Is promotion good?

[Bucks Dave]

One factor that may come to the fore is that we become a lot more saleable close to the price that SJM wants. Not that there seem to be a lot of people desperate to put loads of dosh into a football club without expecting a return on it.

And the higher priced players we brought in at the time (Fae and Halford for example) didn't fill me with much enthusiasm. I think the key will be as Stoke have done, look for bargain "past it" Premiership players like Etherington who blossom in a new environment.

Good points about the promotion: large crowds home and away, tremendous pride when we punch way above our weight (I remember swaggering around Old Trafford in our second season when we drew 0-0 with 10 men. I don't do that in the Championship), lots more attention on TV, press and with other fans, money flowing into the club that will not be wasted.

Bad points: paying out a lot more money to see my team(but have renewed season ticket), few Saturday 3pm kickoffs, arrogant fans with no idea of the real world of football, diving,every game a battle for survival against the odds.

[Ian Royal]

As a fan Championship football is excellent. It's a decent quality, at a not too bad price (considering everything in football these days) highly competitive, very exciting and there's now a decent amount of coverage in highlights, live games and stuff on the OS.

The Premier League is a great place to visit for a few seasons to mix it up with the big boys, but unless you can take that massive step and compete for 6th - 9th on a regular basis it ain't all that in the long term. I'd be delighted to see us in there for another season or three again, but I can't see it lasting much longer without us taking a big step forward.

But the new money arrangements make promotion a superb thing for us. We're already in a decent position financially, it's unlike we'll throw the kitchen sink at staying up and risk our future, but we've got a competitive mentality.

[Row Z Royal]

Is promotion good?

Err yes, it's generally recognised as being a positive. Some might even suggest it's the ultimate goal of the season.

Next question.

I sgree with the OP.

Promotion to the Premier League is an unfortunate consequence of having a good season in the Championship

I like this view. Might nick that line for use in convo myself.

[Z175]

Agree with OP in general. I love watching the Championship and would rather be here than struggling in the prem.

That said we didn't really struggle in the prem last time so who is to say our academy strength and that experience can't play a key role in making us aim high.

The problem is if we don't go up we may find it impossible to compete in the Championship. The new parachute payments system, the wealth or wilingness to spend at clubs such as Leicester maybe QPR and Birmingham and to some extent Ipwich, Forest, Leeds, Middlesbrough and even maybe Cardiff will mean being a top team gets harder and harder. New kids on the block Southampton and Brighton with new big stadiums and plenty of potential may also threaten us in future years. Its all conjecture but if we don't go up how soon will it be before talk of deficits and cuts starts up and Long, Kebe and McAnuff are sold?

I think we have a great manager and squad so I'm not too worried about our survial. But comparing being top of the championship to bottom of the premierleague may not be a valid argument.

If we do go up, the worst that can happen is we come back down with a lot more money and 5 years of money for Brian to develop his side. Say D'Ath turns into the next Sigurdsson - it would be nice to keep him.

[rhroyal]

Agree with OP in general. I love watching the Championship and would rather be here than struggling in the prem.

That said we didn't really struggle in the prem last time so who is to say our academy strength and that experience can't play a key role in making us aim high.

The problem is if we don't go up we may find it impossible to compete in the Championship. The new parachute payments system, the wealth or wilingness to spend at clubs such as Leicester maybe QPR and Birmingham and to some extent Ipwich, Forest, Leeds, Middlesbrough and even maybe Cardiff will mean being a top team gets harder and harder. New kids on the block Southampton and Brighton with new big stadiums and plenty of potential may also threaten us in future years. Its all conjecture but if we don't go up how soon will it be before talk of deficits and cuts starts up and Long, Kebe and McAnuff are sold?

I think we have a great manager and squad so I'm not too worried about our survial. But comparing being top of the championship to bottom of the premierleague may not be a valid argument.

If we do go up, the worst that can happen is we come back down with a lot more money and 5 years of money for Brian to develop his side. Say D'Ath turns into the next Sigurdsson - it would be nice to keep him.

I agree with this pretty much. I'd happily see us challenging at the top in the Championship year on year, but often if you don't move forward, you move backwards and we'd see a number of clubs overtaking. I'd happily see us like West Brom, yoyo-ing and attracting players at the top end in this league. They could sneak into the top half in the Premiership this season, so all good times.

I just couldn't stand becoming mid table mediocrity in any league. I've been following us since about 2000. Lots of words can be used to describe the time since; "dull" in most certainly not one of them. 3 play-offs lost, 2 promotions, 1 relegation. Aiming up from where we are now, the next natural target should be to establish in the Premiership like Bolton, Fulham, Blackburn and, more recently, Stoke.

They have gone through years and years of dull mid table finishes, the only excitement arising when they're sucked into a stressful battle at the wrong end. Is that what we currently aspire to?

[readingbedding]

The players seem to be keen on Promotion.

I ain't complaining.

