Sshh! It's how we operate.

[Alan Partridge]

Thank you Royalwaster. Its the puerile responses like yours which prevent decent discussion and why I,for one, stopped posting on here years ago.Have you supported the Club since the 1946/7 season? Believe me some of us have really been through the mill -Divn 4 and an almost permanency in Divn.3 South. But we stuck with it because we thought the Club was being honest with us and deserved loyalty. Now we seem to fed a diet of 'spin' without any real end product. And living on a pension means that priorities change!

Welcome back R&A, by far one of the best posters on here sadly doesn't stick around long enough.

I find it interesting that it's the likes of yourself and other fans of a similar age that are the ones that are more disillusioned if you like, than others. Fans that REALLY have seen much much worse. I think maybe it was due then to the fact there really wasn't much chance of doing better. No money, a poor stadium even in those days, lower league football, poor crowds really was accepted as the norm to be average/poor. From a fans view it doesn't sit well with me personally, something doesn't see to be quite right that crowds are at a consistant level much above anything before, record breaking numbers, the stadium is superb for what we need it, we've had 2 seasons of Premiership football and also consistantly good seasons (in terms of league position) in the CCC, yet we face the prospect of starting the season almost with a youth team. How have we gone in 2 years from a team that was the 8th best in the country to starting with Long and Church up front for example?

I think despite the 4th position last season there is a definite 'can do better' above the club which is why Coppell left. I think being charged a consistant fair bit of money for tickets when the product on the park is getting worse is something that a lot of fans it seems aren't prepared to accept at the minute. It's not johnny come lately's either, established fans like R&A who has probably seen more RFC games than a lot of HNA combined. Unless from nowhere there are a few signings done before the start of the season, think we might be in for a bit of a shock this season.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

I think its important that people see Egoman as a bank to the club - he is not a benefactor - he hasnt put his hand in his pockets and said "here you go, and dont worry about paying it back.

As previous posts have said - he has gained a lot from his "business investments" in the club - his PR train has gathered huge momentum...but one thing is for sure...whatever he has invested in the club, he has got back with interest at a rate that shaves the base rate - all the end of year balance sheets show this.

Im not sure how other chairman operate but I am sure that a fair number of them, probably some less wealthy than ours, have put their own money into the club without expecting to get it back -our chairman doesnt operate that way

I remember when he said he had put his hands "into his own pockets" for the £1m to buy Lita - that would suggest it was a gift to the club - like hell it was, he put £1m in and probably withdrew £1.1m.

Im all for a club to be self financing, but I get sick of people who think Madejski isnt doing it to make a big buck!

[Hampshire Royal]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

yes we would, just not as we exist now, not one League club has gone out of business in the last gawd knows how long, someone would have taken it on.

Aldershot, Maidstone, Scarborough, York City, Bournemouth, Newport and others I can't actually think of at the moment. Not all of them went out of business, of course, but those that didn't were resurrected by various means. Fair play to them and I hope they all succeed. The fact remains that withoit JM's intervention, although we woyuld have existed in some form, we would not have had two years in the top division with all the expectation that brings. Let's be honest, we could be like Oxford and struggling to return to the League.

[RoyalBlue]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

yes we would, just not as we exist now, not one League club has gone out of business in the last gawd knows how long, someone would have taken it on.

Aldershot, Maidstone, Scarborough, York City, Bournemouth, Newport and others I can't actually think of at the moment. Not all of them went out of business, of course, but those that didn't were resurrected by various means. Fair play to them and I hope they all succeed. The fact remains that withoit JM's intervention, although we woyuld have existed in some form, we would not have had two years in the top division with all the expectation that brings. Let's be honest, we could be like Oxford and struggling to return to the League.

No one can categorically state that without JM's intervention we would not have had two years in the top division. Very unlikely maybe but strange things happen every day.

BTW, where was JM when Roger Smee stepped in to save us? (and I only ask that to make the followining point, for all I know JM might still have been at the EP). Without Smee's intervention there would have been a strong possibility that RFC would have ceased to have existed in its own right and therefore couldn't have ended up in the top flight.

