Madejski's comments to BBC Radio Berkshire

[kwik-silva]

I presume you're talking about Mr Mad??

Yes

[Platypuss]

I simply don't believe we came out of the prem without vast profits in turns of income against expenditure.

New stadium designs and planning applications don't come cheap!

Mr Mad's recent comments are his most incoherent since kitty-gate.

[Royal Lady]

The only stadium "refurbishments" that I can think of are the media centre and the Megastore - if he thinks they're more important than players, good luck to him.

[The 17 Bus]

And the megastore should be self financing anyway.

[kwik-silva]

And the megastore should be self financing anyway.

certainly seems to be after a match

[Gordons Cumming]

Who cares?

[The 17 Bus]

About what GC??

[West Stand Man]

It is a shame that you did not wait longer in the queue for brains. You might just have had a wider selection and had the option to get a decent one. ASh well, such is life.
As to your vitiol. Why shouldn't he wait for the 'right price'. Surely it is not unheard ofto do that? Refurbishments on a 10 year old building are petty normal. The wage bill at RFC is huge, check out the facts sometime.

Keyboard playing up?

Keyboard is ok, fingers are trying to move too fast!

[Northern Git]

The only stadium "refurbishments" that I can think of are the media centre and the Megastore - if he thinks they're more important than players, good luck to him.

To be fair they did relay some of the block paving bricks that had 'settled' over the last few years.

The one item that no one has considered is the hotel extension. Wonder where the money came from for that?

[kwik-silva]

The only stadium "refurbishments" that I can think of are the media centre and the Megastore - if he thinks they're more important than players, good luck to him.

To be fair they did relay some of the block paving bricks that had 'settled' over the last few years.

The one item that no one has considered is the hotel extension. Wonder where the money came from for that?

I guess, that was our premiership money... I remember that we took something like £50m, just from our first season in the prem... or is that too high And the new fence where the team buses are, don't forget that!

[Handsome Man]

The only stadium "refurbishments" that I can think of are the media centre and the Megastore - if he thinks they're more important than players, good luck to him.

To be fair they did relay some of the block paving bricks that had 'settled' over the last few years.

The one item that no one has considered is the hotel extension. Wonder where the money came from for that?

Sky obviously: he uses the telly money to build the hotel; he converts the season ticket money into gold soveriegns to count on long winter evenings with Cillla; and the Kitson and Shorey fee will soon be spent on a new statue.

[kwik-silva]

why does he get applause?

[glass half full]

Footballers do not even have to serve an apprenticeship and clean the top players' boots anymore. Ambition is borne out of hunger.

Yes they do. Well, maybe not the boots cleaning, but they do have to serve an apprenticeship.

Yes, sorry. You are right, although today's Academy apprenticeship is far removed from the 'old-style' apprenticeship. Young players have much more of a comfort zone today.

[kwik-silva]

That contradicts what Coppell said, apparently Coppell had money to spend

[brendywendy]

he also said in the programme that there was money to spend if copps asked for players

he was basically replying to concern from the more reationary fans saying youve stole all our cash
just saying there is very little, and we spent all we had in the prem years-as confirmed by the club accounts

get over yourselves

[2.8 lita injection]

Was a good win today but Mr Ego will be thinking," There you go, I was right. The squad is plenty big & good enough to get us back up!!! I'll buy another Bently instead!!
Don't get me wrong, I respect the bloke for all he's done for he club annd the money he's put in.
But the matter still stands that we've got a chairman that takes us for idiots and can not answer a straight forward question with a straight forward answer, without spouting his drivle and non-sense making s#@t!
Treat the fans with respect Jonny, where's the loot !?!?!?!

Where's the loot |?| for some reason that made me laugh.

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

Two things:

What he says in public has an impact on what money grabbing agents and mercenary players expect when they try to pedal their wares on our doorstep. There is plenty of overpaid shit in football and having achieved what we've achieved by largely avoiding the financial madness of the game, we should be inspired not angry. This is common sense. No RTGs or blind optimism. We have consistently built and built a squad at an affordable premium which thankfully has almost guaranteed that I'll have a Reading FC to watch for many years to come, whatever league we're playing in.

Secondly, watching MOTD this morning and listening to Hansen and Shearer, I think the reality of the money situation really hit home.

Tottenham Hotspur have spent in excess of £150.000,000 on players since 2006, and yet their stock has only risen as far as them becoming a team that are probably 'the most likely to break into the top four if anyone does'.

