal]

Investors in football typically fall into 3 camps:

i) Local Business man supporting local club
ii) Big Ego, Big Wealth
iii) Look at us, we've found a way to make money out of football anyway.

You're holy grail is probably i) and ii) combined. Which for a while we had (until he lost all his cash), Stoke have with the Coates family, Jack Walker at Blackburn, etc. If you can't have that Big Ego, Big Wealth may be okay (Chelsea etc), but then might bring fresh problems (Portsmouth). iii) is a bit daft, why anyone comes along and thinks "hey you guys, over the last 20 years you've all been right mugs and I have a way to make money out of football - you lot have just been doing it wrong all this time", should be of concern.

So let's hope we're just ii) with a little bit of i) as well - ie some link to Reading. But an unknown Russian backed investment vehicle spending 40 million quid on half a football club should set off some alarm bells.... I'm hoping SJM has stuck to what he said they would an in fact we might well be the luckiest club. However one should mention Portsmouth again, just in case...

But until football properly goes bust, there is no way to make money out of football. So if our new owners are under iii) then there will be trouble ahead.

[Bandini]

^ bit vague Norrers. There are two principal attractions for Russians investing in UK football clubs:

1. Money laundering.
2. Increased name recognition thus making it harder for the Russian State to go after them.

[Bandini]

It was the "What's in it for them" part I was answering.

Yes, but

what's in it for them by investing money now for transfers
prestige, furthering their relationship with the country
but they're remaining anonymous, apart from Anton K, who it appears would have preferred to remain anonymous, so prestige related reasons aren't really plausible in relation to the initial investment.

Of course, it may just be that the initial investment is very small, and they can afford to write it off if need be

[melonhead]

spending 40 million quid on half a football club

i read it as the whole deal was for 40 million, but theyve only aquired half the club for now
ie theyve spent 20 million on 51%