[Sun Tzu]

Without Smee's intervention there would have been a strong possibility that RFC would have ceased to have existed in its own right and therefore couldn't have ended up in the top flight.

Although Roger's involvement was very much a sticking plaster on a severed artery type affair. He kept us limping along (just) until he ran out of funds and a richer backer could be found.

JM probably had no idea we existed when Smee took over. No reason why he'd have got involved.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Smee was in it for the long run, plans for a new ground at rivermead, 10-000 capacity if i am right, just that Smee was in property, and when that nose dived it really nosedived for many a year, Smee just went skint, but now is doing well for himself again.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89283&p=2214691

[Schards#2]

The enlightened among us were pointing out that Madejski's wish to sell and reluctance to invest would hold us back, around this time last year. Now that reality is staring them in the face, people who ridiculed this opinion last year now seem to agree

[Sun Tzu]

Smee was in it for the long run, plans for a new ground at rivermead, 10-000 capacity if i am right, just that Smee was in property, and when that nose dived it really nosedived for many a year, Smee just went skint, but now is doing well for himself again.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89283&p=2214691

Although Smee was not a rich man in the first place.

He may have had plans but there was no way it was a long term reality for him to carry them through. Part of his problems (in fact a lot of them) arose becasue he spent too much time on the club and not enough on his businesses.

As for plans for a 10k ground - what a lucky break that didn't happen !!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Smee was in it for the long run, plans for a new ground at rivermead, 10-000 capacity if i am right, just that Smee was in property, and when that nose dived it really nosedived for many a year, Smee just went skint, but now is doing well for himself again.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89283&p=2214691

Although Smee was not a rich man in the first place.

He may have had plans but there was no way it was a long term reality for him to carry them through. Part of his problems (in fact a lot of them) arose becasue he spent too much time on the club and not enough on his businesses.

As for plans for a 10k ground - what a lucky break that didn't happen !!

to be honest we would never have filled it however imagine what that riverside site would have been worth now.

[Sun Tzu]

to be honest we would never have filled it however imagine what that riverside site would have been worth now.

Was it the festival site or where the leissure centre got built ?

Imagine the traffic chaos on a midweek game !!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

leisure centre, they moved the North Reading Leisure centre when it all fell through i think, may be wrong.

[RoyalBlue]

Without Smee's intervention there would have been a strong possibility that RFC would have ceased to have existed in its own right and therefore couldn't have ended up in the top flight.

Although Roger's involvement was very much a sticking plaster on a severed artery type affair. He kept us limping along (just) until he ran out of funds and a richer backer could be found.

JM probably had no idea we existed when Smee took over. No reason why he'd have got involved.

If JM 'wanted to put something back into the community' why wouldn't he have wanted to get involved? Didn't know we existed? Where was he?!! RFC made the national news at the time, thanks to Bob Maxwell!

To describe Smee's involvement in that terminology is an incredible rewriting of history and/or a real insult to the man himself. Yes, Roy Tranter may have rallied the troops but Roger Smee and his money was the atomic bomb that ended the war in our favour! What's more he I believe he stepped in because he had a real affection for the club. I don't think he was ever in it to make a name for himself and rather than make money, his involvement seemed to cost him a small fortune both directly and indirectly - the latter in terms of taking his attention away from his own business when it perhaps needed it most.

[Sun Tzu]

Without Smee's intervention there would have been a strong possibility that RFC would have ceased to have existed in its own right and therefore couldn't have ended up in the top flight.

Although Roger's involvement was very much a sticking plaster on a severed artery type affair. He kept us limping along (just) until he ran out of funds and a richer backer could be found.

JM probably had no idea we existed when Smee took over. No reason why he'd have got involved.

If JM 'wanted to put something back into the community' why wouldn't he have wanted to get involved? Didn't know we existed? Where was he?!! RFC made the national news at the time, thanks to Bob Maxwell!

