Thames Sports Investment

[TBM]

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.

For the avoidance of doubt, I would like to emphasise that I will continue as Chairman of the club, and the club will continue to operate in the same prudent and business-like manner that it always has.

No further announcements can be made until a binding agreement has been reached.

Chairman Sir John Madejski

[Archie's penalty]

WTF is Thames Sports Investment?

[wooglin12]

May I just say that Sir John has silly hair. It may be my favorite thing about Reading FC

[No Hoops]

Just got this on txt.

Does he own them?

[sandman]

WTF is Thames Sports Investment?

Who cares we're rich.

[Bandini]

Hmmm - not a UK company, and nothing on google.

Releasing this in the dead time of Friday evening suggests that Madejski doesn't think this is good news.

[royalexile]

McDermott said: "I really don't know if we will get anyone else in. Under the current regime, we don't look like we've got anything (money to spend) at the moment. But you never know in football and we will taking things day by day."

Inwardly chuckles.

[mr_number]

I'm guessing it will almost certainly be a new investment fund set up specifically to invest in the club, since whoever's investing would likely want to keep it separate from the rest of their dosh.

Beyond that, let the speculation begin. Hopefully SJM has stuck to his word that he will always do things in the interests of the club. If that holds, I'm sure it can't be a bad thing.

However, I shall come back in a few hours when I'm steaming drunk to offer some more vehement conjecture

[winchester_royal]

Hmmm - not a UK company, and nothing on google.

Releasing this in the dead time of Friday evening suggests that Madejski doesn't think this is good news.

'I'm pleased to announce...'

Plus he didn't need to say anything at all given that no binding agreement has yet been reached.

Obviously no-one can possibly tell whether this is good or bad news without further information, but I don't think we're under any financial pressure (relative to other clubs anyway) at the moment so I'm inclined to think that we will at least see some benefit from it.

The lack of any google search results is rather strange though...

[moo]

"Thames"

Hmm

IN for epic thread

[rfc2001]

Reading would be a superior force if we had loads of MONEY.

Not just because of the money, but we would be clever in our purchases. Not P!ss it up the wall on ridiculous players like Leicester City!!

We would use it to make the odd signing here and there

[Bandini]

Obviously no-one can possibly tell whether this is good or bad news without further information, but I don't think we're under any financial pressure (relative to other clubs anyway) at the moment so I'm inclined to think that we will at least see some benefit from it.

The club might not be under financial pressure, but Madejski might be.


(178 pages)

[moo]

The Thames Sports Stadium

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Perhaps it has got mixed up in this.

China Buys Large Stake In Thames Water

3:21pm UK, Friday January 20, 2012
The Chinese government has bought a significant stake in Britain's biggest water firm just days after George Osborne's visit to Beijing.

The country's sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation (CIC), has acquired 8.68% of Kemble Water, which owns utility company Thames Water.

Mr Osborne, the Chancellor, has welcomed the move, saying: "This is a significant step by China. It is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to invest and do business.

FWIW it COULD be that someone told SJM that there were a lot of rumours about possible deals in the ownership of RFC and he thought it wuld be a good idea to confirm that something is in the pipeline, but nothing in writing yet.

[winchester_royal]

Obviously no-one can possibly tell whether this is good or bad news without further information, but I don't think we're under any financial pressure (relative to other clubs anyway) at the moment so I'm inclined to think that we will at least see some benefit from it.

The club might not be under financial pressure, but Madejski might be.

Perhaps but if he was jumping ship then why would he be remaining as Chairman?

TBH I can't really see how this could be construed as 'bad news' given that as a club we always live within our means anyway so unless TSI are coming in to change RFC into a girls hockey team I doubt they'll be having a negative impact.

[Cypry]

Strongly suspect that this has something to do with the two fellas that McD and Hammond were talking to in the hotel bar before the U18 game on Wednesday.
They appeared later sat either side of SJM watching the game - I "thought" at the time they might have been board members but I suspect that they might actually be "Thames Sports Investment".
I've seen one of them at quite a few home games, parks near the megastore, also seen him driving around the Ashampstead neck of the woods - perhaps TSI is an investment fund set up with some local money/connections of SJM?

[moo]

He could only be chairman until something is in writing. As of yet, nothing.

[TBM]

The Thames Sports Stadium

What I was thinking

[ZacNaloen]

Investment fund = rich people pay into fund, club uses money, profits from eventual dividends go back into fund to pay off investors.

Right?

It's just a way of getting investment in whilst not giving up controlling interest in Reading FC, surely?

I've been saying he should do this for years.

[moo]

The Thames Sports Stadium

What I was thinking

I've re-read it, and it really does make sense.