Tony Xia interview in The Guardian

[ciggiesnbeer]

I love some of the comments in that Guardian article. Complaints about us "buying success" and we are going to ruin football by becoming a new Man City or Chelsea.

Let me go on record. I would be absolutely fine with that label if we are playing in the Champions league. More than fine in fact 

Bottomless pockets are no guarantee of success in modern football, as Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd have proven this season.

Nope diligent ownership is the way. The way Tony is speaking sounds at least like he realises that.

Logically yes you are right, thats sensible and the smart way to build a long term success.

But emotionally, sod that. I want us to be that twat club that buys success, throw money at the mst expensive players on the planet and our "disappointment" be when we dont get to the final 16 of the champions league. All the time while being despised by poorer clubs.

I want us to be that club, just for a change. I think it would be great.

[Sexual Ealing]

Xia Jiantong, a 39-year-old millionaire from eastern China who uses the English name Tony Xia

I've known him since he was 30. Seems like it was only yesterday.

I remember when all this was fields

I remember when it was all buildings.

[oldhill_avfc]

He's neither a medical doctor or got a PhD.

He's played a part (paid exec?) in a business that organises construction/urbanisation work - what was his role?

He now runs loss making businesses.

That makes me weary - that's all.

http://www.xwhodesign.com/en/aboutx.asp?li=1&action=%D6%C7%C4%D2%BA%CB%D0%C4

Dr Xia Jian Tong was promoted to be the president of XWHO in 2001. He earned his Doctor of Design degree from Harvard University. He also has been appointed by China Mayor Center and the Ministry of Construction as Distinguished Professor since 2002. He has served as urban development specialist for several cities in China. As a world famous expert in urban planning and landscape architecture, Dr. Xia has participated and chaired in hundreds of projects and cities all over the world.

To me the website you cite looks like a typical architect & town planners site.  These companes earn their money through charging consultancy fees and aren't making the big bucks from construction.

The biographies are penned by the company and not subject to scrutiny, although I'm not saying they're ncessarily untrue.  Xia was born around 1977, so his achievements in 2002 would have been at the age of 27 which seems unlikely if he spent the time claimed doing an undegraduate degree and then spending 6 years at Harvard plus some time at Oxford.

I also see that Hollis credits him with being connected with the birds nest stadium.  Given that the bids and planning for Bejing olympics would have been prepared around the same time or earlier, I just don't see that he would have played a major part.

As I've said before,  it makes me wary (and weary). 

[mr underhill]

you know what? I'm on Tone's magic karpet.

[Risso]

I'm just going to give him a chance I think. We'll find out soon enough what sort of owner he is.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Fuck it, I'm signed up on the Dr X trip and that's it. If it all goes crashing down like a lot of the doom merchants are saying then so be it, you were right and I was wrong. But at the moment, I'm trusting the judgement of Hollis and a lot of people who know a lot more about financial affairs than I ever will.

[Lastfootstamper]

Count me in too.



Bedsheet on standby.

[Stirchley Villain]

I'm buying it. I'm crushed by disappointment anyway so a bit more wont hurt if it all goes AOT.

[Des Little]

I'm reserving judgement until I see what colour shorts we are wearing at home.  If they're claret he can do one. 

[Risso]

Fuck it, I'm signed up on the Dr X trip and that's it. If it all goes crashing down like a lot of the doom merchants are saying then so be it, you were right and I was wrong. But at the moment, I'm trusting the judgement of Hollis and a lot of people who know a lot more about financial affairs than I ever will.

Very similar to me. Things are dreadful anyway, and if they get worse I won't enjoy things any less. An imporovement will be very welcome. I would think that RDM plus £50m would get us back up easily.

[SamTheMouse]

I welcome our Tone and wish him well.

However, I'm going to keep resolutely believing the worst is going to happen, in a pathetic attempt to protect my mental health against further crushing disappointment.

[dave shelley]

I'm in.  Anything, no matter how brief it may turn out to be, which I don't think it will be, has to be better than what we've been through over the last few years.

[not3bad]

Fuck it, I'm signed up on the Dr X trip and that's it. If it all goes crashing down like a lot of the doom merchants are saying then so be it, you were right and I was wrong. But at the moment, I'm trusting the judgement of Hollis and a lot of people who know a lot more about financial affairs than I ever will.

I'm going to weld myself to my seat at the next home game!

[Nelson Lodge]

Seen his interview and though English is clearly not his first language he speaks it better than Lerner can write it.

He has set out his intentions. So now as a certain Mr Atkinson would say:-

"Don't tell me, show me"

Until that is done my cautious optimism is matched by a very healthy scepticism.

[Monty]

Fuck it, I'm signed up on the Dr X trip and that's it. If it all goes crashing down like a lot of the doom merchants are saying then so be it, you were right and I was wrong. But at the moment, I'm trusting the judgement of Hollis and a lot of people who know a lot more about financial affairs than I ever will.

Very similar to me. Things are dreadful anyway, and if they get worse I won't enjoy things any less. An imporovement will be very welcome. I would think that RDM plus £50m would get us back up easily.

Also just the change in attitude this takeover could bring. Lerner's apathy infected the whole club - it was like a bunch of people drifting along just waiting for the apocalypse. Now, perhaps we'll see a bit of ambition and drive and that can change the whole feel of the club.