So, our aspirations are what exactly? To spend £100m on players to settle for being a UEFA cup contender? Perhaps £50m on players in order to hover in medicority in 12-16th place in the Prem? So say we spend £100m and get that UEFA spot, then what next?

Who will pay for all of this? A £100m squad will command wages per year at a minimum of £30m.

Does a crowd of 25,000 and TV rights bankroll this? I don't think it does.

We'll always be Reading, meaning we'll always be preyed upon by more prestigious clubs. No-one is immune from this anymore. SAF at Man Utd has stopped the rot slightly with the Ronaldo stance he's taken and partly so had M'ON at Villa. So whatever we do, whatever we spend, we'll always feel hard done by.

The Prem has left a very bad taste in the mouth to be fair. The new found arrogance of our players has now been matched by that of our 'support'.

I honestly agree that we need to be aspiring to plying our trade at the highest level, but at what cost?

I'll take a future where I can take my son to footie week in week out with him hopefully doing the same, as a trade off against Reading gambling millions away to become a Braford City or a Leeds United, who if you remember both nearly went out of business as a result of their money madness.

So, you decide. Madjeski - Hero or Villain.

Having seen the man mastermind the achievement of one of my biggest dreams (albeit for a fleeting moment) I know which one I'd go for.

[kwik-silva]

Yeah, I agree we'd almost certainly lose it (having said that, I'm not sure if we could attract big enough names) but you've got to remember, on top of that, they'll expand the club even more, adding to the ground (40,000 as stated last season would be realistic) Reading FC could be sold as a franchise round the world, much like Manchester Utd/Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal are today, albeit not on as big a scale.

[Stranded]

All those desperate for JM to move on, the grass isn't always greener my friends. You may not like what he does at times, and that's your perogative - there are plenty of decisions made that I don't like - but for every Abramovich out there, there's a Shinawatra or an Ashley who will buy the club and either make a situation worse or appear worse.

We are almost (if not already) in uncharted waters in that we are close to being self financing as a club - almost unheard of for a club like ours. Whilst that doesn't necessarily fit with fans short term viewpoints (and I include every fan here) - in the long term we will be laughing. Who knows, we may have a very good season without splashing the cash and be solvent as we go back in to the Prem....

[Stranded]

Two things:

What he says in public has an impact on what money grabbing agents and mercenary players expect when they try to pedal their wares on our doorstep. There is plenty of overpaid shit in football and having achieved what we've achieved by largely avoiding the financial madness of the game, we should be inspired not angry. This is common sense. No RTGs or blind optimism. We have consistently built and built a squad at an affordable premium which thankfully has almost guaranteed that I'll have a Reading FC to watch for many years to come, whatever league we're playing in.

Secondly, watching MOTD this morning and listening to Hansen and Shearer, I think the reality of the money situation really hit home.

Tottenham Hotspur have spent in excess of £150.000,000 on players since 2006, and yet their stock has only risen as far as them becoming a team that are probably 'the most likely to break into the top four if anyone does'.

So, our aspirations are what exactly? To spend £100m on players to settle for being a UEFA cup contender? Perhaps £50m on players in order to hover in medicority in 12-16th place in the Prem? So say we spend £100m and get that UEFA spot, then what next?

Who will pay for all of this? A £100m squad will command wages per year at a minimum of £30m.

Does a crowd of 25,000 and TV rights bankroll this? I don't think it does.

We'll always be Reading, meaning we'll always be preyed upon by more prestigious clubs. No-one is immune from this anymore. SAF at Man Utd has stopped the rot slightly with the Ronaldo stance he's taken and partly so had M'ON at Villa. So whatever we do, whatever we spend, we'll always feel hard done by.

The Prem has left a very bad taste in the mouth to be fair. The new found arrogance of our players has now been matched by that of our 'support'.

I honestly agree that we need to be aspiring to plying our trade at the highest level, but at what cost?

I'll take a future where I can take my son to footie week in week out with him hopefully doing the same, as a trade off against Reading gambling millions away to become a Braford City or a Leeds United, who if you remember both nearly went out of business as a result of their money madness.

So, you decide. Madjeski - Hero or Villain.

Having seen the man mastermind the achievement of one of my biggest dreams (albeit for a fleeting moment) I know which one I'd go for.

Absolutely brilliant post - well done than man.