SJM's radio interview ..

[FiNeRaIn]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?
Poorly run club, LOL@ the notion we've been well run over the years if we find ourselves heavily in debt and having to sell almost our entire first team squad to survive. When makes it better is we spent the least amount for a promoted team to the prem in the last 10 years or so, tell me how that adds up? WeLOLLOL ROFLun club.

Used to look forward to Reading, simply can't be arsed now. No affiliation to the players, chairman who has asset stripped us, clueless management and one of the grounds with the worst atmospheres in British football.

Rugby league looks a good game, might go and follow that.

[PEARCEY]

Promotion is a possibility. Not a realistic one, but it certainly is a possibility.

Relegation is a far greater prospect though Dirk. I'm sure you would agree.

[RoyalBlue]

It could all be worse - one pre season an old chairman (Frank Waller I think) wouldn't shell out £7K for Alan Devonshire from Slough Town - instead he decked out the director's box and re-tarmacked the directors car park.

I suppose everything is relative.
At the current time Dev might be a £7 million footballer and we have just spent £7 million on infrastructure.
Nothing changes much.

That's up there in the RB class of skewing things !

How about ' That tightwad has just blown £40 million on a penthouse flat (with football stadium attached) yet won't even fork out £2 million for Tommy Smith'. He's killing this club.....

Well I'll give you one thing. You are nothing if not loyal.

Most obsequious pimps spot when their idol is about to fall from glory and switch allegiances. The latest soundbite from the Chairman rates as one of the most ridiculous, given the current circumstances, ever but still he remains a flawless saint in the eyes of some.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?

If you feel ripped off for us finishing 8th in the Prem then there is no hope for you at all. It has been shown that there was not a huge war chest for SC to spend in the Prem, we spent what we had, about £1m a week, and that was not enough to keep us up. Did we spend it all wisely, i say not, as staff numbers increased by a large amount in some areas according to the accounts released.

Teams are above us now that have spent a lot less, there is far more to success than spending money.

[rhroyal]

I don't know why people are surprised by high attendances. We averaged over 17,000 in 04/05. No matter how much the successful times are over now, it was inevitable that 2 years in the Premiership would in fact pull some true fans in. Just because you jump on the bandwagon in the good times, it doesn't mean you'll instantly jump off at the first opportunity.

[Terminal Boardom]

I don't know why people are surprised by high attendances. We averaged over 17,000 in 04/05. No matter how much the successful times are over now, it was inevitable that 2 years in the Premiership would in fact pull some true fans in. Just because you jump on the bandwagon in the good times, it doesn't mean you'll instantly jump off at the first opportunity.

I qute agree. It is also conceivable that as football has got more popular (look at average attendencesacross the country), we should attract more supporters. Add to this 8 years or so of unrivalled success plus the stadium we are witnessing our fan base growing. And long may it last!

[winchester_royal]

I don't know why people are surprised by high attendances. We averaged over 17,000 in 04/05. No matter how much the successful times are over now, it was inevitable that 2 years in the Premiership would in fact pull some true fans in. Just because you jump on the bandwagon in the good times, it doesn't mean you'll instantly jump off at the first opportunity.

Excellent point. One of my mates really got into Reading in the first prem season and hasn't missed a home game in 2 years, and has gone to a fair few away ones as well. He's as good a fan as any I know.

[I was there at Elm Park]

I don't know why people are surprised by high attendances. We averaged over 17,000 in 04/05. No matter how much the successful times are over now, it was inevitable that 2 years in the Premiership would in fact pull some true fans in. Just because you jump on the bandwagon in the good times, it doesn't mean you'll instantly jump off at the first opportunity.

Excellent point. One of my mates really got into Reading in the first prem season and hasn't missed a home game in 2 years, and has gone to a fair few away ones as well. He's as good a fan as any I know.

Hopefully he'll end up like my family. We only started watching Reading regularly in 1994/1995 but since then at least two family members have always had season tickets and we are most definitely Reading till we die.

[FiNeRaIn]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?

If you feel ripped off for us finishing 8th in the Prem then there is no hope for you at all.

No, since that second season onwards.

[Wimb]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?
Poorly run club, LOL@ the notion we've been well run over the years if we find ourselves heavily in debt and having to sell almost our entire first team squad to survive. When makes it better is we spent the least amount for a promoted team to the prem in the last 10 years or so, tell me how that adds up? WeLOLLOL ROFLun club.

Used to look forward to Reading, simply can't be arsed now. No affiliation to the players, chairman who has asset stripped us, clueless management and one of the grounds with the worst atmospheres in British football.

Rugby league looks a good game, might go and follow that.

I've said this elsewhere, but how do you feel ripped off? did you get to watch 23 league home games last season? and then get the chance to go and watch a playoff semi final? Similarly the season before did you not get 19 Premier League home games which saw the club relegated on goal difference? Our ticket prices are quite high but considering the area of the country we live in and the general prices of football across the country it's hardly extorsionate to charge £22 quid on a game by game basis. Spurs, Chelsea etc charge twice that ffs, yes it's Prem League football but it's not THAT much better then watching Championship football is it?

As for the notion we 'completely destroyed our squad' that's not true is it. YES there was a big firesale that saw many people leave, but to be fair every side has to go through a rebuilding phase once in a while. Hunt wanted to move when we were in the PL ffs, and Bikey and Doyle both had World Cup ambitions and wanted to further their careers so out of the clubs hands. Look, USA can't get into Wolves team, Doobs, is helping take Wycombe down, Leroy "less league goals then Simon Church" and Murts career might be over . Harper and Rosie? Harper's already getting slagged off by the blades fans and Rosie is part of a side who've won even less then us this season ffs. Thinking they would lead us up is naive at best and idiotic at worst.

