The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[chrisw1]

we need to pull out of this fkn deal now!

Well off you pop and find someone else then.  Ideally in the next 3 weeks.  Otherwise we are left with Lerner and a serious threat of further relegation I imagine.

[aj2k77]

As for the Carson Yeung comparisons, as far as I remember, without being a nose obsessive and not giving a shit about them really, he came in, struggled to pony up the money, made some promises, had a unbelievable back story and eventually was found out.

There are links on the internet already between our new owner and various businesses, I'm sure more will become clearer as the days pass and more is dug up. He has some money. Now I'm not saying there's going to be untold riches for us, that seems unlikely, but he owns legitimate businesses, we have details of one of them. I don't think it's fair to call him dodgy, based on pretty much that he's Chinese like Yeung, Noses are desperate for us to have a dud like theirs and no one speaks Chinese so in less than 24 hours we haven't dug up a mountain of evidence about him.

More will emerge, I'm a sceptic right now. The man does have some questions to answer.

[CT Villan]

But Randy personally vetted the guy, what could go wrong ?

[Tom_Mc9?]

I agree. Just wait and see what happens than go into panic overdrive.

My worries are more to do with FFP in the lower divisions and how we are going to get rid of our players and sign some who have a basic understanding of what it is to win a game of football.

New owners and a new manager are reasons to look forward to the new season after God knows how many months of utter misery.

[Mac]

We've gone from the absolute, cast-iron certainty of failure and decline under Randy Lerner, to the uncertainty of an unknown quantity from China. From knowing where we were heading (down) to not knowing. I'd rather have that uncertainty for now, and more will become clear in the coming months. We have a lifeline.

I think we're just concerned that the lifebelt is made of lead.

[aj2k77]

If they have any sense they will be keeping the support in  the know of who they are and what is going on too. After years of very little correspondence between the board and the fans there are bridges to be built between the two and trust to be earned/won. More secrecy and silence won't go down too well.

[four fornicholl]

I keep imagining Michael Knighton on that pitch, in that shirt

[Chris Jameson]

Anyone else thinking of the Goon Show at every mention of Jiantong?

Yes! Hopefully everybody else will now. You're welcome.

[wozwebs]

Hollis has spoken here: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-steve-hollis-thinks-aston-11356550

[Ormy Droid]

On the one hand, since this season has seen us sink to depths of ineptitude, previously undreamed of. So, it's no real surprise that many of us can't help but view every negative whisper about this deal as evidence of something approaching Armageddon.

This also leads to the other hand, where people want to completely ignore nagging doubters, so we can believe the worst is finally over, and the team that best encapsulates our hopes and dreams, will finally stop sinking ever deeper into its own shit.

I've been lurching between the two since yesterday, I want to believe, but...

[Ducksworthy]

He was interviewed by Midlands today - you don't learn much as I think his English isn't up to a proper interview. Could only find it on Facebook, I'm afraid but I think that link should work even if you don't have it yourself.

Edit: the general thrust of it is Di Mateo is a candidate but we have a team looking at options, will probably take two weeks and that he reckons 50 million will be the budget depending on what the manager's plans are.

https://www.facebook.com/midlandstoday/videos/10154165183099761/

[Pat McMahon]

I am sure that the first payment to Mr Lerner will have hit his bank account by now!

I understand nothing will happen on that front till late May / early June.

[cdward]

http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1947419/meet-tony-xia-jiantong-40-year-old-chinese-businessman-who-just

The official website of Recon Group describes itself as a multinational conglomerate operating in six core business sectors, ranging from new energy to smart city technologies.
Teamax, the smart city tech arm held by the Group, went public in Shenzhen last January through a reverse takeover of a company producing shampoo called Soffto.

A couple more names to keep the Googlers frothing at the mouth

[Scott Nielsen]

If he defrauded the Chinese state, why hasn't he been executed, considering its a Capital offence.

I don't see where he's accused of having defrauded the Chinese state.

Anyway, in China what matters is your relationships and who your benefactors are. Not rule of law.

The love notes posted earlier about his time in Boston.

I missed that one. I don't really read Chinese so I'll see if I can encourage an underling or two to take a look at the link provided to see if it's an obvious hatchet-job or of some substance.

[Scott Nielsen]

He was interviewed by Midlands today - you don't learn much as I think his English isn't up to a proper interview.

His English is fine. I think it's more a case of him maybe not being comprehensively media-trained (and especially in a non-native language which I can vouch adds significantly to your interview-anxiety, making you seem unsure even when you actually aren't).