JM is confident we'll stay up

[Wycombe Royal]

Isn't there something stopping clubs from offering bonuses "outside" of the regular contracts of players? I though it was in place to stop the mega rich club owners from using money to incentivise their players during tight title races and relegation fights.

There are ways round that, like the practice among Welsh rugby clubs in the pre-professional days of a tenner in the player's boot on each match day - well, make that a grand or two for today's underpaid footballers.

I do remember a club getting found out for doing something like that and they got charged. Not sure what the outcome was.

[Wycombe Royal]

Isn't there something stopping clubs from offering bonuses "outside" of the regular contracts of players? I though it was in place to stop the mega rich club owners from using money to incentivise their players during tight title races and relegation fights.

As I understand it they already have win bonus arrangements in the contracts so all that is needed is to increase the rate.

But to do that you would need to get all the players to sign new contracts. I really can't see the club doing that can you?

[North Somerset Royal]

Isn't there something stopping clubs from offering bonuses "outside" of the regular contracts of players? I though it was in place to stop the mega rich club owners from using money to incentivise their players during tight title races and relegation fights.

As I understand it they already have win bonus arrangements in the contracts so all that is needed is to increase the rate.

But to do that you would need to get all the players to sign new contracts. I really can't see the club doing that can you?

No but it does not have to be cash. When we got promoted JM paid for all the players and families to go abroad for example. Also I know that whatever the legality cash has been paid in the past.

[WestCoast Life]

Isn't there something stopping clubs from offering bonuses "outside" of the regular contracts of players? I though it was in place to stop the mega rich club owners from using money to incentivise their players during tight title races and relegation fights.

There are ways round that, like the practice among Welsh rugby clubs in the pre-professional days of a tenner in the player's boot on each match day - well, make that a grand or two for today's underpaid footballers.

I do remember a club getting found out for doing something like that and they got charged. Not sure what the outcome was.

Boston ?

[RoyalBlue]

ALOL at the bit where he urges the fans to create a seige mentality.

Having been starved of much needed additional supplies, I believe the siege mentality has already been created - only it is RFC that is besieged!

As for the players courage etc:

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

[Wycombe Royal]

As I understand it they already have win bonus arrangements in the contracts so all that is needed is to increase the rate.

But to do that you would need to get all the players to sign new contracts. I really can't see the club doing that can you?

No but it does not have to be cash. When we got promoted JM paid for all the players and families to go abroad for example. Also I know that whatever the legality cash has been paid in the past.

On the amount they earn I doubt a holiday would be much of an incentive. And because something has been done in the past it doesn't make it right.

[North Somerset Royal]

Very true WR

[Dirk Gently]

Isn't there something stopping clubs from offering bonuses "outside" of the regular contracts of players? I though it was in place to stop the mega rich club owners from using money to incentivise their players during tight title races and relegation fights.

As I understand it they already have win bonus arrangements in the contracts so all that is needed is to increase the rate.

But to do that you would need to get all the players to sign new contracts. I really can't see the club doing that can you?

Quite apart from that, does anyone think the problem is the players not trying hard enough? I don't, so increasing bonuses won't make a difference.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

maybe this is the shot in the arm, or the kick up the ar*e to make Madejski realise that no longer can he realistically believe that the squad from years back can sustain their position year on year -

All hes doing is investing PART of the the interest he makes on gate receipts, sponsorship and tv revenues - he's not actually making any contribution but boy is he loving the bank balance

We need a chairman who wants their team to succeed and show ambition - not survive! What happens when you continually try to survive - you'll soon end up dead!

[Get Carter]

I think Mr Mad thought Bully/Burns would keep us up

[Victor Meldrew]

"I know that our players possess the right mentality to get themselves out of trouble...."
"We have seen time and time again that the players are fighters....."
Did he not go to the Bolton game?

These players have never had to fight before,it has been up,up,up but recently with us on the slide I haven't seen the signs that our players are the warriors that JM has spoken about.
Does anyone believe that fighters like Oster and Convey are going to see us through?
There are 3 old dears over 90 that I have just seen in a hospital ward with more fight in them than those two.
Bikey-he can fight as shown just now in Ghana.

