Rival Watch

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Seems like Huddersfield's issues have gone a bit stale in the last week or so as well so there will be that to "sort out" potentially as well in the coming days/weeks.

[Elm Park Kid]

Interesting review that confirms our general suspicion that Reading significantly underperforms in terms of converting local population into fans. Though, this is a fairly simplistic calculation and doesn't consider how quick/easy it is to get to a ground.

I still believe that a significant element of our problem is the grounds location that makes it difficult to have a 'proper' day out with drinks before and after.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We aren't the only team who have a football ground in the middle of an industrial estate. I know it's popular amongst fans to have a day out on the booze, but it's what a mile and a half off the M4 for those who drive? Probably a couple of miles outside the town centre I imagine?

If we want more fans in the door then the club need to have more access routes, I can't see why they don't put buses on for fans to get to and from the games from the town centre, would seem like a much more sensible way to spend the club's money considering it will generate more ticket sales and more sales through fans in the ground.

[Dirk Gently]

The Premier League years showed that if we were successful, people would come - we were selling out just about every match, then.

It's not location, it's the entertainment value of what's on offer that is the deciding factor. People coming out time and time again to watch turgid displays from a (predominantly) bunch of mercenaries who have no connection to the place isn't something that will happen just from the power of the badge.

Attractive and/or successful football (and ideally both!) brings people in and creates an atmosphere and environment that helps keep them coming back. Simple as that.

We've not had that for over ten years.

[paultheroyal]

Agreed with Dirk - its the winning that puts bums on seats. End of. All levels.

[Elm Park Kid]

A response to that is whether the teams above us in that table have better records of success over the past 10 years or so?

[72 bus]

We aren't the only team who have a football ground in the middle of an industrial estate. I know it's popular amongst fans to have a day out on the booze, but it's what a mile and a half off the M4 for those who drive? Probably a couple of miles outside the town centre I imagine?

If we want more fans in the door then the club need to have more access routes, I can't see why they don't put buses on for fans to get to and from the games from the town centre, would seem like a much more sensible way to spend the club's money considering it will generate more ticket sales and more sales through fans in the ground.

Reading busses run from the Town to the stadium and I believe the club subsidise the many other busses running from the surrounding area, I cannot see how they could do much more, the services are very good.
https://images.reading-buses.co.uk/down ... 0times.pdf
https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/matchda ... s-football

[From Despair To Where?]

I think a near decade of pretty shite football has had the biggest impact.

Also think the cost of living in the South, regardless of how relatively cheap our tickets are will also have an impact.

[NathStPaul]

Corrupt/incredibly stupid owner

Terrible stadium location

Lack of anything to do pre-game

Ridiculously expensive parking at the ground

Abysmal food and drink options in and around the stadium

Terrible football team on the pitch

Low budget manager

Permanent threat of financial ruin

Club disconnecting itself from the community

[YorkshireRoyal99]

We aren't the only team who have a football ground in the middle of an industrial estate. I know it's popular amongst fans to have a day out on the booze, but it's what a mile and a half off the M4 for those who drive? Probably a couple of miles outside the town centre I imagine?

If we want more fans in the door then the club need to have more access routes, I can't see why they don't put buses on for fans to get to and from the games from the town centre, would seem like a much more sensible way to spend the club's money considering it will generate more ticket sales and more sales through fans in the ground.

Reading busses run from the Town to the stadium and I believe the club subsidise the many other busses running from the surrounding area, I cannot see how they could do much more, the services are very good.
https://images.reading-buses.co.uk/down ... 0times.pdf
https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/matchda ... s-football

Fair enough then, that being the case they can't. I'll go with what others are saying, the fact we just don't have that successful of a team on the pitch and many fans just feeling disconnected to the club will be the actual reason.

Transportation may have been an issue, but yes if people wanted to go, then they'd go.

[Snowflake Royal]

A response to that is whether the teams above us in that table have better records of success over the past 10 years or so?

Yes, almost exclusively yes. Many have been in the PL more recently. Many have more gularly finished top half of the Championship.

The likes of Rotherham, Bristol, Wigan and Sunderland have enjoyed success in League One in that time, even if not in the Championship or above.

If you plotted average place within a division across 10 years, most of those teams would be above us.

[Dirk Gently]

And a lot of those clubs have an inherent advantage over us - historic mass support.

Clubs in predominantly industrial/working class areas will have a long tradition of local support - watching the match was just what you did on a Saturday after the hooter went for the end of shift for the docks/mill/factory etc. And that, of course, led to traditions within families of supporting a team - family/friend connections are by far the biggest reason people support their team.

Reading only joined the league in 1923 and has never had that long-tradition of mass support. Yes, there's a core of about 10k that may well have that tradition, but that's a lot smaller than many other clubs.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

A response to that is whether the teams above us in that table have better records of success over the past 10 years or so?

Yes, almost exclusively yes. Many have been in the PL more recently. Many have more gularly finished top half of the Championship.

The likes of Rotherham, Bristol, Wigan and Sunderland have enjoyed success in League One in that time, even if not in the Championship or above.

If you plotted average place within a division across 10 years, most of those teams would be above us.

Not Sunderland, they've been a mess only up until the last couple of seasons and that's only because of a play off victory last season and a successful season this time around.

Enjoying success at League One level won't wash with the Sunderland fans and I suspect if they remain in the Championship for a number of years that they will start becoming edgy.

[RG30]

A statement from Huddersfield Town on the Club’s ownership

Huddersfield Town can today (23 March 2023) issue an update on the Club’s ownership.

