Thames Sports Investment

[M-U-R-T-Y]

Manchester City, Lyon, QPR, Deportivo, Arsenal, Seattle, Chelsea, AC Milan, Reading, Real Madrid.
That will be the top ten based on owner wealth and revenue.

We would potentially have more money than PSG and Anzhi?

[Scrappy]

Realistically the 5 year plan has probably changed quite a bit over the last few weeks as naturally one of those main objectives would have been to get promoted probably within the next year or so. This probably means the infrastructure isn't as strong as he perhaps would have hoped behind the scenes so naturally a considerable amount of investment will be required this summer to bring the club to the level probably required.

I would hope however that as the backroom staff haven't changed so much, same DoF and Academy Manager etc, they will have learnt serious lessons from 2006 to 2008. What they did correct, what they should have done differently. From this point of view I think the club can now seriously look at the investment opportunities in the club and manipulate them properly with the experience they need to carry out key decisions. If it aint broke, don't fix it, approaches work far better in the Championship simply because other teams adopt that approach because of the budget restrictions. We now have to invest to keep up, otherwise we will be back in the FL before we know it.

Anton Zingarevich has taken on a club at a crucial time. Arguebly his presence was felt more than perhaps recognised as it did introduce stability for the players, which did mean they could fully focus on the football without the fear that the squad may be depleated in the Summer. I think he, more than anyone else, truely appreciates how much investment is probably required and I feel that he has every faith in McDermott to make those key decisions required to achieve his aims.

Those who saw him at the parade will also probably agree that he did come across as genuine to the fans, waving as people called his name. We promote this family image and he certainly appears to agree with that.

[Libertine]

A 5 Year Plan will work just fine provided it is implemented by Hammond and McDermott and just backed by Zingarevich's rubles. If the professionals are allowed to do their jobs, the way they have been doing them, this should work out just fine. If the new owner(s) insist on getting directly involved in the personnel decisions it will be a dicier proposition...

In McDermott and Hammond we trust.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Has the deal gone through yet?

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

This will all culminate in a Reading FC themed restaurant in Shanghai

Superb. POTW.

[Friday's Legacy]

I hate our fans. Nice to see Anton enjoying today and look forward to the completion of the takeover.

He's certainly enjoying it. I just wish there was video evidence.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Phase 1: Pass fit and proper test. I wish it would hurry up already.

Everything has been provided to the PL now, so we're now just waiting on their decision. It'll be done when it's done, but everyone is confident it will be signed off shortly.

This really should be in the TSI thread.

The fit and proper test?

The FA: I say, old chap. I hear you want to buy one of our football clubs. Now, and no fibbing you hear, are you a thoroughly decent kind of chap?

Buyer: I certainly am.

The FA: And you are absolutely sure there's no naughtiness involved in this bid?

Buyer: Definitely not.

The FA: And you do understand that if we find out later that you are doing something beastly, we'll all be jolly cross?

Buyer: I do.

The FA: In that case everything looks fine Mr Maxwell.

[Uke]

It's good to see another Russian with a 5 year plan. Liquidate the Kulaks.

I've already informed on you under the new "shop a fellow fan"policy and told him you will be bringing your own pies to the game.

Expect a knock on the door soon

[Mr Angry]

The TSI takeover is the first for any Prem League club since the Pompey 2010 administration; the authorities would, I imagine, be ensuring that everything is 100% spot on as they want to mitigate the possibilities (as best they can) of the Premier League brand being embarassed again as it was over Pompey.

If that means it takes a little longer to ratify then expected, so be it (and thats actually, from a football perspective, a good thing); it just so happens its our club's take-over, and so its a little frustrating that it isn't already cleared.

[Platypuss]

The TSI takeover is the first for any Prem League club since the Pompey 2010 administration; .

Venky's at Blackburn? Must be close.

[Mr Angry]

The TSI takeover is the first for any Prem League club since the Pompey 2010 administration; .

Venky's at Blackburn? Must be close.

My bad; Pompey Admin in March 2010, Venky's bought Blackburn (full control for £23M...... ) in Nov 2010.

Thats gone well, hasn't it?

[TBM]

Do you really think the club would be putting Anton in the spotlight as much as they are, if they weren't confident about it going through.....they've obviously heard the outcome of the "findings" from the FL and are now just waiting for the PL to finish.

Would be a real slap in the face if it wasn't 99.9% nailed on to go through.

[Great Knolly]

Would be a massive ,and uncharacteristic, error of judgement by SJM to have AZ join him in walking the trophy to the podium if he wasn't very very confident that the PL decision is a formality.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Does anyone seriously believe the FA's checks are going to be more thorough than SJM's?

[yuomi]

i think now, more than ever, the FA's checks have to be at least as thorough as SJM's. the current climate in the game, fuelled by venkys, pompey's trouble's, whyte and rangers exposing the cabal that is scottish football, coventry etc etc; is one of suspicion, as well it might be. what do we know about anton and boris? the longest article about boris i can find on the web is on a site relating to his criminal actitivies. as for anton, aside from various retellings of his hoodwinking (depending on who you believe) of bill kenwright and the fact hes got a very pretty wife there is hardly anything at all. these guys arent abramovich's, they dont have his financial and political clout, but i will sleep easier knowing that the FA as well as SJM (who, lets face it, is still the beneficiary of this deal) have rubber stamped it.

[TBM]

the current climate in the game, fuelled by venkys

Why? - what exactly have they done wrong?!

[ZacNaloen]

They haven't spent silly money that's what.

[yuomi]

the current climate in the game, fuelled by venkys

Why? - what exactly have they done wrong?!

in comparison to the rest of that list, very little and i probably shouldnt have included them. but blackburn fans feel that they arrived with great fanfare and promises that they have subsequently failed to fulfil. hence the club now sitting on the edge of replacing us in the championship.

[TBM]

tbf, they took on a £21m debt which they were told had to be paid back before they were loaned any more money.......i dont think they done anything wrong, bar be ambitious, but their lack of knowledge probably didn't help them. Anton will have SJM to help him understand until next September, when he will hand it over to him.

[Z175]

the current climate in the game, fuelled by venkys

Why? - what exactly have they done wrong?!

in comparison to the rest of that list, very little and i probably shouldnt have included them. but blackburn fans feel that they arrived with great fanfare and promises that they have subsequently failed to fulfil. hence the club now sitting on the edge of replacing us in the championship.

Like Pompeys sale to Antonov, the Venkys deal went through when the club was on its knees for more money. I aprpeciate SJM was cutting the cloth/selling players, but there was no 60m odd owed to a bank to focus minds on a sale.

The estate of the late Jack Warner ran them as a basket case in terms of debt, wagebill and value of playing squad. Venkys fanfare was probably due to the need for very deep pockets to avoid administration, which lets face it they have. All they did wrong is sack Allardyce, which is possibly due to personal reasons. (Perhaps he ate all their chickens?)