I suppose the chairman had to say something-chairmen of public limited companies always say something when results are poor so it is reasonable to expect a chairman of a private limited company to say something when our results are poor.
At least he didn't ask his serfs to rally round the flag because it would be embarrassing for him and his newbie showbiz friends Cilla,Dawn & Jennifer to have to watch Swansea,Blackpool and Burnley next season-those clubs don't have the same ring about them as Liverpool,Man Utd and Arsenal do they?
Mind you with the Sky money that he has kept for himself he can still say to them "I'm considerably richer than yow".

[Chuckle Brother]

maybe this is the shot in the arm, or the kick up the ar*e to make Madejski realise that no longer can he realistically believe that the squad from years back can sustain their position year on year -

All hes doing is investing PART of the the interest he makes on gate receipts, sponsorship and tv revenues - he's not actually making any contribution but boy is he loving the bank balance

We need a chairman who wants their team to succeed and show ambition - not survive! What happens when you continually try to survive - you'll soon end up dead!

So do we not believe that funds were available both last summer and in January then ? And the party line that Coppell chose not to spend the money and/or couldn't find or attract the right players to spend it on ?

[The Quiet Man]

I would suspect there may have been £4-5 million available for a transfer given our past bids, whether the wages budget would reflect the needs of say an established premier league player I would doubt. The impact of half the squad knocking on the door demanding rises could be destabilising and I do believe there is a fixed wage structure that Mr Howe and Mr Hammond operate from JM that would be more restrictive than any transfer amount we may decide to bid.

Thanks particularly to Mr Bruce and Mr Keane a decent championship player under contract now costs between £3-6 million (look at the Marlon King fiasco) with no real guarantee that they will make the grade (£6 million for Nugent and he has done very little this season).

RFC as a club are really reduced to up and coming championship/lower league players or cheaper African players from France where there is a large market of hungry players looking for success or Eastern European players who don't get paid much. The trouble with these players as with the championship ones is that there is a higher risk that they will take longer to settle in and in the end may not make the step up.

The RFC business strategy is to buy cheap and reasonably young and hope they gain in value and can adapt to premier league football with the option to sell.

You could of course say why doesn't JM kick start the process with say £20 million and get some players in but the difficulty would be sustaining the wages and in the end you may not be greatly above where we are now (see Wigan).

[Vision]

I would suspect there may have been £4-5 million available for a transfer given our past bids, whether the wages budget would reflect the needs of say an established premier league player I would doubt. The impact of half the squad knocking on the door demanding rises could be destabilising and I do believe there is a fixed wage structure that Mr Howe and Mr Hammond operate from JM that would be more restrictive than any transfer amount we may decide to bid.

Thanks particularly to Mr Bruce and Mr Keane a decent championship player under contract now costs between £3-6 million (look at the Marlon King fiasco) with no real guarantee that they will make the grade (£6 million for Nugent and he has done very little this season).

RFC as a club are really reduced to up and coming championship/lower league players or cheaper African players from France where there is a large market of hungry players looking for success or Eastern European players who don't get paid much. The trouble with these players as with the championship ones is that there is a higher risk that they will take longer to settle in and in the end may not make the step up.

The RFC business strategy is to buy cheap and reasonably young and hope they gain in value and can adapt to premier league football with the option to sell.

You could of course say why doesn't JM kick start the process with say £20 million and get some players in but the difficulty would be sustaining the wages and in the end you may not be greatly above where we are now (see Wigan).

Top post.

Transfer fees are not really that much of an issue in my opinion but fitting their wage demands withing the current framework not only scares JM to death from a financial aspect but also goes against Coppell's philosophy of squad harmony and togetherness. We wont pay the necessary wages to bring in major signings that "might" give us an instant improvement and even if we were prepared to do so, i dont think Coppell would want to.

We do generally buy young and up and coming players who represent good value for money but this isn't solely a financial perogative in my opinion. If it was we could have cashed in on the likes of Sidwell, Shorey, Lita and Hunt who were all the subject of substantial interest (bids?) in recent times. As well as the fact that JM wants to reap the rewards of 16 years of investment, its perhaps more relevent that Coppell doesn't actually want to work with supposedly "readymade" players but is happier and more comfortable with players he believes he can improve and mould into something better.

