What's the point in Reading FC getting promoted ?

[Turns8]

Tbh I wouldn't mind staying in the Championship. But if we do go up then I'm not exactly going to complain!

rg6 earlier today....

[CMRoyal]

Back on topic, the general consensus is that the point of Reading getting promoted is an achievement in tiself, and you hope one day to consolidate in the PL before going back down.

Does this justify spending 100's if not 1000's on watching your team each year ?

Those are two separate issues in my book. Reading FC want promotion to the Prem in order to continue to grow, or at least consolidate as a club. Me, I just want what I've ever wanted, and that's to enjoy the next game, and to get the most out of my match day. I spend as much as I feel is worthwhile in doing that. I enjoy it, it's a key part of my life and relationships and the wins are an added bonus. The enjoyment is implicit in the whole process of playing, watching, discussing the game - no other pastime contains such joy, frustration, elation, disappointment and surprise (and all can be experienced in one Jimmy Kebe dribble). Achievement is just a pleasant by-product. If you can't understand that, why even bother trying?

[Dirk Gently]

I'm not saying find another club. But what's the point in being bled dry by one that doesn't have a prosperus future just because "it's what you do"

Surely that applies to all supporters at all clubs - if it was simply an economic decision no-one would go and watch football these days.

I wouldn't say all. Some clubs can achieve something that the majority of supporters will never have witnessed. Swansea are on the cusp of Prem football, but ultimately, they'll flirt with it, then become just another yo yo club.

Back to reading, i really dont see the point.

But that's the whole point of being a football supporter. You don't see the point of Reading, I don't see the point of Manchester United, no-one sees the point of MK Dons etc etc etc.

You have an emotional relationship with the club you support that overcomes economic sense - until the financial piss-taking of most football clubs these days gets too much for you, and you stop going completely.

[The 17 Bus]

and you stop going completely.

you called.

[CMRoyal]

We're perfectly capable of getting outplayed every week in any league. Might as well be one where we get well paid for it.

And the fans stung for as much money as possible ?

All fans are stung for as much money as possible. That's the business model for every enterprise on earth. I'd guess that it's probably the thinking behind how you set the price for anything you sell as well. "Mmm, 200k for the house, you say? Well, that's the best offer yet, so clearly that would be stinging you for as much money as possible. You can have it for 150".

[CMRoyal]

Realistically, you'll only get relegated again and if not in the first season, then definitely in the next couple. You won't see anything you haven't seen already. You won't achieve anything better than you achieved before. You're just waiting to get relegated and hopefully then go back up again ?

An opportunity for the team to earn £50Million my have an impact!

And for you as a fan to get stung by inflated costs ?

Not like you're gonna see any of it is it.

Season ticket price renewals were frozen. So no inflation for the loyal supporter, at least not for home matches.

[Gordons Cumming]

The point is we may get to see more of Kevin Dillon keeping his eye on the ball in the Premiership.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAUFyH0NX1E&NR=1

[CMRoyal]

Realistically, you'll only get relegated again and if not in the first season, then definitely in the next couple. You won't see anything you haven't seen already. You won't achieve anything better than you achieved before. You're just waiting to get relegated and hopefully then go back up again ?

Football, mate. It's fun. Believe it or not, that's true whether you're the best team in Europe or... one of the others. Enjoying being football fan, contrary to the opinion of MUFC fans, is not about getting your d*ck out in an attempt to prove that you're the biggest.

Really poor attempt by the way, makes you look a right fool.

7 homes games without a win with the players not giving a shit doesn't sound like much fun to me. Nor does the fact that there is a dead end to what you can achieve

There's a dead end to what anyone can achieve. Even Manchester United - until an inter-planetary cup comes along anyway.

[CMRoyal]

I'm not saying find another club. But what's the point in being bled dry by one that doesn't have a prosperus future just because "it's what you do"

"Bled dry" is a ridiculous, overblown metaphor. As if people are spending every last penny on the club against their will.

[CMRoyal]

7 homes games without a win with the players not giving a shit doesn't sound like much fun to me. Nor does the fact that there is a dead end to what you can achieve

But what makes it fun is the fact that now, with one game left, there is a chance that something massive could happen for this club. You can appreicate the good times so much more when you've had to put up with sh*t for so long.

Having never supported a team that wins week in week out i do have to question how much fun it really is.

I think the atmosphere at the pompey - cardiff fa cup final went a long way towards illustrating how unpassionate the supporters of the top 4 really are, simply because they generally make a wembley appearance once, if not twice, a season.

What's the point in supporting man utd if you're simply going to win every game? It's the age old debate that's been done to death...

Massive like winning promotion ? Been there seen it done it, and it was much better than this time around.

It's like going back to an old girlfriend just to get a shag. The reality is you're desperate as there's no other alternative, the spark has gone but she'll make you cum.

Not really - the last one was an easy lay. This time it'll come as such a pleasant shock it'll be like lifting the sheets to find Kate Winslet looking up from between our legs.

[Harry Carry]

Tbh I wouldn't mind staying in the Championship. But if we do go up then I'm not exactly going to complain!

you will. More French and Arsenal players in the Prem.

