Confimred new owners of Raeding Footbal Club

[Extended-Phenotype]

Comes back to that honesty thing. Leading folk on is pretty lame.

[Royal Lady]

Exactly E-P, exactly.

[SPARTA]

Oh it was such a pantomime. The offer wasn't serious at all. It was so obviously a little act to get Forest to cough up so Hull could buy Long. Even an Eastenders fan could spot that twist a mile off.

I buy into that a lot more than us being broke but finding £1m for Hobbs, and then offering 20k a week wages.. especially when Sharp is cheaper and Baird only wages to agree. It's hard to beat previous windows, but this is up there with the most frustrating.

[Esteban]

Comes back to that honesty thing. Leading folk on is pretty lame.

Hey, I'm not trying to defend the club in that respect. Just wondering whether there may be another reason for the lack of transfer funds.

[melonhead]

Fact is, one owner has done a runner, one has never made any secret of the fact he wants out and there may be one or two interested parties at this time, but nothing appears to be any further forward than it was months ago imo.

what is wrong with us?

why do they always leave?

[Royal Rother]

Oh it was such a pantomime. The offer wasn't serious at all. It was so obviously a little act to get Forest to cough up so Hull could buy Long. Even an Eastenders fan could spot that twist a mile off.

I buy into that a lot more than us being broke but finding £1m for Hobbs, and then offering 20k a week wages.. especially when Sharp is cheaper and Baird only wages to agree. It's hard to beat previous windows, but this is up there with the most frustrating.

Why is it so frustrating?

We don't need any new signings. We have a squad that is capable of getting promoted. They just need to get / stay fit and find form and confidence.

Look at Leicester City - last year they came 6th, this year with an almost identical squad they are running away with the league.

Be patient, cling on to the recent upsurge, have faith and stop wanting the club to spend money just to satisfy some irrational desire to keep up with the Joneses.

[SPARTA]

Oh it was such a pantomime. The offer wasn't serious at all. It was so obviously a little act to get Forest to cough up so Hull could buy Long. Even an Eastenders fan could spot that twist a mile off.

I buy into that a lot more than us being broke but finding £1m for Hobbs, and then offering 20k a week wages.. especially when Sharp is cheaper and Baird only wages to agree. It's hard to beat previous windows, but this is up there with the most frustrating.

Why is it so frustrating?

I'm happy with us keeping the squad together, don't get me wrong, but it's the template sound-bites coming our of the club again, the false promises etc. It gets a wee bit tedious when it's the same thing every year. BR2's post was spot on, it's hard to add much more to that; it's an excellent post.

I don't mind us not spending money, but don't tell me we have money to spend and then watch our targets go elsewhere!

[mr_number]

Wow, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't, really, aren't they?

[Extended-Phenotype]

Why is it so frustrating?

(a) Because the club always say they will make signings and then don't.
(b) Because we do need players, even if it's just for cover.

Just don't really like all the no wait, stick around - this time we really, really, will be investing.........AAAAAAHHHH, GOTCHA!!!

[Royal Rother]

No idea why people perpetuate this lie that we never make signings. Bizarre.

[melonhead]

Why is it so frustrating?

(a) Because the club always say they will make signings and then don't.
(b) Because we do need players, even if it's just for cover.

Just don't really like all the no wait, stick around - this time we really, really, will be investing.........AAAAAAHHHH, GOTCHA!!!

surely if it happens everytime your frustration should have faded to vague disgruntlement by now.
why are you still believing them?

[Royal Rother]

I buy into that a lot more than us being broke but finding £1m for Hobbs, and then offering 20k a week wages.. especially when Sharp is cheaper and Baird only wages to agree. It's hard to beat previous windows, but this is up there with the most frustrating.

Why is it so frustrating?

I'm happy with us keeping the squad together, don't get me wrong, but it's the template sound-bites coming our of the club again, the false promises etc. It gets a wee bit tedious when it's the same thing every year. BR2's post was spot on, it's hard to add much more to that; it's an excellent post.

It really isn't, it's just childish foot stamping and jealousy.

Madejski became a self made multi millionaire. He is still a self made multi millionaire. Most self made millionaires have had some disastrous failures along the way, and many lose the lot but, despite losing huge amounts along the way, he has managed his wealth perfectly astutely and contributed to a number of extremely good causes. A generous and philanthropic gentleman.

His vision and balls has taken the club to previously unconsidered heights, but now, because he didn't do the things that modestly successful people / completely mundane individuals / utter failures (take your pick) on HNA think he should have done, he is now being labelled as a no-hoper who got lucky once but is out of his depth.

In my book that stinks.

[under the tin]

Fact is, one owner has done a runner, one has never made any secret of the fact he wants out and there may be one or two interested parties at this time, but nothing appears to be any further forward than it was months ago imo.