For this season that might well prove to be our downfall but for the overall health and future of Reading FC i believe its the only sensible way for a club of our size to operate given the strengths and personalities of those we have in charge at this time.

[Victor Meldrew]

I would suspect there may have been £4-5 million available for a transfer given our past bids, whether the wages budget would reflect the needs of say an established premier league player I would doubt. The impact of half the squad knocking on the door demanding rises could be destabilising and I do believe there is a fixed wage structure that Mr Howe and Mr Hammond operate from JM that would be more restrictive than any transfer amount we may decide to bid.

Thanks particularly to Mr Bruce and Mr Keane a decent championship player under contract now costs between £3-6 million (look at the Marlon King fiasco) with no real guarantee that they will make the grade (£6 million for Nugent and he has done very little this season).

RFC as a club are really reduced to up and coming championship/lower league players or cheaper African players from France where there is a large market of hungry players looking for success or Eastern European players who don't get paid much. The trouble with these players as with the championship ones is that there is a higher risk that they will take longer to settle in and in the end may not make the step up.

The RFC business strategy is to buy cheap and reasonably young and hope they gain in value and can adapt to premier league football with the option to sell.

You could of course say why doesn't JM kick start the process with say £20 million and get some players in but the difficulty would be sustaining the wages and in the end you may not be greatly above where we are now (see Wigan).

Top post.

Transfer fees are not really that much of an issue in my opinion but fitting their wage demands withing the current framework not only scares JM to death from a financial aspect but also goes against Coppell's philosophy of squad harmony and togetherness. We wont pay the necessary wages to bring in major signings that "might" give us an instant improvement and even if we were prepared to do so, i dont think Coppell would want to.

We do generally buy young and up and coming players who represent good value for money but this isn't solely a financial perogative in my opinion. If it was we could have cashed in on the likes of Sidwell, Shorey, Lita and Hunt who were all the subject of substantial interest (bids?) in recent times. As well as the fact that JM wants to reap the rewards of 16 years of investment, its perhaps more relevent that Coppell doesn't actually want to work with supposedly "readymade" players but is happier and more comfortable with players he believes he can improve and mould into something better.

For this season that might well prove to be our downfall but for the overall health and future of Reading FC i believe its the only sensible way for a club of our size to operate given the strengths and personalities of those we have in charge at this time.

It might also make sense to set up an Academy that casts it net (not necessarily far and wide) to capture any potential players for the future that might otherwise go to Southampton,QPR or Chelsea etc.especially now that we have some pedigree (albeit possibly brief) as a Premiership club.
Perhaps the chairman could be persuaded to invest in such a novel idea.

[Get Carter]

just seen Mr Mad on tv - the expansion of the stadium is likely to be put on hold - it was going to cost £35m - surely half of that invested in quality players would have meant we would be in the premiership next season and then the expansion could have gone ahead. When you are an established team, you can expand, as Hammond keeps telling us - I think their priorities were round the wrong way.

[The whole year inn]

just seen Mr Mad on tv - the expansion of the stadium is likely to be put on hold

No shit

30k are not going to turn up to watch Carlisle/Scunny et al are they?

[papereyes]

Part of me hopes its not true but another part LOLs at the inevitability.

[IMAMATEOFJOVSKY]

so now he's going to be even richer - £35million parachute payment for the chairman himself - still lets not be too assuming and lets see if that £35m saved is put to good use next season - btw , don't hold your breath on that one

[Northern Git]

just seen Mr Mad on tv - the expansion of the stadium is likely to be put on hold - it was going to cost £35m - surely half of that invested in quality players would have meant we would be in the premiership next season and then the expansion could have gone ahead. When you are an established team, you can expand, as Hammond keeps telling us - I think their priorities were round the wrong way.

Another set of creative figures from our chairman. What happened to 12 million cost of a year ago? Bloke always inflates / deflates figures as it suits him