Madejski Announcement

[Royal Rother]

In time Morrison and Manset may be just the players you crave.

Early impressions are often misleading. The club will nurture and educate them and the good supporters will support them.

But in the meantime (for a non- attendee who has no right to comment, like me) Windsor won 4-3 at Molesey so if you are falling out of love with the pro game there's a good craic to be had at Stag Meadow....

[Ian Herring]

I was born in Reading in '56, I've been following the 'Royals' as long as I can remember, Tilehurst end . Third and Fourth division. And still follow them to this day with the same enthusiasm and passion as I did 45yrs ago, still ringing my dad, who watched Ron Blackman bangin' em in, with the results the next morning. Now if you guys want to whinge and moan about the lack of spending money on quality players, it's your right and your welcome to it, but personally I'me more than happy watching the 'Royals ' in the championship, having a go, I don't want to see Ronaldo or Rooney orany other prima-donna's in our colours being managed by Mourinho being told what to do by a Multi Billionare being watched by a whole load of new plastic fans.
Nah, give me a manager who forms a side of average blokes, who can knock off the tall poppies, who are not expected to win, but do. Give me Madjeski, give me McDermott, give me a beer, give me the 'Royals 'just the way they are.


'GO HARD YOU ROYALS "

I've gone hard reading this.

Great work there Bluey.

So it’s confirmed ……. You, royal rother, mr Irascible and Tony Le Mesmer are a bunch of old w@nkers

Tammy (Can I call you that?),

I can't disagree on my own part (although I cannot speak on behalf of RR, Mr. I nor Tony Le Mes, all of whom may be stirling upright individuals for all I know, yeah?)

Cheers,

Ian.

[Elm Park]

I was born in Reading in '56, I've been following the 'Royals' as long as I can remember, Tilehurst end . Third and Fourth division. And still follow them to this day with the same enthusiasm and passion as I did 45yrs ago, still ringing my dad, who watched Ron Blackman bangin' em in, with the results the next morning. Now if you guys want to whinge and moan about the lack of spending money on quality players, it's your right and your welcome to it, but personally I'me more than happy watching the 'Royals ' in the championship, having a go, I don't want to see Ronaldo or Rooney orany other prima-donna's in our colours being managed by Mourinho being told what to do by a Multi Billionare being watched by a whole load of new plastic fans.
Nah, give me a manager who forms a side of average blokes, who can knock off the tall poppies, who are not expected to win, but do. Give me Madjeski, give me McDermott, give me a beer, give me the 'Royals 'just the way they are.


'GO HARD YOU ROYALS "

+1

I'm from '58 and agree with every word. Yes I want to see us playing good football and winning wvwey week but realise that we can't always have what we want, when we want it, sometimes you need to take a step back to take two forward. And to those who think they are watching rubbish, you should have seen some of the cr@p we have watched in the past. Things might be bad now but they have been much, much worse.

[Royal Lady]

But that is the point, in those days of Divison 3 and 4, we knew we didn't have much money and our ambition was to get promoted into the heady heights of League 2! Football was way more enjoyable in those days - I don't ever remember being really annoyed at a performance or a score line. If we lost, we lost - if we won, it was great - but in the last 10 or so years, we have had the new stadium, we've had successes and because we know we've done it once, many fans believe we should be able to do it again and reach the heady heights of the top division. Waller and even Smee never told us about ambition - our ambition back then was to remain a LEAGUE team! We've been spoiled, I know that, however, when we know what can be achieved and when we are spending ever more of our money in supporting our team, it is quite galling that despite selling players for millions, we are told that we STILL have to cut cloth and despite being touted as a "well run" club, we don't seem to be able to compete with others around us. I'm not even talking about the teams such as West Ham, Leicester etc who have had money piled into them. A lot of other Championship sides seem to be doing ok, without the added bonus of the extra funds we've received in multi million pound player sales, cup runs, PO finals etc. And, yes, I suppose you can argue that at least we are solvent - but as someone said the other day, until we see the likes of lower division clubs going under due to overspending - we will always be thinking that we're not going to suffer either, even if we do have a bigger overdraft or whatever.

All I want, and I can't speak for anyone else, is to know that our players are performing to the best of their abilities (something which appears to have been lacking in the last couple of games) and to be treated with a bit of respect as a paying customer. If the wages for our players are so high, I'd like an explanation as to why - because even paying them good wages for this division, this season appears to be showing a lot of cracks already. If some players are on high wages and not performing, then maybe we should consider shipping them out and saving on their wages, even if we don't get millions for them in transfer fees. But of course, the only clubs interested in taking them are probably those who will not pay comparable wages for them - so we won't get shot of them. To me, that is not a well-run club - we aren't, or haven't, looked at the bigger picture.

I don't know what the answer is - I don't know all the figures - none of us do - but if we have increasing black holes every single season, even when we've sold our best players to try and plug the gap - then we have a problem and someone at the top needs to sort it out.

[southbank1871]

I don't know what the answer is - I don't know all the figures - none of us do - but if we have increasing black holes every single season, even when we've sold our best players to try and plug the gap - then we have a problem and someone at the top needs to sort it out.

