Embargos, HMRC Payment defaults, non payment of wages, the usual under Dai Wrongge

[WestYorksRoyal]

It might be that we got rid of the two most underperforming members of the coaching team. Bowen may have been told that we needed to cut costs and between him and Selles, they moved on the worst ones. That's what a well-run club would do though.

EN was head of player development rather than a coach per se. I think he had responsibility for the individual professional development plans for each player incl. any loans while they are at the club which is apparently a "big" thing to have when persuading younger players to join or bigger clubs to loan in players.

He was basically Bowen’s mate. Helping out where he could generally I suspect

Shame to lose him and do wonder what Bowen thinks about it.

I get the impression that Bowen is torn between fury at the situation and a desire to help the club out of it. Presumably at some point he'll realise his efforts are futile and resign.

[blythspartan]

I have given up speculating about the club’s future. Personally, I think we’re well and truly oxf*rd, and I have underestimated just how bad things are.

I see this as cutting our cloth accordingly and I can see several players leaving before the end of the January window. We certainly won’t be making any additions to the squad this month.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this news affects performance on the pitch as it’s a horrible situation all round. Also, there are probably more points deductions on the way which will affect morale.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

It might be that we got rid of the two most underperforming members of the coaching team. Bowen may have been told that we needed to cut costs and between him and Selles, they moved on the worst ones. That's what a well-run club would do though.

EN was head of player development rather than a coach per se. I think he had responsibility for the individual professional development plans for each player incl. any loans while they are at the club which is apparently a "big" thing to have when persuading younger players to join or bigger clubs to loan in players.

He was basically Bowen’s mate. Helping out where he could generally I suspect

Shame to lose him and do wonder what Bowen thinks about it.

Not sure he was Bowen's mate, been involved on and off with the club for decades, had a spell as caretaker manager when Porterfield was sacked and that's early 1990's

[Snowflake Royal]

Selles next?

No.

[Snowflake Royal]

I maintain we'll be kicked out the league before the start of next season because Dai is banned from owning the club and refuses to sell.

[Royal_jimmy]

Can we just have another march to the stadium and then get our next game v Port Vale abandoned?

Tennis balls aren't enough, it's getting pretty serious now and we need to step these protests up.

I'll take relegation now if it guarantees that pcunt pissing back off to China and never stepping foot in Berkshire again.

[Royal_jimmy]

I maintain we'll be kicked out the league before the start of next season because Dai is banned from owning the club and refuses to sell.

Probably

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Can we just have another march to the stadium and then get our next game v Port Vale abandoned?

Tennis balls aren't enough, it's getting pretty serious now and we need to step these protests up.

I'll take relegation now if it guarantees that pcunt pissing back off to China and never stepping foot in Berkshire again.

When was he last in Berks?

[yuomi]

Hadn't EN recently been getting much more involved with first team, and in particular match day, squads? Or did I dream someone linking that to our up turn in form in December? If he was then things really must be getting desperate and it'll be (even) more disruption for a squad that's already talking publicly about how the reality doesn't match up to what they were sold.

It's all starting to seem like we might be completely oxf*rd.

[Ascotexgunner]

Hadn't EN recently been getting much more involved with first team, and in particular match day, squads? Or did I dream someone linking that to our up turn in form in December? If he was then things really must be getting desperate and it'll be (even) more disruption for a squad that's already talking publicly about how the reality doesn't match up to what they were sold.

It's all starting to seem like we might be completely oxf*rd.

I'm more and more starting to believe we will be a League 2 club and in administration. Question is how do we survive with the cost of our overheads.

[The Royal Forester]

Can we just have another march to the stadium and then get our next game v Port Vale abandoned?

Tennis balls aren't enough, it's getting pretty serious now and we need to step these protests up.

I'll take relegation now if it guarantees that pcunt pissing back off to China and never stepping foot in Berkshire again.

Trouble is, the first two options will make Dai dig his heels in even further. I am convinced that the reason why the sale seems to have stalled is because of his "I'll teach 'em to make me look a fool" attitude. He is just letting our club sink without trace just because his ego/reputation has been damaged. I can't see any way out of this stalemate, other than the club being thrown out of the League before August, as he will not prove we have the finances to see us through next season.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

[Ascotexgunner]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

I think he wants to keep the assets (stadium/Bearwood/land)and just sell the club in name and what's left.
Noone will buy that.

[The Royal Forester]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

Because when there is no Reading FC, he will say (smugly to himself, or to his mates) "Those supporters now know not to cross me". He doesn't give a damn about our club or us supporters.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

Because when there is no Reading FC, he will say (smugly to himself, or to his mates) "Those supporters now know not to cross me". He doesn't give a damn about our club or us supporters.

Sorry to be naive if he owns the ground, Bearwood etc and the club folds can he then sell those assets or build houses on them etc?

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

I think he wants to keep the assets (stadium/Bearwood/land)and just sell the club in name and what's left.
Noone will buy that.

That’s true no one will be interested in that especially as we are a league one (maybe two) basket case

[Orion1871]

I still don’t really get why he is bothering why not just sell up and forget the club

Because when there is no Reading FC, he will say (smugly to himself, or to his mates) "Those supporters now know not to cross me". He doesn't give a damn about our club or us supporters.

Perhaps he should remember we know where his house is and his favourite Casino too.

[tmesis]

I maintain we'll be kicked out the league before the start of next season because Dai is banned from owning the club and refuses to sell.

I'm not sure the league can do that.

If we go down, they'd probably hit us with a fine and points deduction, and wait for the fire sale to leave us dropping out of the league, where it ceases to be their problem.

The other option is something like with Bury, where they say he has to provide proof we can complete the season, or get kicked out.

[Stranded]

So I decided to take a quick look at a few other L1 clubs and the coaches named on their Who's who? Page.

I looked at 5 or 6 clubs of different sizes and in terms of named coaches for first team, we are listing, on average 2 or 3 more coaches. Bolton were an anomaly but they list their Strengthening Coaches.

Until yesterday we had an Assistant Manager, Lead 1st Team coach & 1St team technical coach (and other key roles like GK coach). One could argue that no L1 club needs or should have those 3 roles. In fact no-one else does. Most have an assistant manager & maybe one more coach listed. Often the 2nd first team coach doubles up as an Academy coach.

No club I looked at had anyone named doing EN's role.

So whilst it stinks, it could be argued that the club are just bringing their staffing down to a L1, which given we will be L1 next year too (at best) does make a form of sense and naturally brings the expenditure levels down further.

[East Grinstead Royal]

BBC report once again states that we have had ten points deducted this season. They have stated this so many times, I am starting to believe it.