Best Of
Re: EFL TROPHY FINAL
I don't know why they didn't just set up a print-on-demand store on TeeSpring - no inventory to worry about, much cheaper. Now I think about it, maybe we should set up a Gasroom one.
drcongo
Re: Thumbing
Some heartwarming comments not only on the subject but also a little trip down memory lane to days where the Gasroom was indeed a far more volatile place, some sharp wits and even sharper conversations, we still have our moments but vermin and spackmen have been replaced by thumbs up and thumbs down along the way.
The same issue remains throughout though; people over the years have sometimes with great fanfare quit the Gasroom after particularly divisive exchanges, I myself sloped off without comment and for a long time because I didn't like a lot of what I was seeing and moreover it was fostering in me something that I thought was ugly, I was getting drawn in to petty squabbles and tit-for-tat and the escalation of stakes which destroys the middle ground and just leaves one with a sense of polarisation.
I'm happy that I was drawn back in after a long hiatus and I found that I had learned to pick and choose my own battles with much more care and moreover I have learned to not mind the small things and to simply not engage in that. Amongst other things, that's one of the reasons that I don't contribute as frequently as some, I became aware of a dynamic that has not gone away, I have had to learn to respect my own boundaries and in that process I have also learned a lot about respecting other people's boundaries too.
There are others on the forum who have perhaps not had sufficient time in life or who have otherwise lacked the impulse to reflect upon these things and self-inspection is certainly not compulsory, but I think that everyone on the forum would do well to acknowledge that this is indeed a shared space and that we should be careful with each other.
I think that it would be a sad day if we lose the downvotes because they are useful to me as a gauge as to whether I am straying back into places I don't want to revisit, if I get a lot of downvotes because I believe the monarchy is an anachronism which is doing far more harm to the country than good and I think that the right time to air those views is precisely when it is shedding its skin and regenerating itself, that's fine, I don't necessarily agree with people downvoting something simply because they hold a contrary position but I understand where it is coming from and well, if you don't have a few enemies then perhaps you haven't been standing up to the right people. That's a use of the downvote which I think is helpful and I myself use it when someone is being particularly rude or spiteful and it would be a shame if that manner of feedback were no longer available on this forum.
Where I see the abuse though is in what DrCongo has been describing above, simply targetting people and downvoting everything that they say, it's just harassment in one of its many guises. It is mindless and it has real consequences; I appreciate that Wendoverman has laughed it off a little bit, but at the material time and over a period of time it has been getting to decent people who are here to socialise. If a way could be found to make the deep data analysis less onerous such that a little flag appears somewhere and a polite reminder about not being an ar^%hole to others quite so often is sent to those who are letting themselves down, that would be a beautiful world.
With thanks to DrCongo who will probably end up doing the work here if my proposal does have legs and my appreciation for the stirling work that he has done over the years. Peace and good vibes to all you other Gasroomers too, even if some of you aren't always my cup of tea.
Ed_
Re: Match Day Thread: Portsmouth
Good morning.
As a Pompey fan I read other fans forums, rarely do I take the time to join and much less post.
But, having read this 'match day thread' I felt compelled to leave a message.
Rarely do you get such honest appraisals, even less so when you've just lost a game. There is football knowledge and appreciation here in abundance.
I compliment you on being 'proper fans'.
I wish you well for the future.
Regards
Pompey14
Re: Match Day Thread: Portsmouth
Thanks very much for your kind thoughts, @Shev.
I have been something of a miracle man (and extremely lucky) to have survived to such a great age. A freak of nature some might unkindly suggest !
When, in 2006, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread beyond the prostate I more or less resigned myself to the probability of being limited to the biblical three score years and ten. But radiotherapy and other treatments were successful in repressing the cancer and until about four years ago I was in remission but in May 2021 I was told that a CT scan showed that the cancer had spread to my bones and I’m fairly sure that the word terminal was used.
Well, I’ve remained defiant and I’m pleased to say that the cancer isn’t really troubling me. The conundrum now is that I have severe stenosis of the aortic heart valve which, if not treated, is apparently likely to see me off within a year or two. I am currently pushing to get an opinion from the cardiologists about the viability of treatment, given my age. I had an angiogram in November which, as I understand it, was to enable them to assess what might be done - eg a transcatheter (?) repair or replacement (TAVI).
I’m still enjoying life. Eating and sleeping well and socialising on a regular basis - mainly lunches out - with friends and family. Seven of us are having Sunday lunch tomorrow at the Old Queen’s Head and, for the blokes, a chance to see the big clash at the Ethiad later in the afternoon.
But where would l be without the Gasroom and the day trips to Vipienne.
micra
Re: Match Day Thread: Portsmouth
Pompey fan in peace. I signed up a few days as thought there might be some pre-match chat (and because there was some chat about John Shuttleworth and Henning Wehn which attracted me to your forum).
I think you were a bit unfortunate to catch us on one of our better days today: obviously our results have been good this season, but there have been several games, away from home in particular, where we've edged it having not looked great and the opposing fan view has, understandably, been 'not sure why/how they're top'.
I was only able to watch on iFollow today (away tickets are like gold dust at the moment) but thought you had quite a bit about you. It must have been quite a difficult gig for Bloomfield to take over from Ainsworth - but seems (from the outside) like he's doing okay?