The problem is with football in general though and that the expenditure, mainly on players' wages, vastly outweighs the income from gate receipts, TV money, merchandise etc. So a club like Reading, who aren't willing to risk the future of the club by taking on insane levels of debt, have to sell players to keep going.

[Vision]

But that is the point, in those days of Divison 3 and 4, we knew we didn't have much money and our ambition was to get promoted into the heady heights of League 2! Football was way more enjoyable in those days - I don't ever remember being really annoyed at a performance or a score line. If we lost, we lost - if we won, it was great - but in the last 10 or so years, we have had the new stadium, we've had successes and because we know we've done it once, many fans believe we should be able to do it again and reach the heady heights of the top division. Waller and even Smee never told us about ambition - our ambition back then was to remain a LEAGUE team! We've been spoiled, I know that, however, when we know what can be achieved and when we are spending ever more of our money in supporting our team, it is quite galling that despite selling players for millions, we are told that we STILL have to cut cloth and despite being touted as a "well run" club, we don't seem to be able to compete with others around us. I'm not even talking about the teams such as West Ham, Leicester etc who have had money piled into them. A lot of other Championship sides seem to be doing ok, without the added bonus of the extra funds we've received in multi million pound player sales, cup runs, PO finals etc. And, yes, I suppose you can argue that at least we are solvent - but as someone said the other day, until we see the likes of lower division clubs going under due to overspending - we will always be thinking that we're not going to suffer either, even if we do have a bigger overdraft or whatever.

All I want, and I can't speak for anyone else, is to know that our players are performing to the best of their abilities (something which appears to have been lacking in the last couple of games) and to be treated with a bit of respect as a paying customer. If the wages for our players are so high, I'd like an explanation as to why - because even paying them good wages for this division, this season appears to be showing a lot of cracks already. If some players are on high wages and not performing, then maybe we should consider shipping them out and saving on their wages, even if we don't get millions for them in transfer fees. But of course, the only clubs interested in taking them are probably those who will not pay comparable wages for them - so we won't get shot of them. To me, that is not a well-run club - we aren't, or haven't, looked at the bigger picture.

I don't know what the answer is - I don't know all the figures - none of us do - but if we have increasing black holes every single season, even when we've sold our best players to try and plug the gap - then we have a problem and someone at the top needs to sort it out.

In the days of Div3 and 4 there was no internet. There was constant moaning only it was done on the terraces or in the pub. Its serious rose tinted spectacles to think we didn't. Its also interesting to note that your view is different to mine and indeed your other half. I cared a lot more and got more wound up back then than I do now. Football did seem more enjoyable back then but then so did a lot of other things.

You keep saying we can't "compete" with others but I dont know what you mean. We finished 5th last season, 9th the season before and 4th the season before that. I'd say thats "competing" and we made similiar starts in all of those seasons as well. And if you mean "competing" in the transfer market then if that is the case the its because the club is actually "looking at the bigger picture" rather than just a short term appeasing of fans by going out and spending money to ease some of the flak thats currently flying.

I actually agree with you about a bit of respect for the paying customer though. My view of that side of the club changed irrevocably when we got promoted to the Premiership. We're just a number I'm afraid, simple as that.

[mr_number]

As someone said earlier (and if this thread isn't for recycling opinions that were stated ten pages ago, then I don't know what it's for), if more clubs ctually went bankrupt because of mismanagement, then it would be much easier to defend SJM. It's pretty much only Chester that have gone so far, I believe, and that was in part due to them being owned by a fraudster and the fans deserting them.
If Portsmouth/ West Ham/ Sheffield United etc keep going, then it makes it seem like you can just ignore financial issues. I think people like me who defend SJM consider this a massive risk. I enjoy going to see Reading play - on my way to the train last night for my first game of the season, I was actually quite excited and it definitely lifted my mood in what's been a bit of shit week. Losing Reading would be very sad.
Those who think differently think that everyone else is doing it and getting away with it, so why can't we? And as has been said before, the reason is Bradford, or Sheffield United etc.
Bah, I always get to about this much written in a post and then think, what's the point, we never get anywhere in these discussions.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

The very reason that we cannot ship out or players earning good money to lower clubs, is the same as why we cannot get players that are not performing in the Prem. They will not take a drop in wages unless they have to. Players that we could afford are often lingering at Prem clubs on similar money to what we can pay, but those players do not want to drop a league, and we are in no position to offer their clubs the million or so that the club would want to release them.

All across the Team threads there are posts that say we must have two players for each position, yet we did better when that was not the case, give me a couple of Gunnarssons any day, rather than pay 3 people to cover the same positions he can.

