RFC - a total shambles

[Huntley & Palmer]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Well they could say nothing at all, which would be much better than lying to your own fans. If that is what you are getting at

[Hoop Blah]

It costs a lot less to build a squad to get you out of the Championship than to climb up the PL table.

If we go down having spent loads of cash on average players we will be in a lot weaker position to strengthen and bounce back up.

If we have to sell all the players you mention that will only increase the coffers and we will have the stability and financial clout to quickly build the strongest squad in the Championship again.

With parachute payments available, the business of running a football club need not be as short-termist as people seem to think. Of course we don't want to go down (shadesrwrf apart ) but if we do it need not be a disaster as no team will ever have been as well placed to bounce back if we have not gambled cash away on silly signings on big wages.

Would you not agree?

I wouldn't agree RR.

Staying in the Premiership is easier than getting into it. As for the comparative cost of promotion/survival, I'd guess that as a percentage of revenue it's pretty similar. Especially if you consider how little we've added to the squad already.

We need some tweaking of the squad right now to give us a better chance of comfortable survival. We should probably survive by the skin of our teeth without adding much to the squad, but that is only with a big gamble on the form and fitness of the limited squad we have at the moment.

For the long term we need to make significant additions, but not necessarily relatively expensive ones. The team needs rebuilding but we have the foundations of a mid table side. If we went down right now we'd more than likely lose those foundations and be left with the foundations of a fading Championship side which would probably take a few years to rebuild.

It took 135 years to get here, why should we presume that it'd be so easy to bounce back when we're struggling to keep our players whilst we're in this league? If we go down how many of them will want to stay and how many will want to make that big money move whilst their stock is still relatively high?

[Skin]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Coppell has come out and said it. He wouldn't if it wasn't the case, he wouldn't make himself look bad to make JM look good.

Also it's crazy to say JM would rather this club was in the Championship than spending some money. He wants to sell this club, it will cost him nearly £100m if we get relagated. He's not that stupid...

[Uke]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

This club will not get another penny from me if it is genuinely not striving to stay in this division. Thankfully, I doubt that is the case.

Really, so if we were relegated you'd move your support elsewhwere.

LOL

That's absolutely not what I said at all.

Its not what I wrote either is it!

We are guaranteed income for the club, we aren't going anywhere no matter what.

Very nice for a business.

Our staying the prem will also have given us a few more guaranteed income streams hopefully, meaning that if we fall back RFC is in a better position.

[Uke]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Well they could say nothing at all, which would be much better than lying to your own fans. If that is what you are getting at

they had to give an answer, so they give the vaguest possible

[Mr Angry]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

And herein lies the REAL crux of the debate; those on the side of SPEND SPEND SPEND to survive in the Prem and HANG the consequences if that strategy fails, to those who say that the club SHOULD be run on sound business principles first to ensure that whatever happens, the club survives in the medium to long term.

I'm curious about one thing though - WHY does the club NEED to stay up??? Relegation doesn't seem to have put Watford or West Brom into administration..........whereas spending vastly outside what is sustainable or realistic has had a dramatic effect on clubs like Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield Weds, Swindon etc etc etc......

[Uke]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Coppell has come out and said it. He wouldn't if it wasn't the case, he wouldn't make himself look bad to make JM look good.

Also it's crazy to say JM would rather this club was in the Championship than spending some money. He wants to sell this club, it will cost him nearly £100m if we get relagated. He's not that stupid...

It'll cost him similar to maintain the position in the Prem

He's not stupid

[Hoop Blah]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

I think he's well past the seeing it purely as a business.

He might be wanting it to be more self sufficient than ever before but I truely think thats because he wants the club to be able to survive without him. Thats because I think he see's it as more than a business. That's his legacy.

It's similar to the old line of Madejski doesn't know football, he's not a football man etc etc. He's been chairman for longer than a decent percentage of our fans. He's watched and lived the clubs progress on and off the pitch for 17 years and he knows the industry inside out and his exposure to that means he probably has a better grasp on whats happening on the pitch than most give him credit for.

[Gordons Cumming]

If you want a club that chucks money at problems then I suggest we ask JM to leave, because HE ain't gonna do it.

[Focher]

We've been far too comfortable for too long, and it's only now when the chips are down do we have to re think the way things are done at Reading. We've had many a blip over the last 10 years and had an answer for all of them, and there is no reason to think we won't come out of this one.

Surely this isn't as bad as the 3-1 defeat at home to Swindon in 2001-2002 season when we slipped to 14th in the old div2

[Uke]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

And herein lies the REAL crux of the debate; those on the side of SPEND SPEND SPEND to survive in the Prem and HANG the consequences if that strategy fails, to those who say that the club SHOULD be run on sound business principles first to ensure that whatever happens, the club survives in the medium to long term.

I'm curious about one thing though - WHY does the club NEED to stay up??? Relegation doesn't seem to have put Watford or West Brom into administration..........whereas spending vastly outside what is sustainable or realistic has had a dramatic effect on clubs like Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield Weds, Swindon etc etc etc......

People who say the club needs to stay up are confusing two things - needs and wants

They want the club to stay up

The club doesn't need to stay up

[Huntley & Palmer]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Coppell has come out and said it. He wouldn't if it wasn't the case, he wouldn't make himself look bad to make JM look good.

Also it's crazy to say JM would rather this club was in the Championship than spending some money. He wants to sell this club, it will cost him nearly £100m if we get relagated. He's not that stupid...

