CONFRIMED: Takeover collapsed; Back to square one

[On Strings]

Tim says Rob says Tuesday or Wednesday.

TD said Couhig’s side of the deal is done but not the other side’s. If he’s referring to Dai then nothing is done yet.

RC told a fan at half-time outside the East Stand, that it's all done pending EFL final sign off on Wednesday.

[Brogue]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

[WestYorksRoyal]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

[Crusader Royal]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

And Howe’s job was to sell the club, which it looks like he has done

[Hound]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

100%

Selles could be an absolute masterstroke. Was him who seemed to be behind the recruiting of savage, Elliot and promoting the academy as well

Screwed up big time with the gambling thing but imo we’d be stupid to bin him on that. He’s a problem with it that he needs help for but hoepfully not affecting his main job

Would look at him, Selles and Hunt as the 3 main men in keeping us afloat (along with SCL)

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah, don't get the hate of Bowen, it's just weird.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Yeah, don't get the hate of Bowen, it's just weird.

The gambling charge leaves a very bad taste. A DoF with us and a manager (at Wimbledon) of a L1 side betting on L1 games with obvious insider knowledge....and claims he was laying bets for a mate....yeh right.

He's not exactly a young pro starting out either....

Should be first person out of the door.

[Brogue]

Is Bowen any better than any other director of football operations at any other club? What’s differentiates him from the crowd. People saying oh I don’t get the Bowen hate and he was instrumental in bring in x,or z… that’s his oxf*rd job! Bowen could easily be replaced by any number of suitable candidates. Ones that don’t lie and don’t have a gambling problem…

[WestYorksRoyal]

Is Bowen any better than any other director of football operations at any other club? What’s differentiates him from the crowd. People saying oh I don’t get the Bowen hate and but he was instrumental in bring in x,or z… that’s his oxf*rd job! Bowen could easily be replaced by any number of suitable candidates. Ones that don’t lie and don’t have a gambling problem…

How about comparing him to what this club has had for the past decade?

[Brogue]

Is Bowen any better than any other director of football operations at any other club? What’s differentiates him from the crowd. People saying oh I don’t get the Bowen hate and but he was instrumental in bring in x,or z… that’s his oxf*rd job! Bowen could easily be replaced by any number of suitable candidates. Ones that don’t lie and don’t have a gambling problem…

How about comparing him to what this club has had for the past decade?

Brian Tevreden > Mark Bowen
Nick Hammond > mark Bowen
Gianluca Nani? No idea

[blueroyals]

Bowen is Kia's man, 'nuff said

Also, if it all rests on EFL approval next week, then today's appearance was absolute political masterstroke, because can you imagine the reaction from Reading fans if they don't green light it? They're now under humungous pressure to wave it through

[From Despair To Where?]

Bowen is Kia's man, 'nuff said

Also, if it all rests on EFL approval next week, then today's appearance was absolute political masterstroke, because can you imagine the reaction from Reading fans if they don't green light it? They're now under humungous pressure to wave it through

Are you suggesting that in theory, the EFL could be pressurised into green lighting a deal because the fanbase might get uppity on the back of a PR stunt?

[On Strings]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

And Howe’s job was to sell the club, which it looks like he has done

Howe has been in it for himself since the Zingarevich's, and he's a full blown alcoholic. Get him as far away from this club as possible!

[Forbury Lion]

Bowen is suspended from all footballing activities, so new owners will get on with things without him. Also Wycombe and plenty of League One clubs manage without a DoF.
The new owners seem to be more hands on with a better understanding of football so might decide there is no role required for a DoF.

Having said that, if he's got a track record of recruiting well, doing a good job etc then maybe if he'll be even better if he can get help with his gambling problem? So might be worth finding out.

[From Despair To Where?]

Bowen is suspended from all footballing activities, so new owners will get on with things without him. Also Wycombe and plenty of League One clubs manage without a DoF.
The new owners seem to be more hands on with a better understanding of football so might decide there is no role required for a DoF.

Having said that, if he's got a track record of recruiting well, doing a good job etc then maybe if he'll be even better if he can get help with his gambling problem? So might be worth finding out.

The hearing was on July 17th and 8 of the 12 weeks were suspended. He'll already be back at work.

His punishment was very lenient IMO, given it was the second time he'd been caught.

[Hound]

As I said on the other thread, when the gambling industry is so cosied up to top level football I don’t know how judgemental the authorities can be on cases like this

Start banning it from the advertising boards in the ground and on the front of the players shirts and then we can maybe look again

Yeah he was wrong, it was poor behaviour and he’s been punished sufficiently imo. Get him some help and support, hopefully funded by the same industry and let’s move on

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

Dai wanted Selles after watching Southampton play Arsenal the previous season.

Wing, Knibbs & Smith were all established L1 players and we signed them over other L1 clubs as we are a bigger club than most. Wing lived locally and Smith always wanted to come back.

IMO Selles gets most of the credit for the ways he's improved the younger players like Kelvin, Azeez, Mbengue, Dorsett etc

[Brogue]

Hope his first job is to get rid of Bowen and Howe

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

Dai wanted Selles after watching Southampton play Arsenal the previous season.

Wing, Knibbs & Smith were all established L1 players and we signed them over other L1 clubs as we are a bigger club than most. Wing lived locally and Smith always wanted to come back.

IMO Selles gets most of the credit for the ways he's improved the younger players like Kelvin, Azeez, Mbengue, Dorsett etc

We also have Brian Carey head of recruitment, and had Jared Dublin our head scout, who left at the end of June 2023. A week or so later we signed knibbs smith and wing. I’m sure he would have been involved in identifying these players.

Bowen lied about olise transfer sell on clause

Bowen lied when he said we’d had our medicine and there would be no further sanctions

Bowen lied when he said there would be no fire sale in January. Then we sold tmac Holmes abbey Vickers.

Bowen never communicates with the fans we’ve had a couple of sound bite interviews from him.

Bowen obviously has a gambling problem.

[Fezza]

Bowen gets a lot of stick, but his fingerprints are all over recruiting this team and appointing Selles. We'd be in a much worse situation without him.

Dai wanted Selles after watching Southampton play Arsenal the previous season.

Wing, Knibbs & Smith were all established L1 players and we signed them over other L1 clubs as we are a bigger club than most. Wing lived locally and Smith always wanted to come back.

IMO Selles gets most of the credit for the ways he's improved the younger players like Kelvin, Azeez, Mbengue, Dorsett etc

We also have Brian Carey head of recruitment, and had Jared Dublin our head scout, who left at the end of June 2023. A week or so later we signed knibbs smith and wing. I’m sure he would have been involved in identifying these players.

Bowen lied about olise transfer sell on clause

Bowen lied when he said we’d had our medicine and there would be no further sanctions

Bowen lied when he said there would be no fire sale in January. Then we sold tmac Holmes abbey Vickers.

Bowen never communicates with the fans we’ve had a couple of sound bite interviews from him.

Bowen obviously has a gambling problem.

Disagree with this (if I’m allowed to, given your itk status).

The gambling occurred in a 3 month period, two years ago, when he had nothing to do with RFC. Given that it occurred over such a short period it points to an addict briefly falling off the wagon before getting things under control.

For much of the last 22 months he was the only person at the club saying anything.

[WestYorksRoyal]

And who brought Jared Dublin and Brian Carey to the club?