Season › 2011-12 › News

Samuelson coy over FSF collapse

Seven years after the proposed Fortress Sports Fund investment in Everton fell through, its proprietor, Chris Samuelson, is on the verge of brokering the takeover of an English club... ironically on behalf of Anton Zingarovich, another supposed investor in the Club trumpeted by Bill Kenwright but whose interest was denied almost as quickly as it had apparently developed.

Samuelson facilitated Thames Sports Investment's 51% takeover of Reading FC on behalf of Zingarovich, the wealthy son of Russian paper magnate Boris, which is expected to be concluded shortly after Sir John Madejski agreed the sale this past weekend.

The Geneva-based financier looked all set to purchase a 29.9% stake in Everton in December 2004 via the Brunei-based FSF, with Bill Kenwright promising at one point that the funds would be "in the club's bank account within 48 hours". The transaction was never completed, however, and, despite being pressed on the matter, no official explanation was ever provided by the Everton hierarchy.

Former Communications Director, Ian Ross, is reputed to have admitted to a shareholder at an Annual General Meeting a couple of years ago, however, that the FSF had been a "means to an end" to force then director, Paul Gregg, off the Goodison Board.

Whatever the reason, Samuelson was not prepared to provide it when asked today about his failed investment in Everton.

"There was a very good reason why we withdrew from the transaction with Everton," Samuelson says. "I'm not going to go into it here. It's confidential between me and Bill Kenwright."

Quotes or other material sourced from Via SOS1878.co.uk

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