[Thaumagurist*]

This time it'll come as such a pleasant shock it'll be like lifting the sheets to find Kate Winslet looking up from between our legs.

Now that's an image I like!

[Basingstoke Royal]

Surely every football club wants to finish as high as possible for financial reasons.

It means we get to see an hour of highlights of every game and can watch the games live on sky.

It means we will see our players playing at the highest level, and maybe sign a few top quality players (Im not holding my breath though)

It means we get to see the stadium full each week.

It means we get to test ourselves against the best.

It means we get to see te best players in the world, playing in the best league in the world.

Whats the point in supporting United like so many people that never go to games?????

[Royalee]

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

[brendywendy]

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

not you again


+ that simply isnt true


i dont need or yearn for progression
i quite like it, as it is


what about the years and years where we didnt grow, and just bounced around the lower divisions?
attitude like yours would have seen this club ruined and playing in front of totally empty stadia through those times...........

[yuomi]

the point in going up is two fold:

as a team, we can compete on the highest level in what more than a few folk have termed 'the best league in the world'. whether or not we deserve to be there on merit, we will have accrued the requisite points to qualify for this honour. thus further trumping out local rivals and putting us amongst the best clubs in the world. in a season which has, recently, produced little to smile about, if you think im going to get annoyed that a team i have supported all my life get promoted then i question what kind of a football fan you are TMD? you want to see your team compete against the best players in the world. did derby fans turn their back on the club when it was obvious they were going to be whipping boys?...only the plastics. plus, what better learning experience can you give your players than by pitching them against the world's best week in week out?

as a business, we are fortunate to be run against a very sound business model. the additional income generated by promotion to the prem will further enhance the security of the club. promotion = new plastics more seats filled, more income generated by ticket sales. add to this sponsorship etc etc. being in the prem will also attract a better quality of signing to the club.

theres more, but...finite time.

[Royalee]

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

not you again


+ that simply isnt true


i dont need or yearn for progression
i quite like it, as it is


what about the years and years where we didnt grow, and just bounced around the lower divisions?
attitude like yours would have seen this club ruined and playing in front of totally empty stadia through those times...........

We didn't have the cash, infrastructure or facilities at the club to sustain growth at that time - Madejski has put those in place. To compare us with the club we were back then is incredibly short-sighted. Go and ask the chairman and directors if they'll be happy just yo-yoing floating around.

[Royalee]

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

not you again


+ that simply isnt true


i dont need or yearn for progression
i quite like it, as it is


what about the years and years where we didnt grow, and just bounced around the lower divisions?
attitude like yours would have seen this club ruined and playing in front of totally empty stadia through those times...........

We didn't have the cash, infrastructure or facilities at the club to sustain growth at that time - Madejski has put those in place. To compare us with the club we were back then is incredibly short-sighted. Go and ask the chairman and directors if they'll be happy just yo-yoing floating around.

[Royalee]

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

not you again


+ that simply isnt true


i dont need or yearn for progression
i quite like it, as it is


what about the years and years where we didnt grow, and just bounced around the lower divisions?
attitude like yours would have seen this club ruined and playing in front of totally empty stadia through those times...........

We didn't have the cash, infrastructure or facilities at the club to sustain growth at that time - Madejski has put those in place. To compare us with the club we were back then is incredibly short-sighted. Go and ask the chairman and directors if they'll be happy just yo-yoing floating around.

[papereyes]

He/she is right, though - and so are you.

The only way to make any money is in the PL - clubs outside it will wither and die unless there's a change in the way money's distributed, and eventually clubs outside the top 4, with CL money, will wither and die under the current model.

So even yo-yoing is a long term way to stay in existence.

So in answer to my initial question you are saying that the objective is to stay in existence ? What's the point in spending bundles of cash each year...... to watch your team stay in existence and not better what it has already achieved ?

Yup.

Welcome to the rest of the football league and gain an insight into our unmitigated bitterness.

FWIW, I think Reading could lengthen their stays in the Premiership. The only way we can do that is by getting promoted. So there's a point.

In the medium term, UEFA cup qualification has to be an aim. However, we can't do that easily from the Championship. So there's another point.

There's absolutely no point whatsoever unless we look to build upon it as a club - and that means bringing in some QUALITY signings in the summer and pushing to finish as high as we possibly can and building the stadium up, not being happy we're there like many seemed to be last time.

That's pretty much it, I think. Building ourselves up to a point where expansion is sustainable and success is sustainable and not just being happy that we're there.

You have an emotional relationship with the club you support that overcomes economic sense - until the financial piss-taking of most football clubs these days gets too much for you, and you stop going completely.

Yup, and that.

There's something wonderful about supporting a club in spite of its rubbishness. Our pointless little records. Our favourite players who were a bit dump but we loved anyway.

There's a pleasure in the route less travelled.

I want to be there when we get that first European game and get done over 5-0 by Dynamo Frostyerbolloxov. I want to be there when whoever is captain lifts a major trophy for the first time. Just like I was there when Convey came scrabbling out of the tunnel at Leicester and just like I was there when we beat Derby a few days later.