Family Club of the Year

[Gordons Cumming]

Sara Jacob, ex-Maiden Erlegh

I have her telephone number.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

It's not just about Shirts and Tickets...how naive to think that

Dirk is absolutely right that merchandise sales internationally are of minimal value to the clubs, as the majority of shirts are counterfeit (I worked for an IPL team in India last year so saw this first hand). However, an international fan base is a great revenue driver for two key reasons:-

1) It increases the total value of your sponsorship revenue - developing an international fan base makes the club more attractive to sponsors looking to grow their brand in emerging markets. Aon, the new sponsors of Man U, have no interest in the UK market yet are prepared to spend £25m per year to get their name on the shirt. That's because it will deliver instant awareness in their key emerging markets, namely China and the Far East in general.

2) Opens up new revenue streams, such as overseas media rights which a club can sell independently to local markets outside or in addition to any collective league agreements.

As I said.

Too many busy bastards looking to work in football.....

[Sun Tzu]

But they're not money coming through the gate, which is what really counts.

1 match ticket = £26
1 replica shirt = £40

And of course once you have filled the ground you can't take any money on the gate whereas you can keep selling replica shirts etc to an indefinite number of fans who don;t go to every game.

How naive to believe that replica shirts sold in the Far East are the genuine, full price item.

Sorry Dirk but it's a bit of a cheek to call someone 'naive' and then rant on about something they didn;t say !

I didn't mention the Far East once, whereas it's all you talked about...

It seems naive to me to simply dismiss anyone who doesn't actually attend games as being relevant to the clubs in terms of earnings.

[No Fixed Abode]

if only 'family club' had an 'L' in it.

[Finch]

I have to admit that RFC turning the whole stadium into a family enclosure has caused me no end of bother.

If people have children at football then they should sit in the designated family enclosure, pre smoking ban would you have sat in a smoking section of a restaurant and complained about smokers?

The younger ones are the future and indeed lifeblood for this club.

Reading don't have a future. Come to think of it, they don't have a present. RFC died in 2006 lad.

[weybridgewanderer]

Reading will be around long after you have gone

[sandman]

If I may quote the "great philosopher" David Brent : "Finchy, Why don't you f*** off"

[Finch]

Reading will be around long after you have gone

They are on a life support machine, they will never wake up and someone should turn it off.

[PEARCEY]

Reading will be around long after you have gone

They are on a life support machine, they will never wake up and someone should turn it off.

Finch. Have you asked your parents if you are allowed on the internet? I wouldn't let a small child of mine onto HNA.

[Finch]

Reading will be around long after you have gone

They are on a life support machine, they will never wake up and someone should turn it off.

Finch. Have you asked your parents if you are allowed on the internet? I wouldn't let a small child of mine onto HNA.

I sneak on here when the parentals are out.

Please tell me what future RFC has? I'm all ears.......

[Sun Tzu]

Finch. Have you asked your parents if you are allowed on the internet? I wouldn't let a small child of mine onto HNA.

I sneak on here when the parentals are out.

Please tell me what future RFC has? I'm all ears.......

There will be another season next year, and one the year after that.

We've got pretty much the same future as many clubs (obvioulsy not the basket case financial train wrecks like Liverpool or Chester)

[PEARCEY]

Re Finch. We are a bigger club than we were thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago. We will never be Champions League, we will never be a "big" club. That doesn't bother me. What I enjoy doing is seeing the team play well in a decent, friendly environment and sharing the experience with my kids.
I would like to think we can end up as a competitive outfit in the Premiership and failing that a good side amongst similar sized clubs in the Championship.
The last three months have been as enjoyable as I have ever known following Reading FC. Its not all about winning trophies.

[Finch]

Finch. Have you asked your parents if you are allowed on the internet? I wouldn't let a small child of mine onto HNA.

I sneak on here when the parentals are out.

Please tell me what future RFC has? I'm all ears.......

There will be another season next year, and one the year after that.

We've got pretty much the same future as many clubs (obvioulsy not the basket case financial train wrecks like Liverpool or Chester)

A season doing what? Going to the same old clubs wishing one day you may have a freak season and get promoted. Then if you do, thinking the premier league is a let down because you are at best, trying to become a Bolton.

You're right about opne thing though, there's a large number of 'dead clubs' with no real future.

That said; you didn't answer my question.

[Finch]

Re Finch. We are a bigger club than we were thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago. We will never be Champions League, we will never be a "big" club. That doesn't bother me. What I enjoy doing is seeing the team play well in a decent, friendly environment and sharing the experience with my kids.
I would like to think we can end up as a competitive outfit in the Premiership and failing that a good side amongst similar sized clubs in the Championship.
The last three months have been as enjoyable as I have ever known following Reading FC. Its not all about winning trophies.

You are obviously a post 2006 fan.

If you are satisifed with playing in a friendly environment with no real achievement at the end of it, or to aspire to, then fair play. At least you are honest enough to admit that.

