Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 3:37 pm
MALAYSIAN DRAMA: Vincent Tan meets Tony Fernandes in London
FOLLOWING a weekend of climactic football, two of Malaysia's wealthiest men had a meeting at a hotel in London last Monday.
Something is afoot, you wonder, as Tan Sri Vincent Tan, the founder of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, sat down with Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, the owner of AirAsia.
It wasn't about swapping shares over a power lunch as the two Malaysian big shots had some footy chat in EPL Land, and it was not the type that people usually talk about at the warong, well, not about Manchester United or Liverpool.
In all likelihood, serious business was on the menu when Tan and Fernandes, both relatively new to the football industry, exchanged views at the 152-year-old Victorian hotel called Berjaya Eden Park.
They had plenty to chew over what had been a contrasting season for their clubs and what needs to be done for the new season which kicks off on Aug 17.
With Tan and Fernandes having experienced the ups and downs of football, both men would have advised each other on avoiding the pitfalls and perils of the English league. For all you know, the two tycoons might enter into a "player loan deal" with Tan taking one or two QPR players from Fernandes for the Cardiff team that competes in the 2013-2014 season.
For Tan, exciting days are ahead after his Cardiff City club lifted the Championship trophy on April 27. Known as the Bluebirds, the team has soared into the Premier League where it will be in the same flight of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and other big names.
For Fernandes, grim days lie ahead after his team, Queens Park Rangers, was demoted from the Premier League to the second-tier Championship league, just 24 hours after Tan was handed the Championship trophy.
Prior to their meeting on Monday, Tan had revealed to this writer that he and Fernandes have had their share of "football chat" since their goals are to be successful in the English Premier League (EPL).
You picture Fernandes, who has had some bad experience buying pricey players who let the team down eventually, giving some what-not-to-do advice to Tan when Cardiff City competes in the Premier League for the first time in 51 years.
Before anything else, he might have warned Tan to beware of the agents, transfer-fixers and middlemen of the game.
Appropriately, Fernandes, who is reported to have put STG50 million (RM250 million) of his personal fortune into QPR, is the right person to alert the Tan Sri to these money-grabbers.
Vowing that he won't be exploited any more, Fernandes had said that QPR's tragic season was a "Shakespearean play in the making" as nothing went right for the team, which was beset by bad luck and players' injuries, apart from "immoral" football agents.
"I've seen all of the parts that make football quite ... maybe immoral is a strong word but they would sell their grandmother to do something. What I am saying is there are people in the business where money comes first," Fernandes told the British media in London recently.
On the positive side, Fernandes, who is also the owner of the Caterham Formula One team and used to life in the fast lane, is well geared for a speedy return to Premier League with QPR.
On paper, QPR, which is still a team of calibre players, "should do a Newcastle" by winning the Championship title outright, that is in just a season over 10 months. For instance, when a relegated Newcastle played in the Championship in the 2009-2010 season, its rivals were already conceding that the club was too strong for them.
True enough, Newcastle scored more than a hundred points (102) to duly run away with the Championship title and win promotion to the Premier League again. In comparison, Cardiff scored only 87 points from 46 games this season,
In return, it could be Tan giving tips to Fernandes on how QPR could achieve "fast promotion" from the Championship. After all, his Cardiff City has proved that it could occupy the top spot in the 24-team table this season since November. That is C for consistency as Cardiff became the league winner with 25 wins, 12 draws and nine losses in 46 games.
As for Tan's team, the biggest challenge is to stay in the Premier League and avoid demotion. They have seen it with their own eyes; the Reading team, which was first in the Championship last year, is now second last in the Premier League and relegated.
Nonetheless, Tan, who has proved to be a winner in many fields of business, is determined that his Bluebirds will not go the way of so many other teams that have plunged back to the Championship after a brief stay in the Premier League.
The billionaire, intent on making Cardiff City a well known EPL club, and not just a team participating in the Premier League, said he could spend up to STG25 million on new players to reinforce the team. If that translates into a permanent stay in the Premier League which offers about STG100 million a season from television money, it is worth the investment.
Will that be enough against big spenders like Manchester City or Chelsea or for that matter, teams like Tottenham Hotspur? Of course not, but more importantly, Cardiff City needs to buy the right players from the right agents.
Tan's Bluebirds should be a good bet to stay in the Premier League for more than one season while Fernandes' relegated QPR should fly back into the top flight by May next year.
FOLLOWING a weekend of climactic football, two of Malaysia's wealthiest men had a meeting at a hotel in London last Monday.
Something is afoot, you wonder, as Tan Sri Vincent Tan, the founder of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, sat down with Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, the owner of AirAsia.
It wasn't about swapping shares over a power lunch as the two Malaysian big shots had some footy chat in EPL Land, and it was not the type that people usually talk about at the warong, well, not about Manchester United or Liverpool.
