The phoenix club thread

[leon]

Good lord no. Sod that.

Fair enough, bit too sociable for you I would imagine, and not easily available on tv….

I like quality, I appreciate it's not for everyone though.

quality????

[Mr Angry]

Not exactly an apples for apples comparison, but when AFC Wimbledon started up, they had the initial meeting (am sure stuff took place behind the scenes) on 30 May 2002, had their first trials on 13 June 2002, and their first friendly on 10 July 2002. They started their league season in August 2002.

Most league AGM's at non-league level don't take place until early/mid June when they ratify their structures for the season. Usually it's done on a trickle-down basis (ie, National League first, then Trident Leagues - Isthmian, Southern, Northern - then feeder leagues, then county leagues). These usually get delayed due to some club or another being demoted / going bust etc. So, working on worst case scenario, of the EFL letting the club limp on until the end of the season, there would still be time to get something together (barring the already stated caveats of "where do we play?" etc).

I remember at the time, AFC applied to join the Isthmian League, and the board of the league voted the proposal down (if I remember rightly, Harrow Borough were one of the clubs who voted against). The Combined Counties League were delighted to take them in - the publicity, attendance and finance boost, and booze sales in the bar for all clubs were utterly massive. A lot of clubs that first season - CCL Division One - had their highest ever home gate that season. Southall moved their game to Chalfont's ground, and had about six tents dishing out curry, which they'd included in the cost of the ticket.

Now, 23 years later, regulations and procedures have no doubt been updated, so the club / phoenix club might not find it as easy as just asking nicely if they can join a league (the CCL Div One is now technically a tier lower, following the formation of National League North / South in 2004). However, I personally doubt that we would be placed as high as NL/NLS, unless somebody in either of those divisions went bust themselves / took a voluntary demotion (I don't think I've heard of too many clubs at those levels being on life support this season). The FA however do prefer to reprieve clubs in those situations, rather than promote an additional club from a lower level. I do think that if we were to apply for the Isthmian / Southern League, that we would be accepted - I would like to think that they wouldn't repeat the same mistake from 2002.

In terms of venue, Wycombe or Aldershot probably. I just think Slough and Maidenhead would be too small. Reading have a larger fanbase than AFCW had, when they reformed, they were constantly filling out Kingsmeadow which was about 3000ish. Even allowing for some fans giving up on football / watching another side, then I don't think a leagueish sized ground would be unrealistic (though again AFCW got "lucky" in the fact that Kingsmeadow's host club, Kingstonian, had a prototype Dai in charge at the time, and he let AFCW essentially have the ground). Just please god not Farnborough - it's the nearest ground to my house, but I would violently resent giving Spencer Trethewy any money...

Was he the bloke that was "rescuing" Aldershot about 30 odd Years ago, appearing on Wogan etc etc?

I thought at the time that he was a little twat.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yes, he was 18 back then (weren’t we all dicks at 18?)

Think (at 54 years old) he’s grown-up a bit since then, been running Farnboro’ since 2011

[Forbury Lion]

Simply getting behind Reading City might not be the worst option. Established club, with a ground. An influx of support would potentially let them rise rapidly up the leagues and they may not be averse to becoming the home of former Royals, although they might hate the idea . To be honest it would be really easy to take over an existing club and simply rebadge it, probably easier than starting from scratch. Ethically it might not be great unless it’s an agreed takeover.

Why not go full Robert Maxwell and merge them with Oxford City to form Thames Valley City, with games played in Didcot? I'm sure their fans will be up for it

[AthleticoSpizz]

What are you chuntering on about Forbes?

[Forbury Lion]

What are you chuntering on about Forbes?

To be honest it would be really easy to take over an existing club and simply rebadge it

This is what I'm chuntering against ASpizz.
An existing club may be small, may lack history and may have a small following, but I wouldn't want to effectively rob fans of their club
so we can attempt to recreate ours.

[Royal_jimmy]

Let's try to be optimistic I guess

[Forbury Lion]

Any Pheonix Club will have to start small.... I once worked out that a Sunday pub team is 12 promotions and sh*t loads of money and luck away from winning the Premier League.

So, to begin with we need to form a team ourselves made up of fans.

I actually think this is the ultimate challenge and achievement for a Billionaire to leave as their legacy, Much more so than simply buying a Chelsea or Man City and bankrolling the to titles and trophies.... Form your own team, get them to the Premier League.

