Fans Forum on Thursday

[Maguire]

Didn't even see or get offered a clapper last time.

Good.

[Esteban]

You've got to be more approachable and less elitist. When my brother and I walked through the turnstiles at the Stoke game, we were met by Paula Martin, who offered us a clapper each. We politely declined, but she felt the need to retort "Too cool to be a proper Reading fan then?" and started laughing.

Well I will respond - it was a joke Most people before you were taking them and joking about using them as fans - you know the sort that you wave in front of your face to cool you. To think I get accused of taking myself too seriously.

Well, thank you for responding Starliaison and apologies if I misquoted you, though I don’t think I did. Don’t take it as a personal attack either, I want to see STAR become a good representative of the fans, because as has been mentioned, you are all we’ve got at present.

[Royal Lady]

Why do you (RL) think you are more representative of the fans than STAR? Just because you have befriended a few like minded people on a forum over many years does not put you at forefront when it comes to consultation. The numbers certainly do not match up however you twist them.

Perhaps you could point me to wherever I've said that? I merely thought that by offering my time to liaise between the two groups - it would work in everyone's favour for the common good. I've NEVER said I shoudl be at the forefront when it comes to consultation. I have no idea who you are, but I do know you're just a stirrer who looks to have a pop at me whenever you can. You carry on, because I really don't care about you or your strange infatuations. I do care, as a supporter of RFC, that as many voices as possible are heard and, unless you join STAR, it seems that will never be the case here.

[The Rouge]

You've got to be more approachable and less elitist. When my brother and I walked through the turnstiles at the Stoke game, we were met by Paula Martin, who offered us a clapper each. We politely declined, but she felt the need to retort "Too cool to be a proper Reading fan then?" and started laughing.

Well I will respond - it was a joke Most people before you were taking them and joking about using them as fans - you know the sort that you wave in front of your face to cool you. To think I get accused of taking myself too seriously.

Well, thank you for responding Starliaison and apologies if I misquoted you, though I don’t think I did. Don’t take it as a personal attack either, I want to see STAR become a good representative of the fans, because as has been mentioned, you are all we’ve got at present.

[glenroyal]

You've got to be more approachable and less elitist. When my brother and I walked through the turnstiles at the Stoke game, we were met by Paula Martin, who offered us a clapper each. We politely declined, but she felt the need to retort "Too cool to be a proper Reading fan then?" and started laughing.

Well I will respond - it was a joke Most people before you were taking them and joking about using them as fans - you know the sort that you wave in front of your face to cool you. To think I get accused of taking myself too seriously.

Nice one Paula. I don't know how you continue to put up with it - unapproachable, elitist, exclusive, unrepresentative, you name it - exasperated more like ?

My fourpenneth - free social media is damaging, because people have no skin in the game, they can be offensive, critical, destructive as much as they like. Voting trust membership at a tenner a time makes people stop and think what to do with their opinions, what their representation is worth.

You probably already know this, or why else would you still be here. Efforts appreciated.

[Ian Royal]

Not sure. Membership was about 4.5k a few years ago, but I think it's been slowly declining since. I'd be astounded if it's less that 2k each season now.

Which is more than 7 times as many as the 282 people who've made 1k posts on HNA, for instance.

But less than the membership of HNA. Bit of an apples and oranges moment, comparing your idea of "active" HNA members to active and inactive STAR members.

Sorry, you've already answered that.

[Ian Royal]

You've got to be more approachable and less elitist. When my brother and I walked through the turnstiles at the Stoke game, we were met by Paula Martin, who offered us a clapper each. We politely declined, but she felt the need to retort "Too cool to be a proper Reading fan then?" and started laughing.

Well I will respond - it was a joke Most people before you were taking them and joking about using them as fans - you know the sort that you wave in front of your face to cool you. To think I get accused of taking myself too seriously.

You're not great at this social interation thing are you. How is he supposed to know what everyone else has been saying to you? And how does that equate to a jibe about him not being a proper fan.

Talk about how to make yourself look like a twat and alienate people. Jesus.

[Royal With Cheese]

Not sure. Membership was about 4.5k a few years ago, but I think it's been slowly declining since. I'd be astounded if it's less that 2k each season now.

Which is more than 7 times as many as the 282 people who've made 1k posts on HNA, for instance.

But less than the membership of HNA. Bit of an apples and oranges moment, comparing your idea of "active" HNA members to active and inactive STAR members.

Sorry, you've already answered that.

Trying to justify HNA's importance on user count is a ridiculous folly.

I'll remember that when reading a thread by one of Jays, Kes or Hugos hillarious multi alter ego's.

[Ian Royal]

Not sure. Membership was about 4.5k a few years ago, but I think it's been slowly declining since. I'd be astounded if it's less that 2k each season now.

Which is more than 7 times as many as the 282 people who've made 1k posts on HNA, for instance.

But less than the membership of HNA. Bit of an apples and oranges moment, comparing your idea of "active" HNA members to active and inactive STAR members.

Sorry, you've already answered that.

Trying to justify HNA's importance on user count is a ridiculous folly.

I'll remember that when reading a thread by one of Jays, Kes or Hugos hillarious multi alter ego's.

I'm not, I'm saying that 282 usernames with over 1k posts is not the same as comparing complete membership.

and there are 6346 registered users. Even if you say 100 members have 10 usernames each, which I think is unlikely, that's still only 1000 duplicates which is less than a 6th.

[Davezk]

I live in Birmingham. Not like I'd ever be able to attend these even if I wanted to / could.

Hidden content for local Reading fans is tedious.

