CONFRIMED: Latest rumours Confrimed as Unconfrimed

[Royal_jimmy]

I was of the understanding that the Thais own the car park for the royal elm park development whenever that comes to fruition.

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I was of the understanding that the Thais own the car park for the royal elm park development whenever that comes to fruition.

The Royal Elm Park development is still well in discussions at the moment. Some of the noise from the developers seems to be that "significant work" will be undergoing there at some stage this year, although what that is I don't know.

[yuomi]

I find it shocking this interview shows Dai and Pang have been lying to us for months about trying to sell.

Pretty much this. In the last 12 months, the club have said that they've been "discussing", "seeking", and "actively working towards" a sale, and yet now, if NH is to be believed, we're once again at the start of the process. It's a combination of lying to and treating fans like idiots that reaffirms what an appalling custodian of the club Dai has been.

tbqh i've no reason to believe Howe given the route we've taken to get here, and my default is to treat any news to do with the club with suspicion until it's confirmed and something actually happens. Although that probably comes from sagas like Tommy Smith, Pedro Mendes, Rodrigo Riquelme etc etc.

[Stranded]

I was of the understanding that the Thais own the car park for the royal elm park development whenever that comes to fruition.

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

Have you met people? People will complain.

People complain when they move next to a pub or a music venue that is too loud, so they'll happily complain about their nice area being full of "football hooligans" 25 times a year

[Sutekh]

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

Have you met people? People will complain.

People complain when they move next to a pub or a music venue that is too loud, so they'll happily complain about their nice area being full of "football hooligans" 25 times a year

Like the divots who move into the country next to a church or farm and then get upset and complain when the church bells ring or a cockerel wakes them up at daybreak

[Snowflake Royal]

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

Have you met people? People will complain.

People complain when they move next to a pub or a music venue that is too loud, so they'll happily complain about their nice area being full of "football hooligans" 25 times a year

Used to get people who moved within a few hundred yards of a sewage treatment works then complain about the smell and want compensation for the effect on their house value.

So you are 100% spot on.

[Hendo]

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

Have you met people? People will complain.

People complain when they move next to a pub or a music venue that is too loud, so they'll happily complain about their nice area being full of "football hooligans" 25 times a year

Used to get people who moved within a few hundred yards of a sewage treatment works then complain about the smell and want compensation for the effect on their house value.

So you are 100% spot on.

Same as people who move within spitting distance of Heathrow and complain about plane noise.

[Forbury Lion]

If he sold the club but kept the stadium and/or training ground, the buyers may (should) negotiate an option to buy at a later date.

It makes sense for the owners to buy the stadium and training ground and then ask the EFL if they can being them all together as one entity because then that entity could take out a secured loan from a bank/third party against those assets as a way of funding the club, otherwise they are limited on what the owner can put in directly under FFP, if they were separate entities then the stadium company would have to borrow money and then loan it to the club company which could be seen as owner funding.

Obviously not really wanting the club to sell to someone who immediately borrows money against the club.

[tmesis]

If he kept the stadium, the rent would surely be negotiated alongside the sale. Any sensible buyer would want to lock in a fair rent for 5-10 years. So whilst it's not the best outcome, it would not be the disaster some fear.

This. If it gets a deal done, then continuing to pay rent (remember the club pay Dai rent now) is not a big deal esp if the deal is worded along the lines of "Rent will be X for Y years. Club will have the right to purchase the stadium at (set price) at any point up to and including (agreed date)"

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

[rabidbee]

If he kept the stadium, the rent would surely be negotiated alongside the sale. Any sensible buyer would want to lock in a fair rent for 5-10 years. So whilst it's not the best outcome, it would not be the disaster some fear.

This. If it gets a deal done, then continuing to pay rent (remember the club pay Dai rent now) is not a big deal esp if the deal is worded along the lines of "Rent will be X for Y years. Club will have the right to purchase the stadium at (set price) at any point up to and including (agreed date)"

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

They might have other sources of income?

[tmesis]

I was of the understanding that the Thais own the car park for the royal elm park development whenever that comes to fruition.

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

This is assuming the car park will be available, to any worthwhile degree, to fans.

When the Royal Elm Park thing was first on the table, Nigel Howe's message to the fans worried about parking was pretty much "Tough. You have to find somewhere else to park, or use public transport"

[tmesis]

This. If it gets a deal done, then continuing to pay rent (remember the club pay Dai rent now) is not a big deal esp if the deal is worded along the lines of "Rent will be X for Y years. Club will have the right to purchase the stadium at (set price) at any point up to and including (agreed date)"

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

They might have other sources of income?

