Tony Xia (no longer involved with AVFC)

[Pilchard 2,170]

That's the top result in Google

[TRO 15,979]

18 hours ago, snowychap said:

but our future's a clam. (apologies to Weller...)

One can bream....of future success.

Edited June 6, 2016 by TRO

[Rob182 6,715]

Hopefully Xia doesn't have to borrow £17,000 from Hitchins.

[briny_ear 5,804]

43 minutes ago, Pilchard said:

Alan John Frank Hitchins

Wow...

Good job the first thing Dr X did was to sack him from the board.

Look forward to the same approach towards some of the squad! 

[villan-scott 4,605]

Send in the bailiffs! 

[HanoiVillan 20,842]

3 hours ago, Pilchard said:

Alan John Frank Hitchins

It's okay, you can spoiler it for us, what are the dangers of doing business with Alan John Frank Hitchins?

[briggsy 28]

4 hours ago, Pilchard said:

Alan John Frank Hitchins

That's probably why he's failed the test and has been removed as a director

[dont_do_it_doug. 18,311]

34 minutes ago, briggsy said:

That's probably why he's failed the test and has been removed as a director

Doubtful. The evidence contained in that link that he is in some way a rotten egg is spurious as best, 

Either way, he won't be involved with Aston Villa moving forward. 

[il_serpente 2,163]

A bit concerning that he was involved at all to begin with, though, isn't it?   Even as a figurehead to establish a company, wouldn't you think they could find someone a little more respectable?   Setting aside for a moment the guilt or innocence regarding the failure to pay the invoices,  this guy really appears to be a small-time hack who fancies himself an international player.   The company's ability to pay a $25,000 court ordered invoice hinges on a Saudi passport?   And that's the top Google result for the guy?  Surely Dr. Tony should have access to someone a little more substantial, given his (presumed) wealth and connections with Harvard and Oxford and what not.

If anything, I'd expect a successful businessman to inspiring confidence with his business dealings and possibly leaving us worried about his handling of the football side of things.   Instead he's getting the football part right and looking a bit suspect with his business dealings.   Not that I'm advocating for poor football appointments, mind you, but I'm a bit puzzled.   Perhaps this is why the approval hasn't been as quick or straightforward as we would have liked.   It seems he might be shooting himself in the foot to a certain extent.

[BigJim 176]

1 hour ago, briggsy said:

That's probably why he's failed the test and has been removed as a director

One of several possible reasons, if anyone cares to examine Mr Hitchin's business exploits somewhere in this:

https://eyreinternational.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/governments-bank-corporate-sector-fraudulently-create-deficits-and-then-impose-austerity-measures/

 

To agree with the poster above, why on earth would the Dr get involved with such shady characters?

Edited June 7, 2016 by BigJim

[lexicon 5,477]

1 hour ago, BigJim said:

One of several possible reasons, if anyone cares to examine Mr Hitchin's business exploits somewhere in this:

https://eyreinternational.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/governments-bank-corporate-sector-fraudulently-create-deficits-and-then-impose-austerity-measures/

 

To agree with the poster above, why on earth would the Dr get involved with such shady characters?

Because that sort of thing is basically de rigueur in China. 

[Rob182 6,715]

Has Hitchins had any prior involvement or connections to Wyness/Samuelson/Banfil?

It would make much more sense, to me, that Xia has just trusted one of these guys to deal with the simple (and I mean SIMPLE, this is something that any dullard can do) matter of setting up a Limited Company, appointing the relevant directors and sorting out some form of shareholding. I'd find it strange if Xia was already involved with Hitchins, or if Xia himself found him.

[AlwaysAVFC 783]

21 minutes ago, Rob182 said:

Has Hitchins had any prior involvement or connections to Wyness/Samuelson/Banfil?

It would make much more sense, to me, that Xia has just trusted one of these guys to deal with the simple (and I mean SIMPLE, this is something that any dullard can do) matter of setting up a Limited Company, appointing the relevant directors and sorting out some form of shareholding. I'd find it strange if Xia was already involved with Hitchins, or if Xia himself found him.

Samuelson is mentioned on that token help/Bestfeed page

[Sam3773 2,567]

We'll read into anything right?

A lot of Alan Hitchin's companies are registered to that same address. I imagine he's exactly the same as 'Swift Incorporations', a director on Reform Acquisitions.

Temporary director to set the company up on behalf of a foreign owner and then leaving once it's set up. Most likely nothing to see here.

[Villarocker 4,382]

Dr Xia's management team on the football side seems to show he's serious about getting us back up and being a successful Premier League club again.

Let's hope his management team on the business side is as good. 

[Rob182 6,715]

Samuelson is mentioned on that token help/Bestfeed page

That's that then, as far as I'm concerned.

Hitchin is simply one of Samuelson's contacts, and he has been given the simple task of setting up the Ltd Co.

We needn't read much into Hitchin's past, as it's highly unlikely he will have any involvement whatsoever in Villa or Recon moving forward, other than possibly setting up other Limited Companies or entities of some form, as and when Xia wants them.

[Grasshopper 2,429]

Sometimes you have to employ a pig to wade through all the mud

[hippo 3,867]

Don't know if it still the case, but you used to be able to buy a 'dummy company' - then change the name and appoint your own directors, tweak the articles of memorandum, etc - this was cheaper and faster than starting a company from scratch.....

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe 3,116]

The setting up of a LTD is so straight forward that it makes no sense to employ someone as a director just to fill out a few simple bits of paperwork.

Xia/Samuelson could have paid a company who specialise in company formations to do it for about £50. 

[Craigy1874 141]

The company I use charges £18.99 - no reason to pay a specialist in my opinion.