[BobKnows]

Basically, I fcuking hate the premiership and everything it stands for, so no.

And yet, who can actually resist the joy of getting promoted

My dream would be for Reading to get automatic promotion and then turn the Premier League down

[Z175]

Basically, I fcuking hate the premiership and everything it stands for, so no.

And yet, who can actually resist the joy of getting promoted

My dream would be for Reading to get automatic promotion and then turn the Premier League down

If we could offer our place to say Leicester for £60m, then yeah I would be all for that! Keep this team together, resign Doyle, Shorey and the Sig on big money and make sure we finish third for the next ten years! awesome!

[Ian Royal]

Refuse promotion on the basis that we aren't going up until we better our record by getting 107+ points as well as scoring 100 goals. It's just not the same unless we do it in proper style.

[seahawk10]

Can't wait!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBaYVo89mmY

Full context of the interview:

"To all the non-believer's"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJshw2Axsqc

[BonBoh]

Good to say we're in the Premiership but will face possible slaughter most weeks.

Compare the monetary side of things:
Go up: More revenue vs higher wages that stay with us long-term even if club is relegated. Increase stadium capacity to increase revenue. Parachute payments following relegation. Re-build team (again) and get a new manager (again). Empty tiers in new stadium on return to Championship. Higher running costs, less income. Downward spiral.

Stay in Championship: Less revenue but smaller wage bill. Loss of players (Long, Kebe, Mills) to Premiership for big money transfers = good financial footing. Build on squad we currently have and develop promising talent. Bring new talent through the ranks (again). More wins and more competitive than in Premiership. More entertainment and anticipation for final scores. Manager stays longer term. Stability for another season and more. Excitement of possible promotion and success for another season.

[Mr Angry]

Blimey - I can't believe some of the comments on here!! And people say SJM isn't keen on us going up!



In answer to the thread question...




YES

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Any responsibly taken step that puts a Championship club (not one but) two seasons away from potential relegation to League One, and the unknowable number of seasons spent trying to escape the purgatory that it is (or, in a worst case, trying to hold off relegation to League Two), cannot be a bad thing

One of course may fabricate counterarguments --life in the PL sucks if you're not competing for honours in at least as many seasons as you're battling the drop, and it costs both club and supporter a fortune; JM'd just pocket the winnings anyway-- but I'd much sooner be the that was Derby County of the Premier League in 2007/8 than be the that is Charlton Athletic of League Two in 2010/11 and beyond

[Ian Royal]

Any responsibly taken step that puts a Championship club (not one but) two seasons away from potential relegation to League One, and the unknowable number of seasons spent trying to escape the purgatory that it is (or, in a worst case, trying to hold off relegation to League Two), cannot be a bad thing

One of course may fabricate counterarguments --life in the PL sucks if you're not competing for honours in at least as many seasons as you're battling the drop, and it costs both club and supporter a fortune; JM'd just pocket the winnings anyway-- but I'd much sooner be the that was Derby County of the Premier League in 2007/8 than be the that is Charlton Athletic of League Two in 2010/11 and beyond

I'd much rather be Coventry in the Championship than Derby in the Premier League. And I don't think there's a huge chance of us doing a Coventry let alone a Charlton.

[Cookie]

Prices tend to go up if you get promotion (Premiership or otherwise). It's by how much that's the issue.

Youngsters coming through will get better. As a premiership team we will attract higher quality youngsters. Again this is true the higher in the league you are (and stay of course!). The youth tram/academy (whatever you want to call it) will always be playing catch up to a certain extent, especially if you start from a low base (as we have done).

I get the point about being competitive though. Although having seen 2 seasons of PL footie now with Reading I'm less afraid. There are at least 10-12 teams that we can compete with. The rest we can haul in given time (and more Sigurdsson's).

Whether watching grossly overpaid primadonnas on a weekly basis is entertainment is another matter, but at least we don't support Chelsea or Arsenal!

Good post in what is an abysmal thread.
Is promotion good? Is a pig's arse pork?

[loyalroyal4life]

It is good if we financially attempt to make a go at staying up by spending money where it is needed. If you can stay in the prem for 2 years then try build from there then you could end up like Stoke

[Ian Royal]

It is good if we financially attempt to make a go at staying up by spending money where it is needed. If you can stay in the prem for 2 years then try build from there then you could end up like Stoke

Or like Sheffield Utd, Palace, Saints...

[Cookie]

It is good if we financially attempt to make a go at staying up by spending money where it is needed. If you can stay in the prem for 2 years then try build from there then you could end up like Stoke

End up like Stoke!! Heaven forbid.

I know what you mean BTW

[rhroyal]

It is good if we financially attempt to make a go at staying up by spending money where it is needed. If you can stay in the prem for 2 years then try build from there then you could end up like Stoke

That's the thing. Being like Stoke doesn't excite me. What has ever happened to make their life interesting in the last couple of years?

[SHORT AND CURLY]

FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley?