Fans’ takeover

[Lower West]

Hasn't got a pot to piss in anymore

Reading are heading in the direction of being a piss pot club again though. Few million would keep the club alive.

he's 82 it would probably kill him. he's moved on.

I've met plenty of wise old business heads that still function perfectly well into their 80's and 90's. Entrepreneurial people rarely stop. In their blood. Not the money that drives them either. Still have much to offer as well.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Reading are heading in the direction of being a piss pot club again though. Few million would keep the club alive.

he's 82 it would probably kill him. he's moved on.

I've met plenty of wise old business heads that still function perfectly well into their 80's and 90's. Entrepreneurial people rarely stop. In their blood. Not the money that drives them either. Still have much to offer as well.

He's not interested though, as he's mentioned before. And doesn't have the finances to keep us going. If he didn't after our relegation a decade ago, alongside looking for a new investor/buyer a few years prior to that, he's going no chance now with our level of debt. The only saving grace he's got now is that our wage bill will have dropped considerably. But Madejski isn't an option.

[SCIAG]

Only way a fan's takeover would be possible would be if we lived within our means and accepted that we would be at a disadvantage compared to the clubs who have wealthy backers.

It would also require Dai to basically just call it a day, pay off any external debts and sell up for a token amount.

Personally I'd not too fussed about results, and the AFC Wimbledon model combined with the best bits from certain other success stories who might not be fan-owned but are still sustainable in one sense or another - Brentford, Crewe, Forest Green etc. But we wouldn't be able to raise millions. We might find 5000 people prepared to pay £25 a year (Wimbledon have about 4,500), or maybe as many as 20,000 if Dirk is right, but £25 multiplied by 20,000 is only half a million.

It wouldn't be a utopia, we probably wouldn't be able to compete in the Championship unless we were very well-run (recruitment, development, and sales), but it's an option if the worst happens and no billionaire is prepared to fund us any more.

[Snowflake Royal]

Only way a fan's takeover would be possible would be if we lived within our means and accepted that we would be at a disadvantage compared to the clubs who have wealthy backers.

It would also require Dai to basically just call it a day, pay off any external debts and sell up for a token amount.

Personally I'd not too fussed about results, and the AFC Wimbledon model combined with the best bits from certain other success stories who might not be fan-owned but are still sustainable in one sense or another - Brentford, Crewe, Forest Green etc. But we wouldn't be able to raise millions. We might find 5000 people prepared to pay £25 a year (Wimbledon have about 4,500), or maybe as many as 20,000 if Dirk is right, but £25 multiplied by 20,000 is only half a million.

It wouldn't be a utopia, we probably wouldn't be able to compete in the Championship unless we were very well-run (recruitment, development, and sales), but it's an option if the worst happens and no billionaire is prepared to fund us any more.

I'm sure we could do better than £25 a year. That's bugger all.

[Crowbar6753]

So if $25 equates to $500,000 then i'm sure most fans would be willing to part with $100 which would be $2 million and a much healthier figure. Throw in some good local sponsorship and maybe it isn't such a silly idea after all. (Please excuse the $ Canadian Dollar sign)

[Brogue]

So if $25 equates to $500,000 then i'm sure most fans would be willing to part with $100 which would be $2 million and a much healthier figure. Throw in some good local sponsorship and maybe it isn't such a silly idea after all. (Please excuse the $ Canadian Dollar sign)

Yeah plus gates receipts, match day income, and merch.

[Elm Park Kid]

Kieran Maguire says that League One is the natural limit for any fan-owned club. Beyond that it's just not possible to raise enough funds.

[traff]

Whats Ian Gillan up to these days?

[Royal_jimmy]

If there's a fans takeover how do they decide when to fire a manager?

[Orion1871]

If there's a fans takeover how do they decide when to fire a manager?

Obviously, our Chairman, Ian Royal, does the hiring and firing.

[SCIAG]

Only way a fan's takeover would be possible would be if we lived within our means and accepted that we would be at a disadvantage compared to the clubs who have wealthy backers.

It would also require Dai to basically just call it a day, pay off any external debts and sell up for a token amount.

Personally I'd not too fussed about results, and the AFC Wimbledon model combined with the best bits from certain other success stories who might not be fan-owned but are still sustainable in one sense or another - Brentford, Crewe, Forest Green etc. But we wouldn't be able to raise millions. We might find 5000 people prepared to pay £25 a year (Wimbledon have about 4,500), or maybe as many as 20,000 if Dirk is right, but £25 multiplied by 20,000 is only half a million.

It wouldn't be a utopia, we probably wouldn't be able to compete in the Championship unless we were very well-run (recruitment, development, and sales), but it's an option if the worst happens and no billionaire is prepared to fund us any more.

I'm sure we could do better than £25 a year. That's bugger all.

Maybe. As you charge more then you'll get less interest, but I don't know at what point revenue would peak. I used the fee that Wimbledon charge.

£100 a year sounds like a lot, especially on top of a season ticket (and it basically has to be "on top" or you immediately lose half your potential members). But £10 a month probably sounds more reasonable.

[paddy20]

Madejski can't afford to buy the club outright, but perhaps him and a group of local investors could acquire a majority stake in the club, maybe with fans buying a stake as well. Then the club can be run self-sufficiently, even if season tickets have to go up to pay for it.

Would be great to see the club in local ownership whilst we're in the lower leagues, then sell in a few years when we're in a better place as a football club.

Apart from the initial cost it's funding transfer fees and the losses which is the problem.

[morganb]

How many players have we had play for us over the years (loans and permanent)? Couldn't we approach every single one of them and get them all to chip in a few quid (either up front or on a monthly basis). Even a small amount each would add up to millions.

Also, could we become a registered charity? (Sure there's a joke there somewhere). Not sure what benefits that would give us but there must be some...

[On Strings]

Also, could we become a registered charity?

MINDLESS

[Forbury Lion]

he's 82 it would probably kill him. he's moved on.

I've met plenty of wise old business heads that still function perfectly well into their 80's and 90's. Entrepreneurial people rarely stop. In their blood. Not the money that drives them either. Still have much to offer as well.

He's not interested though, as he's mentioned before. And doesn't have the finances to keep us going. If he didn't after our relegation a decade ago, alongside looking for a new investor/buyer a few years prior to that, he's going no chance now with our level of debt. The only saving grace he's got now is that our wage bill will have dropped considerably. But Madejski isn't an option.

If you look at the businesses Sir John made his millions in:

Autotrader - Sold, Can't really get back into that market now you have rivals such as ebay motors
Hurst Printing - Printed media is a dying format, Probably ran at a loss/downsized
Sackville Properties - Not a great time for ploughing millions into office blocks now everyone is WFH and the morgage situation isn't great for homes, Lost millions when the recession hit and the property by the station dropped in value and he sold it.
Can't remember what else he had, He did have a hotel on the gallapagos islands he was trying to sell.

I think if he had a steady income that would cover the cost of subsidising the football club until it could be turned around he might offer to step in but I can understand why he doesn't want to throw away his kids inheritance when ultimately he'd have to sell it again and it'll go the same way. I'd put him down as an interested party if a consortium of wealthy individuals was to get together and save the club, but we can't expect it all to fall to Sir John. I'm sure he would be willing to offer some advice to prospective owners.... first piece of advice would be to try and hire Nigel Howe as CEO and leave everything in his hands to manage.