Best of luck for the rest of the season.
Re: Reading offer Bearwood training ground to Wycombe
I have been involved in business deals throughout my working career and running into £100s of millions and we certainly would not enter into a discussion over such a deal without a legally binding NDA in place.
My take on the Bearwood deal is that someone was loose lipped and stepped outside the terms of the NDA, either deliberately or out of ignorance, hence the attempt to smooth things over with the press releases last week. That initial press leak was the embarrassing part of all of this. If that leak hadn’t happened, I doubt that any of us would have known anything about this whole episode until there was a deal in principle in place.
I do agree that due diligence would certainly have unearthed the usage restriction and I suspect that is what actually happened. Rob is by no means stupid and would have been through many successful deals and had his share of unsuccessful deals as well. I do not see any blame on Robs part at all.
Bearwood. A view from the other side.
As you will gather from my "name" I am a Reading FC supporter, and have seen them play in all four tiers as well as the Third Division South. That should show you how long I have followed my club. When I started going to Elm Park our rivals were that team from along the A4 (now the M4) and that lot from the barrack town over the border in Hampshire. Then someone let that lot from that city up the Thames in the League and joined in my list of most hated clubs. Strangely, when that team from up in those hills, Wycombe Wanderers, joined the League, I was pleased to see them and have always treated them as friendly rivals, as I think most of your fans do. My club was once a club that was well run by John Madejski, but since then have been owned by asset strippers. Firstly, The Thais who sold the land outside the Stadium to themselves to build a housing/retail development, from which the club will get no benefit. Then came this Chinese bloke, Dai Yongge who has taken us to a new low. during his tenure we have been docked eighteen points and are still under a transfer embargo for the year or two. Reading FC are on the brink of going out of business after over 150 years of ups and downs, the nearest we have been to oblivion since Maxwell' attempt to "merge" with O*F***. (that is the only time I have agreed with their fans). Reading have built an amazing academy which has served us well keeping up a supply of young players as we are only allowed to sign free agents or free transfers, thanks to Dai. Some of these players have as you know played for you team and have done well, in most cases. So, please don't get too upset, if our fans got angry with our owner and you got caught in the crossfire. Our owner recently said he was looking to sell the club. stadium and training ground as one package. A few weeks later he announced he would be open to offers for Bearwood on it's own. Then within 48 hours it was almost a done deal to sell to Wycombe Wanderers! Whilst no one, other than Dai, really knows if the academy players are part of the sale as details are not available. It appears that the training ground does not belong to Reading FC but to a company owned by Dai Tongge,. Will my club ever see any of the proceeds from the sale? Maybe enough to see us thought this season, but Dai will then liquidate us, as he has done to TWO other clubs, one in Belgium the other in China, a unique hat trick in football that will be. Even if we do survive to next season, I can't see Dai showing that he has the funds to complete next season, leaving the EFL with no option but to expel us from the League.
As Dai Yongge has be proven to be a liar and totally untrustworthy, I hope your lawyers will be on the ball as it appears that Bearwood's planning consent was for "the sole use of Reading FC" no doubt to prevent the club to hire out pitches to Rugby/hockey clubs for them to use for matches. When this agreement between Wycombe and Dai was announced it was revelled that buyers walked away as there were under the impression that the training ground was included in their bids.
As Dai Yongge has been proven a liar and totally untrustworthy I hope you lawyers will take the utmost care when dealing with him and will expect the goalposts to be moved at the last minute, as happened last year when a different group of buyers walked out.
As the Reading FC website made it clear that they are talks with Wycombe Wanderers i cannot help but wonder how you will be able to afford to run it, as it seems we are unable to as the latest group to be rumoured (and that is all it is at the moment - a rumour) does not and never did want the training ground included. So if we see none of the money from this deal, which is quite likely, don't be surprised if you hear angry noises coming across the border or if you see wry smiles from former Reading supporters faces if the expense of running Bearwood puts you in the position we are now in.
In the meantime all the best for the rest of this season and hopefully we will both survive and meet in the Championship or better still in the Premier League. Thanks for reading al through this.
Re: Bearwood. A view from the other side.
I think @theRoyalBiscuit has behaved as a perfect guest fan on here during a very hot button issue between the clubs, so full respect for that!
Shev
Re: Bearwood. A view from the other side.
Thanks Shev and MDH. I have enjoyed the "chats" on this subject. Oh, and thanks also to the moderators who allowed me to give my views in the first place, especially as when asked why I wanted to join I said "so I can put my view as a Reading fan on Bearwood". They took a chance that I could have been abusive, I hope they feel that their decision was right. Thank you everyone, yes everyone, including those who don't see Reading fans as their friends. No doubt when this mess is all sorted, I won't grace your forum so much. So in the meantime All the best for the rest of the season and beyond, and I hope you bring that cup back from Wembley.
Re: Bearwood. A view from the other side.
What makes me laugh is that when these ‘larger clubs’ get themselves into a mess through massive overspending, fans of other clubs are expected to rally round, show support, put up with protests, put money in buckets.
When they get taken over and can pay bigger wages than everyone else again, it’s all ‘We’ll never play you again’, HMS Piss the League, all other clubs are ‘tinpot’.
Restricts my sympathy really.