[leon]

You've got to be more approachable and less elitist. When my brother and I walked through the turnstiles at the Stoke game, we were met by Paula Martin, who offered us a clapper each. We politely declined, but she felt the need to retort "Too cool to be a proper Reading fan then?" and started laughing.

Well I will respond - it was a joke Most people before you were taking them and joking about using them as fans - you know the sort that you wave in front of your face to cool you. To think I get accused of taking myself too seriously.

You're not great at this social interation thing are you. How is he supposed to know what everyone else has been saying to you? And how does that equate to a jibe about him not being a proper fan.

Talk about how to make yourself look like a twat and alienate people. Jesus.

says the expert. Lighten up Ian ffs you have absolutely no idea what the context of the comment was.

[Woodcote Royal]

As an organisation that should be doing it's level best to represent all Reading fans, it's doing a great job of alienating many regular posters here, myself included.

I'm not overly convinced that you actually need any further assistance in that regard.

As a moderator more interested in making cheap insults than performing his chosen role, many thanks for your valued contribution.

[Cpl Jones Dont panic]

Did any of you get an invite to the recent Radio 5 programme with an invited audience? Appartantly STAR sent out emails to their members and the first 100 responses were offered a place. Despsite getting many previous emails through from star over he last few years, it appears that I may have been " missed " off the list.

Dare I say that any emails sent were in a preference order, or maybe just a quick phone to mates.

If Zenith St Petersborough require a suitable " supporters club" , I know one that can give them lots of tips on how to run one

[Cypry]

Did any of you get an invite to the recent Radio 5 programme with an invited audience? Appartantly STAR sent out emails to their members and the first 100 responses were offered a place. Despsite getting many previous emails through from star over he last few years, it appears that I may have been " missed " off the list.

Dare I say that any emails sent were in a preference order, or maybe just a quick phone to mates.

If Zenith St Petersborough require a suitable " supporters club" , I know one that can give them lots of tips on how to run one

^this - I certainly didn't see that email - kinda assumed that it might have been to do with the fans forum stuff, but on thinking about it, I do get the ESTAR mails, and I'm not sure that STAR have any idea who I am outside of the persona "Cypry" anyway....

It does make you wonder if this email was really widely circulated to all STAR members, or whether there was some kind of hierarchy involved.....

[Royal Lady]

Doesn't it just. STAR were asked by the BBC to find 100 people apparently - pretty sure they'd have found a few on here if they'd bothered to mention it - but I suppose as STAR were asked to find the people, they thought they'd stick with STAR members - through this ESTAR thing or something, apparently.

[Silver Fox]

You're not great at this social interation thing are you.

It's like raaaiiiiaaaiiiaaaiiin.....

[Alexander Litvinenko]

Dare I say that any emails sent were in a preference order, or maybe just a quick phone to mates.

I think you're way off the mark in assuming that anyone has that degree of sophistication or the time to do such Machiavellian schemes as somehow prioritising people.

Doesn't it just. STAR were asked by the BBC to find 100 people apparently - pretty sure they'd have found a few on here if they'd bothered to mention it - but I suppose as STAR were asked to find the people, they thought they'd stick with STAR members - through this ESTAR thing or something, apparently.

Are you really so hung up on that? Organisation asked to find 100 people, organisation sends a single email out to their membership list, contacting people that they have contact details for. Way, way easier to do things through emails rather than get countless PMs in and then have to get emails/contact details.

They did this in the simplest quickest way they could - why make it harder for themselves? Occam's Razor applies here rather than any conspiracy theories of people thinking they're delberately being excluded.

[Green]

As an organisation that should be doing it's level best to represent all Reading fans, it's doing a great job of alienating many regular posters here, myself included.

I'm not overly convinced that you actually need any further assistance in that regard.

As a moderator more interested in making cheap insults than performing his chosen role, many thanks for your valued contribution.

Ooof

[Cypry]

Dare I say that any emails sent were in a preference order, or maybe just a quick phone to mates.

I think you're way off the mark in assuming that anyone has that degree of sophistication or the time to do such Machiavellian schemes as somehow prioritising people.

Doesn't it just. STAR were asked by the BBC to find 100 people apparently - pretty sure they'd have found a few on here if they'd bothered to mention it - but I suppose as STAR were asked to find the people, they thought they'd stick with STAR members - through this ESTAR thing or something, apparently.

Are you really so hung up on that? Organisation asked to find 100 people, organisation sends a single email out to their membership list, contacting people that they have contact details for. Way, way easier to do things through emails rather than get countless PMs in and then have to get emails/contact details.

They did this in the simplest quickest way they could - why make it harder for themselves? Occam's Razor applies here rather than any conspiracy theories of people thinking they're delberately being excluded.

I understand your point, but I'm a STAR member, as, apparently, is Cpl Jones, and neither of us appear to have received the ESTAR mail that was used to publicise the event......

I hadn't mentioned it before, assuming it was perhaps because of the kerfuffle over the previous Fans Forum, or possibly because I am a new STAR member this year and didn't make the mailing list in time....it does, however, appear that I was not alone in not getting this invite, so you have to wonder how many STAR members actually did get it.....?
There could be many reasons, formatting, or keywords leading to it being flagged as spam, but looking back, it seems a bit odd that I've received six ESTAR messages since joining in June, but not the one about the 5Live event......
Perhaps numbers were limited, and, anticipating a big response, the mail list was deliberately limited for this event - that's fair enough. What seems a bit odd is that it was publicly stated that the ESTAR was sent to STAR members, yet it appears that this may not be strictly correct...

[Royal Lady]

^^ Hence my post Alexander Litvinenko. They didn't even email all the ESTAR people from what I can gather on here.