[tmesis]

Any Pheonix Club will have to start small.... I once worked out that a Sunday pub team is 12 promotions and sh*t loads of money and luck away from winning the Premier League.

So, to begin with we need to form a team ourselves made up of fans.

I actually think this is the ultimate challenge and achievement for a Billionaire to leave as their legacy, Much more so than simply buying a Chelsea or Man City and bankrolling the to titles and trophies.... Form your own team, get them to the Premier League.

Supporters aren't going to get behind a Sunday League team playing the local parks.

Without some kind of belief that getting back to the league is realistic, nobody is going to regard that bunch of absolute amateurs as a real successor to Reading FC.

[Snowflake Royal]

Any Pheonix Club will have to start small.... I once worked out that a Sunday pub team is 12 promotions and sh*t loads of money and luck away from winning the Premier League.

So, to begin with we need to form a team ourselves made up of fans.

I actually think this is the ultimate challenge and achievement for a Billionaire to leave as their legacy, Much more so than simply buying a Chelsea or Man City and bankrolling the to titles and trophies.... Form your own team, get them to the Premier League.

Supporters aren't going to get behind a Sunday League team playing the local parks.

Without some kind of belief that getting back to the league is realistic, nobody is going to regard that bunch of absolute amateurs as a real successor to Reading FC.

Any phoenix club only fit to enter at Sunday league level isn't worth having and will only be backed by a few hundred people.

So it's not worth even considering.

[Lower West]

Any Pheonix Club will have to start small.... I once worked out that a Sunday pub team is 12 promotions and sh*t loads of money and luck away from winning the Premier League.

So, to begin with we need to form a team ourselves made up of fans.

I actually think this is the ultimate challenge and achievement for a Billionaire to leave as their legacy, Much more so than simply buying a Chelsea or Man City and bankrolling the to titles and trophies.... Form your own team, get them to the Premier League.

Real Bedford have attracted billionaire investors who have injected £3.5 mllion into the club so far.

[morganb]

In Spanish, "real" means "royal" therefore if the new club gets called "Real Reading" we will still be the Royals and we can still use Sasima's "They call us the Royals" song (possibly re-recorded by The Amazons to be "They call us the Reals")

[Forbury Lion]

Any Pheonix Club will have to start small.... I once worked out that a Sunday pub team is 12 promotions and sh*t loads of money and luck away from winning the Premier League.

So, to begin with we need to form a team ourselves made up of fans.

I actually think this is the ultimate challenge and achievement for a Billionaire to leave as their legacy, Much more so than simply buying a Chelsea or Man City and bankrolling the to titles and trophies.... Form your own team, get them to the Premier League.

Real Bedford have attracted billionaire investors who have injected £3.5 mllion into the club so far.

Exactly, we may have a few local millionaires who can't afford to save Reading FC because their £1m donation probably won't even to keep the lights on for 1 month, but it'll go a long way towards the setup of a new club.

Not saying a new club would start as a Sunday Pub team, the aim would be to join the highest league which will allow us entry and initially try to stay there and then climb but I'd rather start lower than rebadge someone else's team and rob them of their club.

[Snowflake Royal]

What about FYDY Reading

Fuck You Dai Yonnge

Or to please Brighton etc Al

Tinpot Reading

[Dirk Gently]

What about FYDY Reading

Fuck You Dai Yonnge

Or to please Brighton etc Al

Tinpot Reading

The FA's Competitions Committee also has jurisdiction over the names of clubs applying to join leagues - they can veto proposed club names or name changes. A few years ago Whitehawk FC wanted to change to "Brighton City" but were advised that wouldn't be allowed, so anything vaguely insulting would likely get the same treatment.

[Crusader Royal]

What about FYDY Reading

Fuck You Dai Yonnge

Or to please Brighton etc Al

Tinpot Reading

The FA's Competitions Committee also has jurisdiction over the names of clubs applying to join leagues - they can veto proposed club names or name changes. A few years ago Whitehawk FC wanted to change to "Brighton City" but were advised that wouldn't be allowed, so anything vaguely insulting would likely get the same treatment.

The Jockey Club have to approve all race horse names, but it doesn’t take much creativity to get things past them ( I can’t remember if it was Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen who owned a horse called Hoof Hearted).
A name incorporating a derogatory reference to DY that would be clear to fans but get past the Board of Censors shouldn’t be difficult to come up with.