It'll cost him similar to maintain the position in the Prem

He's not stupid

Surely the club has to be a more viable investment if it's guaranteed revenue is higher in the Prem than the Championship though? It's not as if our wage bill is going to drop at the same percentage as our revenue

[SpaceCruiser]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

And herein lies the REAL crux of the debate; those on the side of SPEND SPEND SPEND to survive in the Prem and HANG the consequences if that strategy fails, to those who say that the club SHOULD be run on sound business principles first to ensure that whatever happens, the club survives in the medium to long term.

I'm curious about one thing though - WHY does the club NEED to stay up??? Relegation doesn't seem to have put Watford or West Brom into administration..........whereas spending vastly outside what is sustainable or realistic has had a dramatic effect on clubs like Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield Weds, Swindon etc etc etc......

People who say the club needs to stay up are confusing two things - needs and wants

They want the club to stay up

The club doesn't need to stay up

However, if the club wants to grow, it needs to stay in the Premiership, surely?

[Uke]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Coppell has come out and said it. He wouldn't if it wasn't the case, he wouldn't make himself look bad to make JM look good.

Also it's crazy to say JM would rather this club was in the Championship than spending some money. He wants to sell this club, it will cost him nearly £100m if we get relagated. He's not that stupid...

Again, Coppell did not say how much he would spend and said that we would have to spend that money to stay in the Prem

It doesn't mean that he wants to spend that sort of money or is allowed to spend that sort of money.

I think he finds it quite distasteful the way clubs piss money away.

Remember what Coppells degree is in!

[Uke]

Surely the club has to be a more viable investment if it's guaranteed revenue is higher in the Prem than the Championship though? It's not as if our wage bill is going to drop at the same percentage as our revenue

Wages'll drop further than revenue, therefore it makes sense.

[Uke]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

And herein lies the REAL crux of the debate; those on the side of SPEND SPEND SPEND to survive in the Prem and HANG the consequences if that strategy fails, to those who say that the club SHOULD be run on sound business principles first to ensure that whatever happens, the club survives in the medium to long term.

I'm curious about one thing though - WHY does the club NEED to stay up??? Relegation doesn't seem to have put Watford or West Brom into administration..........whereas spending vastly outside what is sustainable or realistic has had a dramatic effect on clubs like Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield Weds, Swindon etc etc etc......

People who say the club needs to stay up are confusing two things - needs and wants

They want the club to stay up

The club doesn't need to stay up

However, if the club wants to grow, it needs to stay in the Premiership, surely?

Depends what you define as growth?

Glory <> Growth

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

15 pages of speculation

None of us know what the real corporate aims of the club are, you all spout the 'money is there', 'we must sign players', 'brick by brick' soundbites as if the corporation that is RFC will put its business plan in the open.

(I'm guilty too)

It may well be that having had a taste of the 'Prem demands' they have decided that it is not necessary for the survival of the club long term. Indeed a parachute payment could maybe allow RFC several more years of survival at a profitable rate in the CCC with less risk.

OK it'll piss off fans who think we have a god given right to PL status, but when we compete for crowds and players against the big London clubs could we really survive? Its clear that teh big 4 will split from the Prem sooner rather than later as the other16 teams cannot truly compete financially.

What is truly 'ambitious' from the corporate viewpoint? Silverware or a longer term future and survival for the business? What would be better for the town?

We know the money is there because Madejski and Hammond have stated it is if Coppell wishes to make use of it.

Could they really state anything else in public?

Coppell has come out and said it. He wouldn't if it wasn't the case, he wouldn't make himself look bad to make JM look good.

Also it's crazy to say JM would rather this club was in the Championship than spending some money. He wants to sell this club, it will cost him nearly £100m if we get relagated. He's not that stupid...

It'll cost him similar to maintain the position in the Prem

He's not stupid

It won't cost him a penny. We don't need mass changes, 3 players.

We got how much TV money.

The days of JM having to right cheques to fund the club are long gone.

[Hoop Blah]

Small club mentality and a business before football club ethic is what needs addressing.

I think Johnny M sees the club as 70% business 30% football club.

A 50/50 split is what is required for the time being, we need to stay up and its abvious to all we need to sign some players and soon. If it means a re-think on our wages policy so be it, maybe the business profit targets will have to come up short if we want the football club to remain in the Prem?

And herein lies the REAL crux of the debate; those on the side of SPEND SPEND SPEND to survive in the Prem and HANG the consequences if that strategy fails, to those who say that the club SHOULD be run on sound business principles first to ensure that whatever happens, the club survives in the medium to long term.

I'm curious about one thing though - WHY does the club NEED to stay up??? Relegation doesn't seem to have put Watford or West Brom into administration..........whereas spending vastly outside what is sustainable or realistic has had a dramatic effect on clubs like Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield Weds, Swindon etc etc etc......

Why? Because the whole point is to compete and try and be the best you can.

I don't want us to dither around in the Premiership accepting that staying up and being part of the Premiership cash cow is as good as we can be. I want us to be pushing ourselves all the way to be the best we can. To build a side, within our means, that can battle for a European place or have pretentions of winning a pot here and there.

[Uke]

Why? Because the whole point is to compete and try and be the best you can.

I don't want us to dither around in the Premiership accepting that staying up and being part of the Premiership cash cow is as good as we can be. I want us to be pushing ourselves all the way to be the best we can. To build a side, within our means, that can battle for a European place or have pretentions of winning a pot here and there.

Precisely my point, thanks Hoop Blah!

This isn't aimed at you, but fans will always want the glory, the club many not need it