They might, but it's not really a 'plan' though. Just wishful thinking.

It'll just leave the club in limbo until it's sorted, able to progress, maybe, but with a very big worry about the future - and seeing a large chunk of cash leave every season.

[MartinRdg]

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

Have you met people? People will complain.

People complain when they move next to a pub or a music venue that is too loud, so they'll happily complain about their nice area being full of "football hooligans" 25 times a year

Like the divots who move into the country next to a church or farm and then get upset and complain when the church bells ring or a cockerel wakes them up at daybreak

Or, as we've had around here, when the farmer decides to spread 'fertilizer' on his field and the wind is blowing this way!

[rabidbee]

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

They might have other sources of income?

They might, but it's not really a 'plan' though. Just wishful thinking.

It'll just leave the club in limbo until it's sorted, able to progress, maybe, but with a very big worry about the future - and seeing a large chunk of cash leave every season.

Unless it is a carefully calculated part of a plan?

[Elm Park Kid]

If he kept the stadium, the rent would surely be negotiated alongside the sale. Any sensible buyer would want to lock in a fair rent for 5-10 years. So whilst it's not the best outcome, it would not be the disaster some fear.

This. If it gets a deal done, then continuing to pay rent (remember the club pay Dai rent now) is not a big deal esp if the deal is worded along the lines of "Rent will be X for Y years. Club will have the right to purchase the stadium at (set price) at any point up to and including (agreed date)"

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

It may be the case that the new owners think that Dai is valuing the stadium too high and are willing to gamble that he will come down in price over the next few years (especially if he gets desperate). Or, they might be able to explore other options and move away from the SCL.

Another possibility is that the value of the club might increase enough that they would be able to borrow against it to finance the stadium purchase. Right now Reading FC (without the stadium) is probably worth basically whatever Bearwood is worth - ie, the football club itself is worthless. But, back in the Championship with costs under control the club itself might have a value in the £10-15m range again.

[Snowflake Royal]

This. If it gets a deal done, then continuing to pay rent (remember the club pay Dai rent now) is not a big deal esp if the deal is worded along the lines of "Rent will be X for Y years. Club will have the right to purchase the stadium at (set price) at any point up to and including (agreed date)"

If the owners can't afford the stadium now, how will they be able to afford it in 5-10 years? Barring a surge to the premier league, there's no way Reading FC is going to generate those sort of profits.

They might have other sources of income?

Or other investors.

[72 bus]

I think that's right from what was in the Chronicle. Saw some plans for "Royal Elm Park" which covers all of the current car park. There is a multi-story car park included in the development that will be used on match days. The residents will love that.

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

This is assuming the car park will be available, to any worthwhile degree, to fans.

When the Royal Elm Park thing was first on the table, Nigel Howe's message to the fans worried about parking was pretty much "Tough. You have to find somewhere else to park, or use public transport"

Work has already started on Royal Elm Park, the plan is the multi story will be used for football fans on match days, nothing has been said where the residents will park on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
The plan is for the local football busses to do two trips, so you get there hours before kickoff or just before depending on which bus you get.
Imagine 600+ cars getting out of a single lane multi story after the game.

[From Despair To Where?]

Anyone who decides to live there can have no complaints

This is assuming the car park will be available, to any worthwhile degree, to fans.

When the Royal Elm Park thing was first on the table, Nigel Howe's message to the fans worried about parking was pretty much "Tough. You have to find somewhere else to park, or use public transport"

Work has already started on Royal Elm Park, the plan is the multi story will be used for football fans on match days, nothing has been said where the residents will park on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
The plan is for the local football busses to do two trips, so you get there hours before kickoff or just before depending on which bus you get.
Imagine 600+ cars getting out of a single lane multi story after the game.

Anyone who's been to Wembley can

[tmesis]

The plan is for the local football busses to do two trips, so you get there hours before kickoff or just before depending on which bus you get.

The problem is that few will want to get there that early, and virtually nobody will want to wait for the second trip back after the game.

I use the Foster Wheeler P&R, because it's pretty convenient for me, coming from Bracknell, but for those that do use the club car park, it's going to be a real pain.

[Winston Biscuit]

Just flatten it all and get on with building the Biscuit Tin Megadome somewhere dayn tayn