I cared when we lost in the past in Div 3 and 4, christ there were times I even cried, yet losing to Swansea was a bit Meh

[Finch]

But that is the point, in those days of Divison 3 and 4, we knew we didn't have much money and our ambition was to get promoted into the heady heights of League 2! Football was way more enjoyable in those days - I don't ever remember being really annoyed at a performance or a score line. If we lost, we lost - if we won, it was great - but in the last 10 or so years, we have had the new stadium, we've had successes and because we know we've done it once, many fans believe we should be able to do it again and reach the heady heights of the top division. Waller and even Smee never told us about ambition - our ambition back then was to remain a LEAGUE team! We've been spoiled, I know that, however, when we know what can be achieved and when we are spending ever more of our money in supporting our team, it is quite galling that despite selling players for millions, we are told that we STILL have to cut cloth and despite being touted as a "well run" club, we don't seem to be able to compete with others around us. I'm not even talking about the teams such as West Ham, Leicester etc who have had money piled into them. A lot of other Championship sides seem to be doing ok, without the added bonus of the extra funds we've received in multi million pound player sales, cup runs, PO finals etc. And, yes, I suppose you can argue that at least we are solvent - but as someone said the other day, until we see the likes of lower division clubs going under due to overspending - we will always be thinking that we're not going to suffer either, even if we do have a bigger overdraft or whatever.

All I want, and I can't speak for anyone else, is to know that our players are performing to the best of their abilities (something which appears to have been lacking in the last couple of games) and to be treated with a bit of respect as a paying customer. If the wages for our players are so high, I'd like an explanation as to why - because even paying them good wages for this division, this season appears to be showing a lot of cracks already. If some players are on high wages and not performing, then maybe we should consider shipping them out and saving on their wages, even if we don't get millions for them in transfer fees. But of course, the only clubs interested in taking them are probably those who will not pay comparable wages for them - so we won't get shot of them. To me, that is not a well-run club - we aren't, or haven't, looked at the bigger picture.

I don't know what the answer is - I don't know all the figures - none of us do - but if we have increasing black holes every single season, even when we've sold our best players to try and plug the gap - then we have a problem and someone at the top needs to sort it out.

In the days of Div3 and 4 there was no internet. There was constant moaning only it was done on the terraces or in the pub. Its serious rose tinted spectacles to think we didn't. Its also interesting to note that your view is different to mine and indeed your other half. I cared a lot more and got more wound up back then than I do now. Football did seem more enjoyable back then but then so did a lot of other things.

You keep saying we can't "compete" with others but I dont know what you mean. We finished 5th last season, 9th the season before and 4th the season before that. I'd say thats "competing" and we made similiar starts in all of those seasons as well. And if you mean "competing" in the transfer market then if that is the case the its because the club is actually "looking at the bigger picture" rather than just a short term appeasing of fans by going out and spending money to ease some of the flak thats currently flying.

I actually agree with you about a bit of respect for the paying customer though. My view of that side of the club changed irrevocably when we got promoted to the Premiership. We're just a number I'm afraid, simple as that.

I think she needs to find interests elsewhere of RFC.

[PieEater]

One of the problems with the new approach is the unsettling effect it has on the team. What is the point of a pre-season when you're going to ship out key players, buy others, then have to work out a new system to play.

For the last three seasons the first half of the season has been poor whilst the team copes with the changes. This season is the same, there is psychological damage that will be difficult to repair. Winning and losing is contagious and sadly we're on a losing streak that is sapping the confidence of good players.

McD has a job on his hands to turn it around and getting in new players may not necessarily fix it and in fact could make it worse as happened with Rodgers. He couldn't decide what his best team was or what his best tactics were to suit the players he put out.

It's times like this that senior players need to step up and lead by example and instil some confidence in the side, sadly I can't see Jobi in that mould. I think it's significant that we've bid for the Millwall captain, we need a better leader on the pitch.

[brendywendy]

But that is the point, in those days of Divison 3 and 4, we knew we didn't have much money and our ambition was to get promoted into the heady heights of League 2! Football was way more enjoyable in those days - I don't ever remember being really annoyed at a performance or a score line. If we lost, we lost - if we won, it was great -





but in the last 10 or so years, we have had the new stadium, we've had successes

aaahhh for the rosy tinted spectacle lenses of time passed by.
i think youre memory has just edited out all the shit tbf.
also its an age old problem with the football fan. the vast majority discover football, and its all new, and wonderous, but as you grow up, and you see more and more of it, you lose that feeling of your first football buzz, many people just stop going at that point.
it happens whoever you support, whenever you do so. imo


and on that last line. yes we have. so what exactly are you moaning about again?

[Royal Lady]

Who says I was moaning - I was sort of thinking out loud. Just saying how I felt - wasn't moaning in the slightest.

[Royal Rother]

That makes a change you moaning minnie.

[Royal Rother]

Shouldn't be necessary but

[Royal Lady]

Listen Pal, you think I moan on here, you want to try living with me for a day.

[brendywendy]

Who says I was moaning - I was sort of thinking out loud. Just saying how I felt - wasn't moaning in the slightest.

it was a bit of a moan.
i wasnt having a go though, feel free to moan away

[Royal Rother]

I'm sure we'd make a lovely couple.

[brendywendy]

is RL's offer of living with her for one day inclusive of conjugal rights?

[Royal Lady]

LOL.

2 hours in the same house, maximum, and you'd be crying like a baby to go home!!

[brendywendy]

stop it RL. that kind of talk only arouses me further