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

[Hound]

Isn’t it 12:00 Friday the deadline? Think that normally is for signings

I hope so, though where Dai gets the cash from if he can't get it out of China is gonna be a worry. Could he borrow against the club and pile more debt on us?

Was thinking back a few years - when Dai bought us originally, didn’t he fund the purchase of Ilori before he actually took us over?

Think that’s prob the kind of thing they are looking for now - an investor to put a couple of million up front quickly and then a larger sum further down the line

[WestYorksRoyal]

Isn’t it 12:00 Friday the deadline? Think that normally is for signings

I hope so, though where Dai gets the cash from if he can't get it out of China is gonna be a worry. Could he borrow against the club and pile more debt on us?

Was thinking back a few years - when Dai bought us originally, didn’t he fund the purchase of Ilori before he actually took us over?

Think that’s prob the kind of thing they are looking for now - an investor to put a couple of million up front quickly and then a larger sum further down the line

AZ put in the cash for Roberts too. We must desperately hope it's close. Sounds like we have concrete interest doing due diligence which is encouraging. I don't know what they could uncover that would put them off at this stage, given we're a well documented crisis club.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Why would anyone want to put good money into RFC.?

[From Despair To Where?]

My over riding memory of Roberts was how people started to accuse him of stealing a living from us because he did a bit of punditry work whilst injured.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Why would anyone want to put good money into RFC.?

I'll bite if this is fishing.

Good infrastructure with the stadium and facilities. Recent success. Large catchment area near London. Footballing staff under Bowen's lead who seem competent when the owner is not causing chaos. We're a great opportunity. Undervalued due to Dai's shitshow with a clear route to increasing our value. Bargain opportunity I'd suggest.

[From Despair To Where?]

We're a bit of a fixer upper though, aren't we? Need a fair bit up front to sort out fundamental problems and without 2 promotions, we will very quickly turn into a money pit. The problem with having elite facilities is that they only pay for themselves if you're playing at an elite level.

Even if you get the club for, say £30m, you're looking at a spend of £100m before you have a sniff of a chance of seeing a return.

[Hound]

Probably won’t be ‘good’ money either. Be from some dodgy source or loan knowing football nowadays

[WestYorksRoyal]

We're a bit of a fixer upper though, aren't we? Need a fair bit up front to sort out fundamental problems and without 2 promotions, we will very quickly turn into a money pit. The problem with having elite facilities is that they only pay for themselves if you're playing at an elite level.

It's true. We're worth more in the Championship than L1, but equally the Championship is just a bottomless pit of losses. Millwall and Preston are often held up as well run clubs with outside chances of promotion, but pretty sure they run up losses, and they are unlikely to ever make the jump to promotion. Even if you're willing to put in £5m - £10m every year within FFP, it's unlikely to be enough unless you have some sort of differentiator (our academy?).

But even with those limitations, a buyer could invest sensibly, get us holding our own in the Championship and then sell to a sucker who thinks they can bankroll us to the PL. And then rinse and repeat the last 6 years.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Our owner Mr Dai Yongge remains fully committed to the club

Well, that's all I needed to hear. Sorry for ever doubting you, our glorious overlord.

+1. I bet his critics feel pretty silly now.

[Ascotexgunner]

I hope so, though where Dai gets the cash from if he can't get it out of China is gonna be a worry. Could he borrow against the club and pile more debt on us?

Was thinking back a few years - when Dai bought us originally, didn’t he fund the purchase of Ilori before he actually took us over?

Think that’s prob the kind of thing they are looking for now - an investor to put a couple of million up front quickly and then a larger sum further down the line

AZ put in the cash for Roberts too. We must desperately hope it's close. Sounds like we have concrete interest doing due diligence which is encouraging. I don't know what they could uncover that would put them off at this stage, given we're a well documented crisis club.

Dai will be on the phone to Wonga at 11:30 Friday.

[Elm Park Kid]

We're a bit of a fixer upper though, aren't we? Need a fair bit up front to sort out fundamental problems and without 2 promotions, we will very quickly turn into a money pit. The problem with having elite facilities is that they only pay for themselves if you're playing at an elite level.

Even if you get the club for, say £30m, you're looking at a spend of £100m before you have a sniff of a chance of seeing a return.

Well, FFP limits loses to £39m over 3 seasons, so they're going to struggle to spend £100m.

[From Despair To Where?]

We're a bit of a fixer upper though, aren't we? Need a fair bit up front to sort out fundamental problems and without 2 promotions, we will very quickly turn into a money pit. The problem with having elite facilities is that they only pay for themselves if you're playing at an elite level.

Even if you get the club for, say £30m, you're looking at a spend of £100m before you have a sniff of a chance of seeing a return.

Well, FFP limits loses to £39m over 3 seasons, so they're going to struggle to spend £100m.

Well, £30m to buy the club, plus however much it costs to sort this shit out and get us out of league 1, plus the cost of stuff like the Academy which isn't included in FFP calculations plus the likelihood of it taking 5+ years to get to the Premier League at £13m a season in the Championship, then yes it would take an investment of £100m+ to have any hope of a return, which realistically would only come with EPL TV money and even then we'd have to invest a big chunk of that to have any hope of being competative.

I guess they could try to sell to someone with bigger pockets but we'd struggle to be valued at £100m even in the Premier League.

[Snowflake Royal]

My over riding memory of Roberts was how people started to accuse him of stealing a living from us because he did a bit of punditry work whilst injured.

I think it was more enforcing a contract extension while injured at the end of his career and using the downtime from the injury to do punditry instead of playing or retiring.

[Stranded]

Isn't it so good of Dai to pay for the PAYE, 2 weeks late and only about 2 weeks before he defaults again - leaving the footballing side of the business to try and reinforce the squad with X players, in that 2 week window and hope the EFL registers everybody before the next embargo.

[Hound]

He hasn’t paid it yet. Save your warm praise for then

[From Despair To Where?]

My over riding memory of Roberts was how people started to accuse him of stealing a living from us because he did a bit of punditry work whilst injured.

I think it was more enforcing a contract extension while injured at the end of his career and using the downtime from the injury to do punditry instead of playing or retiring.

If he thought he had a chance of recovering, then I don't see what the issue was. I also saw no issue with him doing punditry whilst he's out injured. Lots of players do it.

I mean, the extension was there in his contract.

[Sutekh]

A decent video (link below) by a fan from a few days ago telling of what various players had said to him after the Swansea game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0XZL3KVBWs

Biggest point made by the players is support the team during each 90 minutes esp. as there will be a lot of youngsters stepping up for their first forays into proper professional football.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

A decent video (link below) by a fan from a few days ago telling of what various players had said to him after the Swansea game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0XZL3KVBWs

Biggest point made by the players is support the team during each 90 minutes esp. as there will be a lot of youngsters stepping up for their first forays into proper professional football.

Sounds like a right old mess

And also doesn’t sound very positive about savage unfortunately such a shame he would have been so good here

[Hound]

Realised how all consuming this mess is at Reading. Barely even looked at any other football related news this summer, could barely tell anyone who has been transferred in the PL etc

I certainly wouldn’t call myself a hardcore fan and still find it exhausting

[WestYorksRoyal]

Realised how all consuming this mess is at Reading. Barely even looked at any other football related news this summer, could barely tell anyone who has been transferred in the PL etc

I certainly wouldn’t call myself a hardcore fan and still find it exhausting

I've barely noticed that the season starts in 2 days. But then, I can't remember when we last looked forward to a new season with anticipation and excitement.

Apathy has been building over the Dai era - this summer just feels like the haymaker connecting after taking blows for several rounds.