Points Deduction Incoming!

[Gunny Fishcake]

There but the grace of god for many other teams..... football has become a cesspit of greed, corruption and a money laundering haven for many unaccountable so called owners.

You don't need to be a genius to work out if your outgoings are more than your income you're fcuked.

We're no different to Barcelona where their wages far exceed their income, their debt is just much bigger.

Obscene wages and corrupt agents have killed the game.

Anybody who works in business knows that the due diligence when acquiring or taking over businesses is exhausting with huge attention to detail

This clearly doesn't apply to football based on the countless corrupt criminals who have been able to buy football clubs

So imho football as we used to know it is gone and now totally fcuked from top to bottom, RIP

[Simmops]

Think his first one is dedicated to the success or failure of Club1871 - cant wait to hear that one as still waiting on views.

Still rent free in your head I see?

Club 1871 Is a widely regarded failure and the Club are actively looking to get get. No coincidence since it was introduced we have now received a points deduction possibly and have gone through money issues

Amazing insight. Club 1891 caused financial mismanagement.

Has anybody seen the accounts and finances?

[Snowflake Royal]

The silence from the club is very poor. Nothing when we were going through the player embargo. Nothing now. Really not good enough. As fans we are just left in the dark.

I guess they know about as much as we do and are waiting for the full judgement from the EFL before coming out and fronting it up. I think there should be some sort of dialogue though, at least something addressing the supporters concerns.

I’d like to hear from the owner reaffirming his commitment to the club.

I'd like to hear from the owner announcing we're up for sale.

[Zip]

I guess they know about as much as we do and are waiting for the full judgement from the EFL before coming out and fronting it up. I think there should be some sort of dialogue though, at least something addressing the supporters concerns.

I’d like to hear from the owner reaffirming his commitment to the club.

I'd like to hear from the owner announcing we're up for sale.

I don’t think there would be many offers mate. I’m surprised at the level of positivity towards our owners right now. Didn’t they appoint Gourlay? We have managed to go 150 years without a points deduction until now it seems.

[NathStPaul]

I’d like to hear from the owner reaffirming his commitment to the club.

I'd like to hear from the owner announcing we're up for sale.

I don’t think there would be many offers mate. I’m surprised at the level of positivity towards our owners right now. Didn’t they appoint Gourlay? We have managed to go 150 years without a points deduction until now it seems.

If you add in the training complex to the mix it would take a huge amount to buy us. We aren't in administration, a potential buyer wouldn't get us on the cheap. I guess we could be taken over by a wealthy Middle Eastern group but why would they choose us?

[Norfolk Royal]

There is an upside to all this, admittedly not to everyone's taste I expect.

Say we miss out on the play offs or promotion by six or nine points, whatever it may be.

It then feeds into the 'What do I know, I support Reading' 'Nobody cares about us, we don't care,' narrative.

I'd quite happily add that to the myriad other injustices both personal and in the wider community, that I carry around every day.

The strength of a club or person only becomes apparent in adversity and the subsequent ability to bounce back.

[Franchise FC]

There but the grace of god for many other teams..... football has become a cesspit of greed, corruption and a money laundering haven for many unaccountable so called owners.

You don't need to be a genius to work out if your outgoings are more than your income you're fcuked.

We're no different to Barcelona where their wages far exceed their income, their debt is just much bigger.

Obscene wages and corrupt agents have killed the game.

Anybody who works in business knows that the due diligence when acquiring or taking over businesses is exhausting with huge attention to detail

This clearly doesn't apply to football based on the countless corrupt criminals who have been able to buy football clubs

So imho football as we used to know it is gone and now totally fcuked from top to bottom, RIP

The buyer, save for the funds to complete, are almost never the subject of due diligence in mergers and acquisitions.
The only time they’re fully investigated is when they themselves are arranging funding and the lender will do it’s own due diligence.
The detail you’ve referred to is investigating the business being acquired.

[Simmops]

There is an upside to all this, admittedly not to everyone's taste I expect.

Say we miss out on the play offs or promotion by six or nine points, whatever it may be.

It then feeds into the 'What do I know, I support Reading' 'Nobody cares about us, we don't care,' narrative.

I'd quite happily add that to the myriad other injustices both personal and in the wider community, that I carry around every day.

The strength of a club or person only becomes apparent in adversity and the subsequent ability to bounce back.

[Hound]

I guess they know about as much as we do and are waiting for the full judgement from the EFL before coming out and fronting it up. I think there should be some sort of dialogue though, at least something addressing the supporters concerns.

I’d like to hear from the owner reaffirming his commitment to the club.

I'd like to hear from the owner announcing we're up for sale.

Aren’t we basically always for sale? Anyone can come in and make an offer

On the other hand if the owners suddenly say we want rid, we could be in all sorts of shit really

[paultheroyal]

Imagine the meltdown from clubs when we only get 6 point deduction - particularly after a win this weekend.