We can confirm that Dean Hoyle has completed a deal to acquire the remaining 75% shareholding in Huddersfield Town from Pure Sports Consultancy. As a result, Dean Hoyle now owns 100% of the shares in the Football Club.

Simultaneously, Mr Hoyle has exchanged contracts with a North American group on a sale of the 100% shareholding in Huddersfield Town. Completion is subject to legislative and governance procedures.

We will give more information to supporters as soon as these procedures have been completed.

Once again, we would like to thank fans for their continued patience and support.

https://www.htafc.com/news/2023/march/club-statement-ownership/

[Sutekh]

So just the possible Birmingham, Sheffield United and Reading point deduction issues to be clarified by the FL, no news remains good news though.

[Snowflake Royal]

A response to that is whether the teams above us in that table have better records of success over the past 10 years or so?

Yes, almost exclusively yes. Many have been in the PL more recently. Many have more gularly finished top half of the Championship.

The likes of Rotherham, Bristol, Wigan and Sunderland have enjoyed success in League One in that time, even if not in the Championship or above.

If you plotted average place within a division across 10 years, most of those teams would be above us.

Not Sunderland, they've been a mess only up until the last couple of seasons and that's only because of a play off victory last season and a successful season this time around.

Enjoying success at League One level won't wash with the Sunderland fans and I suspect if they remain in the Championship for a number of years that they will start becoming edgy.

Nonsense. Believe they were in the PL more recently. They're top half of Championship now. They've been towards the top of League One for a while.

Their double relegation and relatively slow bounce back has been far better for retaining their support than our extended death knells.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Yes, almost exclusively yes. Many have been in the PL more recently. Many have more gularly finished top half of the Championship.

The likes of Rotherham, Bristol, Wigan and Sunderland have enjoyed success in League One in that time, even if not in the Championship or above.

If you plotted average place within a division across 10 years, most of those teams would be above us.

Not Sunderland, they've been a mess only up until the last couple of seasons and that's only because of a play off victory last season and a successful season this time around.

Enjoying success at League One level won't wash with the Sunderland fans and I suspect if they remain in the Championship for a number of years that they will start becoming edgy.

Nonsense. Believe they were in the PL more recently. They're top half of Championship now. They've been towards the top of League One for a while.

Their double relegation and relatively slow bounce back has been far better for retaining their support than our extended death knells.

Not really, as mentioned they are a well supported club anyway, they could be playing in L2 with the ground they've got and they'd still be getting 30,000+ in. Look at Bradford. Cheap ticket prices aside, they consistently get 17,000+ in for home games and will take 1,000+ to a most away games.

Sunderland fans just weren't happy being in League One, despite winning more games. Their place is in the PL for a club of that size and fanbase and they could easily push top 10 in that league when you consider some of the clubs there now.

What's changed is that they've been successful in getting promoted and are having a good season now, I wouldn't be expecting them to be saying the same things in 3/4 years if they are still in the same place as they are now.

[Sutekh]

And a lot of those clubs have an inherent advantage over us - historic mass support.

Clubs in predominantly industrial/working class areas will have a long tradition of local support - watching the match was just what you did on a Saturday after the hooter went for the end of shift for the docks/mill/factory etc. And that, of course, led to traditions within families of supporting a team - family/friend connections are by far the biggest reason people support their team.

Reading only joined the league in 1923 and has never had that long-tradition of mass support. Yes, there's a core of about 10k that may well have that tradition, but that's a lot smaller than many other clubs.

Reading joined the league in 1919/20 not 1923 as part of the Southern League merge of its top division with the expanding Football League. The Southern League before that was somewhat of a rival to the FL especially in the south where it was, basically, the equivalent of the football league as clubs in the south didn’t want the travelling to northern outposts.

If Reading had hit the ground running and climbed to the first division back in the 20s and had maintained a bit of a run at that level they’d probably be seen as a “big” club with a bit of tradition like a Portsmouth for example. But for some reason the club never had serious support, “big” investment or even ambition to push itself to compete as the 50 years of nothingness from the mid 20s to mid 70s shows. Meanwhile other provincial “hotbeds” such as Coventry and Southampton (!) pushed on and slowly got somewhere.

[muirinho]

And a lot of those clubs have an inherent advantage over us - historic mass support.

Clubs in predominantly industrial/working class areas will have a long tradition of local support - watching the match was just what you did on a Saturday after the hooter went for the end of shift for the docks/mill/factory etc. And that, of course, led to traditions within families of supporting a team - family/friend connections are by far the biggest reason people support their team.

Reading only joined the league in 1923 and has never had that long-tradition of mass support. Yes, there's a core of about 10k that may well have that tradition, but that's a lot smaller than many other clubs.

I'd say Reading having a relatively transient population makes a difference as well. Many of the people I know, living in Reading, weren't born in Reading. Of those that were, very very few have parents who were also born in Reading.
It may be just the circles I move in, but....

As an incomer myself, the only reason I support Reading, and not my home town club, is where I'm from has zero tradition of soccer, so I didn't already have an attachment. I could never get into London Irish, because I already supported Munster, for example. And it follows through generations - my son supports Reading because that was the only football we went to, but, for instance, his friend at school supports Sheffield United, because his family were from Sheffield, and his Dad would regularly go to away games down South, and would take him. He'd go to see Reading while they were in the PL, but he wasn't a supporter. Not really.

[Hound]

Yeah truth in that. Actually get quite surprised when I speak to someone who is born here.

Whilst no one is going to choose to move to Sunderland