I laugh at the notion that we've been so badly run compared to other clubs. We spent the least in the PL and finished 8th ffs. We then invested a further 5.5 million or so in the team during the second season and went down, mistakes were made etc etc but it wasn't down to whether money was available it was how it was spent/managed/tactics etc all of the above.

How many teams have come out of the PL and not gone back eh? Leeds, Soton, Norwich, Ipswich, Bradford, Palace, Cov, MK Dons. All teams who have had more then 1 season in the PL this decade and not been back.

Ground with the worst atmosphere? how many away games have you been too this year, I've been to two, Barnsley and WBA and neither were any better then the Mad Stad when they've got something to sing about.

The chairman....

Asset stripped?! give me a break, a new stadium, new training ground, new media facilities, a hotel to help generate funds for the club and our reputation is now in the top 30-40 clubs in the land. Even on the playing staff we have several international players playing regularly. Just 10 years ago our most capped player was Jimmy Quinn for N.I, now we have Church, Hunt, Gunnar, Cisse, Kebe, Fed all turning out for national sides, and half a douzen more at U21 level. Compare that to when he joined and that's a lot more assets for the club in my book.

The chairman doesn't know football inside out but he's also a keen Reading fan and wants the best for the club. He talks of promotion and good, I like to think he's looking upward rather then down. It's up to each fan to adjust their expectations based on what they see and if SJM see's an amazing group of players then thats his opinion isn't it?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?

If you feel ripped off for us finishing 8th in the Prem then there is no hope for you at all.

No, since that second season onwards.

So despite the fact that in our second season we could have stayed up you felt ripped off, with wins against, Everton, Liverpool, and Man C at home, and the fact that for most of the season we were sat around 12th untill mid Jan.

Or were you ripped off last season, when we were in the top 3 for 5 and a half months, and ended up 4th, missing out on auto promotion on the last day of the season.

You could be disappointed with the football at times, but you really cant feel ripped off.

[Uke]

Used to look forward to Reading, simply can't be arsed now.

So why post at all?

[brendywendy]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process - why is this accepted at reading?
Poorly run club, LOL@ the notion we've been well run over the years if we find ourselves heavily in debt and having to sell almost our entire first team squad to survive. When makes it better is we spent the least amount for a promoted team to the prem in the last 10 years or so, tell me how that adds up? WeLOLLOL ROFLun club.

Used to look forward to Reading, simply can't be arsed now. No affiliation to the players, chairman who has asset stripped us, clueless management and one of the grounds with the worst atmospheres in British football.

Rugby league looks a good game, might go and follow that.

good, go on then feck orf!


in answer to the highlighted question:

compare our finances to the other promoted teams-m and other than th eones with benefactors willing to plough money in without return......wigan, chelsea, man city?
i think weve done pretty well. we arent heavily in debt you tool- weve cut the cloth in order that we dont become heavily in debt,much like some scottish outfits i could mention.

[FiNeRaIn]

Bad post.

We are doing a southampton, bradford and leeds without even investing in the team. how ironic is that? For years RT'Gs would go on about not breaking the bank investing in players. Well, we didn't - yet are are in absolute free fall like those aforementioned clubs, how do you explain that one? We cut the cloth at the expense of most of the quality we had in the squad and as a result we are playing the worst football since the bullivant era and look odds on for relegation. Well run club.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

Bad post.

We are doing a southampton, bradford and leeds without even investing in the team. how ironic is that? For years RT'Gs would go on about not breaking the bank investing in players. Well, we didn't - yet are are in absolute free fall like those aforementioned clubs, how do you explain that one? We cut the cloth at the expense of most of the quality we had in the squad and as a result we are playing the worst football since the bullivant era and look odds on for relegation. Well run club.

We got relegated becuase for some reason still beyond me Coppell prefered the like of Rosnior, CIsse and Fae to O'Neill, Davies and Cahill.

Pulis made the great point that you have to be in the Premiership for 3 years to really feel the benifit. Thanks to Coppell we didn't get that and we are now paying for it,

[Deathy]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process

Examples please?

[FiNeRaIn]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process

Examples please?

Examples of what, our ticket prices?

[brendywendy]

Bad post.

We are doing a southampton, bradford and leeds without even investing in the team. how ironic is that? For years RT'Gs would go on about not breaking the bank investing in players. Well, we didn't - yet are are in absolute free fall like those aforementioned clubs, how do you explain that one? We cut the cloth at the expense of most of the quality we had in the squad and as a result we are playing the worst football since the bullivant era and look odds on for relegation. Well run club.

i explain it by looking at our finances, and then looking at theirs you bumbling nobcheese

[FiNeRaIn]

Bad post.

We are doing a southampton, bradford and leeds without even investing in the team. how ironic is that? For years RT'Gs would go on about not breaking the bank investing in players. Well, we didn't - yet are are in absolute free fall like those aforementioned clubs, how do you explain that one? We cut the cloth at the expense of most of the quality we had in the squad and as a result we are playing the worst football since the bullivant era and look odds on for relegation. Well run club.

i explain it by looking at our finances, and then looking at theirs you bumbling nobcheese

Football is played on the pitch you retarded moron, not in the bank.

Had reading cut cloth sensibly then we wouldn't be in this mess. As it stands, we treated our situation like we were 20 million in debt and sold our recognised players, exactly what those other clubs did. Pathetic management and the fans are paying for it by having to watch this rubbish every week.

4th in the league to relegation candidates, a job well done madejski.

[Terminal Boardom]

A lot including me won't be renewing my season ticket next season, feel completely ripped off for the last 3 seasons or so. No other club has completely destroyed their squad and done it while charging the fans extortionate sums in the process

Examples please?

I am not renewing my ST next year. I do not appreciate being lied to.