To describe Smee's involvement in that terminology is an incredible rewriting of history and/or a real insult to the man himself. Yes, Roy Tranter may have rallied the troops but Roger Smee and his money was the atomic bomb that ended the war in our favour! What's more he I believe he stepped in because he had a real affection for the club. I don't think he was ever in it to make a name for himself and rather than make money, his involvement seemed to cost him a small fortune both directly and indirectly - the latter in terms of taking his attention away from his own business when it perhaps needed it most.

I think my words are fairly accurate, Roger never had the money to do more than stop the club going out of business. That's no small achievement but it bled him dry and he simply was not equipped to take us forward. I can;t see how anything could be seen as an 'insult'.

No idea about your JM comments, funnily enough not everyone is a football fan and there are loads of people who wouldn;t take any notice of a small club in trouble. Not sure why it matters, JM came in and built on what Smee had done and the rest is history. Two important men.

[Thaumagurist*]

No idea about your JM comments, funnily enough not everyone is a football fan and there are loads of people who wouldn;t take any notice of a small club in trouble.

I don't think football was very popular in the early 80's, what with the hooliganism....

[brendywendy]

The enlightened among us were pointing out that Madejski's wish to sell and reluctance to invest would hold us back, around this time last year. Now that reality is staring them in the face, people who ridiculed this opinion last year now seem to agree

i thought we were ridiculing your dull and uninspiring stuff?

[Royal & Ancient]

Thank you Alan P. -7900+ posts takes some beating!! Well done.Can't say I've read them all.
but, back to the subject --
Interesting that Roger Smee is mentioned. The important thing about Roger is that he actually played for the Club and put his money up (or down!) so his heart was in football and the Club..Equally interesting is that some on here know something about the background politics but are too careful to be explicit! As am I. Having met quite a few millionaires in my lifetime philanthropy is not one of their natural characteristics. (Lord Nuffield being the great exception!).
In spite of all the negativity , and we have still to hear the annual message of gloom , I still feel the anticipatory thrill of the new season opening. I sincerely hope it wont be my last.

[FiNeRaIn]

I'm not concerned about whats happened at reading in the 90's, that was then. Whatever happened and whatever madejski inviested in then.. does not excuse NOW. In modern football you need to invest- sensibly. Spending sweet FA is not sensible investment-- its silly as it doesn't give your team a chance to compete.
We should be spending 5/6 million which we can EASILY and I stress EASILY afford after the last two seasons of player sales which is over 15 million. As it stands, we've spent nothing- again.
This is making a mockery of the fans money and the direction of the club. How can we be expected to chase promotion with kids who weren't good enough to play regularly last season. Its like we are southampton, serious debt forced to blood young players. None of the youth players in question have done anything as of yet. They might be good but they havent proved it and its laughable how we are automatically expecting 3/4 of them to come in and mount a promotion challenge.

I honestly can't believe the direction we have taken. I was really positive when reading were promoted and thought we were heading the right way. In truth, we've not made use of the prem money and find ourselves in the same situation as 5 years ago. The only good thing to come out of the premiership years was a bit of spotlight to raise the clubs profile( slightly) and possibly a few youth players that may have otherwise joined southampton,etc Otherwise, we are back where we started with an owner who has fulfilled his ambition and is not looking to spend the clubs money.

[Arch]

The example of Southampton is extremely instructive for those who are willing to examine it carefully.

[Snowball]

Just a small point - it would have been impossible for JM to have taken us over 3/4 years ago as we wouldn't have existed.

Anyway, carry on with the toy-throwing.

yes we would, just not as we exist now, not one League club has gone out of business in the last gawd knows how long, someone would have taken it on.

Newport County went bust in 1989. Other clubs have effectively gone bust. Leeds, Saints, Leicester... for example

[FiNeRaIn]

The example of Southampton is extremely instructive for those who are willing to examine it carefully.

The only youth player who might have a case for being a regular starter is pearce- as he has probably amassed over 30 appearances in the championship last season. Church, kanu, henry, kelly and karacan-- seriously, have a laugh, you couldn't get 15 championship appearances between them and they are going to be first team regulars in a " promotion chasing" side.