[paultheroyal]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

[Zip]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

That accounts for the staggering ineptness in 2017 and contract extensions which have been a noose around the neck of the club but it isn’t just Gourlay. We spent big in 2019 on Joao and Puscas and eventually also bought Ejaria. They will all be on good money as will Rafael. We have also been hopeless at cashing in on players.

So Gourlay is a big part of this but by no means the only reason we are in such a mess.

[NathStPaul]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

[Dirk Gently]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

I read it that they knowingly ignored the FFP rules secure in the knowledge that if they went up then there'd be no significant penalty against them - or at least until the came back down, which they probably wern't thinking about.

If the gamble had worked - as it did for Bournemouth plus many other clubs in the past - then all would have been ok. But the gamble didn't come off - and now they're paying the penalty.

[Nameless]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

I read it that they knowingly ignored the FFP rules secure in the knowledge that if they went up then there'd be no significant penalty against them - or at least until the came back down, which they probably wern't thinking about.

If the gamble had worked - as it did for Bournemouth plus many other clubs in the past - then all would have been ok. But the gamble didn't come off - and now they're paying the penalty.

Out of interest, where did you read it ?
It's probably so obvious it needs no back up as you can't over spend so much by mistake !
Any idea why Bournemouth seem to have got away with it ? Either they did overspend and it's been ignored or they didn't and therefore haven't got away with it !

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

I read it that they knowingly ignored the FFP rules secure in the knowledge that if they went up then there'd be no significant penalty against them - or at least until the came back down, which they probably wern't thinking about.

If the gamble had worked - as it did for Bournemouth plus many other clubs in the past - then all would have been ok. But the gamble didn't come off - and now they're paying the penalty.

Bournemouth have now been down for 2 seasons and not a penalty in sight. Why did QPR get a penalty and not them?

[Dirk Gently]

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

I read it that they knowingly ignored the FFP rules secure in the knowledge that if they went up then there'd be no significant penalty against them - or at least until the came back down, which they probably wern't thinking about.

If the gamble had worked - as it did for Bournemouth plus many other clubs in the past - then all would have been ok. But the gamble didn't come off - and now they're paying the penalty.

Out of interest, where did you read it ?
It's probably so obvious it needs no back up as you can't over spend so much by mistake !
Any idea why Bournemouth seem to have got away with it ? Either they did overspend and it's been ignored or they didn't and therefore haven't got away with it !

Sorry, I meant that's "my reading of it."

As for Bournemouth, once they'd gone up all the EFL can do is fine them as the PL won't agree to points deductions in *their* competition from another competition organiser. I was wrong that there might be something retrospective after relegation - in the case of Bournemouth: https://talksport.com/football/395272/afc-bournemouth-fine-financial-fair-play/

£4.75M is a drop in the ocean if you're now on PL money - that's the crucial flaw in the system that makes thsi whole gamblw worth chasing.

[Dirk Gently]

Bournemouth have now been down for 2 seasons and not a penalty in sight. Why did QPR get a penalty and not them?

Just checked and they paid a £4.75M fine to the EFL in 2018.

https://talksport.com/football/395272/afc-bournemouth-fine-financial-fair-play/

[Notts Royal]

So, in summary - is this all at the door of Ron Gourlay, was it the excessive contracts during his tenure that was the downfall.

Owners naïve etc but Gourlay was the one?

I think the owners wanted Premier League football, saw someone in Gourlay who has run clubs at that level and spoke to him, Gourlay then fed them a load of BS which they bought hook, line and sinker, Gourlay gained full financial control and made some horrendous business decisions, the owners realised this and got rid of him at the same time realising the only way out of the financial mess was promotion so kept spending.

Gourlay played them because he knew he could, took advantage of their naivety.

Just my opinion.

I read it that they knowingly ignored the FFP rules secure in the knowledge that if they went up then there'd be no significant penalty against them - or at least until the came back down, which they probably wern't thinking about.

If the gamble had worked - as it did for Bournemouth plus many other clubs in the past - then all would have been ok. But the gamble didn't come off - and now they're paying the penalty.

Well quite. Bit foolish to expect a club on a downward trajectory to just get promoted like that, especially in 2019 when we’d had several poor years prior to that summer.

Bournemouth were a club on the up & only required a few decent signings to get up.

[Orion1871]

Annoying as this is we have to remember rules and punishments like this are ultimately here to protect us.

When cops stopped me years ago for not having my safety belt on I thanked them.

Unless of course we think this is some sort of scheme to keep the elite and the up-and-coming clubs forever separate. But I don't think so.

Rather this than some dodgy owner completely bankrupts us.

“We don’t want too many Leicester Citys.”

These were the words spoken by a senior figure from the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs, in the kind of high-end London hotel you can easily imagine.

“Football history suggests fans like big teams winning,” the official continued, to the group of business people and media figures present.

“A certain amount of unpredictability is good, but a more democratic league would be bad for business.”