Official RFC Clownovic Day. The protest thread

[NathStPaul]

I mean, they've nearly sold 21,000 tickets, as of Tuesday, last home attendance was 10,700.

Not inconceivable, whether all 21,000 turn up is a different matter though.

Ian meant in the long term didn't he? Thats how I read it anyway.

I think the point made by Royal Box is valid to a degree. You're going to have a lot of confused casual fans walking around the stadium seeing people waving flags and protesting who will probably never return. I really am not sure this is the game to do the protest and I am even less sure about their timing of it.

Oh right, yeah I see that now. I just put 2 and 2 together (well 10 and 12...)

I won't be protesting anyway, can't get there early enough on Saturday, will probably only get there 2:45ish.

Just run into the stadium at 2:45 really angry and out of control. Do your bit.

[Hendo]

Ian meant in the long term didn't he? Thats how I read it anyway.

I think the point made by Royal Box is valid to a degree. You're going to have a lot of confused casual fans walking around the stadium seeing people waving flags and protesting who will probably never return. I really am not sure this is the game to do the protest and I am even less sure about their timing of it.

Oh right, yeah I see that now. I just put 2 and 2 together (well 10 and 12...)

I won't be protesting anyway, can't get there early enough on Saturday, will probably only get there 2:45ish.

Just run into the stadium at 2:45 really angry and out of control. Do your bit.

[linkenholtroyal]

All for a protest and now seems the right time but is there a unified message on this?

Even Give us our club back seems a bit nebulous? What does that mean? Dai get out, Dai stay but change the way the club is run? VP Out, McDermott in? Shake it all about?

'We are disatisfied with the service and will be sending a strongly worded letter to the Daily Mail' might need a few people for this banner

[TiagoIlori]

Yep. He either loses the lot, or gets a buyer and makes some of it back. He can't stop owning the club without someone buying it or the club being liquidated.

To liquidate he'd have to deliberately avoid other buyers to dissolve us himself. And then he'd still own the stadium (which he couldn't do much with) and the training ground, which he probably could.

Don’t we have to enter administration before we can liquidate? That would mean the administrators would take control of the club and would have full control over the next buyer. He already owns the training ground and the stadium has been sold on if I remember correctly. I think Dai is much more likely to sell the club and forgive the debt personally than anything else.

Pretty sure an owner can voluntarily liquidate a company. Administration is only used if there is a chance (and a want) to keep the company going. Could be wrong though.

Think it might be slightly different for football clubs as they are given more protection than the average business.

[paultheroyal]

Coventry game is not the right match for any protest. So many families and kids protesting, could scar them for life. A near on full house, strong team, a winnable game, we should get behind the team to create momentum to get the 6 wins needed to stay up. If the team fold like a pack of cards, stay behind and do your protest then or roll it forward to the next game. But for a match, celebrating 150 years, and a number of people attending for the first time, give it up!

[NathStPaul]

Coventry game is not the right match for any protest. So many families and kids protesting, could scar them for life. A near on full house, strong team, a winnable game, we should get behind the team to create momentum to get the 6 wins needed to stay up. If the team fold like a pack of cards, stay behind and do your protest then or roll it forward to the next game. But for a match, celebrating 150 years, and a number of people attending for the first time, give it up!

Scar them for life? Our supporters? You've seen our supporters, right?

I think you're being very dramatic. I don't think it is ideal to do it when there are casual supporters around but I wouldn't go as far to say it will cause long term damage to children. I would be more in favour of doing the protest after the game, it would give those not interested in it the chance to leave and not see it.

[Millsy]

When I worked for the UN in postwar Bosnia, the genocide atrocities were actually nothing to do with the mental issues we were dealing with. Most of the PTSD was traced back to protest chanting that occurred before a Sloboda Tuzla match.

[paultheroyal]

Coventry game is not the right match for any protest. So many families and kids protesting, could scar them for life. A near on full house, strong team, a winnable game, we should get behind the team to create momentum to get the 6 wins needed to stay up. If the team fold like a pack of cards, stay behind and do your protest then or roll it forward to the next game. But for a match, celebrating 150 years, and a number of people attending for the first time, give it up!

Scar them for life? Our supporters? You've seen our supporters, right?

I think you're being very dramatic. I don't think it is ideal to do it when there are casual supporters around but I wouldn't go as far to say it will cause long term damage to children. I would be more in favour of doing the protest after the game, it would give those not interested in it the chance to leave and not see it.

You know what some of our fans are like so yeah will be scarred!!

But yeah - we agree on timing - just stay behind. C1871 - back the team through the game - then make point known afterwards. Stay in your seat, chant your songs, unfurl your banners, that will get the attention. Unless we win 4:0 and it might be tempered somewhat.

[Snowflake Royal]

I am not sure if there could be a worse game to pick for protesting... A day of celebration for the clubs 150 year anniversary, with an extra 12000 fans who have no idea what they are protesting for.

In fact does anyone know what they are protesting for? Pauno out, Kia out, the board out? What is the purpose? There is no point just calling the protest we want our Reading back, when there is no definition to what that means. Whoever is organising this protest needs to have some balls and actually call out who/what they are protesting about. At the moment just feels like a half arsed attempt to copy Birmingham and Derby.

Bless, you think we're going to add 12k fans?

I mean, they've nearly sold 21,000 tickets, as of Tuesday, last home attendance was 10,700.