It's better than half of these mugs who think Reading might win a trophy or play in europe and think some billionaire is going to takeover and elevate Reading into something more than a yo-yo club.

My only criticism is that being an 'established' premier league club is no achievement or excitement. Look at Bolton for example, hardly the envious example.

[PEARCEY]

Re Finch. We are a bigger club than we were thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago. We will never be Champions League, we will never be a "big" club. That doesn't bother me. What I enjoy doing is seeing the team play well in a decent, friendly environment and sharing the experience with my kids.
I would like to think we can end up as a competitive outfit in the Premiership and failing that a good side amongst similar sized clubs in the Championship.
The last three months have been as enjoyable as I have ever known following Reading FC. Its not all about winning trophies.

You are obviously a post 2006 fan.

If you are satisifed with playing in a friendly environment with no real achievement at the end of it, or to aspire to, then fair play. At least you are honest enough to admit that.

It's better than half of these mugs who think Reading might win a trophy or play in europe and think some billionaire is going to takeover and elevate Reading into something more than a yo-yo club.

My only criticism is that being an 'established' premier league club is no achievement or excitement. Look at Bolton for example, hardly the envious example.

Supported the club since 1972 and stood on the terraces at Elm Park on a number of occasions but I wouldn't have taken my kids there.
Depends what you define as achievement. For me beating Liverpool and Everton was an achievement. Finishing 8th in the Premiership was incredible especially when I never ever thought we would reach the top flight. For someone like myself who has seen the team play in the old fourth division the last few years have been incredible...and to me a great achievement but I'm realistic enough to accept thats as good as it gets.
When you knock a team like Liverpool out of the Cup it really is very sweet because its so unexpected.

[Ian Royal]

Why do people try and get into a debate with someone who is quite clearly on a fishing trip?

[Sun Tzu]

There will be another season next year, and one the year after that.

We've got pretty much the same future as many clubs (obvioulsy not the basket case financial train wrecks like Liverpool or Chester)

Because it was a stupid question, even for someone on a bad fishing trip.
A season doing what? Going to the same old clubs wishing one day you may have a freak season and get promoted. Then if you do, thinking the premier league is a let down because you are at best, trying to become a Bolton.

You're right about opne thing though, there's a large number of 'dead clubs' with no real future.

That said; you didn't answer my question.

Because it was a stupid question, even for someone on a bad fishing trip.

I guess you're OK with clubs in the Prem going to the same old grounds wishing one day they may have a freak season and win the league again ?

[Big Foot]

Re Finch. We are a bigger club than we were thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago. We will never be Champions League, we will never be a "big" club. That doesn't bother me. What I enjoy doing is seeing the team play well in a decent, friendly environment and sharing the experience with my kids.
I would like to think we can end up as a competitive outfit in the Premiership and failing that a good side amongst similar sized clubs in the Championship.
The last three months have been as enjoyable as I have ever known following Reading FC. Its not all about winning trophies.

You are obviously a post 2006 fan.

If you are satisifed with playing in a friendly environment with no real achievement at the end of it, or to aspire to, then fair play. At least you are honest enough to admit that.

It's better than half of these mugs who think Reading might win a trophy or play in europe and think some billionaire is going to takeover and elevate Reading into something more than a yo-yo club.

My only criticism is that being an 'established' premier league club is no achievement or excitement. Look at Bolton for example, hardly the envious example.

And 20 years ago you'd be deluded to think we could one day finish 8th in the top flight! All about economies of scale Finch lad, thought you'd learn that with all the courses you've been on?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

My only criticism is that being an 'established' premier league club is no achievement or excitement. Look at Bolton for example, hardly the envious example.

Liverpool fans must feel the same way.

[Finch]

Re Finch. We are a bigger club than we were thirty years ago, twenty years ago and ten years ago. We will never be Champions League, we will never be a "big" club. That doesn't bother me. What I enjoy doing is seeing the team play well in a decent, friendly environment and sharing the experience with my kids.
I would like to think we can end up as a competitive outfit in the Premiership and failing that a good side amongst similar sized clubs in the Championship.
The last three months have been as enjoyable as I have ever known following Reading FC. Its not all about winning trophies.

You are obviously a post 2006 fan.

If you are satisifed with playing in a friendly environment with no real achievement at the end of it, or to aspire to, then fair play. At least you are honest enough to admit that.

It's better than half of these mugs who think Reading might win a trophy or play in europe and think some billionaire is going to takeover and elevate Reading into something more than a yo-yo club.

My only criticism is that being an 'established' premier league club is no achievement or excitement. Look at Bolton for example, hardly the envious example.

And 20 years ago you'd be deluded to think we could one day finish 8th in the top flight! All about economies of scale Finch lad, thought you'd learn that with all the courses you've been on?

Yeah, but it aint gonna happen again. There's nothing left to achieve that hasn't already been achieved.

Finch got out at the right time.