In all likelihood, serious business was on the menu when Tan and Fernandes, both relatively new to the football industry, exchanged views at the 152-year-old Victorian hotel called Berjaya Eden Park.
They had plenty to chew over what had been a contrasting season for their clubs and what needs to be done for the new season which kicks off on Aug 17.
With Tan and Fernandes having experienced the ups and downs of football, both men would have advised each other on avoiding the pitfalls and perils of the English league. For all you know, the two tycoons might enter into a "player loan deal" with Tan taking one or two QPR players from Fernandes for the Cardiff team that competes in the 2013-2014 season.
For Tan, exciting days are ahead after his Cardiff City club lifted the Championship trophy on April 27. Known as the Bluebirds, the team has soared into the Premier League where it will be in the same flight of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and other big names.
For Fernandes, grim days lie ahead after his team, Queens Park Rangers, was demoted from the Premier League to the second-tier Championship league, just 24 hours after Tan was handed the Championship trophy.
Prior to their meeting on Monday, Tan had revealed to this writer that he and Fernandes have had their share of "football chat" since their goals are to be successful in the English Premier League (EPL).
You picture Fernandes, who has had some bad experience buying pricey players who let the team down eventually, giving some what-not-to-do advice to Tan when Cardiff City competes in the Premier League for the first time in 51 years.
Before anything else, he might have warned Tan to beware of the agents, transfer-fixers and middlemen of the game.
Appropriately, Fernandes, who is reported to have put STG50 million (RM250 million) of his personal fortune into QPR, is the right person to alert the Tan Sri to these money-grabbers.
Vowing that he won't be exploited any more, Fernandes had said that QPR's tragic season was a "Shakespearean play in the making" as nothing went right for the team, which was beset by bad luck and players' injuries, apart from "immoral" football agents.
"I've seen all of the parts that make football quite ... maybe immoral is a strong word but they would sell their grandmother to do something. What I am saying is there are people in the business where money comes first," Fernandes told the British media in London recently.
On the positive side, Fernandes, who is also the owner of the Caterham Formula One team and used to life in the fast lane, is well geared for a speedy return to Premier League with QPR.
On paper, QPR, which is still a team of calibre players, "should do a Newcastle" by winning the Championship title outright, that is in just a season over 10 months. For instance, when a relegated Newcastle played in the Championship in the 2009-2010 season, its rivals were already conceding that the club was too strong for them.
True enough, Newcastle scored more than a hundred points (102) to duly run away with the Championship title and win promotion to the Premier League again. In comparison, Cardiff scored only 87 points from 46 games this season,
In return, it could be Tan giving tips to Fernandes on how QPR could achieve "fast promotion" from the Championship. After all, his Cardiff City has proved that it could occupy the top spot in the 24-team table this season since November. That is C for consistency as Cardiff became the league winner with 25 wins, 12 draws and nine losses in 46 games.
As for Tan's team, the biggest challenge is to stay in the Premier League and avoid demotion. They have seen it with their own eyes; the Reading team, which was first in the Championship last year, is now second last in the Premier League and relegated.
Nonetheless, Tan, who has proved to be a winner in many fields of business, is determined that his Bluebirds will not go the way of so many other teams that have plunged back to the Championship after a brief stay in the Premier League.
The billionaire, intent on making Cardiff City a well known EPL club, and not just a team participating in the Premier League, said he could spend up to STG25 million on new players to reinforce the team. If that translates into a permanent stay in the Premier League which offers about STG100 million a season from television money, it is worth the investment.
Will that be enough against big spenders like Manchester City or Chelsea or for that matter, teams like Tottenham Hotspur? Of course not, but more importantly, Cardiff City needs to buy the right players from the right agents.
Tan's Bluebirds should be a good bet to stay in the Premier League for more than one season while Fernandes' relegated QPR should fly back into the top flight by May next year.
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 3:40 pm
Thomas and Tan will meet Sam again this week. 
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 4:32 pm
Forever Blue wrote:Thomas and Tan will meet Sam again this week.
Its going to be a very interesting few weeks.
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 7:28 pm
A Watford esque arrangement ?
We take the cream of their crop at wages they don't want to pay .....
We give them a few players that will help them get promotion ..... ?
We take the cream of their crop at wages they don't want to pay .....
We give them a few players that will help them get promotion ..... ?
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 7:36 pm
Remy and park, thankyou!
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Tue May 14, 2013 11:41 pm
Spoofer wrote:A Watford esque arrangement ?
We take the cream of their crop at wages they don't want to pay .....
We give them a few players that will help them get promotion ..... ?
Oh I do hope so!
Re: Vincent tan meets Tony Fernandez
Wed May 15, 2013 12:13 am
64JACK wrote:Spoofer wrote:A Watford esque arrangement ?
We take the cream of their crop at wages they don't want to pay .....
We give them a few players that will help them get promotion ..... ?
Oh I do hope so!
Don't worry we won't touch any of yours when you go down
#tainted