Not inconceivable, whether all 21,000 turn up is a different matter though.

Wonder how many were sold weeks ago.

[paultheroyal]

I am not sure if there could be a worse game to pick for protesting... A day of celebration for the clubs 150 year anniversary, with an extra 12000 fans who have no idea what they are protesting for.

In fact does anyone know what they are protesting for? Pauno out, Kia out, the board out? What is the purpose? There is no point just calling the protest we want our Reading back, when there is no definition to what that means. Whoever is organising this protest needs to have some balls and actually call out who/what they are protesting about. At the moment just feels like a half arsed attempt to copy Birmingham and Derby.

Bless, you think we're going to add 12k fans?

Do you actually support and follow this club?

[Dirk Gently]

Don’t we have to enter administration before we can liquidate? That would mean the administrators would take control of the club and would have full control over the next buyer. He already owns the training ground and the stadium has been sold on if I remember correctly. I think Dai is much more likely to sell the club and forgive the debt personally than anything else.

Pretty sure an owner can voluntarily liquidate a company. Administration is only used if there is a chance (and a want) to keep the company going. Could be wrong though.

Think it might be slightly different for football clubs as they are given more protection than the average business.

Most of the problems with modern football are that football clubs are, legally, exactly the same as any other company, and so subject to the exact same rules. Ideally they should be seen as a different type of legal entity with enhanced protections - but they don't get any extra protections - it's just that more people tend to be intereted in them than your average business.

But what it means is that the owner can effectively voluntary liquidate a company but in reality any other debtors (e.g. HMRC, the PFA etc) would ask for administrion in the hopes of getting something back. Whether the administrator thinks there's any hope of rescue depends on the financial state of the company, the level of debts, what can be sold - and the prospest of finding a buyer for the whole enterpirse.

And a lot of that will depend upon what the owner does with the debt that's been buit up owning to them. If he walks away and writes it off there's a hope, if he insists on insist on it being repaid then any rescue will be so much harder. In any post-Admin settlement, he'll have about 99% of the voting pwoer as they are proportionate to the debts owed to each creditor.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Coventry game is not the right match for any protest. So many families and kids protesting, could scar them for life. A near on full house, strong team, a winnable game, we should get behind the team to create momentum to get the 6 wins needed to stay up. If the team fold like a pack of cards, stay behind and do your protest then or roll it forward to the next game. But for a match, celebrating 150 years, and a number of people attending for the first time, give it up!

You can argue it's the best time to do it because there are the most amount of people possible at the ground for the season. But I'd agree, it's something that should be done after the game, but protestors would argue it wouldn't have the same effect as people leave the area whereas before the game people are coming to the game. But fully agree, we should be supporting the team before and during the game before any protest as I don't think it helps the players (although they undoubtedly know anyway).

I remember going to Blackpool away a few years ago now and they were protesting in numbers after the game when it was 1-1. Stood there watching a group of 50-100 people outside the ground shouting up towards Oyston's office who was just starring down at them as they were launching eggs towards his window. He didn't really seem fazed and just closed the blinds.

[NathStPaul]

It wouldn't appear there is anyone actually leading the protest, there needs to be a singular voice with the fan groups behind them. I have seen so many mixed messages today on Twitter and it will just end up confusing supporters to the point where they don't bother.

Come up with a plan
Stick to the plan
Sing from the same hymn sheet

[Millsy]

Agreed.

Is this going to be a general mishmash of some people being unhappy about different things?

Why is getreading reporting this as being a protest against the Ownership?

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

PAUNO OUT.

[Dirk Gently]

It wouldn't appear there is anyone actually leading the protest, there needs to be a singular voice with the fan groups behind them. I have seen so many mixed messages today on Twitter and it will just end up confusing supporters to the point where they don't bother.

Come up with a plan
Stick to the plan
Sing from the same hymn sheet

'Zactly.

And you wonder how many of the "protests" are seriously intended, and how many are "look at me making waves on social media."

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Agreed.

Is this going to be a general mishmash of some people being unhappy about different things?

Why is getreading reporting this as being a protest against the Ownership?

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

PAUNO OUT.

I don't really think it's sensible to protest outside the ground about the manager really.

[Elm Park Kid]

"Are you the 'Save Our Reading FC' protest group?"

"F*ck off! We're the 'Reading FC Needs Saving' protest group!"

"Wait. I thought we were the 'Save Reading FC Now' protest group?"

[Dirk Gently]

"Are you the 'Save Our Reading FC' protest group?"

"F*ck off! We're the 'Reading FC Needs Saving' protest group!"

"Wait. I thought we were the 'Save Reading FC Now' protest group?"

SPLITTERS!!!!!!!

[Pepe the Horseman]

Be interested to see what happens if we beat Bristol City (unlikely I know). Obviously problems run a lot deeper than one result, but suddenly we'll have a bit of hope to add to the step-in-the-right-direction of binning off the high earners, and people might not feel like protesting any more.

[Orion1871]

Coventry game is not the right match for any protest. So many families and kids protesting, could scar them for life. A near on full house, strong team, a winnable game, we should get behind the team to create momentum to get the 6 wins needed to stay up. If the team fold like a pack of cards, stay behind and do your protest then or roll it forward to the next game. But for a match, celebrating 150 years, and a number of people attending for the first time, give it up!

Watching this team will scar them for life anyway.