Call me a glass half full merchant if you like, but that analysis above shows forward movement.

Sir John has taken the club as far as he can, is honest enough to admit publicly that the next level is beyond his means.
As to why Zingarevich has bolted, who on earth really knows ? Whether daddy has sewn up his pockets, whether people he had lined up to join TSI got cold feet, I suspect we'll never know.

The thing that is positive is that negotiations are in progress with parties who can hopefully take the club further than the current owners can.

I know. "hopefully" is the key word.
A change in ownership always carries significant risk. Portsmouth, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, etc.

Against that backdrop, just stop to think about the future, should the status quo be maintained. An absentee majority shareholder, and a minority shareholder who is reticent to plough any more of his money into a loss making business. Who's up for away trips down the M4, or the A4074?

[madstadblues]

Just my thoughts as to why this is 104 pages :

* The Russian coming in, Madejski wanting out
* Huge access to information (truth, rumour, lies, supposition) through the internet and social media
* Football as a business being dragged into the 21st century both from a financial and operational view i.e. financial diligence (you can't have a team like Crystal Palace signing more players than the 25 they are allowed and not realising). A need for better PR to cope with the Media scrutinty
* Sky and the need to examine every move rumour / news story in detail 24x7
* The hype around the transfer window and the artifcial deadlines its sets
* Ignoring the emergency loan system that is available after transfer dd
* I want news now mentality !
* The 25 man squad rule & whilst this hasn't been finalised by the PL teams they won't release players for loan or otherwise
* Football Manager
* No breath test control on computers for access to the internet
* Company takeovers, sales etc. take ages and there are loads of legal, commercial aspects to address

At the end of the day we're Reading, we're 6th and have something to play for, we have injured players better than are playing that can come back , we will have new owners at some point which will mean new possibilities. The only problem is we will have to wait a bit.

The futures bright, the futures blue and white !

[1871 not 1998]

rumour - not to be taking too seriously, but sounds plausible:

"I know everyone disagreed with my last post about the takeover stalling due to issues with the club's financial situation and Madejski's view on the value of his shares, hopefully people will now give me a bit more credibility seeing as things haven't progressed as people expected.

The latest update I have had is that the Omani bid is preferred based on footballing reasons and their vision for the club, but the stalling point is that they want a deal similar to Zingarevich had where they buy just 51% now, with an agreement to purchase the rest once they have control of the club.

Whilst the papers and Adkins are suggesting it may be long past the window, suggestion is that a heads of terms will be signed, allowing us to do some late business in the window."

[Pepe the Horseman]

He starts with "my last rumour was bollocks, so here's another one".

[Victor Meldrew]

In reply to Royal Rother:-
RR,
You can take a different view from many of us because:-
(a)You don't go to matches (this is not a promotion side)
(b)You are dispassionate (because you don't go to matches)
(c) You are an accountant (say no more)

Our chairman is an aged benefactor who (regrettably)gives sound bites to the fans in a very condescending way but we then question the intent and truth.
"We will expand the stadium"
"I am ambitious for this club"
"There is money to spend on new players".

Do you wonder that we do not take his statements seriously any longer?
Nobody called him a no-hoper but he is yesterday's man trying to operate in today's world and is no longer succeeding.

[JIM]

must agree with pepe. give him a fair trial .then hang him

[Super Kevin Bremner!]

6th in the Championship with a squad most of the other 23 managers in the league would love to have at their disposal. Two new bidders after the club and on course for possibly our 6th or 7th highest ever finish in the league.

But let's all panic when we don't add to our already excellent, well paid squad.

Let's face some facts here. If we weren't in a transfer window then hardly anyone would give a toss about the finer detail of the club being shifted on.

Fewer clubs than ever are chucking money at their problems nowadays and the January window is always one that's talked about in terms of poor value.

Sometimes football supporters get irate when their club is inactive like they're a bunch of kids that have been waiting for their birthday hoping they're gonna get a brand new BMX because that's what the kid who's got minted parents got, only to find out their mum and dad were of the opinion they should be happy with the BMX they've already got.

[elman]

6th in the Championship with a squad most of the other 23 managers in the league would love to have at their disposal. Two new bidders after the club and on course for possibly our 6th or 7th highest ever finish in the league.

But let's all panic when we don't add to our already excellent, well paid squad.

Let's face some facts here. If we weren't in a transfer window then hardly anyone would give a toss about the finer detail of the club being shifted on.

Fewer clubs than ever are chucking money at their problems nowadays and the January window is always one that's talked about in terms of poor value.

Sometimes football supporters get irate when their club is inactive like they're a bunch of kids that have been waiting for their birthday hoping they're gonna get a brand new BMX because that's what the kid who's got minted parents got, only to find out their mum and dad were of the opinion they should be happy with the BMX they've already got.

Now ain't that the truth. Best post for a long time on here.